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ISIS sympathiser kills 50 at Florida shooting P22

Surprise wins give BJP 12 seats in RS polls P26

A Taste of Ramadan: Traditions & Celebrations P16 - 17

Queen's honours list 2016 'most diverse' P4

18th June to 24th June 2016

With 10 days to the European Union Referendum, in an unprecedented intervention, 14 of Britain's leading Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) Labour MPs, including Keith Vaz, Tulip Siddiq and Chuka Umunna, have joined together urging the BAME voters to vote to remain in the EU on 23rd June. In fact, the Labour Party is leaving no stone unturned to rally its supporters behind Remain with former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown taking centre stage for the In campaign. Some are calling it “Labour fightback.”

This has come among warnings that the British diaspora would pay a high price if they vote to leave the EU. While the UN estimation of British expats in EU are 1.3mn, there is no central office recording where expats are, sending out ballots there, collecting and distributing to the right local authorities in time. Moreover, as the Economist pointed out Britain disregards its dias-

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London Mayor Sadiq Khan speaks during a Labour 'Vote Remain' campaign in London

pora, while limiting expats' voting rights and welfare payments. While India, China, Mexico nurture their emigrants as a soft power warrior, Britain's emigrants are often overlooked and poorly represented.

In a piece on the Guardian website, the BAME MPs have warned that the economic consequences of leaving "would hit minority communities hardest."

They add that a victory for the Tory right wing and

Nigel Farage's UKIP would embolden those who want to scrap anti-discrimination laws and workers' rights, setting back progress for ethnic minority communities by "generations."

The article concludes that staying in the EU will secure a "brighter future" with more jobs, higher wages and lower prices.

In fact it said, “of the many myths peddled by those campaigning for Britain to leave Europe, the claim that Brexit would Continued on page 6

“Mr Speaker, Modern India is in its 70th year. For my government, the Constitution is its real holy book. And, in that holy book, freedom of faith, speech and franchise, and equality of all citizens, regardless of background, are enshrined as fundamental rights,” said Modi in his address to the US Congress.

Continued on page 26

See comment on Page 3 and for full script visit: www.asian-voice.com

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ONE ONE with Keith Vaz, MP

Asian Voice |18th June 2016

www.asian-voice.com

to

Sunil Jindal

Sunil Jindal is seasoned business professional with over 20 years experience in the corporate world. After 20 years he decided it was time for a change and has since been running his own leadership andperformance coaching practise. Sunil generously gives his time to charitable causes, he has been a mentor to many social enterprises , enabling their business to grow through marketing excellence, he has also been a charity trustee for over 5 years. Sunil is passionate to see others excel and frequently presents at seminars and conferences on the role of coaching in enabling business performance and excellence, Sunil is an expert is seeing in others what they cannot see for themselves. Sunil has 2 teenage daughters who he fondly describes as his head and heart while his wife Rita is an emblem of his soul.

1) What is your current position?

Managing Director of my own Leadership & Performance Coaching Practice. Looking to extend my impact working with the younger generation to help them for fill their dreams and aspirations.

2) What are your proudest achievements? l Delivery of some of the most technically challenging projects enabling business performance l As winners of this year’s HRH Duke of York iDEA programme seeing how my daughters have excelled and grown through the process

l

Having to reinvent and discover myself to help serve others.

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

My spiritual mentor and good friend.

7) And the worst?

Client bureaucracy and proce-

hair wigs and hair pieces to children who lose hair due to cancer treatment. As well as donating her hair to charity, the six-year-old's efforts have chalked up around £1,250 in sponsorship.

Tara, who lives in Hendon, will be visiting the Holy Family Asha Niwas orphanage in New Delhi in August with her family to personally make the cash donation.

Five men wanted after brutal attack in Birmingham Birmingham police are looking for five men after a 22-year-old man was attacked and brutally beaten in Broad Street.

Police have released CCTV images after a group of friends were targeted by five men at around 4.17am on Saturday May 28.

Two men sustained minor injuries and a 22year-old man who was on a night out needed emergency hospital treatment.

Police say that he has now been discharged but will require further treatment.

A police spokesman said: “CCTV enquiries

show the suspects were travelling in a silver coloured Mercedes MPV. Officers are appealing for anyone who thinks they know the identity of the suspects to come forward.”

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

Education system for children aged 16+, the advice for kids of this age in the main is to follow the traditional forms of career development, allow them to be coached to explore much more than traditional career routes.

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

Myself, knowing that I am capable of achieving so much more , yet under playing myself

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

The freedom to take my business where I want to, to help others see the possibilities in working with me.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Constable Rick Sharp from Force CID on 101 or email contactus@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

tries such as India to change the leadership paradigm l To see my daughters for fill their dreams and ambitions in life and work

3) What inspires you?

Seeing others overcome obstacles, issues in pursuit of their own excellence.

Sporting achievements in breaking records, setting new bars of performance

Girl donates hair to children with cancer and raises money for orphanage A schoolgirl has undergone a drastic haircut so her locks can be made into a wig for a child with cancer - and will donate her sponsorship money to an orphanage.

Tara Kucheria, a Year 1 pupil at the North London Collegiate School had nearly a foot of hair lopped off last Sunday to donate to the Little Princess Trust.

The charity provides real

AsianVoiceNews

dures that prevent open and engaging possibilities.

8) What are your long term goals? l To provide employment opportunities to graduates, those seeking career change at whatever stage in their life. l To take my business to coun-

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

Walt Disney, he created magic and make believe at a time when the world needed it most. He refused to follow orthodoxy and created a legacy that will outlive many of our lifetimes.

Sikh temple burglary suspect is released on bail A man has been released on bail after he was questioned on suspicion of burgling a Sikh temple.

The 35-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of breaking into the Guru Nanak gurdwara in the city centre last Tuesday.

An intruder went

from room to room and the list of items stolen ranged from musical instruments to CCTV cameras and their monitors.

A large sum of money which members of the congregation had collected for charity was also

taken.

Police have confirmed a "large number" of items stolen during the break-in had been recovered.

A Leicestershire Police spokeswoman said the investigation was continuing.

Dad and son who clocked four million miles off cars have appeal thrown out A father and son jailed for a massive, four-million-mile, “car clocking” scam can have no complaints about their tough sentences, top judges have ruled.

Abid Hussain, 55, and Nadeem Abid Hussain, 30, were jailed at Birmingham Crown Court in October last year after they admitted to conspiracy to commit fraud.

Hussain senior was put behind bars for 61 months, while his son received a 56 month term.

The rogue pair were part of a wide-ranging network involved in doctoring over 250 cars so that their mileometers were drastically run down.

The fraudsters operated between 2007 and 2011,

London’s Appeal Court heard Saturday.

In all, the gang wiped around four million miles off vehicles’ clocks, said Judge Clement Goldstone QC. In just one case, 100,000 miles was shaved off a vehicle’s mileage.

Father and son challenged their sentences which their lawyers claimed were far too harsh.

But Judge Goldstone, sitting with Lord Justice

McCombe and Mr Justice Wyn Williams, dismissed both men’s complaints.

There was nothing “excessive or wrong in principle” about their punishments, he concluded.

Birmingham City Council brought the case after receiving numerous complaints from consumers across the Midlands who had bought vehicles from the defendants, which had their mileages lowered – in some cases by as much as 125,000 miles – between 2007 and 2011.

This is believed to be the biggest investigation into car clocking that Birmingham Trading Standards has carried out.

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Asian Voice |18th June 2016

Narendra Modi’s diplomatic blitz Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his diplomatic summitry in Tehran. Indo-Iran relations was put on a new track; this became clearer when President Ashraf Ghani came to the party and gave the exercise a further lift by converting it into a Trilateral partnership.

Trade, investment, industrial cooperation, sharing anti-terror intelligence and much else gave it a unique traction that could beat a path to Central Asia, the Caspian region and beyond. It was diplomacy with a Twenty-first century sweep. A fortnight later, Mr Modi inaugurated a dam built in Heart (in western Afghanistan) by Indian engineers with Indian finance.

The Chabahar project had taken its major step forward. Next was the Indian Prime Minister’s trip to Doha and a promise from the Emir of Qatar to join with India in rooting out covert financial support for jihadi terrorism, thence to Switzerland where the Swiss government endorsed India’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and ferret out Indian black money accounts in Swiss banks.

The climax to Mr odi’s odyssey was his much awaited visit to America where held talks with President Obama on a whole range of issues, from climate change, trade, investment anti-terrorist cooperation and regional security. However, it was the Prime Minister’s address to the joint Houses of Congress that was the tour de force of his journey. Several years ago Mr Modi told TV anchor Rajdeep Sardesai that he would make a speech in English one day that would be superior to anything that Sardesai had given. With consummate stagecraft, Mr Modi decided the place and the hour to make good his promise. He delivered his speech extempore; he pressed the right buttons throughout and he had his enthralled audience rising time and again to applaud his words.

The calibration and pitch was brilliantly synchronized as were the sentiments he expressed. India and the United States were partners on a great journey of mutual endeavour in science, technology, innovation, climate change and emphasized in particular continuing scourge of global terrorism. America has not always been on the same page, indulging certain ter-

rorists and their handlers, Pakistan, for instance, while condemning others. He referred to the three million Indian diaspora in the United States: thriving, prosperous, well educated who were the bridge builders between the two nations:: ‘Today, they are among your best CEOs, academics, astronauts, scientists, economists ,doctors, even spelling bee champions, said the Prime Minister to sustained applause.’

Republicans and Democrats on both sides of the aisle clapped furiously.

Mr Modi’s speech, solemn when required, was enlivened by flashes of wit and humour, which resonated well with his audience in the chamber as well as television audiences across the country and beyond in different corners of the world. His message was sincere and lucid. There was much that India and America had achieved as partners and this could be scaled up in the years to come.. But being partners did not include Indian membership of American-led military alliances. Much of this constituted the subtext of his address and was well understood to be the case.

India’s membership of the NSG has obstacles to surmount, but membership of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) should have a smoother ride. India’s participation in a mutually supportive arrangement on military logistics is assured. This underlies a broad strategic convergence on developments in the Asia Pacific, particularly with challenges arising from China’s rise.

Contemporary and future might well aver that this day and hour was when Narendra Modi strode out on an international stage as a statesman of global stature. There is much to rejoice in his remarkable achievement. People in India watched his performance as avidly on their screens as Americans. It was indeed high drama worthy of the occasion.

From Washington, Mr Modi flew to Mexico to reinforce India’s footprint jn Latin America. India has shared aspirations and experiences with the peoples of this continent. Mexico expressed support for Indian membership of the NSG, but the best is yet to come.

Indo-British healthcare partnerships way to future Indo-British talks over the past year could witness the flow of more than a billion pounds sterling (Rs 10,000 crore) of private investment in India’s healthcare sector, Under the Indo-British partnership eleven British health institutions are to be set up and provide training to doctors, nurses and allied medical staff. But a stringent UK visa regime could be an impediment to this scheme.

Malcolm Grant, Chairman of the National Health Service (NHS) England, who recently led a delegation of 23 British companies and NHS units looking to provide services in India hoped contentious visa issue wouldn’t get in the way of doctors coming to the UK. According to studies, 25 per cent of NHS doctors were from India and so were 7 per cent of the consultants.

Malcolm Grant was of the view that migration of qualified staff was vital to the functioning of the Britain’s health service.

He said, ‘There are a lot of partnerships going on between India and the UK. It is part of our history.

What we are trying to do is to work alongside the Indian government and the State governments for what is a common vision – providing universal healthcare on an affordable basis. This requires investments in hospitals; this is where the Indo-UK institutes will be focusing their attention, and also in primary health. A part of the proposal will be a number of polyclinics, which will have a hub-and-spoke model and will reach out to remote communities, particularly through telemedicine to be able to give early and and more convenient access to healthcare..

‘We’ve been increasingly interested to help people out of hospitals because admission to hospitals is an admission to failure. We are also doing work on data analytics, electronic records, diabetes care, and lots of partnerships on the clinical and surgical front…It was very encouraging. A number of [Indian State authorities] have come the point where they are acquiring land.

I came away with the impression that this had started to take grip.’

Education among India’s Muslim youth surges The 5-19 year Muslim population in India has exceeded the national average, although from a lower base. It has risen 44 per cent 2001 and 2011, while the national average expansion level was 30 per cent. During this decade education among Muslim girls rose 54 per cent, making the mean 68 per cent to the national average of 72 per cent. The highest education rates in 2011 were Jains at 88 per cent, Christians 80 per cent, Buddhists 79 per cent, Sikhs 77 per cent and Hindus 73 per cent. The census being a decennial exercise, the next tranche of statistics will be due in 2021.

Mass education in West Bengal has increased exponentially, particularly among girls, all part of the development that put Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congresds v(TMC) government back in power with an increased majority in the recent State Assembly polls.

(More on this next week) What follows is a grass roots sample of this process.

Inside a library in a modest Kolkata building, sits a 16year-old Muslim girl, Shabnam, engrossed in the mathematics text book. Her regular visits to the library – Gyan Azhar – instills in her a hope that she can become a teacher one day.

Three years ago, Shabnam quit school as her father

fell ill and later died of diabetes and her widowed mother was unable to afford the school fees. Instead of sitting at home doing house work, Shabnamg turned to the Gyan Azhar Library for help, as many others in the city’s Tiljala slum had done and still do. These deprived children were able to continue their education there. Shabnam is planning to take her exams next year to pursue her dream of pursuing a career in teaching.

Gyan Azgar Library for Girls made a modest start in 2008 with just two pupils. ‘Now we have 600 members and close to 1,000 text books.,‘ says Mohammed Shaftkat Alam, Joint Secretary, of Tiljala Shed, a nongovernmental organization which set up the Gyan Azhar L:ibrary. Its six computers with internet connections are an added attraction. The Indian Association for Women’s Development, has sponsored the library. Corporate houses, individuals and book sellers donate books. Most of the text books are in Bengali, Hindi and Urdu, as the slum has a sizeable Hindi and Urdu-speaking population. The slum is home to 30,000 families, the majority of whom are Muslims. Because of the library people are returning to schools. Where there’s a will, there’s always a way.

3

You traverse the world in search of happiness, which is within the reach of every man. A contented mind confers it on all.

- Horace Chuka Umunna, MP for Streatham

To stay STRONG, we must stay IN Labour is united in campaigning to remain in the EU because we are clear that Britain is better off in Europe. It brings us jobs, growth and investment, protects British workers and consumers and helps keep us safe.

Leaving would put that at risk and diminish Britain’s influence in the world. As we approach polling day, it looks like this referendum could be a close-fought contest and black and minority ethnic voters will play a key role in deciding the outcome.

So it’s absolutely vital people have all the facts and can make an informed decision.

That’s why I find it so dispiriting to see the Leave camp engage in a cynical attempt to present this vote as an entirely false choice between our membership of the EU and our relationship with the Commonwealth.

It is a false choice because it isn’t an either or situation – we can and should be a prominent and leading member of both. Not just because it is good for us, but is actually also good for other Commonwealth countries as well.

Our Commonwealth partners think so too – India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Canadian premier Justin Trudeau, and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnball have all spoken out against a Brexit. New Zealand’s Prime minister even said that if Europe was on their doorstep, his country “would be looking to join, we certainly wouldn’t be looking to leave it”. So we will have no truck with this argument that says we have to pick between our Commonwealth mem-

bership and our European Union membership, because we will have both.

And it’s not just our Commonwealth partners who have warned about the risk of leaving the EU. President Obama feels so strongly about the vote that he travelled to Britain to warn us not to consign ourselves to the fringes. He knows by being in Europe we actually amplify British influence, we don’t diminish it.

But we know what lies behind the Brexiters’ false choice – they want to exploit the close ties ethnic minority Britons have with the Commonwealth to insinuate that if only we left the EU then more people could come here from elsewhere – your granny, your aunty, your cousin.

They conveniently forget that the current Tory Government, which includes prominent Leavers like Priti Patel, Michael Gove, and Boris Johnson, imposed restrictions on non-EU migration in a failed attempted to get net migration down to the tens of thousands. And because the Leave camp have said they would keep that target if we left the EU, they know there would be no let up on restrictions imposed on skilled migration from the rest of the world, they would simply apply to EU workers as well.

They are treating people like fools. This decision is too important to let them get away with this misleading nonsense. Britain’s EU membership gives us a seat at the top table and a stronger voice on the world stage – to stay strong, we must stay IN.

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

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Asian Voice |18th June 2016

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Queen’s honours list 2016 ‘most diverse’ The Queen’s Birthday Honours list published on 10 June 2016, on the occasion of Her Majesty’s official 90th birthday, recognises the achievements of a wide range of extraordinary people right across the United Kingdom.

Whether someone gets an honour - and the honour they get - is decided by an honours committee. The committee’s decisions go to the Prime Minister and then to the Queen, who awards the honour.

According to the Cabinet Office this has been the "most diverse" since the Order of the British Empire was founded in 1917. Women make up 47% of the total, 8.2% are from a black and minority ethnic background and 5.2% consider themselves to have a disability.

However, Vote Leave has accused David Cameron of "abusing the honours system" - pointing out 22 prominent supporters of the campaign to

en outstanding work in their communities either in a voluntary or paid capacity l There are 538 successful women candidates in the list, representing 47% of the total l 8.2% of the successful candidates (90 people) come from a BAME background: the greatest ever number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic recipients in an honours list l 5.2% of the successful candidates consider themselves to have a disability under the Equality Act 2010 l According to our findings, there are around 40 honours recipients from the South Asian community.

Among them there is a British Asian man of

Romy Gill is the chef-owner of Romy’s Kitchen in Thornbury, South Gloucestershire. Her commitment to the restaurant and her entrepreneurial spirit has been recognised with the appointment of her MBE. Of the Honour, Romy said; “I was so surprised and overwhelmed when I received notice of my MBE. To have all the hours and hard work recognised in such a way is incredible and I’m truly delighted. I couldn’t have done this without the support and understanding of my husband and two daughters, they are very proud of me and I am so thankful. I work with a small but dedicated team at Romy’s Kitchen and this is not just recognition for me, it’s for them too. I hope this will inspire the many other talented women in the hospitality industry.” remain in the EU are on the list, which goes to the prime minister for approval.

But a government spokesman said the honours were unconnected to the EU referendum, adding the names were selected by independent committees "well before" the date of the vote had been announced, and also included prominent supporters from the Leave side.

In total, 1,149 people have received an award this year: l 1,004 candidates have been selected at BEM, MBE and OBE level. 312 at BEM, 477 at MBE and 215 at OBE l 70% of the recipients are people who have undertak-

Bengali origin, who has won the MBE title, becoming one of the youngest to be honoured with this title.

The list for South Asians: Order of the British Empire Commanders of the Order of the British Empire l

Professor Usha CHAKRAVARTHY: Professor of Ophthalmology, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. For services to Ophthalmology in Northern Ireland and voluntary service to Managing Eye Conditions.

(Belfast)

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Queen Elizabeth II arrives in a horse-drawn carriage at Horse Guards Parade for the Queen's Birthday Parade, 'Trooping the Colour'

Bharat Maganlal MEHTA, OBE : Chief Executive Officer, Trust for London. For services to Finance in the Charitable and Voluntary Sectors.

(London) l Professor Sabera Nazneen Rahman: Head of Genetics and Epidemiology, Institute of Cancer Research and Head of Cancer Genetics, The Royal Marsden. For services to Medical Science.

(London) Order of the British Empire Officers of the Order of the British Empire l Shaista GOHIR, MBE: Trustee and Chair, Muslim Women's Network UK. For services to Gender Equality and Women's Rights (Birmingham, West Midlands) l Hanif MALIK: and the community particularly in Yorkshire. (Leeds, West Yorkshire) l Sewa Singh MANDLA: For services to the Interfaith and Community Cohesion particularly in the Sikh community. (West Bromwich, West Midlands) l Dr Nima POOVAYA SMITH: Founder and Director, Alchemy Anew.

For services to Arts and Museums in Yorkshire. ((Leeds, West Yorkshire) l Ms Bhanu R A M A S W A M Y : I n d e p e n d e n t Physiotherapy Consultant.

For services to Physiotherapy. (Sheffield, South Yorkshire) l Adil RAY: Actor, Radio and Television Presenter.

For services to Broadcasting. (London) l Dhanonday Baluji Shrivastav: Musician,

Instrumentalist and Founder, Inner Vision Orchestra. For services to Music. (London) l Dr Geetha UPADHYAYA: Co-Founder and lately Chief Executive and Artistic Director, Kala Sangam. For services to South Asian Arts in the UK. (Guiseley, West Yorkshire) Order of the British Empire

Teacher, King Edward VII School, Sheffield. For services to Education and the community in Sheffield.

(Sheffield, South Yorkshire) l Santosh Kaur, Mrs JHANGIANI Executive Officer, Home Office. For services to Staff Welfare in the Home Office. (Surrey) l Ms Ren KAPUR, Mrs Ren Raksha Wing: Founder and Chief Executive Officer, XForces Ltd. For services to Entrepreneurship.

(Reading, Berkshire) Anwar KASSIM: Director, Milton Keynes Islamic Arts and Culture.

For services to Inter-faith Relations and the community in Milton Keynes.

(Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire) l Gurmit KAUR: Community Cohesion I n s p e c t o r , Nottinghamshire Police.

For services to Policing.

Bengali Football. (Oldham, Lancashire) l Usman MUNSHI, JP: For services to Community Cohesion and Engagement in Lancashire. (Lancashire) l Rashiklal Parmar: Lead Cloud Adviser - Europe and Distinguished Engineer, IBM and Board Member, Leeds City Region LEP. For services to

Rajeeb Dey, who is among this year’s youngest honourees, has received the accolade in recognition of his services to entrepreneurship having previously been awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion in 2013 and being named the world’s youngest Young Global Leader in 2012 by the World Economic Forum. On receiving the award he said, “my own entrepreneurial journey started aged 17 and ever since I have been passionate about encouraging other young people to pursue more entrepreneurial careers. Through Enternships we’ve helped over 6,500 startups and fast growing businesses connect to entrepreneurial talent; hearing the stories of young people being inspired by us to launch their own ventures is a reward in itself, however to now be getting an MBE from the Queen is truly humbling.

He continued by commenting on the cultural attitudes towards jobs within parts of Asian society by saying “there is often a pressure in some Asian communities from parents for their children to follow more professional career options such as Medicine, Law, Dentistry etc. I was very fortunate that despite my dad, sister and wider relatives predominantly being Doctors, I was always encouraged to do what made me happy.”

