AV 19th September 2020 by Asian Business Publications Ltd

FIRST & FOREMOST ASIAN WEEKLY IN EUROPE

inside: Simplified pointsbased visa system for overseas students as UK universities struggle to stay afloat during coronavirus R

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

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19 - 25 SEPTEMBER 2020 - VOL 49 ISSUE 21

DOCTORS FIGHTING

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional SEE PAGE - 7

RACISM "WANT" TO RESIGN Ahead of a second Covid-19 wave and missing plan of action on BAME deaths

SEE PAGE - 13

File photo: Protests outside London's Downing Street in 2016

Priyanka Mehta and Shefali Saxena NHS professionals have warned that the UK is racing towards the second wave of coronavirus with ministers concerned that the black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community may once again be forced to “shoulder the burden of this pandemic” if a “plan of action” is not in place. The warning comes after a research study highlighted that nearly 70% of the 1700 doctors surveyed “were likely to quit the NHS” frustrated with the government’s handling of the pandemic. This warning from the Doctor’s Association of UK (DAUK) should be a red ﬂag for the Health Secretary especially after 600 healthcare workers, a majority of them from BAME backgrounds, lost their lives during the ﬁrst wave of coronavirus. Concerned about some BAME doctors who

15th century stolen idols make way back to temple in South India

31 weeks pregnant woman campaigns to allow partners to witness childbirth SEE PAGE - 15

are still working in high-risk environments, Dr Rinesh Parmar, Chair of DAUK has disclosed that “it is still an on-going problem.” Speaking exclusively to Asian Voice, he said, “Institutions have previously failed to complete risk assessments and take actions based on those risk assessments to safeguard our BAME colleagues. Some individuals who are deemed high-risk have not been removed from high-risk environments. Although the government has assured that the published BAME review has been forwarded to the Equalities Minister’s workstream, we have not heard anything from them in terms of how the work would be taken forward. We are heading towards a potential second Covid-19 wave and this is not something that can be put on the back burner. It needs to be addressed now.” Continued on page 6

PM Modi- a dynamic and decisive leader SEE PAGE - 17

India, China reach 5-point consensus on Ladakh situation SEE PAGE - 26

2 UK

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

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19 - 25 September 2020

with Keith Vaz

Virus cases continue to spike in Bolton with local lockdown in Birmingham

Akash Mehta Akash Mehta is British entrepreneur and influencer. Akash graduated from Imperial College London in Engineering and previously worked at Burberry, Estée Lauder Companies and Dior. Currently, Akash is the co-founder of Fable and Mane, an Ayurvedic inspired hair wellness brand, and his own conscious digital agency, Akash Agency. Recently, Akash was placed on Forbes’ ’30 under 30’ list in Media & Marketing and has been sharing his marketing expertise at some of the largest conferences and universities around the world from TEDx to his own digital online course called 'Digital with Akash.' He is also a Global Guardian for UNICEF, co-founder of The Fable Fund and LVMH board member for Patou.

Which place, or city or country do you most feel at home in? Being born and raised in London, I do think that London is truly the place I feel most at home. I was fortunate to spend three years in Paris, which has become my second home. However, now being back in London I do feel this is my home for the foreseeable future. What are your proudest achievements? I’d probably say it’s between two main achievements. One would be making it into the Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2019, which had always been a dream of mind. The second one would be to have launched Fable & Mane with my sister. What inspires you?

My father is my inspiration. Not only his success in business but more so his work ethic and, just in general, the person he is. He has always shone humility and generosity. And I hope I can be like him one day. What has been biggest obstacle in your career? The biggest obstacle has been my own doubts and impatience. I have always wanted to do a lot at the same time. And while at times I have achieved it, there were many times where I over did it and burnt out. A successful career comes from a healthy balanced mind. Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date? My prior CEO, Claude Martinez, and General Manager, Veronique Courtois, at Dior. They have been the most inspiring figureheads in my career and not only have taught me so much about working and growing in a company, but also as a person. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.

What is the best aspect about your current role? Working for yourself and being your own boss is the most gratifying feeling. Having worked in corporate, I have a lot more autonomy in my decision making – I make decisions much quicker and therefore results come quicker too. It’s an exciting feeling and it’s just the beginning. And the worst?

Not having the safety blanket that’s associated with corporate jobs. For example, investing your own money and being the sole decision maker at times. There are days when it can weigh heavily on you, but you have to keep going forward. What are your long-term goals?

I would love to have my own beauty conglomerate, focusing on wellness. But in general, just to build beauty brands that make a difference and live beyond me. I also would love to have my own NGO that really has a global impact in supporting wildlife conservation. If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change? I would love to increase efforts in supporting the environment and sustainability sector. One way I envision this is supporting start-ups and small businesses making headway in this field but have quite high barriers to entry currently. If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why? I would say his Holiness the Dalai Lama as I have hundreds of life questions to ask and so much to learn from him. The idea of meditation on a beach sounds like a dream!

Campaign in Oldham for protection of rare mural by Jewish artist who fled Nazi Germany On 13th September, Sunday, a campaign was started in Oldham to save The Crucifixion a rare mural by George Mayer-Marton. A leading 20th century artist,Marton fled to the UK from Austria in 1938, escaping the Nazi Germany and the community in Oldham is gathering together to save the Jewish artists’ masterpiece. The community fears that the building will be

demolished or redeveloped. Hence, Save Britain’s Heritage has written to Historic England, the body that recognises and protects historic buildings and sites on behalf of the government, urging swift action to save the mural. Reports suggest that a decree was issued by the Nazis against Marton declaring him barred from the National Chamber of the Fine Arts because investiga-

tions had shown he “did not possess the necessary commitment and reliability to promote German culture”. Henrietta Billings, director of Save Britain’s Heritage, said, “This is an incredibly rare, well-executed and important mural for Oldham and for England by a leading 20th-century artist and lecturer. It needs protection and national recognition through listing.”

Coronavirus cases are continuing to spike in Bolton despite introduction of stricter rules and restriction of people from socialising outside their households last week. As part of the new measures introduced by the Bolton Council in consultation with the Public Health England (PHE) presently all restaurants and hotels will be restricted to takeaway only and venues will be required to close between 10pm and 5am. Besides Bolton, the Lancashire district of the Hyndburn, Leicestershire district of Oadby and Wigston, and the Lancashire city of Preston are also recording higher rates of coronavirus cases exceeding 100 cases per 100,000 in what is seen as a second Covid-19 wave. Manchester Council is already struggling to regulate local tourists/employers who are coming from Bolton. In the meantime, Greater Manchester Police has reported about halting illegal gatherings across the city and fixed penalty notices were issued at each of the incidents, which breached existing bans on groups of more than 30

meeting. In the meantime, infection rate appears to be jumping in Birmingham, the second largest city of the UK. 1.6 million people in households across Birmingham, Solihull and Sandwell will not be able to mix with the West Midlands mayor warning people to comply with new local lockdown restrictions or face even tougher measures. Under the new rules, people are banned from meeting others who are not in their household or support bubble, indoors or in private gardens. Speaking on Sunday about the jump in Covid-19 cases, Mayor Andy Street said, "We will use these restrictions, look at how the numbers move, and if they are not sufficient, we might have to go further. Everybody now has to comply with these to give us the best chance." Speaking on Politics Midlands, the Mayor explained, "The whole point is that the areas that have been prepared in a Covid-safe way - schools, offices - we're saying that can continue but it has to be done in a way in which people feel confident about

it. Critically, those places have been examined for safety for people to return." restrictions These across Manchester and Birmingham appear with wider restrictions coming into force in England on Monday, banning social gatherings of more than six people. In the meantime, Leicester which had been placed under tighter local lockdown rules since 29th June continues to witness easing of restrictions with casinos, bowling alleys and soft play areas, exhibition halls and conference centres and beauty parlours reopening. Wedding receptions will also be allowed in the city with attendance limited to no more than 30 people. But, the ban on multi-household gatherings in homes and gardens remains. Remaining measures are due to be reviewed by 24th September as the Department for Health and Security said the relaxation brought rules for businesses in Leicester in line with the majority of England. In Scotland, Lanarkshire joins areas around Glasgow subject to tougher controls, with the new rules already in force.

Leicester Police find a grenade in River Soar for a second time, arrest two On Sunday 13th September, police in Leicester retrieved a grenade from the River Soar after Magnet fishers flagged up an emergency response. Leicestershire Police reported that the Mill Lane was cordoned off at its junction and that they had arrested two men on suspicion of causing a public nuisance'.

This is the second time that such an incident has been reported in the last three months where more explosives and guns have been found. In July, the bomb disposal squad was called in after a 'grenade' was found in the river. This time anglers made the latest discovery in a section of the river in Western Boulevard,

around 4pm and alerted the emergency services. The Army's Explosives Ordnance Disposal team arrived at the scene, near Bede Park, at 5.45pm and left with the device approximately 30 minutes later. On previous occasions, they have taken such devices to open land where they can be safely detonated.

Police arrest man with a gun in Walsall church In Walsall, the West Midlands Police arrested a 24-year-old man on the suspicion of possessing a firearm inside St Paul’s Church. Reports note that armed officers and police helicopter searched the area after inquiries in the area led police to a flat in Sandwell Street, Walsall. The 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. This incident emerges after a series of stabbings in Birmingham’s city centre last week where one man was killed with seven others injured resulting in the arrest of a 27-year-old suspect. A number of social media posts in the last few days propagated false infor-

mation about the arrested suspect by identifying and labelling him as a Libyan asylum seeker. But, the 27year-old suspect is a UK

native and is being confused with another Libyan national who was held accountable for previous stabbings in Birmingham.

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COMMENTS

19 - 25 September 2020

BAME leadership must for tackling second Covid-19 wave The first wave of coronavirus has underlined the disproportionate impact of the virus on the black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community. 44% of the medical staff across the UK are from BAME backgrounds and 95% of these doctors who died during the first wave of coronavirus were BAME. Asian Voice has reported on multiple stories about some South Asian doctors being “bullied” into working at Covid-19 designated wards, forcing the government to acknowledge and set up a review commission examining why higher percentile of BAME doctors were compromised at Covid-19 frontlines as opposed to their “white” counterparts. The review findings were inconclusive at best and “white-washed” at worst. It stated facts publicly available and negated prospects of any internal investigations around systemic and institutional racism within the NHS. Now, nearly six months later the UK appears to be heading towards a second Covid-19 wave. Regardless of all government assurances around doctors’ safety, South Asian doctors are wary of preparations made by the NHS and the PHE especially when the flu season can bring additional unwanted complications. Racism, Islamophobia, and “white privilege” have left a considerable number of Indian-origin doctors “suffering in silence” especially those from overseas countries who have only recently migrated to the UK and are finding it difficult to bridge the cultural differences whilst staying miles apart from their families. The NHS depends on over 40,000 Indian-origin doctors to combat Covid-19 wave at a time when India is recording nearly 100,000 cases daily and is in dire need of these healthcare professionals. The primary incentive for most of these doctors is the professional training and expertise they garner under the purview of the General Medical Council and a healthy salary which would enable them to practice high-quality medicine in their respective countries when they return. Unfortunately, in

recent times Indian-origin doctors appear to be gravely disappointed with their treatment at the NHS. But aside from illustrating the impact on the doctors’ mental, physical and emotional health, the virus has also exposed the fault lines in the leadership crisis at the higher echelons of the UK’s health system. While the pool of Indian-origin doctors serving the NHS continues to increase, their interests and concerns are hardly addressed. This is often earmarked as one of the reasons why experts advocate for greater diversity. A “white man” will not always be adept at understanding and solving problems of a “brown man” especially if these problems are linguistic, social and cultural parities. To expect a “white leader” to chart solution-oriented policies for these overseas doctors would be both unfair and impractical for either community. Hence, there have been consistent efforts on the greater promotion of BAME doctors as leaders to higher ranks at hospitals and trusts across North of England where BAME leadership is sparse and virtually non-existential. But does BAME leadership necessarily ensure that justice is always done by the underprivileged minority? Not necessarily. Indian-origin Rajesh Jayaseelan was living in Harrow and working as an Uber driver. He was forced to vacate his rented room in London after he contracted coronavirus and was being treated at the Northwick Park Hospital. His wife Mary was 5,000 miles away in Bangalore, India, with their two young sons when Jayaseelan and his friends had to fundraise for the family’s temporary sustenance and funeral costs. This has depicted that it is not just the doctors who need to assume leadership. A majority of the South Asians and BAME people are employed as key frontline workers across TfL, retail, and hospitality industry. The onus of protecting South Asians from the detrimental impact of the second wave of Covid-19 lies with the employees as well.

India and Indians draw America’s fate The Presidential elections in the US has generated a great deal of interest across the world. The upcoming election in November is gaining more attention due to the possibility of a re-election of Donald Trump. In India, Mr Trump has always had a different kind of popularity, given his close proximity with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But the nomination of Kamala Harris, the half-Indian (Tamil, from her mother’s side) Vice-Presidential candidate for the Democrats has got a significant publicity in India and among Indians living world-wide. As Democratic activists and donors try to sway the undecided votes of Indian Americans, Donald Trump’s campaign has also tried to widen the support by launching a targeted advertisement, that includes short clips of speeches from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the US and that of President Donald Trump, during his visit to Gujarat, India. According to Adi Sathi, the former national director for Asian Pacific American Engagement at the Republican National Committee, the 2016 US presidential election was a breakpoint for Indian American influence in the country’s electoral politics. Though Trump won Michigan by only 10,704 votes, the key role played by these new voters remained undisputed. Dr D K Giri, a professor in International Politics said that Indian Americans are now 4 million strong. They constitute 1.3% of overall population but are sizeable in swing States. Therefore, they are able to be a deciding factor in the elections. Out of 50 States, in 16 States Indian Americans are more than 1%. Since the American President is elected by electoral college consisting of States, not the popular vote, it is quite likely that the strength of Indian Americans could determine either way. Moreover about 2 million Indian Americans, the second largest immigrant group in the country, are eligible to vote in the US this time, according to Devesh Kapur, a professor of south

Asian studies and co-author of The Other One Percent: Indians in America. While Kamala Harris has invoked her half-Tamil roots as a loyalty among some, Indian Americans are not just a population driven by herd mentality. Analyses prove, they are diverse in their preferences and a lot depend on party policies like H-1B visa, taxation and racial harmony- especially after the widespread Black Lives Matter protests that have divided the communities further. Indian Americans are also often quite wealthy. They are either white-collar professionals or run successful businesses including motels. They give away generously to charitable causes, American universities and have formed powerful organisations like AAHOA, which is currently chaired by Gujarati-origin Biran Patel. Indian Americans in the current climate, will vote for a party that supports India and its policies and give American Hindus a clear voice. While Democrats have made efforts to improve their bilateral policies with India, Biden-Harris leadership has been quite critical of India’s policies on Jammu and Kashmir, Article 370 and other alleged 'human rights' issues The situation in the US is pretty much what happened in the UK some years back. David Cameron, then Prime Minister of the UK, welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Wembley Stadium in 2015, after much opposition and a ban on him to enter Britain for a decade. While Labour party’s leader Jeremy Corbyn initiated an Early Day Motion to stop Mr Modi from coming into the UK, Prime Minister Cameron’s initiatives not only gave an audience to PM Modi in London, but also won Conservative party votes from 1.5 Indians, out of which 806,000 were Hindus. If Kamala-Biden win the upcoming US elections, it will certainly be the first for an Indian-origin woman in the US to hold such an important office. But those contesting must remember, that ultimately the one resonating true ‘Indian’ sentiments, will win the support from voters, especially in the swing States of America.

India’s youth is flying ‘high’ as GDP hits an all-time low In one of the sharpest contractions in the world, India’s gross domestic product (GDP) shrank by 23.9 percent between AprilJune 2020. This has happened only four times since Indian independence. The largest drop thus far was 5.2 percent in 1979-80. With more than 80,000 fresh cases of Covid-19 every day, India has surpassed 48,00,000 cases so far. Data compiled by the Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy (CMIE) estimated that 27 million people between the ages of 20 and 30 lost their jobs in April. Observing the current trends, young people will now be willing to work for smaller salaries in terrible work conditions in the desperation to make a living. In his latest blog for the The Times of India, writer Chetan Bhagat wrote, “Right now, our youth — ironically, the most affected — doesn’t really care. An entire generation will be unemployed or underemployed. White-collar workers will become delivery boys (already happening). Common Indians will become poorer and serve the few rich and elite. That’s right, back to India of the 1980s. Yet, the youth is busy in their phones, lost in their cheap 4G data packs, watching silly videos, playing video games, consuming porn and maybe fighting with people on social media all day.” But why are the youth glued to their phones? Because they care about the worst economic crisis in the nation’s history? No. The so-called “woke” netizens have fallen prey to the media trial that followed after the untimely demise of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June 2020. Actress Kangana Ranaut had heavily criticised Mumbai during her recent interviews for being home to an immoral film

industry with drug addicts. This triggered the debate on normalisation of drugs in Bollywood. The actress consistently pointed out that millions of youngsters are idolising these stars who are allegedly big-time drug addicts. Around the same time actress Rhea Chakraborty was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau for allegedly procuring drugs for Sushant and owning 59 grams of weed. The “whiff” of the involvement of the drug mafia in this case has resulted in massive online support for Rhea. By that logic, Twitterati felt that most Mumbai and Delhi youth must be arrested because smoking marijuana for them is an open secret. Data released by German Data firm ABCD revealed that Delhi consumed 38.6 tonne of cannabis in 2018 and Mumbai 32 tonne in the year 2018. A popular youth website in India cites “the breakdown of the family system” as a prime reason for drug abuse among youngsters. Joining this debate, a Twitter user posted: “The way Indian media is normalising drug use is amazing.” Another user replied to the same tweet saying, “The Hindu God like Shiva consumed marijuana. It is treated like a Prasad in many villages in hills and other places. I think drugs have already been normalised.” While the world awaits the inevitable second wave of Covid19 pandemic, if you randomly pick a young person with a smartphone and 4G connection in India right now and ask them about the current economic crisis, they might not even know the full form of GDP. But, if you ask the same person to update you on the SSR death row and drug mafia, they might tell you the entire case timeline verbatim and potentially reveal the rates of fantastic drugs and where to find them.

The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible. - Arthur C. Clarke

CIIr Ketan Sheth

Cllr Ketan Sheth Chair, Brent Council Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee

NHS that involves and listens to local people is in all our interests Readers may be aware that the way in which the local NHS is run is likely to see big changes in the months ahead. Part of the NHS Long Term Plan is for local NHS bodies in each area to work in partnership with local councils as part of an ‘integrated care system’ (ICS). In North West London, this will mean a huge partnership across eight boroughs, including Brent my Local borough. It may also mean a merger of the eight clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) across these areas into a single CCG for North West London (subject to a vote of GPs in each borough). NHS leaders assure us that this is not a change to services, but to how their staff are organised. They say that any changes that are proposed under the new working arrangements will be subject to the same – or more – consultation and scrutiny. We need to hold them to this promise. The biggest concern for me, as a Brent councillor, is that the voice of Brent residents is not lost in a new system covering a huge geographical area (the North West London ICS and the single CCG would be the biggest in the country). At a recent Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee, we had the chance to question managers and GPs about the single CCG merger. There were certainly encouraging words about their future approach to involving local people in shaping health services. They have put in place a new programme, rather grandly called ‘EPIC’ (Engage, Participate, Involve, Collaborate), which they say is a direct response to the challenge of maintaining the voices of local residents in a much bigger system. Working with local patient groups and Healthwatch organisations, they are co-producing an ‘Involvement Charter’ setting out how the public can get involved and setting standards we can hold them to. They have expressed a commitment to strengthening the current approach and involving more people, reaching deeper into our communities than ever before. They have promised to work with councillors and others to reach the most vulnerable and isolated people, who the NHS does not have a good track record of engaging. And alongside this ‘qualitative’ engagement, they have set up a 4,000-strong Citizens’ Panel, representative of local communities, allowing them to test public opinion through surveys and focus groups on a range of issues. The programme is ambitious and no one could argue with its stated objectives. But as ever, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. The NHS is facing big challenges right now, not least in getting services up and running again in the wake of covid-19. Getting public engagement right is going to be more important than ever. If this programme really does see a step change in how the local NHS works with our residents – and most importantly, if it acts on what people tell them – it will have my support. My message to NHS colleagues is simple: the goals you have set out are welcome, but we will need swift and tangible evidence that things are really changing for the better. The National Health Service that involves and listens to local people is in all our interests. Asian Voice is published by Asian Business Publications Ltd Unit- 7, 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 INDIA OFFICE Bureau Chief: Nilesh Parmar (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd. 207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad-380 015. Tel: +91 79 2646 5960 Email: gs_ahd@abplgroup.com © Asian Business Publications

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19 - 25 September 2020

Simplified points-based visa system for overseas students as UK universities struggle to stay afloat during coronavirus On Thursday 10th September, the government introduced rules for a simplified points-based visa system slated to commence from 5 October 2020 for all overseas students. As part of the new system students will be required to achieve 70 points to be granted an appropriate visa to study in a UK-designated university. The students will achieve the required points if they can demonstrate that they have an offer from an approved educational institution, speak English and are able to support themselves during their course term. But there are not large number of takers for such sociallydistanced courses. Kolkata based 23-year old Rohan Sharma was slated to pursue his MBA at the University of Greenwich in London. He had already received a confirmation from the university and paid £3000 as his deposit. He was only left with his visa processing when in March the UK government announced a nationwide lockdown. He said, “As the cases started to increase both across the UK and in India, my parents decided that with all the uncertainty, it

was better if I dropped the idea of studying oversees this year. Now, I have joined my father’s business, coming up with strategies to help him stay afloat. “Despite, all the measures introduced by the government, my parents are still not convinced about letting me travel as their friends have spoken about their daughters and sons living stranded and in poor conditions. And, I was not intent on distance learning classes because the campus experience in the UK would have helped me with all networking opportunities and perhaps, helped with me gain industry experience as well after the completion of my degree.” The social distancing rules are introduced at a time when Conservative thinktanks have warned the government to transform British Universities’ heavy reliance on international students. Overseas students from South and South East Asian and American countries pay tuition fees twice as that of students from EU, EEA and the UK. Now, a sizeable number of foreign students are choosing to either defer plans of studying in the UK

owing to fears of coronavirus or are struggling to shore up the funds needed to sustain their basic living in the UK. As a result, universities are seen struggling to remain afloat and fund their research programs with many Russell Group universities previRohan Sharma ously announcing permanent the wider challenges that face closure if they did not receive our society. any assistance from the “We welcome these changes Chancellor. While they have yet, to the immigration rules, which to receive any government will help to ensure the UK bailout, these universities have remains an internationally been authorised to resume lecattractive place for the best and tures and kick-start Spring brightest students to study. We semesters with socially diswill continue to work with the tanced public health guidelines. government to ensure our visa Chief Executive of the system remains flexible and Russell Group Dr Tim Bradshaw responsive to developing issues, said, “The UK is a global leader in such as those emerging from higher education, research and the coronavirus pandemic.” innovation. As we look to the UK’s future place in the world, we want Disclaimer: Education is a very important to protect our hardpathway to pursue a career. Beware of won status and the fake educational agents operating across opportunities it different parts of India including cities provides to help such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and with the economic Ahmedabad. There are reports that some recovery of towns are operating in bad faith and to make and cities across easy money. Britain - as well as finding solutions to

Liberal Democrats suspend Geeta Sidhu-Robb over allegations of anti-Semitism On Monday 14th June following alarms raised by a former Liberal Democrats mayoral candidate, millionaire Geeta Sidhu-Robb was suspended from being considered as the party’s new Mayoral candidate for London on accounts of anti-Semitism. Siobhan Benita, disclosed that she resigned from the party because of “serious errors” in the party in its “London region” which needed to be fixed. Following her announcement, a video started doing rounds in social media where Geeta Sidhu-Robb was seen urging her Muslim voters to not vote for the Jews. The video was dated to 1997, when as a Conservative general election candidate in Blackburn, she had said, “Don’t vote for a Jew,

Jack Straw is a Jew.” In the same video, she had also stated, "The Labour Party is going around with a microphone, saying she is against Islam, she is not Muslim, don't vote for her because she's against Islam, and this is making it racist, it's making it personal. Particularly considering the fact that my husband actually is Muslim.” Sidhu was until recently being considered as the Liberal Democrat counterpart to Sadiq Khan for the London Mayoral elections next year after Siobhan Benita had previously announced that she was “stepping down from the race due to financial issues”. SidhuRobb had been shortlisted for the party's candidacy alongside Lib Dem councillor Luisa Porrit,

with the contest due to run until 13 October.

with my views and values, and though there are

SADIQ KHAN FACES RACIST ATTACKS On September 10, as the Mayor of London left City Hall, he faced racist attacks with protestors calling him a “Paki” and that he did not represent Londoners.A crowd then gathered outside Khan’s office chanting “Khan out”, protesting against the mayor’s green plans to make large areas of London car-free.These protestors are reportedly said to be black cab drivers who object to recent London road closures as part of the Mayor’s response to coronavirus. While Sadiq Khan gave no reaction to the demonstrators, Asian origin personalities have re-tweeted the videostating that they stand in solidarity with the Mayor and Siobhan Benita was one of them. London borough councillor Khayer Chowdhury also reported the clip to the Metropolitan police, called for action.

FULL SENTENCES TO BE INTRODUCED FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN MAJOR JUSTICE REFORM On Sunday 13th September it emerged that in a pivotal transformation of the justice reforms teenagers who are found guilty of murder can now be sentenced with full life-term in light of the Manchester bombing attack in 2017.These reforms are introduced in a white paper by Justice Secretary Robert Buckland after then 20-year-old Hashem Abedi, was found guilty of murdering 22 people in the 2017 Manchester terror attack but was prevented from being sentenced for life owing to his young age. Now, the government is considering to unveil plans of lowering the age at which murderers can receive life in jail without parole from 21 to 18 with reports that these can turn into a law early next year. According to prime minister, Boris Johnson, these proposals also include plans to prevent criminals who become radicalised in prison from being eligible for early release.

to eradicating inequality and discrimination in all its forms. And I am actively reaching out to the Jewish community to listen and learn.I particularly wish to acknowledge the hurt that these comments and actions would have inflicted on members of the Jewish community and of a Siobhan Benita Jewish heritage. Please On Monday, 14th September, Sajid Javid no excuses for my know that my regret is rebelled against Boris Johnson’s legislative bill that would override parts of the Brexit actions, there is some sincere." context; that is, that I In a statement a treaty struck with the European Union last was under a great deal of spokesperson for the year stating that “respect for the rule of law” was must. strain and retaliated to party said, "Geeta SidhuOther top Tory figures include former the racial abuse I was Robb has been suspendattorney-generals Geoffrey Cox and Jeremy receiving in Blackburn ed from the Liberal Wright who abstained from voting on the 'like for like'. Two wrong Democrats and will not internal markets bill. Meanwhile, never make a right. I be on the ballot paper to Conservative MP Rehman Chishti also quit as made a mistake and I the Liberal Democrat the prime minister’s special envoy for take responsibility for my candidate for Mayor of freedom of religion or belief stating that he abhorrent actions twenLondon. There is an would not vote for the bill as a “matter of ty-three years ago. They investigation underway principle”. were never repeated. in accor"I urge you to judge dance me on who I am today, a with due campaigner committed process." MORTGAGES INSURANCE • Residential • Life & Critical • Buy to Let • Private Medical • Remortgages • Income Protection Mr Timms said there was a “large • Ltd Co Mortgages • Professional Indemnity number” of students in the UK whose • Public Liability lives were “completely in limbo. The No fees charged from customers Home Office should give innocent peoCan speak Gujarati/Hindi/English ple the opportunity to clear their names.” Rycroft “totally agreed” insistSanjiv Nanavati, CeMAP, M.B.A ing that the legal route was enough, as Mortgage & Insurance Adviser he said, “I do think that route is open to them. Individuals have always had the 07970 265 748 sanjiv@srfsmortgages.co.uk right to challenge through appeal, through judicial review and that there Harrow Business Centre, 429-433 Pinner Road, Harrow HA1 4HN were some parallels between the English SRFS Mortgages Ltd is authorised & regulated by the language test scandal and Windrush”, Financial Conduct Authority (No. 839035) Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up your payments on any mortgage secured on it. but they were on a “different scale”.

JAVID REBELS AGAINST JOHNSON, CHISHTI QUITS SPECIAL ENVOY OVER BREXIT TREATY DEAL

Geeta Sidhu-Robb

Robb took to Twitter to express her regret over “her appalling behaviour” and how her comments were taken out of context. She tweeted, "I am deeply ashamed of the ignorant and abusive language I used on one occasion in the 1997 General Election campaign. As shown in the footage, I instantly regretted my appalling behaviour, which I continue to do. "Those words are entirely inconsistent

Home Office refuses review of TOEIC students On Friday 11th August, a civil servant announced that the Home Office will be unable to review the cases of all students who have wrongly been accused of cheating in English language. Asian Voice has been long-campaigning for over 34,000 international students who were accused of cheating in English language tests (Test of English for International Communication) in 2014 following a BBC Panorama investigation. Over half a decade later, these students continue to fight for justice in a bid to clear their

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name and reputation so that they can return to their country and begin again with a new career. But until then, they are stripped off their basic rights including the right to work in the UK, have virtually no financial assistance and been, particularly vulnerable during the coronavirus pandemic as they remain primarily unlisted in the NHS. Additionally, their fight to clear their name off the cheating scandal has accosted them with financial loans of thousands of pounds to front their appeals in court.

