AV 20th November 2021

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20 - 26 NOVEMBER 2021 - VOL 50 ISSUE 28

Let’s reduce the spread of viruses to protect each other

Russian missile system arrives despite US threat

Azeem Rafiq exposes Yorkshire Cricket Club racism scandal

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SEE PAGE - 26

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HOLIDAYS CANCELLED

COMMUNITIES CELEBRATE DIWALI IN THE UK WITH POMP AND GAIETY

Unreasonable prices ruin holidays, as British Indian families who miss seeing their loved ones are left distraught. The price of one economy class ticket is almost equal to the price of two tickets for a one-way journey.

Shefali Saxena

The famous social media groups where Indians in London interact with each other, are currently overflowing with queries, requests and discussions of how UK-India round trip and individual flights are getting cancelled all of a sudden. The bigger issue is the skyrocketing price of economy class tickets that are now on sale which is almost the price of a ticket for two adults and a child in normal times.

Continued on page 6

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Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel celebrated the festival of Diwali and the Hindu New Year with worshippers and members of the local community at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London, popularly known as ‘Neasden Temple’ on Sunday 7 November 2021.

Similarly, many other temples and organisations in the UK celebrated Diwali, including a visit by the Home Secretary to the Hare Krishna Temple in Watford, to mark the occasion.

For more stories on these celebrations across the UK, see page 16-17.

2 UK

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20 - 26 November 2021

with Keith Vaz

Female Muslim councilor receiving regular death threats

Amitabh Sharma International Business Development Champion Amitabh arrived in the UK in 1981, he quickly realised that everyone had trouble pronouncing his otherwise famous first name (Amitabh), so he improvised adapted and became "Ami". This flexibility and willingness to fit into groups of people has been one of his key success qualities in life so far. Ami first graduated as an Electronics Engineer from Brunel University, then as an MBA from Alliance Manchester Business School, and worked in Telecoms and Media throughout.

He started working for Fortune 500 companies and then branched out into startups to try to help them become Fortune 500 companies. He has travelled extensively and ran companies with staff simultaneously in UK, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

One of his major life-successes occurred during lock-down where Ami transformed himself with a 30 Kgs weight-loss, reversing his drift to Diabetes and Obesity, helped by his rekindled love for cycling.

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

London wins hands down - having been lucky enough to live in each of Delhi, Paris, Brussels, Manchester and Atlanta. Other than the weather, public transport, independence, freedoms, organised & predictable rules for working and living, it is the huge breadth of diverse people that makes London unique for me.

2. What are your proudest achievements?

While the obvious choice could be my personal weight-loss success, that almost pales into insignificance when compared to the achievement (probably more of my wife’s) of having got both our kids to land on their feet with entry to wonderful universities and helping them take control of their own destinies through jobs and career choices.

3. What inspires you?

Helping others to discover their potential, break down borders and limits, to spread their wings and fly – inspires me. Currently I am excited to help friends and relatives with their weightloss ambitions having found the ADORE Trust formula of intermittent fasting and insulin control through two meals a day.

4. What has been biggest obstacle in your career?

Having embraced diversity as a teenager, I have been lucky enough to have never experienced any race bias, glass ceiling or corporate politics issues.

The biggest obstacle has been battling my own mental limits of capability and potential holding me back from overcoming my fear of failure.

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

My/our parents would win this vote, having relocated to UK, sacrificing many comforts in life, for a better future for their next generations. I would single out my mother for her courage to bring up the kids and starting a career in finance from scratch to still being an

entrepreneur and fitness champion.

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

The diversity of every day makes my role exciting, with an opportunity to touch and improve the lives of many families around the world. Telecoms helps make the world a smaller place and cost-effectively, and media helps to entertain and educate people, so a perfect combination for me.

7. And the worst?

The worst aspect of the role currently is that time is not on our side. With the current global restrictions on life, there are so many good-will projects that are unable to be accomplished and we cannot help a lot of people currently in dire need.

8. What are your long-term goals?

Having discovered that the only true wealth is our own health, my long-term goal is to help more and more people take control of their own health and well-being and enjoy the experience of the wings that this gives them to fly and enjoy with friends' family and the world more.

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

I would want to increase the patriotic and scenic exposure for our children by mandating participation in a national citizenship service with DoE experiences for our 16 year olds. Whilst making this compulsory will have challenges, I would implement a longer-term debate and create more opportunities.

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

I grew up enjoying Oliver Hardy’s (Laurel&Hardy) amazing ability to make people laugh at will so what better companion for a desert island. Having seen his biography movie, I was shocked to learn of the tragedies of his own life, and I would love to have the time to help him laugh too.

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Oldham council leader Arooj Shah, who is the town’s first female muslim leader confirms having received regular death threats since taking up her role.

The councillor who has been open about the racism, islamophobia and misogyny she has experienced in public office, had her car firebombed earlier this year.

Arooj, addressing a full

council meeting after the killing of MP Sir David Amess, said that the tragic event brought the risk they

take when representing communities into sharp focus.

She has confirmed that over the last few months, she has faced regular death threats, approached and verbally attacked in the street and on a small number of occasions physically threatened by people. This is in addition to abuse, harassment and intimidation online.

Two arrested after imam stabbed to death Mohammed Aqil Mahdi, 22 from Camden was found stabbed to death near a canal in east London at around 8:40 am on Saturday. An investigation was immediately launched after Mohammed was pronounced dead at the scene.

Aqil was an Islamic community leader who was described as an amazing role model for kids who were

excited to attend their lessons just to be in his joyful company.

An online fundraiser in his memory has raised more than GBP15,000.

Two men aged 18 and 21 have now been arrested on suspicion of murder, however, Detective Chief Inspector Laurence Smith said that the inquiry is progressing and they are still

looking for anyone with information.

Two murders, 80 corpses assaulted

by Engineer After thirty four years, David Fuller, 67 who had been working as an electrician and maintenance engineer, was found to have murdered two women and sexually assaulted at least 8 dead bodies. Detectives believe there may have been hundreds more he assault-

ed, in the three decades he worked at the hospital.

Revealed as the Britain’s one of the most prolific sex offenders, the breakthrough came after 34 years, in 2019 reinvestigation, with an enhanced DNA sample from Caroline’s tights.

In search of Fuller’s house, the police discovered a hidden computer hard drives, 1300 videos and CDs, 34000 photographs and hundreds of handy and floppy dics, containing what they described as distressing images of sex offences.

Serial burglar with 37 offences caught red-handed Martin Faulkner, 36, who was earlier involved in a break-in at Leicester Renal Dialysis Unit, was caught by police at his home. Faulkner, who was involved in a car crash was already on early release license from a four year sentence.

He admitted burglary of high value gold jewellery in Tatlow Road, Greenfield on June 18.He gave stolen MacBook and Gucci handbags to his daughter and pleaded guilty on two counts for cannabis.

Matthew Hardyman,

mitigating, said Faulkner was in a highly distressed state before the hearing saying that the defendant had vowed this case marked the end of his offending.

Faulkner was jailed for three years and nine months.

Celebrity chef Gurpareet Bains dies Gurpareet Bains, whose fans included Hollywood star Gwyneth Paltrow had penned several superfood cookbooks. The co-founder of Vedge Snacks, who lived in Enfield, London, also claimed to have made the

‘world’s healthiest Christmas dinner’.

Bains was hospitalised following a sudden heart attack. While he regained consciousness a day later, his kidneys failed to restart and he passed away as a

result of heart and kidney complications.

Gurpareet’s interest in healthy eating came to him after watching his own weight creep up, at one stage more than 17st on the scales. He set out to make

Police apologises for forcibly removing turban A Perry Barr custody suite incident of October 25 created public uproar after a video circulated online in the following days, with some people alleging that the Sikh man’s head covering was stamped on by officers.

Assistant Chief Constable, Richard Baker, has personally apologised to a Sikh man who had his head covering forcibly removed while in custody.

The video has since been confirmed as false by

the Independent Office of Police Conduct, who are conducting a full investigation into the incident.

The IOPC Regional Director has called upon the public to remain calm as they carry out enquiries. He has confirmed the possession of all CCTV footage from the custody site and that the investigation will look at the actions of police during the incident to determine the facts.

more use of spices in his cooking, which also contain antioxidant foods which are linked with the prevention of the breakdown of our bodies’ cells.

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COMMENTS 3 20 - 26 November 2021

COP26: Slow and steady wins the race?

As Britain slowly rolls into a chilly winter, the country decks up in festive spirit. The Labour Friends of India celebrated Diwali, as we went to press and the Conservative Friends of India awaiting their big celebration as the holiday season formally begins in a couple of weeks. Shopping malls across London and streets already have their Christmas décor up, while families face the worst cancellations of holidays, soaring ticket prices and flight reschedules. Some are left distraught with the very thought of another year without meeting loved ones. The UK government is also facing one of its worst scandals and corruption charges, as the Prime Minister struggles with a peaking coronavirus number, overwhelming emergency services and deaths of double jabbed elderlies. To top it allegations against his own father inappropriately touching a Tory MP could not come at a worse time.

The NHS faces a further crisis as the very idea of a compulsory vaccination status has not been appreciated by health workers, with more leaving jobs than before.

Under the pressure of a crumbling system, finished Britain’s much-celebrated COP26 conference, with an emotional Alok Sharma, pins the world’s hope on India and China.

Let’s go one by one how one of the world’s most developed nations put together a show, that almost did not take off.

The COP26 summit started on 31 October, followed by the leaders’ summit on 1 November 2021, which the UK leaders almost missed because of a tree on the train track that halted the entire communication between England and Scotland.

People stranded panicked, as Euston flooded with commuters, who had to pay five times extra now to fly. Storms continued to batter Britain, amidst which India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew in from Rome, after a very successful meeting with the Pope.

The COP26 venue in Scotland was massive. The airportstyle security made people queue up for hours, with many who failed to even enter the premises. Food ran out, but people’s very spirit ran the show, as they gathered with hope and determination to make this very event a personal success.

The summit however ended with the recognition of India’s intervention with the world to “phase down” fossil fuels instead of the ambition to entirely phase out. It means Glasgow Climate Pact is the first-ever of UN’s climate deals to decide on reducing the use of coal and not entirely ban it, so that greenhouse gases with harmful climate impact could be controlled.

Alok Sharma, the COP26 President hoped this can be delivered, with a goal, to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Negotiators from over 200 countries have accepted the agreement, though many countries have criticised this propos-

al by India, while the Indian Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, raised valid questions as to how one could expect developing nations to make promises of stopping the use of coal and fossil fuel subsides entirely when they struggle with poverty and developments every day. As the Prime Minister of India had highlighted the need for much more money for the developing nations to be at par with the goals of developed nations.

A very emotional Alok Sharma, who has Indian and Chinese roots, apologised for the final agreed draft, as it was deeply criticised for the way the “process unfolded.”

The British media erupted criticising India and China on the stands taken. Mr Sharma said India and China must explain themselves for the stand taken, which left him deeply frustrated, as for the first time the nations tried to draw up a mandate to “phase out” coal.

It is good to have ambition. But it is important to be practical. Countries like India and other developing nations depend on coal for basic amenities like cooking meals, let alone electricity. Telling a nation, that depends on coal to eat their basic meals or stay warm as the chilly winter kills many in north India. In a nation where coal export it is rather ambitious to hope for an entire nation of over one billion people were to let go of their basic amenity.

Second, the responsibility is not only that of India’s. The UK is obviously overlooking nations like Russia, who did not even bother to take part in a summit this big. China which otherwise have a very tense relationship with India, was a strong ally throughout the final negotiations because it understood practical goals rather than non-achievable targets.

Smaller island nations have raised their concerns that this refusal to stop using coal will not cut down 45% greenhouse emission, which means the 1.5-degree Celsius target cannot be attained, which also means many of them disappearing under the rising sea levels in the coming 100 years.

The argument remains, despite India being a rising star, it is not a developed nation by any means. Developed nations who have still not delivered on Paris Agreements, should have handled this entire scenario better. Yes, India is the thirdlargest carbon emitter, but India has also come forward to help many other smaller countries with pledges such as sharing scientific methods to prepare for climate change better and sharing its vaccines.

Singling out a nation for not nodding along cannot be prudent. India is not letting down anyone here, all that it is asking for is more time to ensure the target can be achieved. One should rather be proud of its courage, to tell the truth, and commitment to deliver something sincerely.

Xi Jinping consolidates status, wants to dominate world Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, wants to make his country the world's super power. With that aim he forced the Communist Party to pass a resolution to establish his status as an equal to party founder Mao Zedong and his successor Deng Xiaoping. Xi faces many hurdles before he can think of super power status.

Except Pakistan, China's relationship with other neighbours are hostile. What appears to be a boundary dispute between India and China is in reality the symptom of a far more serious malady - Chinese expansionism. Driven by a sense of historic entitlement, China is the quintessential expansionist power of today, sometimes clandestinely nibbling away at land belonging to others and at other times brazenly flaunting its military prowess both on land and at sea to intimidate its rivals. Slowly but surely, through coercion, lure and deceit China has been expanding its footprints over the world both physically and economically. In this charade, Xi envisions himself as a modern-day Chinese emperor in the mould of rulers of the Ming and Qing dynasties, the two great dynasties of historic China. Traditionally, Chinese emperors were considered to be godly creatures with the divine sanction to rule the entire world. President Xi's heavy emphasis on historic symbolism is a resounding reiteration of Sino-centrism. Sino-centrism is deeply ingrained in Chinese culture and remains the fountainhead of Chinese thinking even today. It is this supremacist philosophy that fuels the hubris laden Chinese drive to dominate the world.

It is imperative to draw a parallel between today’s China and Nazi Germany to check the rise of another tyrant and to avert another World War. The similarities are frightening. Territorial expansion was at the heart of Nazi Germany’s drive for supremacy. So is the case with China. China’s modus operandi follows the same pattern, albeit in a more gradual manner. Like Germany, China initially focused on traditional regions that were within its immediate sphere of influence. The suppression of China’s non-Han population has continued into recent times.

The treatment of the Muslim Uyghurs of Xinjiang has in it echoes of the Nazi suppression of Jews.

Once the CPC had consolidated what it considered as vassal territory, China turned its attention to its neighbours. Its first target was India under an idealist Nehru. Even as it proclaimed amity between Indians and Chinese, China encroached into Indian territory (Aksai Chin) and surreptitiously constructed a road linking Tibet to Xinjiang. When India objected, China settled the issue via a bloody border war in which it dealt India a decisive and humiliating defeat. Aksai Chin is strategically important to China for maintaining a link between Tibet and Xinjiang and for safeguarding the China Pakistan Economic Corridor that provides China access to the Persian Gulf via the Gwadar port. Additionally, occupation of Aksai Chin gives

China a vantage position vis-à-vis India. Today, China remains in control of 38,000 sq km of what is legally Indian territory in Aksai Chin. China is also in possession of another 5,300 sq km (Trans Karakoram Tract in the Hunza-Gilgit region of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, which legally belongs to India), which was ceded to China by Pakistan in I963. China is embroiled in no less than 18 boundary disputes, both land and maritime, with its immediate neighbours is further evidence of its hegemonic trait.

China demands complete suzerainty over the South China Sea to the detriment of countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Large tracts of land belonging to Russia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Tajikistan are claimed by China, based on historic precedent.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he recently visited Indian soldiers in Ladakh in the midst of the current stand-off, remarked: “The age of expansionism is over; this is the age of development. History knows that expansionist forces have either lost or were forced to turn back.” But for expansionist forces to be thwarted, the world must remain constantly alert and India must be adequately prepared to challenge the Chinese on its own. That Xi Jinping is the new Hitler and China is the new Germany is not a delusion. Xi is using the Communist party to achieve his ambition. Some observers see the resolution as Xi's latest attempt to turn back decades of decentralisation by Chinese leaders that began under Deng and continued through other leaders like Jiang Zemin - a sign that China might be moving back to a so-called cult of personality. It was the last major meeting of party leaders ahead of the national congress next year, where Xi is expected to seek a historic third term as president. In 2018, China scrapped the two-term limit on the presidency, effectively allowing him to remain in power for life.

Meanwhile, US President Biden and Xi held a wide-ranging and, at times, candid discussion, in a virtual meeting that lasted for about three and half hours on Monday evening. The meeting didn't produce any "deliverables," but it did bolster a sense of much-needed stability between the two countries. Biden and Xi discussed the importance of managing competition responsibly, a theme that the Biden administration emphasized in the days leading up to the call. The surprise joint statement was seen as a welcome step towards reducing tensions between the two superpowers, which have been at odds in recent months over sanctions, tech bans and military activity near Taiwan. The Biden-Xi meeting was expected to build on that positive development, and that is how it turned out. Biden in his opening remark said that our responsibility as leaders of China and the United States is to ensure that the competition between our countries does not veer into conflict, whether intended or unintended.

quote: Children need models rather than critics. — Joseph Joubert

Alpesh Patel

India throws itself under the bus for China Why oh why does India feel the need to subjugate herself for the Chinese? Take COP26. In total disbelief I watched as the Chinese delegate got up, then quickly in Mandarin, effectively said that India wants to say something. The translator barely had a chance to say anything before for the Indian delegate stood up and to the massive complaints of the rest of the world said India wants to say coal will be ‘phased out’.

This went against what PM Modi’s stand had been – he delivered specific time bound constraints. Even the FT had spoken well of India after PM Modi’s speech a fortnight earlier. Now all that was undone.

Why did India do China’s bidding? China is the world’s largest carbon polluter – more than the next 4 countries combined? So why did India take the fall? The Guardian the next day blamed India and India alone.

The meat industry produces more carbon than the top oil producers – yet India (low on the meat industry scale, unlike China) takes the fall and doesn’t point this out. And here is the kicker – India per capita doesn’t even employ as many people in coal as China. So it’s not jobs. Why did India not say “We will phase out coal by 2070 and ask China to follow?” Or “We will match China”. My three year old son has more negotiating, messaging and strategic skills.

All those doctors India produces and not one is a spin doctor. Can’t see a PR disaster let alone a climate one, even when it’s a big red Chinese bus – other than to throw itself under it. The Indian government supports the Paris Agreement which is an international treaty for fighting climate change. India ratified the Paris Agreement on September 3, 2016 along with 140 other nations.

India needs to reduce its emissions by 35% before 2030 in order to be more climate resilient.

The Ministry of Climate Change has set up 5 missions that will help India fight climate change: Mission Innovation, National Adaptation Fund, National Clean Energy Fund, National Green Jobs Mission and International Solar Alliance. These missions are part of India's commitments to the COP26 agenda- they have pledged to invest $2.5 billion for sustainable development between 2018-2020 and work closely with international partners on sustainability solutions for energy poverty and clean energy access across the world.

As President, Pranab Mukherjee, pledged to achieve a 40 percent reduction of carbon emissions by 2030 and financial stability of the country.

President Mukherjee also said that India is ready to defend its interests and put forth their concern regarding climate change and global warming and added, "The international community has established the Paris Agreement as a roadmap for implementing globally binding commitments on mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions."

On November 25, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office released a statement that they will go more towards climate actions such as solar energy (including renewable energy), methane-drinking technologies, nuclear power plants etc.

On December 3, 2016 the Indian Ministry of Forests and Environment released a notification on reducing carbon emissions.India has set up an Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) to reduce its emissions by 33-35% by 2030 and increase its renewable capacity to 40% of the total electricity capacity.

The Ministry of Urban Development is working to make India sustainable and liveable by 2022. The PM had assigned this project to the Minister of Urban Development, Venkaiah Naidu.

The Indian Ministry of the Environment and Forests has determined that India will achieve its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) which is to reduce its emissions by 33-35% by 2030 and increase its renewable capacity to 40% of the total electricity capacity.

So why get a kicking from the Chinese?