He proceeding with a message to parents and young people by saying “I hope more parents will encourage their children to look at entrepreneurship as a viable and rewarding career path. In particularly the digital economy provides huge opportunities for enterprising people to launch new ventures and I hope to be able to inspire more people to explore the full breadth of career opportunities out there.”

Members of the Order of the British Empire l Mohammed ALI: Aerosol Arabic, Street Artist. For services to Art and Community Cohesion.

(Birmingham, West Midlands) l Mohammed AMIN: Founder Member and CoChair, Muslim Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester. For services to Community Cohesion and Inter-faith Relations in Greater Manchester.

(Whalley Range, Greater Manchester) l Hitesh CHANDARANA: Assistant Officer, Personal Tax Operations, HM Revenue and Customs. For services to Tax Compliance ( T h u r m a s t o n , Leicestershire) l Taiyabur Rahman CHOWDHURY: Lately Adoption Social Worker, Bradford City Council. For services to Children and Families. (West Yorkshire) Rajeeb DEY : Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Enternships. For services to Entrepreneurship.

(London) l Romy GILL: Founder, Romy's Kitchen. For services to the Hospitality Industry.

(Thornbury, Bristol) l Iffat HAMEED, JP:

The Queen looks out of the window at Buckingham Palace because the rain fell earlier within the day

(Mickleover, Derbyshire) Bhupendra Harji MAGUDIA: Senior Executive Officer, Ministry of Defence. For services in Support of Military Training.

(Nailsea, Somerset) l Jewel MIAH: For voluntary services to Britishl

Innovation and Business.

(Leeds, West Yorkshire) l Mohammed Akhlak RAUF: Manager, Meri Yaadain (My Memories) Dementia Team, City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council.

Continued on page 18

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UK Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

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From Your Pension Pot to My Hedge Fund – June 23rd I speak to you as a hedge fund manager, as an asset manager. Not as the CEO of a British business, not in any other capacity.

What I can tell you is how the market will react. You may not care. But you will.

There is a book, ‘Atlas Shrugged’. It is essentially a book about how we in the 1% hold up the Earth. We certainly in London subsidise the rest of the United Kingdom.

You may think we don’t pay taxes. You’re wrong. And if we, Atlas, shrugs, then the earthquake will hurt others, not us. Let me describe that to you. This is not project fear – I am telling you what my job is – to make money from the market – we are the ones who sell shares after 9/11. Call us vultures, whatever you want. We don’t use our money to make political statements. We are just telling it as it is. And I can tell you that after the vote on June 23rd, if there is an exit, we will push the Pound lower and sell stocks like it’s a crash.

Does that affect you…wait for it. As stocks fall, the panic will lead to other companies halting investment until they get some form of clarity. Falling stocks means less borrowing by companies for investment. Less investment means fewer jobs.

I am not giving you an opinion, I am giving you an expert view. And that is a fact. We and Atlas everywhere will sell the hell out of the Pound and British stocks.

That is not a threat. I am just telling you how it is. Soros and others will do what I

will do. We think alike on these things.

As we do, your job will be at risk. We don’t care about your job because it is not our job to care about your job. Yes you didn’t need another reason to hate hedge fund managers, but there you have it.

I know, you are brave patriots, fighting for your country and fear nothing. Yeah, good luck with that, remember 2008 when the market crashed or 1987? Or 2000?

Bravery is fine, but money talks and money walks.

But think of us like this – we are the 1% who pay more in tax than everyone else pretty much put together. It is my money flowing to Europe, then back to Sunderland. Yeah, I know you want more and more of my money to be charged to tax. Well, my company at least is British so yeah after the bumper profits we expect in June if there is a Brexit, we will definitely be liable to more tax, because our profits will be so large. And then we are taking the rest of the year off. It’s how we roll, it’s what we do when we hit our profit targets.

I should start a campaign – hedge fund managers for Brexit.

So the Brexiteers, go ahead. Our hedge fund jobs are secure. Go ahead, your job isn’t. Go ahead, make our day, make us as rich as Soros when he broke the Bank of England. It’s just a re-organisation of wealth, from your pension fund to our hedge fund.

Anish Kapoor and the English National Opera The English National Opera’s new play Tristan and Isolde at the London coliseum opened r e c e n t l y .

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At 75: Living a life others dream about Glowing tributes were paid to Dhirajben Pithia who has marked her 75th milestone. A lavish surprise party was thrown in her honour by her family last Sunday.

Held at The Langley in Watford, Hertfordshire, the round-table event brought together over 200 guests from all over the UK. Goodwill messages from across the globe were also screened. A live band, led by Praful Ladwa and Anuradhaben, provided entertainment.

Proud mother-of-four, and grandma-of-ten, at the age of three, she, with her parents and two sisters sailed from her native Porbandar, Gujarat, to

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Her nephew, our sen-

ior news editor Dhiren Katwa, in his keynote speech said that Dhirajben was someone living a happy and remarkable life which so many of us aspire.

The team at Asian Voice wish Dhirajben an even happier and healthier life. Photo: Dhirajben (seated) with her immediate family.

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EXCLUSIVE

Chuka Umunna speaks about the importance of the diaspora vote

Chuka Umunna

At an exclusive interview Chuka Umunna speaks to Asian Voice about the upcoming EU Referendum and Labour policies Q:How decisive black and Asian voters could prove in this referendum?

What are you doing to garner their votes?

They determine the general elections. In 253 of the current 650 constituencies, the majority of the sitting members of Parliament is exceeded by the ethnic minority population in that constituency.

So in around 1 in 3 seats, the ethnic minority vote is decisive and it will prove to be incredibly important in this referendum campaign.

But, I should add, it will not be if our people don't turn out to vote.

Q: Recently former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott had criticised Jeremy Corbyn for failing to push Labour's case in EU referendum.

Prescott had said that Labour must set out more clearly where it stands on immigration.

What's Labour's position on immigration?

We have got a clear position on EU referendum.

Labour leader Jeremy Corby is absolutely clear about it that from the point of view of Labour's values voting to stay In is the right thing to do. And that is why overwhelmingly a clear majority of our MPs want to stay In. In terms of immigration issue, I don't think anybody will deny that migration in 2016 and beyond is going to pose challenges. My argument is if we were to quit EU, those challenges will not go away. Yes, people have concerns about how migration can undercut people's wages in the labour market and that's why it's really

Labour fights back Brexit chances AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice |18th June 2016

important that the government imposes minimum wage.

But let's not forget the benefits that immigration brings – there are 100,000 EU citizens working in the NHS, 1.5 million British people are employed in businesses in the UK owned by EU citizens. Let's also not forget that when our parents and grandparents came here, the same arguments that have been made now against East Europeans were made against them. And so we shouldn't ignore the challenges that immigration can pose. Let us not allow Nigel Farage and others to create division and hate in our communities in an attempt to gain political gains.

Q: Is it right to say Jeremy Corby is keeping a low key as far as EU referendum is concerned?

No, I think it's impossible for Jeremy Corbyn to keep a low key. Wherever he goes, there is a TV camera in his face. He is campaigning hard to make sure we stay in the EU and he will be campaigning harder still in these final weeks of the campaign.

Q: How is Labour planning to protect our borders?

We manage our borders properly. The idea that when you arrive at a British airport, you simply go and pick up your bags when you get off the plane and then get out of the airport – is untrue. You have to go through the passport checks and to that extent we are able to manage migration now. Because we have the benefit of the single market and it is impossible with the way in which the EU is set out to have a free movement of goods and services as well as free movement of people, we make a judgement that the economic benefits that we get from the single market are way, what some say, would be the downside of migration. But the important thing is where you have an area that has the need for people to come to the community and to cope with whatever extra pressures is an issue for the domestic government, for the British government, not for the EU.

Continued from page 1

benefit non-European immigrant communities is amongst the most outrageous. “The fact is, our communities’ legitimate concerns about the current immigration system lie at the door of the Tory Government, not the EU, and the consequences of leaving would hit minority communities hardest... “Britain’s ethnic minority communities are stronger, safer and better off in Europe.�

The article has been signed off by Rushanara Ali: Bethnal Green and Bow, Shabana Mahmood: Birmingham Ladywood, Yasmin Qureshi: Bolton South East, Thangam, Debbonaire: Bristol West, Virendra Sharma: Ealing, Southall, Kate Osamor: Edmonton, Seem Malhotra: Feltham and Heston, Tulip Siddiq: Hampstead and Kilburn, Keith Vaz: Leicester East, Chi Onwurah: Newcastle upon Tyen Central, Chuka Umunna: Streatham, David Lammy: Tottenham, Valerie Vaz: Walsall South and Khalid Mahmood: Birmingham Perry Bar. BAME Conference Labour In for Britain held a BAME (British Black Asian and Minority Ethnic) press conference at the Labour Party Head Office on June 8, appealing the members of the nonwhite communities in the UK to turn out in large numbers on June 23 and vote for Britain to stay in the European Union.

Kate Osamor MP, Alan Johnson MP, Seema Malhotra MP, Chuka Umunna MP and Rushanara Ali MP made a strong pitch for the Remain campaign, urging voters to make sure their voice is heard in the EU referendum on June 23.

They said staying in the EU is economically best for British workers and businesses as also from the security point of view. It is vital Britain remains in the EU for jobs and prosperity from a long-term point of view, they added.

Rushanara Ali accentuated on dangers of intolerance and far-right activity.

She said Brexit campaigners are focussing on intolerance and anti-immigration sentiments, on fear, division – they need to be

Rushanara Ali MP, Alan Johnson MP, Kate Osamor MP, Seema Malhotra MP and Chuka Umunna MP at the Labour In press conference in London

countered. “Today we require cooperation and unity between member states to tackle the modern-day challenges, including security and terrorism.

We need to stay in EU for peace and for protecting our rights, and Britain’s ethnic minorities know this better than any other group. Women know this because they have gained rights, maternity rights, paid maternity rights.�

people to come in to work in the particular industries where there is labour and skills shortage, they can do that but we don’t have to leave EU to address specific problems in specific industries.�

'Labour has a monumental responsibility' Mayor of London Sadiq Khan speaks during a Labour party 'Vote Remain' campaign event, at The Shard in London

Chancellor George Osborne at the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple, addressing the Hindu community on 14 June

“There are legitimate fears about immigration.

But let us not allow the likes of Nigel Farage to define that debate. That is dangerous. Because Nigel Farage is no friend of Britain’s ethnic minority communities. “Let us not forget that we are the benefactors of an open society that allowed people in to make a contribution because none of us would be here if we didn’t have that, none of us would have the opportunities to be representatives in this Parliament if Britain was intolerant when our parents and forefathers came here in this country.

So we cannot allow people to say that all immigration is bad. “The idea that the likes of Micheal Gove, Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage are going to allow people to come here is nonsense and frankly if the British government wanted to allow

Thursday June 9, 2016. He reportedly said Labour had a "monumental responsibility" to ensure it mobilised its supporters to vote in favour of continued EU membership.

"The worry that we have is, for understandable reasons because a lot of the media attention has been on so-called 'blue on blue' attacks - Boris Johnson versus David Cameron, Michael Gove versus George Osborne - Labour voters have been turned off," he said.

He said he was trying to "remind Labour voters and supporters" why it was "so important" for the UK to remain in the EU - and was calling on them to persuade friends and family to vote Remain.

The Brown charisma Gordon Brown, who almost single handedly ensured Scotland remains within UK during the I n d e p e n d e n c e

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Referendum, has said Labour voters have the “most to gain� if Britain stays in the EU, taking a lead in the EU to create jobs, cut energy bills and tackle tax havens, during a speech at Leicester.

But Boris Johnson, among his hair dye controversy, one of the leading Vote Leave campaigners, said the Remain camp was “rattled� with just 10 days to go until the referendum on the UK’s future in the EU. Brown said action on the environment, cutting energy bills, enhancing workers’ rights and social standards, and tackling tax havens were all best achieved by being inside the EU. He compared the Leave campaign to Donald Trump’s in America. He said in many countries globalisation was fuelling a desire to “bring control back home�. Alongside Brown, Shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn has also invoked the memory of his late father Tony on Monday as he made an impassioned plea to Labour supporters to back the Remain campaign.

European Council president and historian Donald Tusk has also warned that Brexit could threaten “Western political civilisation�.

Leave camp surges ahead in polls Support for leaving the EU is gaining ground, with phone and online surveys reporting a six-point lead, according to a pair of Guardian/ICM polls.

Leave now enjoys a 53%-47% advantage, according to research conducted over the weekend, compared with a 52%-48% split reported by ICM two weeks ago.

The polls excluded respondents who answered “don’t know�.

In an independent study by Asian Voice through a poll, 43.4% people said, they would want UK to stay within EU, as opposed to 33.84% who want to leave and 22.75% who are not decided.

The result of the Referendum does not depend on any polls or predictions. It depends on the people who turn up to vote and Asian Voice would like to urge its readers to make sure that they go out and vote on 23 June 2016.

Continued on page 7

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UK Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

The EU Conundrum – Better In than Out Since World War II the European continent has witnessed many a change. Boundaries have been redrawn, walls have come down and a melting pot of cultures has changed the very fabric of European society. By and large, nations have embraced change and moved on – the good outweighing the bad.

For Britain, perhaps, one of the most vexing questions of recent times is whether to remain in the EU or bid adieu.

Questions, debates and rhetoric, about the cost of leaving or staying, impact on mass migration and defence, all boggle the mind with no clear answers in sight.

However, fundamentally, the concept of the United Statesof Europe was based on trade and one of free access togoods and people among its countries.

The cost of leaving or staying within the EU has both its advantages and disadvantages. After Germany, Britain pours the most into the coffers of EU than any other European nation.

According to the Treasury, the annual net contribution of a British national to the EU is

£100 per head. This, say experts, can be reduced to manageable proportions.

the same time, with all its pros and cons, the European E c o n o m i c Community and now the EU, through shared missions, has contributed a great deal to maintain peace in mainland Europe and elsewhere; the other major player being NATO.

Immigration and Emigration

The issue of immigration has been bandied about frequently by the LeaveEU lobby to strike fear into the hearts of the population. Yes, an estimated 257,000 EU nationals arrived in the UK in the twelve months leading to September 2015. Official statistics show that there are 2 million EU nationals employed in Britain.

According to Social MarketFoundation, EU workers make up 6% of the overall labour market and 13% of that in London. Sectors that trade with the EU or that benefit from free movement of labour, including financial services, tourism, construction and the automative industry, will be the most affected by exiting.

According to analyses by accountancy firm PwC, in the short term, 950,000 jobs could be lost as a result of leaving the EU, although some experts argue for the long term benefits of

Trade

leaving. Estimates by the UN show that 1.3 million Britons live elsewhere in the EU making Brexit a hurdle for them to live and retire in their adopted countries.

The refugee crisis

The influx into the EU ofmillions of refugees from war-torn countries, mainly the Islamic nations, is one of the greatest tragedies of our times. While it is a humanitarian duty to provide succour to the afflicted, in the long term, with adequate support these very people can be of benefit to host nations as shown by Germany. The age-old traditions of Europe and its Christian values have

time and again demonstrated that race, colour and religion are no barriers to welcoming the needy and the marginalised. The prosperous and thriving Asian community in the UK is a living testimony to that. It was on the 4th of August, 1972, that the then President Idi Amin of Uganda ordered the expulsion of his country's Asian minority.

Penniless, they arrived in the UK only to be welcomed with open arms and the rest is history.

Military

Although the EU has ambitions to play a bigger role as a military player, currently it has no military of its own. At

On the trade front, traditionally, the UK has had strong links with the EU. Although the UK has recorded a trade in goods deficit with the EU, its trade in services balance with the EU is much more favourable, running a surplus since 2005.

Summary

Overall, one of the lessons from history is to have a federation of countries with common goals which need not be universally acceptable but work for the common good. By that principle the Asian Voice believes that we are better off in the EU than out.

7

Labour fights back Brexit chances

Continued from page 6 Prime Minister David Cameron has said the government might not be able to protect spending on pensions, the NHS and defence in the long term in the event of a Brexit.

Chancellor George Osborne said the armed forces could see their budgets slashed by £1£1.5 billion a year as the wider economy shrank. He even suggested that Brexit is only an option for rich people, answering questions from the Sky News audience on Facebook Lives. Mr Osborne, who is meant to address Britain's Hindu community at BAPS Swaminarayan Temple, on Tuesday 14 June, as we go to press, is believed to urge the community to vote remain.

On the other hand, Brexit campaigners have been criticised for fishing in troubled waters after they made the “shameful” claim leaving the EU would stop an Orlando-style attack in Britain. The Nigel Farage-backed group, which failed to win the status of official Brexit campaign, claimed the “free movement of Kalashnikovs in Europe helps terrorists” in a post since deleted from Twitter.

The CBI have released a report in which business federations in non-EU countries have said that maintaining full access to the single market is in the best interests of the UK. The Prime Minister’s UK India Diaspora Champion Priti Patel MP said: “The British Asian community makes an immense contribution to both British culture and the economy. The referendum is an opportunity for them to exercise their right to vote in this historic election. For far too long those from the Commonwealth have been sidelined and discriminated against in favour EU migrants. Once we Vote Leave we will have a fair immigration policy which would bring in the brightest and the best from countries like India, Bangladesh, Australia and New Zealand.”

BOOK N OW!

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MEDIA WATCH

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Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

An empire built in Jawar Bagh, a 280 acre public park in the Uttar Pradesh city of Mathura, by a cult leader named Ramvriksh Yadav, ended in tragedy when police stormed it last week following an exchange of gun fight with the illegal occupants who were armed to the teeth. Twenty four people, including two policemen were killed. Among the dead were also five women and two children and Yadav himself. A huge arms cache of bombs and guns was discovered at the site.

Yadav, a self-confessed devotee of Subhas Chandra Bose had set up what he called Azad Bharat [Free India]. His racket had existed for several years.

Numerous Allahabad High Court orders calling for the eviction of the site and with an inter-departmental paper chase no action was taken. When a final court order threatening contempt arrived at the UP Chief Minister’s office, the seemingly paralytic State government was galvanized into feverish activity. The paper’s correspondent made out a convincing case alleging a widespread protection racket between ruling party politicians, State ministers and bureaucrats.

The Telegraph (June 7) made this its front-page lead story, giving dates to this circular bureaucratic correspondence.

Government departments, a local magistrate, police et al were involved. It is a macabre and bizarre tale that defies the imagination. In New Delhi, the Supreme Court is set to hear a petition from an Advocate, Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay calling for Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the affair as a matter of urgent national interest.

Blame game

The Hindu newspaper’s coverage, also front-page (June 7), was more low key. It made much of the Uttar Pradesh government’s ‘comprehensive report’ on Mathura to the Union government in New Delhi without giving too much away about its contents. The Uttar Pradesh government placed the blame for this tragedy on local civil servants and the magistrate for the entire affair.

The Hindu ascribed the arms cache at Mathura to possible links between the Yadav outfit and the Naxalites. It would have helped if some shred of evidence was provided. Mere speculation can lead to dark alleyways. For all one knows, it could have been the Khalistani hand. Or even that of Islamic State. The Mint report (June 7) was exemplary, factual and lucid.

Growth to surge: YES Bank

An expected bountiful monsoon, the Seventh Pay Commission recommended wage hike and revival of private sector investment will bring a surge in economic growth to 8.1 per cent or over in the current fiscal predicts YES Bank.

‘YES Bank projects India’s GDP to cross 8.1 per cent in Fiscal Year 2017 (ending March 31) on the basis of a visible pickup in consumption demand like cement, oil, and electricity along with stronger than anticipated fourth quarter corporate earnings (2016 ended March 31), said YES Bank in its Economic Suvey (Hindu

June 7)

Rajan retains key rate

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) left the key interest rate, the repo rate, unchanged at 6.5 per cent citing risk of a rise in inflation.

‘Incoming data since then [April] show a sharper than anticipated

RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan

upsurge in inflationary pressures emanating from a number of food items, as well as a reversal in commodity prices,’ said RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan at a media briefing in New Delhi.(Hindu, Times of India, Mint June 8)

Hindu priest, Christians killed in Bangladesh

Yet another Hindu priest and two Christians were killed in the past few days in Bangladesh. The priest was 70 year-old Amulya Ganguly, while the first Christian was 65 –year-old Sunil Gomes, A second Christian, one Samir Ali, was also murdered; these incidents occurring in far-flung rural areas of the country. In a similar gruesome incident in the port city of Chittagong, they claimed the life of the wife of the anti-terrorist police chief, Mahmuda, who had collected her child from school when she was shot dead by three men on motor cycles. There has been a spate of such killings by terrorists claiming to belong to Islamic State or al Qaeda or other kindred bodies. Progressive Muslim writers and university academics have also been done to death for espousing intellectual freedom and secularism.

International conspiracy

None of the assailants have been brought to justice. Indeed Bangladesh Home Minister Asuduzza Khan made the preposterous charge that the deaths resulted from an ‘international conspiracy’ involving the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad. ‘In

the current climate of impunity increasing numbers of people have been facing threats that the authorities have repeatedly failed to address,’ stated Amnesty International (Hindu, Times of India June 8)Church of

Santa Monica Church, Goa, restored

Following years of restoration work, the 450-year-old Church of Santa Monica in Old Goa was opened for public worship. The church, part of the Convent of Santa Monica, Asia’s first and the largest Convent in Old Goa, a State-protected monument, has been restored by the Museum of Christian Art with financial help from the Goa Directorate of Archives and Archaeology (Hindu June 8)

Parrikar’s South East Asian odyssey

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s visit to Singapore, where he interacted with South East Asian leaders, followed by a trip to Vietnam is a clear sign of India’s energized ‘Look East’ diplomacy. Vietnam is the linchpin of India’s regional security relationships. Industry major Larsen & Toubro has tendered for a contract to supply Patrol Vessels form India during Parrikar’s presence with his Vietnamese counterpart, General Ngo Xuan Lich. The deal will be funded by India’s $100 million line of credit. Vietnam has embarked on a major defence modernization programme, with both countries operating Russian equipment, thereby facilitating cooperation in this area between the parties (Hindu June 7)

Brahmos missiles for Vietnam mooted

India and Russia have agreed in principle to export their jointly developed BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to a range of third countries with whom India and Russia have friendly ties.