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DOCTORS FIGHTING RACISM "WANT" TO RESIGN Continued from page - 1

especially good for local cafes, and higher count of deaths of BAME not just junior doctors but even About 25,000-30,000 nurses from shops. medics can be attributed to a variconsultant psychiatrists who told India are or will be serving the “Public Health England (PHE) “But the government is right ety of reasons. They include me that they were forced to work NHS shortly. At the height of the had submitted a review into why a in re-opening the schools espeBAME individuals being diagin Covid-19 wards as opposed to pandemic, many approached the higher number of BAME medical cially as children’s mental wellnosed with pre-existing diseases their “white” colleagues. This BAPIO for support and guidance. professionals had died of being is essential. The messaging such as Obesity, Type II diabetes kind of racism and disAnd thus, BAPIO has launched Covid-19. This review needs to be more precise. The govcontributing to the co-morbidicrimination worries British Indian Nurses Association, was forwarded to ernment should produce an ties factor. Other reasons also me even today a support network for Indian-oriEqualities Minister explicit statement that we are reinclude living in multi-generabecause South gin nurses. Kemi Badenoch and BMA advocates for funding to opening schools. Children can tional households where other Asians don’t know consisted of publicly achieve progression of doctors suffer through mild illness but family members may potentially how to say “no”. But available informafrom ethnic minorities they recover quickly. But they may be employed as key frontline staff doctors tendering tion. The newsweekthe meantime, at the it on to their parents or In more exposure to the virus. pass with resignations at their ly has now learned British Medical Association’s grandparents and therefore, the Previously, Tory politicians like such trying times is that to date no investiAnnual Representative Meeting, older generation must take all preCraig Whittaker have also blamed not a solution either to gation has been delegates passed a motion calling cautions required to remain safe.” ethnic minorities for not followlaunched into “systemic Dr. Rinesh Parmar coronavirus or challengde Meanwhile, Marsha on the Government to increase ing lockdown rules and gathering ing racism within the and institutional racism Cordova MP, Shadow funding to tackle ethnic, geoon festivals such as Eid. But NHS.” that exists within the NHS”. This Women and Equalities graphic, and gender equalities and there is no substantial eviIndividuals like Dr Prabhu is particularly worrisome as docto remove the barriers to Secretary, said, “It is a dence to support such have tried bringing around tors in the past have reported scandal that BAME progression for those claims. these systemic changes about being “gagged over airing communities confrom BAME backDiscussing the with help from instituconcerns around PPE shortages.” tinue to experience grounds. politics of blame tions such as the Many of them were silenced and systemic racism BMA council game, Dr Mukherjee British Association discouraged to speak about their daily. Time and chair Dr Chaand said, “Obesity is a of Physicians of conditions whether within their Nagpaul said, the again major factor but there Origin Indian trusts, at GP practices, or with “Removing barriers Government has have been numerous (BAPIO). The organlocal managers. Thus, the DAUK to progression is a commissioned reviews other issues like delays isation has been a had launched an anonymous App crucial part of tackin taking up scientific Marsha de Cordova MP on racial inequalities in torchbearer for facilitating frontline doctors to ling inequalities which settings from schools, advice, deliberate law40,000 Indian-origin report their concerns anonyto the criminal justice system to breaking being condoned (which immigrant doctors and Dr Chaand Nagpaul begins with addressing mously and their collective feedthe educational barriers the workplace and yet done nothhas a possible negative effect on nurses presently serving back was then taken to the govfacing BAME school children. ing of note with the findings. public compliance with lockdown the NHS. The organisation will ernment. This must also be reflected in the The DAUK is also aware of the regulations) and dubious compacelebrate its silver jubilee anniverworkplace with the need for toll of Covid-19 on the mental nies being given contracts for sary next year as it continues to Lack of BAME leadership in diversity in leadership to build an health of the medical staff. It is PPE, which has been publicly help healthcare professionals navTrusts across North of England inclusive culture. As such the particularly wary of doctors takexposed by groups like igate cultural, social and linguistic The existing racism and BMA believes it is right that all ing their own lives especially EveryDoctor and the Good Law barriers in the UK. Islamophobia are reflected in the NHS trust and organisation when suicide rates are increasing Project. Therefore, it is unlikely leadership of the NHS trusts and BAPIO launches BINA for boards should be reflective of the among those doctors under GMC that the government will be able hospitals especially across the Indian-origin nurses, undertakes ethnic make-up of the organisainvestigations. Thus, the DAUK to blame obesity and get away.” North of England. Official govproject on ‘differential attaintion they manage, has been working with a Charity ernment figures demonstrate that ment’ Children may suffer mildalongside transparDoctors in Distress in a bid to mitalmost a third (32.2 per cent) of illness, elderly should ent recruitment In the wake of the Black Lives igate the negative impact on the the 277 NHS trusts in England do take caution and promotion Matter movement and health mental health of the doctors. not have a single BAME profesRima Sidhpara, is a BACP Dr Ashraf Chohan, systems across all inequalities exposed by coronsional on its board. These statisAccredited Psychotherapist, cliniNHS organisaChairman of avirus, the organisation has comtics become worse as one analyses cal Director of Rutland House tions.” Conservative Friends menced a major project “differenTrusts and hospitals across the Counselling and Psychotherapy While some tial attainment” considering its of NHS - Director North of England. At least 13 Ltd and Deputy Chair of the execdoctors have CFOPChairman influence on the establishTrusts have no minority utive of the British Association of echoed their conment. human care has, howevrepresentation in areas Counselling and cerns around PPE er, questioned the Shedding light including Oldham, Psychotherapy Private and safety regulavalidity of the surinto what differential Dr Ashraf Chohan Manchester, Derby, Practice division. tions, many are confiattainment means, vey presented by Nottingham and Commenting Dr. Ramesh Mehta, dent that with the assistance of DAUK. Dismissing Liverpool. All these on the issue of test and trace systems and better President of BAPIO the report about the areas have a submental health and stocked PPE, a second wave can said, “The career mass resignation of stantial BAME popstress burnout be well managed. Speaking to progression of Indian the NHS doctors. ulation and are now among South Asian Asian Voice, Dr Rahul Mukherjee, doctors is often hamBelieving that institurecording a considerdoctors she said, Consultant Physician, tional racism cannot able spike in the number Dr. Ramesh Mehta pered because of dis“Before Covid-19, crimination and to University Hospitals be rooted out of the of cases. Lack of BAME doctors were already some degree racism. Birmingham NHS Healthcare system immeleadership worries Dr Umesh Rima Sidhpara under strain and at risk When Indian doctors take Foundation diately, he said “It needs Prabhu a paediatric consultant of burnout due to high postgraduation exams, it Trust said, more awareness and accountabiliand former Director at Wigan demands from their job. Covid-19 is recorded that their “The supply of ty. But the Government is very & Leigh NHS Trust. For has only made it worse for them to pass rates are PPE seems to proactive in my opinion. There the last 20 years, he manage their mental health. I am much worse have improved has been a new wave of lockdown has been raising the not surprised that many doctors than their and communiwhere cases are subject of instituare wishing to resign, having seen increasing and all businesses “white county infection tional racism some of their colleagues already are operating with strict rules of terparts”. We control measures within the NHS in die from Covid-19. I know some distance sanitation and mask. The are slightly better. can understand regular discusDr Rahul Mukherjee doctors have chosen to live Government is extending that immigrant Institutional racism sions with the separately from their famthe Furlough scheme.” doctors may face ceris a wider issue, and I can’t speak NHS and the GMC. ilies to protect their Dr Bharat tain difficulties confor all Asian doctors but there Worried that elderly or pregnant Pankhania, a senior cerning language. have been some reasonable meaSouth Asian doctors wives which will Dr UmeshPrabhu clinical lecturer, But this, unfortunatesures taken like individual risk cannot say “no” to the have a huge impact University of Exeter ly, stands true for the next assessment and allocation of establishment and on their wellbeing. I Medical School has generation of British born Asian appropriate duties limiting viral stand up for themselves, Dr don’t think that also similarly lauded doctors as well. BAPIO flagged up exposure, which is likely to mitiPrabhu said, “When I went to there is enough psythe pro-active this issue in a judicial review in gate some risk.” Wigan, 40% of medical consulchological support for approach of the gov2014 and we had lost our case In its recent survey, the DAUK tants were from BAME backsome of our doctors ernment. Speaking even as the judge stated that we has noted that 74% of the doctors grounds. But only two clinical who are at risk of sufferDr Bharat Pankhania about the balance of had achieved a moral victory. Six were frustrated with the lack of directors were from minority ing from Post-Traumatic reviving the economy real-time pay rise and a decline in years later and there is still no backgrounds. I was shocked at the Stress Disorder (PTSD). Doctors versus limiting the case infecchange. This is just one example their work conditions. 65% of mist-treatment of some of these are also at higher risk of suicide tions, he said, “The case numbers them were wary of the lack of PPE but such instances of discriminadoctors and I began appointments compared to the general populahad gone down due to the tion or ‘differential attainment’ and that the government had of value-based directors from tion. Many doctors are reluctant imposed lockdown but that is not repealed promises it had made are rife across the board from diverse backgrounds including to disclose their mental health a viable option. The government during the pandemic. Some of leadership positions to receiving women as they make better leadproblems in their workplace due is faced with a difficult balancing those promises including free carexcellence awards. More and ers especially in their handling of to the associated stigma and a peract. I disagree with the governparking for NHS staff were more people are talking about this Covid-19. ceived “failure to cope”.” ment in insisting that people repealed as the charges have now but the outcome is still the same.” “We must also understand the (Disclaimer: IIf you need help should go back to work and they resumed despite a surge in infecBut besides supporting the anxiety of our doctors. My son is a with mental well-being, you can should continue working from tions. The government in the doctors, BAPIO is now facilitating GP and he is worried. During the contact Doctors-in-Distress at home if they can. This can be meantime has insisted that a Indian-origin nurses as well. first wave of Coronavirus, it was +(44) 1923 606 183)

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tend to slip into your own thoughts and it all builds up. Other people may let you be assuming that you are becoming more religious than ever. Religion and spirituality offer strength but if you are going through a mental illness then you need to seek professional help,” says Kalwinder Singh Dhindsa author of ‘My Father & The Lost Legend of Pear Tree’. father, Kalwinder’s Mohinder ended his life by suicide in 2006 after a long spell of depression and three months after his brother had taken his own life. Back in the 90s when the Singh brothers had killed themselves, the mainstream belief around suicide remained that it was a selfish act. Asian families particularly failed to acknowledge the impact of emotional abuse on one’s mental well-being. Often enough there have been reports about women dying from suicide following years of living in abusive marriages, or with toxic families. While women are often perceived as fragile, Asian men on the contrary are expected to remain strong and show no weakness. Are suicide deaths higher within the Asian community? In 2019, the Office for National Statistics reported that there were 5,691 suicides registered in England and Wales. About 75% (over 4,000) of these registered suicide deaths were among men, the highest in the last two decades since 2000. There is no clear bifurcation about the religious or ethnic background of these men. Until last year, the ONS did not record any suicide statistics by ethnicity as that information about a person is not recorded on his/her death certificate by a doctor. Neither is their information provided by a coroner about the cause and circumstances of the death. Thus, making it very difficult to analyse the gravity of mental health dis-

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional Priyanka Mehta (Disclaimer: This article talks about anxiety, depression and suicide. If you recognise any of the below symptoms, it is important you seek professional help. Contact Samaritans at 116 123 or through e-mail at jo@samaritans.org) Every year 10th September is marked as the world suicide prevention day to raise awareness about the significance of mental health and well-being. The need to talk about depression and its adverse effects especially within the Asian community is more pronounced than ever this year in the wake of the coronavirus induced lockdown and loss. Husbands have buried their wives without bidding a final goodbye. Daughters working and living overseas were informed of their parents passing away over video calls. Grandparents are isolated in a state of shock as they imagine their grand-daughters losing their husbands, living alone and slipping into depression. Yet, within the Asian community, there is an aversion in having “open conversations” around their mental health. Religion and spirituality offer strength but cannot cure mental illness “In the Sikh community, we are taught about “Chardi Kala” or keeping a

Kalwinder Singh Dhindsa

Arun Kapur

out a middle-ground then the youngsters often break away from their family and in the worst circumstances when

forced to live “double lives” take up unforeseen and fatal decisions. But many have emerged resilient against “bullying” at schools and workplaces and converting their “broken heart into art”. Arun Kapur is a freelance visual artist and poet based in Wolverhampton. He has recently produced a short feature

film ‘Be Kind’ in his efforts of reaching out to the distressed. “I turned to writing and film-making as a form of self-expression when I had a mental breakdown after my graduation. There were not many support networks within the Asian community in those days but did manage to seek professional help. “I never really “fit in” at school or when I am working with other filmmaking groups in either the Bollywood and Hollywood industry. But I have made peace with the fact that I do not have to fit in. It is a difficult realisation but one should be happy with who they are as opposed to what other people want them to be. Take a walk, disengage from social media for a while, talk to people, and prioritise yourself over everyone else. Pain is inevitable but suffering is optional,” Arun says. Lockdown has hampered not just those suffering from mental illnesses but also impacted charities and organisations working overtime on outreach programmes with crunched funding and limited staff. A second Covid-19 ahead of the bleak British winter season is likely to make things worse. In the face of such bleakness and cruelty, the bereaved wonder, “What is the point of it all, of living?”

With 16 subjects in Indian Classical Music, dance and languages; look no further to immerse yourself in its training and performance. Our classes are designed to suit beginners and professionals. Join from anywhere in the world to learn from the most inspiring of teachers, enrich your knowledge by engaging with online performances, workshops, and be a part of the dynamic and stimulating network of students, performers, and teachers. positive mental attitude. They tell us that regardless of the ills happening, we must rise above it and remain calm. So, if you say you are depressed or mentally not well, many would think that you are not a true Sikh because Sikhs always battle against all odds and remain in high spirits. “They would insist that people must visit the Gurdwaras for recitals and that religious path of devotion may provide strength. But, ultimately, if you’re sitting alone in a corner of the Gurdwara, you

tress within the black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) community. Bullying at school and workplaces There are various reasons one decides to take such extreme measures. Alcohol and drug addictions, accelerated stress levels and healthy work cultures often contribute to these deaths. But recently men have started taking their lives after their families insisted that they conform to certain “sexual orientations” or “identities” as they bring shame to these families. If conversations fail to carve

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CII hosts a high-power industrialists’ delegation to the UK amidst pandemic Rupanjana Dutta A high-profile senior industry leaders’ delegation led by Uday Kotak, President, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Managing Director & CEO Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited visited the UK, albeit virtually. The three days’ virtual visit was the Confederation of Indian Industry’s Annual CEO’s Mission that comprised of senior industrialists and CII leadership. The visit marked an important landmark for CII as it entered its 125th year of operations and approached its 40th year of presence in the UK. The theme of the virtual Conference was "A New India-UK Economic Partnership in a New World: Lives, Livelihood & Growth" to reflect the deep impact and challenges that the pandemic has brought with it, and to explore how the UK and India can deepen collaboration in various areas like healthcare, advanced manufacturing, defence, financial services, digital and data services for mutual benefit in a post-pandemic, post-Brexit world. Over three days, the delegation organised high level industry led engaging discussions on the evolving political and economic scenario in the UK and the new opportunities for collaboration between the businesses of the two nations. Every year, during the delegations’ visit, CII holds its annual conference in the UK. Economic recovery roadmap plans to strengthen India-UK relations ahead of Brexit The interaction with the Indian industrialists provided an opportunity for UK industries, government and institutional partners to receive a business briefing on Indian economy and to discuss plans for economic recovery during and post the Covid-19 crisis, the future roadmap in the post Brexit world and particularly on exploring and scaling-up the global business opportunities for India in the UK. The delegation comprised of 20 industry leaders and CEOs from India with a strong interest and presence in the UK, each representing some of the fastest growing Indian businesses in the UK. The group met with diverse stakeholders - including government, parliamentarians, industry and academia, in a bid to strengthen the overall strategic and economic imperatives. Leaders included: Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII, Uday Kotak, President, CII, Sanjiv Bajaj, Vice President, CII and Chairman and Managing Director, Bajaj Finserv Limited, Dhruv M Sawhney, Past President, CII, and Chairman and Managing Director, Triveni Turbine Ltd, Dr Naushad Forbes, Past President, CII, and CoChairman, Forbes Marshall Private Limited, Vineet Mittal, Chairman, Avaada Group, Vir S Advani, Managing Director, Blue Star Limited, BVR Mohan Reddy, Executive Chairman, Cyient Limited, Sanjiv Puri,

Managing Director, ITC Limited, Sameer Gupta, Chairman & Managing Director, Jakson Limited, Subir Chowdhury, Managing Director & CEO, JCB India Limited, Rajan Navani, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Jetline Group, Neel C Raheja, Group President, K Raheja Corporation, Dr Anish Shah, Deputy Managing Director & Group CFO, Mahindra & Mahindra India, Ajay Piramal, Chairman, Piramal Enterprises Limited, Shreekant Somany, Chairman & Managing Director, Somany Ceramics Limited, R Mukundan, Managing Director, Tata Chemicals Limited, Jim Bligh, Chairman, CII-India Business Forum UK, and Director, Corporate Affairs, Tata Consultancy Services, R Dinesh, Managing Director, TVS Logistics Services Limited, and Joint Managing Director, T V Sundram Iyengar & Sons Private Limited, Sudarshan Venu, Joint Managing Director, TVS Motor Limited, Marut Sengupta, Deputy Director General, CII, Kavita Choudhry, Senior Director, CII, and Lakshmi Kaul, Head & Representative – UK, CII. CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organization, with about 9100 members from the private as well as public sectors, including SMEs and MNCs, and an indirect membership of over 300,000 enterprises from 288 national and regional sectoral industry bodies. The top 300 members of the CII contribute to at least 23% of India’s GDP; demonstrating the strength of our representation in the Indian economy. Indian business footprint documented each year by the CII in partnership with Grant Thornton has already attributed this at a high 850 Indian companies in the UK. India also enjoys the 2ndhighest FDI contributor into UK, having created over 110,000 jobs annually and contributed over GBP 43 billion in net revenue. Several Opportunities for British Business in India: Foreign Secretary There are several opportunities for British Businesses in India said Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India while addressing the Inaugural Session of CII@125 Annual Conference in the UK. According to the Foreign Secretary, major reforms had been carried out in India in areas such as infrastructure, tax, Aadhar card, mobile connectivity, agriculture among others. This has led to India becoming one of the leading destinations for foreign investments in the world. He stated that India had already received US$ 20 billion worth of FDI this year despite the global slowdown. He invited UK companies to take advantage of the business opportunities that were emerging due to the reforms. Mr Shringla added that the Covid-19 outbreaks provided a unique opportunity for India to transform itself from a passive

DELHI BOY WHO DREAMS OF REPRESENTING INDIA ON THE INTERNATIONAL BALLET STAGE, STARTS AN ONLINE FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN

Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India addresses audience

market to an active manufacturing hub. He was of the view that India and the UK could cooperate in areas such as drugs and pharmaceuticals especially vaccines, services, manufacturing among others. He stated that despite the pandemic, TVS Motors completed the acquisition of Norton Motorcycles in the UK. He observed that the India and UK economies were complimentary, and items designed in the UK could be manufactured in India. HE Gaitri Issar Kumar, High Commissioner of India to the UK said that India and Britain have created a well-established trade and investment eco-system. She stated that as India seeks to connect up with Global value Chains, it finds a ready partner in terms of the UK. She stated that the two countries have synergies in areas such as healthcare – specifically in terms of development of APIs, medical equipment manufacturing, creation of health infrastructure among others. Other areas where the two countries could work together included Fintech, renewable energy, information technology, manufacturing especially in the defence sector among others. Uday Kotak, President, CII stated that India is the 2nd highest FDI contributor to UK and the UK is 6th highest FDI contributor to India. The two nations had a long history of collaboration. He observed that the UK was currently undergoing a transformation due to Brexit and this created an opportunity for India to step up its engagement with the UK. Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII stated that with Brexit around the corner, there was an urgent need to discuss trading arrangements, by way of Free Trade Agreement or Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. He also stated that with the US – China trade war and the Covid-19 pandemic playing havoc with supply chains, it’s an opportunity for India and the UK to enhance the bilateral partnership in manufacturing. In terms of skilled worker mobility, he welcomed the new Points Based Immigration System in the UK and hoped that it will create a level playing field for these professionals coming to the UK from India.

Accused arms dealer Brent’s Poverty Commission Sanjay Bhandari’s report backed by Cabinet case “dissolved”, trial to resume in June next year On Friday 11th September, extradition of another alleged economic offender and accused arms dealer, Sanjay Bhandari, that was scheduled at the same court was ‘dissolved’. Bhandari, who was arrested on an extradition warrant back in July, was due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London for a case management hearing. But District Judge D J Goldsmith said the hearing had been vacated as all outstanding matters had been dealt with between the parties, with directions given via email. Mr Bhandari’s bail has been extended till 5 February 2021, and the trial will begin on 7 June next year.

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On Tuesday, 7th September Brent Council’s Cabinet gave its full backing to the findings from the Brent Poverty Commission’s independent report, which was launched in August. The Commission, chaired by Lord Richard Best, delivered over 40 recommendations to tackle the causes and consequences of poverty in Brent. According to the Commission 1 in 6 households (17%) live below the poverty line, doubling (to 33%) after housing costs are taken into account. More than 1 in 5 (22%) of children live in poverty, doubling to a startling 43% after housing costs.

The report points to an acute shortage of social housing which has forced people into the private rented sector where rents are two or even three times higher. Cllr Eleanor Southwood, Cabinet Member for Housing & Welfare Reform at Brent Council, who commissioned the work said, “I’m so pleased that the Cabinet have backed this report. We will now put our collective effort into how to take forward these recommendations. This includes continuing to work closely with our partners to identify how we’ll know we’re making a difference.”

20-year old ballet dancer from Vikaspuri, Delhi, Kamal Singh has trained in Ballet for a year. He now has a chance to enter the English National Ballet Company, as a professional dancer on a monthly salary. He has launched a petition where he said, “This is an incredible opportunity for someone of my background, who started training at the late age of 17. The English National Ballet School is an extremely prestigious Institution and I am the first dancer from India to be accepted. Unfortunately I cannot afford the fees of the 1-year programme (£8000), not to mention the additional living expenses in London (at least £1000 per month). I am launching this fundraiser with the goal of reaching Rs 15,00,000 and hope to raise Rs 5,00,000 by 18TH SEPTEMBER 2020, in order to pay the tuition fees on time.” You can contribute on ketto.org to support him. a

BBC TRIES TO WIPE A CLEAN SLATE FOR NEW BOSS After giving pay rise to 700 or more female employees proceeding its equal pay scandal, the BBC has apparently been trying hard to clear the new boss, Tim Davie’s name by settling cases. According to a freedom of information request made by a former BBC employee named Caroline Barlow, she received £130,000 in an equal pay dispute. The BBC has tried to establish that all these cases aren’t correlated. Newswatch presenter Samira Ahmed successfully took the BBC to an employment tribunal to seek more than £700,000 in back pay after she was paid substantially less than Jeremy Vine for presenting an equivalent programme. According to The Guardian, the hearings were deeply embarrassing for the BBC, as internal emails about pay negotiations were made public.

HOME ABORTION CASES RISE DURING THE PANDEMIC During the pandemic, the law change that allowed women to have him abortions has seen rise in termination of pregnancies. The new legislation was announced on March 30 by the government which introduced temporary legislation allowed the intake of the first medicine at home. According to a report in The Times, between January and June there were 109,836 abortions as compared to 105,540 over the first six months in 2019.Abortions can only be carried out under the care of hospitals or licensed clinics, by qualified doctors. If you're less than 10 weeks pregnant and having a medical abortion, the hospital or clinic can usually give you the second dose of medicine to take at home. Most people having an abortion do not usually need to stay in the clinic or hospital overnight, but you may need to go to appointments on different days.

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Nirav Modi may be suicidal, court heard Rupanjana Dutta Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi appeared from prison through video link for the second phase of his five-day extradition hearing, that started in Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday 7 September and lasted till 11 September 2020. The hearing started amidst social distancing measures, in presence of District Judge Samuel Gooze. The 49-year-old jeweller is fighting extradition charges related to the estimated USD 2-billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case brought by the Indian government, who were represented by the UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Justice Goozee had presided over the first leg of the extradition in May. On the first day of the hearing, Mr Modi represented by Clare Montgomery QC requested judge to bar the members of the press from proceedings for the remarks made by the Indian law minister and said she was trying “to protect her client from political attacks”, to which the press was asked to make representations. However, Justice Gooze had dismissed the request and said, “sitting in private or postponement of evidence is refused.” Clare has been seeking a partial reporting ban on the proceedings following allegations of party-political bias against one of their expert witnesses from India, the retired Indian High Court judge Abhay Thipsay who reportedly said charges levelled by the

CBI against fugitive jeweller Nirav Modi, which include criminal conspiracy, cheating and dishonestly inducting delivery of property, would not stand scrutiny under Indian law. The Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had accused the Congress of making "sinister" efforts to bail out fugitive billionaire Nirav Modi. During the hearing, prison conditions in India as well as Mr Modi’s serious mental health conditions played vital roles. Mr Modi who appeared in a suit with a beard, sat so still that the Judge had to ask him to move from time to time, to ensure the video link was frozen. Barrack 12 and tour of jail condition CPS played a video, very similar to one played during Vijay Mallya’s extradition hearing who is also to be held in Barrack 12 used for lodging "high-profile offenders" in Maharashtra’s Arthur Road Jail. The video, with a voice-over confirmed that it was shot without any artificial light sources, gave a tour of the jail and specifically Barrack 12, which is currently unoccupied, but even if it were to be occupied by other inmates, it would still be "infinitely spacious". Barrister Helen Malcolm representing Indian Government told Justice Goozee, "It was thought appropriate to present a more upto-date video of Barrack 12…” It is seen to have adequate amenities and infrastructure, with enough

space for daily exercise, natural light, attached bathroom, curtain for privacy, three ceiling fans, six tube lights and an LED tv. Witnesses talk about mental health On Thursday, which was the fourth day of the Nirav Modi trial in front of Judge Gooze at Westminster Magistrates Court, Professor Richard Coker, Dr Andrew Forrester and Dr Alan Mitchell gave witnesses. Professor Coke spoke about the risk of catching coronavirus should Nirav Modi be sent to Arthur Road Jail in Maharashtra, discussing the prison condition. The witness was all cross-examined by Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) barrister Helen Malcolm, who is arguing on behalf of the Indian government. While Helen Malcolm, the barrister for Indian government tried to establish that Barrack 12, in Arthur Road Jail where Modi will be kept should he get extradited, is currently empty, isolated, with good ventilation, and has good access to clean water and washing facilities- so less chances of catching Covid-19, Clare Montgomery highlighted there have been 24 new Covid positive cases in the prison in August. She also as raised questions about transfer of virus from staff to barrack 12 prisoners or carrying the virus from other inmates at the jail to the isolated and empty barrack 12. Absence of enough medical officers in charge has also been highlighted to

address the issue. Dr Andrew Forrester gave evidence on Modi’s mental health, anti-depressants and risks in absence of counselling including suicidal thoughts. He also said that Nirav Modi’s mental health has been deteriorating over the period. Dr Alan Mitchell, a licensed medical practitioner and a former medical officer with the Scottish prison system, who previously gave witness statements in the extradition case of Vijay Mallya discussed about India’s prison condition. The last day of Nirav Modi hearing at the Westminster Magistrates Court was attended by Mr Modi’s final witness- former Supreme Court Judge Markandey Katju. Mr Katju’s allegations included, trial by media, dishonesty of CBI and ED, collapsing law in India, concern about government influence on Indian justice system and judicial corruption. Though he denied that all judges are influenced by political parties or are corrupt, he insisted that Indian Ministers ‘have already made up their mind that Nirav Modi is a criminal even before the verdict’. He also attacked the media for ‘sensationalising’ the case and affecting the minds of the judges and called the Indian police ‘caged parrots’. When he was asked if it was not his professional duty to avoid commenting on

ongoing cases, he said, “It’s a matter of national importance. I am not a sitting judge”. He however denied giving statements to the press before the hearing, but only attending to calls from journalists who came to know he was a witness. He kept emphasising that he lived in India and knew what was going on within the country unlike ‘outsiders’, implicating the failure of law and justice. While he went on long-winded monologues about political influence on independent non-government bodies, Judge Gooze had to remind Mr Katju, that his role was to answer questions properly, and give effective evidence. Mr Katju even drew parallels to Ayodhya verdict and Nazi Germany and said Nirav Modi was ‘like’ a vindicated ‘Jew’, being blamed for India’s economic mess under current government. Upcoming hearing Mr Modi’s additional hearings have now been scheduled for 3 November, for the judge to rule on the admissibility of evidence presented before him, and 1 December, when both sides will make their final submissions. Any judgment in the case is expected after the final hearing in December. Mr Modi will remain on remand in Wandsworth Prison till 9 October, when he would appear via video link for the usual remand hearing.