I hope PM Modi issues a communique specifying targets on coal phasing out and asks the world to compel China to follow. You’re not a Hindu Nationalist if the Chinese give you a kicking on environment (as a Sikh friend of mine pointed out – ‘you Hindus are meant to care about the environment’) and you’re not a nationalist either if you can’t stick it to your closest adversary.

Credit to the UK and Alok Sharma – everyone agrees he did all he could. I knew him before he was an MP, and once he said to me, ‘you should be doing this’ referring to standing for Parliament. No thanks mate – those buggers brought you to tears. I would have kicked off and hauled them up on the world stage and asked them to explain themselves.

4 UK

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Commemorative coin marking Mahatma Gandhi’s remarkable life unveiled A new £5 coin to commemorate the life and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi has been unveiled by the Chancellor today (4 November) during the Hindu festival of Diwali.

Available in a range of standards including gold and silver, the special collectors’ coin was designed by Heena Glover and features an image of a lotus, India’s national flower, alongside one of Gandhi’s most famous quotes – ‘My life is my message’.

Building on the enduring relationship and cultural connections between the UK and India, it is the first time that Gandhi has been commemorated on an official UK coin with the final design chosen by Rishi Sunak, who is the Master of the Mint.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “This coin is a fitting tribute to an influential leader who inspired millions of people around the world.

“As a practicing Hindu, I am proud to unveil this coin during Diwali. Mahatma Gandhi was instrumental in the movement for

Chancellor Rishi Sunak holding the Royal Mint's £5 Gandhi collectors coin

Indian independence and it is fantastic to have a UK coin commemorating his remarkable life for the first time.”

The £5 coin, which goes on sale today, is part of the Royal Mint’s wider Diwali collection, which includes 1g and 5g gold bars in henna-style packaging, and the UK’s first gold bar depicting Lakshmi – the Hindu goddess of wealth.

The 20g gold Lakshmi bar was designed in partnership with the Hindu community in South Wales, where the Royal Mint is based. The Mint will join the celebrations at the

Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Cardiff, where worshippers will offer prayers to goddess Lakshmi and lord Ganesha for the coming year.

Nicola Howell, Chief Customer Officer for The Royal Mint, said: “As we approach Diwali celebrations, we are delighted to unveil the first official UK coin commemorating the life and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi.

The beautiful design builds on the enduring relationship and cultural connections between the UK and India.”

The announcement comes as India is celebrating its 75th year of Independence this year.

Last year, the Chancellor commissioned the new “Diversity Built Britain” 50p coin following discussion with the ‘We Too Built Britain’ campaign, which works for fair representation of minority communities’ contributions across all walks of life. Around 10 million of the coins, which recognise and celebrate Britain’s diverse history, went into circulation in October 2020.

British Curry Day: Commemorating the forefathers Curry houses across Bristol are commemorating the forefathers who introduced millions of Britons to a taste of the subcontinent.

British Curry Day has been launched to mark those who came to Britain from the 1960s - opening restaurants and takeaways – and to show support for the industry today.

And businesses taking part will donate £1 to good causes for every Tikka Masala – the nation’s favourite curry – sold on Wednesday, December 1.

Community champion Naseem Talukdar, from Fishponds, whose own parents ran a restaurant, said: “British Curry has been a key culinary and cultural contribution made by migrants from the Indian subcontinent.“In turn, it has helped to support future generations in the industry - as well as doctors, teachers, engineers and other professions which help their communities.”

Naseem’s grandfather, Hassan Ali Talukdar, came from a small village in Bangladesh - then part of the province of Bengal in British India.

He is understood to have managed food and logistics for the British Navy during World War II -

scheme to reduce its use of plastic, has been awarded Best Takeaway in the South West in the Asian and Curry Awards.

Rajasthan Royal continues to contribute to its community, including its role in the Food4NHS project, in which thousands of free hot meals were delivered to NHS Naseem Talukdar's Naseem Talukdar father staff.

They have donated money until their ship was captured by to 1625 Independent People, which Germans and they were held as prissupports young people aged 16 to 25 oners of war. Naseem’s father, Hazi at risk of becoming homeless or who Mohammed Siddik Ali, came to the are already homeless.

UK in the early 1970s and opened his UK Curry Connect (UKCC) is a first restaurant in Bath, called Prince campaign group that has been set up of India, in London Road. to raise awareness of skills shortages He later opened Rupali in in the Asian catering industry.

Kingswood, Bristol, in 1981, which British Curry Day coincides with attracted widespread custom at the 50 years of independence for time as it was one of the first to use Bangladesh and it is a national holia clay oven tandoor. day in the country on December 16.

Naseem now heads Rajasthan Royal in Downend and his work in the food industry led him to help the homeless and set up PPAAP. The takeaway, which joined a pilot

Virendra Sharma MP supports Westminster Eye Health Day

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The theme for World Sight Day (Thursday 14th October) this year was #LoveYourEyes. Our sight is something most of us take for granted – despite the vast majority of people saying in recent polling it is the sense they fear losing the most, more than half never or rarely think about their eye health.

This is particularly worrying as fast diagnosis and treatment are crucial to halting the deterioration of eye conditions and preserving vision as much as possible.

There is an urgent need to improve access to NHS eye care services. Even before the pandemic, eye health was operating as the busiest outpatient specialty in the NHS, with 7.9 million attendances in 2019/20, and I have seen that 1,255 patients were waiting to start ophthalmology treatment at the London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust at the end of August.

There seems little doubt that people’s sight will have deteriorated during the pandemic, partly as a result of the delay this has created for diagnosis and treatments.

Healthcare companies, the NHS, and charities are already working together to use the power of technology to improve care, free up NHS resources, and better join up existing services to help make sure patients who require urgent care receive treatment as soon as possible.

Is there rampant corruption in Britain?

Nitin Mehta This question is being asked as evidence of sleaze and corruption in all walks of life is mounting. An investigation by Sunday Times and Open Democracy has found that a donation of more than £3 million can get you a seat in the House of Lords.

The House of Lords now has a membership of 800 which is more than the European parliament and the second biggest chamber in the world after the Chinese National People's Congress. The Lords get £300 a day just for attending the proceedings of the House. It costs £120 million a year to run the House of Lords. A cursory look at the Lord's of Indian origin reveals that Lord Popat made a donation of around £500.000 to the Conservative party. He was given a Peerage in 2011. In 2005 the late Lord Noon lent £250.000 to the Labour Party and soon after that got a letter confirming his Peerage. Lord Swaraj made a donation of £500,000 to the Labour Party under Gordon Brown. Lord Ramy Ranger, owner of the Sun Mark business donated £1.3 million to the Tory party. According to Jeremy Paxman in an article in the Sunday Times dated 14 November 2021, 'If Britain is truly a democracy, the House of Lords has no place in it' There are many other glaring examples of sleaze in Britain today.

According to Robert Barrington, Professor of Anti-Corruption Practices at Centre for the Study of Corruption, University of Essex: 'A system of mutual dependency has been created between donors, politicians, lobbying interests and potential employers which by most standard analysis looks corrupt- it is apparently institutionally corrupt while the individuals are not personally corrupt'.

According to the Independent Parliament Standard Committee, over the past 5 years, 17 MPS have claimed over 1.3 million pounds in taxpayer-funded rent while collecting thousands of pounds by letting out their properties in the Capital.

The National Audit Office revealed that the present government has awarded £10,5 billion worth of CoronaVirus related contracts without a competitive tender process. Some of the contracts have reportedly cost the taxpayer £800 for every protective overall delivered. At least £2 million worth of contracts have been issued to dormant companies.

The UK may even be the money laundering capital of the world.

The US research group Global Financial Integrity estimates that $1.1 trillion a year flows illegally out of poor nations, stolen from them through tax evasion and the transfer of money within corporations.

The corporate tax haven index published by the Tax Justice Network shows that the three countries that have done most to facilitate this theft are the British Virgin Islands, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands.

All of them are British territories. Jersey, a British dependency also is a tax haven. The Financial Times journalist Tom Burgis in his book, ' Kleptopia' writes that wherever the dirty money originates it travels through London.

The 'Revolving Door' sleaze is about the movement of individuals between positions of public office and jobs in the same sector in the private and voluntary sector. Former Chancellor for Exchequer George Osborne got a job in the private sector paying him £600.000 for working two days a month. David Cameron is alleged to have made £7 million for his association with the failed finance company Greensill Capital.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. There is sleaze in Banks rate-fixing, some defence contracts, in the police force and the utility providers like water and gas.

Malpractice by accounting giants, Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC is another example of a fall in standards. Failure by these accounting firms to identify major UK bankruptcies at the department store BHS, construction firm Carillion and travel company Thomas Cook has resulted in massive job losses.

According to the British Medical Journal dated 30 June 2017, Pharmaceutical companies paid £454 million to 'work' with healthcare professionals and healthcare organisations in the UK. Drug companies are paying around £40 million a year to British doctors in service fees, flights, hotels and other travel expenses. These freebies must impact the medicines doctors prescribe. According to the NHS paper, 'Tackling Fraud, Bribery and Corruption(2018-2021), these Economic Crimes costs the NHS £1.29 billion a year. Some examples where fraud occurs is Patient Fraud, Dental Contract Fraud, GP Fraud, Payroll and Identity Fraud, Procurement and Commission Fraud.

Local Authority fraud costs around £ 2.1 billion. In a report called, 'Permission Accomplished' 72 Councillors from 50 different local authorities were on the payroll of lobbyists working in the development industry. Individuals and companies seek to corrupt major planning decisions by giving generous gifts, hospitality, lobbying key members in secretive closed-door meetings and hiring serving councillors with inside knowledge to help secure development.

According to National Fraud Authority(2013), fraud may be costing the UK £52 billion a year.

The real tragedy is that even when gross mismanagement of money comes out in the open. in most cases, the guilty do not face the justice system. After a few days of screaming headlines in the newspapers everything is forgotten.

In 1995 Lord Nolan set out the seven principles of public service: Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty and Leadership. It looks like the UK has entered a postNolan era!

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“ There really is no limit to what you can achieve in the Met.” DC Evans

I’ve enjoyed a variety of roles during my career, from responding to emergencies to becoming a detective, and now investigating crimes as part of the aviation policing team. Throughout it all there has always been someone to offer support and advice. Having recently passed my sergeant’s exam, I can say for certain that there are endless opportunities to progress in the Met.

Now more than ever, become a Met police officer.

Search Met Police Careers.

20 - 26 November 2021

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HOLIDAYS CANCELLED Continued from page 1

determined by supply and demand, if more Most of these customers who were planning people want to fly but the capacity is reduced to visit their families during the festive sea- the price will naturally increase.

She mentioned that most airlines are proson have not been home in two or three years. Many had taken leaves which they now viding refunds. Some will receive full refunds have to either spend staying back in the UK, if the flight has been cancelled by the airline or book scarily overpriced flights anyway or a partial refund if they were not able to because they have no other option. There’s utilise the return flight. However, customers also a major concern regarding refunds and need to bear in mind a partial ticket refund cancellations, where some airlines are return- does not mean a 50% refund. The airport ing less than half the original sum paid while taxes and fees out of the UK are high and booking. However, there are a few airlines make up the majority of the ticket price.

“Over the last 19 months thousands have that are helping customers in either rescheduling or refunding full prices, but of flights have been cancelled to worldwide descourse, after hours of time spent over cus- tinations including India,” Heena said.

Talking about giving alternative options tomer care calls.

Asian Voice spoke to travel to her customers, Heena added, “The airline agents/experts and British Indians who set the flight prices, therefore we can not control that element but we can advise what shared their side of the story. dates have slightly reduced prices near the What do the travel experts say?

Explaining the reason behind the spike in client’s original dates. Ordinarily, we would have advised clients to ticket prices, Jaymin Borkhatria travel before the 10 of Southall Travel UK said that December to avail signifirestricted capacity available on cantly cheaper flights.” non-stop services and services Commenting on via the Middle East could be the reduced flight frequency, main reason why there’s a sudshe added, “It’s difficult den splash. Addressing the conto answer that question sequences of cancellations, and as it is dependent on refund rules (since many flights Covid-19 worldwide and have been cancelled) and travel restrictions which whether airlines are refunding can change at any time. full amounts, Jaymin told Asian However we hope capaciVoice, “The full refund is availty will start returning to able if your flights are cancelled, normal within a year. the cancelled flights would be Airlines need to recruit almost 25% plus or minus.”

Jaymin Borkhatria staff, arrange more airBut what about those who craft, liaise with airport are looking for alternative options and do not wish to cancel their visit, authorities to increase routes and frequency.”

Explaining what this means for the travel especially during the Christmas holidays industry, Heena said, “The rise in rates will when ticket prices are anyway high?

“Most customers don’t wish to refund but make it less affordable for some individuals there may not be available on alternate ser- to travel, hence they will not travel or instead of two holidays in a year they will now reduce vices on the same day,” he told us.

Speaking about the reduced frequency of to 1 holiday. Travel agents and tour operators flights, Jaymin listed two factors: i) Bubble will see a reduction in bookings after a very agreements between India and connecting challenging 19 months. The above is all Countries. ii) As Airlines restart, there is a dependent on Covid-19 and travel restrictions imposed by the UK and the correspondlimiting factor of availability of crew.

Reacting to what this rise in rates mean ing government in this case India. This is very for the travel and tourism industry, Jaymin fluid and can change instantly.”

Speaking to Asian Voice, Rob Burgess, told the newsweekly, “Travel and Tourism would probably be more expensive in the the editor of frequent flyer website headforshort term due to these post-pandemic points.com, said: “Whilst we don't normally restrictions and also in the longer term due to recommend spending Avios or Virgin Points on long-haul econorising cost to Airlines. my flights, it makes If customers book ahead they sense when cash fares can still access reasonable prices.” are this high.

Heena Bhudia of Travel Pack Unfortunately, BA told Asian Voice, “Flight prices have has no any Avios seats increased due to reduced capacity to Delhi, Mumbai or across all airlines. Airlines could not Bangalore in any class justify keeping planes that were not before Christmas, being used for months on end, as although there is a lot they still have to pay parking fees, available after that. security and maintenance for these Seats can often aircraft while they are not flying appear at short and have no income. Many notice, however, so it returned leased planes and retired is worth checking older aircraft from their fleets. regularly using a tool Heena Bhudia Hence reducing their fleets, routes, such as seatspy.com. staff and capacity to account for the If you have Virgin reduced demand. Flight prices are Points, Virgin Atlantic has a sprinkling of Premium Economy and Upper-Class reward seats to Mumbai and MORTGAGES INSURANCE Delhi in late November but • Residential • Life & Critical nothing in Economy until after • Buy to Let • Private Medical Christmas. For anyone looking • Remortgages • Income Protection at Pakistan, Virgin Atlantic has • Ltd Co Mortgages • Professional Indemnity a lot of seats in all classes avail• Public Liability able before Christmas on the Manchester to Islamabad route.

NO FEES CHARGED FROM If you don't have your own THE CLIENT points, a friend or relative who does could book a ticket in your Sanjiv Nanavati, CeMAP, M.B.A name.”

Mortgage & Insurance Adviser Refund doesn’t cover even half 07970 265 748 the cost of tickets sanjiv@srfsmortgages.co.uk Chethana Satish who Harrow Business Centre, 429-433 Pinner Road, Harrow HA1 4HN booked tickets outbound tickSRFS Mortgages Ltd is authorised & regulated by the ets for Etihad and inbound for Financial Conduct Authority (No. 839035) Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up your payments on any mortgage secured on it.

Emirates via a third party told

us, “We had booked our tickets from London to Bangalore 2 months back from third party service provider lastminute.com. Suddenly last week got a mail saying my inbound flight was cancelled and when I tried rebooking got to know all Emirates flights are cancelled.

“There was no other option given other than a refund and that too for only return ticket refund. Though I had paid the ticket price as one journey, the amount I got was decided by them and it was less for a return ticket. My service provider charged £100 for no fault of mine though the flight was cancelled by the airlines.

“I'm stuck now as I have my onward ticket still on and had to book for return with sky-high prices. Other than this we have to pay for all the tests. It’s really stressful as nothing is certain now. We are desperate to meet family back home, it has been close to three years now and these uncertainties are quite stressful.

Further speaking to the newsweekly, she argued that the amount that airlines are refunding is the same as the price that was paid while booking when the refund and cancellation are rather more costly for the customer who is paying a stupendously high amount to rebook tickets.

Chethana added, “There should be some guidelines for this. No one questions the airlines while they are behaving at their will and wish. Booking a flight and planning a trip has become a nightmare especially considering the sky-high prices during school holidays.

We need to plan way ahead for a good price and if we do it these uncertainties are killing us. The amount we spent was £1950 for 3 tickets and the amount got back was £700 in total for all the three tickets. It hardly covers the cost of one ticket at today’s price.”

Losing pre-booked holidays Kiran Kumar ManneI booked British Airways London to Hyderabad flights on 1st September 2021 for 3rd December 2021 and return on 3rd January 2022 for about £2500 for two adults and a kid for one way.

Speaking to the newsweekly, Kiran said, “Initially, they cancelled the return flight and there is no alternate provided due to non-availability. I rebooked Air India for the return journey. Now they cancelled to flight too.

“I have to lose some of my pre-booked holidays due to this. The prices skyrocketed due to demand making it unaffordable if. My whole family is travelling. It’s hard to get to customer service after waiting for a minimum of one hour every day. They say that they can’t provide the refund for the breakdown of return cancellation and the back-office will deal with it.

“They said only after I finish my journey and call them back they will be able to issue a refund. I only visited India for a week in 2019 and since then pandemic hit and haven’t got a chance to go. This journey is really important to me as we have both health and family appointments.”

Trip cancelled until April Aurorupa Dhar was planning to visit India this December. “Looking at the price rates and quotes that I received from Southall Travels, it's not worthwhile for me to pay that amount for a two-week trip to India. I am now planning to travel in July with better airfare,” Dhar told us. An executive at Southall travels helped her with two options - £2000 for a direct flight, and £1500 for a connecting flight for economy class. But she eventually decided not to go and has pushed her plans to April 2022.

Heathrow’s actions are jeopardising postBrexit Britain According to Telegraph, Sir Richard Branson and the former British Airways chief Willie Walsh have set aside their long-running feud to mount a joint attack on the owners of Heathrow, accusing the airport and its shareholders of greed that is damaging the economy. The group claims that Heathrow’s actions are jeopardising Boris Johnson’s hopes of establishing postBrexit “Global Britain”.

in brief DRUG DEALER WHO TRAFFICKED YOUNG BOYS JAILED 21-year-old Ajay Stephens set up a crime network with three brothers. When Stephens was out of the country, his step-brother Amun’Ra Teko of Brixton and half-brother Shaquille Boreland, 26, ran the line in his absence. Stephens was the holder of the ‘P’ line running from London to the historic seaside town. The Scotland Yard investigation led to two young, vulnerable boys aged 15 and 17 being freed from Stephens’ grasp and safeguarded and proved that 1.45 kilos of drugs had been sold since November 2019. Scotland Yard believes it is only the second time a jury has convicted someone of modern slavery offences in relation to exploiting children to sell drugs.

MINISTERS DEMAND INQUIRY INTO STEEL TYCOON GUPTA Liberty Steel has lurched through eight months of crisis after the March collapse of its key financial backer, triggering an ongoing attempt to find new lenders.

Sanjeev Gupta controls Liberty Steel that employs as many as 35,000 people worldwide, including 3000 in the UK. A scathing report by MPs said Gupta’s leadership threatened the future viability of Liberty Steel and it should be investigated for potential breaches of his duties as a company director. Labour MP Darren Jones who chairs the business committee said that Steel is a national strategic asset, a foundation industry and a sector which the UK cannot afford to lose.