Vietnam tops the list, which also includes South Africa, Chile, Philippines, Malasia, Singapore, Thailand, the UAE, Algeria, Egypt, Greece and South Korea.

silence on Indian diplomatic moves to bring about a sound Trilateral relationship between India, Iran and Afghanistan. The Global Times perceived this as a counter-stroke to China’s ‘allweather friendship’ with Pakistan and the construction of the Gwador port on the Pakistani coast abutting the Persian Gulf.

So it is, to some extent. But India’s ‘geostrategic ambitions extend to Central Asia, the Caspian Sea and beyond. So it does, Comrades. The paper sneered that India’s pockets were not sufficiently large to fund the Chabahar hub and its outreach.

Better to wait and see. The paper suggested that Iran’s interest do not always coincide with India’s – which is undoubtedly true.

Mature relations

Both sides are mature enough to recognize this; nevertheless there are convergences of national interest between the trilateral partners that make their alignment worthwhile. India wishes to extend its influence to the Middle East, commented the Gobal Times with accustomed Middle Kingdom. True again.

The Persian Gulf and other waterways are not a Chinese lake, as Beijing perceives the South China Sea to be, with its littoral states as part of a metamorphosed tributary system, whose rulers are expected to kowtow to the Son of Heaven in Beijing. China’s bullying tactics over the right of passage in the South China Sea have clearly backfired (Hindu June 8)

Russia aerospace eyes Haryana

Setting its sights on investment opportunities in India, Russia’s aerospace delegation, led by

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Minister Sergey Cheremin, met with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Finance Minister Captain Abhimanyu in Chandigarh with a view to setting up an aviation hub in Hissar, some 150kms from Delhi’s International Airport.

Strong ties, past, present

They assured their visitors of full support for any Russian ventures in the State. India had had a strong relationship with the Soviet Union and these well knit bonds continued with the Russian Federation, they said (Hindu May 25)

A glory has passed

Fulsome tributes were paid to the memory of Muhammed Ali from all corners of India, among them the tweets of Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble and Viswanath Anand. The media recalled the fevered excitement of Ali’s presence in India in 1991, and his larger than life personality. As a boxer, Ali was the stuff of legend, yet nothing could match his

Muhammed Ali

moral integrity in refusing the draft of military service in America’s criminally unjust war in Vietnam. As a result, he forfeited four of the best years of his sporting life in the ring and millions of dollars with it.

Muhammed, You were The Greatest. A glory has passed.

BrahMos missile

BrahMos travels at thrice the speed of sound. Current research seeks to increase its to hypersonic levels, six or more times the speed of sound. Its kinetic force has unprecedented destructive power. The missile has been adapted for use by land, sea and air forces (Russian TASS report May 29, also Jane’s Defence Weekly, London)

Chinese sneer on Chabahar

Global Times, long regarded as muscular organ of China’s leadership, has broken the regime’s

Modi with Obama. see comment page 3

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a joint meeting of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington see comment page 3

UK Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Rani

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Britain. He picks up the story.

“I came up against a lot of resistance to applying to that college as opposed to some of the newer ones. It Singh, Special Assignments Editor was one of my first real experiences of both class prejudice, which in this instance just made me more determined. I applied to Trinity College, got the right grades and had a wonderful education. decided he wanted to go to Punjab. Bobby’s father Some of my experiences Trinity College, Cambridge works in a factory and his there found their way into University. But things mother used to sew coats. my debut novel, West of No Early influences stalled, even in 21st century East.

Bobby Nayyar told us, Turning point; deciding to “I didn’t really get into become a writer. reading until I was 18 and Bobby knew from the age heading off to university. of 19 I knew that he wanted So I would say that my to be a writer and a pubearly influences were all lisher. The very first short musical. Around the same story he wrote at that time, time I started teaching ‘The Last Banana’, was myself how to play the guipublished in a magazine, tar. And like most teenage which gave him boys with guitars, my first the confidence pieces of to keep writwriting ing short stow e r e ries, which were then published in other magazines and journals. He said, “I was songs fortunate to to girls be pubI liked!” lished in the Education M a n g o and early Shake antholchallenges ogy in 2006, B o b b y which was edited by attended a D e b j a n i grammar school Chatterjee.” in Birmingham. While Bobby Nayyar His greatest chaldoing his A-Levels he

The Poet,Writer and Publisher Who Opens His Heart Bobby Nayyar is a poet, author and publisher who is able to write frankly about himself, his pain and his desires. He founded and runs his own publishing house, Limehouse Books.

He is unusual in being able to acknowledge his own life-graph for better as well as for worse. He has made an honest account of himself in his recent debut collection of work, Glass Scissors. A personal collection, it explores universal themes of love and loss. It is a revelation of one man’s hopes and dreams, and of the delicate nature of the world we live in.

Though the poetry appears to be simple and easy to read, it carries an intensity and power underneath the layers. Bobby Nayyar was selected to appear for readings at Asia House recently.

Background Born in Handsworth, Birmingham, Bobby’s parents are both from the

9

consumer. One of the benlenges, and how Bobby efits of my experience is overcame them. that it made me more Bobby revealed candidfocussed on the people I ly, “Two events spring to care about and trying to mind – the first was recovhelp others, which is why I ering from a bout of clinihope my poetry can reach cal depression in 2008, other people who are in a which changed my outlook similar situation, especially on life greatly. Much of if they are from an Asian that experience is recountbackground, so they ed in my latest understand some book, Glass of the issues Scissors, which Depression from a comis a collection of poems. It taught me how to be munity perspective.” may sound a better person – Financial strange but more empathetic self suffidepression ciency; maktaught me and caring about ing an how to be a people, and not income. better permoney and son – more We wondered empathetic if Bobby had consumption. and caring become finanabout people, cially independent, and not money and now that he has a consumption. The second writing income. With one challenge was setting up professional body my own publishing compaannouncing the average ny, Limehouse Books in author income to be as low 2009. Running a business as £12,000 per annum, is a constant challenge but our interviewee explained, I’m proud to have pubunsurprisingly, lished 20 books in 6 years “I wish! It’s hard to and helped the careers of make money being a other writers. writer but I get additional Bobby’s biggest turning work teaching creative point- that greatest of writing to schoolchildren, Asian taboos. which I find really reward“Definitely the depression, ing and enjoyable. I’m which remains greatly misprivileged to be doing understood. I’ve tried to something I love and just explore this and more in about getting by. I don’t Glass Scissors – how these dream of getting rich out changes in your body of my work, rather having chemistry change your perthe freedom to tell the stoception of desire and withries I didn’t have when I out desire you stop being a was younger.”

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With over 30 years’ experience in the restaurant industry, Zaman’s personally designed halal menu includes many mouth-watering delights, such as wagyu steak at London’s lowest price, Lebanese coffee and camel milk ice cream. It also features an array of

off their bill every other time they dine at the restaurant when they sign up to Zaman restaurant’s new loyalty card.

To enter the competition simply answer the following question, and email your response to cat@fearlesspr.co.uk using the subject heading ZAMAN COMPETITION:

Terms and Conditions Prize is non transferrable and does not include travel to and from the restaurant.

Competition closes on Monday 4th July and winners will be drawn at random.

Your email address will be used in conjunction with this competition only.

chefs specials from around the world - such as, lamb kebabs and Farruj Mussahab - as well as more traditional main courses - like grilled meats and fish, lamb cutlets and risotto.

Head chef Zaman says “I’m delighted to have won this award, especially in the face of competition from some immensely talented chefs. Fu-

sion food is my passion and I am very proud to be able to offer Londoners some of the finest cuisine the capital has to offer. It’s a delight to know that what we serve our customers is appreciated not just by them but by the wider industry too” To celebrate the win, and to further reward loyal customers, all receive 20% off their first meal bill and 10%

ZAMAN COMPETITION Q: Zaman recently won ‘Chef of the Year’ at which prestigious awards event?

A: a) Asian Curry Awards b) European Curry Awards c) African Curry Awards

10

READERS’ VOICE

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

More downsides to leaving EU If the majority vote is to leave the European Union we shall be breaking up not a seventy year relationship, but a two thousand years relationship.

Every year Europe registers 260,000 patents for new inventions, admittedly some may not be significant. The telephone, the printing press, the combustion engine, aircraft, joint inventor to the world wide web, cinematograph, eye glasses, etc etc were invented there.

EU's experiment in seventeen countries giving up their own currencies and adopting a common currency in 1999 was revolutionary and unique in the world.

EURO currency now has captured 30% of international trade. World trade has grown 3 times world GDP in the last fifty years. Consider the iPhone. It costs $200 to produce. It is sold for $600.

EU has evolved gradually over the past seventy years or so by democratic debate in European Parliament and by majority voting of 62% rather than 51%.

EU is dynamic, vibrant, friendly, supportive where the strong supports the weak, energetic, innovative, clean, efficient, with more equal societies than UK or USA and with better and cheaper services than UK. It is a land of Leonardo da Vinci. Picasso. Mozart, Dante, Catholicism, Charlie Chaplin, Sophia Loren, royalty inter-married to British royalty, Monet, Channel, Boss, Ralph Lauren, etc etc.

We need to continue to be members to learn from them and emulate them.

Nagindas Khajuria By email

Bring out the buntings

The time to bring out the union jacks when Her Majesty's official birthday arrived last weekend.

Many parties were held all over the country at the weekend to honour the nation's longest reigning monarch.

Our party to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday took place on the streets of Newbury Park last Sunday where people of all nationalities, cast and creed, joined forces and orgainsed a party on our roads.

People living in the locality mingled together and enjoyed a harmonious and friendly event which was organised by the locals for the locals. People contributed in cash and kind to make this a worthwhile event.

Armed with, what else but Gujarati dhokla and other sweets and savouries, we joined our neighbours. This was a jovial and fun event where we exchanged civilities with our neighbours while feeding our faces with a variety of snacks and my grand children played with their peers by jumping on a bouncing castle which was placed strategically in the middle of the roads which were closed to the traffic.

This was a happy occasion when the hostilities which normally exists between people of different races were nowhere to be seen.

The Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations brought people out of their cocoons and they mingled happily with one another. One wonders why we cannot have these parties often. We are planning a repeat performance when the Queen turns 100!

Our heartiest congratulations to you ma’am!

Subscribe Today

Consequences of Brexit

The Asian Voice has given an impartial account (June 11, p 16) of pros and cons of both ‘vote-remain’ and ‘voteleave’ campaigns. The English represent about 85% of UK population.

Their preference will determine the consequences of the referendum.

Victory of Brexit will lead to EU political leaders hardening their attitude toward Britain and start of conflict of interest between the two sides. The Brexiters instead of taking control would in reality lose control because in trade negotiation EU leaders would do everything to extract the maximum concession from the UK since EU is the biggest market in the world. In consequence Britain is likely to come out with less favourable conditions than it now enjoys within EU. It is obvious the vast majority of Scots will vote for staying within EU. If the English were to go for Brexit it would be interpreted as antiScottish. It will be the start of Break-up of the UK. Illegal immigration to Britain is likely to increase because EU countries would prefer to let these people go to the UK thus reducing their problem.

In case of NHS Michael Gove’s policy is to privatise the service.

Boris Johnson wants people to pay for doctors’ service. If they come to power the state of NHS would deteriorate..

The world has come to realise that the way forward is through cooperation and interdependence. The Asian countries are working for free trade within Asia.

The South American countries are trying for the same. If the English were to turn their back to EU it would be a retrograde step. It will be little England, not Great Britain.

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Asian Voice in UK for only £29 for one year

Should Obama have apologised?

Bhupendra Gandhi is right to ask if President Obama should have apologized for dropping Atom bombs on two cities of Japan. Normally he should have apologised. But is pointing finger at Japan for inviting ire of America by sudden, surprising and crippling attack. This may be accepted in view of current history. But in the past, western countries have committed atrocious crimes but have not apologized till now.

Notable actions are Jalinwalla baug massacre, robbing of silver from Latin America, forcibly occupying lands of Red Indians, Aborigines and Maories, enslaving Africans and selling them to settlers in North America etc. All these crimes are excused because the west wielded power. Todays historians excuse these actions by considering them as part of history, and perpetrators as mere pawns. Therefore no apology is expected.

It is ironical that while these super powers do not apologize, they do not hesitate to retaliate when they are hurt. Another notable trait is selling arms to foment war yet professing to generate peace among clients. The only alternative to apology is to inculcate spirit of neighborliness, humanism, friendship and global brotherhood. Greed must be replaced with sharing spirit.

Ramesh Jhalla By email

Moving tale of lifelong friendship

When I heard the sad news of the passing away of Manubhai Thakkar, I knew that I would read a moving account of the friendship between CB and Manubhai. Surely I was not disappointed. CB has captured the essence of his lifelong friendship with this gentle giant, in CB’s column “Jivan Panth” who helped so many of us with his skill and dedication to his financial profession.

I met him couple of times through Raj Parekh. He also prepared our first “Will” in our own home some time back. People like us are dying breed, as most of us are approaching our 80th birthday. No wonder so many of my friends have sadly departed, living their imprint on our lives!

Our generation was unique, kind, caring and beyond reproach. We lived an idealist life in East Africa, particularly in Tanzania. It was indeed heaven on earth, with waves from Indian Ocean washing the shoreline. There was no TV, even radio was a luxury.

We lived outdoor life with picnic and week-end outing that was taken for granted.

We loved each other’s company, playing sports on the sandy beach. It would be impossible for present generation to understand our fraternal, pensive life-style, our achievement, as practically everyone in our friend-circle climbed professional ladder, sitting on the podium but without losing humbleness, still caring and helping people in need.

May his soul rest in eternal peace!

Bhupendra M. Gandhi By email

More downsides to leaving EU

On 8th May, India's Prime Minister Shri Modi spoke the following sombre words to the US Congress: “Globally terrorism remains the biggest threat. It may go by different names, but, it’s philosophy is common: of hate, murder and violence. I command the members of the US Congress for sending a clear message to those who preach and practice terrorism for political gains. Refusing to reward them is the first step towards holding them accountable for their actions.”

It seems that Modi’s commendation was for the stalled US F16 deal with the neighbouring country. For a long time they have been pandering to the perpetrator.

Some of the global terrorist groups do hold some territories but they have no factories to build armaments and to manufacture ammunitions. In spite of their lack of these facilities they are able to challenge the nearly unified might of Russia and the USA. It is as clear as daylight that some governments and/or organisations are pandering to the perpetrators. The obvious solution to the terrorism is to identify the panderers, refuse to reward them and compel them to stop their madness.

Narsibhai Patel New Malden

Post EU UK

Despite the massive immigrant movements after UK’s joining EU in 1973, UK is the second largest economy in EU measured by nominal GDP and fifth largest in the world. UK’s population in 1973 was around 56 million. Now the population stands nearly to 65 million. Downturn of the global economy and recession has taken fare share of UK’s economy. Yet it’s coping well and considerably a strong economy.

Unity is strength. As EU countries get prosperous, UK will reap its benefit.

Moreover, we will be stronger together in terms of safety and security.

Niranjan Vasant By email

Jatindra Saha By email.

Continued on page 11

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www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

I read your editorial about the Patel brothers with interest. It reminds us all that the notion that British mainstream business organisations somehow integrate the interests and wellbeing of Asian Businesses, at times of crisis, is a fallacy.

Whilst, the local University benefits from an endowment, four hundred yards away at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, patients with critical illness have to be rationed or denied lifesaving medicines, as NHS budgets cannot cope with the demand.

So where does the British Asian entrepreneur, who rightly or by implication falls foul of UK's regulatory landscape, or comes under intense media scrutiny, turn to for support? Under your stewardship, Asian Voice stands out as a champion for equity in coverage and support for the venerable and the marginalised.

Sadly, by and large most ethnic publications now take a religious or political line. Often driven by advertising, awards dinner sponsorship and other commercial realities. Add to this the Asian adage, "if there is smoke there must be fire". Even if the fire is virtual and often electronically generated. As a result, Asian business interest and wellbeing is often at the mercy of the free-press.

Racism and corruption in the police

A former policeman is suing his police force after the creation of a secret database storing surveillance information of its ethnic minority officers.

The policeman, Mark Dias, former Human Resources Manager of Cleveland Police who left the force in 2006 as part of its accelerated performance scheme. He claims he was forced out as an acting inspector in 2000 after challenging alleged misconduct by fellow officers.

It has been revealed that former members of Cleveland policeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s anticorruption unit have made allegations of the existence of a database codenamed, Calcutta. According to lawyers representing officers of Asian descent, including Dias, â&#x20AC;&#x153;there was a general suspicion all ethnic monitory officers in Cleveland police were corruptâ&#x20AC;?. According to the lawyers summary files were transferred onto a hard drive which was accessible to only the anticorruption unit in 2005.

Cleveland in their statement confirmed they were assessing claims made â&#x20AC;&#x153;about police operations which are alleged to have been disproportionately focused on black and minority ethnic officers.â&#x20AC;?

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

READERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; VOICE

Supporting Asian entrepreneurs

Whilst, commercial and personal reputations are muddied.

There is a lesson to be learned from the African American, Asian (Korean, Japanese and Chinese) and the Hispanic Chambers in the USA. They are able to represent the distinct interest of their members at the highest level in the land, especially businesses hounded by the 24/7 multimedia. We need to embrace some of their best practice for the benefit of the next generation of British Asian entrepreneurs. I fully accede the position that many successful entrepreneurs in their trajectory to the top don't regard themselves as Asian, till they fall foul of media or regulatory scrutiny.

As a community we accept regulation and abhor business prac-

tice that is just on the right side of legality. Without this acceptance we, as a community, are vulnerable to a cynical, manipulative, prejudged and hostile opinion of us, expressed by those same British institutions who are happy to give us a gong or a medal.

At the National Asian Business Association, through our regional Associations (NABA), we continue to champion the interests of the British Asian business communities: at numerous Select Committees at Westminster; in regular contributions to White and Green paper consultations with Brussels, on wide range of issues including fresh fruit and vegetable import bans; in tackling excessive and often disproportionate burdens of regulatory challenges on

Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

the British Asian communities from Health & Safety, Policing, passport fraud, Travel fraud, Halal meat contamination â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with august bodies such as Trading Standards, the Food Standards Agency, the NHS, the Solicitors Regulatory Authority and HMRC; and biased or misunderstood representation of ourselves in the news and content at the BBC and other media outlets.

This advocacy has often been led by handful of enlightened individuals and Business Associations in their own time without any support - morally, financial or resources by the people or the industry directly affected. The Asian captains of industry will quite happily sponsor umpteen business awards (often recipients

of the awards themselves) and voluntarily enslave themselves to the creeping conformity of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s honours regime. Yet will not support local Asian Business Associations either with memberships fees or sponsorships, or the exemplar advocacy of the Asian Voice. This is not a case for CSR or a plea for philanthropy, but of blatant commercial self-interest in ensuring there is a national cohesive and articulate support for them and their brand when it comes under scrutiny. It is time for you to support these organisations, who will support your direct interest in Britain.

Uday Dholakia Chairman Uday@nabauk.org

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DIASPORA CELEBRATE THE BEST OF BRITISH ASIAN CULTURE AT ANAND MELA

12

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AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Charusmita & Aaditya Kaza

The weekend of 11th and 12th June witnessed an enthusiastic crowd of people coming together for this year’s Anand Mela. In its 6th year, organised by ABPL Group, Anand Mela hosted 120 performers and 20 performances over two days.

Anand Mela 2016 was inaugurated by the Mayor of Harrow Cllr Rekha Shah, Bob Blackman MP, and CB Patel, Publisher/Editor of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar along with children of Shishukunj by lighting the lamp. The inauguration was well attended by the councillors and mayors of the local councils including Navin Shah AM, Cllr Sachin Shah, Cllr Muhammed

Butt, Cllr Krishna Suresh, to name a few. Shishukunj, our Charity Partner for this year, had enthusiastic little children representing them on stage along with the dignitaries to celebrate the Queen’s 90th Birthday in a cake-cutting ceremony, followed by the British National Anthem.

Spread around the Byron Hall were a host of stalls and sideshows that gave visitors the chance to not only shop for ethnic

Dignitaries Muhammed Bhatt, Ayesha Raza, Navin Shah AM, Cllr Rekha Shah, Mayor of Harrow Council, Bob Blackman MP, CB Patel, celebrating the HM The Queen's 90th birthday

Manorma Joisi dancing on the stage

Young dancer on the stage

A K Bollywood Dance engaging the audience at Anand Mela

CB Patel receiving an award from the Health and Wellness Expo

jewellery, sarees, traditional wear but also relish Indian street food, sweets, and fresh cupcakes. The children particularly enjoyed the face-painting stall. There were stalls for travel, online tuitions, and a host of other small and large scale businesses that the visitors flocked around during the course of the day.

Shishukunj, our Charity Partner for Anand Mela 2016, is a children’s charity that has been working in London for over 30 years. Through the medium of Indian culture, they try to instil morals and val-

ues in children from the age of 5 upwards so that they become responsible and respected leaders of tomorrow’s society.

Students from Shishukunj also presented a vibrant folk dance performance for our audience.

The highlights of the cultural show at Anand Mela included theatre, Garba, Bollywood dancing, pop and fusion singing, Vedic harmony and yoga choreography. The stellar line up included Navin Kundra, Honey Kalaria, Muhammed Fahad, Shishukunj, Manorma Joisi, AK Dance Academy,

Kishan Amin, Mira Salat, Sai School, Subhendu Banerjee, Jayden, Shishukunj, Ishwar Sharma, and K’z Dance Entertainment.

Navin Kundra, a Guinness World Record holder, has performed for the Royal Family as well as during the Indian PM Modi’s visit to the UK last year. At Anand Mela, he enraptured the audience with his voice – singing songs from the yesteryears, latest Bollywood charts, as well as his own numbers.

Honey Kalaria put together Anand Mela’s Got Talent, a performance

Performers of K'z Dance company dancing to Raas Garba

A K Bollywood Dance troupe performs on stage

13

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AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

Property Show and Health Expo at Anand Mela

Bob Blackman MP inaugurates the Asset India Property Exhibition

bringing together the audience as well as established artists on stage and giving them a chance to be a part of the performing community. She has worked with esteemed celebrities, such as Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai and Beyonce.

The reaction of the crowd was highly encouraging. Samiksha Pattnaik, an audience member, particularly enjoyed the singing performance by Fahad, “He struck a chord with the audience by recreating the magic of the bygone era through his renditions of classics”.