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10 READERS' VOICE

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

19 - 25 September 2020

It was very interesting to read â&#x20AC;&#x153;introspectionâ&#x20AC;?, Integrity should be ingrained in our work ethics (AV Sept 12-18. 2020). Rohit Vadhwana has made a very valid point. The companiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; image and progress depend on whether their employees are giving the best possible output. Integrity, commitment, punctuality, mutual respect, going an extra mile are some of the words which are nowadays difficult to hear from employees. Rohit has rightly pointed out that during the current crisis, work from home, has become a new normal, where the integrity of an employee is very important. Sometimes people may feel that a company does not do micro-management so they can take liberty of doing personal work, which is easily avoidable, is unethical. Liberty should not be taken for granted. Most of the organisations will support employees for any genuine reasons or any family emergencies.Mutual respect and trust are the two main pillars of any organisation. Most of the successful organisation have these 2 attributes in addition to committed staff members.Â Changing jobs for career growth is an integral part of the corporate world. But as long as one remains with the organisation, one must remain committed to do the best for the organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success and progress. Sometimes deliberately interviewers ask about previous role and the company in detail, to get some idea about the integrity. If the candidate speaks bad about the previous company, without solid provable reasons, the management will give low priority to these candidates.Â Hitesh Hingu London

Hari Desaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s column I have often noted that your respected columnist Hari Desai seems surprisingly anti-Rajput in many of his 'historical' writings! He writes eloquently about the advances made by the Patel communities and to an extent even the Lohana community, but he evidently remains anti-Kshatriya or antiRajput despite the historical achievements of the latter. In one of his latest articles, he wonders why the privy purses of the erstwhile rulers were not taken away! He refuses to entertain the fact that the Maharajas gave up virtually everything they had for a pittance. If it wasn't for the spirit and strength of the Rajput community (way before Sikhs came into prominence) then most of Bharat (India) would have now been practicing another religion! I urge your paper to make a note of my letter. Kishorsinh D Jadeja London

It's alarming for peace-loving individuals that despite the sincere efforts of the well-meaning secular countries to accommodate its ethnic minorities of different religions, cultures and values to coexist peacefully and live in harmony, unfortunately, the system does not seem to be working in its entirety. In the past few months, we have seen unrest and violent protests in India, UK, USA and SwedenÂ on the basis of religious and communal injustices resulting in ugly scenes of looting, burning, killing, vandalising national monumentsÂ and so. The trend is worrisome. It's doing colossal harm to the fabric of society and damage to the Nation.Â Unless there is an introspection attributing change of mindset, attitude and ideology in the ethnic minorities concerned for the country they call home, the issue will remain unsolved. The onus lies on them to adjust, acceptÂ and adopt. I am proud to say that law-abiding Hindu ethnic minority has integrated well into their adopted countries, excel in all fields, and make significant contributions to the economy. You can say this is true for Jews, Sikhs and Jains too. Niranjan VasantÂ Â By email

Mumbai does not belong to Sanjay Raut alone The Mumbai police has gained a very bad name not only in India, but all over the world, as they are only fit for taking bribes and giving bad words to people. The public should all get together and parade the entire police force naked on the streets in order to teach them a lesson. Now, they are threatening actress Kangana Ranaut and have even filed a false case against her for taking drugs. They have also demolished her office and her bungalow just because she compared Mumbai to PoK and spoke against some politicians and Bollywood stars who have been taking drugs and have been involved in illegal activities. Sanjay Raut, Member of Parliament belonging to the Shiv Sena party has even told Kangana Ranaut not to return to Mumbai from Manali (Himachal Pradesh) or else he will break her legs. Mumbai does not belong to Sanjay Raut or any of his family members. Mumbai is a part of India and India belongs to all Indians. Both Sanjay Raut and Uddhav Thackeray should realise this. Jubel D'Cruz, Mumbai, India

The Germans defeated by the Allies were made to look at their own Nazi history by the victors.This the British have not had to do. South Africa had a Peace Commission after apartheid. Britain needs to do the same especially after Black Lives Matter and acknowledge the wrongs in its history. The trap we must not fall into is that of skin colour politics. I don't like the term BAME in which groups of disparate peoples, purely by colour are grouped. The British need to admit Empire was not such a good idea as the Americans were the first to point out in 1770, on fighting for their Independence. India has not fully become independent yet unlike China Japan Thailand in thought and it needs to remove all colonial era laws and thinking. Jayesh A Patel Wimbledon

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Recent announcement by our PM to introduce an internal legislation that may override EU directive creating an artificial border between Northern Ireland and rest of Britain, thus separating this internal part of Britain which may lead to united Ireland is a welcome step in the right direction to keep the nation united. While there is worldwide trend to unite various nations, the trend is opposite in UK, Scotland is eager to disassociate from rest of Britain and Northern Ireland will follow suit if given half the chance!Unelected bully EU officials took advantage of Mrs Mayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kind and trusting nature to impose unfair conditions, one sided favouritism to humiliate this nation, demanding and getting away with ÂŁ39 billion in divorce settlement when EU should have paid us some ÂŁ50 billion, as Britain was the second largest net contributor to EU coffers, after Germany. Without our contribution, the rest of the members will have to fork out more, that is the thorn in divorce discussion. EU has built five-star luxurious accommodations, grand parliamentary buildings in Brussels and France with our money, assets that should generate income in form of rent and other usage, part of which should come to Britain.With ÂŁ86 billion trade surplus in favour of EU, our roads saturated with German and French cars, it would be disaster for EU if we have to leave without trade agreement, that is if our politicians unite, hold their nerve, shed their inferior complexion and call EU bluff, we will be in a win, win situation! But somehow, I do not hold my breath, as our politicians are spineless, have let this country down time and again! Bhupendra M. Gandhi By email

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www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

UK 11

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

19 - 25 September 2020

Politics around vaccine has shown that there is no shortcut to Covid-19: Kiran Mazumdar Shaw Priyanka Mehta On 9th September Wednesday, a pioneering Indian female entrepreneur shed light into India’s growing MedTech and BioTech industry amid concerns of a second Covid-19 wave. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, kickstarted ‘The India Series’ by asserting that another “lockdown” is not a solution for coronavirus; a strategy previously re-iterated by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he drives “back to work” campaign in his bid to revive the British economy. Her comments arrived as it was reported that the phase III development trials of Oxford University’s Covid-19 vaccine were temporarily halted due to a possible adverse reaction in a trial participant. Reports of probable failures of the vaccine created a stir across countries and among corporates with some scientists indicating that “there may never be a commercial vaccine for coronavirus as in the case for MERS/SARS.” Don’t expect a vaccine to arrive at the end of this year Responding to Asian Voice’s question about mitigating a second Covid-19 wave, Dr. Shaw said, “We should not be pessimistic about finding a vaccine. “There should not be any toppling of timelines in the development of a vaccine or take any shortcuts. The temporary halt of the Oxford vaccine has demonstrated that there are considerable risks and adverse effects which need to be monitored when it is being administered on healthy people during clinical trials. And a considerable number of people can be suffering through such sideeffects. So, we need to read and analyse a year’s data and safety levels gathered from the feedback on the thousands of trial participants. “I am optimistic that there will be a vaccine. But do not expect it to arrive in the next three months as everyone has been aspiring towards. There has been a lot of politics around an early release of the Covid-19 vaccine and I hope this temporary halt cautions our leaders about the safety and regulation limitations.” But on Sunday, 13th September Oxford University and AstraZeneca reported that they would resume the international clinical trial of the coronavirus vaccine. It was

Image courtesy Sanam Arora, Twitter

announced as a rapid review by the trial’s independent safety review committee and national regulators concluded that it is safe to resume inoculating new participants. 18,000 individuals have registered the AZD1222 vaccine as part of the trial across UK, US, South Africa, Brazil and India. Covid-19 Christmas with a focus on recovery and alternate treatment Dr. Shaw’s belief that a vaccine can potentially be launched in commercial markets only next year is perhaps seconded by Johnson in his cautious warning of a Covid19 Christmas this year. The Prime Minister has said it was “too early to say” whether it would be possible to have large family gatherings over the festive period. He has recently imposed a blanket ban on social meetings of more than six people as the government experiments with restriction rules while presently denying any intentions of another nationwide lockdown even as the UK appears to be moving towards a potential second Covid-19 wave. Besides discussing about the vaccine, Dr. Shaw also stressed on the need to focus on treatment and recovery alternatives. She reasserted the need for development and manufacturing of drugs such as Dexamethasone and Remdesivir which should be both affordable and accessible to bridge the health

Westminster graduate, Adar Poonawalla leads collaboration with Oxford University for best Malaria vaccine An alumnus of Westminster University who graduated from Westminster’s Business Studies program in 2002 is now leading collaborations with Oxford University on the best Malaria vaccine. The vaccine which is currently under Phase II trials in Africa is one of the numerous vaccines being developed by Adar Poonawall, CEO of Serum Institute of India besides working on the manufacturing of a Covid-19 vaccine. In his interview with Westminster University, Poonawalla said, “I have always had a passion from the early days for Science and Technology. My time as a student at Westminster taught me how to work in a group and I thoroughly enjoyed interactions with my fellow students there.” Other vaccines that Poonawalla is in the process of developing include for Pneumonia, Rotavirus, and HPV (for cervical cancer in women). But the most awaited vaccine remains for coronavirus. Poonawalla has stated that he has five different Covid-19 vaccines that are in the pipeline with partners in the US and India besides the UK. But, in his latest interview with the Financial

Picture courtesy: Adar Poonawalla, Twitter

Times, he has also cautioned that a Covid-19 vaccine may not be available for everyone until 2024. Estimating that the world will need 15 billion doses of the vaccine, he said, “It is going to take four to five years until everyone gets a vaccine on this planet.

and economic inequality across different sections of every country including the UK. Hosted by King’s Business School and National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU), the webinar was moderated by Professor Kamini Gupta of Kings' Business School and Sanam Arora, Chairperson of NISAU. It primarily focussed on how India can leverage its expertise in Science and Technology to emerge stronger in a postCovid world. Dr. Shaw who is the chairperson and managing director of Biocon Limited, a biotechnology company in India, said, “Technology has to play an important role in bridging this gap about bringing affordable and digital healthcare. We have to address the skew towards urban areas and make pro-

vision of healthcare equitable. We have to move from very poor healthcare to healthcare for all.” The discussion further addressed the entrepreneurship ecosystem in India; obstacles that women entrepreneurs face in a climate of crunched funding, and the role of sustainability in igniting India's growth engine. The event marked the launch of ‘The India Series’, a series of events with thought leaders to explore why India has not transitioned into the global superpower despite its potential to become one. After each event, Dr. Gupta and Ms. Arora from NISAU, will lead a research effort on a topic championed by the speaker of the event. The team will also invite interest from audience members to participate in this research effort. This is extremely important for both co-chairs Dr Gupta and Miss Arora, who said, “There is immense energy among young people and professionals in India to contribute to India’s growth and development in a meaningful way. We are creating a platform to channel this energy in a constructive way to involve them in creating a pathway to impact for India.” The theme of this webinar was curated following a question posed by Dr. Shaw, “How can India create equitable healthcare access for all, across rural and urban areas; and what is the role of technology in facilitating this? How can Prime Minister Modi’s National Digital Health Mission be turned into reality?” The next event will be held in October 2020, with further details announced in the near future.

12 MEDIA WATCH

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

19 - 25 September 2020

SCRUTATOR’S Now, hand sanitizer made from gomutra A Gujarat based co-operative has manufactured a hand sanitizer made from cow urine. Vallabh Kathiria, chairman of the Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog, said Kamdhenu Divya Aushadhi Mahila Mandali - a Jamnagar-based women’s cooperative society - will launch the hand sanitizer under the brand name Go-Safe. The cooperative has already launched two gomutrabased products – a surface sanitizer under the name Go-Protect and a room cleaning liquid under the name GoClean. “We are in the process of getting a licence for Go-Safe from FDCA,” said Manisha Shah, director, Kamdhenu Arthasetu, the marketing arm of the women’s co-operative. She added that the product has been developed at the Clinical Research Unit of Panchgavya Ayurveda (CRUPA). (The Times of India) 86-year-old grandmother raped in Delhi

In a shocking incident, an 86year-old grandmother was assaulted in Delhi and a man in his 30s was arrested for the heinous crime. The woman was waiting outside outside her home for the milkman when she was approached by her attacker, Swati Maliwal, head of the Delhi Commission for Women, said. The attacker told the woman that her regular milk delivery man wasn't coming and offered to take her to the place where she could get milk. The octogenarian accompanied him, said Maliwal, adding that he took her to a nearby farm where he raped her. She kept crying and begging him to leave her. But he ignored her pleas and assaulted her mercilessly, Maliwal said. Local villagers heard her cries and rescued her. They handed over the attacker to the police. Maliwal, who visited the survivor at her home, described her meeting as "heart-breaking". “Her hands are totally wrinkled. You get a shock when you hear what she went through. There are bruises on her face and all over her body. She is suffering from extreme trauma." Maliwal has demanded the death penalty for the attacker. (Agency) Can’t deny police job for bursting crackers The Madras High Court said that bursting crackers is an integral part of Diwali and censured the Tamil Nadu uniformed services recruitment board (TNUSRB) for rejecting a candidate as a petty case had been registered against him for the ‘offence’ of bursting crackers. Setting aside the rejection order, the court directed the board to

consider the candidate’s claim for appointment as Grade-II constable. The issue pertains to a plea moved by A Balaji, who was denied consideration for recruitment as an FIR had been lodged against him for bursting crackers. (Agency) SC stays Maratha quota, refers it to larger bench The Supreme Court has stayed the implementation of reservation for Maratha community in government jobs and admissions to educational institutions under the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act and referred the entire matter to a Constitution bench to decide validity of the law. More than a year after Maharashtra law was challenged in the apex court, a three-judge bench passed an interim order to restrain the state from implementing the quota and said that no reservation be granted to the Maratha community. The court also made it clear that those who have availed of the benefit of the reservation, including for admission in medical colleges, would not be affected. In an earlier hearing, the state government had said there would be no recruitment to jobs this year. The SC had made it clear that any decision taken by the state in giving reservation benefits will be subject to the final outcome of the case. (Agency) Buffaloes save boy from bear Deepak, a 15-year-old boy from Ghoghal village was grazing goats in Bhainsdehi jungle in Madhya Pradesh. While he was grazing goats, a bear along with its child turned up and tried to attack him. Bear attacks are mostly fatal with a very low chance for survival. The bear's claws also hurt Deepak along the arm. That's when a herd

of 15 to 20 buffaloes were passing by and they came to the boy's rescue. They charged at the bear forcing it to retreat. Deepak's parents were informed and he was admitted to Betul district hospital where he is recovering. An increased number of bear attacks have been reported in India over the years. In Madhya Pradesh, the human-bear conflict has continuously been reported over the years. (Agency) RSS unlikely to take up Kashi, Mathura shrines The RSS will not take up the demand for “restoration” of the Kashi and Mathura shrines after

the Ayodhya Ram temple and also feels that public opinion should be prepared for implementation of a uniform civil code before a law is brought forward. The view in the RSS seems to be that it remains to be seen if there will be any public sentiment in favour of the Kashi Vishwanath and Krishna Janmabhoomi issues raised by some groups in the wake of the Supreme Court verdict on the Ram temple. But while not categorically ruling out support, RSS appears clearly disinclined to take up the issues. On the uniform civil code, the third in the Hindutva list after Article 370 and Ayodhya, RSS sources said the need for a common civil law for all citizens was selfevident. However, there was a need to prepare public opinion so that it could be understood in the correct perspective without creating a rift

in society. The logic for a UCC is strong and it is not that only the minorities would be affected as several aspects of traditional norms and customs associated with other communities, including Hindus, would be impacted by a common law. (Agency) ‘Murdered’ man returns after 5 months He was presumed to be dead and cremated at his village in Aravalli district of Gujarat in February this year. But the villagers couldn’t believe their eyes when they recently saw Ishvar Manat, a labourer, walking back to his home in Kharpada village. Manat too was surprised when the villagers told him about the body that was believed to be his and cremated. Interestingly, the police had arrested Manat’s brothers for murdering him. But after Manat resurfaced, an inquiry was ordered into the major lapse and IG, Gandhinagar, suspended police inspector, R R Tabiyad of Isri police station. According to the police, the dead body of a man was found wrapped in a sheet at Moti Mori village in Aravalli in February. The cops investigated the case and after confirmation from the locals as well as a postmortem report, declared that the body was of Manat. The police

made the decision on the basis of an iron rod that was found from the body’s leg as Manat too reportedly had a similar rod in his leg. When asked where he was for five months, Manat said that he was stuck in Junagadh due to lockdown. The cops are now in a dilemma as they would have to ascertain the identity of the body that was cremated. (The Times of India) PM asks media to ride digital age, go global Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested that Indian media needs to ride the digital age and be global at a time when the country enjoys a “very strong presence” at almost every international body. “Our newspapers and magazines should have a global reputation. We should reach digitally across the world in this digital age. Indian institutions should give literary awards like they are given in different parts of the world. This

is the need of the hour and necessary for the country,” the PM said. Modi made these remarks while inaugurating “Patrika Gate” near Sanganer airport in Jaipur through video conference. The PM also released the “Samvad Upanishad” and “Akshar Yatra” books. The PM said not only Indian products, but India’s voice too is becoming more global with the world which is paying more attention to the country. “World listens to India more carefully now. In such a situation, Indian media also needs to be global,” he said reiterating that India’s local products are getting wider recognition. (Agency) Amdavadis beat Delhiites in jumping lights When it comes to the risky driving and jumping red lights,

Amdavadis seem to have a deadly edge over the drivers of Delhi which has India’s highest vehicle population. An analysis of 38,66,000 e-challans issued by traffic police in these two cities has revealed that in Delhi, 5,32,000 vehicle owners jumped traffic lights while in Ahmedabad the figure was 25,35,000. The study covered the period between April 2018 and July 2020. The redlight violations were highly concentrated around the posh western part of Ahmedabad. The study also revealed that 57% of the 26,28,000 total violations were from repeat offenders in Ahmedabad, with an Amdavadi on average being issued two echallans for various offences. In the case of Delhi, 42% of the 12,38,000 violations were from repeat offenders. The study was carried out by International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Hyderabad; and Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Delhi. (The Times of India) Five die while trying to rescue calf from well Five people, including four members of a family, died when they jumped into a well to save a calf in Kotwali area of Gonda district in UP. The calf was rescued but those who entered the well to save it inhaled poisonous methane gas and lost their lives, police said. The calf didn’t belong to any of the deceased. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath condoled the deaths and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 200,000 each to the bereaved families. The deceased were identified as Vaibhav, Dinesh, Ravishankar, Vishnu Dayal and Mannu Saini. Dinesh and Ravishankar were brothers and the sole breadwinners of the family. Vishnu was a cousin of Dinesh and Ravi, while Vaibhav was their distant relative.( Agency)

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AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

19 - 25 September 2020

The government’s first priority is to save lives Shefali Saxena The Conservative Friends of India organised a virtual session with Paul Scully MP, Minister for small business, MP for Sutton & Cheam, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of “BEIS” & Minister of London last week. He spoke about the challenges of reopening the economy, the existing economic support and a roadmap ahead of Brexit for the recovery of the UK's economy. The MP said, “When we came into the pandemic, we were trying to wrap our arms around the economy. We made the furlough scheme, the grant scheme, etc. They were all designed to act quickly and support as many people as possible. They were all reverse engineered around an existing structure. There are a number of businesses that have fallen between the cracks and we’re trying to do the best we can to develop a loan that works best as we go along and support individual businesses as best we can. We are at a point where we are phasing out rapid response and trying to bring in recovery.” Scully spoke about simplifying taxes and also shared his thoughts that “we’re wealth creators not wealth protectors”. He said some people have run out of business ideas or found that their old one won’t work anymore. Some of them have found new ones that are far more profitable. He also spoke about maintaining consistency in granting access to finance and shared that out of the existing start-up loans, 40 percent of those loans have gone to female entrepreneurs. Scully emphasised that people who have more informal networks must have access to finance. Paul Scully also shared his thoughts on how badly the hospitality industry especially the wedding and catering

industry has been hit. Scully thinks that there is a “behavioural science around it” and he can “totally empathize” with those business owners. He said, “The way we’re structuring our response is that the government’s first priority is to save lives. We’re trying.” He hopes for a social roadmap to recovery in this sector. “We want to make sure people who have ideas and have got a dream get the start in their businesses. But there are a lot of challenges ahead,” he added. Scully addressed the status of the Coronavirus vaccine and said, “We are doing well in working towards a vaccine. But for small or big businesses, I won’t be counting on whether or not a vaccine comes.” According to him, the new norm has to be to realise that public transport needs to be deep cleaned, people must use hand sanitizers and masks while maintaining social distancing. The MP urged people to get back into central London and the city centre to help the UK economy. He also said that there are guidelines in place for businesses to reopen. He said, “You can urge your friends and colleagues and encourage them to get back into central London. We’ve also made sure when the customers come back, investors come back, the fundamentals of our economy remain the same. We want to make sure that the Britain that is represented in so many of our cities, is still there. So that they have a place that they recognise and want to travel to.” Scully touched upon Brexit and said, “We have the transition phase coming up as well, so as we look to Britain, as we start as a new sovereign and independent nation on the 31st of December, which is a good challenge. I’m just about to speed through the internal markets bill, which no doubt in the news is

Recharge your battery Rohit Vadhwana

Paul Scully, MP

attracting controversy, but again you look at what it’s doing. It’s actually a business continuity bill to make sure that none of the home nations discriminate against the other for political reasons or a narrow trading route.” Furthering his stance on reopening the economy, he said, “Let’s just remember there is much work to do, that if we give and encourage people with confidence to go back to their local areas to work at places, shops, centre or town, then hopefully those of you working in retail or hospitality or the next thing you’re getting into is the positive experience, the joy. That’s what’s gonna bring our economy back mainly through small businesses, creating opportunity for the new people, new customers.” Scully thinks that we have got so much to learn and share across other diaspora groups and countries. “There’s another bill I’m going to put through, maybe some time next year is the employment bill which we were looking to go through anyway. What has happened is, this (the pandemic) has accelerated the process,” he said. When a full time carer and entrepreneur asked him about the help she could get, Scully directed her to get in touch with local peers and authorities. He said, “We want to make sure that no matter where you are in the country, you get business support.”

15th century stolen idols make way back to temple in South India In August 2019, the High Commission of Indian in London was informed by India Pride Project that four antique idols (Lord Rama, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman) were stolen from a temple built in Vijayanagara period in Tamil Nadu and smuggled out of India, may be in the UK. It was conveyed to the High Commission of India in the UK that the idol of Lord Rama was suspected to be in possession of an individual living in London. Once the idol was identified by comparing it with relevant records, the matter was taken up with the Art and Antique Unit of the London Metropolitan Police as well as the Idol wing of Tamil Nadu (TN) Police. The TN police sent a comprehensive report confirming that the theft took place in 1978 at the Vishnu temple and also provided the expert opinion about a matching idol with IFP photo archive. The Art and Antique Unit of the London Metropolitan Police who investigated the matter based on information and documents provided to them, contacted the present owner of the statue and conveyed High Commission’s request to return the statue as it appeared, prima facie, to be a stolen idol from a living temple in India.

The art collector turned out to be a good faith purchaser who carried out due diligence including a thorough a check of Art Loss Register Certificates. The Met Police further found that vendor involved was already dead, so there

Government soon. On Tuesday, at India House, while receiving the three idols at an event, the High Commissioner HE Gaitri Issar Kumar thanked the individual, who had voluntarily returned all three idols and also

The stolen idols of Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshman when returned to High Commission of India, London

were no grounds to open any investigation in the UK. Interestingly, the owner of the Lord Ram’s idol, informed the High Commission and Met Police that he was also in possession of two other idols of Sita and Lakshman, which he has handed over to India House. All the three idols are being transferred to Tamil Nadu

thanked the London Metropolitan Police and the Idol Wing of Tamil Nadu Police for their prompt action and positive role in the investigation process leading to the repatriation of the three idols. The Indian Minister for Culture and Tourism, Prahlad Singh Patel attended the event via video link as the Chief Guest. He

Ensure that switch is ON when you attach your gadget to a charger. Sounds simple? Yes. it might be simple but every one of us might have faced a situation when we plug in our gadget for charging but forget to switch on the power. When we look at it after an hour or so, expecting it to be fully charged, a shock ravels down the body. No charging at all? And its time to go to the office, without a charged cell phone or laptop. I have two observations from this example. Firstly, we need to ensure all minute details in even the smallest and inconsequential task we are at. It does not require any expertise but only presence of mind. Ensuring that such work is done is easy. But if we cannot ensure it, consequences may be very embarrassing. Such a skip of mind type of mistakes is very common in our busy lives when many thoughts occupy our mind. Therefore, mindfulness is much more needed. Famously attributed to various scientists are incidents of walking out of the home with only one shoe, boiling watch instead of an egg, etc. Seems we are falling in the category of such scientists now! Secondly, ensuring power supply is important in every aspect of our lives. Power is not required only for the battery of gadget but also for our routine work, energy for carrying out the jobs given to us. Mobile and laptop battery dies when we use them a lot. Similarly, our energy drops down after hours of work. We need a recharge of mind and body. Such recharge may be through energetic food or rest. It may be through a creative break or entertainment. But we need recharge to sustain the pace of work. Surprisingly it happens that till the battery reaches to 16%, each 1% lasts quite long, but the drop from 15% happens as if a meteor falling from the sky. It lights bright and then extinguishes. It is similar to our body also. We remain active and energetic through the day, but by the time it's evening, loss of energy is sudden. To ensure this doesn’t happen, make sure you have small doses of recharge to your device and body both. Don’t use their battery unless really required. Plug-in charger, grab a coffee, switch off unnecessary apps, rest a bit as and when possible – to conserve the battery of device and body. In sum total, we need to ensure that we are giving enough time for recharging our gadget as well as ensuring the correct power supply to it. We do not want to have a situation when devices get switched off because of discharge. This applies to our daily life also. You can draw a parallel that suits your situation and lifestyle. (Expressed opinions are personal)

congratulated the H i g h Commission for this restitution and thanked the London Met Police and Tamil Nadu Police Idol Wing for their excellent work. He also praised the positive role played by the Archaeological Survey of India, especially over the last six years in getting back pieces of India’s cultural heritage. The event was also attended by senior officials from Tamil Nadu including the Chief Secretary K. Shanmugam and DG Police JK Tripathi. Speaking on the occasion the Chief Secretary thanked the High Commission for their efforts in making this repatriation successful. The event was also attended by officers of the Metropolitan Police including DC Usha Evans, who represented the Met Police Hindu Association. Speaking on the occasion, Detective Chief Inspector, Met Police, Tim Wright said, “The Metropolitan Police are proud to have been involved in the return of these Chola bronze statues to India. Not only are they beautiful and historically significant, they are of course of religious importance, and therefore it is particularly gratifying that they are to be returned to the temple from which they

were taken. We are delighted to be joined here today by a representative from the Metropolitan Police’s Hindu Association in recognition of this.”

Indian Minister for Culture and Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel addressing the audience

For the past few years, the Government of India has been given a renewed impetus to the protection of India's cultural heritage. Ministry of External Affairs along with the Archaeological Survey of India and India’s law enforcement agencies such as the DRI have been pursuing investigations towards restitution of stolen and smuggled antiquities. Successful restitutions have taken place in recent years from various countries including UK, Germany, France, Australia and the USA.

14 WOMEN’S VOICE

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We expect ourselves to be goddesses but don’t in brief IT WILL TAKE TWO treat ourselves like that : Vidya Balan CENTURIES FOR WOMEN

expect ourselves to be goddesses but don’t treat ourselves like that. It always amazes me, that even to this day, as women, we find it difficult to think for ourselves, to make choices that could come across as selfish, which is why I think Shakuntala Devi was amazing because she didn’t judge herself. That’s the first thing we do as women. Forget what society puts you through, we are so unkind and unfair to ourselves.” “My sister works as an executive head of an ad agency and she passed on a huge promotion because she felt she might not be

Q&A

Jaipur Literature Festival London at British Library 2020 recently hosted a virtual discussion with the award-winning actress Vidya Balan to discuss her latest film on the mathematical genius, the late Shakuntala Devi and the challenges that ambitious women face in our culture. Talking about her film and playing the “human computer” who was celluloid friendly, Vidya said, “You could see this person as a human being. It was not just a buff piece where you were glorifying her. We wanted to celebrate her but in her wholesomeness, in the fact that she embraced her flaws and she was unapologetically herself. She owned her choices. She lived her life - should I say queen size! I love that.” Vidya also emphasised the amount of effort and research that went into making the film which is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. She said, “They (director Anu Menon and writer Nayanika Mahtani) put in years researching Shakuntala Devi, sitting with Anupama Banerji and Ajay (Shakuntala Devi’s daughter and son-in-law), knowing her well so that it could be a full body piece.” Speaking on the judgments that women live with, Vidya said, “One - as working mothers, and then just as mothers, and wives, as daughters, as women, we’re always guilt ridden. We take on possibly more than a human being can take on, and should possibly take on. I think we

able to be there for her kids as much as she’d want to if she took on that role,” she added. Vidya Balan also highlighted that most of the heads of departments working on the film were women. Balan also revisited her first role in a biopic, i.e. Milan Luthria’s The Dirty Picture. Talking about the initial “radical” reception of the idea of that film, she said, “Initially when people saw the trailer, they said Oh My God what have you done? They kept saying ‘oh it’s all about sex’. And I said I don’t care if sex is what brings you to

the theatre. You’ll see beyond that, you’ll see the person beneath that body or within that body. A lot of people told me that it might sound like the death knell on your career. I’m just glad that I went ahead with my conviction. It opened with 10 Crores at the box office and people said ‘sex thha na’ (it worked because of sex). And then Kahaani (Vidya’s film directed by Sujoy Ghosh) happened and went on to do crazy numbers and that’s what cemented it. That movement of female led stories began to happen with The Dirty Picture.” Speaking about how women view themselves and are sometimes too harsh on their own self, she said. “For some years I had some hormonal issues and I kept gaining weight on a daily basis. To feel sexy in that body, while I was saying all that I thought am I going to be convincing? Then I realised it had nothing to do with the body.”

"I’m just glad that I went ahead with my conviction" - Vidya Balan

Dear women, don't listen to haters Sangeeta Pillai

Shefali Saxena India might be the land of Kamasutra, but the Asian community is still hush-hush about sex, menstruation and pleasures that women must seek. To discuss some of those taboos, Asian Voice spoke to Sangeeta Pillai, Founder of Soul Sutras South Asian Feminist Network, awardwinning podcaster at British Podcast Awards, who is also the Speaker and Creator of Masala Podcast and Masala Monologues. She revealed her approach towards strategising podcasts around the Asian community and its taboos. How do you think the approach towards taboos has evolved over the years since the inception of Soul Soutras? Do you see a major paradigm shift in this? It’s heartening to see more open conversations around taboos thanks to Masala Podcast and Masala Monologues. Tackling taboos however is life-long work for me. Like so many other South Asian women, I grew up surrounded by shame and taboo. Particularly, shame around my body, my sexual self, periods….the list was exhausting. I have personally experienced the damage that is done by taboos in our culture.

With Soul Sutras, I wanted to create safe spaces for South Asian women to tell our stories, to express our pain and to connect with each other and explore our common cultural identity. As well as tackle taboos in our culture. Not just those around sex and sexuality but around getting our periods, growing up, sexual harassment, mental health and more. I’m hoping that young South Asian girls can see the work we do and no longer feel that sense of shame or taboo that I felt growing up. That’s why it’s important for me personally to keep doing the work that I’m doing. If you were to list 5 dominant taboos in the Asian culture, what would they be? Top 5 taboos that I’ve seen in my work are: sex, self-pleasure, periods, mental health and colourism. In the age of social media where women are finally getting a platform to speak their mind, they’re still threatened and trolled with backlash for having an opinion. What’s your take and advice to women who use social media as a tool to express themselves? My first bit of advice is: don’t listen to the haters!Secondly: you’re clearly hitting a nerve, hence triggering a backlash for having expressed an opinion. So keep doing the good work that you’re doing. My take on this is simple: being trolled for having an opinion is incredibly difficult. But if we don’t stand up for what we believe in and

challenge things that don’t work for us – nothing will ever change. So it’s important for all the incredible women using their social media for advocacy, to keep believing in the power of their voice. And keep doing what they do. Change is coming. What’s the most recurring taboo that keeps coming to your notice while you conduct workshops, podcasts, webinars and theatre shows? What do you think is the root cause of our community’s myopic vision towards scientific outlook? Sex & shame are probably the most frequently recurring themes that I find in my workshops, podcasts, webinars and theatre shows. This is because our culture or upbringing teaches us that our bodies are somehow “dirty”. This means periods are hidden. That concepts like self pleasure are shameful. Also because we are told that showing our ‘wounds’ makes us somehow seem weak, we as a community tend to only share the good things in our life. Whereas it’s sharing those bits of ourselves that are human & fragile – that’s what truly connects us. The root cause of all this? I think we’ve internalised a lot of old belief systems that no longer work in the modern world. And because our culture and cultural beliefs are so intertwined as British South Asians living outside South Asian, change can be difficult. Can you share some numbers, data or case studies with us from your journey at Masala Podcast and Soul Sutra’s projects so

TO REACH AN EQUAL STATUS AS THAT OF MEN If we continue to go by the present rate of women receiving promotions to senior roles, women are sure to lag behind in managing money and will never reach an equal status as that of men in the next two centuries. According to a study by Citywire, only 1,762 of the 16,018 active fund managers are women. “Women won’t achieve gender parity in portfolio management until the year 2215 if the current rate of progress is maintained,” Nisha Long, head of cross-border investment research at Citywire and author of the Alpha Female 2020 report, said. As per a report published in The Times, only £2.4 trillion of the £12 trillion of assets under management covered by the Citywire database are managed by either individual women, allwomen teams or a team of women and men. Analysis of the past ten years showed that 42 per cent of female fund managers had moved positions, compared with 27 percent of men. The study calls for the need to retain females in leading positions to fight the gender pay gap.