HONOUR-BASED ABUSES SOARED BY 81% IN 5-YEARS Shocking new data has revealed that the number of ‘honour-based’ abuse offences recorded by police in England has soared by 81 per cent over the past five years. The offences – which include rape, death threats and assault – rose from 884 in 2016 to 1599 last year. One such woman, Jasvinder Sanghera, 56 now, had tried to take her own life with tablets after being forced by her parents to marry an unknown person. When she finally ran away from home in 1981 ahead of her wedding, she was disowned by her family for bringing shame upon them and later branded a prostitute by her mother. Tragically, her sister Rubina suffered an even worse fate, who ended her life at the age of 25 after accepting a forced marriage.

Documents revealed by The Telegraph in September revealed Heathrow’s plans to increase landing charges by up 90pc from next year. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has subsequently rejected Heathrow’s demands but signalled it is willing to accept increases of up to 56pc.

They reported that BA, Virgin Atlantic and IATA said Heathrow’s owners - which include the sovereign wealth funds from Qatar, China and Singapore - must inject billions of pounds into the airport rather than ask passengers to foot the bill for its “extreme use of debt”.

It is also being speculated that Heathrow’s gross debts have ballooned to more than £20bn after racking up multibillion-pound losses during the pandemic. It does, however, have cash reserves to last until February 2023.

Starting with November 22, Indian travellers fully vaccinated with Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin will be able to travel to the UK without the requirement of mandatory self-isolation, British High Commissioner Alex Ellis said on Tuesday.

The vaccine has been approved for emergency use by WHO.

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20 - 26 November 2021

PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH UK GOVERNMENT

Frequently asked questions about the flu vaccine

Where to get the flu vaccine?

• Your GP surgery • A pharmacy offering the service • your midwife service if you’re pregnant • a hospital appointment

How effective is the flu vaccine?

Flu immunisations help protect against the main types of flu viruses, although there’s still a chance you might contract it. If you do get the flu after vaccination, it’s likely to be milder and not last as long. Having the flu vaccine will also stop you from spreading the flu to other people. It can take 10 to 14 days for the flu vaccine to work.

Are there any side effects?

Side effects of the nasal vaccine may commonly include a runny or blocked nose, headache, tiredness, and some loss of appetite. Those having the injected vaccine may get a sore arm at the site of the injection, a low-grade fever, and aching muscles for a day or two after the vaccination. Serious side effects with either the nasal spray or injection are extremely rare.

Let’s reduce the spread of viruses to protect each other Rupanjana Dutta Our immunity to flu may be lower now than before, due to lack of social mixing last winter. This means there could be a flu surge that coincides with continuing or rising Covid-19 cases. Colder weather and earlier sunsets also mean people are more likely to socialise indoors, where it is less well ventilated, which will increase the chances of virus transmission.

Recent published research suggests adults in England are deeply underestimating the combined threat of Covid-19 and flu this winter. The flu virus kills almost 11,000 people and hospitalises tens of thousands more in England in an average year.

Vaccines are the best protection we have against life-threatening viruses like flu and Covid-19.

Around 1 in 3 people who have Covid-19 have no symptoms and can spread it without knowing. A coronavirus booster vaccine dose helps improve the protection you have from your first 2 doses of the vaccine. It gives you longer-term protection against getting seriously ill from Covid-19.

So, for those eligible, it’s important to receive a Covid-19 booster as well as a flu jab this winter, to protect yourself and others as a community.

Frequently asked questions about the Covid-19 booster programme How soon after a second dose will a booster be offered?

People with certain health conditions may be offered the Covid-19 booster earlier.

No earlier than 6 months after completion of the primary vaccine course (your second dose).

I’ve tested positive for Covid-19, can I still get a booster vaccine?

If you have recently tested positive for Covid-19, you should wait 4 weeks (28 days) before booking, starting from the date you had the test.

Dr Nikki Kanani

NHS deputy vaccination programme lead Dr Nikki Kanani said, “The NHS Covid-19 vaccine programme, the largest and most successful in NHS history, has protected millions of people and saved around 130,000 lives.

“Flu and Covid-19 both cost lives and the increased threat from the two deadly viruses this winter makes it even more important for people to continue sticking to good habits like washing their hands regularly.

“It’s important anyone eligible comes forward for a flu vaccine as soon as possible and books in their booster when they are invited – the vaccines are safe, effective and the best thing you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones this winter.”

71-year-old social worker Kanti Nagda MBE has had both his booster and flu vaccine. He said, “I had my first Covid-19 jab in January 2021 and second one in April 2021. These were followed up with a booster in October 2021. I believe the booster improves my long-term protection against serious Covid-19. I strongly feel that the risk is low, but the advantage is much higher.

“I have also had my flu jab- which I have been taking regularly for the last 4 years. With lower immunity than before the pandemic, it is important we protect ourselves from both the flu and Covid-19. So, if eligible, one should take both the jabs.”

I’m pregnant – is it safe to get the Covid and flu jabs?

Yes – both are safe for pregnant women, and it’s important to have both if eligible. There are more risks for you and your pregnancy if you contract Covid-19 without the vaccine, and the flu vaccine will also help protect your unborn baby.

If you catch flu when pregnant, you’re at risk from complications such as bronchitis and it could cause your baby to be born prematurely, have a low birthweight and may even lead to stillbirth. If you’re pregnant you can get a free flu vaccine from your GP, pharmacist or through your maternity service.

Who is eligible for a flu vaccination?

All children in primary school and those in secondary school years 7-11 • Anyone with a serious long-term health condition, such as diabetes, hepatitis, asthma, heart conditions.

• Those aged six months to under 50 years in clinical risk groups • Pregnant women – at any stage in their pregnancy • Those aged 50 years and over • Close contacts of immunocompromised individuals • Frontline health and social care workers” Are children eligible for flu vaccine?

Most children are eligible for the flu vaccine and can get it in school (for eligible school aged children) and in GP practices (for eligible children that haven’t started school and school aged children that are in an at-risk group).

What flu vaccine is available to children?

The children’s nasal spray flu vaccine is offered every year to children between 2 and 17 years old to help protect them against the flu. They will be offered the flu vaccine injection if the nasal spray vaccine is not suitable for them.

If your child is aged between 6 months and 2 years and has a long-term health condition that makes them at higher risk from flu, they’ll be offered a flu vaccine injection instead of the nasal spray. This is because the nasal spray is not licensed for children under 2 years.

Kanti Nagda MBE

To check your eligibility for the flu vaccine and Covid-19 booster vaccine or to find a service visit nhs.uk/wintervaccinations.

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20 - 26 November 2021

Lord Dholakia speaks of the financial impact on retail business Lord Dholakia the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats speaking in the House of Lords in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill moved an amendment to use this Bill to remove Section 176 From the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act passed in 2014.

He spoke of the impact of shoplifting on retail businesses.

Lord Dholakia said,” it is estimated by the British Retail Consortium that businesses lose £770 million a year to shop theft—and retail theft crimes are rising year on year. According to figures available from the Home Office, there was an overall increase in retail theft of 19.1% between 2014 and 2018, compared with an increase of 4.96% between 2010 and 2014”.

Lord Dholakia continued, by citing Section 176 of the Antisocial Behaviour, Crime, and Policing Act 2014, he said, “This

allows anyone accused of shoplifting anything under £200 to plead guilty by post, just as if they had been given a parking ticket”.

He continued by saying, “This is said to be a cost-saving exercise, but the truth is that it does not save money. In fact, it does the opposite, as everyone loses, customers who end up paying higher prices or the retailers who lose their jobs when the business fails”.

Lord Dholakia gave the example of Thames Valley Police who inform local shops that they will not send out officers to deal with shoplifters who steal less than £100-worth of goods. He

said “This action has, therefore, reduced the deterrent to theft and the punishment that an offender can expect, just one in 20 of all shoplifting offences are now prosecuted.

Lord Dholakia spoke of how soul-destroying it must be for hard-working businesses to have their livelihood literally stolen away from them.

He mentioned the British Independent Retailers Associations crime survey for 2021 which showed that businesses are losing more and more each year to this type of crime, as it is currently being left unchecked.

He continued, “Shop theft is not a victimless crime; in fact,

smaller independent retailers feel the impact of retail crime more acutely than larger retailers. A small retailer operating on a typical margin of 8% would need to sell £2,500-worth of goods to make back £200 of stolen goods. In addition, they are often working alone, unable to call in back-up from another staff member, and left literally at the mercy of the perpetrator and the trauma of the event.”

Lord Dholakia said, “How can this be right? The removal of this legislation would send a signal to those who perpetrate shop theft: that you will be prosecuted; your actions matter; and you will be held to account.

It would show that this Government really holds our retailers, who have kept our country going through the pandemic, in high regard, and that the retailers can have confidence that justice will be served.

How police can restore the confidence of Londoners Local London Assembly Member, Unmesh Desai AM, hosted the first in a series of discussions surrounding restoring confidence in the police at City Hall on Tuesday (2nd November) which focussed on the theme of violence against women and girls. Mr Desai who is also the London Assembly Labour Group’s Policing and Crime Spokesperson said that the process of rebuilding trust “has to be at the foundation” of efforts to tackle harassment and sexual and domestic abuse.

The event was co-hosted by former Met Police Detective Superintendent, Shabnam Chaudhri, and attendees heard from speakers such as the Director of Tell MAMA, Iman Atta OBE, and representatives from the Met, Mayor’s Office of Policing and Crime (MOPAC) and local Government.

Ms Atta, from the antiIslamophobia organisation, Tell MAMA, underlined the issue that Muslim women are more likely to initially come forward to report that they are victims of

Local London Assembly Member, Unmesh Desai AM

domestic abuse to her team, rather than the Metropolitan Police.

Officers from Hackney Council and the Central East London Borough Command Unit (BCU) outlined how they are ensuring the local night-time economy is made safer for women. Hackney Council are currently rolling out a ‘Reframe the Night’ campaign, which provides accredited training and a toolkit for the borough’s licensees on how to respond to and prevent sexual harassment.

On Wednesday, the Met Police published a new strategy into improving its approach to

clamping down on violence against women and girls. New measures being taken by the police include the launch of Project Vigilante to tackle predatory offending in the night-time economy and the appointment of a digital media investigator to improve the management of cyber evidence.

The Met have also pledged that specialist training to help officers spot the signs of domestic abuse will be extended to 8,500 frontline officers.

This week, Mr Desai was also part of a panel at a meeting of the London Assembly Policing and Crime Committee, which took the views of a number of organisations and campaigners on some of the solutions to the epidemic of violence against women and girls.

Local London Assembly Member, Unmesh Desai AM, said: “Violence against women and girls is both an urgent and enduring issue in our society and

we must get to grips with tackling the many factors that underly it.

“Trust in the Met Police amongst women and girls has been damaged and properly restoring this has to be at the foundation of these efforts.

“Alongside former Detective Superintendent, Shabnam Chaudhri, I was very pleased to bring a variety of speakers together at City Hall from a range of sectors to launch the first in series of discussions which will be geared towards looking at some of the solutions.

“It was especially concerning to hear that many women face barriers in reporting domestic abuse to the police and I am keen to see the action the Met will be taking to reassure them that they can safely come forward.

“The new VAWG strategy from the Met is a step in the right direction, but this is all dependent on rebuilding the confidence of women and girls in policing in this country”.

9-year-old honoured with the British Citizen Youth award Despite the pandemic, The British Citizen Youth Award continued to receive nominations from around the UK for young, inspirational members of the community who were making a difference. In a daunting and unprecedented year, these selfless young people continued to show kindness and a commitment to their community.

Among the 23 extraordinary young people who have been honoured with The British Citizen Youth Award for the 2021 Roll of Honour, Milan Paul Kumar, age 9 from Greater Manchester, has been presented with the Medal of Honour at the Palace of Westminster, from Nicky Cox MBE, Patron of The BCyA and Editor, First News.

During the lockdown, Milan read 50 books in just three months. A passionate reader, he

Milan Paul Kumar Lord Dholkia with Milan Paul Kumar

went on to raise over £2,000 for the National Literacy Trust through their ‘Fit for it’ challenge helping support children most affected by Covid-19. His efforts towards the #KeepGMMoving

campaign, to keep everyone physically and mentally fit throughout the pandemic, earned Milan a Digital Sports Award during 2020.

As the end of 2020 approached, Milan decided to self-publish a book, Covid

Christmas Parade, which tells the story of a boy spreading festive cheer throughout the pandemic. All proceeds of the book go to the National Literacy Trust. Since January 2021 Milan has become a pen pal with residents in care homes across the UK as part of the National Literacy Trust’s ‘My Dear New Friend’ to combat isolation and loneliness amongst older adults.

Milan has continued to exchange letters with 15 residents across the UK and feels that different generations can learn from each other, share ideas and bring a sense of community to everyone.

Most recently, Milan took part in five days of challenges involving hiking, cycling, skiing and go-karting around the country to raise more money for the National Literacy Trust, which now totals more than £6000.

in brief TRANSGENDER PATIENTS AWAITING TREATMENT FOR 5 YEARS The West of England Specialist Gender Identity Clinic, known as The Laurels, has not been able to treat any new transgender adults for five years now. If we go by figures, almost 3,100 people are waiting for an initial appointment.

Devon Partnership Trust (DPT) that runs the clinic is one of the seven clinics that is accountable to provide healthcare and support for transgender and gender diverse adults over 18.

The NHS England trust has admitted the challenges faced by the clinic. To deal with long waiting lists, the NHS has initiated the search for a new provider, however, DPT will continue to run it for another three years.

OPEN WINDOWS TO STOP COVID SPREAD UK government is urging people to open their windows for 10 minutes every hour while socialising to curb the spread of Covid-19 as winter approaches. Doctors and scientists too are supporting a government-funded campaign across all media platforms to persuade people to ventilate their homes. The campaign will also include a short film requesting people to “stop Covid-19 hanging around”.

WARNING OVER POLICE OFFICER’S UNACCEPTABLE WHATSAPP USAGE IOPC’s deputy director-general Claire Bassett has said some officer’s make a risky assumption that unacceptable posts were safe inside private WhatsApp chats.

It could be replicating ‘canteen culture’ in the online space. She added that the watchdog was seeing examples of misogyny, vile jokes about the victims of crime, homophobia and racism in chats.

She also said that what they were doing was not letting off steam of ‘banter’, but it was deeply offensive and undermined public confidence and trust. The IOPC is continuing to investigate five officers from three forces, and one officer who allegedly sent misogynistic and racist messages as part of a WhatsApp group that included Couzens between March and October 2019

PM’S SUPPORT FOR PRITI PATEL BULLYING CHALLENGED PM Johnson’s independent advisor Alex Allan found Priti Patel had displayed what can be described as bullying after a Cabinet Office investigation, citing instances in which she had shouted and sworn at staff. Johnson decided that she did not breach the code, however, and subsequently urged his colleagues to form a square around the Prittster.

Senior Civil Servants union FDA has brought a judicial review of his decision, probing the legal status of the ministerial code. The FDA general secretary has said that the PM’s decision, which he said reflected the home secretary’s assertion that her actions were unintentional, also potentially allows ministers to avoid the consequences of their behaviour in future by pleading that it should be the intent of their actions which is important not the consequences.

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UK

The Royal Mint Launches Intricate

20g Gold Lakshmi Bar s part of its ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion, The Royal Mint has launched its first UK bullion bar range to celebrate Lakshmi, Goddess of Wealth.

The 'Lakshmi' bar - a 20-gram 24 Karat/ 999.9 fine gold bar - features Lakshmi engraved intricately into the precious metal. The bar was designed by esteemed Royal Mint designer, Emma Noble, through close collaboration with theShree Swaminarayan Temple in Cardiff to ensure accuracy and cultural authenticity in design.

Revered for its beauty, gold has long been a popular gift associated with luck and prosperity. By uniting this precious metal with a goddess venerated for the same qualities, The Royal Mint's Lakshmi Bar serves as the perfect gift for a friend or loved one, or as a precious memento to treasure forever.

A

INSPIRATION BEHIND THE BAR The Royal Mint's exclusive new design honours Vishnu's beloved consort, depicting the gentle and loving goddess, Lakshmi, in all her glory.

Andrew Dickey, Divisional Director for Precious Metals at The Royal Mint, comments: “With gold being a traditional and auspicious gift for many, we wanted to develop a product that incorporates both beauty and tradition, but with a modern twist. I think we have managed to

portray an image of Lakshmi that is as beautiful as the precious metal she adorns. We were delighted to have worked closely with the Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Cardiff to

active approach to celebrate the Hindu culture within their product range.” ensure that we represented the Hindu Goddess of Wealth accurately and appropriately.”

Nilesh Kabaria is a devotee at the Shree Swaminarayan Temple and has collaborated with The Royal Mint on the design and development of the product. Nilesh comments, “My first reaction when I saw the final version was wow – it's incredible. I love the intricate detail that Emma has been able to include on the surface, and on my recent visit to see the bar being struck, I was amazed to see the final version with every detail in perfect harmony. It's wonderful to see an international brand such as The Royal Mint taking such a considered and

THE ROYAL MINT: THE TRUSTED HOME OF GOLD FOR THE UK

Royal Mint is a premium British manufacturer, making carefully crafted precious metal coins and bars for the UK and overseas as well as a range of physically-backed digital gold, silver and platinum investment solutions.

Based in Llantrisant, South Wales, The Royal Mint has its own state-ofthe-art, onsite storage facility-The Vault® available for customers who prefer to store their bullion out of home where it is also fully insured.

The Vault® was built to Federal Standard 832 Class A in 1986 and is guarded by trained security staff who are onsite 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

With a history spanning more than 1,100 years, The Royal Mint is Britain's oldest company and the original maker of UK coins. Today, The

For more information or to shop the Indian Inspired range from The Royal Mint visit: www.royalmint.com/gifts/indian-inspired

THE INDIAN INSPIRED RANGE As well as the beautiful Lakshmi bars, The Royal Mint continues to offer its smaller 1g and 5g 999.9 fine gold Britannia bars as part of the range. Both of these smaller bars, along with the 20g Lakshmi bar, are presented in colourful henna-style packaging fit for a celebration.

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Small steps, long run

Sleaze in Politics

Finally, the agreement has been reached at the COP26 summit. It was interesting to watch the negotiation going on to reach a consensus by delegations of different countries. Developed countries want to use their powers and negotiation skills to convince or force other countries to accept the deal.

However, there are major countries like Australia, India and China where coal is a major source of energy.

There are countries like Iraq, Libya, Venezuela whose economy is significantly dependent on oil exploration and export. To get an agreement from these countries, they need to be supported financially and technologically.

The important thing about any agreement is the spirit and not just the words. If a country agrees but does not abide by the agreement there are no options or very few options other countries have to force her.

Instead of providing the financial assistance in cash, developed countries should use their international leverage in getting solar technology or other sources of energy, keeping in mind the local conditions, as a replacement to the poorer countries so they can see the tangible benefits of the summit. As it is widely known, cash will not reach the beneficiaries due to a high level of corruption.

Changing eating habits, more people going to vegetarians and vegans, plant-based food will have some positive impact on the environment but more importantly, vehicular traffic needs to be regulated by building bridges and sensor control lights to minimise unnecessary stopping of the heavy good vehicles. People should be encouraged to use bicycles, e-bikes, e-scooters and walk a short distance. Public transport should be cheap and attractive enough for people to use it instead of cars. These small steps will help in the long run in reducing carbon emissions. Drastic changes introduced forcibly will not change things but small steps made by slow changes will have a lasting impact.

Hitesh Hingu London

The question of sleaze in politics is an age-old problem that occasionally comes to light when it becomes too obvious to ignore. The question is how to eradicate it completely so that there is no question for an MP to have a second job to supplement their meagre MP’s pay!

MP’s yearly salary is £81932 which may seem a lot to ordinary people who barely earn £20K but it is a peanut for most MPs who have entered politics, given up their lucrative employment, successful business and flourishing selfemployment in finance, insurance and similar professions.

Compare this to footballers’ earnings of more than £100k per week, most could hardly sign their names! Surely Capitalism is not what it seems, equal opportunity for everyone!