Fahad’s Rafi shows are popular in the UK, among the Indian and Pakistani diaspora. As one of the attendees, Divya Parmar, said, “His voice has great depth and versatility. He sings songs from different genres and times – from Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar to Sonu Nigaam and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

6 years old Dhiya was awestruck by Manorma Joisi and Mira Salat’s dance performances. She said, “Mira and Manorma had colourful costumes and beautiful dance moves.

Manorma danced to my current favourite – Mohe Rang Do Laal from Bajirao Mastani”. Mira Salat founded Mira’s Performing Arts that has performed at numerous shows including the Shreya Ghoshal concert in May 2013. She teaches Bollywood as well as the classical Kathak dance. Manorma Joisi is a performing artist and is trained in classical Kathak dance. She has performed at The London 2012 Opening and Closing Ceremony and the Queen’s

Jubilee (2012).

Nidhi Mehta, a college student, said, “AK Dance Academy got the crowd involved, of all ages, and people made their way out of their seats to dance alongside with them”. AK Dance Academy specialise in Bollywood dance fused with classical, traditional, modern contemporary and hip hop.

Kishan Amin is a versatile performer with various feathers in his cap, such as Sufi music, Bollywood style, and devotional singing. At Anand Mela, Kishan performed latest Bollywood hits like Soch Na Sake that resonated with the audience.

Jayden is a young, sensational singer, songwriter and recording artist whose striking singles ‘Sun Zara’ and ‘Breath Away’ were hits with the listening public, and eventually got him recognised by the BBC Asian Network.

Ishwar Sharma, the UK National Yoga champion, who is also invited to open the World Yoga Championship in Italy next year, has performed across 100 events in the UK. He performed a special yogabased choreography called the “Vedic yoga with harmony” and moved the audience.

K’z Dance Enter tainment, founded by Kalpesh Zalavadiya, was a part of UK Welcomes Modi 2015, Diwali on the Square 2015 as well the Diwali celebrations at the House of Commons 2014 and more.

Hiten Dave, an audience member, said, “Kalpesh’s group mesmerised us with a high-energy performance. Garba dance for me was the highlight of the event.”

Girls of Shishukunj dance to traditional music

L to R: Virendra Adhikari, Cllr. Hitesh Tailor, Cllr. Ketan Sheth, Cllr. Aysha Raza, Cllr. Kanti Rabadia, Cllr. Ajay Maru, Cllr. Mili Patel, Cllr. Muhammed Butt, Bob Blackman MP, Salil Kumar, Rahul Dixit, C.B Patel, Cllr. Ameet Jogia, Kanti Nagada, Jaya Malhotra

The Asset India Property Show and the Health & Wellness Expo took place in the Masefield Suite and Conference Hall on the first floor of the Harrow leisure centre. It was inaugurated by Bob Blackman MP along with various councillors representing the councils of Harrow, Barnet, Ealing and Brent, who then visited the stalls there and interacted with the exhibitors.

From people looking

related to venturing in the Indian real estate market.

The Assets Property Show gave a clear and detailed picture of investment opportunities available in various cities of India, high returns, and the best slots to put your money.

Asset India, who was our main sponsor for the show, is a London-based company formed in 2011 which helps NRIs and PIOs buy and sell Indian real estate. A large proportion of their sales

means more business.

This year we have had a few serious enquires, deals are to be closed very soon”.

There were also developers offering properties in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Hyderabad and a few other cities in India. Asset India also hosted a lucky draw prize, giving away attractive vouchers to the audience members.

For the first time in 6 years, Anand Mela hosted a Health & Wellness Expo

Hospital, Medica Super Speciality Hospital, Meril Life Sciences and Meditouria.

Representatives from Advatech had a stage interaction with the audience, giving them advice about general health, benefits of medical tourism and the advanced quality of the health services in India. They also conferred awards to the dignitaries who were present at the Mela. Medica Super Speciality Hospital also

L to R: Subhratanu Paul, Cllr Hitesh Tailor, Samit Kr Biswas, Dr Gauri Agarwal, Bob Blackman MP, Dr Rajat Arora, Dr Lammata Bala Raju, Cllr Kanti Rabadia, Cllr Ayesha Raza, Cllr Muhammed Bhatt at the Health and Wellness Expo

forward to settle in India, to those interested in investing in properties, everybody had an opportunity to interact with the renowned developers from India. The stalls exhibited the properties worth investing in and property experts were present to provide advice

comes through repeat purchases as well as testimony of its clients.

Asian Voice spoke to Salil Kumar of Asset India who shared our enthusiasm, “Partnership with Asian Voice normally works out great due to the crowd which attends the Anand Mela. More crowd

organised by Advatech.

There were visitors who showed interest by visiting the stalls and talking about health to the exhibiting hospitals. The exhibitors included Seeds of Innocence IVF Centre, Shalby Hospital, Max Hospital, Chartwall Private

Exhibitors of the Asset India Property Exhibition

spoke about the improving nature of heath technology. Shalby Hospital’s Hiren Karnani also announced attractive discounts on health treatments. The 'Aarogya Mela' was organised solely with the healthcare needs of residents of the UK in mind.

14

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Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Artist Navin Kundra sharing the stage with young fans

Kishan Amin singing at the Anand Mela

Muhammed Fahad singing 'O re piya' from Aaja Nachle for the crowd

Volunteers of Shishukunj

Little Harsh Rao singing '7 years by Lukas Graham

Artist Jayden

Mira Salat perfoming Classical Dance

Subhendu Banerjee performing a play skit

Young dancers of A K Bollywood Dance company

Honey Kalaria judging a talent competition

6year old Ishwar Sharma doing Yoga with his father

Girls from Shishukunj dancing to a Bollywood song Photo Courtesy: Raj Bakrania & Vineet Johri

Yax Raval and friends performing on stage

www.asian-voice.com Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

LABOUR SAYS:

BRITAIN IS BETTER OFF IN EUROPE: To protect British jobs – 3 million jobs are linked to EU trade To ensure vital funds for our NHS – this requires a strong economy, which a Leave vote would put at risk To safeguard rights at work – including paid leave, parental leave and equal pay To keep prices down – including on cars, holidays, petrol and the weekly shop To tackle global issues – including climate change, global poverty and cross-border crime

BRITAIN

8335_16 Promoted by Iain McNicol, General Secretary, the Labour Party, on behalf of the Labour Party, both at Southside, 105 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6QT.

15

RAMADAN SPECIAL

A TASTE OF RAMADAN: TRA 16

Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

www.asian-

AsianVoiceNews

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Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. It marks the time the Prophet Mohammed received the first verses of the Quran. It is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, and a period of prayer, fasting, charity and self-accountability for Muslims in the UK. All Muslims observing Ramadan fast during the daylight hours for 30 days. Ramadan started on 7 June and it will last until around 7 July. It is considered as a time of celebration and reflection for Muslims, in spite of being quite a challenge for people who are working, as they have to go without water and food in the working hours, especially during these summer months. This year, since it coincides with the GCSEs and Alevel exam period, many head teachers are also concerned that students may not be able to concentrate without eating. It also clashes with the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, meaning this Ramadan will have the longest average fasting hours in its 33-year lunar-based cycle. The Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the holy month, and is celebrated with much fervour across the country.

What do you do during Ramadan?

In Britain, many Muslims fast during the daylight hours. It is a time of selfexamination and increased religious devotion and is common to have one meal known as the 'suhoor' just before sunrise and an evening meal 'iftar' after sunset during Ramadan.

The Department of Health produces a guide to healthy fasting during Ramadan which aims to help people avoid health complications when they fast (also see our special section on diabetes).

Charity for the less privileged Muslims are encouraged to be charitable during Ramadan. Many therefore donate to various charities by participating in food drives for the poor, organising collection or charity events, and such other voluntary activities. Campaigns are promoted to raise public awareness of safe ways to donate to an honest charity and how to avoid donating to fake charities.

Muslims are encouraged to read the entire Quran during Ramadan. Some Muslims recite the entire Quran by the end of Ramadan through special prayers known as 'Tarawih', which are held in the mosques every night of the month, when a section of the

PE I C RE

Prepare a three course all vegetarian Eid meal for your family

Soya Shammi Kebab (starter) Prep Time : 11-15 minutes, Cook time : 11-15 minutes, Serve : 4, Level Of Cooking : Medium

holy book is read. Ramadan Quran competitions are also famously held for both children and adults during this period.

In the UK, political leaders are known to make public announcements, greeting Muslims both locally and globally for the month of Ramadan. Their messages aim to help raise awareness of the Ramadan’s importance among Muslims both in the UK and throughout the world.

Eid prayers. The community then celebrates together, with everyone sharing the food they have prepared.

Eid in London: The Mayor of London hosts Eid celebrations in Trafalgar Square every year, which people of all faiths are encouraged to attend. There are readings from the Quran and prayers, as well as market stalls, live music performances and food from all over the Middle East, North Africa and South East Asia.

Five things to know about Eid al-Fitr Date: Ramadan comes to an end with prayers, food, gifts – but the exact date depends on the first sighting of the moon.

Feast: Eid al-Fitr is dedicated to feasting. Muslims typically enjoy a small breakfast ahead of morning prayers and then visit friends and relatives where a lavish feast is served. Gifts are also exchanged, with clothes the most popular presents.

Praying together: Muslims will not only be celebrating the end of fasting, but thanking God (Allah) for providing them with strength through the month of Ramadan. Eid is a time of forgiveness, self-reflection and giving to charity.

Early morning Muslims gathering at mosques or outdoor squares to perform

HEALTH WATCH

Ingredients Soya Nuggets 2 cups, Split Bengal gram (chana dal) 2 tablespoons, Garlic cloves 15-20, Ginger 2 inch piece, Oil 2 tablespoons, Dried pomegranate seeds (anardana) 1 tablespoon, Tomato cut into round slices 1 medium, Red chilli powder 1/2 tablespoon, Salt to taste, Garam masala powder 1/2 tablespoon, Fresh mint (pudina) finely chopped 1 bunch for garnishing, Cornflour/ corn starch 2 tablespoons

Ramadan fast and health risk for people with diabetes Fasting during Ramadan can be dangerous for those with health conditions such as diabetes, Diabetes UK has warned. Those who observe fasting during the month, are going over 17 hours a day without eating during the long summer days.

There is also a risk of overeating at Suhoor and Iftar, the meals before and after fasting, which can send blood glucose levels to dangerously high levels.

If fasting is likely to put your health at risk, you can complete your duties by offering a charity or providing food to the poor.

People with diabetes are advised to speak with their Imam and healthcare team to work out whether it is safe Method Step 1: Grind together garlic and ginger. Soak soya nuggets in hot water.

Step 2: Drain, squeeze and dry on a cloth. Heat 2 tbsps oil in non-stick pan.

Step 3: Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté till golden brown. Add anardana, chana dal, soya nuggets, red chilli powder, salt, garam masala powder and mix well.

Step 4: Turn off the heat and add mint leaves. Let the mixture cool slightly, transfer this mixture into mixer jar and grind with little water.

Step 5: Transfer into a bowl. Add cornflour and mix well.

Step 6: Heat sufficient oil in a non-stick pan. Divide the mixture into small portions, shape into flat kababs.

Step 7: Place the kababs on the pan and shallow fry,

to fast, and for those who do, how to keep good diabetes control during the period.

Diabetes UK working in partnership with Muslim Council of Britain has developed information on Ramadan and diabetes.

Krishna Sarda, Engaging Communities Manager at Diabetes UK, said: “Diabetes UK recognises and respects that this is a very important time for people and we are urging people with diabetes to take care of their health during this period. South Asian people are two to four times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes and that means there will be lots of people with the condition who may think they have to fast for Ramadan...

“Those who do choose to fast need to take particular care as fasting for this length of time will increase the risk of their blood glucose levels rising or falling, which can be very dangerous, and of them becoming dehydrated.

“Be sure to get advice from your doctor or nurse beforehand and eat and drink sensibly outside of fasting hours. And if your blood glucose levels fall low, you must end the fast immediately and treat the low blood sugar level as you would do normally.

“It is also possible to postpone fasting until winter, when shorter days mean turning sides, till golden all around. Drain on absorbent paper.

Step 8: Arrange on a serving plate, garnish with mint leaves and tomato slices and serve hot.

less time fasting.

“Some people also think that testing blood glucose levels will break your fast. It does not, and in fact it is important to test more frequently if you do fast.”

Guide to healthy fasting during Ramadan If you are not careful, food eaten during the pre-dawn and dusk meals can cause some weight gain.

A balanced diet: Those observing the fast should have at least two meals a

day–the pre-dawn meal (Suhoor) and a meal at dusk (Iftar). The food intake should be simple and not differ too much from your normal diet. It should contain food from all the major food groups: fruit and vegetables, bread, cereals and potatoes, meat, fish or alternatives, milk and dairy food, food containing fat and sugar.

Complex carbohydrates are food that help release energy slowly during the long hours of fasting. They

paste 1 1/2 tablespoons, Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon, Red chilli powder 1 tablespoon, Coriander powder 1 tablespoon, Yogurt 1/2 cup, Rose water 1/2 teaspoon, Saffron (kesar) a few

cups of salted boiling water with two green cardamoms, one black cardamom, five cloves, half inch stick of cinnamon, until three-fourth done. Drain excess water and set aside. Heat a Wonderchef

strands, Fresh tomato puree 1 cup, Garam masala powder 1 teaspoon, Fresh coriander leaves chopped 2 tablespoons, Fresh mint leaves chopped 2 tablespoons

Granite Wokm with Lid. Add the remaining green cardamoms, cloves, black cardamom and cinnamon along with bay leaf and caraway seeds and roast. Add onions, carrot, French beans, cauliflower florets and green peas.

Vegetable Biryani (main) Prep Time : 16-20 minutes, Cook time : 26-30 minutes, Serve : 4, Level Of Cooking : Moderate Ingredients Basmati Rice 1 1/2 cups, Carrots 2 medium, Carrots 1/2 inch pieces 2 medium, French beans 1/2 inch pieces 15, Cauliflower 10-12 florets, Green peas shelled 1 cup, Salt to taste, Green cardamons 8, Black cardamom 1, Cloves 15, Cinnamon 1/2 inch stick, Bay leaf 1, Caraway seeds (shahi jeera) 1/2 teaspoon, Ginger-garlic

Method Step 1: Boil rice in four

ADITIONS & CELEBRATIONS

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RAMADAN SPECIAL Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

17

Cameron’s Ramadan Message

“It’s the holy month of Ramadan – a time when mosques open their doors, community centres welcome in their neighbours, and even churches and synagogues offer up their spaces as Muslims break their fasts – and people of all faiths and none are often asked to join.

“Coventry Cathedral is holding its own multi-faith iftar. In Manchester, they’re combining an iftar with England’s European Championships appearance. And homeless shelters up and down the country are holding ‘Iftars with the Homeless’.

“Of course, fasting is what comes to mind when we think of Ramadan. It’s part of the month that really puts Muslims’ faith to the test – especially during these long, warm days.

“But there is much more to it.

“There is all the energy and money people donate to those who are less fortunate and all the extra time spent in prayer and contemplation.

“Uppermost in all our minds this Ramadan are those whose lives have been torn apart by the twin evils of Assad and Daesh, all those families spending this holy month in refugee camps mourning loved ones; yearning to go back to school or work; wondering when they’ll return home again.

“Our thoughts – whatever our backgrounds or beliefs – are with them. And we must continue to support the people of Syria and the region, as we work towards a lasting political solution. Because that’s who we are as a country. We won’t walk on by. So this

are found in food such as barley, wheat, oats, millet, semolina, beans, lentils, wholemeal flour and basmati rice.

Fibre-rich food are also digested slowly and include bran, cereals, whole wheat, grains and seeds, potatoes with the skin on, vegetables such as green beans, and almost all fruit, including apricots, prunes and figs.

Food to avoid are the fast-burning, heavily processed food that contain refined carbohydrates (sugar Step 2: Sprinkle salt, cover and cook on medium heat for two minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste mixed with a little water and stir.

Cover and cook for two minutes. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder and cook. Whisk yogurt with rose water and saffron. Add a little water or milk and whisk well. Add tomato puree to the vegetables along with half teaspoon garam masala powder and mix well. Simmer for two minutes. Take a microwave safe deep bowl.

Step 3: Arrange a layer of rice at the bottom. Over that arrange half the cooked vegetables followed by another layer of rice. Sprinkle half of the remaining garam masala powder, half the coriander leaves, half the mint leaves and half the yogurt mixture.

Arrange the remaining veg-

and white flour), as well as fatty food (such as cakes, biscuits, chocolates and sweets such as Indian mithai). It's also worth avoiding caffeinebased drinks such as tea, coffee and cola. Caffeine is a diuretic and stimulates faster water loss through urination.

Wholesome food: Suhoor, the pre-dawn meal, should be a wholesome, moderate meal that is filling and provides enough energy for many hours. It's customary for Muslims to break the fast (Iftar) with some dates, etables followed by the remaining rice.Sprinkle the remaining garam masala powder, remaining coriander leaves, remaining mint leaves and the remaining yogurt mixture. Cover with a silicon lid and cook in the microwave oven for four to five minutes on HIGH (100%). Let it stand for five minutes. Serve hot.

Phirni (dessert) Prep Time : 26-30 minutes, Cook time : 21-25 minutes, Serve : 4, Level Of Cooking : Medium Ingredients Rice soaked 5 table-

in accordance with the Prophetic traditions. Dates will provide a burst of energy. Fruit juices will also have a similar, revitalising effect.

Start by drinking plenty of water, which helps rehydration and reduces the chances of overindulgence. Avoid the rich, special dishes that traditionally celebrate the fast.

Food to avoid: deepfried food, high-sugar and high-fat food, high-fat cooked food. (courtesy: Dr Razeen Mahroof, www.nhs.uk) spoons, Milk 1 litre, Saffron (kesar) a pinch, Sugar 3/4 cup, Green cardamom powder 1/2 teaspoon, Pistachios blanched, peeled and sliced 10-15 Method Step 1: Drain and grind the rice to a coarse paste.

Bring milk to a boil. Add rice paste dissolved in a little water or cold milk.

Step 2: Cook till rice is completely cooked, stirring constantly. Add saffron and mix well.

Step 3: Add sugar and cardamom powder and cook till sugar is completely dissolved. Pour into earthenware or china bowls and garnish with pistachios.

Step 4: Chill in a refrigerator for an hour before serving. (courtesy: sanjeevkapoor.com)

Ramadan, let’s renew our resolve to help those victims.

“Let’s continue to come together for iftars and community events. Let’s celebrate the proud, multi-racial, multi-faith democracy we live in. To everyone in Britain and around the world – Ramadan Mubarak.”

18

UK

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Nominations for the Asian Achievers Awards Open

Lance Corporal Tuljung Gurung (centre), winner of Uniformed and Civil Services category 2015 with Chief Guest Rt Hon Michael Fallon, Secretary of State for Defence (left) and Air Marshall Sir Baz North (right)

Nominations for the Asian Achievers Awards 2016 are now open.

Attended by Lords and Ladies, Members of Parliament and celebrities alike the awards is a key event in the social calendar. The awards are hosted by and the highlight of the Asian Business Publications, currently in its 16th year, to be held at Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane.

The night is dedicated to recognise the outstanding work of individuals and acknowledges the accomplishments of the finest across the Asian community reflecting the publication’s 44 year service for the community. The event is consistently favoured by the community and is the most prestigious and highly respected awards ceremony on the calendar.

This year, the theme of the awards is ‘Professional of the Year’ to emphasis the country’s role of employing a vast

number of Asians within various professions.

Many of them occupy senior executive and board level positions.

Ingrained in the Asian culture and work ethic are traits like hard work, determination and the passion to succeed against all odds. They bring with them technical expertise, entrepreneurial prowess and visionary leadership qualities. This year’s Asian Achievers Awards

will lay special emphasis on the significance to the contribution made by British Asians to their professions and salute their success.

The nominee submissions will be decided by an independent panel of judges comprising of industry experts, professionals, journalists, academics and members of Parliament. After careful

deliberation of the nominations, they will prepare a shortlist of leading lights and select the worthy winners from among them.

The list of award categories include Sports Personality of the Year, Business Person of the Year, Professional of the Year, Achievement in Community Service, Achievement in Media, Arts and Culture, Woman of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Uniformed and Civil Services, L i f e t i m e Achievement Award.

Some of the winners last year were noted author Romesh Gunasekera, human rights campaigner Jasvinder Sanghera, cricketer Moeen Ali, businessman and philanthropist Lord Rumi Verjee, and Lance Corporal Tuljung Gurung, awarded the Military Cross for his heroics in the Afghan front.

Nominations close on 31st July 2016.

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Bhaktivedanta Manor welcomes UK Prime Minister David Cameron for historic Haveli groundbreaking event Bhaktivedanta Manor marked the start of a new chapter in its history on Friday 10th June, as the groundbreaking ceremony for the long awaited Haveli building was led

by UK Prime Minister David Cameron.

A reception of over 300 people, including MP for Hertsmere Oliver Dowden, Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State Shailesh Vara, local councillors and friends of the Manor, was held in a marquee over the spot where the new Shree Krishna Haveli will be built.

After being shown around the Manor, the Prime Minister spoke the following of the founder of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Srila Prabhupada, who e s t a b l i s h e d Bhaktivedanta Manor: "...if only he had lived to see what the Manor has become; a mock Tudor country house donated by a Beatle, serving as a hub of worship, celebration and selflessness."

The Prime Minister also congratulated ISKCON on its 50th anniversary, joking that he too will celebrate his 50th birthday this year.

He went on to say: "I look at what you have done in the past fifty years and I think how much you can achieve in the next fifty. In fact, the next half century begins right now as we begin building the new Krishna Haveli, and I'm delighted to be putting the first tool in the ground."

Srutidharma Das,

Temple President of Bhaktivedanta Manor thanked the Prime Minister for attending, and spoke of the important role of the Haveli and the need to "promote the spiritual values of tolerance, kindness... we at Bhaktivedanta Manor aim to embody these principles at large."

Speaking about the Haveli, Managing Director of Bhaktivedanta Manor Gauri Das said: "This is a historic time for the

Manor. The Haveli fulfils the needs of the Temple, respects the concerns of the local village and received full support from Hertsmere Council. It is a profound honour that the Prime Minister has put the first spade in the ground."

A short video was also released to document the Prime Minister's visit: https://www.youtube.com /watch?v=kSHwN7HLtAE &feature=youtu.be

Queen’s honours list 2016 ‘most diverse’ Continued from page 4 For services to People with Dementia and their Carers.