WOMEN IN ENGLAND ARE FACING DIFFICULTY IN ACCESSING CONTRACEPTION An Inquiry by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Sexual and Reproductive Health (APPG SRH), a group of cross-party MPs and Peers, has found that women in England are facing difficulty in accessing contraception, with many being bounced from service to service, which can result in more unplanned pregnancies and increased demand for maternity and abortion care. The national reorganisation of Public Health is an opportunity to tackle funding and commissioning challenges in Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare. The Inquiry found that 13% cuts to the contraceptive budget between 2015 and 2018 have likely obstructed and reduced access to services, resulting in long waiting times for women, leaving them at risk of unplanned pregnancies. Underfunding of Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs intrauterine contraception and implants) in primary care has led to a reduction in GPs offering women the most effective methods to prevent pregnancy. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this provision gap, with a marked reduction in services offering contraception. As the NHS restores after lockdown, there are concerns that the cost of reinstating LARC services will prove a deterrent for many GP surgeries, leaving many women at risk of unplanned pregnancy. The Parliamentarians call on the Department of Health and Social Care to consider introducing an integrated commissioning model for Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, with one body maintaining oversight and holding accountability for commissioning. far that made a difference? Masala Podcast has had the most incredible journey. Season 1 only had 9 episodes on Season 1, which has had over 10,000 downloads. Masala Podcast was nominated for two British Podcast Awards 2020. Best New Podcast. Best Sex & Relationships Podcast. And we won silver in the ‘Best Sex & Relationships Podcast‘ category. (British Podcast Awards are sort of like the Oscars of the Podcast world so it’s a huge boost to my work.) But more than numbers or awards, the incredible feedback I’ve received from South Asian women listening to my podcast has been truly heartening.

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in brief in brief NHS AWAITS APPROVAL ON BLOOD TEST FOR BREAST CANCER

Women can expect a simple breast cancer blood test to come soon if a few clinical trials by the NHS show promising results. If this test comes through, it’ll be a huge relief for women who have to undergo invasive procedures to get themselves tested for the ailment. According to a report published in The Times, the blood test can identify a variety of mutations in advanced breast cancer and reliably match women to targeted treatments, according to early results from the Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. It also states that the latest plasma MATCH trial has provided the strongest evidence which shows that simple blood tests known as liquid biopsies can track breast cancer as it develops, and help to direct patients to the most effective treatments. The NHS is waiting for the test to be approved but it can take months or may be a few years to get a green light.

BRITISH SIKH SOLDIER CHAMANDEEP SINGH’S PROMOTION GOES VIRAL ON TWITTER British Sikh soldier Chamandeep Singh’s promotion in the Royal Logistic Corps of the British Army has garnered quite a bit of attention on social media. He recently became a sensation on Twitter after his wife Ceese Kaur Seera posted the news of his promotion. The post had 7300 likes and 500 retweets as well as comments. He is a Punjab-born soldier in the British Army who attended a military school in India for 12 years. During this period, he is said to have read about another soldier called Havildar Major Rajinder Singh Dhatt who is renowned for his heroic involvement in World War II during the Burma campaign. This story and his own father’s tenure in the Indian Army inspired Chamandeep to join the British Army.

A SOCIAL MEDIA POST SUGGESTS THAT CHILDREN MUST HAVE A SLEEP TIMETABLE As children return to school after a long and unprecedented break due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the sleep cycles of many have been disturbed while staying indoors during the lockdown. An old Facebook post from 2015 with a timetable for children has recently resurfaced on social media. According to it, children must sleep at a particular time according to their age group. While the time table suggests that children of age 5-7 must sleep between 6:45 pm to 7:15 pm, children of age 8-12 must try to fall asleep between 9 - 9:45 pm max.

31 weeks pregnant woman campaigns to allow partners to witness childbirth Shefali Saxena 30 people can attend a party together. You can take flights to international destinations. People can go to restaurants, pubs, drink and party with friends. But, you cannot get your partner to come with you during childbirth and other important hospital appointments. London based producer, presenter and chef, Shrimoyee Chakraborty who is 31 weeks pregnant is campaigning for #ButNotMaternity which has nearly 400,000 signatures on change.org so far. In a social media post, Shrimoyee wrote, “Right now the rules in nhs.uk state that women do not have to labour alone but partners are only allowed to be with the mother when she is 4cm dilated or more. They are not allowed in for the start of an induction. They are not allowed in for the pre operation preparation for a Caesarean section. They are not allowed to come onto the ward with mum and baby after birth, they must leave shortly after birth, irrelevant of mothers emotional, mental or physical needs. This includes visits back to the hospital in the coming days should she need to stay in longer. Visits are not permitted. Should you live a bit of a distance from the hospital there is a big risk your partner would miss the birth, as we all know labour is totally unpredictable and it could go from 4cm to baby is coming in a very short time. Not to mention if something went wrong, mum comes into trouble or has complications” Speaking to Asian Voice, Shrimoyee said, “My experience with the NHS in the last seven months has been awful. I had never been given a growth chart

of my baby and I was only told about this last week when I was 29 weeks pregnant. When someone asked where the growth chart was, I replied oh, I’ve never been given one. Then I was given a growth chart saying the baby should have been monitored weeks ago. It worries me because I expect the NHS to care of the fundamentals and I understand that they’re lacking staff right now. I don’t think it’s the NHS’ fault, it’s the government’s fault

Shrimoyee Chakraborty and her partner Bruno Rauis

with no funding and not enough doctors. Even when you go to the midwives office, they seem like 18th century offices with old computers, no printers. They still use an old school heart beat monitor to check the heartbeat of the baby. It’s just ridiculous.”

When she was 14 weeks pregnant, she suddenly started bleeding. “I went to the hospital at 10 pm at night, because of bureaucratic nonsense, they kept pushing me from one ward to the other. They kept saying that we’ll only see you at fourteen weeks and I was 13 weeks 4 days pregnant. They pushed me around for two hours till I had to literally fight to be seen by a doctor. I said I’m not leaving till you tell if the baby is alive or not. For me, the whole experience with the NHS has been pretty traumatic to say the least,” S h r i m o y e e explained. So far, she has gone alone for every scan. “We had to go private twice, just so that my partner could see the baby. And these are really scary scans - like the 12 weeks and 20 weeks scans. That’s the moment when they can tell you that the baby doesn’t have a heartbeat. There are many stories like that where women are left to grieve alone in the waiting room while their partners wait outside. Basically, your partner can go to a pub with six people, drinking. You can go with your partner to the cinema but you can’t take your partner to see an important scan where you might hear something very traumatic or be able to share very positive news,” she added. Right now, she doesn’t think

that there’s any other option besides going private. She said, “Looking at Boris Johnson who is willing to break international European laws, I don’t think he has paid any attention to maternity. All he cares about is ‘reviving the economy’ whereas God knows what he’s doing.” As she and her partner are trying to figure out the logistics to go to a private hospital for the birth of their child, she said, “I cannot imagine going into labour on my own.” Stating how therapy was a taboo for her parents’ generation, Shrimoyee told us that she and her partner have been taking individual therapy sessions and couples therapy to cope with the mental pressures of Covid and the ordeal with the NHS of dealing with the pregnancy alone. Osteopathy and doula, Avni Trivedi seconds that thought. She told Asian Voice, “It’s imperative that partners are allowed for the entirety of labour/ birth. If a woman feels vulnerable and isolated, it lowers the levels of oxytocin, which is necessary for birth, breastfeeding and bonding, and heightens the stress response. Birthing women should feel safe and supported, and the unfamiliar environment of the hospital is lessened by having the presence of a partner. For a woman recovering from a difficult birth or a caesarean birth, her partner is needed to take care of her and the baby. It’s unacceptable that pubs are open to customers, but women are expected to be on their own during such an important time in their lives.”

Rare modern Indian artworks assembled half a century ago by the Danish couple to be auctioned at Sotheby’s Assembled half a century ago by the Danish couple Gunnar Hansen and his wife Inger, artists V.S. Gaitonde and Ram Kumar will be showcasing a collection of modern Indian art for auction for the first time in London by Sotheby’s auction house later in September. The history of the collection is said to be closely tied to that of one of India’s leading infrastructure businesses of the 20th century, Larsen & Toubro

(L&T), for whom Gunnar worked for over 20 years. Ishrat Kanga, Head of Sotheby’s London Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art Sale said, “Gunnar and Inger Hansen’s collection is a true hidden gem. All of the paintings offered here have rarely been seen in public, if ever, before." According to iGlobal, the Sotheby’s Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art Auction, scheduled for

September 29, includes a selection of works from the estate of Bhupen Khakhar, including a painting of one of the artist’s closest friends which hung in pride of place in his Baroda drawing room. ‘Portrait of Shri Shankerbhai V. Patel Near Red Fort’, estimated at £260,000-450,000, remained with the artist throughout his life – a sign of the artist’s unflinching devotion to the man depicted in the painting. A

further collection to go under the hammer comes from the estate of Patwant Singh, one of India’s most important tastemakers and scholars. They are led by Ram Kumar’s ‘Ruins’, acquired directly from the artist in the 1960s and estimated at £80,000-120,000. The entire collection will go on public display at Sotheby’s London headquarters in New Bond Street from September 25.

Prince Harry pays £2.4m refurbishment cost for his Frogmore cottage with an Indian connection Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has paid back £2.4 million, which is the refurbishment cost of a cottage he shares with wife Meghan Markle. The cottage is built on the grounds of Queen Elizabeth II’s Windsor estate. There was buzz in the British media about the cost of refurbishment of this cottage which was funded by the UK taxpayer’s Sovereign Grant. “A contribution has been made to the Sovereign Grant by the Duke of Sussex. This contribution, as

originally offered by Prince Harry, has fully covered the necessary renovation costs of Frogmore Cottage, a property of Her Majesty the Queen, and will remain the UK residence of the Duke and his family,” the spokesperson said. The cottage has an Indian connection dating back to the Raj era, when it was presented as a royal gift to Abdul Karim by Queen Victoria, then Empress of India, as a sign of her affection for her Indian aide and confidant. In 2018, Harry’s grand-

mother, the Queen, presented it to him and Meghan Markle as a wedding gift. The couple lived in the cottage briefly with new-born baby Archie before permanently moving to the US earlier this year as they stepped back as frontline royals. “Queen Victoria gave it to Abdul Karim as a special gift. She would often visit the cottage and have tea with his wife and him. He had decorated the

house with many exotic things, including presents given to him by European royalty,” said Shrabani Basu, the author of ‘Victoria and Abdul: The Extraordinary True Story of the Queen’s Closest Confidant’.

16 UK

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Reluctance to donate organs is not necessarily about religion Shefali Saxena Some of the best options for organ transplants come from the members of the same ethnicity. Since the year 2015, the NHS has seen about 1.7 million withdrawals from people belonging to the Asian community who refused to give consent to donate their organs after they die. In May 2020, England enforced a “presumed consent” law whereby, unless a person withdraws their consent, their organs will be used for transplant after their demise. According to the latest data released by organdonation.nhs.uk, in March 2020 the NHS witnessed a sharp reduction in organ donation and transplant activity with a decline in deceased donors as well as the number of transplants from all ethnicities. Donations were reduced as patients who were positive for COVID-19 were unable to donate, but also transplant activity was scaled back due to concerns for safety and the risk of waiting patients being immunosuppressed in the midst of a pandemic. According to a report titled ‘Organ Donation and Transplantation data for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities’, by the end of the year, there was a fall in the overall number of deceased organ donors - 1,580 compared to 1,600 last year. Despite this, the number of BAME deceased organ donors has increased by 67% over the last 5 years, from 67 in 2015/16 to 112 in 2019/20, representing 7% of all deceased organ donors. Last year also saw 142 people from BAME communities becoming living donors, donating a kidney or part of their liver to someone in need. BAME living donors have continued to be significantly higher than BAME deceased donors and constituted 14% of all living donors; with 84 Asian living donors, the same as last year. This reflects the work done within the Asian communities in promoting living donation. By 29th February 2020, there were 1,909 BAME people on the overall active organ

transplant list, this is an increase of 4% from 31 March 2016 and represents 32% of the waiting list. However, the report says that it’s encouraging to see the waiting lists for kidney transplants continue to decline. Members of ethnic minorities are time and again put under a spotlight for citing the religious reasons for withdrawing their consent from organ donation. Sharing her opinion with Asian Voice, Shaista Gohir

OBE, Co-Chair Muslim Women’s Network UK said, “Reluctance to donate is not necessarily about religion, some may object to organ donation of a deceased family as it adds extra trauma to an already grieving family. I have chosen to be an organ donor and encourage others to also be donors. Those who are opting out (regardless of their faith background – as it's not just ethnic minorities opting out) should not want someone else’s organ if they or a loved one needs it. If people really want to be organ donors they could justify it within Islam so some may be just using religion as an excuse.” Asian Voice also reached out to Abrar

Aqil, who spoke on behalf of the Muslim Association of Britain. Abrar holds an LLM in Healthcare ethics and her area of study centered around the Islamic Perspectives On Organ Donation and Transplantation. Ms Aqil said, “The sanctity of life is a principle of utmost importance in the Islamic faith, as mentioned in the Holy Qur’an: ”If any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole of mankind.“ {5:32} “Organ donation and transplantation as a life-saving mechanism is permitted by many scholars following certain conditions are met. Those belonging to BAME communities in particular serve to benefit due to the shortage of matching organs for transplant, as well as the enormous reward and comfort that can be offered to those who choose to become donors as well as their families. We encourage both Muslims and non-muslims, to learn more about the benefits of organ donation and to discuss their choices with their family and loved ones,” she added. Speaking to Asian Voice, Farhad Ahmad, Imam at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community said, "Organ donation is not only allowed in Islam but is considered to be a source of reward if it is done so with the intention of serving humanity. Islam teaches that saving one life is equivalent to saving all humanity and so organ donation as a means of helping others is an act of goodness as Islam greatly emphasises that Muslims should be at the forefront of serving the creation of God Almighty. Given that there is a shortage of organs that are needed nowadays, it becomes particularly more pertinent to take part in this and so Muslims should feel no reservation towards this as their faith encourages them to take part in this."

Hindu Forum of Britain hosts organ donation webinar A Webinar was organised by Param Shakti Peeth of UK (PSP) and Hindu Forum of Britain (HFB) with support from the Jain Hindu Organ Donation (JHOD) Steering Group. The webinar started with a healing shloka by the young Arya Dwivedi. The aim of the webinar was to discuss the data and the law around organ donation as well as the community wide impact of Covid -19 on Organ Donation, to assess the effectiveness of campaigning for organ donation, to hear personal stories of donors, to talk about myths and facts associated with organ donation and to discuss how the Hindu community can bring about better awareness of organ donation and ultimately a change the organ availability dynamics. The tapestry of conversations and initiatives must change to address attitudes to organ donation. In a letter of support for the event addressed to Dr Harsha Jani, Lord Jitesh Gadhia congratulated the organisers for taking the initiative to hold the event and stated that donation is the greatest gift; an act of selfless service and a great tradition which is an integral part of the Hindu faith. The Guest speakers Kirit Modi, Chair of JHOD steering group and Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP for Chipping Barnet

agreed that there is an urgent need to improve BAME data on organ donation and transplantation. Mr Modi suggested that there is scope for parliamentarians to urge the NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) and hospitals to work to improve BAME organ donation and transplantation data collection, analysis and publication. Latest report of Organ Donation for 2019/20 shows that 40 Asian donors were deceased donors and 84 donors were living donors. Mr Modi informed that whilst NHSBT publishes annual report on BAME data on organ donation, it reports most of the data under the general classification of Asian and Black and does not report on the religion of donors and recipients. It was agreed that better strategies to encourage organ donation can be developed and implemented if we foster a better understanding of the attitudes to donation and the extent of donations amongst different faiths and BAME communities. Effectiveness of funding initiatives such as Community Investment Scheme and Living Transplant Initiative can only be analysed and appropriately targeted if we have comprehensive national and/or regional data by religion and granular data by ethnicity. Progress on this important matter must be monitored and

in brief in brief BACK TO WORK

More than half of those furloughed since May returned to work by mid-August according to data published by the Office for National Statistics. At the schemes peak in May, 30% of the workforce across the UK was furloughed. The share of the workforce furloughed fell by more than half to 11% by mid-August - and will likely have fallen further since. To tackle the impact that the coronavirus pandemic had on people’s jobs, businesses and livelihoods, the government introduced one of the most generous and comprehensive packages of support in the world, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. The data comes as the Chancellor visited pottery firm Emma Bridgewater, who have recently returned nearly all of their furloughed staff to work. During the visit, he raised awareness of the Job Retention Bonus that will support companies returning staff to work and reward them for keeping them in their jobs. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, said: “As today’s official employment figures today show, the furlough scheme has done what it was designed to do - save jobs and help people back to work, where they want to be. “We were clear at the start of the pandemic that we couldn’t save every job, but the furlough scheme has supported millions of workers and we want to help employers keep people on. Our Job Retention Bonus will do exactly that, supporting businesses to do the right thing.” By the time the scheme closes, it will have been open for eight months, with support continuing in the form of the Job Retention Bonus which kicks in from November and supports the wages of staff brought back to work. The £1,000 Job Retention Bonus is equal to a 20% wage subsidy for the employment costs of the average person previously furloughed, but for those on lower incomes, it’s 40% of wage costs over the 3-month period to the end of January 2021. The Government is also creating new roles for young people through the £2bn Kickstart scheme, creating incentives for training and apprenticeships.

BAGEL AND SAMOSAS

Dr H Jani, Rt Hon Theresa Villars, P Dwivedi, K Modi, JS Patel , H Shukala MBE, Trupti Patel, P Amin, and B Pandya

brought to a satisfactory conclusion and parliamentarians have an important role in working with Hindu and Jain communities to deliver an effective approach to organ donation. A section of the Webinar was dedicated to hearing personal recollections of Jay and Sina Patel when they had to make a decision to donate three-and-a-half-year-old Aari’s organs. Jay and Sina stated that, “As a Hindu, the decision to donate came naturally to us. It was clear, we couldn’t save our son Aari but Aari would be able to save lives.” Family conversations were a vital component of Jay and Sina arriving to a decision to donate little Aari’s organs.

Truptiben Patel, President of HFB recalled the long-standing involvement of the HFB with raising awareness of organ donation in the communities from 2008 and that there was an official launch of organ donation in 2011 with creation of a video to raise awareness. She urged temples, communities and individuals to promote organ donation initiatives during Navratri, Durga Pooja and Diwali. The webinar hosted by Dr Harsha Jani was given technical support by Mr Puneet Dwivedi Vice President of the HFB Scottish Chapter and the concluding prayers were conducted by Dr Harsha Shukla MBE, Vice-President North HFB.

Every month, the British Indian and Jewish Association (formerly known as the Indian Jewish Association) explores the lives and careers of notable members of our communities. For their next ‘Bagels and Samosas’ event on Thursday 24th September at 1 pm, they will be joined by Israel’s Ambassador to India (2007 – 2011) Mark Sofer in conversation with Sophie Ross (British Jewish Diplomat currently serving in India). Mark is a British-born career diplomat with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and served as Israel’s Ambassador to India, 2007-11. From that time, he is credited with pioneering efforts to reach out to Muslims in India. His distinguished career with the Ministry has seen him posted to Peru, Norway, and New York, before being appointed as Ambassador to Ireland, and later as Ambassador to India and Sri Lanka, and more recently, Australia. His career also includes a spell as Deputy Director General of the Foreign Ministry and Head of Asia and Pacific Division, acting as a Policy Advisor to the then-Foreign Minister of Israel Shimon Peres and heading a prestigious non-profit foundation, the Jerusalem Foundation. BIJA (formerly Indian Jewish Association) seeks to develop and strengthen relations between the Indian and Jewish communities in the UK.

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MODI SPECIAL

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

19 - 25 September 2020

PM Modi- a dynamic and decisive leader History was scripted in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan on the evening of 26th May 2014 as Narendra Modi took oath as the Prime Minister of India after a historic mandate from the people of India. In Narendra Modi, the people of India see a dynamic, decisive and development-oriented leader who has emerged as a ray of hope for the dreams and aspirations of a billion Indians. His focus on development, eye for detail and efforts to bring a qualitative difference in the lives of the poorest of the poor have made Narendra Modi a popular and respected leader across the length and breadth of India. Narendra Modi’s life has been a journey of courage, compassion and constant hardwork. At a very young age he had decided to devote his life in service of the people. He displayed his skills as a grass root level worker, an organiser and an administrator during his 13 year long stint as the Chief Minister of his home state of Gujarat, where he ushered a paradigm shift towards propeople and pro-active good governance. Formative Years Narendra Modi’s inspiring life journey to the Office of Prime Minister began in the by-lanes of Vadnagar, a small town in North Gujarat’s Mehsana district. He was born on the 17th of September 1950; three years after India had gained its Independence. This makes him the first Prime Minister to be born in independent India. Narendra Modi is the third child born to Damodardas Modi and Hiraba Modi. Modi comes from a family of humble origins and modest means. The entire family lived in a small single storey house which was approximately 40 feet by 12 feet. Narendra Modi’s formative years taught him early tough

lessons as he balanced his studies, non-academic life to spare time to work at the family owned Tea Stall as the family struggled to make ends meet. His school friends remember that as a child also he was very industrious and had an affinity for debates and a curiosity to read books. Schoolmates recollect how Modi used to spend many hours reading in the local Library. As a child he was also fond of swimming. Modi’s thoughts and dreams as a child were quite removed from how most children of his age thought. Perhaps it was the influence of Vadnagar which once used to be a vibrant center of Buddhist learning and spirituality many centuries ago. As a child also he always felt a strong urge to make a difference to society. He was highly influenced by the works of Swami Vivekananda which laid the foundation of his journey towards spiritualism and which inspired him to pursue the mission to fulfill Swamiji’s dream of making India a Jagat Guru. At the age of 17 he left home to travel across India. For two years he travelled across the expansive landscape of India exploring various cultures. When

he returned home he was a changed man with a clear aim of what he wanted to achieve in life. He went to Ahmedabad and joined Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). RSS is a sociocultural organisation working towards the social and cultural regeneration of India. It was a tough routine for Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad since 1972 when he became a Pracharak for RSS. His day began at 5 am and went on till late night. Late 1970s also saw a young Narendra Modi join the movement to restore democracy in India which was reeling under Emergency. While continuing to shoulder different responsibilities within the Sangh during the 1980s Narendra Modi emerged as an Organizer exemplar with his organizing skills. In 1987 a different chapter began in the life of Modi when he started work as the General Secretary of the BJP in Gujarat. In his first task Modi won a victory for the BJP in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation elections for the first time ever. He also ensured that the BJP was a close second to the Congress in the 1990 Gujarat Assembly elections. In the 1995 Assembly elections Modi’s

PM Modi to turn 70 on Sept 17 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will turn 70 on September 17. He has been prime minister for the past six years and more, and chief minister for nearly 13 years before that. He did well to the Gujarat economy, raising its performance on many parameters. He introduced novel solutions to old problems, and was full of focused energy and drive. The arrival of the Narmada waters and use of new cotton strains helped to rapidly raise agricultural production. For all that, he has changed India more than he changed Gujarat, though he has been prime minister for only half the time that he was chief minister. The ethos of politics of north and partly south of the Vindhyas has been transformed, with more or less unabashed majoritarianism. Breakthroughs in the Ram Janmabhoomi case and abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special powers enjoy popular sanction in the

heartland. So the opposition’s very points of criticism are achievements for Modi’s support base. The economic legacy is still being written. Modi’s initiatives can be broken down by category. Spending programmes for Ease of Living, infrastructure investment, and renewable energy have been quite successful though patchy. Policy initiatives less so; Indradhanush for banks, UDAY for electricity, and goods and services tax (GST). Programme-specific targeting has done quite well: Jan Dhan, renewable energy, Swachh Bharat, Ujjwala, etc. But broader targeting has been poor: Doubling farmers’ incomes by 2022 and increasing the share of manufacturing from 15 per cent to 25 per cent of GDP by the same year. This good-to-poor mix of outcomes can be explained through the relative complexity of the tasks attempted: Building a highway or a toilet is easier than reforming a sector, which is easier than

changing the structure of the economy. Chief ministers deal with the simpler tasks, whereas even politically successful prime ministers can fail when confronted with the interplay of complicated levers that steer economic activity. Achievements As it happens, Modi did well in his initial three years, but the economy benefited from a collapse of oil prices from more than $100 per barrel in 2011-14 to an average of less than $60 subsequently - a boost equivalent to over 2 per cent of GDP annually. The surge in growth from 6.4 per cent in Manmohan Singh’s final year to 8.3 per cent in Modi’s best year (2016-17) owes it to oil prices. The next three years have ended with a halving of the growth rate. The worst mistakes have been the attempts at silverbullet solutions: Demonetisation for one, and the March-April lockdown, which led to reverse labour migration on an epic scale.

organizational skills ensured the BJP’s vote share increased and the party won 121 seats in the Assembly. Modi worked as the National Secretary of BJP from 1995 looking after party’s activities in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. As BJP’s General Secretary Organisation he worked to ensure the BJP won the 1998 Lok Sabha elections. It was in September 2001 that Modi received a phone call from then Prime Minister Vajpayee which opened a new chapter in his life taking him from the rough and tumble of organizational politics to the world of governance. Years in Governance Narendra Modi’s evolution from quintessential organisation man of the BJP to one of India’s best known leaders recognized for his good governance over a span of a decade tells a story of grit, determination and strong leadership in the face of grave adversity. Narendra Modi’s transition from the world of political organizing to the realm of administration and governance neither had the luxury of time nor the benefit of training. Modi had to learn the ropes of administration while on the job right from day one. Modi’s first 100 days in office offer a glimpse of not just how Modi made that personal transition but these 100

days also offer a glimpse of how Modi brought unconventional thinking and out of the box ideas to shake status-quo and reform governance. Narendra Modi’s path to creating a vibrant Gujarat as a shining example of development and governance did not come easy. It was a path littered with adversities and challenges. Through the last decade if there is one constant trait of Narendra Modi that has stood out it is his strong leadership in the face of grave adversity. Narendra Modi’s approach to governance has always been viewed as being above politics. Modi never let political differences get in the way of pursuing solutions to developmental challenges. Modi's approach to administration and governance stands out for its convergent thinking. The finest manifestation of Modi’s philosophy of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance” is his Pancha-Amrut construct for convergent Governance.His performance is reflected in the many awards his government received from both national and international media .Narendra Modi as India’s Prime Minister brings with him a rich and hands-on experience as one of India’s most successful Chief Ministers and one of its finest of administrators.

BJP to organise Seva Saptah Prime Minister Narendra Modi has changed the culture of politics in the country since 2014, BJP chief JP Nadda said at the launch of the Seva Saptah, a week-long party campaign to mark the 70th birthday of the PM on September 17. "Friends, if we look at the politics of India post 2014, PM Modi not only became the prime minister but also changed raajneeti ki sanskriti (culture of politics) in the country," the BJP president said, in a veiled attack on the opposition. "The people have also realised the difference," Nadda told a gathering of leaders and party workers in Gautam Buddh Nagar on the outskirts of Delhi. "How did this happen? Before 2014, politicians would come, deliver speeches and make promises but would not keep them. PM Modi has changed that now. If we are elected representatives, we will work and serve the people and then go to them with our report card - this is how we work now," Nadda said. Without naming any political party or politician, Nadda said, earlier in politics there was mewa or dry fruits instead of seva or service. "Now with PM Modi at the helm, we believe there is just seva and we work for the last man standing in the queue, the poor, the harassed, the deprived and the Dalits by bringing them into the mainstream," the BJP chief said. Citing PM Modi's life as an example of service to others, Nadda said, as part of Seva Saptah the BJP workers will organise cleanliness drive and blood donation camps across the country. "Since PM Modi is turning 70, we have decided to work at 70 spots in

every district for cleanliness and distribution of fruits. We will visit hospitals, there will be special focus on plasma donation," he said. "We also have a target of providing at least 70 divyang (disabled) people with whatever equipment they require in each district. There will also be 70 virtual rallies," Nadda said. During his speech, Nadda highlighted the number of beneficiaries under the Centre's scheme for LPG connection and Jandhan bank accounts, among others. He said amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Centre also announced ration subsidies that have helped 800 million people. "When we were opening Jandhan accounts, some people were mocking the move. Now, look how the beneficiaries are getting money, during the pandemic, into their accounts doing away with delays," he said.Among those present at the 'Seva Saptah' launch were BJP's state unit chief Swatantra Dev Singh, Gautam Buddh Nagar MP Mahesh Sharma, Rajya Sabha MP Surendra Nagar and local MLAs Dhirendra Singh and Tejpal Nagar.

18 FINANCE - UK

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

19 - 25 September 2020

Dear Financial Voice Reader, Alpesh Patel I gave a webinar this week (www.alpeshpatel.com/latest) where I answered these, the most popular questions I’ve been asked. I want to share them. Is This Covid Thing a Good or a Bad Time – What’s the Insider Hedge Funds Saying? (Good for some stocks, really good. A ‘K’ shaped recovery, with most doing poorly. So we have to pick based on criteria which work like Alpha, Croci, Sortino. Don’t know what they are – oh dear). Why Should I Trust You? [You Shouldn’t – You Should Trust the Independently Verifiable Knowledge I Give You] Surely Buying Global Stocks is Risky; And I Should Stick To UK Ones? [Assume you simply track the national indices. You will with the same money be poorer in UK stocks alone than global ones. Would you hire staff only by passport alone or by talent pool?]. What Should Be My Investing Goal? How Much Money Do I Need To Retire? How Quickly Does £10k become £100k and £100k become £1m? [The market before you pick stocks well will deliver half your 20% pa which is what it takes to make a 10x return in 10 years roughly. The other half of the 20% comes from a little know-how. Remember Croci for instance). Yes, but shouldn’t I just give it to a fund manager? [Either way, you need to be a little financially educated to ask the right questions] I Don’t Know How To Decide What To Buy – It’s Too Confusing and Time Consuming [So let’s have a quick easy 3 step process using free internet resources that takes an hour a year! That’s all it does need. Not hours of trusting financial journalists – what do they do for a living?] What Returns are Reasonable? [Well let’s assume we will do nothing more than a good stock selector following some obvious good stocks.] Shouldn’t I Just Invest in a 2nd Home for rental? [You can have leverage if you really want in ‘safe as houses’ stocks too – tax free] How Long Do I Hold For? What If The Stock Falls? ; What If The Stock Rises? (12 months, don’t trade. If it falls it should be the kind of company you want to keep, and if it rises, the kind of company you want to…keep) Yes But, Aren’t They’re ‘Insiders’ Like Goldman Sachs and Rest of Us Who Just Get Screwed? (Yes, so I’ll share their reports they give hedge fund managers like me) What’s The Quickest Easiest Way To Pick Stocks That the Gurus/Banks/Hedge Funds Have Already Researched for their Wealthy Client? [Answer: Filter, Filter, Filter. Ask: Which Stocks Keep Coming Up In The Most Strategies? And your brother-in-law is not a strategy] What About Currency Risk of International Global Holdings? (Seriously! You get a 100% return from a stock and you are whinging about 1% currency moves) How Do I Pick Brokers that I can Trust? (UK regulated ones only) Do I Own the Stock or CFD/Spreadbet? (The stock, but if you’ve got additional risk income eg 10% of your money can be by leveraged instruments, BUT, with proper maths) How Do I Save Tax, Esp If For My Pension/Long Term Savings? [ISA/SIPP]

Sunak urged to extend furlough for struggling industries A group of influential MPs have urged UK chancellor Rishi Sunak to “carefully consider” a limited extension to the government’s job retention scheme for struggling British industries. The Treasury Select Committee published its second report into the economic effects of the Covid-19 crisis, focusing on the challenges facing the UK as it enters its economic recovery phase. “The chancellor should carefully consider targeted extensions to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and explain his conclusions,” Tory MP Mel Stride, chair of the Treasury Select Committee, said in a statement. Over nine million people were furloughed at some point during the coronavirus crisis and the Office

retail staff are still receiving government wage support. “The key will be assisting those businesses who, with additional support, can come through the crisis as sustainable enterprises, rather than focusing on those that will Rishi Sunak unfortunately just not be viable in the changed for National Statistics (ONS) post-crisis economy,” Stride estimates that 11% of the said. workforce remain on the job “This requires a very difretention scheme - equivaficult set of judgments; it is lent to around three million where careful analysis and workers. creative thinking will be Some sectors are far critical.” Earlier this week more reliant on the proMake UK, the lobbying gramme than others - 40% group for the manufacturof staff in the arts and entering sector, called for a furtainment industry remain lough extension for induson furlough, according to try, warning that key skills the ONS, and around 30% of could be lost without govthe hotel sector and food ernment support. industry are furloughed. By The government has so comparison, less than 4% of

far resisted calls to extend the job retention scheme, which has cost the Treasury £35bn ($45.6bn) to date. “You’re just keeping people in suspended animation,” prime minister Boris Johnson said at a press conference. Seeking flexibility in the furlough scheme, the Treasury Select Committee report called on the chancellor not to raise taxes too early. The report said premature tax rises could “stifle economic recovery.” Concerns were also raised about the indebtedness of companies that have taken out Covid-19 support loans and the looming end to more generous universal credit benefits. “As the Committee has said throughout the crisis, the chancellor must continue to show flexibility in his approach,” Stride said.