No wonder hallucinating MPs use their annual allowance for office expenses by employing family members as secretaries, advisers or in similar positions, paying them up to £40K, most doing very little work, although many are experts in various subjects like immigration and finance.

It is time to reform MPs’ pay and allowance, giving them £250K, prohibiting outside jobs, abolishing office running expenses which should be paid directly by government and secretaries and office workers put under PAYE, like Civil Servants. This will attract better quality of people, rather than lackadaisical politicians, will give us full-time MPs with no outside distractions, will clean up politics for good.

British people are too set in their old and outdated ways, reluctant to change, our excellent but outdated NHS is the prime example and as a result, everyone suffers!

Bhupendra M. Gandhi

Why is India begging from the world?

I followed the COP 26 developments recently with interest and it is sad that we have a long way to go before the individuals and companies with the financial resources will fully contribute to turn the tide around. This includes India.

I gathered that one of the reasons the finances were not forthcoming was the lack of trust between developed and underdeveloped countries due to the fear of corruption and lack of reliable infrastructure.

It was embarrassing to hear Narendra Modiji plead for vast amounts of money from other richer nations. India has enough millionaires who have funds in offshore accounts. It has nuclear and space programmes. It has a large young population who can come up with creative sustainable projects using the huge number of natural resources that India already has. Our Sanatan Dharma is about living with the Universal Laws of nature. We need to live by our Sanatan Dharma and build trust with the global community. If the Indian scientists, millionaires, government and passionate young generation come together we can do this without begging from other countries.

Hansa Pankhania Surrey, UK

SHAMIMA’S HUSBAND HOPES TO SEE A “CALIPHATE” Shamima Begum, whose British citizenship was removed in February 2019 after she fled to Syria to join ISIS at the age of 15, begged to return to the UK. She is currently at Kurdish-run refugee camp at al-Roj. However, Begum’s jihadi husband Yago Reidijk, 29, described the couple’s beautiful former life in an interview from al-Roj. When asked to condemn the group’s brutal punishments, he refused to criticise the group’s violence against Yazdi’s and other Muslims. He has also added that he still hopes to see a “caliphate” which follows Islamic traditions.Reidijk, who is currently in the Netherlands married Begum after she arrived in Syria from East London.

The couple had three children who all died.

20-YEAR-OLD DRIVING A STOLEN CAR HIT-AND-RUN GRANDAD Raihan Ahmed, 20 was jailed for killing a grandad while overspeeding in a stolen car. Ahmed of Langdale Road, Great Barr had reached 53mph in a 20mph zone and CCTV footage showed his car taking off from the ground. When the car landed Ahmed lost control hitting Ahmed Nabi, 61, father-of-four who succumbed to death shortly. Ahmed later abandoned the car which was displaying false registration plates in Adderley Street. He was arrested after 12 hours. Ahmed has now received a three-year and eight months prison sentence and has been banned from driving for four years and ten months.

Global Climate Concerns There have been various pop-up messages one can easily get from Google about the ongoing climate crisis fight. The various sources have just confirmed bundles of issues awaiting to take place due to this crisis like flooding, drought, wildfire and increased temperature.

But in the midst of all the climate crisis hullabaloo, all/what we should do first is to protect the farming and agriculture sectors from all those crises in order to keep our world food production safe and sound.

Now here comes one more important voice to fight the climate disaster. And that is Bill Gates, Microsoft Corporation Co-Founder. A benevolent and humble philanthropist, Gates has come up with his pen and pencil literally.

He has written a book titled "How To Avoid A Climate Disaster." This new book release has been deeply discussed by most media houses from the West.

In fact, Bill Gates had been our enduring inspiration during our college days in the years like 1998 in Tiruchendur in Tamil Nadu. Since he has been inspiring many generations at the world stage through his knowledge and simplicity, Bill Gates is going to be heard in the climate fight.

His sincere efforts at releasing a book on the climate disaster deserve mass adulation and are noteworthy because the books are the best way to carry forward such serious messages. A passionate person for newspapers, books and magazines, I have been largely encouraging others in my native areas like Korkai, Tuticorin, Tiruchendur and Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu and peers in my workstations like Coimbatore, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai to buy magazines and books for the happy feeling and global knowledge.

Let us end this topic with one more piece of positive news. Quite interestingly, the US Envoy for Climate Mr John Kerry has successfully completed his "climate talks" with Russia. For sure, there will be many more positive results largely up ahead especially in the wake of such a series of sincere efforts to end the climate crisis.

P. Senthil Saravana Durai Mumbai

International Children's Day Children's Day is a day observed all over the world (though on different dates) to remind us about children’s right to enjoy their childhood without any boundaries and to become educated well-developed adults in the future.

World Children’s Day was first established in 1954 and is celebrated on November 20 every year to promote international togetherness and awareness among children worldwide.

November 20 is an important date, as it is the date in the year 1959 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. It is also the date in 1989 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Parents, teachers, nurses and doctors, government leaders and civil society activists, religious and community elders, corporate moguls and media professionals, as well as young people and children themselves, can play an important part in making World Children's Day relevant for their societies, communities and nations.

World Children's Day offers each one of us an inspirational entry-point to advocate, promote and celebrate children's rights, translating into dialogues and actions that will build a better world for children.

Jubel D'Cruz, Mumbai, India

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KHICHADI Kapil’s

Follow me on Twitter: @kk_OEG

The Racist Woke Kapil Dudakia In the old days you knew who the racists were. When I was growing up in the Northwest, I got called every name under the sun including, paki, nigger, wog, a black bastard, sambo, golliwog, grease ball and much more. It usually led to getting a beating by a group of white youths who liked to show their bravado in gangs, but spineless on their own of course!

That was the 60’s and 70’s. Things ‘improved’ a bit during the 80’s and 90’s and ended in February 1999 with the publication of the Macpherson report into institutionalised racism. That was 22 years ago!

This month Azeem Rafiq tore apart the very foundations of English Cricket when he alleged racist treatment masquerading as ‘banter’ The incompetent Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC) thought they could get away if they ignored his allegations. When they finally took note, a damaging report was produced, and it was promptly hidden away. The matter came to a head when the Parliamentary DCMS Committee announced on 2nd November that it demanded the Chair of the YCCC to attend in person and answer questions. All hell broke loose and no longer were the top brass at YCCC in control of events. With all their power, they found that they could not silence the nation. Heads started to roll, and now Professor The Lord Patel of Bradford OBE has been appointed as their new Chair.

Debates have centred around ‘education’, ‘training’, ‘societal issues’ and many fake narratives to excuse away the elephant in the room. Do remember, for the past few decades we have been given the same excuses, people need more education, more training, more this, more that and more of the other.

The people indulging in racist ‘banter’ are not 50- or 60-year-olds who grew up in a different era. These modern-day racists grew up with the full weight of an educational system that has been flooded with woke anti-racism rhetoric. They have grown up in an era of social media and the Internet. And now we are to believe that these woke celeb sports superstars who act out their racism through ‘banter’, that it was just lack of education!

The England Captain Joe Root who was at YCCC for many years seem to suggest that he never came across any such practice! Indeed, he also eluded that it’s a societal issue. By saying so, it deflects attention away from the incompetence of cricketers to do the right thing.

I have stated before, ‘taking the knee’ does not mean you are not racist. All it means is that some have found ways to hide their racism. More education and diversity training are code words to hide racism. In effect, what they are saying is we will teach racists how to get away with it.

The tragedy of all of this is that some black players, and some players of colour are either just stupid and taken in by the white woke narrative, or they are enslaved within a racist system that silences them. They alone know which category they belong to, but suffice to say, in 2021 to be in any of those two is to be pathetic.

This is not about Azeem Rafiq. It is about the white woke narrative peddled and supported by some black people, and some people of colour that is designed to keep some enslaved. Our ancestors would hide their heads in shame to see that their bloodlines have become so contaminated. That the barbarism of slavery they had to endure is celebrated today by ‘taking the knee’.

The racist woke are thriving. They hide behind an equalities and diversity narrative, but they are far worse than the skin heads I had to face when I was growing up!

INDIAN CRICKET COACH WHO STOLE IDENTITY CAUGHT Harshil Patel, 30 is a talented cricketer who arrived in Britain 12 years ago on a student visa valid till 2012. Patel tried to regularize his immigration status by stealing the false identity of another man and may have paid up to GBP65,000 for the false papers.

However, when the real man, Melvin Dias, 31, went to get his Covid jab was told he had already had it. The fraud left Mr. Dias with depression as he was unable to get universal credit for six months because of struggles to prove his identity.

Patel, who purchased another man’s identity and purchased a false life by obtaining employment and getting married in his name, was sent to jail for three years.

We are grateful to all letter writers for more and more versatile letters well within word limit. Please keep contributing as always. If you are new, then write to Rupanjana at rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com

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Marcus Rashford receives MBE from the Duke of Cambridge In the first Investiture ceremony since the pandemic, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William honoured Marcus Rashford, the Manchester United and England football star who was recognised for his work to ensure children had access to food during the pandemic.

Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, Rashford said: “There’s a lot of work to be done. We’re nowhere near where we want to be, or where we feel the kids deserve to be. We’ve just got to stick at it and keep going.”

Rashford declared that he will give his MBE medal to his mother to thank her for all she did raising him and his three siblings. He shared on his Twitter

account about William that it was “An honour to spend the morning with you.

Thank you for making the day so special for me and mum. Very proud.”

The Twitter handle of William and

Kate shared his photo and said, “Keep continuing the vital work you are doing for vulnerable children across the UK.” It is imperative to note that Rashford had recently responded to news that a Welsh school plans to not feed children if they are over a penny in debt. According to ITV, the footballer has successfully campaigned to secure free meals for vulnerable children throughout the pandemic, recently receiving an MBE for his work.

According to Royal Central, William also presented an MBE to Manvir Hothi for services to social care; an OBE to Alun-Wyn Jones for his services to Rugby Union in Wales

COP26: Teary-eyed Alok Sharma ‘deeply sorry’ With the last-minute changes in the wordings of the climate deal about netzero emissions and coal crisis, as Britain's president of the COP26 climate conference, Alok Sharma emotionally apologised saying that he was ‘deeply sorry’ for this, the delegates couldn’t stop cheering for him and the room clapped for him for a record few minutes until he thanked them with cloudy eyes and continued.

Sharma said, "May I just say to all delegates I apologise for the way this process has unfolded and I am deeply sorry. I also understand the deep disappointment but I think as you have noted, it's also vital that we protect this package."

"The negotiations have been far from easy. Each and every one of you and the nations you represent have stepped here in Glasgow, agreeing to do

what it takes to keep 1.5 alive,” said COP26 President Alok Sharma.

What’s being touted as a ‘dramatic last-minute intervention’, India and China significantly watered down commitments on fossil fuels, securing the change of a single word to ensure the pact calls for coal power generation to be “phased down” rather than “phased An emotional Alok Sharma out”, The Independent reported.

PM Narendra Modi at Glasgow while he More than 100 countries signed a was given a warm welcome by the Indian pledge at the summit to cut methane community in the UK. emissions by 30% by 2030. China comHolding back his tears, Sharma said, mitted to declining its greenhouse gas "I wouldn't describe what we did yesteremissions to net-zero by 2060, and India day as a failure - it is a historic achievewhich is heavily reliant on coal, ment." Terming it as a fragile win, he promised net zero emissions by 2070. A also urged China and India to "justify" move that was heavily critiqued by world their actions to nations that are more audiences, but the size and economic vulnerable to the effects of global state of the country became parameters warming. worth pondering for the said timeline by

After Hindu protest, culturally insensitive ballet dropped Ballet “La Bayadère” will not be held at Brook Theatre in Chatham (England) as earlier scheduled (for March 25-27, 2022), after Hindus protested saying it “seriously trivialises Eastern religious and other traditions”.

A spokesperson of Medway Council (which runs Brook Theatre), in an email to Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who spearheaded the protest, wrote: “After looking into the matter the local community organisation, which was hiring the theatre for the performance, has decided that they will not be continuing with their production of La Bayadère.

The ethos of Medway Council’s theatres is to promote inclusion and diversity at all times. In future, we will endeavour to ensure that all performances taking place in our theatres reflect these values, including any thirdparty bookings.” In an earlier email, the Council spokesperson had said: “…

Rajan Zed

This performance is being organised by a local community organisation and we are currently discussing the matter with them.”

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement in Nevada (USA), thanked Medway Council, Brook Theatre and Walderslade based Bluebell School of Dance & Performing Arts (which was reportedly performing “La Bayadère”) for understanding the concerns of Hindu community, which felt that such a display was insensitive.

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SCRUTATOR’S Woman cop carries man on shoulders in rescue bid As Chennai was tackling the worst flooding in recent history, a woman police inspector has set an example by leading rescue work from the front. A video of Rajeswari, a police inspector with Chennai's TP Chatram Police Station, carrying an unconscious man on her shoulders and then ensuring his quick evacuation tells the story of duty, empathy. The video begins with Rajeswari overseeing rescue work in the waterlogged Kilpauk cemetery. As rescue crew cut branches of a tree felled by strong winds, Rajeswari is seen pulling at the branches to get them out of the way.

Police had received information that a body had been spotted under a fallen tree in the cemetery. But after the tree was moved, Rajeswari noticed that the man, later identified as Udaya Kumar, was breathing. With the rescue workers' help, the woman police inspector carried the man on her shoulders and started looking for a vehicle to take him to safety. An auto was spotted and Rajeswari carries the man to the three-wheeler, constantly giving instructions to the rescue workers accompanying her. She puts the unconscious man on the rear seat of the three-wheeler and tells the driver that he must ensure that the man lives. As the vehicle drives away, the policewoman turns back to her job of clearing the area in the rough weather. (Agency) Kerala herb gets US FDA nod for liver cancer treatment

‘Manathakkali’ (Black nightshade or Solanum nigrum), a shrub found in Kerala, is traditionally known for its medicinal value. Now the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has noticed the potential of a compound isolated from the plant to treat liver cancer, thanks to the findings of a team of scientists at Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) in Thiruvananthapuram. The US agency has given the compound an ‘orphan drug’ designation, which helps in the development and evaluation of new treatments for rare diseases. It will also help fast-track the drug’s approval. RGCB senior scientist Dr Ruby John Anto, who along with her student Dr Lekshmi R Nath isolated the drug molecule - Uttroside-B - from the leaves of Manathakkali plant, said: “There is only one FDAapproved drug available for liver cancer treatment at present. The compound we developed has found to be more effective than the one available. Toxicity evaluation in human volunteers has shown that the compound is also effective in treating fatty liver.” The technology they patented has been bought by US pharma company QBioMed. The technology transfer was done through Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. According to RGCB Director Dr Chandrabhas Narayana, the research will prove to be a major breakthrough in treatment of liver diseases, including liver cancer. (Agency) IIT graduate threatens Kohli's daughter An IIT Hyderabad graduate was arrested over rape threats to Virat Kohli's nine-month-old daughter. Police said that he had a history of online trolling using multiple identities. But to his family and friends, he was a diligent topper planning higher studies in the US. Ram Nagesh Srinivas Akubathini, 23, is a software engineer who had been working with a prominent food delivery app in Bengaluru until a month ago. He quit his job to prepare for a master's degree in the US. He is in lock-up in Mumbai after his arrest in Hyderabad. A class 10 topper, Ram Nagesh kept his interactions mostly online. The family did not know of his trolling activities, police say.

They just knew that he was passionate about cricket and had been upset after India's defeat in T20 World Cup matches. Ram Nagesh had tweeted against Virat Kohli, which led to a Twitter war between fans and haters, said Mumbai police sources. After his late night tweet threatening the cricket captain's baby daughter, Ram Nagesh allegedly deactivated the account, realising he had made a huge mistake. He deleted two more accounts. But Virat Kohli's manager had already complained to the Mumbai Police Cyber Cell and an FIR had been filed.

(Agency) Storm over water project named after ‘Pakistan’ The naming of a water supply project after ‘Pakistan’ in upper Assam’s Dhemaji district, inhabited by ethnic communities, has triggered a controversy forcing the state

public health engineering department to remove ‘Pakistan’ from the nameplate. The original name, Pak Sthan Suk - meaning a location that can be reached through a winding road - has become ‘Pakisthan Suk.’ With this name in circulation for years, with even official documents vetting the name, Assam PHE department named the water project ‘Pakistan Suba (colony) Water Supply Scheme’. Sub-divisional officer, Dhemaji (Sadar), Nandita Roy Gohain, who led an inspection team of officers from the district administration said, “The original name ‘Pak Sthan Suk’, over the years, somehow became ‘Pakistan Suk’ and ‘Pakistan’ was officially recorded in the documents of the PHE department.” After discussions with concerned officials, Gohain later said the project has been renamed Burhakuri Dakhin Suk after revenue village Burhakuri.(Agency)

call for great skills that can change the leadership crisis in corporations. He said Bhagavad Gita is perfect ground to understand standard business ethics, values and dilemmas that managers face in the current times. Prof Maheshwari said that lessons from Bhagavad Gita help managers live a purposeful life leading to excellence in everything they do.

(The Times of India) Bus owner fined as vehicle kills monkey

Visually challenged scales Himalayan peak

A visually challenged, with help from his friend, scaled Mount Friendship, popularly known as Friendship Peak, in Himachal Pradesh. Undeterred by cold winds and freezing temperatures, two friends from Vadodara recently covered the summit at an altitude of 17,346 feet above sea level. “I am into mountaineering. I have climbed mountains in Pavagadh, Jambughoda and Chhota Udepur among others. But the Himalayas is a completely different terrain because of its snowy ranges. I could do it because of my friend,” said Sanjeev Gohil, 43, who works as a postal assistant. Gohil was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a progressive vision disorder, in 2001. Even as he has lost 100% vision now, he hasn’t lost passion for forest, wildlife conservation and mountaineering which he cherished before he started losing sight. “It is my passion to be in the forest and mountains. But it is because of my friends that it becomes a reality,” said Gohil. During the five-day expedition, Gohil constantly followed the instructions of his civil engineer friend Pushpak Kotiya in his journey. (The Times of India) Course on Bhagavad Gita for corporate leaders The Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA) is set to launch a programme on Bhagavad Gita for corporate leaders. The programme will draw lessons from Bhagavad Gita and explore contemporary management concepts, conflicts, dilemmas and trade-offs in business.

“Lessons from Bhagavad Gita suggest powerful ways to promote management practices that are consistent with business models and yet ethical. This course is focused on early reflections on those learnings. The course will also enable participants to develop competence to face challenging times in their career with confidence. The programme aims to sensitise them on ways to develop themselves into effective leaders in the corporate world,” said Prof Maheshwari who is behind the programme. Prof Maheshwari said he got the idea of starting the course after he realised that Lord Krishna’s life and his lessons

A bus owner was slapped with a fine of Rs 250,000 after the vehicle ran over a monkey in the core forest area of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) in Uttar Pradesh. Forest officials said the driver tried to flee but was detained and the bus impounded after the incident. They said the bus was speeding at 70 kmph on a stretch where the permissible limit is 40 kmph. The vehicle was released after the owner paid the fine. As per the forest department, the bus belongs to a local transporter and it operates between Palia and Gola town in the district several times a day. On the 10km stretch that passes through the core forest area, all heavy vehicles are advised to maintain a speed of 30km per hour. Range officer Manoj Kashyap said, “There is just a provision of fine as the accident was reported on a state highway and the animal didn’t fall under schedule-1. Otherwise, we would have arrested the driver and sent him to jail. The fine varies from vehicle to vehicle.” Deputy director, DTR, buffer, Kailash Prakash said. (Agency) Villagers stop harvesting field to rescue jungle cat cubs Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Parveen Kaswan shared a clip from the rescue operation of five jungle cat cubs from an agricultural farm. Kaswan did not disclose the location of the rescue to avoid undue human interference. The Jungle Cat (Felis chaus) is a protected species, according to the IFS officer. Sharing a video of the cubs, he wrote: “the cubs were found by the farmers during harvesting the field and all the five jungle cat cubs were saved.” In the clip, we see the close-up of one of the cubs. Then, we are shown the five cubs lying on a field. Farmers and local people are seen making arrangements for the cubs. Kaswan wrote that the cubs were too small to survive without their mother, so the villagers decided to help reunite the family. The land was “cordoned off” for this purpose, and the “villagers decided to stop harvesting for the time being”. Villagers and rescue teams were also stationed near the location at night.