(Bradford, West Yorkshire) l Karmjit REKHI: Faith Officer, Metropolitan Police Service. For services to the community in Hounslow. (Middlesex) l Nilesh SACHDEV: Lately Member, Green Construction Board. For services to Energy Efficiency and Sustainability in the Retail Sector (Sherington, Buckinghamshire) l Harshbir Singh SANGHA : Head of Strategy, Science and Society, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. For services to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

(Kent) l Dr Harshadray Nandlal SANGHRAJKA: For services to the community and Inter-faith Relations.

(Middlesex)

l Daljit SEHBAI: For services to Social Cohesion through the National Council of British Indians.

(Surrey) l John Gurparshad SINGH: For services to charity and Disaffected Young People in East London.

(Brentwood, Essex) l Mandeep Singh SOIN: Senior Executive Officer, Border Force. For services to Diversity and Faith Awareness in the Home Office. l Miss Kousalyaa SOMASUNDRAM: For services to Indian Dance, Ethnic Art and the community in Northern Ireland. (Belfast) Order of the British Empire

Medallist of the Order of the British Empire l

Kishore BILIMORIA: For services to Community Sport and charity.

(Middlesex) l Kanchan CHUDASAMA: Finance Officer, the Art Fund. For services to the Arts.

(London) l Rehana KHAN: Manager, Shakti Day Centre for Asian Elders and the Bharosa Domestic Abuse Service. For services to Vulnerable People in B i r m i n g h a m .

(Birmingham, West Midlands) l Shaminder Singh RAI: Chief of Operations, Nishkam High School, Birmingham. For services to Education.

(Birmingham, West Midlands) l Shahzada SALEEM: For services to the community in Studham, Bedfordshire.

(Dunstable, Bedfordshire) l Sheila Prakash SHAH: Executive Assistant, HM Treasury. For services to Public Administration.

(London).

REAL ESTATEVOICE Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

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Suresh Vagjiani Sow & Reap London Property Investment

19

The trouble with looking in the rear view mirror

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Many, in fact most, people live life looking backwards. Often they come into property investment with this same perspective.

They say if only they had bought in 2009/10 it would have been fine but now things are overpriced and we’re in a bubble. The problem was in 2009 they were looking backwards too! A person like this will never be able to purchase in a hurry.

Then there are those who look for a discount at today’s value.

Doesn't seem wrong, does it? They are ready to buy, but they want to see a deal, of course a discount is required as what is the point of purchasing unless there is one.

It actually depends on your aim. Do you wish to hold the property long term?

If so, then a discount in the present time doesn't necessarily mean it will give the best long term growth.

It does not fit the aim. All it means is that you have come in with some equity built in on day one, but says nothing about where the price will go in the future.

If you were to sell the property on in the short term or flip it, a discount off today’s value is of course vital.

You may get a good discount off today’s market value, but will that property be worth more in seven years’ time than a property which has been chosen better? Probably not.

When you are considering a long term investment the purchase should be based on the long term capital growth of the property and not the immediate gain you may be benefiting from.

This would involve factors such as, which floor the property is on, which side of the square, where does the sunlight come in from, is the property share of freehold, what are the service charges like, is the management firm really looking after the block, do the residents have regular committee meetings, what is the feel of the property etc.

A real life example is a property which was purchased in the city centre of Birmingham in 2002, in Centenary Plaza on Holliday Street. It was purchased with a so called 15% discount off the market value. Over a 14 year period this property has not risen in value, in fact it absorbs money on a yearly basis. Once the mortgage, service charges and rental fees have been deducted there is a deficit.

Here you have a day one discount but no capital growth over the medium/long term. In this situation the primary reason is driven by the location. It could be argued there was no discount in the first place. Even if you accept this as fact, there has been zero capital growth since due to the location, which is city centre but not exactly London.

At the time there was talk of the town being the second capital of the UK due to regeneration and so forth, however the bottom line is there has been no growth in property value - not for this property anyhow.

There is something to be said for the maturity of the London property market. It goes back to at least 500 years and has been rising since. It will evolve with the changes in the market which are currently taking place and carry on its rise.

Real Deal The

Conversely we purchased a property, not a particularly good one, meaning it was ex-council, for £275k. The property was purchased in December 2009 and the current value of that property is £625k. The property was in Westbourne Grove, which at the time was seen as the poorer neighbour of Notting Hill.

This property has doubled in six and half years. This represents a growth rate of 13.4% per annum, or an average growth of £53,846 per annum.

This is the peculiarity of the property market. The amount a property goes up by can be more than the average salary a person earns. In other words it makes more economic sense to buy a property in London than to even work. This is the situation of London property driven up by a scarcity of supply.

The property was purchased at market value with nearly no discount. It was purchased with a few important assumptions in mind.

One was this is the lowest level you can enter into a property in this location, therefore the chances of it dropping were very slim. Second it was in the poorer neighbour area, this is where the focus needs to be, the richer sides are already selling at top value. Thirdly ex-council used to be seen as a bad word. As time went on it was anticipated this would change. Also there was very little discrimination from a lending perspective of whether the property was ex-council in W2 or in the North of England.

The property was selected for the reasons above, this has been demonstrated in the rise in value the property has seen in comparison to other properties.

If we compare this to another property which was purchased a few months later which was neither ex-council nor on the poor side of the borough, we can see that the growth rate was not as favourable.

This property was a third floor flat in 73 Talbot Road, London, W2. The property was purchased for £565,000 in Mar 2010, it was later sold for £1.013m in January 2016. This represents a growth rate of 10.5% per annum.

This is about 3% less per annum than our ex council investment which was chosen specifically for medium term growth. Over a five year period this equates to roughly 15%, in time it will be more.

This negates the need for buying purely on a day one discount when holding for the long term. Instead you are better off looking at firm reasons as to why the deal will rise into the future.

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l The majority of the money in property is made from capital growth, don't sacrifice this for just rental yields as this is only a part of the return. l Try to get a good quality tenant with a steady, well-paid job. Not only will they be able to pay the rent on time, but they are more likely to stay for more than a year, reducing the frequency with which you will need to find replacement tenants.

20

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Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

Consultant Editor Financial Voice Alpesh Patel

Dear Financial Voice Reader, Do you remember when George Soros ‘broke the Bank of England’ and made £1 billion in profits from the exit of the Pound from the European Exchange Mechanism?

A young David Cameron was working for the Chancellor to try and prop up the Pound in a European agreement to track the German Mark. The idea was Britain would benefit from tracking the German currency because it would force workers to accept lower wages and therefore make British companies more productive and competitive.

How? If British companies could not rely on a falling Pound to make their exports cheaper, then they would have to ensure wage discipline. It didn’t work.

The connection between a worker wanting higher wages, and the exchange rate is too far removed.

Politicians have never understood the markets as well as hedge fund managers. And we hedge fund managers understand it better than employees and the public. So how as a hedge fund manager can I tell you how to make money from Brexit – the way Soros did when the Pound effectively made a currency exit from Europe and plummeted?

Well you need to know that nowadays it is so easy to open an online trading currency account. It is done in minutes. You then, like at the airport, buy one currency and sell another. For Brexit you focus on GBP or pounds and you sell then against US dollars. You then use those same dollars to buy back even more pounds later, once the pound has dropped and become cheaper.

But here is what I think is going to happen. Always follow the money. Start with the bookies. They have hard money immediately at stake on the vote and they think the vote will be ‘Remain In’.

The other hard data hedge funds look at are technical information on where money bets are being placed on the international markets. Presently the market is betting on a fall of the pound. Put 1 and 1 together and the bet hedge funds are making is that the pound will fall even if we vote to stay in.

This may not make sense to you all. But it makes perfect sense to us hedge funds. We expect the polls will show in the days before the vote that we will Remain In. So we will buy Pounds. But as soon as the results are announced, we will all race to take our profits – and that will drive the Pound lower. Simple.

So there you have it. How you can be the next George Soros and break the Bank of England and become a Billionaire.

German SME leaders willing to invest in India The president of German industry association Verband D e u t s c h e r Maschinen und A n l a g e n b a u (VDMA), Reinhold Festge, met with Ambassador Gurjit Singh and hinted at wanting to enhance engagement with India.

Germany's Gurjit Singh with Reinhold Festge apex mechanical engineering industriMake in India Mittlestand al association representing programme; a market over 3,100 mostly medientry facilitation proum-sized companies in the gramme run by the capital goods industry, Embassy of India, Berlin, making it the largest to ease entry of German industry association in Mittlestand companies Europe. into the Indian market.

Festge and Singh disFestge along with Dr cussed means of seeking Ulrich Ackermann, MD, convergence on National Foreign Trade, and Oliver schemes like Make in Wack, Foreign Relations India, and Skill India.

Division, VDMA, are set to Gurjit assured Indian govvisit India from the 19th to ernment's support for 23rd September, 2016. The facilitating of investments delegation is scheduled to

by VDMA member compavisit New Delhi and Pune. nies in India. Also disThey will hold high level cussed was the associameetings with governmention's involvement in the tal representatives.

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Vijay Mallya declared a proclaimed offender AsianVoiceNews

Businessman Vijay Mallya has been declared a proclaimed offender by a special PMLA court on a plea made by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with its money laundering probe against him in a bank loan default case. Special Judge PR Bhavke said, "The ED application is allowed and proclamation is issued against Vijay Mallya." The ED had moved the court to issue an order under Section 82 CrPC and term the liquor baron a proclaimed offender as he has "multiple" arrest warrants pending against him including a non-bailable warrant under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The agency said there are multiple arrest warrants pending against Mallya in various cases including cheque bounce, and was also wanted in a money laundering case. It told the court about the status of investigations in the case

82.

Vijay Mallya

and the need to get Mallya join the probe. As per Section 82 of the CrPC, the court can publish a written proclamation requiring such an accused to appear at a specified time in not less than 30 days from the date of publishing of such a proclamation. Officials said the ED also has the option to seek action under Section 82 pf the CrPC if Mallya does not comply with the proceedings under Section

The agency has been wanting Mallya to join investigations "in person" in its PMLA probe against him and others in the £90 million alleged loan fraud of IDBI bank and has virtually exhausted all legal remedies like seeking an Interpol arrest warrant and getting his passport revoked. It is also in the process of seeking to invoke the IndiaUnited Kingdom Mutual Legal Assistance Treat to extradite the former liquor baron from Britain. ED is also looking into the financial structure of Kingfisher Airlines and looking into any payment of kickbacks to secure loans. It attached assets worth £141.1 million of Mallya and one of his companies in connection with its money laundering probe in the bank loan case.

The properties include two flats in Bengaluru and Mumbai, residential and commercial structures in

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UB City and Kingfisher Tower in Bengaluru, spread over 8.4 lakh square feet, and a 4.5 acre industrial plot in Chennai.

The team also attached an account with £3.40 million balance in Laxmi Vilas Bank. Officials said the funds have been deposited in the name of a shell company whose ownership is not clear. While the company's director gets a few thousand rupees salary, the company is believed to be controlled by Mallya. Similarly, a 28.6 acre coffee plantation land in Coorg along with a farmhouse, is allegedly owned by a Mallya-controlled shell company. The ED calculated the value of these properties according to the readyreckoner rate fixed by the government.

The attachment is said to be provisional and the adjudicating authority will pass an order after hearing Mallya.

If confirmed, the ED will explore auction options.

Gold hits 4-week high as Asian stocks fall Following a weaker dollar and dip in Asian stocks, Gold touched a four-week high ahead of key central bank meetings and the June 23 referendum on Britain's exit from the European Union.

Spot gold rose 0.6 per cent to $1281.96 an ounce. Bullion earlier touched a session best of $1284.20 an ounce and US gold was up 0.7 per cent at $1285.10. Head of research at Hong Kong's Wing Fung Financial Group, Mark To said, "The market is full of uncertainty over

Brexit and also over the interest rate decision by FOMC as well as other regional concerns. Gold has been up and $1300 should be an immediate target at least for the coming week, with $1240 being the support level."

The US Federal Reserve, Bank of England, Swiss National Bank and Bank of Japan will all meet this week, and hold monetary policy steady against a backdrop of caution about the global economic outlook as well as the

impact about a possible exit of the British community.

The dollar fell to a onemonth low against the yen and stood at 106.03 yen, down about 0.9 per cent.

Holdings in SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, rose 0.74 per cent to 893.92 tonnes last week, the highest since October 2013.

Speculators raised their net long position in COMEX gold contracts in the week to June 7, and cut their bullish stance in silver, US

Tatas to groom 300 women leaders for top posts India's biggest conglomerate, the Tata Group, just launched what might be the biggest initiative to promote women in leadership positions. Putting across a cross-company mentoring programme, the project will have 300 highpotential women executives mentored by 180 CXOs and 35 CEOs from 45 group companies.

The aim behind the diversified conglomerate's mentoring programme is to put more women in leadership positions forming a part of the gender diversity vision set by group chairman Cyrus Mistry. He had stated in 2014, that the company wants to have at least 1,000 women leaders by the end of this decade even as it looks to double the number of women employees during the period. While the first phase has been completed, the second is to map mentors with mentees as well as the logistics and technology framework

Cyrus Mistry

which is under finalisation.

Group chief HR officer NS Rajan said, "On the leadership journey, handholding by an experienced mentor can be a vital support to help us grow.

Through the cross-company mentoring programme, we provide an opportunity for our women professionals to fulfil their potential and move up the ladder."

In cross-company mentoring, women executives will not be restricted to the leaders in the company she operates in, instead, she gets a wider network of leaders to choose from.

The Tata Group is India's biggest employer of women at 145,000, and yet, has a limited number of women in CXO positions. While it's easier to improve gender diversity at lower levels, companies across industries are finding it difficult to increase the numbers at the top. As they move up the hierarchy, women managers drop out due to several reasons. Rajan said the mentoring programme reinforces the group's commitment to women and encourages them to stay and be an integral part of its future leadership pool.

It acts like a retention tool, shielding women managers from dropping out. The programme will not just be restricted to India but also be applicable in the 100plus countries where the group operates.

Commodity Futures Trading Commission data showed.

"Gold could push a little higher during the early part of the week, but we expect it to hit some turbulence, the day of the Fed meeting," said INTL FCStone analyst Edward Meir in a note.

"That is when we expect the bank to signal that it is warming up to a rate increase for July," he said, adding a lack of a clear signal from the US central bank could lead to further gains in gold.

FICCI on the RBI monetary policy

Speaking out on India's monetary policy, FICCI president Harshvardhan Neotia said, "Reserve Bank of India has maintained status quo on the policy rates.

While this is on expected lines, we do hope that continuous focus of the central bank on improving the transmission of the previous rate cuts into lower lending rates would yield effective results and that we will see a greater pass through going ahead." He added, "The recently announced GDP numbers indicate that the economy has moved to a steady growth trajectory.

Further, we expect the capacity utilisation rates to improve as both rural and urban demand will note an up tick on back of good monsoons and the pay commission announcement respectively. As capacity utilisation rates improve and fresh investment plans come on to the drawing board, it will be important to have a supportive monetary policy to sustain the momentum."

CURRENCYVOICE

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

Paresh Davdra is the Dealing Director of RationalFX,

Brexit worries have dragged pound low Currency Specialists.

A Brexit poll released from YouGov UK stated that the leave campaign was leading moving closer to the referendum, with the remain votes standing at 41% the Leave votes standing at 45% and then 11% undecided it seemed to cause a slight drop in the rate of sterling when released. This coupled with 4 other separate polls being released over the weakened including a survey released from the Daily telegraph which stated that 69% are in favour of leaving further damaged the rate of sterling, increasing the uncertainty of the UK leaving the EU. These Brexit worries have dragged the pound to a 3 week low, losing up to 1% against the dollar.

With Brexit polls each painting very contradictory pictures; much more uncertainty is forecast over the next two weeks for the Pound. Brexit news and rumours again dominated the tabloids over the weekend as the Labour remain campaign will push today with former prime minister Gordon Brown speaking and setting out the case to “lead, not leave” the EU. Browns final 10-day push will be the centre-piece of a day of events led by Labour but carefully choreographed with No 10, amid fears that without a strong remain verdict from labour voters the referendum could be lost. After

21

Foreign Exchange

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

weeks of warnings about the risks of leaving the EU, Labour now hopes to switch the arguments to the benefits of staying in.

Brown in his speech in Leicester set out a series of reforms he believes Britain could achieve when it takes over the EU presidency of the council of ministers in the second half of next year, including action on tax havens and an EU “solidarity fund” to help communities facing a rapid influx of migrants.

For the US Dollar we saw the Labour Market Conditions Index (May) released which came out much lower than the previous -0.9 coming out at -4.8 showing quite a large drop. This figure usually runs at a negative correlation against unemployment figures and since the unemployment rate has improved it could be an indicator for the weaker figure. Investors seemed to rule out the chance of a rate hike next week due to the poor payroll figures that were released.

The US dollar lost ground against its major peers as investors seem to be digesting the implications of Janet Yellen’s comments on Monday. With a 16 month continuous drop in factory orders (a statistic that has never occurred outside of a US recession), coupled with a poor labour report last Friday, many analysts believe it

would be very unlikely to see a rate increase next week. These internal factors, along with external factors such as global uncertainty and the imminent EU referendum, seem to suggest that current monetary policy appropriately reflects current economic conditions.

Hillary Clinton will most likely be the first woman to lead a major party in a race for the White House, thanks to her good results in California and New Jersey.

It is widely expected, that given the uncertainty surrounding the Brexit and the potential systemic ramifications of a Brexit; the FED will not be raising interest rates.

We saw the Factory orders released (YoY and MoM) for Germany. The year on year figure came out weaker than the previous of 2.4% coming out at -0.5% but in the month on month perspective the figure that came out was much weaker than the previous figure of 2.6% coming out at 2% which was way below the expected figure of -0.6%. This figure is an indication of shipments, inventories and new and unfilled orders within that country so the sharp fall shows a contraction within the German economy which is a powerhouse within the Eurozone.

This stronger growth will be a

boost for the ECB which has had to defend it's recent monetary stimulus package. One of the latest tools by the ECB to purchase corporate bonds as part of the €80bn a month QE package beginning tomorrow in a move which Mario Draghi hopes will provide further boost to inflation prospects. Greece signed a major privatisation deal that will fulfil key conditions for the release of further bailout funding.

The ECB released its annual report on the Euro. The euro's importance as a tool of the global financial system is dwindling, according to the European Central Bank. At 19.9 percent, the share of the Euro in foreign exchange reserves has hit its lowest level since 2000 according to the ECB's annual report on the currency's role.Mario Draghi took the opportunity to urge European governments to play their part in boosting economic growth and inflation. Speaking at the Brussels Economic Forum, the ECB chief highlighted the importance of the fiscal policy and warned the lack of this fiscal interference from governments is making the ECB’s job harder saying ‘if other policies are not aligned with monetary policy, inflation risks returning to our objective at a slower pace’.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 14th June 2016 @ 2pm

GBP - INR = 95.26

USD - INR = 67.24

EUR - INR = 75.52 GBP - USD = 1.41 GBP - EUR = 1.26

EUR - USD = 1.12 GBP - AED = 5.20

GBP - CAD = 1.82

GBP - NZD = 2.01

GBP - AUD = 1.92

GBP - ZAR = 21.66

GBP - HUF = 395.79

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

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ISIS sympathiser kills 50 at Florida shooting

AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

WASHINGTON: Fifty people were killed and 53 injured at a Florida gay nightclub by a homophobic ISIS sympathiser in the early hours of Sunday, in what became the deadliest mass attack in the United States. Omar Mateen, 29, was armed with an AR-15style assault rifle and a pistol when he started spraying bullets at around 350 people inside the Pulse dance hall.

Mateen walked into the nightclub, which was packed to the rafters that night, and opened fire killing anyone in sight. He was engaged by an armed security guard, an Orlando Police Department officer working extra duty in full uniform, but still made into the building and began to shoot patrons. The officer was joined by two additional officers all who retaliated to Mateen's attack.

However, he just retreated further and took people hostage. By then 100 officers from the OPD and the Orange County Sheriff's Office arrived for help.

Witnesses said the attacker laughed as he shot people attempting to save their own lives. Backup was called upon by then and the man was shot dead after a three-hour siege. It was

Omar Mateen

brought to attention after the situation was under control, that Omar Mateen had called up 911 during his rampage and pledged his alliance to the Islamic State leader Abu Bakr alBaghdadi. As the shooting

was unfolding, Mateen "made calls to 911 this morning in which he stated his allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State," said Ronald Hopper, FBI's assistant special agent. Mateen also called the Boston bombers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev his "homeboys" during the call.

Officials revealed the assaulter had been "on the radar" of federal authorities.

Mateen was born in the United States, but his parents are from Afghanistan.

His father Mer Siddique gave a press interview instigating further outrage saying his son's action had "nothing to do with religion" and may have been sparked by seeing gay men kissing. He also condemned

Satsang UK celebrates Sree Sree Thakur Anukulchandra's 128th birth anniversary

Satsang UK was in a festive mood on June 4, Saturday as it celebrated the 128th birth anniversary of 19th century philosopher, spiritual leader, and philanthropist Sree Sree Thakur Anukulchandra, in Reading. More than 150 people including devotees, marked their attendance from all over the UK, USA, Nether-

Sree Sree Thakur Anukul Chandra Ji

lands, and Norway.

The festivities began around 2 pm with devotional songs sung flawlessly by veteran singer Mrs Ratna Ghosh and her team. Satsang members Mr. Ram Kinkar Thakur, Mr. Nihar Mishra, Ms. Mery Diaz, Mr. Shibasis Satpaty, Mr. Prasna Ray, Mr. Rajanikanta Samantara,

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Sikh-Americans fear backlash WASHINGTON: SikhAmericans, who have faced hate crimes after every major terror attack, are fearing a backlash following the Orlando gay club shooting even as the Obama administration has assured them of their safety.

In a bid to allay growing concerns within the community, the White House sent one of its top official to a gurdwara in the suburb of Washington DC to meet members of the Sikh community and local leadership to assure them about their safety and interest.

“We know, this is a time when some in the community fear unease,” Cecilia Munoz, Director of the Domestic Policy Council at the White House, said after her interaction with the Sikh community at the oldest gurdwara of Maryland Guru Nanak Foundation of America. She also attended ‘sangat’ with its members.

“I shared the work that the federal government is doing to make sure that every child is safe and secure, every person is feeling safe and secure in the places of worship and the places where they work and the places where they study,” Munoz said, adding that there was no need to be fearful.

the act saying his son should not have killed the gay men as they would be punished

by God himself. "I apologise to families who lost their loved ones. What my son did is against humanity."