British economy continues to recover from Covid-19 Britain's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic continued for the third month in a row in July as businesses reopened and manufacturing resumed. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said gross domestic product rose by 6.6 per cent in July compared with the previous month, continuing a rebound from the Covid-19 crisis as lockdown measures were relaxed. Chancellor Rishi Sunak laid the groundwork for a delay to the autumn budget in a statement to the House of Commons. He told MPs that he had asked the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to prepare economic forecasts to be published in

“mid to late November”, but did not give a date for the set-piece tax and spending event. Sunak said the government had extended its support for businesses and households by pumping money into job creation schemes, cutting VAT for the hospitality and tourism sector and launching the eat out to help out schemes. He said, “While today's figures are welcome, I know that many people are rightly worried about the coming months or have already had their job or incomes affected. That's why supporting jobs is our first priority and why we've outlined a comprehensive plan for jobs to ensure nobody is left with-

out hope or opportunity.” Latest official growth figures reveal the reopening of pubs, campsites, and hairdressers fuelled a rebound in activity in July, while car sales exceeded pre-crisis levels for the first time. After widespread stoppages during lockdown, manufacturing and house building activity rose. The recovery in July followed growth of 8.7 per cent in June and 2.4 per cent in May, after a record-breaking 20 per cent contraction in April during lockdown. GDP fell by 7.6 per cent with declines across all main sectors of the economy. The statistics come after Britain entered the deepest recession in history following a second successive

quarterly decline in the three months to June. The fall in second quarter GDP of 20.4 per cent outstripped any other advanced economy, with the UK entering lockdown later than other countries and taking longer to relax restrictions. Britain's GDP is now 18.6 per cent higher than its lowest ebb in April after the pandemic brought activity around the globe to a standstill. However, it still remains 11.7 per cent below the levels recorded in February before the disease spread to Britain. The Bank of England said the GDP is not expected to return to pre-crisis levels until at least the end of next year.

Heathrow executive urges govt to UK firms hiring temporary staff Michael Gove defends govt's approve its Covid testing regime new legislation on Brexit Britain's Minister for the Cabinet Office, Michael Gove has defended the government's plan to override parts of its own Brexit deal with the European Union, stating that the government was acting “within the rule of law” and was behaving in a “constructive and pragmatic” way, despite the Northern Ireland secretary admitting the new legislation would breach international law. Speaking with BBC Breakfast, he said the EU could put the integrity of the UK at threat without the controversial legislation the government is trying to push through in the face of outrage even within the Tory party. Gove said, “We're doing our part generously, to help protect the EU's own single market, but we're clear that what we can't have, even as we're doing all that, is the EU disrupting and putting at threat the integrity of the United Kingdom.” He added, “These steps are a safety net, they're a longstop in the event, which I don't believe will come about but we do need to be ready for that the EU follow on what some have said they might do, which is in effect to separate Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom.” The comments came in lieu with what Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in an article. He wrote that legislation to override parts of his Brexit deal is needed to end EU threats to install a “blockade” in the Irish Sea. Meanwhile, Gove added, “These are not simple matters. There are clear and important principles here. We voted to leave the European Union, we voted as one United Kingdom. We're introducing legislation to make sure that our United Kingdom remains strong, united and governed under the rule of law.”

Heathrow airport's top official has urged the government to approve its Covid-19 testing regime to enable more travel, as the airport reported 1.4 million passengers in August, less than one-fifth of its normal traffic for the peak summer month. Heathrow's chief executive John Holland-Kaye said, “It has really been killed by the quarantine ... What we have seen is that when people can fly, they will. Other countries – even Jersey, have introduced testing, very successfully. We don't understand why the government doesn't do similar things, not just to support aviation but all the businesses that depend on it.” He said while Heathrow was “as secure as any business in aviation can be”, it was “hurting”, with losses of £1.1bn in the first half of 2020. HollandKaye said, “The government needs us to be able to come out fighting from this crisis and get the economy kickstarted. But we've seen no support at all from the government.” He defended issuing 188 notices to unions, threatening to put thousands of long-serving staff on inferior contracts, after four months of talks failed to reach any conclusion. “Given the lack of passengers, we have to do some-

over Covid fear

thing and that is the least worst option. We are such a big part of the local economy, if we have large-scale redundancies that would have a similar impact to what we saw with mining towns back in the 1980s, and we want to do everything we can to avoid that.” Holland-Kaye suggested British Airways could fail and that “no one was immune. Alitalia went bust, and now if you want to get to Italy on a long-haul route you mainly have to fly via Germany. That could happen in the UK, and would destroy any hope of a global Britain you may have.” He added: “We don’t need bailouts, we just need a sensible testing regime. If we don’t take steps to open with testing we will see UK airports and airlines going bust – and once we’ve lost that capacity we will never get it back.”

British firms reportedly hired temporary staff in August at a fast pace since the end of 2018 as they tried to recover from the Covid -19 lockdown. A jump in the availability of candidates was also recorded, rising at the second-steepest rate in ever 20 years, reflecting redundancies announced by many companies in Britain. There was also a rise in billings from companies hiring permanent workers in August, but the increase was worryingly small, the REC said. Chief executive of the REC, Neil Carberry was quoted as saying, “It reflects the uncertainty businesses face about what will happen over coming months with the pandemic and Brexit.” He urged the government to settle its differences with the European Union and strike a trade deal. Carberry called on the government to cut employers' social contribution requirements and offer them more help with skills training.

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AsianVoiceNewsweekly

REAL ESTATE VOICE & INDIA FINANCE

19 - 25 September 2020

RIL becomes 1st Indian co to hit $200bn mcap Reliance Industries (RIL) last week became the first Indian company to cross the $200-billion market capitalisation mark after its stock surged over 8% on the back of reports that global retailing giant Amazon has been offered a $20-billion worth of stake in its retail venture. From being an entity with a market cap of nearly $43 billion a little over five years ago and a pure-play business-to-business (B2B) entity, RIL’s market value has risen almost five times as it scaled up its two consumer-focused businesses telecom and organised retail - during the intervening period. In the process, it has leap frogged to become one of the 10 most valued companies in Asia and also among the top 40 globally. RIL is the only Indian company in these exclusive clubs, Bloomberg data showed. Data shows that in the

Silver Lake acquires 1.8% in Reliance Retail Private equity firm Silver Lake will pay £750 million to acquire a 1.8% stake in the retail business of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, making the Silicon Valley fund the first external investor in the consumer-focused unit. The transaction, which is Silver Lake’s third investment in India this year after education technology startup Byju’s and digital services company Jio Platforms, values Reliance Industries’ retail unit at £42 billion. This valuation, when compared with listed companies, ranks the retail unit at the fifth spot in India after HUL, HDFC Bank, TCS and RIL itself. The American fund’s investment in Reliance Retail Ventures (RRVL), a subsidiary of RIL and the holding company of its retail business, sets the pricing benchmark for the consumer-focused unit that is expected to see more external investors in the coming weeks. last two years, while the BSE’s market cap has remained stagnant at around £1,550 billion, RIL’s market cap has almost doubled from close to £80 billion to £150.3 billion. So if RIL is taken out from India’s total market cap, the fall in value is about £75 billion. Seen another way, while RIL’s market cap has grown about 92% since September 2018, the

combined market cap of all other Indian companies has shrunk by 5%. The phenomenal rise in RIL’s market cap came during the past five years as it again transformed itself from being a major B2B focused company to a business-to-consumer (B2C) entity, in a country with over 1.3 billion people, said Arun Kejriwal, director at

investment advisory firm KRIS. “Reliance began as a textile company and in the ’70s and ’80s its brand ‘Only Vimal’ was well known, when the increased demand for polyester and polyester fabric was strong. Its B2C focus changed when the company entered the refining business around the turn of the century in a major way and became a petroleum and refining company - a B2B player,” Kejriwal, a veteran of Dalal Street, said. As its refining business grew at a fast clip, RIL tried its hands at petro-product refining, but that didn’t take off as was expected. “In its current avatar, it’s back to being a major consumerfocused company with data turning out to be the driving force. It may also be highlighted that the acquisition of Future Group assets would add clout to its retail business, which is again a B2C venture,” Kejriwal said.

Tatas block Pallonji Group’s plan to pledge Tata Sons shares Shapoorji Pallonji Group’s plan to raise £1.1 billion by pledging a part of its interest in Tata Sons has hit a roadblock after the holding company of the Tata Group moved the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the process. Tata Sons filed an ‘urgent’ application with the apex court to restrain SP from raising capital against pledging its interests in the shares of the company. The construction and real estate group, controlled by billionaire Pallonji Mistry and his family, holds 18.4% in Tata Sons and its stake is worth over £10 billion. Tata Sons moved legally after SP inked an agreement

to raise £375 million from Canadian investor Brookfield by offering a part of its stake in the holding company of the Tata Group as collateral. Describing the move by Tata Sons as “vindictive”, “oppression of minority shareholder rights” and “intended to inflict irreparable damage”, SP is

seeking the dismissal of the application as “creation of pledge on shares does not amount to transfer of title of the shares” and that the title of the shares continue to remain with the pledgor. SP has been looking to raise $1.5 billion to tide over the financial crunch caused by the Covid pandemic after economic activity across the world came to a standstill early this fiscal. It has been seeking structured debt deals as the pandemic delayed its plans to sell assets. “This vindictive move by Tata Sons is solely aimed to create delays and roadblocks in the fundraise

that will jeopardise the future of 60,000 employees and over 100,000 migrant workers who draw sustenance by working at various SP Group facilities,” said the enterprise’s spokesperson, adding that it is “intended to inflict irreparable damage on the group”. SP pointed out that Tata Sons’ Articles of Association (AoA) only regulate the transfer of shares, with its board having a right of first refusal to buy at fair market value the shares of any member who is seeking to sell them. There is no provision in the AoA that restricts the creation of a pledge or encumbrance.

Crisil predicts sharper fall India's passenger vehicle in India's 2020-21 GDP sales rise 14% in August Ratings agency Crisil predicted a sharper contraction for India’ GDP in 2020-21, estimating that it will decline by 9%, higher than its earlier forecast of a 5% fall. “With the pandemic’s peak not yet in sight and the government not providing adequate direct fiscal support, the downside risks to our earlier forecast have materialised,” Crisil said in its report. “If the pandemic were to peak out in September-October, GDP growth could move into mildly positive territory towards the end of this fiscal. Even in that event, manufacturing is expected to revive faster compared with services. But the risks to our outlook remain tilted to the downside till such time a vaccine is found and mass produced,” the report said. The latest revision comes days after official data showed the economy contracted 23.9% in the April-June quarter, the sharpest quarterly decline on record, triggering calls for measures to revive growth. Fitch ratings has forecast the economy to contract 10.5% in 2020-21, while investment banker Goldman Sachs estimated it to decline by 14.8% during the current fiscal year. The agency said it expects a permanent loss of 13% of real GDP over the medium term. In nominal terms, this amounts to £300 billion. This is much higher than a 3% permanent hit to GDP in AsiaPacific economies (ex-China and India) over the medium-run, according to S&P Global estimates in June.

After nine consecutive months of decline, passenger vehicle sales in India rose by 14% in August to 215,000 units compared to 190,000 a year ago, according to latest data released by industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). It was in October last year that the segment had posted a marginal growth when it snapped 11 continuous months of decline in sales. Two-wheeler sales also rose, growing by 3% to 15,60,000 compared to 15,10,000 units in the same month last year, Siam said. Motorcycle sales stood at 10,30,000 units against 940,000 units in August last year, up 10%. Scooter sales were, however, down 12% at 460,000 units against 520,000 units in the same month last year, Siam said. Three-wheeler sales also remained in the slow lane last month with a 75% dip in offtakes at 14,534 units compared to 58,818 in August 2019. “We are beginning to observe growth which is instilling confidence back into the industry, especially in the twowheeler and the passenger vehicle segments,” SIAM president Kenichi Ayukawa, who is also the MD of Maruti Suzuki, said. He, however, added that the growth achieved in passenger vehicle and two-wheeler segments last month was on a low base of August 2019.

Profit through surgery

Suresh Vagjiani, Sow & Reap Properties Ltd

We are currently looking at a deal in a prime part of London, consisting of commercial and residential. The commercial is going to come with a fresh 5 year lease, with a blue chip company - whatever that is worth these days, the residential part is 4 flats. The yield is a respectable 5%, given the premier location the level of this yield is surprising. The location can be compared to Oxford Street. There is also a development angle to this deal which is what makes it interesting; there is the possibility of converting the basement into residential through permitted development – please note no planning; therefore this can be achieved in 56 days. There is the further potential to gain 3 additional flats through planning, there is precedent along the road and therefore this does not look contentious. At the end of the development you should have a rental income of £205,000, compared to the current income of £125,000. The current asking price of this deal is £2.5M. I believe this to be a safe deal, with good upside and with very little downside. Let’s take a very conservative position and assume you only get the permitted development flat in the basement, which I like to call lower ground, and nothing more, you will still add an expected £500,000 to the deal. It should only cost £60-70K to implement, perhaps even less, as the basement is there and is in good condition. Luckily the borrowing rates are currently low, even with a 5 year fixed you will be a couple of percent below the 5% rental yield, this means this deal will produce a reasonable income of about £50K per annum. There is a neat trick to increase this income by lowering the borrowing rate. The rates payable for residential are always lower than commercial. The payable rate can be reduced by splitting the commercial from the residential, this is an exercise your solicitor should be able to execute with little fuss. We are currently doing a similar exercise for a commercial building we secured for a client, we have calculated this exercise will save about £35,000 in interest costs. A similar saving can be made in this scenario. The optimum way to hold the commercial element is in a privately held pension scheme as the capital gains and the income generated will be tax free. When this is done in one sense there is almost an immediate gain, as you are paying for the asset with untaxed money, not taxed money. You’re buying the asset with gross money and not net money. If you’re a high rate tax payer this would be a substantial saving. These are a couple of tips which should always be considered when purchasing commercial and resi assets. This is currently a live deal ready to be executed. If it perks your interest why not give the office a call.

FM LAUNCHES PSU BANKS’ DOORSTEP SERVICE India's finance and corporate affairs minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the doorstep banking service of state-run banks, which is expected to benefit a large number of customers of these entities, including senior citizens and divyangs. Doorstep banking services is aimed at providing convenience of banking services to the customers through the universal touch points of a call centre, web portal or mobile app. Customers can also track their service request through these channels. The services shall be rendered by the Doorstep Banking Agents deployed by the selected Service Providers at 100 centres across the country, a finance ministry statement said. At present only non-financial services such as picking up of cheques, demand draft, pay order are available to customers. Financial services shall be made available from October 2020. The services can be availed by customers of PSBs at nominal charges, the statement said.

ZOMATO PLANS IPO IN 2021 Online restaurant discovery platform Zomato has started preparations to go for an initial public offering (IPO) in 2021, making it the first among India’s most valued consumer internet companies, or unicorns (valued at over $1 billion each) to plan a market debut. The 12-year-old company, co-founded by IIT-Delhi engineer and former Bain consultant Deepinder Goyal, is planning its listing in India, said sources familiar with the matter. In the run-up to its public offering, the Gurgaon-based company is also in the process of closing a $30-million share sale for its former employees, which will be one of the most significant ESOP liquidity events in India. Zomato is in the process of raising its pre-IPO round of $600 million, as a part of which it raised $100 million from Tiger Global. Before that, it raised close to $150 million from Singapore’s Temasek, China’s Ant Financial and UKbased Baillie Gifford. The company’s valuation is expected to cross $3.5 billion with the new round, if it closes.

PAKISTAN & BANGLADESH

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Afghan peace talks begin amid uncertain outcome DOHA: Historic negotiations between the Taliban and Afghanistan's political leadership opened in Qatar on Sunday, offering the best chance of peace after decades of war. The US had hoped negotiations would start within two weeks of Feb. 29, when it signed a peace deal with the Taliban, effectively acknowledging a military stalemate after nearly two decades of conflict. The agreement called for direct intra-Afghan negotiations but required both sides to release prisoners as a sign of good faith ahead of talks. The Afghan government, which was in the throes of a political crisis over a disputed presidential election held last September, balked at being told to free 5,000 Taliban but eventually relented. US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who invested

a year and a half negotiating the peace deal, called negotiations between Afghanistan's warring sides ``a historic opportunity for peace ... one that benefits all Afghans and contributes to regional stability and global security.'' But as negotiations begin, the issues that separate the two sides are many, the mistrust is deep and the way forward is fraught with uncertainty. Here's where things stand going into the talks One of the first items on the agenda will be a comprehensive and permanent cease-fire. The government has been relentless in its demand for one, and the Taliban have repeatedly said it would be one of the first items on the agenda when negotiations begin. The big hurdle is likely to be what to do with tens of thousands of armed Taliban fighters and the militias loyal to

government-allied warlords. Protection of rights, particularly women's, will also be high on the agenda. Afghanistan, including the government, is deeply conservative and in 19 years has refused Leaders arrive for peace talks in Doha to pass a women's can live with. Not everyone rights bill. The eyes of the interagrees, including the former national community are likely head of Afghanistan's Human to be the biggest motivator for Rights Commission, Sima making progress for women. Samar. The Taliban have already Constitutional changes are said yes to women and girls also expected to be high on the attending school, women workagenda, and big in many ing, women in politics and as Afghans' minds will be the lawyers and judges. However, Taliban's interpretation of they say they draw the line at a Islamic rules. Other housekeepwoman president or Supreme ing issues include deciding on Court chief justice. Numerous the name of the country: political leaders in Kabul - men Islamic Republic or Islamic and even a few women - who Emirate? say this is a compromise they

Zardari, Gilani indicted, Sharif declared proclaimed offender ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan anticorruption court indicted former president Asif Ali Zardari and exprime minister Yusuf Raza Gillani, while declared former premier Nawaz Sharif an absconder in the Toshakhana graft case that allegedly caused a heavy loss to the national exchequer. Hearing the case, Judge Asghar Ali also sought details of the movable and immovable properties of Sharif,70,, who is in London for treatment, and asked all of the leaders accused in the case to be presented in court within seven days. The Toshakhana graft case is about alleged relaxation of rules by Gilani,68, for the benefit of Zardari, 65, and Sharif to buy vehicles gifted by foreign countries. Sharif is accused of obtaining luxury cars from the treasury house by paying just 15 per cent of the price of these vehicles. Similarly, Zardari and Gilani,

Sharif, Gilani and Zardari

are also accused of receiving luxury vehicles and gifts from the treasure house. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in March had filed the case on the alleged violation of the rules of the Toshakhana which it argued had caused a heavy loss to the national exchequer. According to the NAB, Gilani had facilitated Zardari and Nawaz to obtain the vehicles. The court has directed the Foreign Office to execute the arrest warrants against Sharif through the Pakistan High

PoK protests against construction of dams MUZAFFARABAD: A massive protest along with a torch rally was held in Muzaffarabad city of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) last week against the mega dams proposed to be constructed by Chinese companies on Neelum-Jhelum River. The protesters of 'Darya Bachao, Muzaffarabad Bachao' (Save River, Save Muzaffarabad) committee chanted slogans like "Neelum-Jhelum behne do, humein zinda rehne do" (let the Neelum and Jhelum rivers flow, let us live). The rally was attended by hundreds of residents of the city and people from other parts of PoK. Recently, Pakistan and China signed agreements to construct Azad Pattan and Kohala Hydropower Projects in PoK region. The Kohala Hydroelectric Power Project which will be built on Jhelum River is roughly 7 km upstream of Azad Pattan Bridge in the Sudhanoti District of PoK and 90 km from Pakistan's capital Islamabad. The project, expected to be completed by 2026, will be sponsored by China Three Gorges Corporation, International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Silk Road Fund.

Commission in London. During the hearing, Anwar Majeed and Abdul Ghani Majeed, the two businessmen who are also accused in the case, were indicted. All four men including Zardari and Gillani pleaded not guilty. Since Sharif failed to present himself before the court as he is in London for his treatment, he was declared a proclaimed offender and his case was separated from the other accused. He was also asked to appear within seven days. The court also asked to pro-

vide details of Sharif's movable and immovable properties and warned that his properties will be frozen if he failed to appear. Sharif files review petition Meanwhile, Sharif filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), stating that his health condition would not allow him to return home from London and surrender in a corruption case by September 10. Last week, the IHC gave a 'last chance' to the former premier to surrender and appear before it on September 10 for hearing in the AL-Azizia corruption case. The court had warned of legal action for absconding. Sharif, 70, has been in London since November last year after the Lahore High Court granted him permission to go abroad for four weeks for treating a heart disease and an immune system disorder. The three-time premier was sentenced to seven years in the AlAzizia Steel Mills case.

Pak Christian sentenced to death on blasphemy charge LAHORE: Pakistani Christians are taking to social media to demand justice for a 37-yearold Christian sentenced to death for allegedly sending blasphemous text messages. A sessions court in Lahore ordered Asif Pervaiz to initially serve a three-year prison term for “misusing” his phone to send a derogatory text message. Then, the court ruled, “he shall be hanged by his neck till his death.” He was also fined 50,000 rupees (US$300). Pervaiz, who used to work in a textile factory in the Youhanabad area of Lahore, has been in custody since 2013 after his supervisor accused him of sending derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad to him in a text message. The Catholic bishops’ National Commission for Justice and Peace had been providing paralegal aid to his family. “Another soul booked. Why would any Christian send a blasphemous text or do blasphemy when they know they will be killed? The government should make crystal-

clear mechanisms to deal with this matter,” stated Sunny Gill, a Pakistani photographer based in Thai capital Bangkok, on his Facebook page. Hundreds of Pakistani Christians who have fled their homeland in fear of their lives remain in legal limbo in Bangkok. Blasphemy is a highly sensitive issue in deeply conservative Pakistan where mere allegations have led to extrajudicial killings and mob violence. Nadeem Bhatti, a Pakistani human rights activist who moved to Canada to escape religious persecution, condemned the death sentence. “His lawyer, who also defended Asia Bibi, now plans to appeal before the high court. Prime Minister Imran Khan should focus more on non-Muslim Pakistanis and oppose rising radicalism. Victims of blasphemy are neither safe in courts nor police stations,” he said. “Our country cannot progress or cooperate with other countries without a soft image and a decrease in daily news of persecution.”

in brief BANGLADESH PROFESSOR FACES SEDITION CHARGES A Dhaka University professor along with two others is facing sedition charges for allegedly defaming Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh, and distorting the history of the 1971 Liberation War. Aminul Islam Bulbul, the president of the central committee of the Muktijuddha Mancha, filed a written complaint against Professor Morshed Hasan Khan, daily Jai Jai Din editor Kazi Rokonuddin Ahmed and daily Naya Diganta editor Alamgir Mohiuddin at the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate. The court has ordered the police investigate and submit a report by October 20, after taking the plaintiff's statement into account. 'Sedition cases require the approval of the home ministry. The investigation agency will submit a report if they find any substance in the claims after investigating the allegations and quizzing the plaintiff,” the court's clerk Rakib Chowdhury said.

PAK APPOINTS FIRST VC OF BABA GURU NANAK UNIVERSITY Pakistan's Punjab government appointed the first vice-chancellor of the Baba Guru Nanak International University in Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Sikhism's founder Guru Nanak. Professor Asghar Zaidi, the vice-chancellor of the College University Lahore, has been given the additional charge of the post of vice chancellor of Baba Guru Nanak International University (BGNIU). He will be the first vice chancellor of the varsity located about some 80 km from Lahore. A notification was issued by the Punjab Higher Education Department after the approval of Chancellor/Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar. In October, 2019, Prime Minister Imran Khan had laid the foundation stone of the BGNIU in Nankana Sahib. 'It is a matter of great pride for me that I will work as the first/founder Vice Chancellor of Baba Guru Nanak International University.' said Zaidi, an eminent social policy analyst and a recent recipient of Tamgha-i-Imtiaz.

SRI LANKA’S DEATH ROW MP TAKES PARLIAMENTARY OATH A Sri Lankan lawmaker from the ruling party, who was elected to Parliament while serving a death sentence in a murder case, was sworn in as an MP by the speaker. Sri Lanka People's Party (SLPP) lawmaker Premalal Jayasekera was convicted in a murder case on July 31, just days ahead of the August 5 parliamentary elections which he contested from the south western Ratnapura region. He was sworn in as a member of parliament by speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena. His oath taking followed the court of appeal issuing an interim order directing the Commissioner-General of Prisons to make arrangements for Jayasekara to attend Parliament. Jayasekara had filed a writ petition before the Court of Appeal asking for a relief. The appeal court order had come after the Attorney-General Dappula de Livera's ruling last week that Jayasekara is “unsuitable to either sit in parliament or vote in the house”.

TWO US COPS SHOT IN AMBUSH Two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies were recovering after being shot in Compton in what authorities described as an “ambush” that was captured on surveillance video. The video shows a man walking up to the deputies’ parked patrol car, pulling out a gun and firing several times into the front seat area from the passenger side. The assailant is then seen running from the scene. Officials asked for the public’s help to locate the person who opened fire. According to the Sheriff’s office, one male deputy and a female deputy were ambushed as they sat in their patrol vehicle. Both sustained multiple gunshot wounds and are in critical condition. The deputies were listed in critical condition but were expected to survive. One was shot in the face and other in the head. Sheriff Alex Villanueva described one of the injured deputies as a 31-year-old mother of a 6year-old boy and the other as a 24-year-old man. He said both deputies were sworn into office just 14 months ago.

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AFRICA & SRI LANKA 21

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19 - 25 September 2020

in brief US, MALDIVES SIGN DEFENCE DEAL The US has signed a framework for defence cooperation with Maldives to deepen engagement in support of maintaining peace and security in the strategic Indian Ocean, the Pentagon has announced, as the Trump administration looks for strengthening alliances in the Indo-Pacific to counter China’s growing presence in the region. The framework for defence and security relationship was signed between the US deputy assistant secretary of defence for south and southeast Asia Reed Werner and Maldivian minister of defence Mariya Didi. “The framework sets forth both countries’ intent to deepen cooperation in support of maintaining peace and security in the Indian Ocean, and marks an important step forward,” Pentagon said.

US GOVT FORMALLY PROPOSES DNA COLLECTION OF IMMIGRANTS The Trump administration formally proposed a sweeping expansion of its collection of DNA and other biometric data of immigrants, to go beyond detained migrants in order to include US citizen sponsors and others. Its proposal also vastly expands the biological information that the department of homeland security collects beyond genetic material to include eye scans, voice prints, and palm prints, the department’s US Citizenship and Immigration Services said in a notice published in the Federal Register. The proposal, first announced on September 1, would vastly expand such collections that DHS said would help prove family relationships, verify identities, and check criminal histories. It also moves to include children, among other changes. Critics have said it raises serious privacy concerns. It is unclear when DHS will finalise the rule. Representatives for the department did not respond to a request for comment. Public comment on the measure is due on October 13.

US CANCELS VISAS OF 1,000 CHINESE NATIONALS The US has revoked visas for more than 1,000 Chinese nationals under a presidential measure denying entry to students and researchers deemed security risks, the state department said, a move China called a violation of human rights. The acting head of the US department of homeland security, Chad Wolf, said earlier that Washington was blocking visas “for certain Chinese graduate students and researchers with ties to China’s military fusion strategy to prevent them from stealing and otherwise appropriating sensitive research.” In a speech, Wolf repeated US charges of unjust business practices and industrial espionage by China, including attempts to steal coronavirus research, and accused it of abusing student visas to exploit American academia. Wolf said the US was also “preventing goods produced from slave labour from entering our markets,” an apparent reference to accusations of abuse of Muslims in Xinjiang.

NEW FIRE ERUPTS IN BEIRUT PORT AREA A store of oil and tyres at Beirut port caught fire last week, a military source said, a little more than a month after a massive blast devastated the port and a surrounding residential area of the Lebanese capital. The fire erupted in the duty free zone of the port, sending a huge column of smoke above the city. The military source said the cause of the blaze was not immediately clear. Television footage showed firefighters trying to douse the blaze at the port, where warehouses and concrete grain silos were shattered by the Aug. 4 blast. About 190 people were killed in last month’s explosion and a swathe of Beirut near the port was ruined. The blast was caused by a huge store of ammonium nitrate that had been kept at the port in haphazard manner for years.