Kaswan stated that at night the mother came and took all the cubs into the forest. She started this process in the evening and by middle of the night shifted all her cubs to the forest without any disturbance. (Agency)

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We avidly listened to the story

Diwali from our elders after the The days after Diwali ofprayers on Diwali night. It would

be a rare person in India who does not know that Diwali celebrates the return of Lord Ram with Devi Sita and Lord Laxman to Ayodhya after spending fourteen years in Vanvasa or exile. The people of Ayodhya lit their houses with tiny earthen lamps to celebrate the return of their beloved King.

These lamps lit the path on a moonless night as they made their Ruchi Ghanashyam way home. The story of Diwali Mrs. Ruchi Ghanashyam is the former High carries a deeper social message of Commissioner of India to the UK. With a victory of good over evil, the tricareer in Indian Foreign Service for over 38 umph of light over darkness, and years, she has been posted in many knowledge over ignorance.

Diwali is a truly spectacular countries including South Africa, Ghana, before arriving in the UK. She was only the Indian festival. The little earthen second woman High Commissioner to the lamps have long been taken over UK since India’s independence and during by beautiful electrical lights that her tenure, she witnessed a number of decorate homes and business significant developments in the UK-India establishments, markets and residential colonies. People wear fesrelations. tive new clothes and splurge on @RuchiGhanashyam the most delicious Mithais, the endless variety of Indian sweets Delhi had rains well into October this are in abundance around Diwali. Dry year. An unprecedented clean envifruits have been added to the fare by ronment was the blessing of October. the affluent, even as chocolates and With Diwali coming early in western cakes and cookies try to muzNovember, a ban on burning firezle their way into the Diwali demand. crackers was imposed on Diwali.

The joyous season is celebrated While many saw this ban as an widely as the festival is the business attempt to maintain the relatively low new year, and is associated with pollution levels of October in the days important landmarks in other faiths, and weeks following Diwali, there Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains also celewere also voices of dissent. Some felt brate this day. aggrieved as they see firecrackers as Spectacular fireworks illuminate an essential part of Diwali celebrathe Diwali skyline. The association of tions. They felt that those celebrating firecrackers with Diwali is, however, Diwali, especially children, should be unclear. Diwali is known as the festiable to have the fun associated with val of lights. Indians have been burstburning firecrackers. Others argued ing crackers on Diwali for as long as that firecrackers do not affect polluone can remember. The increasing tion levels, while some others argued affluence and disposable income of that the causes of pollution in Delhi Indians, combined with a ballooning are complex, firecrackers and stubble population, living in high-density burning cannot alone be blamed, as cities and towns, have created a situavehicular pollution, constructions tion where each year, there is concern activities, pollution from factories about the pollution caused by the and dust are amongst the many causbursting of crackers on Diwali night. es of pollution in Delhi.

There is no evidence that the people of Ayodhya had burnt fireworks on the arrival of Lord Ram. The Ramayana, or the Puranas, do not refer to this. The scriptural evidence is available only for the lighting of diyas by the people of Ayodhya.

This is logical as even the predecessor of the firecracker, a type of heated bamboo that exploded when heated continuously, was used only around 200 BCE in China. The Chinese call firecrackers "exploding bamboo”, and apparently used them to scare off enemies or evil spirits.

Gunpowder, a later invention, was added to firecrackers much later, around the 7th century. The Tang Dynasty in China was probably the first to have a fireworks display in 700 CE. Firecrackers were invented and first made in China and gunpowder is believed to have been taken to India and Europe from China by the Arabs.

References to firecrackers in India are reported only after 1000 CE. Historians estimate that the use of fireworks during Diwali celebrations probably came into existence after about 1400 CE when gunpowder came to be used in Indian warfare.

The Indian Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) developed green crackers made from cleaner raw materials with 30% lower emissions and decibels 110-125 instead of the over 160 decibels of traditional firecrackers. However, green crackers still contain harmful pollutants such as aluminium, barium, potassium nitrate and carbon.

Firecrackers also release harmful chemicals like nitrous oxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide, with severe impact on the respiratory health of children and the elderly in particular.

Diwali should be a time of joy and celebration for everyone. We look forward to the day when we will no longer have to hide inside our homes to protect ourselves from the noxious fumes let out in our air by excessive use of firecrackers.

Our sincere gratitude for whole-heartedly celebrating and supporting 'Seva Ratna Sanmman' ABPL Group had organised 'Seva Ratna Sanman' event on Sunday, 3rd October 2021 at the Dhamecha Lohana Center, to recognise, honour and express heartfelt gratitude to those who have served the community during the difficult period of the Covid-19 pandemic. The program was enthusiastically welcomed by various communities.

Service is considered paramount in our Indian culture and we believe that we have made a small effort to repay our debt to society by organising 'Seva Ratna Sanmman' and honouring selfless and generous individuals/organisations of the communities. We are indebted to all for supporting and making this program a great success.

The selection process was an extremely difficult task for our panel of judges as we had received numerous nominations from credible individuals and organisations who had served the community during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nevertheless, the judges made incredible efforts to select the award winners impartially and with utmost trans-

parency.

The Navnat Vanik Association UK (NVA UK), was one of the deserving awardees for the 'Seva Ratna Sanmman'. They play a vital role during the pandemic by providing the Navnat Centre as the community vaccination centre. The entire event is covered by NVA UK in their community magazine 'Navnat Darpan'. We are grateful to NVA UK President, Dilipbhai Mithani who expressed his gratitude and a feeling of happiness towards Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice (ABPL Group) as well as other organisations who were associated with organising this unique event.

We organised this entire event with a uniquely positive outlook and as a selfless activity. He hasn’t charged any amount from anyone for this event nor did we have any entry fee. We were highly encouraged by the presence of many honourable guests which included Lord Dolar Popat, HE Gaitri Issar Kumar (High Commissioner of India to the UK), Lord Bhikhu Parekh, Cllr Ghazanfar Ali (Harrow Mayor) and Shri Shantibhai Dhamecha (Dhamecha Group).

We are grateful to our beloved readers, supporters and well-wishers for being the backbone of our success. We will stay obliged for your unprecedented support and we look forward to receiving the same level of love and support in the future.

GP jailed for gambling £1.1million NHS money Dr Rumi Chhapia, cofounded Portsmouth Primary Care Alliance, a group of 16 GP surgeries in Hampshire city. When the man who was in charge of finances was sick last August, he volunteered to manage accounts.

Chhapia then embezzled 1.1million Dr Rumi Chhapia of money defrauding agreed to pay back the group of surgeries, leav£904,000 after he wrote leting its finances in disarray ters to them. He was jailed as he chased jackpots on for three years and four internet slot machines and months. Chhapia resigned roulette. In addition to from his role after admit£200,000 earned by ting fraud by abuse of posiChhapia, unusually, gamtion. bling companies have

14 WOMEN'S VOICE

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World Kindness Day On World Kindness Day, 13th November 2021, the UK and Asia Pacific Kindness & Leadership 50 Leading Lights were announced.

Covid-19 has changed the leadership landscape with compassion and empathy, now no longer the management style of ‘nice’ people.

As the world inches closer to business as usual, this initiative further embeds the importance of kindness

within organizations across different regions demonstrating the power of kindness to transcend cultural and national boundaries.

The leaders listed to demonstrate the incredible value that kindness can add to their leadership toolkit

UK SENIOR LEADERS Aisha K Gill, Ph.D. CBE, Professor of Criminology, University of Roehampton Farrah Qureshi, CEO & Founder, Global Diversity Practice Helen Mary Elsby, Chief Solutions Officer, Heathrow Airport Ltd Dr Nayya Naqvi OBE, Emeritus Consultant Cardiologist, Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Onjali Rauf, Founder & CEO, Making Herstory/ O’s Refugee Aid Team Ranajoy Basu, Partner, Head of Structured Finance and India Practice, McDermott Will & Emery LLP

and the resulting positive contribution to the business, economy, and broader society. These leading lights were chosen after careful review by a distinguished panel comprising representatives from different industries across both UK &

UK RISING STARS Spriha Srivastava, Executive Editor, Insider Anisa Subedar, Senior Journalist, BBC Darshna Patel, Vaccination Programme Director / Deputy Head of Workforce Planning, Harness Primary Care Networks / Health Education England Nizam Uddin OBE, Chief Strategy Officer, Algbra Priyanka Chauhan, Inclusive Dance/ Community Arts & Wellbeing, East London Cares Ramat Tejani, Inclusion & Diversity Programme Lead, Amazon Web Services Serena Chaudhry, Associate Director, Dataminr

New book, ‘My City, My Home’ reflects the role of women My City, My Home, a brand-new book featuring a collection of writings by women and girls in Birmingham (UK), Bangladesh, and Pakistan, has been launched at a special event at Midlands Arts Centre hosted by writer and author Kavita Bhanot.

Published in English, Urdu, and Bangla, My City, My Home is a ground-breaking publication featuring 184 poems, short stories, and other prose from writers, and those new to writing, reflecting on the identity and the role of women in 21st-century society.

The book was made possible through a specially commissioned, international writing competition launched by Sampad South Asian Arts & Heritage in September 2020, a year that marked the company’s 30th anniversary.

Birmingham-based Sampad, one of the UK’s leading arts development agencies, worked alongside Project Associates in Pakistan and Bangladesh connecting online with diverse groups of women and girls in their countries and supporting them through workshops to participate.

As the world is reeling under the impact of a pandemic ‘My City, My Home’ illuminates the possibilities of uniting women across nations to express poignantly that they do have the power of words that can make a difference in our societies, now and in the future.

Piali Ray OBE, Artistic Director at Sampad said. “The theme ‘My City, My Home’ has strong personal resonance with me in the same way that it connected with many women who responded to our call for this writing competition.

“It was greatly rewarding to receive 280 entries from the many unheard voices of women who shared their emotions, ambitions, joys, dreams, disappointments, resentment, and pain. Their words resonate with each other towards a place of strength, identity, and belonging. We connect in their personal journeys and treasured memories and it is a delight to be able to share them.”

Out of the 184 entries selected by judges, three overall winners were chosen for their

Roma Saimbi, Piali Ray OBE, Ilika Chakravarty Mandal

particular writing skills and themes and are featured in the book each representing their own location: English language: Ilika Chakravarty Mandal, Birmingham, UK ‘Yellow Sweater’, Bangla Language: Shahana Yasmin, Dhaka, Bangladesh - ‘Ek kichhui korena meyer golpo’, and Urdu language: Nadia Umer, Lahore, Pakistan. - ‘Shehar Kay Dil’ Commenting on her work Bangladesh's overall winner Shahana Yasmin said: “In Dhaka, the city I live in, you can see mothers of school children waiting outside the school for 5 to 6 hours every day. This city does not have any public toilets for women. These mothers cannot go to the toilet for a long time and develop urinary diseases. Their husbands don’t find them attractive so they have relationships with other women. I wanted to write about the plight of these mothers. ‘MY CITY, MY HOME’ inspired me to write this.”

Ilika Chakravarty Mandal, Birmingham (UK) overall winner added: “Having moved across cities and continents through study, marriage, work, and motherhood, I have often questioned myself: What is home?

Where is home? ‘My City, My Home’ was a topic to which my persona instantly connected. So much so that I picked up my pen after almost thirty years to use the dying art of letter writing in a personal note for my aging mum, who now seemed even more geographically distanced in a post-Covid world. To see my story published and shared is simply fabulous and I am inspired to try writing more regularly.”

Spriha Srivastava

Asia Pacific regions Among the listed names is former Asian Voice columnist and Executive Editor Business Insider, Spriha Srivastava, who has been recognised as one of the 2021 Kindness & Leadership Listees.

Prior to joining Insider, Spriha was the Deputy

Digital News Editor for CNBC International, leading on market-moving, fastpaced business news stories. When Spirha joined Insider, her team totalled five reporters. In a year, it has grown to nearly 40, and she now leads one of the biggest teams in the UK. Her hiring strategy has been extremely mindful of diversity and inclusion, searching wider to ensure the hiring of the best talent in the industry.

Commenting on how kindness is relevant to effective leadership, Spriha said, “I believe in the saying 'spread kindness like confetti.' There can never be enough kindness in the world and if each of us do

our part in spreading kindness then the world will be a much better place. A kind leader can bring out the best in their team, help people achieve their goals but will always put mental health and wellbeing first. A kind leader works effectively by being empathetic and building interpersonal relationships with their teams and leading them towards success.”

Rupen Desai – Global Chief Marketing Officer, Dole Packaged Foods was another Asian name in the Asia Pacific Judging Panel.

While Nik Jhangiani, Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Coca Cola Europacific was a part of the UK Judging Panel.

Girls who escaped to UK from Taliban ‘stuck in temporary accommodation’?

The Taliban had recently banned girls from taking part in sports in the country.

In a latest development, The Independent reported that women and girls from the Afghan national youth football team and their families, who escaped the Taliban, face being stuck in temporary accommodation or split up because a council says it can’t rehouse them all.

“A leaked email from Khalida Popal, the former Afghanistan women’s team captain, suggests Leeds City Council is refusing to provide accommodation for all 132 Afghans in the group, which includes 32 teenage football players, their families, coaches and other staff,” The Independent reported.

A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “Leeds is fully committed to accommodating Afghan refugees and a large number of families have already been accommodated in the city.

“However, the issues affecting all

Afghan refugees, including those involved in women’s football, are complex and we continue to work with the government and other partners to address the challenges faced.”

Heather Barr, of Human Rights Watch, said it is “wonderful” the girls have escaped and are due to travel to the UK but warned they need support once they arrive.

She added: “Women’s sports is not going to exist in Afghanistan in coming months and likely years. It would be really important for Afghan women’s sports to stay alive outside the country. They need just not a new home but they need a new home where they can continue to be a team.

“I hope there is support for them wherever they go. We are seeing more and more how much trauma they are going to have to carry with them. They are going to be wonderful members of whatever community they join.”

Women who work from home ‘risk seeing their careers stall’ At a recent event hosted by Financial News magazine, Bank of England (BoE) economist Catherine Mann said that ‘women who work mostly from home risk seeing their careers stall now workers are returning to the office in large numbers’.

“Virtual platforms are way better than they were even five years ago. But the extemporaneous, spontaneity - those are hard to replicate in a virtual setting,” Mann said.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said British businesses reported that on average 60% of their staff were fully back at their

normal place of work. About one-in-six employees are estimated to be using a hybrid model of working.

According to a BBC survey, just over half (56%) of women said they thought working from home would help them progress at work, as childcare and caring duties become less of a hindrance to working full-time.

In all, 65% of managers felt that working from home helps advance women's careers.

However, a quarter of the women polled said homeworking was unlikely to advance their careers.

Black women more than four times more likely to die in pregnancy A review of 2017-2019 deaths shows, Black women are more than four times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth than white women in the UK. The Mbrrace report found women from Asian backgrounds are almost twice as likely to die as white women. In 37% of cases, improvements in care may have made a difference to the outcome. The

report shows the risk of dying in pregnancy or the year after childbirth, for women is: - White groups - about seven in 100,000 - Asian - 12 in 100,000 - Mixed ethnicity - 15 in 100,000 - Black groups - about 32 in 100,000 The report does not look directly at the individual reasons behind the disparities.

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Sensational heist at Kenya Jewellers Kokila Patel While prices of the costliest metal Gold is soaring to all-time high rates, the news of robbers terrorising and sensational robbery at our Indian Jewellery showrooms is worrisome. There was a time when Wembley’s Iling road used to shine with the Jewellery showrooms of those who migrated from Africa. However, today there are very few Jewellers there. The soaring prices of gold have increased the incidents of thefts and robberies. Recently, one such scary incident took place at ‘Kenya Jewellers’.

‘Kenya Jewellers’ stands as a Jewellery showroom at the corner of Chaplin road and Iling road for the last 42 years. A video of a sensational heist that took place there on Sunday, November 14 early morning at 3.25 am has taken everyone by a huge shock. We also got the news on Monday through this video. In the video, out of the two motor cars that came through Chaplin road, one Audi car was first parked against the nearby shop by ramping the footpath of Kenya Jewellers.

After that, a big black Land Rover takes reverse to stop against Kenya Jewellers. After waiting for a while to let vehicles on the road pass, the Rover, spotting an opportunity, drives in reverse gear at full speed to break the metal shutter and doors of the Jeweller showroom. As soon as the automobile broke the doors to enter the showroom, four to five

While a robber is driving the car in reverse direction to bang it with the showroom, two other robbers are waiting in the corner with dustbins

Robbers, who broke into the shutter of Kenya Jewelers, can be seen carrying packed dustbins and bags

people in black hoodie coats came out. They are seen in the video boarding the car, carrying black dustbin type containers filled with jewellery boxes.

After watching this sensational video we contacted brothers ‘Ajitbhai’ and ‘Kamleshbhai’ who own the ‘Kenya Jewellers’ showroom. According to Ajitbhai Mulji’s conversation with ‘Gujarat Samachar’ Managing Editor on Tuesday morning, “the robbers came in Audi and Land Rover with stolen number plates. The robbers who came with a pre-plan banged the Land Rover with the showroom so hard that it separated the entire shopfront of the showroom, consist-

ing of the shutter and two doors, from its frame. As the burglar alarm started immediately, the robbers quickly leaving with filled dustbins were also seen by a bus driver who was passing by. At that time, Manubhai Upadhyay, who owns a phone shop at Wembley Highroad, was passing by to drop his relatives to the airport. As he stopped by on seeing the heist, the robbers waved their hands at him, shouting to leave the place."

According to Ajitbhai, “Since it was Diwali time, it consumed a lot of time to put the jewellery on display every day. Hence, we did not keep the jewellery inside the safe vault. This seems to be a closely studied pre-

9-year-old from Sevenoaks wins UK National yoga championship Indira Sharma, a 9to include yoga in year-old from the school curSevenoaks, Kent which riculum won the gold was signed by medal in the under nearly 20000 peo11 UK National ple.

Yoga champiShe has given onship held on performances in 13th November in various national London. The comand international petition was events with her organised by Great father Dr Britain Yoga Nanjundiah Sports Federation.

Vishwanath and Indira Sharma By winning this brother Ishwar championship Indira has qualiSharma. fied for the world yoga champiIndira also won an internaonship. tional medal in family yoga last year and has featured in the Earlier Indira with her brothinternational yoga calendar of er Ishwar Sharma had created an children last 2 years. e-petition to the UK Government

plan. We have fitted a machine that will fill the showroom with dense fog in just a few seconds of the buzzing of the alarm. The fog could be seen in the video. The robbers’ visibility was zero in that dense fog. Probably they thought that there was some fire, so they left behind three dustbins and ran away in the Audi car. But, they stole all the gold jewellery displayed on the right side wall and the counters along with the tray on which they were displayed. Police reached the crime scene in 3 minutes. According to the police, “the robbers took the 406 through Alperton to run away. Out of the three dustbins left behind, one was purchased from Heinz.”

Ajitbhai describes this as their most dangerous experience since 1980, during which the showroom has been continuously operating at this place. Robbers had attacked the showroom in 2015 also. At that time, though they were able to break the first door with a hammer, they could not break the second door. Currently, as the showroom is completely demolished, they have kept it closed by covering the front with planks. The police are investigating the matter. We are also busy in meetings with the loss adjuster for valuation.

Believer in the eternal religion, Ajitbhai Mulji, also informed of his strong coordination with editor C. B. Patel on the committee of ‘Harekrishna-Watford Temple’ campaign.