The shooter's ex-wife also said he was "mentally unstable" and regularly beat her.

Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey said the homophobic attacker made comments favorable to multiple armed Islamist movements and people, which "adds a little bit to the confusion about his motives."

"So far, we see no indication that this was a plot directed from outside the United States and we see no indication that he was part of any kind of network. We're highly confident this killer was radicalised at least in some part through the internet."

President Barack Obama issued a statement calling the attack "an act of hate" and an "act of terror". He also ordered the US flags to be lowered at half-staff in honour of all the victims.

Her visit to the gurdwara was planned a few days ago but her presence was very timely in terms of the new wave of fear that has gripped the community because of the Orlando incident - the deadliest mass shooting in America’s history. Omar Mateen, an Afghan-origin gunman who carried an assault rifle and a pistol into the gay club in Orlando and killed 50 people while injuring 53 others, was later shot dead by the police.

“This is a country of great diversity. We cherish that diversity. We celebrate it. We feel great gratitude to the Sikh community for the many many contributions to the United States,” Munoz said. “It is fundamental to our democracy that people have freedom of worship, but also have freedom from fear,” she said, adding that the Obama Administration has taken steps to address these challenges.

Paramvir Singh Soni, chairperson of the Guru Nanank Foundation of America, acknowledged that there is a sense of fear in the community and said the Sikh-Americans are touched by the steps being taken by US President Barack Obama in this regard.

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Mrs. (Dr.) Alka Thakur and Mr. Rajarshi Roy gave speeches on various aspects of Sree Sree Thakur and his philosophy. Prayers, meditation, bhajans and kirtans followed through the latter half of the day.

Mr. Rob Wilson, MP and Minister for Civil Society, Govt. of UK who was present as the Chief Guest, launched the 1st edition of Satsang UK newsletter 'The LoreLight'. In his address to the gathering, he congratulated the Satsang community on the occasion. The event was covered live by Dil Se radio presenters Ravi Sharma and Kajal.

The programme concluded with the distribu-

tion of prasad and a community dinner. A person also took initiation (diksha) with Sree Sree Thakur's holy mantra.

Satsang UK organises monthly prayer and meditation sessions at Reading on 1st Saturday and at Ilford on 3rd Saturday of each month and is currently engaged in a project to build a Satsang Centre in London. Today the Satsang organisation has over 80 million members across the globe, including Hindus, Muslims and Christians.

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Now the fight is between Hillary & Trump

WASHINGTON: It is official. The United States of America just voted for their first ever female presumptive presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton. The arena is locked and the bets have been placed as Democrat candidate Hillary will face off Republican nominee Donald Trump.

A much-awaited conclusion, both the nominees stand poles apart on their policies and principles.

While Trump caters to the racists and as Stephen Hawking said recently, "to the lowest denominator," Hillary swept the people of their feet with a promising future.

While Democrat candidate Bernie Sanders gave good competition to Clinton, he somehow seemed to lack the lustre the former first lady possesses.

Waitress attacked for ‘serving alcohol during Ramadan’

NICE (FRANCE): A French waitress was allegedly assaulted for serving alcohol during the holy month of Ramadan. A practicing Muslim from Tunisia, the woman was working her shift at the Vitis Café when she was reportedly insulted by two passersby. The two men who were said to be of Muslim-origin, began abusing her when they saw her serving up alcohol to her customers.

The victim said one of the men called her a "whore" and even slapped her across the face, leaving her with a black eye. "On of them said to me in Arabic, 'You should be ashamed of yourself for serving alcohol during Ramadan. If I was God I would hang you'," the woman said to which she replied, "You're not God and you cannot judge me." "Degraded, humiliated, and sullied" by the incident, the woman said she had previously served alcohol in Tunisia without any issue. The attack was brought to the officials' notice and while the men have been identified using CCTV, they are yet to be located.

Indian woman kidnapped in Kabul In Brief

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

NEW DELHI: A 40 year old Indian woman named Judith D'Souza, working with the Aga Khan Foundation, an international NGO, has been kidnapped in Kabul. The incident took place late on 9th June, near the Qala-e-Fatullah area of the city. The Indian Embassy in the region is in touch with senior Afghan officials and the victim's family, trying to bring her back as soon as possible.

Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj spoke to the abducted woman's family, also responding to a tweet from her brother. She said the government is "doing everything to rescue her." While no group has claimed responsibility of the abduction, investigators believe she is being held by one of the many crime cartels who earn millions of dollars in ransom from kidnapping foreign nationals, intelligence and police sources. Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan, Manpreet Vohra met with top

Judith D'Souza

security officials and has launched a massive effort to seek out Judith. Two men have been detained for questioning.

The incident came just after the Embassy of India in Kabul issued a security alert to the Indian citizens in Afghanistan. Their statement read, "All Indians residing in Afghanistan and Indian trav-

UN makes changes to report after Saudi 'fatwa threat' Saudi Arabia exerted “unacceptable” undue pressure on the United Nations after the world body's annual report blacklisted a Saudi-led military coalition waging a year-long war in Yemen for killing children, according to UN secretarygeneral Ban Ki-moon.

The UN gave in to the intense pressure from the oil-rich nation, including the threat of a fatwa (religious edict), and removed the coalition from the list “pending the conclusions of (a) joint review”.

Besides the fatwa threat, Saudi Arabia had threatened to cut its funding of UN aid programmes in response to the boycott.

The UN report had accused the Saudi-led coalition of killing 60% of the 785 children who perished in the bombing campaign in Yemen in 2015.

The report backed by Ban Ki-moon came down heavily on the Saudi Monarchy, alongside Somalia and the Central African Republic.

Consequently, the report invited the wrath of the furious kingdom, with Saudi officials demanding that it be “corrected”.

In an unprecedented move, the UN took off the kingdom from the list of

Ban Ki-moon

countries accused of serious crimes against children.

Sources said, according to a report in The Times, that the decision to revise the report followed a campaign of “bullying, threats, and pressure” from Saudi Arabia and Gulf Allies who feared it could have farreaching diplomatic ramifications and prevent arms deals.

The removal prompted angry reactions from human rights groups, which accused the UN chief of giving in to pressure from powerful countries. They said that Ban, currently in the final year of his second term, risked harming his legacy as UN secretary-general.

ellers to Afghanistan are advised that the security situation in Afghanistan remains highly volatile. Terrorist attacks have taken place in many parts of the country against a variety of targets including foreigners and are expected to continue. There is also the risk of kidnapping and hostage taking throughout the Afghanistan."

Judith worked all across the world, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan, Mauritius, and Nepal. She worked on child rights, climate change, and other social issues, before she became a gender specialist. He also held positions in the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, International Fund for Agricultural Development, Auroville Water Harvest, Muskaan, and Gram Vikas. She is the author of several papers on water conservation and women's empowerment.

23

BA plane develops snag; returns to Heathrow airport

LONDON: A British Airways plane turned back for Heathrow Airport four hours after taking off, citing a fault. Flight BA277 which was on its way to Hyderabad, India, only reached Turkey before the authorities decided to return to west London airport. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner reportedly had a failed weather radar display. A British Airways spokeswoman said, "This flight returned to London as a precaution following a technical fault. We are sorry for the delay to our customers journey. The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority."

25 Indian students asked to leave US varsity

WASHINGTON: A US university asked at least 25 Indian students to leave as they lacked the ability to write computer programmes, a necessary qualification. The Western Kentucky University did allow them to complete their first semester, but now they are given the option of either enrolling in some other US university, or return home. Chairman of the Western Kentucky's computer science programme, James Gary said, "almost 40" students did not meet the requirements of their admission. They were offered remedial help but it didn't work out well for all.

24

INDIA

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Cong MP, MLA join TRS in Telangana In Brief AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

HYDERABAD: In a major setback to the Congress, a member of parliament and a state legislator decided to join the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi, from the national opposition party.

G Sukhender Reddy from Nalgonda, and member of the state assembly from Miryalguda, Bhaskar Rao, both from the Congress, announced their decision to join the TRS on June 15.

Also shifting loyalties, former lawmaker G Vivek and his brother, former Andhra Pradesh minister G Vinod

dent K Chandrasekhar R a o .

Sukhender addressed media saying they were joining the TRS to give back to the people of Telangana. He added the decision was made K Chandrasekhar Rao to help also announced their switch Chandrasekhar Rao in his to the TRS. The decision came efforts to develop the new a day after the leaders met state. Sukhender Reddy was Chief Minister and TRS presione of the only two Congress

Bengaluru set for £730 mn makeover BENGALURU: The Karnataka government is slated to take up a bunch of projects worth £730 million, to overhaul the whole of Bengaluru and its infrastructure. The cabinet gave its nod to projects aiming to bring new amenities in two years.

"The finance department has already agreed to release £605 million," Law Minister TB Jayachandra said. The revamp involves massive road infrastructure development, construction of underground drainages, stormwater drains and development of footpaths. The move comes as a desperate bid from the government to woo the people as its terms will end in two years.

Criticism over pathetic infrastructure, poor traffic and a bad solid waste management system had been hovering at the administration's head. It was also under pressure from industry heads, including investors who took digs at the government at the Invest Karnataka Global Summit.

The current package includes Nagarothana plan,

special investment plan, and assistance by finance commission and other grants from the Centre. Jayachandra said the government would set up a high-level committee to clear tenders higher than £1 million under the scheme to ensure transparency. The cabinet has also approved an old housing policy that will make "affordable homes" a reality in the state.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had allocated a whopping £1 billion for BBMP in his 2016-17 budget as against opposed to £477 million last year. The new policy offers incentives and concessions for builders to take up affordable housing projects for the economically weaker sections and lower income groups to ensure the Centre's dream of providing home to all by 2022.

leaders who managed to win Lok Sabha seats in 2014, despite the TRS being in full power.

The TRS, which won 11 seats, has now increased its tally to 13 with the YSR Congress party's lone MP from the state, P Sudhakar Reddy, switching loyalties last month. Bhaskar Rao is the ninth legislator from the Congress to defect to the TRS during the last two years. The latest setback came amid increasing internal differences in the main opposition party.

JD (S) suspends 8 rebel MLAs for cross-voting BENGALURU: The Swamy, Iqbal Ansari, Balakrishna, Ramesh Janata Dal (S) susBandisiddegowda, pended eight of its Gopalaiah, Bheema rebel legislators who Nayak and Akhanda voted against its offiSrinivas Murthy, who cial candidate and all had voted for supported Congress Congress party's in the biennial electhird candidate. tions, to fill Rajya H D Deve Gowda Gowda vowed to Sabha seats from build and strengthen the party Karnataka. Party leaders also by travelling across the state. issued a notice asking them He also accused CM why they should not be Siddaramaiah, Energy expelled from the party for Minister DK Shivakumar and defying the whip in the elecBJP state president BS tions that saw party candidate Yeddyurappa of conspiring and businessman BM Farooq against JD(S). "The agenda of secure 33 votes against the this trio is to finish JD(S), but party strength of 40. they will not succeed in it," he JD(S) national president said. JD(S) has been rocked by and former prime minister "dissidence" in recent months HD Deve Gowda addressed a with several of its legislators meeting of party legislators, unhappy with the leadership panchayat members and over its style of functioning office-bearers saying, "All the and "unilateral" decisions by eight members have been susthe Gowda family which pended and notice have been maintains a stranglehold over issued to them." He said that the party. Congress with 122 as per the party constitution, a members was assured of two three-member inquiry comseats, but with a surplus of 33 mittee would be set up, which votes, the party fielded anothafter going through their er candidate, banking on replies to the notice, would JD(S) rebels and decide on the expulsion.

Independents. The required The party leaders who strength for victory was 45 faced action are Zameer votes.

Ahmed Khan, Chaluvaraya

Rahul promises to solve Sikh cop removes turban to save two lives Punjab's drug menace CHANDIGARH: With the Assembly elections in the offing, parties have buckled their belts. Pitching to the people, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi addressed a protest rally in Jalandhar, against the rising drug menace in the state. Promising that his party would solve the issue in a month's time, Gandhi said, "If Punjab needs a better future, there is no other way but to stop drug menace in the state. On one side there is the drug menace, and on the other, there are law and order and unemployment issues."

Throwing dirt at the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government in Punjab, he said the state wasn't giving enough freedom to the handful of good officers who want to pull the plug on drugs.

Contradicting RaGa's claims, the Aam Aadmi Party dubbed the protest as ridiculous and alleged that the Congress was

Rahul Gandhi

adopting double standards as the grand old party had failed to initiate any action on the same.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh said, former Chief Election Commissioner of India SY Quraishi had informed Manmohan Singh about the scale of the drug menace in Punjab during the 2012 assembly polls. It had also cited the seizure of 53 kg heroin and 434 kg opium besides other drugs and had requested the union government to take action. The PM did nothing and just acknowledged the letter."

JALANDHAR: A Sikh police officer went against the norms of his religion, as he removed his turban to save two lives.

The incident occurred inside the Devi Talab temple where a woman and her son came into contact with a live electricity pole. While bystanders were too scared to help them, a Commissioner of police Arpit Shukla quick on his feet assistant honouring assistant sub-inspector Mohan Singh in Jalandhar sub-inspector Mohan thirties came into contact with Singh of the Crime investigait first and then the child, of tion agency, untied his headabout 4, was also stuck. As gear and used it to pull them soon as I saw it, I untied my away from death. turban and tossed it over Commending Singh's them. It took so much force to actions, police commissioner get them free that all of us Arpit Shukla honoured were on the floor," Mohan Mohan with a Class 1 certifiSingh said. The ASI was on cate and Rs 2,000 cash award. security duty at the temple He also called him a hero of during kar-sewa (volunteer the force and said he would labour) work. The eyewitnessrecommend him for a bravery es applauded the cop. “It award. "Electric current had moved me to tears, especially leaked into the pole during the when the woman and her son late-evening rain and storm. also thanked me,” he said.

Passing by, the woman in her

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Teacher arrested for branding students with burning camphor

CHENNAI: A teacher who allegedly branded her students with camphor has been suspended and arrested under the Juvenile Justice Act. Vyjantimala, a teacher of a government primary school at Pali, punished eight children by placing burning camphor on their feet for being inattentive in class. The incident only came to light after parents of the students raised slogans in front of the school. School authorities were urged to take strict action for the inhuman act.

Chief Educational Officer S Mars suspended the teacher and the school headmaster, also initiating an investigation. When contacted, the headmaster said, "I came to know about the incident only on Friday as I was on leave for the past few days. The teacher Vyjantimala has been working in the school for the past 11 years and this is the first time a complaint of such a grave nature has been made against her."

Thousands take fish prasadam in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: Thousands of people stood in line to avail the fish 'prasadam.' The convention is believed to cure asthma. Members of the Bathini Goud family were distributing raw fish stuffed with a herbal paste which reportedly cures asthma and other breathing ailments. A subject of controversy, patients participated in the hopes of relieving their physical troubles with the "miracle drug". A yellow herbal paste is pushed down a murrel fishling's mouth and then dropped into the mouth of the patient. The Bathini family vouches by the treatment believing the fish makes its way down the chest, clears congestion and provides relief.

Sikh mob attacks Damdami Taksal preacher

LUDHIANA: A preacher of the Damdami Taksal at Gurdwara Bhai Ram Singh was attacked by a group of Sikhs. The attack took place when Gurdial Singh, president of the management committee of the gurdwara was honouring Taksal preacher Sandip Singh with a siropa. The move has been opposed by many Sikhs. The police booked eight people in connection with the attack, including main accused Joga Singh Khalsatani. The group got into an argument with Sandip Singh and allegedly thrashed the preacher, and also tossed his turban. While he managed to run away, the group chased his SUV and damaged its windowpanes.

Sources attributed the conflict to a dispute over the election of the gurdwara management committee.

HC refuses to vacate stay on Jat reservation

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has refused to vacate the stay granted by Manohar Lal Khattar-led government on its decision to grant reservation in jobs and educational institutions to Jats and five other communities. Petitioner's advocate, Mukesh Kumar Verma said the state government should ensure that they would not touch the merits of the case, adding that time should be given to file the application. "The Haryana Government said there was urgency in this matter. Earlier in March, the high court had stayed reservation for the Jat community reviving a politically divisive issue for the Haryana Government," said Randhir Singh Bhandaran, who represents the Jat Akarshan Sangharsh. The Haryana government had passed two bills following the protests.

Two Pak smugglers shot dead; drugs, weapons recovered

FAZILKA: Two Pakistani smugglers were shot dead by BSF jawans, at the Indo-Pak border area. The incident took place at a border outpost called Sawana when unusual activity was noticed by the soldiers on duty. The smugglers opened fire at them when they challenged the infiltrators. Answering back, the BSF soldiers also opened fire, killing two smugglers and seriously injuring one who was later rushed to the hospital. After the encounter, 15 packets of heroin and weapons were recovered from the men.

INDIA Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

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'Udta Punjab' row: Bombay HC pulls up CBFC AsianVoiceNews

The Bombay High Court has ordered the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to clear controversial movie 'Udta Punjab' with just one cut and issue a fresh certificate to movie in two days. In a verdict that was cheered by most in India, the court refused to stay the release of the film, as demanded by the board and directed the makers to delete a urination scene.

Calling it a vindication of democracy and fundamental rights, Ameet Naik, lawyer of Phantom Films said, "The only thing that we have conceded is the deletion of the urination scene, which we had offered to do ourselves. There are going to be three disclaimers that we have accepted in court. One,

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that we do not promote the use of drugs in any form or manner. Two, the expletives are not a reflection of anything else except reality.

And three, we are not castigating any State or region."

The court had earlier observed that the CBFC does not have power to censor films. It said that cuts suggested should be in consonance with the Constitution and earlier Supreme Court orders. "'Udta Punjab' is a movie depicting the drug menace based in a place. There is no mention of the word 'censor' in board. Board should use its powers as per Constitution and Supreme Court's directions," the bench observed.

The film had been

caught up in controversies ever since CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani ordered 13 cuts, including cutting down references to Punjab, elections, political parties, and the reference in the name of the film. One of the producers, Anurag Kashyap appealed to the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal after a Bombay high court order helped them receive the official letter from the CBFC informing them about the cuts.

Meanwhile, a source from the CBFC legal team said moving the Supreme Court is being contemplated. Director Abhishek Chaubey said, "They are entitled to take it to the SC if they want to. We will defend it tooth and nail."

25

London to observe Yoga Day on 19th June The High Commission of India has organised a programme marking the International Day of Yoga, on 19th June, at Potters Fields Park, London. The event that will start at 9 am, will be followed by a series of yoga sessions led by experts.

June 21 was recognised as International Yoga Day, by the United Nations General Assembly after the pitch was made by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014. Countries and regions across the globe are making preparations to mark the day, arranging for different events and programmes. Thousands of people are expected to gather at the iconic Times Square while spiritual leaders and different Indian associations busy themselves with arrangements to host events in schools, temples, and top tourist spots. "Yoga unites us with the universal flow and connects us with our own personal rhythms.

The discipline of yoga enhances our ability to respond to subtle cues that promote wellness. Peace becomes the natural environment of our relation-

ships and our world," said Douglas Stewart, Cofounder of the Solstice in Times Square: Mind Over Madness Yoga.

India's Permanent Mission to the UN has organised the 'Conversation with Yoga Masters - Yoga for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals' at the world body's headquarters on June 20 and 21. The event will be marked by diplomats and UN officials and people like Isha Foundation founder and spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri, and the likes.

Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravishankar will open the Yoga Day cele-

brations at the European parliament; leading the parliament members through a guided meditation at the Yehudi Menuhin Hall. A statement read, "He will also lead a series of public events on Sudarshan Kriya, yoga, and meditation in the cities of Washington DC, Boston, Columbus, Minnesota, San Fransisco, Portland, United Kingdom and Seattle." The Art of Living organisation will also hold celebrations on June 21 in across 100 countries, including India.

Over 20,000 people are expected to participate in the Indian capital of New Delhi, while over 16,500 in Mumbai across four venues.

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Surprise wins give BJP 12 seats in RS polls

AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

Dramatic wins, losses and widespread cross-voting marked the Rajya Sabha elections in which Congress suffered a virtual rebellion in Haryana, with party-supported candidate R K Anand losing to BJPbacked media mogul Subhash Chandra due to 14 invalid votes, while another surprise win by BJP in Jharkhand helped the party narrow the gap in the Upper House.

BJP also scored an upset win with the narrowest of second-preference vote margins in Jharkhand while Congress succeeded in winning a third seat in Karnataka due to cross-voting by eight Janata Dal (S) MLAs. Congress's nominee, former police officer K C Ramamurthy, benefited from votes gained from former PM Deve Gowda's party.

A provisional count indicated NDA has gained a slender lead over UPA even though Congress remains the single largest party.

The Haryana defeat was a shocker for Congress and seemed to signal discontent over joining hands with the INLD. Anand, a well known lawyer, suffered a humiliating loss as election officials invalidated Congress votes

M J Akbar and Venkaiah Naidu

on grounds such as using the wrong pen to tick their choice. Party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala too accidentally showed his vote to party leader Kiran Chaudhary.

In Jharkhand, Mahesh Poddar won a hairline victory over Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's Basant Soren by a second-preference weightage of 0.99. As two Congress MLAs did not vote, MoS for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar Naqvi got 29 votes and sailed through.

Soren got 28 to Poddar's 24 but voting went into second preference as the mark of 27 needed for a win was not reached. Now, there was a tie at 26 each but BJP had the slenderest margin of extra votes to transfer and Poddar squeaked through.

Prominent winners include central ministers M Venkaiah Naidu, Birendra Singh and Nirmala

Sitharaman, BJP spokesperson M J Akbar and Congress veterans Jairam Ramesh, Oscar Fernandes and Kapil Sibal.

Among candidates depending on extra votes, Congress's Vivek Tankha won in Madhya Pradesh and BJP's Poddar won in Jharkhand.

The large number of invalid votes in Haryana took Congress by surprise as the development seems a clear revolt against the choice of the party high command. Anand had the support of Congress and INLD and should have got the requisite 31 votes to beat Chandra with a combined strength of 36 (Congress 17, INLD 19). But officials rejected 14 votes. Though Anand got more first preference votes, he lost as a sufficient number of BJP MLAs listed Chandra as their second preference.

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Hindu worker hacked to death in Bangladesh DHAKA: In the latest attack on the minority, an elderly Hindu ashram worker was hacked to death by suspected Islamists in Bangladesh.