Lanka's proposed constitution amendment faces resistance COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan government's proposed 20th Constitution Amendment has faced resistance from within a faction of the ruling SLPP parliamentary group itself. The government on September 2 gazetted the 20th Constitution Amendment draft, the new proposed legislation that would replace the 19th Amendment introduced in 2015 that curtailed the powers of the President and strengthened the role of Parliament. The 19A was seen as the most progressive pro-democracy reformist move since Sri Lanka came to be governed under the all-powerful executive presidency in 1978. It depoliticised the government administration by ensuring the independence of key pillars such as the judiciary, public service and elections. The 20th Amendment proposes to restore full legal immunity to the President, removing

Gotabaya Rajapaksa

the provisions made in the 19A to take legal action against the President. The office of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in a statement said that a nine-member ministerial committee has been appointed to review the 20A in its present form and, if needed, a fresh gazette will be issued. Ever since the government gazetted the 20A, some of the ruling SLPP's own parliamentarians and the party's allies have been publicly expressing unhappiness over its certain provisions, the party members said. If

the 20A is implemented in its present form, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will be the hardest-hit as his current powers as the premier would be diminished with his younger brother and the President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, assuming full executive power, they said. Moreover, Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also a twotime president, will not be able to contest for the presidential election again as the two term bar has been retained in the 20A draft, the party members said. The draft legislation was to be placed in Parliament's order book this week for debate and adaptation. However, it faced internal resistance from within a faction of the SLPP parliamentary group. And now, with Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also the leader of the Sri Lanka People's Party (SLPP), appointing a committee, this process could be delayed, they said. The committee is expected

to submit its report by September 15. The 20A has proposed several changes which include the replacement of the vital Constitutional Council (CC) with a new body called the Parliamentary council. 'The PC will consist only of members of parliament with no place for civil society representatives,' according to local media reports. Also, three independent commissions, which include the Election Commission, will be abolished. According to 20A, the chairpersons and members of the commissions shall be appointed by the president. In making such appointments, the president shall seek the observations of the Parliamentary Council (PC). Earlier under the 19A, all these appointments were the responsibility of the CC. President Gotabaya outlined his commitment to abolish the 19th Amendment during his ceremonial address to Parliament last month.

Kenya, Tanzania talks over KQ flights ban hit stalemate NAIROBI: Kenyan airlines, including the national carrier Kenya Airways, face a lengthier ban from the Tanzanian market as the two nations hardened their stance in a dispute over the management of the Covid-19 pandemic. KQ, alongside AirKenya Express, Fly540 and Safarilink Aviation, remain locked out the Tanzanian market for a second month now in revenge for a decision by Nairobi to retain Tanzania on the red list of nations with high risk of coronavirus cases. Travellers from the countries listed as high-risk face a mandatory two-week quarantine in Kenya as part of measures meant to curb the spread of the virus. Attempts to resolve the stand-off have not yielded fruit, with Tanzanian

authorities maintaining that the ban on Kenyan airlines would only be reviewed if Kenya dropped its nationals from the Covid-19 red list. But Kenya has stuck to its guns, saying that allowing free movement of persons from Tanzania would compromise the health and safety of its citizens. "Tanzania wants Kenya to relax the Covid-19 restrictions before they allow the resumption of flights. However, we are still engaged in negotiation with the authorities there on the way forward and we are hopeful a solution will be found soon," said Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) director-general Gilbert Kibe, who is leading the Kenyan delegation the negotiations. President John Magufuli’s refusal to impose lockdowns or

physical distancing measures and decision to halt the release of figures on infections since late April, has made him a regional outlier and caused concern among Tanzania’s neighbours and the World Health Organisation (WHO). The lengthy ban from the Tanzanian market deals a major blow to Kenyan airlines, especially for KQ which is trying to re-coup losses from several months of Covid-related restrictions on local and international travel. Rival Rwandair last week announced resumption of three flights to Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro via Nairobi hoping to fill the gap caused by the ban on KQ and other Kenyan airlines. Tanzania is a critical destination for KQ, which had planned two daily

Uganda and Tanzania sign $3.5 bn oil pipeline deal Kampala: Tanzania and Uganda have signed an agreement allowing for the construction of a 1,445 km crude oil pipeline. The $3.5bn (£2.7m) project will connect Uganda's oil fields to Tanzania's port of Tanga. The signing ceremony was attended by the presidents of both countries. Oil reserves were found in Uganda in 2006 but producTanzania's President John Magufuli and Uganda's President Yoweri tion has been delayed partly Museveni signing the deal by a lack of infrastructure Uganda's nature reserves. French oil giant including an export pipeline. A start date for Total is leading the plans along with China's construction has not yet been announced for CNOOC, and the governments of Uganda what is set to become East Africa's first major and Tanzania. Sunday's ceremony comes days oil pipeline. after Total, the majority shareholder in But there are warnings the project could Uganda's oil fields, said it had reached an come at a huge cost to some Ugandan comagreement on the pipeline with Uganda's munities. More than 12,000 families risk losgovernment. About 80% of the pipeline will ing their land and livelihoods, according to a run through Tanzania and the project is joint report by the International Federation expected to create more than 18,000 jobs for for Human Rights (FIDH) and Oxfam. Tanzanians, reports quotes government Conservationists have also warned that spokesman Hassan Abassi as saying. ecosystems are at risk from the drilling in

flights to Dar es Salaam and three weekly flights to the resort city of Zanzibar from August 1 when Kenya resumed international flights. The plans, however, hit a wall after the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) on July 30 barred KQ flights, citing the decision by Nairobi to exclude Tanzania from the list of countries whose nationals would be allowed entry under revised coronavirus control measures. Prior to the ban KQ, which operates its regional hub from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, had a permit to fly 14 times to Dar es Salaam every week, three times to Kilimanjaro and two times to Zanzibar, mostly ferrying tourists and business travellers.

Uhuru commits Sh50b for counties to end revenue impasse NAIROBI: Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta has convened a meeting of the leaders to discuss the county revenue sharing stalemate at the Senate. During the meeting has pledged to raise next year's counties budget by Sh50 billion, the latest of inducements seeking to unlock the stalemate on the revenue sharing formula. The Senate has failed to pass the formula that would determine how counties would share Sh316.5 billion for a record nine times. The allocation of the additional funds for the financial year 2021/22, Uhuru said, will be dependent on the financial performance of the economy. Kenyatta made the pledge when he hosted leaders at State House, Nairobi to discuss the county revenue sharing stalemate at the Senate. The meeting – attended by Raila Odinga and Chairman of the Council of Governors Wycliffe Oparanya – resolved that the funds will go towards strengthening devolution.State House spokesperson Kanze Dena said the Senate was represented by Majority leader Samuel Poghisio and Majority chief whip Irungu Kang'ata.

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US House of Representatives pass legislation to honour slain Sikh cop WASHINGTON: The US House of Representatives has unanimously passed a legislation to name a post office in Houston after IndianAmerican police officer Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, who was gunned down in the line of duty a year ago. The bipartisan legislation, Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office Act, was co-sponsored by the entire Texas delegation. “Deputy (Sheriff) Dhaliwal represented the very best of our community: he worked for equality, connection, and community through his life of service to others,” said Lizzie Congresswoman Fletcher. Dhaliwal, 42, the first observant Sikh in Texas police, was killed in the line of duty on September 27, 2019. In October of 2019, Fletcher led the entire Houston delegation in introducing H Res. 616, a resolution to honour the life and mourn the loss of Dhaliwal. “Deputy Dhaliwal was widely regarded as a role model

Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal

for Americans of all faiths, wishing to serve their communities. He was the first observant Sikh to serve in the Harris County Sheriff's Office, and he was also one of the first officers in Texas to receive a policy accommodation to practice his religion while serving as a police officer,” Fletcher said on the House floor on Monday afternoon. “The Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office will serve as a permanent reminder of his service, his sacrifice, and his example for us all. I am grateful that my legislation to honour his memory has passed the House of Representatives today

and is one step closer to being signed into law,” she said. If signed into law, the post office will be the second to be named after an Indian-American. The first was named after the first Indian-American Congressman, Dalip Singh Saund, in Southern California in 2006. The Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office Act now has to be passed by the Senate before it can be sent to the White House for President Donald Trump to sign into law. Dhaliwal's wife Harwinder Kaur welcomed the move. “Naming a post office after him will honour his work and dedication, and I am happy that this bill has passed the House today,” she said. 'My son was beloved by all in his community, and performed his job and participated in seva (selfless service) with respect, dignity, and care,” said his father Pyara Singh Dhaliwal. “He lived as a symbol of the strength that comes from diversity and unity, and this building will serve as another

permanent reminder of how much he meant to our family and the people of Houston. We are so thankful for this effort to honour his legacy and his commitment to our city,” he said. The recognition of Dhaliwal’s legacy by naming a federal building in his honour is a historic and deeply meaningful acknowledgment for the family and the Sikh community, said Sim J Singh, Sikh Coalition Senior Manager of Policy and Advocacy. In 2015, Lt. Dhaliwal became the first Sikh American in Texas to receive a policy accommodation to serve while wearing his articles of faith, including his turban and beard. He was the first Sikh police officer to serve in the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and was a role model and a trailblazer for Sikh Americans and religious minorities that sought to serve in law enforcement. Born in India, Dhaliwal, at an early age, moved to Houston along with his parents.

Trump claims PM Modi’s praise on Covid-19 testing WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised him for doing a great job in coronavirus testing, as he continued to slam his Democratic opponent Joe Biden for being a complete disaster in handling the swine flu during the previous administration. “By far, we’ve tested more people than India, than many, many big countries put together. India is second (in coronavirus testing after the US). We’re 44 million tests ahead of India. They have 1.5 billion people. And Prime Minister Modi calls me and says, what a job you’ve done with testing,” Trump said at an election rally in Reno, Nevada.

Trump is currently making a swing of some of the key states in the West Coast and has been spending a considerable amount of time in Nevada. The president said that PM Modi’s comment on testing being done by the US needs to be explained to the media, which is after him over his handling of the Covid 19 pandemic. “I said, explain that to these dishonest people (media people) back (at the election rally). Biden”s record demonstrates that if he had been in charge, when the China virus arrived, hundreds of thousands of more Americans would have died. As vice president, he presided over the worst and the weakest and the slowest economic recovery, since the great depression,”

Biden supporters release remix of 'Lagaan' song to attract Indian-Americans WASHINGTON: Democratic Party members released a musical video remix of 'Chale Chalo' song from Bollywood movie 'Lagaan', aimed at attracting IndianAmericans to support their presidential nominee, former vice president Joe Biden. 'Chale Chalo, Chale Chalo, Biden ko Vote do, Biden ki Jeet Ho, Unki Haar Haan,' says the lyrics of the song which has been sung by Silicon Valley-based Bollywood singer Titli Banerjee and released by entrepreneur couple Ajay and Vinita Bhutoria. 'It is a warfighting song, drawing from the energy of Indian celebrations, inspiring our community to awaken and vote for Biden-Harris in November,” Bhutoria said after the video was released on various social media platforms. He is also on the National AAPI Leadership Council and the National Finance committee for Biden for President 2020. This is the second national IndianAmerican outreach video that the couple has produced to unite all South-Asians and people of Indian-origin to support Biden and (Kamala) Harris.

Narendra Modi and Donald Trump

Trump said. Trump said that it was the most pathetic recovery, since the depression. “No state was hit harder by Biden”s failure than Nevada. This is not the guy you want,” he said. Trump said that he has spent the last four

years bringing jobs back to America, securing borders, rebuilding the military and standing up to China, like never before. “Nobody had ever stood up to China like we have and you haven't seen the last of it,” he said.

US spacecraft named after Kalpana Chawla WASHINGTON: An American commercial cargo spacecraft bound for the International Space Station has been named after fallen NASA astronaut Kalpana Chawla, the first India-born woman to enter space, for her key contributions to human spaceflight. Northrop Grumman, an American global aerospace and defence technology company, announced that its next Cygnus capsule will be named the "S.S. Kalpana Chawla", in memory of the mission specialist who died with her six crew mates aboard the space shuttle Columbia in 2003. "Kalpana Chawla was selected in honour of her prominent place in history as the first woman of Indian descent to go to space," it said. "While Kalpana Chawla made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the space programme, her legacy lives on through her fellow astronauts and those she has inspired to follow in her footsteps," it said. "Her final research conducted onboard Columbia helped us understand astronaut health and safety during spaceflight. Northrop Grumman is proud to celebrate the life of Kalpana Chawla and her dream of flying through the air and in space," it said. The SS Kalpana Chawla capsule is scheduled to launch on the NG-14 mission

atop a Northrop Grumman Antares rocket from the MidAtlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on September 29. The Kalpana Chawla spacecraft will arrive at and be attached to the space station two days later. For the NG-14 mission, the Cygnus spacecraft will deliver approximately 3,629 kg of cargo to the space station. Kalpana Chawla was born in Karnal, Haryana on March 17, 1962. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from Punjab Engineering College in India in 1982. She then moved to the United States to pursue her graduate education; in 1984 she received a Master's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas, and a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado in 1988. She held commercial pilot's licenses for single-and multi-engine aeroplanes, seaplanes and gliders, and was also a certified flight instructor.

in brief NURSE CONVICTED OF KILLING 85 PATIENTS LOSES APPEAL A German federal court has rejected an appeal by a former German nurse convicted in the killing of 85 patients. Last year, 42year-old Niels Hoegel was sentenced to life in prison for deliberately inducing cardiac arrest in patients by injecting them with certain drugs. According to reports, Hoegel would give his victims overdoses of medications because he enjoyed the feeling of resuscitating them. Dubbed by some unsuspecting colleagues at the time as “resuscitation Rambo,” Hoegel “always pushed everyone else aside” when he attempted to revive the overdosed patients. Many patients, however, weren’t able to be saved. Hoegel was originally accused of killing 100 patients from 1999 until 2005. On June 6, 2019, he was sentenced in the killing of 85 of them.

2 OZ SCRIBES FLEE CHINA FEARING ARREST Two Australian journalists fled China under diplomatic protection, fearing arrest as political pawns in the worsening relationship between Canberra and Beijing. Their dramatic overnight exit came following days of secret wrangling that had seen both men holed up in Australia’s diplomatic missions to escape the clutches of China’s feared security police. Bill Birtles and Michael Smith had to consent to questioning before they were allowed to leave China. Both men were quizzed about fellow Australian journalist Cheng Lei, who has been detained since last month. Beijing acknowledged for the first time that she was being held on national security grounds - a broad category that can include crimes resulting in lengthy prison sentences. China confirmed the two men had been questioned, but insisted the move had been legitimate.

EU DIPLOMATS AT BELARUS NOBEL WINNER’S HOME TO PREVENT ARREST Nobel prize-winning author Svetlana Alexievich accused the authorities in Belarus of terrorising their own people as another opposition politician was detained by masked men in plain clothes. Maxim Znak was the latest figure to be seized in a systematic campaign by the government of President Alexander Lukashenko to round up leaders of a protest movement. “What is happening is terror against the people,” said Alexievich, who summoned supporters to her home. “We have to unite and not give up our intentions,” she said. In a show of solidarity with Alexievich, who won the 2015 Nobel Prize for Literature, diplomats from at least seven European countries joined her in her flat. Lithuania said the envoys’ aim was partly to protect the author from abuse. Znak was detained two days after another opposition leader, Maria Kolesnikova, was snatched in the street by masked men. Both are leaders of protests demanding Lukashenko’s resignation.

33 KILLED AS WILDFIRES RAVAGE US WEST COAST The death toll from wildfires that have ravaged the United States' West Coast has risen to 33 as the National Weather Service has issued a "red flag warning" amid high winds and dry conditions in Oregon and some California counties. Authorities said the conditions are expected to "contribute to a significant spread of new and existing fires", amid days of blazes across the states of California, Oregon and Washington that have destroyed neighbourhoods and forest land, leaving barren and grey landscapes the size of New Jersey. At least 10 people have been killed in the past week throughout Oregon.

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in brief

PRASHAN BUSHAN PAYS ₹1 FINE, SEEKS REVIEW OF CONVICTION Advocate Prashant Bhushan deposited Re 1 fine in the Supreme Court on Monday to escape punishment of three months imprisonment and three years debarment from practice in the SC but sought review of the August 14 judgment convicting him of contempt for tweeting “false and malicious” statements against the SC and CJIs, present and former. Though he had posed for a photograph with a one rupee coin in hand along with his counsel and senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan on August 31, when he was sentenced by a bench of Justices Arun Mishra, B R Gavai and Krishna Murari, Bhushan on Monday deposited a bank draft for Re 1 with the SC registry. After depositing the bank draft, dated September 11 and drawn on ICICI Bank, Bhushan filed a petition seeking review of the August 14 judgment convicting him of contempt. The SC in its 108-page judgment had found him guilty of criminal contempt of court for his two “false and malicious” tweets scandalising the CJI and the SC.

SHAH IN AIIMS FOR MEDICAL CHECK-UP Home minister Amit Shah was admitted to AIIMS late on Saturday night for a “complete medical check-up”, the premier hospital said in a statement on Sunday. The hospital said Shah, who was admitted to AIIMS on August 18 for post-Covid care, was readmitted for a complete medical check-up ahead of Parliament’s monsoon session which began on Monday. According to reports, Shah was taken to AIIMS after he complained of breathing problem. Sources said he has been lodged in the CN tower, a facility reserved for VVIPs. He is under the care of AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria and his condition is said to be stable. Shah had tested positive for Covid-19 on August 2 and was admitted to Medanta Medicity in Gurgaon. He was discharged on August 14 after he tested negative. However, he had to be admitted to AIIMS on August 18 for post-Covid care after he complained of fatigue and body ache. At the time of his discharge on August 31, AIIMS had issued a statement saying the minister had fully recovered and was fit to resume his routine activities.

HARIVANSH ELECTED RS DEPUTY CHAIRMAN The NDA's enhanced strength in Parliament was on display on Monday when the ruling combine's nominee Harivansh Singh of (JD(U) was elected as deputy chairperson of Rajya Sabha. Although the outcome of the contest had always seemed a foregone conclusion given the steady growth in BJP's numbers and its ability to wean numbers away from the non-NDA benches, the contest marked the opposition’s failure to put up even a semblance of a fight. Harivansh was elected through voice vote. RJD’s Manoj Jha, who also belongs to Bihar, was in the fray from the opposition camp for the "token" fight. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Harivansh, JD(U) member from Bihar, for his second election to the position of deputy chairman, fusing the latter's individual achievement with the pride of the poll-bound state. Modi recalled the contributions of stalwart from Bihar like Jaiprakash Narayan, popularly known as JP, and Karpoori Thakur while congratulating Harivansh. Modi said there have been constant efforts to ensure that proceedings of the upper House don't get stalled.

Court rejects bail pleas of Rhea, brother in drug case Actor Rhea Chakraborty, arrested over drugs charges linked to the Sushant Singh Rajput case, was denied bail by a Mumbai court. The bail requests of her brother Showik Chakraborty and eight other accused were also rejected. Rhea will stay in Byculla jail, where she was taken after a magistrate sent her to judicial custody till September 22. Her lawyer will now approach the Bombay High Court for bail. In her bail request, Rhea had retracted her confession and said she was "coerced into making self-incriminatory confessions". She said she had "not committed any crime whatsoever and had been falsely implicated in the case". She had also claimed rape and death threats and "a severe toll on her mental health and well-being" because of multiple investigations. But the Narcotics Control Bureau argued that if released on bail, the actor "may tamper with the evidence and also try to win over witnesses using her position in the society and money power". Rhea had conscious knowledge of drugs use by her boyfriend Sushant Singh Rajput, said the agency, and had "made herself part of this offence by procuring drugs" for him. The anti-drugs bureau said Rhea used her credit card and payment gateways to facilitate financial transactions related to dealing of "illicit drug trafficking." It also insisted her confes-

sion was "voluntary", not coerced, and admissible in the court of law. The anti-drugs agency said the drugs financed (by Rhea) were not meant for personal consumption but for supplying them to another person. "Therefore, Section 27A of NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act) is applicable and she cannot escape the clutches of law," it argued. The 28-year-old actor was arrested last week on charges of buying drugs for Sushant Singh Rajput, a rising movie star whose death on June 14 is being investigated by various agencies including the CBI. Rhea's questioning opens pandora's box Rhea's interrogation has opened up a Pandora's box. Confronted with documentary evidence, the actress conceded she was in touch with drug peddlers who were also supplying 'buds' (curated marijuana) to

various other Bollywood personalities including well-known actors, directors and producers, highly placed sources in the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) said Based on the revelations made by Rhea, her brother Showik and four key drug peddlers of Mumbai, the NCB has prepared a list of more than two dozen suspects including kingpins of drug trafficking syndicates, peddlers and Bollywood personalities who were procuring drugs ranging from curated marijuana buds to high-quality cocaine. The NCB would soon launch a crackdown on the Bollywood-drug mafia nexus which runs deep in the film industry allegedly linked with underworld gangs. In the NCB's remand application, the apex anti-drug agency has alleged that Rhea and her brother Showik were active members of a drug syndicate. The NCB says Showik was procuring drugs from Abdel

Basit Parihar and Kaizen Ibrahim on behalf of Rhea. According to sources, during subsequent investigation the NCB discovered that Parihar and Ibrahim were linked to a top drug cartel active in Mumbai. The cartel, through Parihar and Ibrahim, was supplying drugs to other Bollywood-linked persons living in Mumbai's Bandra, Juhu and Andheri neighbourhoods. Earlier the NCB had arrested another drug trafficker Fayaz Ahmed in Goa on September 2, who was also supplying drugs to Bollywood personalities. During Fayaz's questioning, the agency unravelled the entire network and the Bollywood-drug mafia nexus. Ahmed revealed that drugs were being transported by means of parcels through the Foreign Post Office in New Delhi. One of the consignments was dispatched by one Dan Patel, a resident of Modugno street, Saint Laurent, Canada. Saint Laurent, a borough of Montreal city in Canada's Quebec state, is infamous for drug cartels and crime syndicates, many of whom have Indian connections. In his questioning, Fayaz Ahmed has reportedly said that parcels containing curated marijuana were collected either from New Delhi or from a shop located in Calangute-Anjuna Road in Goa. Once the consignment reached Ahmed, the suppliers in Mumbai were contacted. For every one gram of buds, Rs 5,000 to 6000 were charged.

Rafale induction gives India edge in region: Rajnath As India formally inducted the 4.5-generation Rafale fighter jets into the Indian Air Force (IAF) last week to give a boost to its air power after over two decades, defence minister Rajnath Singh, in a clear reference to the current standoff with China in eastern Ladakh, said the induction of the fighter jets is a strong message for those who challenge India’s sovereignty. “The induction of Rafale jets is a big and stern message to the entire world, especially to those eyeing our sovereignty. This kind of induction is very important for the kind of atmosphere that has been created on our borders,” the defence minister said without naming China. France’s armed forces minister Florence Parly, who accompanied Singh at the induction ceremony at the country’s oldest, largest and strategically important airbase at Ambala, said with the induction of Rafale, in military terms, India will acquire a world-class capability that will give New Delhi an incredible sovereignty. In strategic terms, this will give India an edge over the entire region to defend itself, she said. Parly also stated that the French government supports India’s claim for permanent membership of the UN Security Council.

Rafale to be part of ‘Golden Arrows’ squadron The Rafale aircraft would be part of the 17th Squadron, which is popularly known as the “Golden Arrows”, at the Ambala airbase. Prior to this, the IAF had inducted Sukhoi-30 in its fleet 23 years ago.

Describing the Rafale deal as a game-changer for India’s national security, Singh, in his 14-minute address, reiterated the resolve of not compromising India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity under any circumstances and the country’s determination to make all possible preparations for it. “The intentions of the military are as strong as it can be,” he said. Asserting that strengthening of the defence forces is aimed at achieving international peace and stability, the defence minis-

ter added, “We do not want to take any step that can endanger international peace. We have the same expectation of our neighbours and other countries of the world.” Singh also congratulated the IAF personnel for the swift and decisive action taken by them near the LAC recently and added that the rapid deployment of IAF assets at forward bases created a trust that IAF was fully prepared to meet its operational obligations. Describing the Rafale induction as a reflection of close strategic relations between India and France, Singh said both the countries have cooperated closely in a number of areas to enhance defence cooperation.

13,74,000 Indians have returned from abroad As many as 13,74,000 Indians have returned from abroad after the government launched the 'Vande Bharat' evacuation mission on May 7 in view of the coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of External Affairs said. Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the Vande Bharat Mission Phase 6 became operational on September 1 and 1,007 international flights have been scheduled to operate during

this month. 'We expect to repatriate over 200,000 people,' he said at an online media briefing. 'As on 10 September, 13,74,000 Indians have been repatriated through different modes of the Vande Bharat Mission viz. Air India, private and foreign carriers, chartered flights, naval ships and land border crossings,' Srivastava said. Of these, 270 international flights have already been operated from GCC countries, Jordan,

Afghanistan, Maldives, China, Thailand, US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and Australia, he said. Bilateral travel arrangements form the bulk of this phase with travel 'bubble' flight operations from 11 countries, he said. The ministry continues to monitor the demand for repatriation through our mission and posts and 'we are working with the airlines to ensure assistance', he said.

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DMK vows to dislodge AIADMK from power in Tamil Nadu CHENNAI: The DMK's general council in Chennai last week dubbed the AIADMK government as "anti-people" and vowed to dislodge it from power and make party president MK Stalin as Chief Minister by winning the Assembly elections next year. The party unanimously elected veteran Duraimurugan as general secretary and senior leader TR Baalu as treasurer. Former telecom minister A Raja and seasoned party leader K Ponmudi were elected as deputy general secretaries. Alleging that the AIADMK regime was tainted by corruption, the party, in its meet presided by Stalin, condemned the Centre for ''guarding'' such a regime for the past about four years. The AIADMK is in power in Tamil Nadu since 2011 and following the death of late J Jayalalithaa on December 5,

MK Stalin

2016, K Palaniswami became Chief Minister on February 16, 2017. the state Accusing government of failure in tackling the coronavirus pandemic, the DMK, in a resolution alleged irregularities in issuance of e-pass, tenders, and in several areas, including procurement of test kits. "This general council condemns the government for AIADMK causing an overall setback to the socio-economic and industrial growth in Tamil Nadu... for

corruption in tenders of all departments," a resolution said, adding that those behind the "coronavirus pandemic corruption" would be made to answer. Another resolution alleged that the AIADMK government was an embodiment of corruption and extravagance that pushed the people into an unending cycle of hassles. The government is "anti-people," marked by administrative failure and functioned for only "commission, corruption and collection," the party alleged. The DMK also targeted its arch rival on a slew of other issues, including the state government''s "inability" to get exemption for Tamil Nadu from the National Eligibility-cum Entrance Test, and for trying to implement the Chennai-Salem expressway, which is against the "interests of farmers." Hence, "this general council

vows to slog to make party president Stalin as Chief Minister to take Tamil Nadu on the pathway of growth again by trouncing the anti-people and anti-democratic AIADMK in the 2021 Assembly elections," a resolution said. Duraimurugan has held several posts in the DMK, including that of principal secretary and deputy general secretary and he is a former state inister and nine time MLA. The 82-year-old Duraimurugan, an advocate by profession, resigned from the post of treasurer in March to enable him to contest for the post of general secretary. The post had fallen vacant following the demise of top leader K Anbazhagan in March, who held that post for over four decades. DMK's Parliamentary Party leader TR Baalu and the party's Villupuram district strongman K Ponmudi have held several positions in the party organisation.

PUNJAB

Now, SAD too seeks review of farm ordinances CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), a member of the ruling coalition, appealed to the BJP-led Centre not to present the three farm ordinances for approval in Parliament until “all reservations” expressed by farmers are “duly addressed.” A proposal in this effect was taken at a meeting of the core committee which was presided over by SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal. The core committee felt that it was its responsibility to get the reservations of the 'annadaata' (farmers) addressed and asserted that it was committed to taking up all issues raised by farmers with the Union government, said a party release. The statement came, amid widespread criticism by many farmers' organisations of the three farm ordinances promulgated by the Centre. The appeal from the SAD for

not enacting laws on ordinances came despite the party earlier maintaining that the Centre has assured that these ordinances will have no bearing on the existing crop procurement policy. Last month, Sukhbir Badal had even said that Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had written to him that there was no change in the present policy of the purchase of agriculture produce through Minimum Support Price through state agencies. Badal had even accused Chief Minister Amarinder Singh of trying to “mislead” people on this issue. Farmers have expressed apprehension that these ordinances would pave the way for dismantling of the MSP system and they would be at the “mercy” of big corporates. They have been demanding rollback of these ordinances. The ordinances are the Farmers'

Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020. The SAD's core committee noted that the SAD leadership met representatives of farmer organisations and those of 'khet mazdoor' (farm labour) during the last few days. “It also held discussions with farm experts to take their views, besides taking the view of grassroots party workers as well as the senior party leadership,” the party said in a release. A considered view has emerged that the Union government should not rush for enacting laws on the ordinances till the apprehensions conveyed to the SAD were addressed, said the release.

ANDHRA WOMAN DIES WHILE TAKING SELFIE IN US A young woman from Andhra Pradesh drowned after she accidentally slipped and fell into a waterfall in the US. The woman is reported to have slipped while taking a selfie with her fiance. Polavarapu Kamala and her finace had made a stop at the Bald River Falls while returning home after a visit to her relatives in Atlanta. The couple reportedly slipped and fell off the waterfall while talking a selfie. While the man was rescued, Kamala was reportedly found lying unconscious near a log. Rescuers performed prolonged CPR on her but could not revive her. Kamala, who was from Gudlavaleru in Krishna district, had gone to the US after completing her graduation. She was working with a software company.

CENTRE URGED TO CONFER BHARAT RATNA ON NARASIMHA RAO The Telangana Assembly has passed a resolution urging the Centre to confer Bharat Ratna on former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao posthumously on the occasion of his ongoing birth centenary celebrations and also install his statue in the Parliament premises. A resolution to this effect, moved by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, was adopted by the House. The resolution also urged the Centre to name the Central University in Hyderabad after Narasimha Rao. The opposition Congress and BJP supported the resolution, while the AIMIM stayed away from the Assembly proceedings.

ARREST WARRANT AGAINST FORMER PUNJAB DGP

Sukhbir Singh Badal

Badal conveyed to the core committee that he had also been approached by farmers as well as farm organisations from adjoining states and that all of them had expressed apprehensions about the central ordinances and urged the SAD to take up their issues and grievances with the central leadership. “Taking this into account, the SAD is also of the view that the concerns should be taken up for consideration by the Centre,” said the party.

Mohali court has issued an arrest warrant against former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in connection with the 1991 Balwant Singh Multani disappearance case. The court has directed the police to produce Saini by September 25, according to the order. Saini, the former Punjab director-general of police, continues to remain elusive despite the special investigation team of the Punjab Police conducting raids at several places to nab him. Saini, whose whereabouts were still unknown, was booked in May in connection with the disappearance of Multani in 1991 when he was working as a junior engineer with Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Corporation. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had dismissed Saini’s anticipatory bail plea in this matter. The HC had also dismissed Saini’s second petition that sought quashing of an FIR in the case or the transfer of investigation to the CBI. A Mohali court had dismissed his bail plea on September 1.