Ditch the Label A new report reviewing 263 million online conversations surrounding hate speech was published for the anti-bullying week on Monday, November 15th by leading youth charity Ditch the Label. The report, Uncovered: Online Hate Speech in the Covid Era, examines how hate speech online has evolved since the start of the pandemic.

From the anti-Asian sentiment that has peaked since 2020, to the racism that spurred and reacted to the Black Lives Matter protests, to the transphobia and homophobia sparked by celebrity comments and attacks, the report has highlighted a surge in internetbased hate speech. Incidents of violence, threats and attacks on Asians, Asian-Americans and British Asians increased over the summer of 2020 which brought to a focus on Asian hate and the #stopasianhate hashtag.

Key Findings: o Instances of online hate speech and discussions of online hate speech have increased 20% in the UK since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 o Anti-Asian hate speech increased by 1662% in 2020 o Between 2019 and mid-2021, on average there was a

o o

o

o

o

new post about race or ethnicity-based hate speech every 1.7 seconds.

Ethnicity based and racist hate speech saw a 28% increase in the UK and US over the two-and-a-halfyear period studied.

Ethnicity-based hate speech was spurred primarily by the beginning of the pandemic as anti-Asian hate became significantly more common and widespread.

Discussions about and examples of racist hate speech peaked during the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020 as well as recurring discussions about immigration and Brexit in the UK. Discussions about violent threats online saw a 22% increase following the start of the pandemic and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in the summer of 2020.

There were 23 million references to violent threats in the UK and US between 2019 and mid-2021, and the volume has increased since the pandemic began.

Remembrance Day 2021: Lest We Forget Approximately 1.4 million Indian soldiers served in World War One, and over 74,000 of them lost their lives. They were mainly from Punjab, the North-West Frontier, Rajasthan and the hills of Garhwal and Nepal. The Queen missed the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in London as she has sprained her back. Buckingham Palace said the monarch, 95, was "disappointed" not to attend the event.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson laid a wreath at the Cenotaph as people across the country and overseas took part in the Act of Remembrance.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said, “Yesterday it was an honour to place a cross in the Constituency Garden of Remembrance to commemorate the Green Howards Regiment and all those who have served in our Armed Forces. Today and forever we will remember them.”

Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care laid a wreath and said, “An honour to join Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph. We pray that we

Boris Johnson

Prince of Wales at the Cenotaph

may be worthy of the sacrifice made on our behalf.”

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan

ing on behalf of the brave men and women of our security and intelligence agencies who sacrificed so much for our country. We will remember them.”

On behalf of The Queen, a wreath is laid by The Prince of Wales at the Cenotaph as part of the National Service of Remembrance. Further wreaths are laid by The Duke of Cambridge, The Earl of Wessex, Princess Royal and on behalf of The Duke of Kent.

Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the Cenotaph symbolises the unprecedented losses suffered during WWI and is now the National focal point of Remembrance. The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duchess of Cambridge, The Countess of Wessex, The Duke and Duchess of

Rishi Sunak

said, “I am truly humbled by the brave sacrifices of our armed forces. We are in their debt and it is a true privilege to come together, stop, remember and honour those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.”

Home Secretary Priti Patel said, “I was honoured to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph this morn-

Gloucester, The Duke of Kent, Princess Alexandra and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence viewed the Service from the balcony.

Zarah Sultana MP tweeted: “This morning, at the War Memorial Park, I laid a wreath in memory of all those from Coventry and around the world who have lost their lives in war.

Remembrance Service with my mum.. Made me feel even prouder to be there.”

Priti Patel Manjeet Ghataora, RAF Engineer

In their memory, we strive to build a more peaceful world.”

Lord Rami Ranger also tweeted: “We are indebted to those who gave up so much for us.”

Sharing a photo on Remembrance Day with his mother, RAF Engineer Manjeet Ghataora said, “First time I’ve been to a

According to a Times of India report, a website called http:// www.punjabww1.com/- has been launched by the UK Punjab Heritage Association (UKPHA) and the University of Greenwich, London. It will comprise a digital version of the 3,20,000 Punjabi soldiers who fought in WWI that have been lying in the Lahore Museum in Pakistan unresearched.

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Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel celebrate Diwali at Neasden Temple

T

he Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and The Rt Hon Priti Patel MP, Secretary of State for the Home Department, celebrated the vibrant Hindu festival of Diwali and the Hindu New Year with worshippers and members of the local community at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London – popularly known as ‘Neasden

inner sanctum, where they spent several minutes absorbing the peace and intricate architecture. Here, they also observed the annakut – literally, ‘mountain of food’ – artistically arranged before the deities as the first meal of the New Year, offered in thanksgiving for God’s gracious providence and to be later shared among worshippers. They then performed the abhishek (an ancient Hindu practice of prayerfully pouring water over a sacred image) of Shri Nilkanth Varni, the youthful form of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, a popular Hindu deity.

Thereafter, the distinguished guests proceeded to view the Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP and Rt Hon Priti Patel MP celebratexhibits summarising ed the vibrant Hindu festival of Diwali and the Hindu New Temple’s Year with worshippers and members of the local community Neasden nationwide Covid-19 at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London relief efforts – an iniTemple’ on Sunday 7 November tiative inspired by His Holiness 2021.

Mahant Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of BAPS Swaminarayan This was the Prime Minister’s Sanstha (BAPS), the international fifth visit to the temple. He was Hindu fellowship responsible for the greeted in traditional Hindu manner Temple. The global Hindu leader with auspicious marks of welcome had issued a call in March 2020 for and goodwill before being taken on a all BAPS volunteers to serve the brief tour of the stone temple comelderly, needy and vulnerable in local plex. communities, and to ensure that The Home Secretary was simieveryone remained informed, safe larly welcomed upon her arrival at and supported throughout the panthe Temple earlier and joined the demic.

Prime Minister to offer a fruit basket at the central shrine of the Temple’s They later met some of these

PM Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel performing abhishek of Shri Nilkanth Varni

volunteers, including keyworkers keeping the nation safe and mobile,

Sharing his impressions of his visit to celebrate Diwali, Mr Johnson said, “What His Holiness [Pramukh Swami Maharaj] has contributed to the United Kingdom has been incalculable. I see it here today at the Neasden Temple. I have been here many times, but I don’t think I have ever been here at Mr Johnson and Ms Patel spent several minutes absorbing a time when the the peace and intricate architecture of Neasden Temple Neasden Temple has been so central to the life of the men and women who prepared and whole of the London community. delivered food to the vulnerable, Happy Diwali and Happy New Year and the team keeping communities to everyone in the Hindu communiconnected and informed through ty here in the UK.” online services.

Home Secretary visits Hare Krishna Temple to mark Diwali celebrations The Home Secretary Rt Hon Ms Priti Patel There she was given a beautiful book about joined thousands to celebrate Diwali, the festithe numerous pilgrimage sites in that region val of lights at Bhaktivedanta Manor Hare of India. As a finale, she was escorted to the Krishna temple near Watford on Sunday 7 Manor's New Gokul farm on site where she November.

Highlights of the festival included colourful dances, plays from ancient Indian history, devotional music and thousands of free vegetarian meals were served to the guests throughout the day.

1500 volunteers help prepare for the festival over 5 days.

Ajay Kumar the organiser of the event Priti Patel at Manor's New Gokul farm where she honoured the majestic cows with a said, “We have conceremony, and then joyously fed them with carrots tinued to follow govPhoto courtesy: Bhaktivedanta Manor ernment Covid honoured the majestic cows with a ceremony, Guidelines and made this a ticketed event, preand then joyously fed them with carrots! venting overcrowding and making this a safe festival for all the family, young and old”.

The Rt Hon Priti Patel said, “It was an honour to be back at Bhaktivedanta Manor The Home Secretary Priti Patel, dressed in for Diwali blessings today. Thank you all for a stunning pink Indian lehenga, was given a the wonderful welcome you gave me.” tour of the extensive grounds. It included the “Diwali is a time for family and for George Harrison Garden followed by the prayers, sacrifice and charity,” said Temple main temple shrine where she performed a President, Her Grace Visakha Dasi. “Millions ceremony and received blessings from the of devotees around the world worship Lord Temple’s Head Priest. After visiting the rooms Rama on this day by lighting lamps and sharof ISKCON’s founder Bhaktivedanta Swami ing a sumptuous vegetarian feast with friends Prabhupada, she was led to a beautiful exhibit and neighbours". representing the holy places of Vrindavan.

Ms Patel added, “We are delighted to be here today because this has been the week of Diwali. The Prime Minister and I have been joining in the religious ceremonies and participated in the abhishek. The Temple has been at the forefront of every single activity in the local community, but also at a time of a national crisis which, of course, the pandemic was.”

Sanjay Kara, a trustee at the temple, shared, “It was an honour to have the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary join the local community of British Hindus to celebrate Diwali at Neasden Temple.

We offer our prayers that they can serve the public ably and look forward to working with them in support of our great nation.”

PwC Hindu Network hosts its 19th annual Diwali celebrations PwC Hindu Network hosted its 19th annual Diwali celebrations on Tuesday 9 November with a theme ‘bouncing back' to mark the journey out of the challenging 20 months of the pandemic.

Around 300 people attended the exciting event at PwC London Embankment Place inperson as well as joined virtually. There was live singing by the talented Saloni Boyina and

incredible dancing by the London School of Bollywood.

The speakers, audience and the firm thanked and congratulated Nilesh Solanki, founder of the network for his dedication and passion.

Partner Sponsor, Sunil Patel also praised the hard work of the network and their commitment to the community.

Nilesh Solanki, Arif Ahmad, Sunil Patel and Sarah Churchman OBE

Guests in attendance listening to the speeches

Photo courtesy: City Hindus Network

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Prana Pratistha event of Lord Shree Jagannatha In elaborate rituals conducted under the guidance of eminent priests from Shri Mandir in Puri, Odisha, the Prana Pratistha (hallowed consecration) rituals of the holy deities, Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and the divine Sudarshana Chakra were performed over 3 days by the Shree Jagannatha Society UK (SJS UK) and Shree Ram Mandir Southall at the temple premises in the presence of devotees from both Trusts. The weeklong festivities concluded on 6th November at a public function at the temple where the deities were formally unveiled at a function attended by eminent personalities and devotees from across the UK. The Prana Pratistha rituals commenced on 1st November, with the Sankalpa puja (dedication ceremony) and elaborate ritualistic invocation of Lord Ganesha. The next day, a series of Abhishekas (ritual bathing) of the Chaturdha Murtis were performed with water, ghee, milk, honey, water etc. On day 3 of the ceremonies a grand Vigraha Prana Pratistha Homam (sacrificial offering to fire) was performed. Earlier, the idols of the deities were carved from the trunk of a holy Neem Tree that was found in the Indian state of Odisha, and that bore all the scriptural sacred markings associated with Lord Jagannatha.

On 6th November devotees from across the country thronged to the Mandir for the

Vigraha Sthapana function to catch a longawaited glimpse of Lord Jagannatha and the Chaturdha Murtis. Shri Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha State addressed the gathered devotees over video message and congratulated the Shree Jagannatha Society UK. The worshippers were addressed by Brahamarishi Mohanji of the Mohanji Foundation. Guruji Dr. Chandr Bhanu Satpathy, the Head of the Shirdi Sai Global SJS UK team

Homa for Prana Pratistha

Foundation commended the efforts of SJS UK Members. In his message, the Deputy High Commissioner of India, expressed happiness that the arrival of Lord Jagannatha in London will help spread India’s civilizational ethos.

Padmashri Bob Blackman MP recalled the role of Temples and the Hindu community in fur-

thering community spirit, tolerance, and spirituality in society. Shri Sumant Mansingh, President Odisha Society of UK (OSUK) declared that that dream of Odias to have a temple for Lord Jagannatha has been fulfilled.

Noted Odia actor and singer, Shri Sabyasachi Mishra recalled the efforts of SJS UK to support Covid19 patients in Odisha by providing oxygen concentrators and cylinders.

Shri Umesh Sharma, Chairperson of Shree Ram Mandir Southall, welcomed the dignitaries from several Gurudwaras, Temples and Socio-Cultural and Religious organisations.

Earlier, Dr. Sahadev Swain, President SJS UK, welcomed the gathering. Dr. Prakash Dey, Secretary SJS UK, recounted the numerous philanthropic and social activities undertaken by the Trust, and provided an update on the

activities of the Trust. Dr. Dey reiterated the Trust’s determination to complete the 1st phase of temple construction by 2024 at a projected cost of 4 million pounds (GBP). He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Trustees and Members of Shree Ram Mandir, Southall for their generous partnership and wholehearted support.

Shree Jagannatha Society, United Kingdom is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered with the Charity Commission England and Wales (Registration No. 1191544). All donations to SJS UK are tax exempt in the UK, and can be made via Direct Bank Transfer or PayPal. Further details are available on the website https://www.shreejagannatha.uk/ and via email to contact@jagannathtemple.org.uk.

Welsh First Minister joins Diwali celebration in Cardiff and inaugurates the Namami Gange Exhibition Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford joined the official Indian government Diwali celebrations held at Cardiff University, and also inaugurated the Namami Gange exhibition.

There were performances by Indian dancers and musicians and the university building was lit up in the orange, white and green colours of the Indian flag.

The 67-year-old Labour politician was joined on 12 Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford joins Indian Honorary Consul Raj Aggarwal, November by the Indian Indian High Commissioner HE Gaitri Issar Kumar and Rohit Vadhwana, First Secretary (Economic), High Commissioner Gaitri High Commission of India for the Diwali Celebrations at Cardiff University along Issar Kumar and Indian with other senior dignitaries from Indian and Welsh government Honorary Consul Raj Aggarwal, who organised its ecosystem. The exhibition also encourthe event at the Student Life Centre, on ages engagement from people in the UK Park Place in central Cardiff. The bustling who want to get involved in the rejuvenaevent was attended by 150 guests and tion, restoration and conservation of this included some exuberant celebrations. hugely important river system.

Speaking at the event Mark Drakeford Speaking at the event Indian High said: “The coronavirus pandemic has highCommissioner Gaitri Issar Kumar said: "It is lighted the importance of international colan honour that the First Minister is here laboration. There are strong links between hosting this celebration of Diwali, not only India and Wales in health, not least through for the community of Indian origin in the efforts of medical professionals from Wales but also to reinforce the warm bonds the Indian community in Wales. Diwali is of friendship between the people of Wales an occasion for us to acknowledge this and and the 1.3 billion people of India. The the wider contribution that the community Indian community in Wales are so thormakes to Wales.” oughly integrated and contributing to the The event was also the launch of the prosperity of Wales and strengthening the Namami Gange Exhibition created by the healthcare and services sector of the nation.

High Commission of India, which highI want to thank the political and communilights important environmental projects to ty leaders of Cardiff for their role in making preserve and protect the river Ganges and generations of the Indian origin communi-

Hindu Forum Britain: 20th Diwali virtual celebrations The Hindu Forum of Britain [HFB] with Parliamentary hosts, Hon Bob Blackman MP and Lord Navnit Dholakia celebrated its 20th Diwali event at the House of Commons virtually on 3rd November.

Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, the celebrations took place in the virtual world with 55 panellists, more than 94 attendees on the webinar platform. Reena Ranger OBE welcomed guests on this great occasion. Swami Surya Prabha Didi, Head of

Brahmrishi Mission and Visakha Devi Ji, President of the Bhakti Vedanta Manor, ISKCON Temple, lit lamps, chanted prayers to welcome festival devotees and gave their blessings. The President of HFB and Trustee of the HFB Charity, Mrs Trupti Patel, in her opening address to guests including PM Boris Johnson, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Rt Hon Priti Patel MP, the Home Secretary, among other members of the community.

ty feel welcome and secure here in Wales."

Honorary Consul Raj Aggarwal said: “It was great to have everyone back and able to celebrate Diwali together again.

Last year we were unable to have a phys-

ical event during the Covid outbreak so this year is particularly special and we are able to meet up with old friends and colleagues again and watch these amazing dancers and musicians and celebrate this great festival in the Hindu calendar."

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Have MPs forgotten the Code of Conduct?

The code of conduct for MPs prohibits: Paid lobbying (attempts to alter policy) of government or other public bodies; The use of "public resources", including parliamentary premises, for work not carried out as an MP or minister MPs must also declare: Any "relevant" outside interests when speaking in debates or taking part in other parliamentary activities; Individual payments of more than £100 from an outside source; and Gifts totalling £300 or more from a single source in the course of a year.

Yet, An analysis of the MPs’ register has revealed more than a

quarter of Tory MPs have second jobs, worth more than £4m a year.

The interests they represent include the gambling industry, global investments firms and the energy sector.

The register of MPs’ interests shows that more than 90 out of 360 Tories have extra jobs on top of their work in parliament, compared with three from Labour.

They are overwhelmingly older and 86% are men. The highest earners were all former cabinet ministers.

The names include veteran backbencher Owen Paterson who was on paid over £100,000 a year,

Andrew Mitchell, the MP for Sutton Coldfield, is the highest earner, who made £182,600 for 34.5 days work in a variety of financial advisory roles, with firms including Investec and EY. Geoffrey Cox, the former attorney general, is making around £1m a year as a barrister among others.

Boris Johnson is facing calls for a review of MPs’ outside interests and a ban on consultancies linked to politics after a public backlash over the extra earnings of many politicians. “I genuinely believe that the UK is not remotely a corrupt country,” the UK PM

said.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak reacted and said, “We must do better over MP standards.”

In the light of the current events, an opinion piece in The Times mentioned, “Many parliamentary scandals of recent decades — cash for questions, the expenses scandal — have concerned behaviour that was within the rules set by MPs. Each has forced changes, and more are now needed. The days of MPs taking roles as political consultants, strategists or advisers to businesses or trade bodies must be over.”

Malala’s decision to marry criticised by leading female author Nobel peace prize winner Malala Yousafzai, 24, declared her marriage with Asser Malik on Twitter on November 10. Malik who hails from Lahore is an entrepreneur and the general manager of the Pakistan board’s High-Performance Centre.

The two have been believed to have met two years ago and had developed a close friendship.

“Quite shocked to learn Malala married a Pakistani guy.

She is only 24. I thought she went to Oxford University for study, she would fall in love with a handsome progressive English man at Oxford and then think of marrying not before the age of 30,” Author and Feminist

Malala Yousafzai and Asser Malik

Human Rights defender Taslima Nasreen reacted to the news of Malala’s wedding.

“Women must not marry

Over-40s will receive Covid booster doses Government scientists have advised giving a Covid booster dose to over-40s in the UK. This has been advised to limit the spread of the virus over winter and to secure immunity. As per the new data from the UK Health Security Agency, three doses will help in cutting down the risk of infection by more than 93%. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and

Immunisation believes that 16and 17-year-olds, who were initially offered only a single dose, must receive a second. 12.6 million people have had a booster dose so far.

Most people over-40s will be boosted with the PfizerBioNTech jab or a half dose of the Moderna vaccine. Booster doses will be offered six months after the second dose.

Mum dies of Covid after delivering baby 37-year-old Saiqa Parveen had put off getting the vaccine until after her child was born.

However, she died due to covid before getting the chance to hold her newborn daughter. Her family has urged pregnant women to get vaccinated. In September, Parveen was admitted to the hospital with breathing difficulties. After giving oxygen, she was

put on a ventilator.

When she arrived in hospital, she was eight months pregnant, and doctors delivered her child by emergency caesarean section.

She passed away on 1 November.

Parveen’s brother Mr Mughal said his sister was offered a vaccine, however, she decided to take the vaccination after delivery.

Nearly 5.8m people in England await hospital treatment According to the figures from NHS England, by the end of September, a total of 5.8 million people were waiting to start the treatment.

It is considered to be the highest number since records began in August 2007. Matthew Taylor, the chief executive of the confederation, which represents many organisations that commission and provides NHS services in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, expressed that

people who chose not to come forward for treatment initially, are now turning up, hence the pressure was built primarily.