Nityaranjan Pandey, 60, a volunteer for the past 40 years at the Thakur Anukulchandra Satsang P a r a m t i r t h a Hemayetpurdham Ashram in Pabna, was murdered when he was out on his morning walk.

Pandey is the second Hindu to be murdered in the region this week, shortly after assailants on a motorbike shot and hacked a Hindu priest to death in southwestern Bangladesh. Local police chief Abdullah Al Hasan said evidence indicated the killing mirrored other recent attacks by macheteyielding youths who targeted their victims on the street. Officials believe the

killing was the work of more than one person, who chose their time of attack for an easy escape. "No one saw the killing or the killers, but people from nearby places later found the body lying in a pool of blood," Al Hasan said. A member of the ashram addressed the media regarding Pandey's death, saying, "He was the most devoted worker of our ashram... to our understanding he never developed personal enmity with anyone during his stay here for the past three decades."

The attack came soon after the police announced the launching of a nationwide anti-militancy weeklong crackdown that also engages elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion and paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh.

Reports suggested the

authorities detained over 100 people and 47 of them were detained from Jhinaidah, the place of murder of Hindu priest Sunil Ganguly.

Hindus across the globe are raising their concerns regarding the steady murders of the minority group people in the Muslim-dominating country. Hindu statesman Rajan Zed released a statement in Nevada, USA, saying it was shocking for the worldwide Hindus to observe the hard-working, harmonious and peaceful Bangladeshi Hindu community subject to strong signals of hatred and intimidation.

The Hindu community in the country has also appealed to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to look into the matter and ensure their safety and security.

both the countries. Modi kept on winging and the Assembly kept on cheering.

He made wisecracks, he made points to ponder on, he even made digs at his Parliament back home. “I am informed that the working of the US Congress is harmonious. I am also told that you are well-known for your bipartisanship. Well, you are not alone. Time and again, I have also witnessed a similar spirit in the Indian Parliament, especially in our Upper House. So, as you can see, we have many shared practices,” he said to loud laughter and applause.

NaMo commended bilateral relations between India and the US, paving way for more. “The embrace of our partnership extends to the entirety of human endeavour – from the depths of the oceans to the vastness of the space. Our Science & Technology col-

laboration continues to help us in cracking the age-old problems in the fields of public health, education, food and agriculture. Ties of commerce and investment are flourishing. We trade more with the US than with any other nation. And, the flow of goods, services and capital between us generates jobs in both our societies. As in trade, so in defence. India exercises with the United States more than we do with any other partner. Defence purchases have moved from almost zero to 10 billion dollars in less than a decade.”

As he kept his audience on the edge, the longest standing ovation came when he mentioned the “3 million dynamic Indian Americans”. The Indian American guests who were in attendance for a glimpse of Modi, got more than expected. “Connecting our two nations is also a unique and dynamic bridge of three million Indian Americans.

Today, they are among your best CEOs, academics, astronauts, scientists, economists, doctors, even Spelling Bee champions.

They are your strength.

They are also the pride of India.” The PM nailed the bull right there.

Modi's pitch hit all the right chords for all the right reasons.

Modi Mesmerises US Congress

Continued from page1

The Indian Prime Minister concluded a rather fruitful 5-nation tour that took him across Afghanistan, Qatar, Switzerland, US and Mexico. All the host embraced a similar tone; one of affability. The fifth Indian PM to address the US Congress, Modi spoke on issues ranging from climate change to terrorism, defence and security cooperation to trade and economic relationship. In true Modi style, he kept his audience captivated, and garnered around 10 standing ovations with his impeccable speech.

Invited to Capitol Hill by House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, Indian PM was nothing short of a rock star, walking across the room as the present Congressmen cheered and rooted for him.

“In granting me this opportunity, you have honoured the world's largest democracy and its 1.25 billion people. As a representative of the world's largest democracy, it is indeed a privilege to speak to the leaders of its oldest,” Modi said. It was a source of pride for all Indians to watch their leader address the Americans in his trademark colloquial speech as he promised a better future for PBV

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Celebrating our Fathers AsianVoiceNews

Father's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Many countries celebrate it this year on Sunday 19th June, though it is also celebrated widely on other days by many other countries. Here are some ideas on how to treat your dad this Father’s Day and range from days out with the family to personal gifts that surpass the usual mugs one finds already in the cupboard.

Days out Virgin Experience Days: Let your actions speak louder. Or rather, let your dad’s actions save you the trouble as he drives, jumps, dines and discovers his way through the greatest Father’s Day gift there ever was – a Virgin Experience Day. For all that your dad likely likes to keep quiet about his hobbies and passions, you’ve still probably got a pretty good idea of what he’d love. A trip to his favourite sports team’s home ground? A few laps around The Top Gear Test Track? Some time with the family?

Prices: range from less than £50 to over £500 Ideas include: (a) Thames Jet Boat Rush for Two Price: £49.00 See the sights of London and enjoy an adrenaline filled ride on the Thames Jet Boat Rush. Launched in August 2013, this pulse-racing experience is a new and unique way to view the capital’s iconic landmarks along the riverside, including Tower Bridge, The London Eye and The Shard. (b) Murder Mystery Evening for Two Price: £120 Enjoy being part of a murder mystery event over a three-course dinner. You and a lucky friend or partner get to play along as the plot unfolds. Scenes will go on around you involving a number of professional actors playing the central characters including the victims and suspects. The actors will mingle with the guests throughout the evening and you are

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Asif Khan: Love, Bombs and Apples

For those dads who love a bit of spice in their lives these five delicious and fiery concoctions will ignite the taste buds.

Hand corked and wax sealed in beautiful apothecary bottles they are packed full of intriguing ingredients from across the globe. Can be used as a marinade, salad dressing or dipping sauce. (b) Smarter Coffee Price: £143.99 For all the coffee lovers out there this is the ideal gift. Let your dad control this coffee machine with his smartphone or tablet.

Grind and brew fresh coffee beans automatically, on demand. Adjust the strength to suit your own personal tastes and brew a single cup or 12 at once with the included Smart Carafe. Includes 3 interchangeable panels to match the kitchen decor For more options log on to: https://www.firebox.com/fathers-day

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Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

In what immediate ways does comedy engage people with serious issues?

‘Love, Bombs and Apples’ could easily be a serious play, but you need a sense of humour to help people digest the material. Sometimes the audience might even think ‘should I be laughing or not?’ but that only makes it more thought-provoking. I am on stage for 90 minutes straight and even as an actor it feels invigorating to inhabit this comedic world.

There are moments where I play peripheral characters too such as the girlfriends and family members.

Every one of these four stories has its own style of humour and that’s very gripping.

How did you prepare for this very intense role?

It is certainly one of the most challenging roles I’ve had in terms of stamina.

But we prepared very well with the text. The director, Rosamunde Hutt, got us to do a lot of hot seating where I played the smaller characters in the production; for example the girlfriend of the fourth sketch – ‘Landing Strip.’

There’s a lot of research and reading that goes into it and that keeps you primed. But, mainly, I commit to connecting with each person’s struggle as honestly and with as much rawness as I can, and that provides the momentum.

encouraged to ask them questions to help unravel the story and solve the mystery.

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TLIGHT

Sunetra Senior

Asif shows himself to be as memorably multidimensional as his talents in the refreshing, new comedy ‘Love, Bombs and Apples’. The actor coproduced this culturally candid one man show – wherein we are treated to four equally juicy segments from the lives of different men who all experience a moment of revelation from their particular places in the world – as the pioneering project under his own company, AIK Productions. He also liaised closely with the show’s award-winning playwright, Hassan Abdulrazzak, so they could together combat the very pertinent issues of Islamophobia, ethnic stereotyping and the one-sided storytelling so rife in the western media: “Hassan has a very unique voice” Khan told us, himself a burgeoning writer. “He is very smart – he’s also actually a molecular biologist - and it was an honour to be able to work with him on such an innovative piece of theatre: he deals with sensitive issues, and his research is always concrete. Being a person of a Palestinian descent, I was particularly taken by his scripting. He kindly wrote the first vignette in ‘Love, Bombs and Apples’ for me as part of my training at RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art). I later approached him to explore more. What it did was represent the average, everyday Muslim: the character is a normal lad who has normal desires and this is what the full-length production became about: it presents real Muslim perspectives; not how the media portrays them. The clutch of stories that make up the play have that same basic format: you’ve got a Palestinian actor who just wants to make love to a girl he meets; a Pakistani novelist who wants his post 9/11 novel to be a masterpiece; a Bradford youth who becomes besotted by the local Apple Store; and finally a Jewish New Yorker whose dad being a Zionist causes trouble with his proPalestinian girlfriend.” *** Indeed it is tempting as you watch the internationally framed play to look for a distinct ideological message: the third vignette, for example, shows a young, Muslim teenager talking through his radical views while he critiques the infamous Westfield. But as the play goes on, we do realise it’s not just about these characters’ individual realisations and their narratives as a minority voice. As Asif implies, it’s much bigger – more expansive than that. As Asif’s hoodie-clad persona – which he plays magnetically with naivety and menace in equal measure - bends down to inspect an imaginary glass unit housing the latest technology, we too feel the pull of its sleekness as no different from the intoxicating promises made by Jihadist leaders targeting their own impressionable demographic. And of course Islamic extremism as parallel to the rampant consumerism of the west is just one of the several creative ways that ‘Love, Bombs and Apples’ highlights the universality of personal conflict, deeper wants and our constant search for meaning. Though inevitably shaped by our backgrounds, we are still all individuals. And quite aptly, the show lets you experience this by allowing you to be yourself. As Asif continued to tell us “the production is close to being a stand up comedy. It doesn’t preach one-sidedly at you. I talk with and engage the audience so that the fourth wall is broken.” With a touch as light as the one needed to navigate around the latest I-Phone, the performance leaves you feeling rewarded.

Asif’s lively dexterity comes together with Hassan’s incisive script-writing to bring you the virtually impossible: a palatable political drama. The show’s title, like its star, gains another interesting layer.

Have you ever felt discrimination as a person of a minority background?

It’s definitely harder to make it in the industry. You’re not going to get the main roles which are typically written for ‘white’ people, but the landscape is certainly changing. It is determined by social perception and you should be able to play traditional characters.

For example, I love Shakespeare and Ibsen so I don’t see why I shouldn’t be able to play their parts. ‘Love, Bombs and Apples’ is my way of claiming that autonomy. I’m on stage for the entirety of the production and am professionally endorsing it. My voice as a Muslim individual is being projected. You see these more exaggerated – strictly extremist or parodylike portrayals in the media – and it is insulting. I want to break the stereotypes. There shouldn’t be filtered accounts of us; personalities such as Anjem Choudary speaking for and be allowed to set the mould for us. We have a plurality of identities, and a shared humanity, and it’s important to emphasise that.

What grabs you most about the art of acting?

It makes me happy! I enjoy doing it and it would have been my hobby had it not been my job.

What’s a common misconception about acting that simply isn’t true?

That we are all hyper-confident as people. Lots of actors are actually very shy. I’m sometimes asked to give speeches at people’s weddings or personal gatherings, but that’s not the same as performing as someone else on stage; that’s deeper and in that sense more professional. There’s a profound element to it. It’s very much to do with emotional memory.

Finally, what are your hopes for the future?

I’d like to grow my company and help others to launch their work, especially with regard to breaking stereotypes.

I’d like to do more of my own writing too as well as develop as an actor.

**** ‘Love, Bombs and Apple’ is playing at the Arcola Theatre from 21st May-22nd July W

www.theasifkhan.com/

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Parineeti in AR Murgadoss' next

Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

I

f media reports are to be believed, actress Parineeti Chopra has been confirmed to play the lead in director AR Murugadoss' next featuring south superstar Mahesh Babu. While the deets on the project are on the low, speculations say the film is titled 'Justice' and will see the actor play a powerful cop with a lot of dare we say South styled attitude.

"The makers are planning to release the film in both Telugu and Tamil. If possible, they will be releasing it in Hindi as well, and that's the reason they roped in Parineeti," a source said.

With the Bollywood actress travelling down south, there is also a lot of buzz regarding the amount she has quoted for the film. Parineeti has reportedly charged Rs 3.5 Crore for her Telugu debut. With the overall budget of the film tanked at a whopping 100 Crore, it is said to be Babu's biggest film until now in terms of funds involved.

The Super Pact

N

ow everybody knows Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan as two humble legends the Indian film industry is blessed with.

No big deal. Widely successful actors with individual stardoms that could make your head swoon, one can't but wonder what if the two came together in a movie? Well, apparently, both Rajini and Haasan have a pact, much like

normal best friends, we guess.

In a recent interview with a leading media source, Haasan revealed the 'secret pact' between them saying, "Rajiniji and I have a pact that, whenever we do another film together, it would have to be produced by either me or him. It's the only way to ensure we do not displease our fans." When asked why he turned down an

Anushka secretly met Kohli’s parents?

W ‘Junooniyat’

A romantic movie by Bhushan Kumar, with Pulkit Samrat and Yami Gautam in the lead.

e all know estranged lovers Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli are back together, despite them not confirming the news. The 'Band Baaja Baarat' actress who recently wrapped up the shoot for her upcoming 'Sultan' opposite Salman Khan, wasted no time in re-joining her boyfriend in Delhi. It is said that Anushka even met with the cricketer's parents and family members in the Capital.

After spending some quality time with who could be her future family, the couple are now headed out for a possible vacation.

offer to star in Thalaivar's 2010 'Robot', a part which has now gone to actor Akshay Kumar, he said, "There was no question of taking up the part. I wouldn't have been part of this film under any circumstance and it's got nothing to do with the role being a negative one. I have played negative roles many times before.

Besides, a big star is playing the part now."

Subbaraj in trouble over new film AsianVoiceNews

D

irector Karthik Subbaraj of 'Pizza' and 'Jigarthanda' fame is in fresh trouble over his latest Tamil work 'Iraivi'. The Tamil Film Producers Council have expressed their chagrin at a character portrayed in the movie.

Arul, played by SJ Suryah, is a director who resorts to drink and destruction after a movie producer refuses to release his picture.

Also featured is a gory scene where the character is bludgeoned to death by Arul's close pal in the movie, which is

deemed as a reflection of Subbaraj's anger against 'Jigarthanda' producer Kathiresan. Vice president of the council, Thenappan said that original story was changed. "What Subbaraj said initially and what was finally emerged are two different things. He even hesitated to show the progress of the post-production work to his producer," he said. Also upset was one of the movie's presenters, KE Gnanavelraja, who said, "Unlike others, Karthik Subbaraj doesn't know the pain of becoming a director as he never worked as an assistant to anyone. Now with 'Iraivi', the director has not only overshot the budget but also put the producer in an insecure state."

Vijay and Madonna collaborate once again

A

ctor Vijay Sethupathi and Madonna Sebastian are all set to reunite on screen for KV Anand's upcoming. AGS Entertainment released a statement confirming the news. Apart from the two, lead senior actor T Rajendran is also reportedly roped in to play an important role. Already on floors, the project has Hip-Hop Adhi composing the music.

Sharing the news, Madonna tweeted, "Elated to announce that my next film in tamil is once again with the talented vijay sethupathi & the ace director @anavenkat sir! #bliss"

Kalki speaks out over censor board storm

W

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

ith the f i l m fraternity locking horns with the censor board over Anurag Kashyap's 'Udta Punjab' dispute, N a t i o n a l Award-winning actress Kalki Koechlin did not hold back from giving her two cents. "I really think that the certification board should decide what rating to give to a movie without any cuts. If it's a movie like 'Udta Punjab', then give an A certificate and that's it." she said.

The movie that talks about the region's raging drug abuse issue, has found itself in trouble as the Central Board of Film Certification has suggested it 89 cuts. Top Bollywood filmmakers including Mahesh Bhatt, Karan Johar and Zoya Akhtar have voiced their opinion against the censorship troubles and Kashyap resorted to call chief Pahlaj Nihalani an "oligarch".

Bebo denies pregnancy rumours

I

ndian royalty, Saif Ali Khan and K a r e e n a Kapoor's recent trip to London kicked of rumours saying the 'Bajrangi B h a i j a a n ' actress went on a vacay to relax for her impending motherhood. And like a small spark that set off a huge fire, the reports multipled by the time the two came back. However, the actress was quick to rubbish the claims saying she has always been open about her life and would let the world know the news when it happens. "God willing hopefully. I am a woman. But right now there is nothing to say about it." Talking about the speculations, the actress joked, "The fact that you all are talking about it is making me super excited. I gave five hidden children in London." We hope the stork arrives soon for the Nawabs!

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Diljit Dosanjh: Kareena Kapoor rehearses each take 15-20 times AsianVoiceNews

Rani Singh

A

ll round performer; singer, dancer and actor Diljit Dosanjh was in the UK last week to promote two films and the Asian Voice went to meet him. Vitabiotics’ sister company, Grand Showbiz Entertainment, is presenting the two films. Rohit Sheltkar, co-founder of Grand Showbiz Entertainment who holds a director position at Vitabiotics, said, "We are excited to present to the UK audience two very exciting films – 'Udta Punjab' - a new-age multi starrer with a strong social message for the youth and 'Sardaar Ji 2'- a Punjabi family entertainer. Our focus is to bring different genres of Indian cinema to a global audience, we hope that these films will be loved by all. " Udta Punjab is already making waves due to its subject matter.

The lead characters are a rock star, a B i h a r i m i g r a n t labourer, a doctor and a policeman.

S h a h i d K a p o o r , Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt and Diljit Dosanjh come together for the first time. They play characters from different walks of life fighting the menace of drugs, each in their own way. Udta Punjab is directed by Abhishek Chaubey, it releases 17th June, 2016.

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

We asked Diljit Dosanjh, "What do you know about the drug problem in

Naseeruddin said no to playing Dumbledore

P

rofessor A l b u s Dumbledore is one of the most beloved characters in author JK Rowling's famous Harry Potter series. While the character was played by late English actor Richard Harris in the movie adaptation, between 2001 and 2011, the role was later taken up by Michael Gambon after his death. However, to everybody's surprise, an Indian actor apparently had a shot at playing the iconic role. In a recent interview, ace actor Naseeruddin Shah said, "My agent wanted me to audition for Dumbledore's character after Richard Harris died. I was asked if I would like to audition for it. But I wouldn't audition for it." Oh, the could haves. Can you imagine a face off between He-Who-Must-Not-BeNamed and Shah?!

Punjab and India?" He replied in Punjabi, "Drug addiction is a problem the world over, but definitely it’s a problem in Punjab.

That’s why the discussion has started at an international and a national level.

Through cinema, we entertain and contribute to the discussion that way.

I didn’t have to prepare too much.

Since I was raised and educated in Punjab, I identified with my character a lot. If I feel for a character, I accept a role otherwise I just sing. I’m not too good at studying, but if I read something once, I remember it. I read my script once then I make it my own. Alia Bhatt, Shahid Kapoor, and Kareena Kapoor are amazing artists. Very hard working.

Very down to earth.

They go the extra mile. They have pure souls. Artists tend to have purer souls.

When you create a song, sound, film, you create a new world. So they’re close to nature.

Kareena Kapoor, before

What makes PeeCee mad

I

t has been a tough week for the Chopras.

The mortal remains of Priyanka Chopr a' s grandmother was laid to rest in an unkept graveyard in Kerala, an experience PeeCee calls "awful". The 94-year old's, a Malayali from Kottayam, last wish was to be buried at the St John's Attamangalam Church in her hometown.

However, when contacted officials of the establishment blatantly denied permission saying she had had married a Hindu. "The act of church was awful. But we should not concentrate on it. Rather we should look that we lost a family member," said Chopra. The funeral was later conducted at St Thomas Jacobite Church at Ponkunnam. The actress, her mother Madhu and brother Sidharth were in attendance for the rites.

she does a take, she rehearses 15-20 times so that she doesn’t make a mistake. ‘There should not be an extra take on my account. There should be just one take and it should be good.’ She goes and watches her take herself on the monitor. She asks the director, ‘Are you satisfied? I feel I can do better.

But it’s your call.’ It’s amazing that she is so hungry about her work even after arriving at this level."

Also, Dosanjh spoke about the sequel to last summer's 'Sardaar Ji', 'Sardaar Ji 2'. The story begins in a village in Punjab, where organic farmer, simpleton Jaggi (Dosanjh) lives. The village gets into trouble and Jaggi travels to Australia to save it. We asked Diljit how long the 'Sardaar Ji' franchise could go far? He answered, again in Punjabi, "This is only the second Sardaar Ji. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow. The story for this one is different to the last one and I do different things. The story is different but it is the same in that it is for families with children. It’s for small kids, every age group. I’m not at all like Jaggi. He gets overawed by his problems, I don’t. On dancing and singing, I don’t practise. It’s in the blood of Punjabis. Every Punjabi you meet can sing and dance. For me it’s just that I got an opportunity and the time was right. I love my fans but don’t want them to see me as a role model. I’m an entertainer.

I want fans to follow their own gurus. This is all temporary and I deal in temporary things."

Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

GOT gets a desi makeover

W

e all agree Ramin Djawadi did an excellent job composing music for the American hit television series 'Game of Thrones'.

With the rising popularity of the fictional series composers around the world have tried their hand at the theme song, altering it to their best possible versions. We have all heard Coldplay's version, the Metal take on the theme song, the Cello cover, and also the one played by the Queen's guards (YES!).

India too tried its hands and there are several desi versions of the masterpiece. The latest one however hit all the right

Chitrangada walks out of film after being asked to ‘go on top’

A

c t r e s s Chitrangada Singh has reportedly walked out a project with Naawazuddin Siddique after a tiff with director Kushan Nandy. A source from the film unit said, "Kushan got a bit too engaged in the scene in question, which required Nawaz to only pull Chitrangada roughly on the bed and realise that someone is watching them.

Kushan was not happy with the first take. He thundered, Chitrangada, you ought to get literally on top of Nawaz." The actress was

Ranbir furious over Kangana romance rumour

K

chords as Dubai-based Mahesh Raghavan gave our beloved 'GOT' the perfect Indian tadka. Trained in Carnatic and Hindustani music, Raghavan gave the theme song a strong Indian makeover, featuring Jon Snow as Jonachandra Snownaswami. The video that was uploaded on May 16, has already gone viral on the world wide web, with over 125,000 views and 2000 shares.