WEST BENGAL

Luminaries write to Bengal govt against Visva-Bharati authorities KOLKATA: Several luminaries, including members of Rabindranath Tagore's family, have written to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee against the Visva- Bharati authorities, urging her government to take possession of a century-old heritage road as they fear that access to it might be blocked. Considering the spree of building high boundary walls in several parts of Shantiniketan and creating a "prison-like atmosphere", there are apprehensions that the 3-km road connecting Visva-Bharati with Tagore's dream village Sriniketan will also be blocked for public soon and a new road come up in its place, said the letter written by 40 eminent persons, including a

member of painter Nandalal Bose's family. "An 8-9 feet high wall is nearing completion on a portion of this old road which is dotted with residences of luminaries like Amartya Sen, Khsitimohan Sen and Nandalal Bose," the letter written in Bengali said. "Once the

wall is completed, this road will be out of bounds for residents of Sripally, Simanta Pally, Pearson Pally, Andrew's Pally, Deer Park, Binoy Bhavan and Sriniketan, and a part of history and heritage of Santiniketan will be lost," it added. If an alternative new road is carved out for movement between

Shantiniketan and Sriniketan, the old road will be blocked by VisvaBharati as the varsity authorities have been undertaking such projects "unilaterally" without taking into consideration the objection of many ashramites and locals, they alleged in the letter. "If the road is taken back by the state PWD, such an old thoroughfare will not be made inaccessible to the people and the objective of Tagore to set up VisvaBharati and Shantiniketan will not be lost," they said. The ashramites the residents of the campus and the neighbourhood, including former students and teachers - said they had written to Visva-Bharati vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty in February against erecting such high walls but did not get any response.

"We hope that the sentiments of those who had been living in this area for ages before Visva Bharati became a central establishment will be given due recognition by you," they said in the letter sent to the chief minister. Among the signatories of the letter were Supriyo Tagore and Subhra Tagore, descendants of the 'Bard of Bengal' and former principals of Pathabhavan and Mrinalini Pathabhavan, besides Nandalal Bose's grandson Suprabuddha Sen. Visva-Bharati authorities were not available for comments. On August 17, the move of Visva-Bharati, founded by Tagore in 1921, to build fencing around the Poush Mela ground triggered violence and the varsity's properties were vandalised by a mob.

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The writer is a Socio-political Historian - E-mail: haridesai@gmail.com

Kangana meets Maharashtra Breach of Faith: Abolition governor for ‘justice’ Dr. Hari Desai

of Privy Purses • For her own populist politics PM Indira Gandhi got rid of Sardar Patel’s commitment to the Rulers On 28 December 1971 finally the curtain rung on the princely order, privy purses and privileges

•

hat PM Jawaharlal Nehru refused to do despite repeated demands by many during his premiership his daughter PM Indira Gandhi did for the sake of her populist politics. It was a clear breach of faith. Her “uncle” Vallabhbhai Patel committed the “small” Privy Purses to the rulers of the Princely States and even the Constituent Assembly had unanimously committed to the rulers of India while merging their States with India, Prime Minister Mrs. Gandhi through the ordinance and constitutional amendment snatched away from all the titular rulers. The All India Congress Committee had passed a Resolution on 25 June 1967 for the abolition of Privy Purses, The Union Home Ministry organized six conferences between 3 November 1967 and 8 January 1970 apart from informal consultations on the intention of withdrawing the recognition of Rulers and stoppage of their Privy Purses and privileges.

It was a phase the popularity of PM Indira Gandhi was going down, she was dependent on the leftist elements to run her government after 1967 elections results, the Congress leaders like Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia of Gwaliar deserting her to form the Sanyukta Vidhayak Dal Governments in at least nine states though short lived and the split in her ruling Congress in Adversaries in the Privy Purse Abolition Case: “Maharajadhiraj” 1969 when rightist Madhavrao Scindia with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Also seen forces opted to align are “Maharani” Madhavi Raje, wife of Madhavrao, and his son Jyotiraditya. (Courtesy: Free Press Journal) with Morarji Desai. A Bill was moved in the “Maharajadhiraj of Gwalior” Lok Sabha entitled the Constitution Madhavrao Scindia and some other (Twenty Forth Amendment) Bill, 1970. Rulers filed in the Supreme Court It consisted of just three clauses with a under Article 32 of the Constitution, short statement of Objects and petitions as test cases claiming the Reasons. The latter recited: “The Presidential Order to be concept of Rulership with Privy Purses unconstitutional, mala fide, ultra vires and Special Privileges unrelated to any and void and for quashing it. By a current functions and social purposes majority of 9 judges to 2, the Supreme is incompatible with an egalitarian Court allowed the petitions, declaring social order. Government have the Orders made by the President on 6 therefore decided to terminate the September 1970 illegal and on that Privy Purses and Privileges of the account inoperative and that the Rulers of the former Indian States. petitioners would be entitled to all Hence, this Bill. Y. B. Chavan their pre-existing rights and 14.5.1970.” The President V. V. Giri privileges, including the right to the addressed the Joint Session of Privy Purses as if the Orders had not Parliament. The Resolution passed in been made. The Supreme Court the Rajya Sabha. The Bill originally judgment was delivered on 15 didn’t state when the Act would come December 1970. In the following Lok into operation but in the Lok Sabha Sabha elections the ruling party was an amendment was accepted by which returned to power with an it was to come into force from 15 overwhelming majority and PM Smt. October 1970. The Bill was passed in Gandhi’s government brought the the Lok Sabha omitting certain Constitution (Twenty Sixth clauses in the Articles 291, 363 and 366. Amendment) Bill for the omission of It was passed in the Lok Sabha on 2 the recognition granted to the Rulers September 1970, 332 votes being in and the Privy Purses to be abolished. favour and 154 against The Bill was passed Next Column it. The Rajya Sabha receiving the requisite Privy Purses to the considered the Bill on majority in each of 5 September 1970 but the House of Rulers in Pakistan it failed to get the Parliament. It majority requisite for the purpose, 149 received the President’s assent on 28 voting for and 75 against, failing short December 1971. Various other of not less than 2/3 of the members amendments were also brought in present and voting as required under and as V.P. Menon states: “Thus was Article 369 by just a fraction of a vote. the curtain rung finally on the It was defeated in the Rajya Sabha. princely order, privy purses and The same evening the Cabinet met privileges.” It was the question of and decided to advise the President to paying only Rs.4 Crore per annum as withdraw the recognition of the Privy Purses to the Princely rulers Rulers. The same night the President where as present day new rulers i.e. signed in his camp at Hyderabad, Members of Parliament are drawing purporting to act under Article 366 (2), not less than Rs. 24 Crore every year an Instrument or Instruments and if you add state assemblies and withdrawing recognition of all the councils’ members, the amount runs Rulers. On 11 September 1970, in hundreds of crore!

Actor Kangana Ranaut, who is locked in a bitter battle with the ruling Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, met governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to complain about the “injustice” done to her. Kangana, who was accompained by her sister Rangoli, explained to the governor her “point of view” and sought “justice” during the 45minute meeting, said sources. Talking to reporters after the meeting at Raj Bhavan, Kangana said she is not a politician and had met the governor as a common citizen. “I told him about the injustice meted out to me and what happened was improper. It was indecent behaviour,” she said, adding that the governor heard her like a daughter. The meeting took place days after the Sena-ruled BMC demolished alleged illegal alterations at Kangana’s Bandra bungalow following a verbal spat between the ruling party and her after she likened Mumbai to Pakistanoccupied Kashmir and questioned the handling of the Sushant Singh Rajput case by the Mumbai Police. Kangana later tweeted: “A short while ago, I met his Excellency the Governor of Maharashtra Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari ji. I explained my point of view to him and also requested that justice be given to me. It will restore faith of common citizen and particularly daughters in the system.” Refusing to comment on the meeting, Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut said, “The subject (Kangana) is over for us. We have stopped talking about her.” HC hammers BMC Earlier, observing that the

Kangana with Maharashtra, met governor Bhagat Singh Koshyar

conduct of the BMC, which carried out demolition of allegedly unauthorised constructions at Kangana’s bungalow in Pali Hill, Bandra, was “highly deplorable,” the Bombay high court in a scathing order directed the municipal body to immediately stop the demolition. The HC bench of Justices S J Kathawalla and Riyaz Chagla said that “though the manner in which BMC proceeded to commence the prima demolition facie...smacks of mala fide...The order came at an urgent hearing within hours of a civic squad launching the The BMC, demolition. controlled by the Shiv Sena which is part of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance in the state, had dispatched a squad with heavy machinery to her place in the morning and flattened portions of the row house. Kangana, who was vacationing in her hometown in Himachal Pradesh, landed in the city a few hours after the BMC’s action began. BMC says no hidden motives BMC has denied any hidden motives in carrying out demolitions inside Kangana's bungalow, while responding to a petition before the Bombay

high court which has led to a stay on the work. Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said the actor’s plea seeking relief constituted “an abuse of process” as she “has unlawfully made substantial alterations and additions… contrary to the sanctioned building plan.’’ The 9-page affidavit filed by BMC said the illegal constructions include “new toilets… conversion of existing toilets in to cabins, construction of pantry, kitchen cabins, etc.” “Both in her advocate’s reply dated September 8 and even in the petition, she has not disputed carrying out the unlawful alterations and addition,’’ the BMC said, adding she made “baseless and unwarranted allegations” to seek protection for “unlawful work.’ By a notice issued on September 8, the actor was required to produce permission for such work within 24 hours, failing which they would be removed “without further notice,” BMC said. Explaining the sequence of events, BMC’s counsel said, “substantial part of illegal work…was demolished by the time intimation was received that the HC has directed stay of the demolition.”

Govt opposes registration of same-sex marriages Two years after the Supreme Court decriminalised Section 377 IPC, four LGTBQ community members requested the Delhi HC to legalise same-sex marriage under Hindu Marriage Act, but ran into opposition from the Centre, which said this fell foul of several criminal and civil laws recognising marriage only between a “biological man and woman”. The petitioners - Abhijit Iyer Mitra and Gita Thadani with Gopi Shankar M and G Oorvasi - told a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan that Section 5 of Hindu Marriage Act, 1956, provides that “a marriage may be solemnised between any two Hindus” and hence there could be no objection to samesex marriage between two Hindus of LGTBQ community. But the Centre, through solicitor general Tushar Mehta objected to the petitioners’ plea. Mehta said he had no instructions from the government on the specific

issues raised by the petitioners. However, he said he could offhand argue that same-sex marriage ran counter to several criminal and civil laws recognising marriage between “biological men and women” only. He said the country’s social norms and cultural ethos were codified in statutory laws, like prohibited degrees of relationships and 'sapinda' marriages, and added that both conditions had varying criteria for a man and woman entering into a matrimonial alliance. In a same-sex marriage, who will be the man and who will be the woman to fasten this statutory condition, he asked. The SG said there were different age criteria for men and women in a marriage and asked how that was going to be enforced. In case of domestic violence in a same-sex marriage, who will be the woman for enforcement of her rights under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, he asked.

Mehta also cited Section 498A of Indian Penal Code, which punishes a husband and his relatives for inflicting mental and physical torture on the wife for a jail term up to three years. Judicial interpretation of the laws also provide that if a woman commits suicide or dies an unnatural death within seven years of marriage, then cruelty would be presumed and the case would be investigated. He drew the court's attention to the problems in enforcing this provision in a same-sex marriage. He said at the moment, he could think of these legal complexities that could arise if same-sex marriage was legalised, and said since it would require amendments to many criminal and civil laws, it would be best to leave this issue for determination by Parliament through debate. "It would not be proper for the court to take up amendments to so many legislations," he added.

26 INDIA

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India, China reach 5-point consensus on Ladakh situation After two hours of tough negotiations in Moscow last week, India and China came to a five-point understanding to dial down tensions, and agreed that the two sides should "quickly disengage" as the current situation on the border was not in the interests of either country. The points were spelled out in a joint statement and while the test, so far as India is concerned, lies in Chinese troops pulling back on the ground, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi's comments in Moscow on Friday offer hope of forward movement. "We are ready to take conciliatory steps... The most important thing is to avoid new violations of the obligations on the border. Troops and equipment should be withdrawn from the LAC," Wang said during a press conference. Jaishankar set bottomline India's Foreign minister S Jaishankar plainly told his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, during the talks that India would not deescalate until there was complete and verifiable disengagement at all points on the LAC. The talks, which got a little heated, saw Jaishankar setting out India’s bottomline - the overall IndiaChina relationship will suffer if there is no peace on the border. Second, the "root cause" of the current crisis lay in Chinese forces breaching existing agreements with their build-up in April and May and transgressions that forced India to mirror positions and deployments. Ahead of meeting, Indian forces took charge of key heights With India-China discussions distilling into a joint statement, there was expectation that the inperson meeting between

Jaishankar and Wang might yield results that could restart the stalled disengagement, which has heightened hostilities and tensions with troops within a few hundred metres of each other at several place on the LAC. Ahead of the meeting, Indian forces had taken charge of key heights in the Pangong Tso area, giving the Indian side crucial leverage in the discussions that took place in Moscow. The statement said the two sides shall avoid any action that escalates matters, and abide by all existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs, besides maintaining peace and tranquility in the border areas. It also noted that once the situation eases, the two sides should expedite work to conclude "new confidence-building measures" to maintain calm along the border. The political understanding reached in Moscow will now have to be translated on the ground by negotiations between military commanders of both sides who are to work out the nitty-gritty and verification. The discussion on Thursday evening was often heated, described in diplomatic parlance as "frank and constructive". The substance of the outcome was that the two sides hammered out the broad contours of a disengagement process, a result that had eluded the two sides. This would be easier for the

S Jaishankar and Wang Yi

Indian side to accomplish than the Chinese, considering that, as seen during the Doklam crisis, the foreign ministry in Beijing and the PLA had differing perceptions. However, given that a joint statement has been arrived at, Wang could be expected to be working on a brief cleared by the top Communist Party leadership. Meanwhile, the two armies remain in stand-off positions in different areas along the LAC, primarily on the northern and southern banks of Pangong Tso. Since late August, when the Indian Army acquired some tactical advantages on the Ladakh heights, the Chinese army has been relentless in trying to dislodge the Indian troops. The joint statement said, “The two sides also agreed to continue to have dialogue and communication through the special representative mechanism on the India-China boundary question.” Generals to meet soon India and China will hold their sixth round of top-level military talks within the next few days in a bid to defuse the tinderbox-like

Parliament begins with plastic shields, MPs in galleries Despite the elaborate rehearsals, it was still a surreal scene on the first day of the new session of Parliament, with mask-wearing MPs seated behind plastic shields, and widely dispersed to ensure social distancing. Both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha functioned in a relative calm that enhanced a sense of altered realities in the time of Covid-19. The dispersal of MPs over both the chambers was succinctly summed up by Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu who noted that people who were never elected to Lok Sabha were sitting in the chamber and the same was true of several MPs from

the lower House who found themselves in the House of Elders. Given that MPs were sitting in the visitors’ galleries too, Naidu asked them to raise a hand to be spotted when called on to speak even as Speaker Om Birla noted the high attendance despite the pandemic. While some seniors opted out, veterans like Mulayam Singh Yadav and Farooq Abdullah turned up, though the ageing Samajwadi patriarch needed help to get around. Another veteran, JMM leader Shibu Soren, took oath as Rajya Sabha MP, with Naidu encouraging the Dishom Guru to speak loudly as a mask muffled his voice. Given the task of organising complex seating, Naidu and Birla seemed pleased that the proceedings got underway with minimum fuss and disruption. Oppn protests suspension of Maharaj Ramanbhai, a well respected temple question hour priest died, in Bhardan, Gujarat, recently. He The decorum may be tested as was the temple priest of Jinja, Uganda in the late sixties. When the Hindus community contentious issues and bills are wanted to build a second temple in Jinja they taken up, but the first day saw approached him in Bhardan, Gujarat and he presiding officers use the Covid-19 agreed to became the temple priest. He looked rule of speaking while sitting, rather after the day-to-day pooja, arti and all the than rising, to good effect to keep management of the temple. After the MPs and leaders nailed to their expulsion of Asians from Uganda, he briefly places. Naidu could be heard telling Maharaj Ramanbhai returned to India and later came to Leicester Congress's Jairam Ramesh not to to be a priest in temple. When his health move around the House and this deteriorated and returned to Bhaardan and lived there till his death. might well curb the usual on-thefloor discussions that take place.

Obituary

Maharaj Ramanbhai

operational situation in eastern Ladakh, which has seen casualties and shots being fired for the first time in 45 years. People’s Liberation Army (PLA) may not have made any “aggressive or provocative” moves for the last couple of days but there is a “complete breakdown of trust” between the two armies, with thousands of rival soldiers, tanks and howitzers amassed within shooting distance of each other in the Pangong Tso-Chushul area as well as other stretches of the frontier in Ladakh. “It remains to be seen if diplomatic consensus translates into ground realities. Talks between military commanders will work only if there are clearcut political directions from the top to PLA to disengage and refrain from its strategy to push the Line of Actual Control (LAC) westwards,” said a senior official. The military situation along the 3,488-km long LAC from eastern Ladakh to Arunachal was reviewed by defence minister Rajnath Singh in a two-hour meeting with the chief of defence

staff and the three Service chiefs on Friday. The rival corps commanders, 14 Corps commander Lt-General Harinder Singh and South Xinjiang Military District chief Major General Liu Lin, have not met since August 2, though communication channels have been kept open at the brigadier and colonel levels on a daily basis. “The exact date and modalities for the corps commander level meeting are being finalised. We will have to wait and watch whether PLA is open to troop disengagement from the friction points,” another official said. “PLA, after all, had earlier reneged on its promise to withdraw from ‘Finger4’ (mountainous spur) on the north bank of Pangong Tso. Restoration of the status quo as it existed in April is nowhere on the horizon,” the official added. A lot will depend on what directions Chinese President Xi Jinping gives to the top PLA hierarchy, including Western Theatre Command (WTC) chief General Zhao Zongqi, who was also in charge during the 73-day Doklam face-off in 2017, and WTC ground forces commander Lt-General Xu Qiling. “The PLA’s multiple and coordinated incursions into Indian territory in April-May, the amassing of huge forces along the LAC and the ongoing military confrontation with aggressive behaviour, after all, is all being driven from the top in China,” the official said.The Indian Army has learnt its lesson by the PLA’s steadfast refusal till now to withdraw eastwards from the 8-km stretch it has occupied and fortified on the north bank of Pangong Tso from ‘Finger-4’ to ‘Finger-8’. The LAC runs north to south at Finger-8.

Obituary Sad demise of Shri Bharatbhai Vyas The founder and trustee of Sai Navgraha, Gayatri Shaktipithdham, Rajpipla (Gujarat) and also a columnist at Gujarat Samachar, Shri Bharatbhai Vyas passed away on Monday, 14 September 2020 in India. The 67-year-old Bharatbhai was undergoing treatment for Coronavirus at a hospital in Vadodara, Gujarat, India. According to the doctor, there was infection in his lungs which was later Shri Bharatbhai Vyas cleared but he could not recover fully leading to his untimely death. His wife Sobhanaben has also been infected by Covid-19 and is under treatment. Since 1982, Late Bharatbhai used to frequently visit London. Many Gujaratis settled in the US and UK, invited him to perform Hindu rituals at their homes and other events, due to his popularity. He was also involved in various social activities and was a life saviour for the tribals residing in Dang, Gujarat. He founded around 145 small & big temples in the backward areas of Dang. He used to encourage poor tribal boys and girls to attend schools and even distributed books and uniform for them. He donated wheelchairs to the disabled too. He is survived by his wife Shobhanaben Vyas, daughters Gayatri Yatinbhai and Savitri Hitendrabhai,granddaughters, Rushika, Aashruti and Riddhi. May his soul rest in peace. We pray for the family’s strength to bear this irreparable loss. If you wish to contact the family call: +91 9879166006, +44 7590 011605.

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HEALTH VOICE

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19 - 25 September 2020

Covid’s impact on lifestyles and eating behaviors in Asia There are high levels of concern among Asian consumers about the impact Covid-19 is having, both directly on their own lives and on a global scale. According to Innova Market Insights’ Covid-19 Consumer Survey (conducted in March 2020), in China, India and Indonesia, personal concerns center on health, personal income, and the availability of healthcare and products to buy. Personal health and the health of family and friends tops the list of concerns across all three countries, with impact on personal income/finances ranked as second. Indian consumers were the most concerned, with 73% stating that they were very concerned about their health and that of their families and friends. This is compared with 58% in China and 52% in Indonesia. Health considerations have become more influential on purchasing decisions, with consumers trying to eat more healthily and consuming products in a bid to boost immunity. These include

ingredients such as turmeric in India, chrysanthemum and cordyceps flower in China, and royal jelly, ginger, and mint in Indonesia. Familiarity, comfort, and improving mood are also seen as increasingly important factors for food and beverage choices during the crisis. Health, shelf life, and cost are taking on a greater significance with regard to purchasing decisions, while factors such as flavour and indulgence appear to be declining in importance. Research from Innova Market Insights indicated that the main changes in attitude/behavior in India and China included more cooking/preparing of homemade food, more healthy

eating, and more eating/drinking products to boost immune health. Fresh fruit and vegetables and juices and nectars are some of the top categories benefiting from this trend, as consumers look to them as a means of boosting health. At the same time, consumers claimed to be purchasing lower levels of less healthy, indulgent, and highly processed options, such as ice cream, pizza, cakes, and pastries. There has also been an acceleration in the growth of online grocery shopping as movements are restricted and physical stores cannot easily be accessed. The rise in grocery apps in China, for example, encompasses developments in supermarkets, dedicated grocery apps, and food delivery platforms. Restaurants have been quick to offer home delivery, but many consumers are also willing to order online and go out and pick up takeout. In China, 37% of consumers claimed to be ordering more restaurant/café food online, while 34% were picking up takeout food and meals more often.

Nine vaccine makers sign joint pledge to apply for govt approval only after phase 3 trials Nine vaccine makers have signed a joint pledge holding themselves to “high ethical standards and sound scientific principles” in the development and testing of potential vaccines for Covid-19. Also pledged to apply for government approval of a vaccine only “after demonstrating safety and efficacy through a Phase 3 clinical study.” The companies that signed the pledge include AstraZeneca, BioNTech, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Moderna, Novavaz, Pfizer and Sanofi. The vaccine makers' news release called their pledge “historic” because it is unusual for competing companies to work together. The statement came at a time when President Donald Trump continues to push for quick approval of

a Covid vaccine. A research assistant professor of government and a policy fellow in the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences at Dartmouth College, Herschel Nachlis believes that political pressure on the FDA is not uncommon. He was quoted as saying, “Regulatory decisions are often combinations of both policy and politics, and this time will be no different.”

He, however, said the vaccine makers seem to understand the need for Covid-19 vaccine decisions to be based on the quality of the data and the integrity of the regulatory processes. He said, “An important feature of the pledge is that firms are saying that they will not be pressured into submitting bad data, or into submitting data that does not show evidence of vaccines' safety and efficacy, to the FDA.” Pfizer and BioNTech, AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, and Moderna and the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases have candidate vaccines in Phase 3 trials. Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson plans to start its Phase 3. These studies will enroll thousands of volunteers and are the only way to know whether a Covid-19 vaccine is both safe, and effective.

University of Oxford, AstraZeneca resume British clinical trials Research published in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report journal reveals close contact with Covid-19 patients, dining at restaurants, and pubs are associated with testing positive for the novel coronavirus infection. The study said that adults who tested positive for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 were nearly twice as likely to have reported dining at a restaurant than those with negative test results. Scientists assessed the exposures reported by 154 adult case-patients who were diagnosed using RT-PCR tests, and

compared these with data from 160 control-participants who showed symptoms, but had negative test results. According to the study, the data collected by the scientists from the participants included demographic characteristics, information on underlying chronic medical conditions, symptoms, and self-rated physical and

mental health. They also collected data from the participants about close contact, within 6 feet or 15 minutes or more, with a person with known Covid-19, workplace exposures, mask-wearing behaviour, and community activities in the last 14 days before they started experiencing symptoms. The research

noted, “Case-patients were more likely to have reported dining at a restaurant in the 2 weeks preceding illness onset than were control-participants.” When the scientists restricted their analysis to those without known interaction with a Covid19 patient, the respondents were more likely to report dining at a restaurant, or going to a bar or coffee shop than the control-participants. They wrote, “Exposures and activities where mask use and social distancing are difficult to maintain, including going to places that offer on-site eating or drinking, might be important risk factors for acquiring Covid-19.”

Without a clear diagnosis, self treatment can cause more harm than good Shefali Saxena

Dr Saumya Jha

This week, Asian Voice spoke to Dr Saumya Jha, NHS GP, CEO MedifI Ltd. to find solutions to common skin related queries among the members of the Asian community, how home remedies and self medication can have repercussions and how one can maintain healthy skin during the pandemic. It is known that staying indoors, and stepping out for only essential activities will be the new normal until we get a vaccine. Therefore, first and foremost, we asked Dr Jha about her advice to the Asian community (knowing their skin type) to maintain healthy skin. She said, “The main advice would be to ensure that you try to keep active, even if it is indoors. Anything from an indoor bike/yoga/exercise videos to 30 minutes of walking. This not only helps with the mental stress associated with Covid-19, it helps with improved blood flow to the skin surface. This takes away toxins and aids skin regeneration. Secondly, it's imperative to keep hydrated (1.5-2L per day) to keep the skin supple and well hydrated Thirdly, pigmented skin struggles to make Vitamin D during normal times. With reduced outdoor activities (alongside little sunshine in the UK), most Asian people should take an oral Vitamin D supplement ( 800 IU per day). This not only helps with healthy bones and joints, studies have shown that Vitamin D can help improve conditions such as Psoriasis and Eczema” Sharing a daily skin care routine that can help to maintain healthy skin, Dr Jha listed the following steps: Cleanse: gentle cleanser morning and night to remove any make-up/ oil from the skin surface. This allows the skin to breathe by unclogging pores. Then gentle massage when cleansing helps improve skin circulation. Tone: a non alcohol based toner helps to close pores. Moisturise: Seals the skin and keeps the skin supple ( a Vitamin c serum starting at 10-15% is a great addition prior to moisturiser). Sun protection: Helps protect against sun damage and skin cancers. A natural exfoliator twice a week and a face mask once a week can be further enhancements to this routine. But, what are the common mistakes that Asians make in their skin care routine?Dr Jha says: Not using Sunscreen. “We all need to protect against UVA and UVB even if Asian skin does not burn as easily. It is important that everyone uses an SPF 25 and broad spectrum UVA protection at least to prevent early aging, pigmentation and maintain skin elasticity. Using "herbal" treatments without knowing the exact ingredients in the products. Many herbal products are unregulated and can contain strong steroids, allergens or skin bleaching products. These may initially seem to improve skin but can lead to side effects and severe complications over time,” she said. Talking about skin bleaching creams, she said that these creams can have differing levels of chemicals and can lead to chemical burns ( if used repetitively), allergic dermatitis and patchy pigmentation. Self medication and reliance on home remedies in many Asian households is another major contributing factor to skin ailments. Dr Jha said, “It depends on the extent of self medication and the severity of the underlying diagnosis. The hazard scale can be from no effect to full scale non-reversible long term damage to skin and/or other organs. I would strongly suggest seeking medical advice prior to using any products topically or orally. Without a clear diagnosis, self treatment can cause more harm than good. More serious conditions can go undiagnosed and then treatment may not be satisfactory if the underlying condition has been allowed to slowly progress.” “Some home remedies can contain chemical compounds that interact with medications given by your doctor. If your doctor is unaware of your self medication, you can be given treatment that may only lead to side effects due to the interaction from a home remedy you are concurrently using. This creates a lose- lose situation where nor the medical product or the home remedy is given a chance to work. Only side effects are experienced which leads to a higher rate of dissatisfaction and poor outcomes,” she added. The lockdown definitely resulted in a lot of home cooking, but also accelerated the consumption of sugar and fats which may not be best practice for the body and skin. What kind of a nutrition chart should one follow? Dr Jha said, “Food high in trans-fat is widely known to be harmful as is processed and refined sugar. There are studies that show high consumption of carbohydrates and dairy can trigger acne. A balanced diet, rich in green vegetables, lean meat/ fish and low glycaemic index carbs ( brown rice, quinoa, bulgar wheat) with 1.5-2L of water a day should be a good starting point. Eating times are important too, as the body needs to carry out essential regulatory work at night, it's better to eat lighter in the evenings.” According to her, foods particularly good for skin are : Food rich in Vitamin C and Iron. Iron helps to maintain good hair, nail and skin growth and structure. Vitamin C fights free radicals formation in skin that lead to early signs of ageing. When asked for a message to Asians (men and women) who still live in the complex of having brown skin or are obsessed with white skin, she said, “This reverence of white skin is steeped in history. The mixture of class and colonial oppression and assertion of white skin associated with superiority still affects many psychologically. The reality is the pigment in our skin that gives us colour is a protective gift given by nature. It protects from damage caused by UV rays. Any attempts at bleaching or lightening artificially can have major repercussions: Mottled appearance of skin, increased pigmentation and scarring, and allergic eczema that can be hard to control. Instead why not celebrate and accept our richness and colour in a bid to end this external and internal prejudice.”

28 ART & CULTURE

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What's On

Book Review : The racy narrative of Raavan-Enemy of Aryavarta makes the book unputdownable CB Patel Having sold 5.5 million copies in print of his books until now, Amish is contemporary India’s best fiction writer. He has won numerous awards, and his Shiva Trilogy is the highest-selling book series in Indian publishing history, while his Ram Chandra Series is the second-highest-selling book series in Indian publishing history. Inspiring as it sounds, his journey to becoming India’s storyteller was not easy. His first book, The Immortals of Meluha (Book 1 of the Shiva Trilogy), had to be selfpublished after being rejected by many publishers! They said that it was too long and too “high IQ” to be a bestseller! Amish has taken India’s traditional epics, added his own unique twists on them, and turned them into a unique blend of fast-paced stories mixed with deep philosophies and liberal ideology. In the third instalment of the five-book Ram Chandra series (Amish’s interpretation of the Ramayana), Raavan-Enemy of Aryavarta, Amish explores the character of Raavan, the most infamous anti-hero of Indian mythology, and tells the gripping tale of the greatest villain of all time. The first three books of the series follow a multilinear narrative wherein the stories of the 3 main protagonists are told in each book, which then coalesces into one central meeting point, in this case, Sita’s kidnapping. The fourth book (as yet unreleased) onwards is supposed to be a common narrative from the time when

Raavan kidnaps Sita, the wife of the hero Lord Ram. There are numerous shades to Raavan and the whole character arc is shown very well. He is anything but dull. He is ruthless, power-hungry, and merciless. He is also passionate, protective of his younger brother, and heartbroken. He is defined by his rage at the tragic loss of the woman he loved. You will hate him, love him, respect him, sympathize with him, and be scared of him. However, it is unlikely that you will not relate to him and his emotions at one point or another during his journey. His reaction to losing the love of his life is both heartfelt and gut-wrenching at the same time. It leaves the reader terrified and with nothing short of goosebumps. Raavan is a fierce warrior, brilliant musician, artist and writer, a smart businessman, efficient administrator, genius, and scholar, all in one. But most of all, he is human: cruel, passionate, talented, and flawed. Amish brilliantly brings out the complexity of Raavan’s character. His extremely detailed and descriptive style of writing immerses the reader in the book with a finesse that only a talented writer like him possibly could. The darkness in Raavan’s character took a toll on Amish while writing as well. He has publicly acknowledged that the exploration of Raavan’s negativity in such detail was disturbing for him, due to the difficult and harrowing time he was going through in his personal life at the time. The torment is reflected in Raavan’s battles.