“The government has rightly said that we need to make inroads into that backlog, but many hospitals are only able to cope now with people coming through emergency departments. They are not able to make any real inroads into the elective care backlog,” said Taylor.

before they are financially independent.

“Some misogynist Taliban are happy with Malala because she married a Muslim, a Pakistani and she married when she is very young,” Taslima tweeted.

Nasreen also quoted Malala’s July 2021 interview with a magazine where Malala had said that she then didn’t understand why people get married, sign papers to marry and back then she wasn’t

sure if she would marry in life.

Malala who won the Nobel Prize at the age of 17 was shot in her head at the age of 15 in 2012 in Pakistan by a member of the Taliban for defying a diktat banning girls from school. She was flown to the UK for treatment.

She then graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics last year.

Today, after all the Nobel Prize Winner has seen in a short life span, maybe her personal choices - especially marriage, must be left to her own personal discretion and wisdom, and not twisted into social media contemplation.

The jab crisis More than 93% of NHS frontline staff have had their first dose and 90% are fully vaccinated, yet NHS figures showed last week that about 34,000 employees were set to be pulled off the front line because they were not jabbed against the virus. Reports also show that even those who have had one dose will not be allowed shifts until they have had both.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: “This is all about patient safety. We know that people, whether they are in care homes or they are in a hospital bed, are particularly vulnerable to this virus and it could be fatal.

“It’s our duty to do everything we can to protect them.”

As care homes could lose at least one or more staff due to this rule, the government rejected last-minute calls for a deadline extension to April in line with NHS staff and home carers.

The figure, from the National Care Forum (NCF), is based on research conducted early in November with not-forprofit member organisations running 300 services, supporting 11,000 people and employing 14,000 staff.

These providers say 3.5% of their staff have already left because of the vaccination mandate, with 4.4% more who could yet leave, including those who are seeking a medical exemption or have self-certified.

A BBC report said, “Self-certification of a medical exemption to being vaccinated allows care staff to continue in their jobs until 24 December. After that, they must get a formal medical exemption, and employers are worried that some will not succeed.

in brief in brief WRONG PASSPORT RULES POSTBREXIT AFFECTING TRAVELLERS Clarice Esson was denied to board a flight for Paphos at Manchester airport, stating her passport was invalid for travel to European Union Nations, including Cyprus. On November 10, after clearing the security at Manchester airport, the couple Clarice Easson and her husband Alan prepped themselves to board, however, easyJet ground staff told Ms Easson that she cannot travel claiming her passport to be invalid.

Ahead of their trip, all their papers were in order and complied with the island’s Covid rule. Post the departure, easyJet offered to refund three-quarters of the £360 cost of the flight in the form of the voucher.

MAN WHO STABBED WIFE SENT FOR LIFE Anil Gill, 47 was cocaine-fuelled when he stabbed his wife 18 times before searching gay porn on his computer. The incident happened in the early hours of January 31 when the couple was at home in Beresford Close, Emerson Valley, Milton Keynes after an evening spent taking cocaine and drinking. Shortly before the killing, the husband had been on his computer searching gay porn sites. After killing his wife, Gill cleaned up and wrapped up her body in a duvet and black bin liners, which he then dragged to the garage. Gill found guilty of his wife’s murder received a life sentence by law.

ANNI DEWANI’S DEATH, A MYSTERY EVEN AFTER 11YEARS Recent reports have suggested there is already an exodus among England's 1.54 million care workers, across the entire sector, from residential homes to providers of care in clients' own homes.”

The National Care Forum said 58 per cent of its members are running disciplinary hearings related to the law and half have had to pay out for legal advice, The Sun reported.

Reacting to the news, Dr Chaand Nagpaul tweeted, “So government mandates vaccinations for NHS staff to protect patients but doesn't mandate face coverings/space/ventilation to protect the same patients boarding a crowded bus with unvaccinated infectious unmasked passengers breathing onto them inches away.”

The urgency to vaccinate health care staff further picked up speed when Telegraph reported that more than 11,000 people have caught Covid and died after being admitted to NHS hospitals for other ailments. Meanwhile, Mirror reported that PM Johnson on a visit to a hospital in Hexham ‘sauntered around without a mask’. It is now reported that he was asked three times to wear a face-covering but was seen to be breaking the rules.

Ami Dewani, 28, was kidnapped while on honeymoon in South Africa in 2010, while on a late-night tour with husband Shrien Dewani from Bristol. They were hijacked at gunpoint, 15 km from Cape Town. Anni was later found dead in the vehicle. While three men including a taxi driver and two hijackers were imprisoned, Shrien Dewani who was accused of organizing his wife’s murder was extradited to South Africa but the trial was thrown out due to insufficient evidence before he was put on the stand. In the eyes of many, it was an open-and-shut case, it continues to torment Ami’s family members, who feel today also that they don’t know exactly what happened.

HOME OFFICE ORDERS 3000 MEALS FOR MIGRANTS A record 1185 people reached the UK on Thursday after risking death onboard small boats in the English Channel.

Officials from the Home Office ordered 3000 chicken shish for £14.50 from four Turkish restaurants dotted across Kent as well as hundreds of pizzas from the Domino’s in Dover. This means that thousands of pounds of taxpayer’s money have been blown feeding the migrants.

Migrants would also be given rice and bread which adds an extra£5, meaning each meal is worth £19.50 Border force workers were spotted helping to unload around 1000 of them at Tug Haven – a short-term holding facility – earlier today, moving them from a red van into a trolley and over to the base.

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20 - 26 November 2021

Maybe Tech Stocks Are Not Overvalued at All? I have a lot of Gujarati and Punjabi followers who made 50% in the past year thanks to these Alpesh Patel stocks (and a little guidance Dear Financial from me).

Tech stocks have delivVoice Reader, ered incredible returns over the last decade. However, there has been a chorus of analysts and experts warning us that they were overvalued during this run. As ever, things are a little more complex.

Is there data to support the view that technology stocks aren't overvalued?

The pandemic accelerated the upwards trend for tech. As remote working became the norm, cloud-based SaaS, cyber security, and eCommerce demands grew sharply. While skeptics suggest the reopening of offices will signal a downturn for tech stocks, they might not be factoring in the government's $2trillion digital transformation aimed at consumers and enterprise. These programs represent a fantastic opportunity for tech companies.

Indeed, one of the more exciting beneficiaries of this development program could be AT&T AT&T. The telecoms giant is down 20% over the last three years after attempting to transform itself into a media conglomerate. But a pivot back towards its core telecoms business is happening. By 2023, it's projected to have an annual free cash flow of $20 billion. AT&T is currently valued at $180 billion, so that's only x9 of the projected cash flow. If anything, AT&T looks undervalued.

One of the risks with pure technology stocks that isn't talked about enough is the impact of future innovations.

Tech stocks that are sitting pretty now could be disrupted by tech advances that no one sees coming.

A Goldman Sachs study showed that Facebook, Amazon, Alphabet, and Google have been in the top 5 hedge fund positions for the last 15 quarters. BofA Global Research showed that 40% of fund managers said that tech was the most crowded trade over recent months.

Indeed, tech stocks — and adjacent tech stocks like Alphabet, Amazon, Facebook, and Netflix — account for almost 40% of the S&P 500's weight.

Additionally, valuations are trading at 26 times forward their 12-month earnings, which is significantly higher than the X20 of the rest of the S&P 500. As retail investors continue to pile into these stocks, at some point, these forward earnings could lose touch with reality.

Adam Parker's Centre Lake Capital suggests Adobe is one tech stock to watch out for. Their subscription model brought in $13 billion in 2020. They have a suite of photo and video editing tools that constantly push the boundaries of home and enterprise use.

Parts and components for computers have had a challenging year. COVID-19 related shipping problems have disrupted business significantly. However, there are a few innovative factors manufacturing companies whose price looks good compared to future earnings.

Micron makes memory semiconductor chips. The stock peaked at around $90 in April but is now down to around $70. Demand is high; the company is profitable.

Once shipping returns, it could go past $100.

Of course, the tech boom frequently draws parallels with the dot-com boom of the late 90s. Tech innovation and green energy ETFs are heavy, with firms currently losing money but having high valuations. Some analysts suggest history will repeat itself when these stocks don't live up to expectations.

Another issue to beware of is bond prices. Last month, a sharp rise in Treasury yields sent shockwaves throughout the market. As the Fed tempers its asset purchases and inflation grows, it could mean bad news for tech stocks' future earnings.

But the picture isn't entirely bleak. With Alphabet, Apple, and Facebook expected to post 30% increases in revenue, that should be enough to keep the train rolling no matter what happens with bonds.

Hedge fund favorite Match Group, Inc holds over 45 internet dating sites, like Match, Tinder, OK Cupid, and so on. They have more than 50% market share in an industry growing steadily over the last two decades. PostCOVID, they are expected to target the 600m + global singles aggressively.

On the more pessimistic side, Ark Innovation sat at $158 in February. It's now down to $124. The FAANGs have had a rocky ride since mid-September, and Zoom has lost 50% of its share price. Amazon still looks like a good pick because of its move into other areas, like cloud computing. Currently hovering below $3500, RBC Capital recently rated it as around $4,100.

But what about the new FAANGs? Are there companies that could deliver returns? Two great picks are Spotify and Uber, according to legendary investor Mark Mahaney. Spotify, because of its good market share and customer retention. Uber, for its resilience throughout COVID and its room to push up prices.

Liberty Steel operations threatened by poor governance, say UK MPs In a new report, British MPs reveal the future of tycoon Sanjeev Gupta’s familyowned conglomerate is under threat. Gupta’s GFG Alliance has been struggling to arrange refinancing of its global web of operations, including British steel sites, after the collapse of its main lender Greensill Capital.

Published last week, the report said, “A number of audit and corporate governance red flags became clear during this inquiry.” They said control was centralized with Gupta and “members of staff within his businesses are prevented from performing their roles and duties adequately.” GFG said in a statement that it has already implemented a range of measures to deal with matters raised in the report. It added, “Since 2019 the group has been on a

journey to improve governance and transparency.”

The MPs meanwhile, said GFG and Liberty had failed to publish financial accounts despite repeated promises to do so. They said, “We are not satisfied that Sanjeev Gupta is adequately addressing the many fundamental issues and … this poses a threat to the longterm prospects of Liberty Steel UK.”

The report said the future of the British steel sector was uncertain because producers faced some of the highest energy prices in Europe even before the current power crisis. It said, “We recommend that the government take action to reduce this disparity.”

The Boris Johnson-led government responded to the report by saying it would carefully consider the

report’s recommendations.

French investigation French authorities are investigating GFG Alliance, as reported by The Financial Times.

The Paris Prosecutor’s Office said it was probing Gupta’s French operations over allegations of “misuse of corporate assets” and “money laundering”. GFG holds multiple important assets in the company in France.

The French portfolio includes plants and smelters Gupta bought during a multibillion-dollar spending spree financed by the collapsed Greensill Capital.

Public officials highlighted a deal Gupta made with commodities specialists Glencore as he tried to fight off a takeover attempt by US private equity firm American Industrial Partners.

End of furlough scheme leaves little impact on unemployment impacts A report reveals the end of the furlough scheme had little impact on the levels of unemployment.

There were severe concerns that the withdrawal of the furlough scheme could lead to a spike in unemployment, especially considering more than a million workers were still on the scheme when it came to an end last month.

However, research by the influential Resolution Foundation suggests that only 136,000 workers moved from furlough to

either unemployment or inactivity when the scheme was closed. Based on a survey of around 6,100 working-age adults during the second half of last month, this is the first attempt to analyze the effects of closing the programme.

While it is still not clear whether people simply returned to work at their existing company or moved to new jobs, the lack of any clear economic dislocation since the scheme closed suggests workers largely returned to their existing

jobs on an either part-time or full-time basis.

McCurdy, Charlie the at economist Foundation, Resolution said, “During its 18-month duration the Job Retention Scheme has supported over 11 million employees, preventing lockdowns and huge behavioural changes from causing catastrophic rises in unemployment.” He added, “Plans to prematurely close the scheme led to concerns that its end would spark a fresh rise in worklessness. But extend-

ing the scheme beyond the reopening of the economy this summer has helped to limit this rise.”

“While it is welcome that unemployment has remained low, recently furloughed staff did face a much higher risk of losing their job in October. This reinforces the need for Britain’s stuttering economic recovery to strengthen so that more of these workers can be helped back into work swiftly rather than leaving the labour market altogether.”

Pensioners to face £169 FCA under fire for allegedly blow in incomes as govt changing complaints scheme financial watchdog set to reject pension rise AhasBritish been accused of unlawfully Millions of pensioners face a £169 blow to their incomes next year as the government is set to reject calls from the House of Lords for a bigger pension rise despite inflation already nearing a decade-high four per cent. Around 12.4 million recipients will receive a 3.1 per cent increase in the state pension to £185.15 in April based on September’s inflation data.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) estimated this will leave pensioners £169 worse off. The figures are based on the Bank’s latest projections showing inflation at 3.4 per cent by the end of next year.

CEBR economist Sam Miley warned that “mounting inflationary pressures will erode pensioners’ real incomes.”

He said, “Pensioners will be particularly vulnerable to rising prices, due to the fact that their disposable incomes tend to be lower in the first place. Meanwhile, the nature of inflation at present, being heavily concentrated in utility prices, is also set to adversely affect pensioners, given that this makes up a relatively larger proportion of their overall spending.” Charity director at Age UK, Caroline Abrahams said the organization was “extremely concerned” about rising prices. She was quoted in a report as saying, “The state pension, the main source of income for most older people, is less than £9,000 per year on average – hardly a fortune in anyone’s terms. If the Government overturns the amendment, then the responsibility of Ministers to come up with a package of measures to protect the health and welfare of pensioners on low incomes this winter will be all the greater.”

General secretary of the National Pensioners Convention, Jan Shortt added that rejecting the amendment would be “shameful”. She said, “The electorate will remember when it comes to the ballot box.”

changing its complaints scheme in a bid to avoid paying compensation to victims of failed funds or investment scams. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is said to have changed its complaints scheme just as it was facing hundreds of claims from savers who had lost more than £200mn in the collapse of the investment firm London Capital & Finance (LCF) in 2019.

While FCA denies acting unlawfully and insists it was “clarifying” the scheme’s guidelines, the watchdog is now being investigated by the Financial Regulators Complaints’ Commissioner over the controversy.

Under current rules, victims of financial scandals can claim ex-gratia compensation payouts from the FCA where it has failed to safeguard consumers. The regulator published guidelines in June last year, which said consumers would only be entitled to payouts when the regulator was “solely or primarily” responsible for their losses.

A member of the LCF bondholders campaign group, Andrea Hall was quoted in a report as saying, “They thought they would just change the rules and no one would challenge them. We wanted them to hold their hands up and pay compensation because they haven’t been punished. They wanted to shut that door on this wall of complaints on their regulatory failures. It is sheer arrogance.”

More than 1,000 victims of the LCF scandal have complained to the FCA and most have been refused compensation for its admitted regulatory failings. The Financial Regulators Complaints Commissioner’s office said the investigation into LCF complaints was ongoing and the commissioner would be considering responses to the preliminary report.

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Paytm IPO oversubscribed by nearly 2 times The £1.83 billion IPO for One97 Communications, the parent of Paytm, was subscribed nearly twice the offer size when it closed on Wednesday last. While the retail part was subscribed 1.7 times, the institutional part was subscribed 2.8 times and the part reserved for high net worth investors (HNIs) was subscribed just 24%, BSE data showed. Till day 2 (the previous day) of the offer, the IPO was subscribed 48%.

The IPO for the tech enabled payments solutions pioneer in India is set to be the largest such offering in India, ahead of Coal India’s £1.52 billion in 2010. The

IPO bidding round for Paytm, one of India’s leading startups, closed the same day Nykaa - another startup - listed successfully on the stock exchanges with a valuation in excess of £10 billion. In July, the highly successful listing of Zomato, a startup that is one of the leaders in India’s food delivery industry, had paved the way for many more to take the route to go public, market players said.

According to sources, some of the investors which bought Paytm shares during the anchor round, which closed on November 3, have also put in large bids during the just closed bidding

round. One of the largest pension funds in the world, Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), put in a bid worth nearly £130 million, they said.

A spokesperson for Paytm said the company’s successful closing of the IPO bidding round was a testament to the India story, its startup ecosystem and

the depth of the Indian capital markets that enabled it to reach this milestone.

“Our belief in the power of Indian tech dominance stands proven,” the spokesperson said. “We hope to continue to strive and drive financial inclusion for the underserved and unserved population of the country.”

Tata Steel Q2 results: Consolidated PAT surges by 661% Tata Steel posted a multifold jump in consolidated net profit for the September quarter at £1.19 billion as against £1.56 billion a year ago, helped by higher income. Its total income during July-September 2021 stood at £6.05 billion as against £3.91 billion in the year-ago period. The firm's total expenses were at £4.71 billion in July-September 2021 as against £3.70 billion a year ago.

Tata Steel is among the top steel companies in the world with an annual crude steel capacity of 33 million tonnes per annum.

The Board of Directors of the Company approved

the issuance of one fully paid-up Equity Share of Tata Steel Limited of face value Rs 10 each for every 15 equity shares of Tata Steel BSL Limited of face value Rs 2 each. Tata Steel said it is pursuing the hydrogen route in IJmuiden and a detailed assessment is

underway. Tata Steel's CEO said the company is watchful of the elevated coal prices and high energy cost as key risks to margins going forward.

T V Narendran, CEO & MD, Tata Steel said: “Tata Steel has delivered strong results across key geographies in this seasonally weaker quarter. Our steel deliveries in India expanded by 11% despite a contraction in market demand which is a testament to the strength of our franchise. We continue

to drive value accretive growth in our chosen and our segments performance in key segments such as auto was very robust despite the sector being impacted by the semiconductor shortage.

Our European operations have also delivered robust performance underpinned by strong improvement in realistions. We are watchful of the elevated coal prices and high energy cost as key risks to margins going forward." Tata Steel said its gross debt decreased to £7.81 billion with repayments of £1.14 billion in H1FY22. Net debt declined to £6.88 billion.

The success story of Falguni Nayar, CEO of Nykaa The success story of Falguni Nayar, founder of the multibrand beauty retailer Nykaa, is a testament to the fact that with the right training, education and support women can conquer any height. She has built an empire that started off with a humble beginning, but now stands tall at £20 million!

Falguni, an IIM Ahmedabad alumnus, was the former Managing Director at Kotak Mahindra Capital Company, which she gave up to pursue the dream of becoming an entrepreneur. This choice of leaving a fruitful career behind and entering the world of entrepreneurship was driven by two factors: 1) Her love for makeup, and 2) Her curiosity to explore the online marketing platform which she recognized to have a lot of potential.

She hails from a Gujarati family, but was born and brought up in Mumbai. Her father was a businessman and she says that the seed of business was planted into her mind at a very young age. She also has said that the stock market and trade

Falguni Nayar

were common topics of discussion in her house.

After graduating from IIM, Ahmedabad, Falguni spent 19 years working as an investment banker with the Kotak Mahindra group. It was in 2012 that she decided to quit her job at the age of 50 and embarking on an entrepreneurial journey. She was quick to discern that beauty was an untapped market in India and was on the way to experiencing an explosion.

Success story of Falguni Nykaa was founded in 2012 and the idea came to her when she started feeling confident and empowered at being guided through the right way of using beauty products and being told which are the right products to be used. She got this

experience at multibrand beauty stores like Sephora, and felt attracted to buy those worth hundreds of dollars owing to the right guidance. She felt the need to replicate this India. She also wanted the women of India to feel empowered.

Nykaa is primarily an ecommerce website that offers beauty and wellness products from all the leading brands. It has its offline presence in 17 stores and is expanding. It has over 850+ curated brands and 35,000 products. With Falguni at the helm of Nykaa’s journey, the brand is sure to see more and more success in the coming years.