This isn't the first time Raghavan produced a classical version of a western song. He has made a cover of popular artist Adele's 'Hello', turning her into Adeleshwari.

a p o o r prodigy, Ranbir was recently dragged into the Kangana-Hrithik ugly spat much to the shock of the 'Jagga Jasoos' actor. Recent rumours linked the actor to Ranaut saying calling him "Kangana's new romance". A source close to the actor said Ranbir "is in a state of shock over the spate of stories that have sprung out of nowhere in the last few months. He is upset that people are taking advantage of the fact that he doesn't issue clarifications. There is no truth in the stories of Ranbir and Kangana's affair, yet in a very systematic manner this is being spread in media." The source also added that Ranbir knows "who is behind these rumours and if this continues, he is considering issuing a strong denial this time."

The rumours have surfaced after he broke up with long time girlfriend Katrina Kaif.

said to be angry with the way she was spoken at, and immediately walked out of the sets. She later informed friend Nawaz that she is quitting. Nandy's friend reportedly denied these rumours saying Singh did not walk out of the film, but was asked to go as she was not performing well.

Major star debut in the making!

S

hah Rukh Khan is arguably the best father in the world. With three humble children, Aryan, Suhana and AbRam, who are no strangers to the papparazzi, Daddy dearest has made sure his little angels follow their dreams. With the industry weighing heavily on the eldest of the Khan children to finally make his entry into the fraternity, Shah has been vaguely guarded about it. However, with speculations popping up every now and then about Aryan and Suhana's desire to act, SRK finally spoke out. The actor confirmed his children want to act, but did not talk about their debut. "Suhana wants to act. And I want to say this to every child that acting is not about Bollywood. You could do theatre, television or films. It's an interest she has and she is good. So is Aryan. Suhana likes theatre. I will be a proud father if she does well."

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Asian Voice |18th June 2016

Currently in his second year of university, Pritesh Kapadia was looking for something exciting to do over the summer with the intention of helping a charitable cause, so a trek up Mount Kilimanjaro seemed like a good idea.

His aim is to complete the trek in 6 days, climbing 5896m above sea level to the summit. Inspired by the work they do, Pritesh is representing the Meningitis Research Foundation and wanted to support them by raising money and awareness of the charity. During a bucket collection in City of London, the 20 year old heard many stories of how their children or someone they knew suffered from Meningitis. This was truly heart-warming and it reaffirmed his decision to represent the Foundation.

Millions of people have already been affected by meningitis in the UK and around the world. It is a devastating disease that can kill and seriously disable within hours.

Meningitis kills around 1,000 people around the

Charity trek up Kilimanjaro

Pritesh Kapadia

world every day. Babies and children under five and young people are especially vulnerable but anyone of any age can be affected.

With a vision of a world free of meningitis, the Meningitis Research Foundation works tirelessly to fight against the disease. The Meningitis Research Foundation funds vital scientific research into the prevention, detection and treatment of the disease. Since 1989 the charity has awarded 147 research grants, investing over £18.7 million. The charity

Ken Livingstone seeks reinstatement Former London mayor Ken Livingstone had demeaned to the be reinstated into the Labour party.

Mr Livingstone whose membership to the party was suspended following his statement that Hitler backed the creation of the Jewish state and has said

no other MPs of the Labour party have voiced concerns about his statement. His statement in April prompted the Labour party to refute claims about the levels of anti-semitism among its members, especially critical since Jeremy Corbyn took up the leadership.

also provides support with 356 days a year helpline to answer any questions from vaccination to disability rights & benefits. Plus bereavement support and home visits for those affected. Until vaccines are available for all strains awareness of the symptoms is vital. The charity distributes literature to the general public, schools and hospitals.

The aim is to raise £3000 by end of June for the Meningitis Research Foundation and his trek up Kilimanjaro is later in September. To support Pritesh and his cause log o n t o https://warwickrag.everydayhero.com/uk/pritesh and help them to carry out the great work they have been doing by donating and raising awareness of the charity.

Last week of the Tooting By-election As the former MP for Tooting Sadiq Khan settles into his new role as London Mayor. Back on his home turf the byelection it prompted has the parties battle it out for this marginal seat.

The Labour candidate Rosena Allin-Khan seems to embody the area she wishes to represent. With the respective campaigning in its final week the labour candidate looks like the poll-

sters favourite to win.

Khan, a mixed race daughter of immigrant parents, is a A&E doctor with a modest middleclass upbringing. “I’m half Polish, half Pakistani, went to a Church of England school and married a Welshman. But I’m a hundred percent Tooting”.

Results of the by election to be announced on Thursday 16th June.

Queen’s Tribute faces WI protest Members of the Women’s Institute have taken to social media revolting against the Rule Britannia after their annual meeting in Brighton. Jag Picknett a GP was among many members who refused to take part in the flag waving to celebrate the Queen’s

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 Your ruling planet Mars

Retrograde cycle occurs in your eighth house of intimacy, shared resources, and personal transformation. Hold onto your money, work on a budget, and avoid arguments with loved ones that revolve around intimacy and sexuality. You could also be dealing with past actions or karma. It's time to redefine what it is that you want out of life.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 Whether you’re single or

attached you’ll have to go through a lot, as deep psychological transformations are taking place in all types of relationships. Don’t be afraid to experiment, trust your hunches, go with your gut feeling. Solutions to minor problems should be considered very carefully.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 At work sometimes a little

upheaval and chaos is exactly what you need to set things right again. There’s no need to be complacent: the time is now. Unpredictable energies continue to influence your health sector, bringing erratic highs and lows. The key for you as always is to remain calm and collected.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

There is an element of disruption or stress which may be hard to avoid, but it appears that there is a strong sense of purpose in the background. A certain amount of sheer hard graft will be necessary for a short while, but the final result will be extremely pleasing. An exchange of opinions ought to prove very enlivening at this time.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

At home, be at your diplomatic best and try not to tread on anyone's toes.

Passions will run from hot to cold, and relationships may suffer. Even the most strong-willed Leos will be more open to compromise to keep the peace. Plan your spending and set sensible budgets.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23 Your social graces will serve you well career-wise. Mixing business with pleasure will bring you benefits. All things considered, your health should be robust. The more you live up to your own set of principles the more you’ll gain. A good time for restructuring and rethinking your aims and interests.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23 Good ideas will open doors to a new opportunity. You cannot let go of your future aspirations because they will manifest. Keep to your path and you will be successful. 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.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

Birthday saying it is jingoistic.

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The Sun energizes your sector of change, transformation and regeneration. On a more practical level, you may be dealing with joint finances and shared resources now more than usual.

You should also make sure that your tax affairs are in order. You are more willing than usual to explore and delve deeper into life's secrets and arrive at meaningful conclusions.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

You are in a brilliant period for increasing your earning power and you'll be busy taking charge of your finances. Achieving a sense of security becomes a priority. Although there is a lot of sorting out to be done in your relationship sector, it will not phase you as so many issues have already be dealt with.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

The prevailing cosmic pattern packs a powerful punch early this week. Having such potent energies, make you feel positive and confident in whatever you do. This is not the time to hold back or underestimate your potential if you wish to further an important aim. Some of you will try to get away from the routine chores.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

You have everything to gain by following your creative inclinations. If you have new ideas, now is the time to put them into practice. Whatever your present interests you are likely to find that new doors open and the way ahead offers increased scope for expressing your real self. A great time to meet and interact with people.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20 You seem to have an insight into what makes people tick and this understanding nature may help someone to move forward with their life. This week your mind turns to family and the good spiritual values you hold dear. You will get a lot of things done if you discipline yourself and be focused on your task in hand.

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Saina wins her second Australian title AsianVoiceNews

Saina Nehwal ended her 14 month title drought by winning her second Australian Open Super Series title with a 11-21, 2114, 21-19 victory over China's Sun Yu in Sydney on Sunday and gave an indication that she's peaking in time for the Rio Olympic Games.

The Indian shuttler dug deep after losing the first game to eclipse Sun in an energy-sapping one hour, 11minute contest, the longest on the final day.

This is the first time that Saina had scaled two Chinese players en route to the title - she beat Wang Yihan in the semifinal and Sun in the final - a double blow that is sure to dent Chinese confidence in the run up to Rio. Interestingly, the 26-yearold mowed down two former world champions, that too in straight games - in the quarterfinals (Ratchanok Intanon) and

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Saina Nehwal

semifinals (Wang). More than the title triumph, Saina will take pride in beating Ratchanok and Wang.

The Indian came into the tournament struggling but determined. “I came into this tournament not expecting to win it,” Saina told reporters and rated her victories in the quarter-

finals and semis better than the final win. “Today, I wasn't feeling as great as I felt when I beat Ratchanok or Yihan this week,” she added.

Saina's coach Vimal Kumar said that her determination to win made the difference. “She started a bit slow but I am happy to see her attacking well. She

did not get the length as Sun was dictating the rallies. The most important thing was her determined play. She really wanted to win badly and that made the difference. In my opinion, she is moving much faster and attacking than ever before. This win should spur her preparations for Olympics. There is a lot of scope for improvement and the next six to seven weeks will help her prepare better.

“When you have no aches and pain and that you gain by doing the right physical conditioning, you can get to a level and play to your potential. Saina, to a certain extent, has been able to find a good balance in her workouts,” Vimal said.

Sun came with a plan to disturb Saina's backhand smash and did unsettle the Indian. She never allowed Saina to get into rhythm in the first game.

Paes partners with Bopanna in Rio Doubles specialist Leander Paes' dreams of playing in a record seventh straight Olympics came true after he was named with Rohan Bopanna as the Indian men's doubles team in Rio Olympics. Bopanna and Sania Mirza were picked for the mixed doubles while Sania will partner Prarthana Thombare in women's doubles.

Ignoring Bopanna's request for pairing him with Saketh Myneni, the All India Tennis Association (AITA) selection committee announced the decision after its meeting. Bopanna, who earned a direct Olympic entry based on his World No. 10 ranking in men's doubles, took everyone by surprise when he told AITA who he preferred as his men's doubles partner in Rio. The Olympics start on August 4.

Leander Paes

In an apparent attempt to douse the fire, AITA President Anil Khanna said Bopanna respected Paes but he had his reasons to partner Myneni. "Bopanna respects Paes, he has given us his reasons why he would prefer Myneni," Khanna told the media. "Men's doubles more fortunate with Bopanna in top 10 and Paes at 46. Our decision is merely based on the best medal prospect," he added.

Paes recently completed a career slam after winning the French Open mixed doubles along with Swiss

great Martina Hingis at Roland Garros.

Meanwhile, Sania, who had also given her preference to the AITA, is set to team up with Bopanna in the mixed-doubles category besides partnering Prarthana Thombare in women's doubles. "Sania will partner Thombare in the women's doubles event," Khanna said.

To enable the PaesBopanna pair to sort out differences, AITA has named them in the Davis Cup squad for next month's tie against South Korea.

“We have the utmost respect for all the players, especially Saketh (Myneni), who we believe is one for the future. Mishra (selector) put the letter from Bopanna in front of us and we considered the combined results of both Rohan and Paes as well as Rohan and Myneni's

show along with ITF's eligibility rules. It was decided that best bet for an Indian medal in men's doubles are Bopanna and Paes,” Khanna told the media.

“Sania, with her number one rank in women's doubles, assured us of an entry into women's doubles as well. We were concerned about this event. We knew that even if Bopanna was ranked 11 or 12 (he's ranked No. 9 now), he could have managed a berth with Paes because they are the bestranked pair from the Asian region. But Sania has got an entry for India in women's doubles and she'll be turning out with Prarthana Thombare. It is a good pairing because they have played together earlier and Prarthana also trains at Sania's academy in Hyderabad,” Khanna added.

SPORT Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

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Bindra will be India's flag bearer in Rio Olympics

Abhinav Bindra's career will come to a close on August 8 in Rio de Janeiro, eight years after he won India's first individual Olympics gold in Beijing, the shooter announced on Twitter.

He had won the gold on August 11 in 2008.

Bindra had already announced his retirement as an active shooter last year during the Asian Games in Incheon and had said he would continue as a `hobby shooter' till Rio. Bindra's event, 10m air rifle, is scheduled to be held on August 8. His tweets were part of his acceptance note after he was named as the flag bearer for the Rio Games by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). “To be the flag bearer at the Olympic Games is an athlete's ultimate honour. I am humbled and grateful to be considered worthy of this great honour,” Bindra wrote on Twitter. “As my sporting career which lasted 20 years draws to a close on the 8th of August, this is indeed special,” he added. When contacted, the shooter refused to reveal anything more. “I think my tweets are pretty clear, there is nothing that needs clarification,” he responded when asked whether he will retire completely or he may participate in select shooting events. The former world champion is also one of the goodwill ambassadors of the Indian contingent for the Rio Games and would cheer and inspire the Indian contingent after his event is over.

Sharapova suspended for 2 years

Maria Sharapova has been suspended for two years by the International Tennis Federation for testing positive for meldonium at the Australian Open. The ruling can be challenged in the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The five-time Grand Slam champion was provisionally suspended by the ITF in early March, when she announced at a news conference in Los Angeles that she failed a doping test in January. Sharapova said then she was not aware that the World Anti-Doping Agency had barred athletes from using meldonium, also known as mildronate, as of January 1. Her lawyer, John Haggerty, says Sharapova took the substance after that date.

Sharapova said she first was prescribed the Latvianmade drug, typically used for heart conditions, for medical reasons in 2006.

Muhammad Ali laid to rest after final journey through hometown Eulogies from his widow, children and lifelong friends followed messages from religious leaders of varied backgrounds at the memorial service for Muhammad Ali, who was remembered more as the man than the boxing champion.

The service in his hometown of Louisville capped a daylong final homecoming for Ali, who died at the age of 74 a week ago. Earlier in the day, a roughly two-hour funeral procession took his body past places where the legendary boxer spent his formative years: his childhood home, his high school, the first boxing gym where he trained.

The Greatest of All Time was then laid to rest early in the afternoon in a private ceremony at Cave

Hill Cemetery. Actor Will Smith, who played the title role in the 2001 film “Ali,” and former heavyweight champions Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson were among eight pallbearers, according to organizers.

The burial was the only

private portion of three days of events celebrating Ali that began with a festival and Islamic prayer program. It was just how Ali wanted the funeral plans to be when he laid them out several years back - as open as possible so his fans could

say goodbye.

Friday afternoon’s memorial was the main public celebration, held at the 22,000-seat KFC Yum! Center in Louisville. Ali’s widow, Lonnie, spoke eloquently about the inspiration of his legacy. Two of

Ali’s children also spoke.

At the memorial service, eulogies also came from University of Louisville student Natasha Mundkur and family friend John Ramsey. Malcolm X’s eldest daughter, Attallah Shabazz, came close to tears recalling the man who was the last close connection to her father. Shabazz said her father loved Ali as “a little brother, 16 years his junior,” and as a trusted friend.

With his remarks coming at the end of the nearly three-hour service — which was already delayed for nearly an hour — bewhiskered comedian Billy Crystal joked that he was clean-shaven when it all started.

Closing out the memorial service was former President Bill Clinton, who paid homage to Ali’s sense

of humor right off the bat: “I can just hear Muhammad saying now, ‘Well, I thought I should be eulogized by at least one president, and by making you last in a long, long line, I guaranteed you a standing ovation.”

Ali was able to rise above his affliction with Parkinson’s Disease by being a man of both wisdom and faith, Clinton said.

The memorial service embraced many religious faiths, including an opening reading from the Quran by scholar and the family’s religious adviser, Imam Shakir. A Protestant minister, two rabbis, a representative from the Catholic Church, a representative from the Buddhist religion and Sen. Orrin Hatch (representing the Mormon faith) also spoke.

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Asian Voice | 18th June 2016

India clinch series against Zimbabwe

A clinical India clinched the three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe, pulling off another fine all-round show to crush the minnows by eight wickets for an unassailable 2-0 lead, in Harare on Monday.

It was a dominant performance yet again from the new-look Indian side whose bowlers first skittled the hosts for a lowly 126 in 34.3 overs and the batsmen hardly broke a sweat to get past the target in only 26.5 overs.

If India manage a ‘whitewash’ by winning the third ODI, then it would be a hat-trick of series wins for the Indian teams, maintaining a clean slate in the African nation after their victories in 2013 and 2015.

If young leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (3/25) broke the backbone of the Zimbabwe middle-order, it was Ambati Rayudu who hit 41 off 44 balls to finish the game with a flourish. With the target hardly posing any challenge, last match’s centurion K.L. Rahul (33) added 58 runs in company of Karun Nair (39 off 68 balls) for the opening stand.

The Rayudu-Nair pair added 67 runs for the second wicket.

Nair, on his part, got much-needed confidence with some runs under his belt but the manner in which he played was more about self preservation on a slightly tricky track. When Nair was finally gone trying to sweep a straight delivery from Graeme Cremer, India needed only two runs which Manish Pandey (4 no) completed with a boundary.

But it was Rayudu, who hit a flurry of boundaries seven in all to finish the match with 23.1 overs to

spare. With ball darting around a bit, the Indian batsmen were cautious and Nair for one was lucky to get a reprieve when he edged one off Tendai Chatara only to find that the bowler had overstepped. He celebrated his charmed life with a down the ground hit off the very next ball. Nair also drove and pulled Chatara for a couple of boundaries to settle down into a good rhythm. Chatara was also handed some rough treatment from Rahul who got a couple of boundaries with a cover drive and a cut shot.

He also got a couple of boundaries off seamer Taurai Muzarabani.

Rahul looked solid for at least another half-century

but he dragged one from Chamu Chibhabha onto his stumps. He had four boundaries in his 50-ball knock.

Rayudu, who was unusually subdued during his halfcentury in the first game, started with a couple of boundaries off Chatara followed by a couple of fours each off Elton Chigumbura and Chibhabha.

When Rayudu came into bat, Nair was on 22 but was on even keel with his junior partner by the time they reached the mid-30s score. In the end, it was another lopsided contest that went India’s way with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni not needing to even wear his leg guards for the second time in a row.

Earlier, Chahal scalped three wickets as India produced another professional bowling effort to dismiss a fragile Zimbabwe batting line-up for 126.

Zimbabwe lost their last seven wickets for 20 runs to be bundled out in 34.3 overs.

Indian pacers Barinder Sran (2/17) and Dhawal Kulkarni (2/31) performed their duties early on before leggie Chahal (3/25) joined the party in his second ODI. Brief scores: Zimbabwe: 126 all out in 34.3 overs (Vusi Sibanda 53; Yuzvendra Chahal 3/25, Barinder Sran 2/17). India 129/2 in 26.5 overs (Karun Nair 39, Ambati Rayudu 41 not out)

Dangs sprinter bags medal at Asian Athletics Championship

Dangs sprinter Murli Gavit, the son of a farmer and a third year arts college student, has bagged the bronze medal for the country in 5,000-metre race in the 17th Asian Junior Athletics Championship 2016 held at Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam on June 5. Murli’s talent was spotted in the Khel Mahakumbh, a state-level talent hunt organised by the Gujarat government in 2013 and 2014. Gavit (19) is the second and youngest son of Tulsibhai Gavit, a farmer and his wife Kavita of Kumarbandh village in Vaghai taluka in Dangs district in South Gujarat. In the 5,000 meter final race, Murli Gavit completed the race in 14.49 minutes and won bronze medal. Two Japanese sprinters – Takato Suzuki came first in the race (4.16 minutes) and Aizawa Akira bagged the second prize (14.32 minutes). Murli Gavit is studying in 3rd year in BA in a college in Vansda in Dangs district. The Kumarbandh villagers celebrated his victory in a grand manner.

Tulsibhai Gavit said, “We are very much happy that my son had won bronze medal for our country. He is a good runner and even when we used to send him to the market to purchase vegetables, he used to run to the market.” Murli Gavit said, “Thanks to Khel Mahakumbh in Gujarat, I have been identified by the sport experts in the state and I was topper in the running race. Now my next goal is to participate in the World Junior Athletic Championship (under 20) which is going to take place in Poland in July 2016. I will work harder and will win gold medal. My dream is to represent India internationally and win gold medals. My role model is my parents, who had worked hard and even motivated me to run and even supported me on all my decisions.”

Federer sets record with Stuttgart win

57 vying for Indian cricket team's head coach post The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed that 57 candidates from around the world have applied for the post of head coach of the national team lying vacant since the 2015 ICC World Cup. "At the close of the June 10, 2016, the timeline set for receiving applications for the post of the Head Coach of the Indian cricket team, BCCI has received a total of 57 applications from coaches within India and overseas," BCCI said in a statement.

The statement added: "The primary scrutiny of the applications received is now being carried out by the office of the secretary of the BCCI, with regards to the applicants, meeting

Ravi Shastri and Sandeep Patil

the set eligibility criteria.

After this initial scrutiny, the list of candidates who meet the criteria will be processed for further consideration."

Some of the notable applicants include former team director Ravi Shastri, national chief selector Sandeep Patil and former

seamer and bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad and former India captain and legspinner Anil Kumble.

Apart from the above, former national players pacer Balwinder Singh Sandhu and batsman Hrishikesh Kanitkar - are also contenders for one of the most important job in

world cricket.

After Zimbabwean Duncan Fletcher's contract ended after the 2015 World Cup held between February 14 and March 29 in Australia and New Zealand, former India skipper Ravi Shastri served as the team director till the 2016 ICC World T20 in March April in India.

Sanjay Bangar, Bharath Arun and R Sridhar teamed up respectively as the batting, bowling and fielding coaches under Shastri. Last month, the BCCI appointed former India all-rounder Bangar as interim head coach for the ongoing limited overs tour of Zimbabwe, while former domestic cricketer Abhay Sharma was named fielding coach.

Roger Federer beat Florian Mayer 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-1) to reach the Stuttgart grass semifinals with another tennis record. The world No. 3 moved ahead of Ivan Lendl to stand sole second in career match wins as he earned his 1,072 victories to place behind Jimmy Connors (1,256) in the table. Federer dispatched Germany's Mayer for the seventh time without a loss as he advanced into a final four showdown with Austrian Dominic Thiem, who recovered to defeat Russian Mikhail Youzhny 3-6, 6-4, 7-5. Federer is playing for the first time in a month after dealing with the back pain which forced him to skip the French Open. Federer advanced with 15 aces in 80 minutes to stand 13-4 on the season. Thiem's success in only his 10th career ATP-level grass match. But the ATP No. 7 said he has achieved more this week than he had imagined. “It's not nice to play Roger on any surface. he is the best on grass. Against him, I have no expectations.”