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Amish, through this book, very subtly tackles various social issues prevalent in India; the caste system, patriarchy, bigotry, and child abuse. The book raises deep philosophical points through various conversations. The story is about choices. The characters of Raavan (the villain) and Lord Ram (the hero, who is worshipped as a God today) provide a great comparison to how your reaction to difficult situations in life determines your journey and it’s those choices that ultimately differentiate between good and evil. Raavan’s reaction to his suffering was rage and frustration, while Lord Ram’s reaction to equally grievous suffering was nobility and honour. The racy narrative makes the book unputdownable. This might be the most heartfelt, and yet disturbing book that Amish has written. It certainly is my favourite from all his books.

From “Ray or Rubbish” to Bollywood: How the perception of Indian cinema changed in the UK Shefali Saxena Celebrating the extraordinary artists who have paved the way for South Asian Cinema in the UK, Suman Buchar and Lalit Mohan Joshi were in conversation for Manch UK’s online series ‘Cinemawallahs’ where they discussed Joshi’s foray into his work on popular Indian cinema in the UK and how the perception of Indian cinema has changed in England over the years. Writer, Journalist, Documentary Filmmaker & Film Historian. Former BBC World Service Producer & Founder Director/ Editor, SACF, London, Lalit Mohan Joshi’s foray into Indian cinema started when he was a school boy, whose roots are in Lucknow and Allahabad. Joshi worked on a popular BBC series which was recorded in 19 parts for BBC Hindi. It was a collection of interviews with 20 Indian filmmakers on the history of Indian cinema which was broadcast across all channels of the BBC in those days. That’s how Joshi’s contribution to popular Indian cinema in the UK made waves. South Asian Cinema Foundation (SACF) was set up by four founders - Lalit Mohan Joshi, his wife Kusum Pant Joshi, Derek Malcolm and PK Nair (Lalit’s guru) set up the foundation at a Pizza Restaurant in Westend. Joshi argued that nobody knew how widespread Indian cinema was. He shared the backstory of how SACF was set up and

most importantly, why. He said, “The main reason was my continued contribution to exploration of Indian cinema, I realised that although I was not in India, I think that made my position even more important because I came to do something that nobody else was doing. Nobody had ever brought MS Sathyu who had made a seminal partition film called Garam Hawa (1974). Nobody had brought Girish Kasaravalli who is from Karnataka or Adoor Gopalakrishnan. I used to talk to Derek Malcolm (English film critic and historian) who used to say that the impression of Indian cinema with snooty people like us is “Ray or Rubbish”. So either it was Satyajit Ray, or everything else Bollywood was rubbish. I used to think that there’s a huge gap where I can come. And that became the seed for South Asian Cinema Foundation (SACF).” Did he feel they needed promotion as popular filmmakers? Joshi told Buchar, “My motivation was the hurt that I used to receive from even my friends like Derek Malcolm and many many snobbish people in Britain who used to say that Indian cinema is crap because it’s all running around the trees. And I thought how can we think like that! Ray is not the only filmmaker that we have produced. We’ve had so many sensitive filmmakers like Ritwik Ghatak, Adoor Gopalakrishnan and many more. So I thought that it was my duty to introduce the

Lalit Mohan Joshi and Suman Buchar

real Indian cinema to the audiences in London, as well as to so called academics and everybody that this was the depth of Indian cinema, because regional cinema is the kind of cinema where lies the power of Indian films because they represent the real India. I may not have succeeded in making those filmmakers popular here, but we did introduce them.” Joshi said that since he set up SACF in the year 2000, the perception of Indian cinema has changed. “There are so many new filmmakers that have come up. They say Indian cinema has dried up, now there are no songs in Indian cinema, only numbers, which is not true. Indian cinema still is inspiring. There are so many regional

On 17 September 2020, Lalgudi G Jayaraman would have been 90 years old. To mark this occasion, Milap, in association with the Lalgudi Trust, has assembled an extraordinary ensemble of Indian virtuosos to record a unique version of one of his masterpieces. This new music video promises to be one of the highlights of the celebrations, featuring an array of classical Indian instruments and vocal styles from both the Carnatic and Hindustani music traditions. It will premiere on Sunday 20th September 2020, as the finale of the Lalgudi 90 Live Event, premiering on the Lalgudi Jayaraman - God of Violin YouTube channel. The music is arranged by composer Girishh Gopalakrishnan, with the renowned artists Lalgudi GJR Krishnan and Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi - all disciples of Lalgudi Jayaraman. It is produced by Milap, the International Indian Arts & Culture company, based in the UK and carried out on behalf of the Lalgudi Trust, Chennai.

INDIAN DANCERS GO VIRTUAL DURING LOCKDOWN Facing the prospect of having to close down her dance and music school due to life under lockdown, Nina Rajarani MBE realised quickly that she would have to adapt her teaching methods in order to keep her students motivated and able to carry on with their artistic practice during the pandemic. There were lots of new things to think about to prepare for teaching in this way. Nina’s solution was to watch students dance small sections individually rather than as a group as happens in a regular class situation. Timing and video capture were crucial for Nina’s work with her professional dance company. Thankfully she was able to buy a new higher specification laptop, camera and software with support from an Emergency Response Grant from Arts Council England. The grant also enabled her to employ 10 freelance dancers and musicians for two weeks, a lifeline for performing artists whose work has dropped away whilst theatres remain closed. Nina worked hard to find ways around a challenging situation and is delighted with the results: “I’m so proud of my students who kept up their dancing and music practice despite these extraordinary circumstances; I can’t wait to see them in person when our classes start up again soon”. filmmakers. If we have sensible projects, we will train people and they will know about Indian cinema,” he said.

Book Recommendation

Bollywood: Popular Indian Cinema by Lalit Mohan Joshi Written by Gulzar, Shyam Benegal, Lalit Mohan Joshi, among many other experts on the Industry, Bollywood, Popular Indian Cinema is the ultimate guide to the most popular of Indian cinema. A gripping analysis of the last 100 years is provided by the book’s editor, Lalit Mohan Joshi. It covers the long Indian film history including rarely seen images from film archives together with those by leading photographers. This is the one book that every Hindi movie lover should own. It celebrates what is now a farreaching and world-renowned cultural phenomenon with 400 pages of the most spectacular photographs, the stories of the stars who make the films, in-depth stories of every great Hindi film and its context, unmatched production quality and brilliant writing. You can purchase it from Amazon.

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Aditi Rao Hydari calls Bollywood a soft target As the Indian film industry comes under a lot of fire for being a bad place for actors, actor Aditi Rao Hydari called the vilifying accusations about Bollywood quite painful to deal with. She said, “I feel sad that my people are in the line of fire, and they are in the line of fire so often. I feel like somewhere it is sad and it is unfair. At the end of the day, we are an industry and like any other every industry has its flaws, but we all try and rise above the flaws, and we all try and do right by it and to each other.” She added, “I wish it did not happen the way it is right now. The film industry has very often been a soft target and it is like damned if you do something, damned, if you don't. That tends to happen most of the time.” Hydari said the place might not be as bad as it is being currently

projected. She said, “There are things that I wish would change, there are things that we need to step up and look into. There are things we need to sort out. And we will do it but that does not mean that people have to accuse and vilify, that is very unfortunate.”Hydari admitted to feeling the heat of the situation at hand. “Nobody can be unaffected by what's going on. I am a very positive person, I really believe that it is cynical and sometimes a lot of really horrible things happen and they sort it out. But I am sure it is very difficult for people who are in the thick of it and going through, how do you convince yourself that it is going to be okay? It is tough. But I feel we are all in this together, the sense of loyalty to my community but this too shall pass.”

Ayushmann becomes UNICEF India's celebrity advocate Actor Ayushmann Khurrana has been roped in by UNICEF India as its celebrity advocate to promote and support its work in ending violence against children. The 'Gulabo Sitabo' actor will join the likes of David Beckham who works on the campaign globally. The 35 year old posted a video on Instagram in which UNICEF representative in India Dr Yasmin Ali Haque welcomed Khurrana as a celebrity advocate for children's rights. Dr Haque said, “I am delighted to wel-

come Ayushmann Khurrana as a UNICEF celebrity advocate. He's an actor who challenges the boundary of every role he plays. And now he is here to challenge all of us to do more to ensure every child has a safe and bright future.” She added, “He will bring a sensitivity, passion and a powerful voice for every child, with a specific focus towards ending violence against children. Ayushmann's support will help increase awareness about this important issue,

Kangana won't renovate her demolished office

especially now with COVID-19 heightening the risk of violence and abuse against children due to the extended lockdown and the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic.” Khurrana said, “I believe that everyone deserves the best start in life. As I watch my children play in the safety and happiness of our home, I think about all the children who never get to experience a safe childhood and grow up with violence at home or outside.”

Mira Rajput does not consider her household 'film family'

Actor Kangana Ranaut, who has been creating shock waves recently, says she will not renovate the portions of her office that were demolished by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). She wrote in a tweet, “I had my office opening on 15th Jan, shortly after corona hit us, like most of us I haven't worked ever since, don't have money to renovate it, I will work from those ruins keep that office ravaged as a symbol of a woman's will that dared to rise in this world.” She also added a hashtag - “Kangana vs Uddhav” in a show of her altercation with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Kangana arrived in Mumbai earlier last week, flanked by Y-plus category security cover provided by Union Home Minister Amit Shah after she expressed concerns for her safety following a war of words with Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut. Actor Shahid Kapoor's wife Mira Rajput called her family completely “normal”, adding that she never considered her household a “film family”. Speaking in an interview, she said, “I think like any other family, ours, too, is a normal family. I don't consider our household to be a film family. It's just that my husband works in films. It is his profession, and not something that formulates our entire life.” Mira married actor Shahid Kapoor in 2015 with whom she has two children, a daughter Misha and son Zain. She called the last five years “wonderful in all aspects”. The Kapoor household is currently living at a farmhouse in Punjab. Describing her day, she said,

“The day begins with Misha attending her online school, or we do some homeschooling. Later, we have a lot of free time to play. That's the time Shahid really enjoys as he gets to play with the kids. He plays football with them. He is training Misha to cycle and even Zain is trying to use the tricycle. We also play board games with the kids and watch a lot of movies. In the night, once the kids go to bed, Shahid and I get time for ourselves.” Shahid was shooting for the Hindi remake of 'Jersey' in Chandigarh when the corona virus-induced lockdown was announced, and he rushed back home to his family.

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Nargis Fakhri's boyfriend Justin Santos pens romantic post Actor Nargis Fakhri's boyfriend, chef Justin Santos cannot stop gushing over her and it is beyond adorable! Sharing pictures with her in a mushy new Instagram post, Santos called her “drop dead gorgeous”. Justin wrote in his caption, “Look at this perfect woman right here. How did I get so lucky? On top of her being drop dead gorgeous would you believe me if I told you her jokes were hilarious too? #Unicorn #BlueSteel.” Fakhri commented, “Aweeeeeeeee . I love that you love my jokes.” The pictures featured Nargis dressed in a white jumpsuit and neon green bikini top, and Justin in printed

shorts and a brown hoodie. Fans showered their love on the couple, with one writing, “I am So Happy For both of You. Wonderful Couple”. Another wrote, “You are one lucky guy.” Nargis, meanwhile, shared pictures from her hiking date with her beau. On the work front, the actress was last seen in the horror-thriller 'Amavas', which released last year. Her next film is 'Torbaaz', alongside Sanjay Dutt.

Priyanka flaunts her new look in latest selfie Priyanka Chopra Jonas is very active on social media and often shares a sneak peek into her life in lockdown in the US. The actress is currently living in LA with her husband Nick Jonas. Recently, PeeCee took to her Instagram handle to give us a glimpse of her new haircut. The actress clicked a selfie as she geared up to attend the Toronto International Film Festival via video call. The actress looked gorgeous with those red lipstick and minimal make up. "New hair, don't care," she cap-

tioned the picture. Fans had first noticed PC's new look when she had shared a video on her Instagram handle where she is seen enjoying the IPL anthem a few days back. I looooooove Cricket!!!! So I’m super excited! Like the anthem 'Aayenge Hum Wapas' says...The Dream 11 IPL is back!!... and I'm going to catch it on @HotstarUSA. #HotstarUSA is gifting 5 lucky people annual subscriptions to enjoy #Dream11IPL. Just post a video of yourself singing a few lines from the anthem “Aayenge Hum Wapas”, use #AayengeHumWapas & tag HotstarUSA. This contest is only open to participants in USA. T&C apply. Check the link in my bio for more. Visit the @hotstarusa page to watch the #AayengeHumWapas anthem film. On the work front, the actress was last seen in the 2019 film 'The Sky Is Pink.' PC will next be seen in Keanu Reeves' Hollywood action movie 'Matrix 4'. She will also be seen in a Netflix film, 'The White Tiger' along with Rajkummar Rao.

Genre: Science Fiction Film Duration: 113 minutes

Is afterlife real? Can a soul pass through one body to another? 'Cargo' is a film about Indian mythology and science fiction combined. Demons have taken over space and are in charge of transporting humans into their new lives.

Demons are now in charge of humans transitioning into their new lives after Homo Rakshasas and the Prime minister sign the Rakshas Manushya Peace treaty, although these demons and humans are living at peace with each other. These demons do not look scary or hell like but instead look like humans in astronaut outfits who work like the military in order and fashion. Prashantha is a lone ranger who has been stationed on the spaceship Pushpak 634A for the past 75 years receiving cargo, also known as dead bodies, and guiding them into their next life on Earth by receiving the shipment, erasing their memories of their past lives before sending them on their way to be reborn. He has never had a companion to work with him and his only connection is his demon manager based on Earth. This all changes when he is finally assigned an assistant called Yuviksha who is more of a livewire and a completely different personality to that of Prashantha. 'Cargo' is an interesting take on Indian mythology mixed with science fiction, something you would not expect in a film. We are already aware that Vikrant Massey that plays Prashantha is a fantastic actor but he has not been given the space in this film to show off his talents as his role is very mundane and formulated. However, he does shine through and does manage to bore

Sushant made to believe he wasn't loved: Abhishek Kapoor Deceased actor Sushant Singh Rajput's 'Kedarnath' director Abhishek Kapoor commemorated the actor in a recent social media post marking the third anniversary of the day he commenced work on the film. Sharing a montage of behind-the-scenes videos and pictures from the 'Kedarnath' sets, Kapoor wrote, “Our last dance together kicked off 3 years ago on this day in #Kedarnath. I have vivid memories of our times together brother.. How i wish u knew how much u were loved by ur fans..how i wish that u were not

made to believe otherwise by some vicious minds.. How i wish u could see how ur fans are fighting to bring u justice.. they have turned the world upside down for u and i can almost hear u say 'jaane do sir, kaam bolega.” The filmmaker's post comes after Sushant's former girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty reportedly told investigators that Sushant began consuming drugs while working on 'Kedarnath'. This is not the first time Kapoor spoke up about the actor. A few days after Sushant's death, Abhishek had said in an

interview that the actor's “fragile mind” was “systematically dismantled” by the film industry. He had said, “Sushant was brilliant, he was an engineer, he was into astrophysics and quantum physics. But because we couldn't box him into stereotypes we called him 'off'. He was off, just off your radar. There's this thing that if you're not like us then you can't be with us.” He had also said that the actor had become reclusive after all media attention on the movie shifted to the debut of Sara Ali Khan.

the audiences with his monotony of life, exactly what we needed before Yuviksha enters. Shweta Tripathi is again a very talented actress and brings a different light and meaning to the film as well as to Prashantha’s life within the film. The question everyone is asking is did Arati Kadav set his sights to high taking on an unexplored genre, something a lot of directors’ steer away from, for his first film? 'Cargo' deserves a watch just for the sheer thrill of watching how the human body and mind passes through after life and into another life as well as the great acting from both Massey and Tripathi. You can get in touch with Vallisa: djvallisa@gmail.com

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Keerthy Suresh wraps up shoot for 'Good Luck Sakhi' Actor Keerthy Suresh has completed shooting for her upcoming Telugu film 'Good Luck Sakhi'. She took to Twitter to make the announcement. Keerthy wrote, “And that's a WRAP! Thank you so much to this lovely team! It's been a pleasure working with all of you Sakhi, now and forever a part of me! #GoodLuckSakhi.” The makers of the movie resumed shooting earlier in September to complete the remaining portion of

the film. The teaser of the movie was unveiled on the Indian Independence Day. The film also stars Aadi Pinisetty and Jagapathi Babu in key roles. It features Keerthy in the role of a sharpshooter. 'Good Luck Sakhi' marks the Telugu debut of noted filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor. He had revealed in a recent interview that he's terrified about finally making a film in Telugu – his mother tongue. He

said, “It's my mother tongue but I never learned to read and write in Telugu. It's one of my biggest regrets. So every time I was either offered a Telugu film or thought about it, I was always terrified. It's like delving into a new language. I knew whenever I do direct, I would have to do a lot of homework.” The film has been predominantly shot in Hyderabad and Pune.

Prabhas to adopt 1,650 acres of reserve forest

Anil Kapoor set to play antagonist in Mahesh Babu's 'Sarkaru Vaari Paata' If grapevine is to be believed, actor Anil Kapoor is all set to play the antagonist in actor Mahesh Babu's upcoming Telugu film 'Sarkaru Vaari Paata'. The project is all set to go on the floors very soon, marking the maiden collaboration of filmmaker Parasuram and Mahesh Babu. Reports reveal that Anil Kapoor has been approached to play the antagonist in the film. Parasuram narrated the script to the actor over a phone call, and he is reportedly quite impressed with his character. However, nothing has been

made official yet. Makers of the movie had initially reached out to Kannada actor Kichcha Sudeep for the same role. He, however, could not set aside dates due to his current acting assignments. The project is expected to go on the floors post Dussehra and the makers are planning to shoot the first schedule in the US. A month-long schedule is apparently planned in Washington DC and the makers have already begun the visa formalities. The cast includes Keerthy Suresh in the female lead, opposite Mahesh Babu.

Actor Prabhas has come forward to adopt 1,650 acres of Khazipally reserve forest in the outskirts of Hyderabad. He has also donated a sum of £200,000 to forest officials for the overall development of the forest. Prabhas, along with Telangana Forest Minister Allola Indra Karan Reddy and Rajya Sabha MP Joginapally Santosh Kumar laid the foundation stone for an urban forest park. They observed the reserve forest from a temporary watch tower and later planted few saplings in the reserve forest region.

TV Listing

Akhil Akkineni to join hands with filmmaker Surender Reddy Actor Akhil Akkineni has announced that he will be teaming up with filmmaker Surender Reddy for his next yet-untitled Telugu project. He took to Twitter to make the announcement. Akhil tweeted, “It's time! Announcing my next with @DirSurender and @AnilSunkara1. This one is extremely special to me. Fully pumped to start soon. Energy all the way.” The project marks the maiden collaboration of the actor and the filmmaker. Vakkantham Vamsi will handle the story and screenplay, while the movie will be bankrolled by Anil Sunkara. On the work front, Akhil will be next seen on screen in 'Most Eligible Bachelor (MEB)'. Directed by Bhaskar, the movie also stars Pooja Hegde, who is teaming up with Akhil for the first time. The movie will see Akhil play an NRI while Pooja will be seen as a stand-up comedian. 'MEB' was supposed to be released in May but got postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A statement read, “Forest department is going to convert a small portion of the forest into Urban Forest Park while the rest of the forest is going to be a conservation zone. Khazipally reserve forest is known for its medicinal plants and it's extended in 3 compartments. The forest department is going to fence the entire 1,650 acres and immediately start developing eco parks. Constructing park gate, see through wall, walking track, view point, Gazebo. Medicinal plant centre would be constructed in the first phase.”

* Schedule is subject to change

MON 21 SEP FRI 25 SEP 2020 14:30 KASAM 16:00 THE GREAT INDIAN GLOBAL KITCHEN 19:00 ISHQ MEIN MARJAWAN 2 19:30 CHOTI SARDAARNI 20:00 SHAKTI 20:30 SHUBHARAMBH

* Schedule is subject to change

MON 21 SEP FRI 25 SEP 2020 8:30 BHARADWAJ BAHUEIN 15:30 JAI SHRI KRISHNA 16:00 DHARAM THI GUJARATI 16:30 RASOI SHOW 17:30 CHHUTA CHHEDA 18:00 TUM KAUN PIYA 18:30 DIL KA RISHTA 19:00 MERE HUMRAHI 19:30 OM NAMAH SHIVAY 20:30 BARRISTER BABU

21:00 NAATI PINKY KI LAMBI LOVE STORY 21:30 PAVITRA BHAGYAA 22:00 PINJARA KHUBSOORTI KA SATURDAY 19 SEP 18:30 NAMASTE BREAKFAST 19:00 ISHQ MEIN MARJAWAN 2 19:30 CHOTI SARDAARNI 20:00 NAAGIN (SEASON 5) 21:00 DESI BEAT RESET SUNDAY 20 SEP 14:30 WELCOME 18:30 DESI BEAT RESET 19:00 CHOTI SARDAARNI 20:00 NAAGIN (SEASON 5) 21:00 DESI BEAT RESET

21:00 BALIKA VADHU - LAMHE PYAAR KE SATURDAY 19 SEP 11:00 DESI BEAT SEASON 2 17:00 DHARAM THI GUJARATI 18:00 FEET UP WITH THE STARS (SEASON 1) 18:30 KHATRA KHATRA KHATRA 19:30 OM NAMAH SHIVAY 20:30 DESI BEAT SEASON 2 21:00 BALIKA VADHU SUNDAY 20 SEP 11:00 DESI BEAT SEASON 2 17:00 DHARAM THI GUJARATI 18:00 DESI BEAT SEASON 3 18:30 KHATRA KHATRA KHATRA 19:30 OM NAMAH SHIVAY 20:30 DESI BEAT SEASON 2 21:00 BALIKA VADHU

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IPL 2020 all set to begin on Sept 19 The Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) is all set to enthral millions from September 19. This year the IPL will be held in UAE because of the Covid 19 crisis in India that has shown no abatement. Unlike in the previous years double headers are less primarily because of the heat in the Emirates in the noon and the need to maintain social distance as part of the Coronavirus protocol set for IPL 2020. Here's a hand guide to the telecast details Live Telecast and Streaming: All the matches will be live on Star Sports Networks and live streaming will be on HotStar. India Timing: In India, the IPL 2020 matches will start on 7.30 pm IST. On the double-header days, the first match will start on 3.30 pm IST and the second match will be on 7.30 pm IST. Squads Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (captain), N Jagadeesan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KM Asif, Ravindra Jadeja, M Vijay, Josh Hazlewood, Kedar Jadhav, Karn Sharma, Piyush Chawla, Ambati Rayudu, Imran Tahir, Deepak Chahar, Faf du Plessis, Shardul Thakur, Mitchell Santner, Dwayne Bravo, Lungi Ngidi, Sam Curran, Monu Kumar, Shane Watson, Sai Kishore. Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Sherfane Rutherford, Suryakumar Yadav, Anmolpreet Singh, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell McClenaghan, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Mohsin Khan, Fabian Allen, Prince Balwant Rai Singh, Digvijay Deshmukh, Hardik Pandya, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Anukul Roy, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Ishan Kishan, Quinton de Kock, Aditya Tare. Kolkata Knight Riders: Dinesh Karthik (Captain), Andre Russell, Ali Khan, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Nitish Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Rinku Singh, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi, Shubman Gill, Siddhesh Lad, Sunil Narine, Pat

MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, David Warner,(top) Steve Smith, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer

Cummins, Eoin Morgan, Varun Chakravarthy, Tom Banton, Rahul Tripathi, Chris Green, M Siddharth, Praveen Tambe, Nikhil Naik. Sunrisers Hyderabad: David Warner (Captain), Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Virat Singh, Priyam Garg, Abdul Samad, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Sandeep Sharma, Siddharth Kaul, Billy Stanlake, T Natarajan, Abhishek Sharma, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mitchell Marsh, Fabian Allen, Vijay Shankar, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Sanjay Yadav, Jonny Bairstow, Wriddhiman Saha, Shreevats Goswami, Bavanaka Sandeep. Rajasthan Royals: Steve Smith (Captain), Mahipal Lomror, Manan Vohra, Riyan Parag, Robin Uthappa, David Miller, Ankit Rajpoot, Mayank Markande, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Varun Aaron, Jaydev Unadkat, Kartik Tyagi, Akash Singh, Oshane Thomas, Andrew Tye, Ben Stokes, Rahul Tewatia, Shashank Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Anirudha Joshi, Tom Curran, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, Anuj Rawat. Kings XI Punjab: KL Rahul (Captain), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Sarfaraz Khan, Mandeep Singh,

Sheldon Cottrell, Ishan Porel, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Arshdeep Singh, Hardus Viljoen, M Ashwin, J Suchith, Harpreet Brar, Darshan Nalkande, Glenn Maxwell, James Neesham, Chris Jordan, Krishnappa Gowtham, Deepak Hooda, Tajinder Singh Dhillon, Nicholas Pooran, Prabhsimran Singh. Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (Captain), AB de Villiers, Gurkeerat Mann, Devdutt Padikkal, Aaron Finch, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kane Richardson, Dale Steyn, Isuru Udana, Moeen Ali, Pawan Negi, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Chris Morris, Pavan Deshpande, Parthiv Patel, Joshua Philippe, Shahbaz Ahamad. Delhi Capitals: Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan, Jason Roy, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Lamichhane, Kagiso Rabada, Keemo Paul, Mohit Sharma, Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, R Ashwin, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, Rishabh Pant, Alex Carey, Shimron Hetmyer, Tushar Deshpande.

Two UAE players charged under ICC anticorruption code United Arab Emirates (UAE) players Amir Hayat and Ashfaq Ahmed have been charged with five counts of breaching cricket’s anticorruption rules and provisionally suspended with immediate effect. The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) had suspended Ashfaq during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in October last year but no formal charges had been laid so far. Both Amir and Ashfaq have been charged with the following breaches of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code: Article 2.1.3 – Seeking, accepting, offering or agreeing to accept any bribe or other Reward to: (a) fix or to contrive in any way or otherwise to influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any International Match; or (b) ensure for Betting or other corrupt purposes the occurrence of a particular

Amir Hayat and Ashfaq Ahmed

incident in an International Match. Article 2.4.2 – failing to disclose to the ACU (without unnecessary delay) the receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or other benefit, (a) that the Participant knew or should have known was given to him/her to procure (directly or indirectly) any breach of the AntiCorruption Code, or (b) that was made or given in circumstances that could

bring the Participant or the sport of cricket into disrepute. Article 2.4.3 – failing to disclose to the ACU (without unnecessary delay) all gifts (whether monetary or otherwise), hospitality and/or other non-contractual benefits offered to a Participant that have a value of US$750 or more, whether or not the circumstances set out in Article 2.4.2 are present, save that there shall

be no obligation to disclose any (i) personal gifts, hospitality and/or other noncontractual benefits offered by or on behalf of any close friend or relative of the Participant, (ii) any food or beverage gifts or (iii) cricket hospitality gifts in connection with Matches the Participant is participating in. Article 2.4.4 – failing to disclose to the ACU (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by the Participant to engage in Corrupt Conduct under the Anti-Corruption Code. Article 2.4.5 – failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any facts or matters that came to his attention that may evidence Corrupt Conduct under the Code by another Participant. The players have 14 days from 13 September to respond to the charges. The ICC will not make any further comment in respect of these charges at this stage.

Yuvraj decides to come out of retirement World Cup-winning former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has decided to come out of retirement, giving in to a request from the Punjab Cricket Association more than a year after he called it quits. The Player of the Tournament at the 2011 World Cup, Yuvraj had announced his retirement from all forms of cricket last June.PCA secretary Puneet Bali was the first person to approach the 38-year-old Yuvraj with an offer to come out of retirement for the benefit of Punjab cricket. He has agreed to resume for the state at least in the T20 format. "Initially, I wasn't sure that I wanted to take up the offer," Yuvraj was quoted as saying. "I was done with domestic cricket, though I did want to continue to play in other domestic franchise-based leagues worldwide if I got permission from the BCCI. But I also couldn't ignore Bali's request. I gave it a lot of thought, for nearly three or four weeks, and it was almost as if I didn't even have to make a conscious decision in the end."While working with the young Punjab quartet of Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh and Anmolpreet Singh at the nets in the last few months, Yuvraj rediscovered his love and motivation for the game. Bali said that the dashing southpaw has written to BCCI president Sourav Ganguly in this regard. "We want him in the team and the way he mentored four young boys Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Prabh Simran Singh and Anmolpreet Singh was exceptional. I told him that please give at least one more year of your life to Punjab cricket," he said.

SHUTTLERS STICK TO THEIR GUNS; NATIONAL CAMP CANCELLED The national camp for the Thomas and Uber Cup has been cancelled. The camp that was to begin on September 7 proved to be a non-starter. With top players unwilling to comply with standard operating procedures (SOPs) prescribed by Sports Authority of India (SAI), the Badminton Association of India (BAI) was forced to take the decision last week. As per SOPs, players selected for the camp have to stay at the academy, but the shuttlers were reluctant to follow the rule. BAI general secretary Ajay Singhania said, “After a lot of deliberations with all stakeholders including Sports Authority of India, we have decided to cancel the camp. With the SOP implemented and quarantine procedures followed, there will not be enough time to conduct a camp. We have also selected a team that will be representing India at the Thomas & Uber Cup (October 3-11) as well as the other two tournaments to be played in Denmark,” he said. Teams - Thomas Cup: Kidambi Srikanth, Parupalli Kashyap, Lakshya Sen, Subhankar Dey, Siril Verma, Manu Attri, Sumeeth Reddy, MR Arjun, Dhruv Kapila and Krishna Prasad Garaga. Uber Cup: PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, Aakarshi Kashyap, Malvika Bansod, Ashwini Ponnappa, Sikki Reddy, Pooja Dandu, Sanjana Santosh, Poorvisha Ram and Jakkampudi Meghana. Denmark Open (Oct 13-18) and Masters (Oct 20-25): PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth, Lakshya Sen, Saina Nehwal, Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy.

ENGLAND LEVEL ODI SERIES WITH OZ England won the second ODI by 24 runs to level their three-match series against Australia after the visitors, chasing a modest target of 232, suffered a dramatic collapse on Sunday. Australia appeared to be cruising as they reached 144 for two thanks to a 107-run third wicket partnership from captain Aaron Finch (73) and Marnus Labuschagne (48) before capitulating to 207 all out. Chris Woakes triggered the collapse when he had Labuschagne lbw, beginning a run which saw Australian lose three wickets for one run in eleven deliveries. "That's as well as we've bowled for a while," said England captain Eoin Morgan. "We took advantage of conditions, the ball reverse swung a little bit, went up and down. Our group of four seamers were outstanding." England also got themselves off the hook during their own innings. Having won the toss and chosen to bat, they ambled along at a pedestrian pace with Joe Root needing 73 balls for his 39. They looked to be in real trouble at 149-8 but then hit 53 runs in the last four overs with Tom Curran (37) and Adil Rashid (36) adding 76 for the ninth wicket.