US firm acquires Ahmedabad's Puniska Healthcare US-based Amneal Pharmaceuticals Inc. has acquired Ahmedabad-based injectable drug maker Puniska Healthcare Private Limited for around £70 million. The buyout is expected to boost the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) listed Amneal’s injectables manufacturing infrastructure, capabilities, and capacity to support the US market and serve as a foundation for international markets.

Founded by the Indian-American duo Chirag and Chintu Patel, Amneal Pharmaceuticals runs two manufacturing facilities - one each in Ahmedabad and Dahej in Gujarat. The company has four facilities in India.

“This acquisition is a pivotal step that meaningfully enhances our injectable capabilities for the US market and enables international expansion, including in India, as we look to become a leading player in the global injectables market,” said Chirag and Chintu Patel, Co-Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), Amneal Pharmaceuticals. Puniska has state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Ahmedabad with sterile injectable production lines. The acquisition also brings to Amneal approximately 550 Puniska employees with key capabilities in injectables manufacturing, R&D and commercialization.

Viewing a deal through different lenses

Suresh Vagjiani, Sow & Reap Properties Ltd

We have been circling a deal for the best part of a year, the contract went to a higher bidder, but the game is not over until it has exchanged. And sometimes not even then; we have won deals when the winning party has exchanged on the property but failed to complete. We have often been the underbidder, and still ended up doing the deal.

We received a call from the agent to say if we are still interested, it seems the current buyers are not performing. When this occurs, the seller is psychologically on the back foot, as he has no one else and therefore is approaching the underbidder.

Therefore, once you show that you are capable of executing the deal you are then in a stronger position to dictate terms.

We presented this deal to an investor, and he informed us that he had come across this deal before.

However, the way it had been presented to him did not justify the asking price.

The deal had been packaged as a knock down and rebuild deal. The idea behind doing this was that there was a new build with several stories more than the existing building just opposite this site.

A new build could trigger a few things which will bite into the developers profit margin, one is typically that a proportion of the new build has to go to social housing, a CIL payment is triggered. The construction is more cumbersome, and you have the utility supply companies which are like the mafia, they tend to have long lead times and charge extortionate amounts. It’s not like you have a choice.

These factors and more all lead to two things, one is it will increase the build costs and therefore reduce your profit margin, the second is doing a new build will take more time, both to get the planning and execute the build. So, more time and less profit.

This makes absolutely no sense to how I was seeing the deal.

The downstairs is a commercial premises, therefore this can be converted into residential using specific legislation, which will not attract any S106 obligations and will be cheaper and quicker to execute. Not everybody knows this, including the standard estate agent. This means the profit will be higher and quicker than the proposal sent to the investor.

This is very interesting, as it is the same deal, viewed by two different people, both seeing a different end product.

Admittedly there may be somethings I am missing, for example, the zero VAT in new builds, the energy efficiency of new build properties, the longevity of a new build property, as opposed to patching up an existing building. However, our goal is pretty binary at this point in time, and that is to return the maximum profit in the shortest amount of time, and that too needs to be done with pretty much certainty.

Chennai-based firm's IPO oversubscribed by 339 times The £60 million IPO offering by Chennai-based Latent View Analytics, a data and analytics consulting company, was oversubscribed 339 times, making it the most oversubscribed IPO ever in India. The previous best was 304 times subscription for Paras Defence’s IPO, which was listed on October 1.

The institutional part of Latent View’s IPO was subscribed 151 times, while the portion reserved for high net worth investors (HNIs) was subscribed 882 times and the retail part 124 times, BSE data showed. Employee part was subscribed four times, it showed.

In the anchor round, the Chennai-based company had raised £26.7 million. The shares were offered in the Rs 190197-per-share range. At the post-anchor IPO size of £33.2 million, Latent View’s 339 times subscription means that the total demand for its shares was worth about £11.3 billion.

In terms of subscription figures, the numbers for Latent View and Parag Defence are followed by Salasar Technologies with 273 times subscription, Apollo Micro Systems with 249 times subscription and Astron Paper with 242 times subscription, data from merchant bankers showed.

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in brief GUJARATI ORIGIN COP SHOT DEAD IN GEORGIA Paramhans Desai, 38, a native of Gujarat, who worked as a policeman in Georgia, USA, died after being shot by the accused.

Paramhans had gone to nab an accused in a domestic violence case where he was shot by 22-year-old accused Jordan Jackson.

Jordan fled after being shot, while Paramhans was taken to hospital for treatment where he died on 8 November after being treated for four days. Even after death, Paramahansa donated his organs and gave new life to 11 other people. According to a statement given by the Herney County Police Department, Paramhans had donated the organ after his death. Due to which the lives of many other people have been saved.

To help Paramhansa’s family, his sister Divya Desai launched a campaign to raise a fund of 2.5 million dollars.

INDIAN AMERICAN TEEN WINS CLIMATE PRIZE The Children’s Climate Prize Nov. 8 announced the winner of its 2021 award, with Indian American teenager Reshma Kosaraju, the Indian American teenager, has been named the winner of children's climate prize 2021. Kosaraju, a 15-year-old from Saratoga, California, was named the winner for her project, AI Against Forest Fires, which uses AI technology to predict forest fires. Her courageous, innovative and solution-oriented approach to forest fires, a highly topical and growing global issue, made Kosaraju's project stand out, a news release said. Explaining the jury’s motivation, the release notes that climate change and forest fires mutually reinforce each other and wildfires, today, are in many locations larger, more intense and longer lasting.

FIRST HINDU CJ OF BANGLADESH JAILED A Bangladeshi court sentenced in absentia former top judge Surendra Kumar Sinha, the country’s first chief justice from the minority Hindu community, to 11 years in jail on two counts of graft in a case over the laundering and breach of trust. Dhaka Special Judge Shaikh Nazmul Alam sentenced Sinha, who currently lives in the US, to seven years in prison for money laundering and another four years for criminal breach of trust. The prison terms will run concurrently, Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. “(Justice) SK Sinha is the principal beneficiary of the laundered money,” the court said in its verdict. Sinha served as chief justice for two years before leaving the country in 2017, months after a Supreme Court ruling under his term stripped Bangladeshi lawmakers of their power to sack the country’s top judges.

Sinha has alleged that he was forced to resign because he opposed Bangladesh’s incumbent “undemocratic” and “authoritarian” regime.

PAK CJ OPENS REBUILT HINDU TEMPLE Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed inaugurated the rebuilt Shri Paramhans Ji Maharaj temple in Karak, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on the occasion of Diwali and felicitated the community on the special occasion, The Express Tribune reported. In December last year, a mob led by a local cleric and others had attacked the temple and demolished it completely.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Justice Gulzar said that the Supreme Court has always taken steps to protect the rights of minorities and it would continue to do so in the future, the report said. He said that according to the Constitution, the Hindu community has the same rights as people of other religions, the report said. The CJP observed that everyone loves their holy places and no one has the aut

Afghanistan doesn’t want conflict with any country: foreign minister KABUL: Afghanistan’s interim foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, in an interview said that his country does not want conflict with any other country, including India. He added that the Islamic Emirate now controls the entire country and Daesh (IS terror group) has been eliminated from most of Afghanistan. “We do not want Afghanistan to have a conflict with any other country... When we participated in the Moscow conference, the representatives of India, Pakistan and several other countries were also present. We had a positive conversation with New Delhi and others,” Muttaqi responded when asked about relations with India.

Qatar to represent US interests US secretary of state Antony Blinken said that the Gulf nation of Qatar has agreed to represent American interests in Afghanistan following the clo-

Afghanistan, Blinken said.

Qatar will also assume responsibility for the security and protection of now-vacant US diplomatic facilities in the Afghan capital.

Military parade with US-made weapons Taliban forces held a military parade in Kabul on Sunday using captured American-made armoured vehicles and Russian helicopters in a display that showed their ongoing transfor-

mation from an insurgent force to a regular standing army. The Taliban have used the large stock of weapons and equipment left behind when the former Western-backed government collapsed in August to overhaul their forces. The parade was linked to the graduation of 250 freshly trained soldiers, defence ministry spokesman Enayatullah Khwarazmi said.

The exercise involved dozens of US-made M117 armoured security vehicles driving slowly up and down a major Kabul road with MI-17 helicopters patrolling overhead.

Many soldiers carried American made-M4 assault rifles. Most of the weapons and equipment the Taliban forces are now using are those supplied by the US to the American-backed government in Kabul in a bid to construct an Afghan national force capable of fighting the Taliban.

started were cancelled.

However, officials at the civic agency misinterpreted the cabinet decision and had cancelled the plot allotted to the Hindu community. He said approval had already been given for construction of a boundary wall on the land allotted for the temple, so the decision of the cabinet did not apply to it.

The spokesperson also

shared a copy of the new allotment letter. Asked if the CDA will initiate any inquiry against those who misinterpreted the cabinet’s decision, he said there was no “bad intention. There was some sort of misinterpretation of the cabinet decision and when the matter was brought into the notice of high-ups, the allotment was restored immediately.”

Amir Khan Muttaqi

sure of the US embassy in Kabul in late August. Blinken said Qatar will serve as the “protecting power” for the US in Taliban-run Afghanistan, a move that suggests the Biden administration has little confidence that it will re-open the embassy in the near future.

Qatar will establish a US interests section within its own embassy in Kabul to provide consular and other services to American citizens in

After outcry, Pak restores land for temple in Islamabad ISLAMABAD: The authorities in Islamabad have restored a piece of land allotted to the Hindu community for the construction of the first temple in the Pakistani capital following a huge public outcry after officials told a top court that the allotment had been cancelled. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) had revealed about the cancellation of the plot during the hearing of a case in the Islamabad high court, Dawn newspaper reported.

CDA’s counsel Javed Iqbal told the court that the civic agency had cancelled the plot for the Hindu community in

February this year for not starting construction on it.

According to the report, 0.5 acres of land was allotted to the community in 2016 for the construction of the first-ever Hindu temple, cremation and community centre. The CDA drew criticism both online and in mainstream media over the cancellation, forcing it to withdraw the notification.

CDA spokesperson Syed Asif Raza said that following a decision of the government, allotments of all lands issued to various offices, universities and other institutions on which no construction work had been

7 killed in Bangladesh rural Pak SC questions Imran Khan council election violence over army school massacre case DHAKA: At least seven people have been killed in Bangladesh election violence as voters selected village council representatives in elections expected to further consolidate the governing party’s power amid concerns about the state of the country’s democracy. Meanwhile, The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, largest opposition party, boycotted the vote, saying a skewed political atmosphere is preventing fair participation.

Groups used guns and spears to prevent supporters of rivals from reaching the polling booths in a village in Narsingdi district in central Bangladesh, killing three people, said Satyajit Kumar Ghosh, a senior police officer. At least 20 other people were injured in the chaos, he said. Another man died when rival groups clashed in southern Cox’s Bazar district, reports said. Six others were injured in the area, the newspaper said.

Two people were killed in the eastern district of Cumilla and another person died in the south-

eastern district of Chattogram amid violence that injured many, the Daily Star newspaper reported.

Chief Election Commissioner K M Nurul Huda had warned against election violence before vote and said security measures were being taken to respond to any incidents.

Ahead of the vote this month, at least nine people were killed and hundreds were injured in campaign violence. Eighty-five people have been killed and more than 6,000 injured in Bangladesh electionrelated violence since January, according to a Dhaka-based rights group. More than 15 million eligible voters chose representatives on 835 councils after proceedings in some places were suspended over irregularities or violence.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Supreme Court grilled PM Imran Khan in the Army Public School massacre case, questioning his government for holding peace talks with the very terrorist group that had carried out the deadly attack on the Peshawar school in 2014, and ordered the PM to probe security lapses leading up to the assault. In December 2014, a total of 147 people, 132 of them children, were killed when Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) terrorists stormed the school. Khan’s government, however, is currently in talks with TTP and as part of the reconciliation process it has already announced a complete ceasefire with the banned outfit.

In a rare move, Khan appeared before the court on the orders of a three-judge SC bench headed by chief justice Gulzar Ahmed. With regards to media reports regarding negotiations with the TTP, the bench questioned whether “we are bringing them (TTP) back to the negotiating table instead of taking action against them?” “Are we going to surrender once again?” one of the judges, justice Qazi Mohammad Amin, asked the PM. Khan was asked to explain his government’s actions against officials involved in the school’s security. He replied that he was not the country’s PM when the attack took place. It prompted the chief justice to ask him what his government has done in the past three years to redress the grievances of the families of the victims. “You issue order and we will take action,” Khan told the bench, adding that the relatives of the victims were compensated. At this, the chief justice remarked that the parents wanted their children and not compensation. The court informed the PM that the victims’ parents want action against officials who were posted at high-ranking positions at the time of the attack.

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Statue of Mahatma Gandhi vandalised in Australia MELBOURNE: A life-sized bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi has been vandalised in Melbourne in an act PM Scott Morrison strongly condemned as “disgraceful”, triggering shock and disappointment among the Indian-Australian community.

The incident happened hours after Morrison unveiled the statue at the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville on Friday alongwith the Consul General of India Raj Kumar and other Australian leaders as part of a celebration of 75 years of India’s Independence. The statue was gifted to Australia by the Indian government.

“It is disgraceful and extremely disappointing to see

this level of disrespect,” Morrison was quoted as saying in the report. He said that

attacks on cultural monuments would not be tolerated in a country which is the most

successful multicultural and immigration nation in the world. “Whoever is responsible for this has shown great disrespect to the Australian Indian community and should be ashamed,” he said.

Victoria police said an unknown number of offenders used a power tool to decapitate the statue sometime between Friday and on Saturday, according to ABC News. The police said detectives were investigating the matter and are appealing for witnesses to come forward with information. The Indian community in the city expressed their shock over the incident, terming it as a “low act”.

Indian-origin student among 9 killed in concert tragedy HOUSTON: A 22-year-old Indian-origin student has succumbed to her injuries sustained during the deadly crowd surge at rapper Travis Scott's Astroworld Festival, taking the death toll in the tragedy to 9, her family has said.

Bharati Shahani, who was about to graduate from Texas A&M University in the spring, died after suffering a severe brain injury in the tragedy on November 5. She was on a ventilator, according to her family.

An investigation continues into the tragedy. Bharti's heartbroken family confirmed she has been declared dead from injuries she suffered during the chaos at the Astroworld Festival.

"She was like an angel to us.”

Bharti's father Sunny said as his wife and other family members sobbed and held hands behind him. "Bharti is love," said mother Karishma, who was overcome by grief.

"Always thinking about everybody - friends, parents, family, her dog Blue.” They say

Xi cements authority with historic CPC resolution BEIJING: China’s Communist Party delivered Xi Jinping a breakthrough that will help secure his political future - by rewriting history. Senior party officials in a closed-door meeting in Beijing approved a resolution reassessing the party’s 100-year history and enshrining Xi in the party’s official firmament of era-defining leaders.

The move, signalled in an official summary of the meeting, elevated Xi to a stature alongside Mao Zedong, the founder of the country’s Communist rule, and Deng Xiaoping, the chief architect of its economic takeoff.

Under Xi’s leadership, China has “made historic achievements and undergone a historic transformation”, said an official summary, or communiqué, from the meeting, hailing what the party described as successes in the economy, foreign policy, fighting pollution and containing Covid.

Under Mao, Deng and now Xi, the communiqué said, China had “achieved the tremendous transformation from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong.” This week’s meeting was the start of a momentous year in Chinese politics.

Its announcements will play a big part in the leadership shake-up at a Communist Party congress that is likely to be held in 2022, when Xi, China’s most powerful leader in decades, appears on track to secure a third five-year term as the party’s general secretary. There is no rival leader or heir apparent in view. The decision to place Xi among the country’s historical giants will bolster his argument that he is the only leader capable of steering China toward superpower status through uncertain times.

Bharti was the backbone of the family, "the light of their lives" who was a gift from God. "She was everything to me," Bharti's younger sister Namrata said. "We did everything together... she was like a second mother to me." The young Aggie was a first-generation American of Indian origin and a good student who would have graduated soon with a computer science degree.

She also helped with the family business and took care of

Bharati Shahani

her sisters. An Aggie is a student at Texas A&M University.

FW de Klerk, South Africa's last apartheid leader is no more

FW de Klerk

PRETORIA: FW de Klerk, the last leader of apartheid-era South Africa who shared a Nobel Peace Prize with Nelson Mandela after working to end racial segregation in the country, has died at 85, his foundation said last week.

De Klerk released Mandela, his subsequent successor, from prison and laboriously negotiated with him a transition to democracy, ending a decadeslong segregationist system that kept South Africa's White minority in power over the Black majority for generations.

The two men shared the peace prize in

1993 for their work to end the policy, but de Klerk - who had served in governments that upheld apartheid, and who after his retirement appeared reluctant to condemn it unequivocally - remained a divisive figure in South Africa long after he left politics.

De Klerk died at his home in Fresnaye from mesothelioma cancer, the FW de Klerk Foundation said. A deeply conservative politician whose party had long supported apartheid, de Klerk surprised his political clan and became an unlikely agent of change in South Africa during his five-year rule of the country. He effectively announced the beginnings of a new country in one historic speech at the state opening of Parliament in 1990, revealing to a stunned nation that he would free Mandela, legalize anti-apartheid groups, end a national state of emergency and negotiate to end racial inequality in the country.

De Klerk's political transformation, sparked by worsening racial tensions and the impending possibility of civil war, led him to be cast as a "traitor" by some conservative lawmakers.

Indian American charged in alleged insider trading NEW YORK: An Indian American partner in a global consulting firm has been arrested and charged in an alleged insider trading scheme that netted him about $450,000, according to federal officials. "Puneet Dikshit has been charged with serious felonies for his alleged conduct" of exploiting insider information about a pending acquisition, New York federal prosecutor Damian Williams said.

He was produced before Federal Magistrate Judge Kevin Fox, who set a bail of $1 million.

According to a LinkedIn profile, he worked for McKinsey & Company, one of the largest global consulting firms. Court papers said that Dikshit's company had been hired by Goldman Sachs to advise it on the acquisition of GreenSky, a company traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange, and that he had used insider information to trade options on that company's stocks.After making some small trades, he bought call options – which are essentially bets on the stock prices going up – in accounts in his and his spouse's name for about $24,647 about two days before the Goldman Sach's announcement on Sept. 15 that it was acquiring GreenSky in a $2.24 billion deal, according to court papers.

in brief OVER 20 KILLED IN AFGHAN BLASTS More than 20 people were killed and about 50 others injured when two explosions followed by gunshots - targeted Afghanistan’s biggest military hospital in Kabul recently. The bombings were followed by indiscriminate firing from inside the hospital. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the Afghan media, quoting witnesses, reported that a number of fighters from Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) had entered the hospital and clashed with security forces. Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, said the blasts occurred at the entrance of the 400bed Sardar Daud Khan hospital in Kabul.

Another Taliban official was quoted by local media as saying a suicide bomber and gunmen were involved in the attack. “The attack was initiated by a suicide bomber on a motorcycle who blew himself up at the entrance of the hospital,” the official said. He claimed that all the attackers had been killed.

Habib Rahman, a doctor at the hospital, said that at least 20 people were killed and over 50 wounded. He added that the toll could be higher as a number of people were hit by the first blast.

GADDAFI'S SON RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT The son of Libya’s late dictator Muammar Gaddafi appeared for nearly the first time in a decade to register as a presidential candidate for a December vote planned to help end the years of chaos since his father was toppled.

Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi, 49, appeared in an electoral commission video in traditional brown robe and turban, and with a grey beard and glasses, signing documents at the election centre in the town of Sebha. Gaddafi is one of the most prominent figures expected to run for president, a list that also includes eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar, PM Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah and parliament speaker Aguila Saleh. While his name is one of the best known in Libya, he has barely been seen for a decade.

MAN FORCED TO CLING TO TREE FOR 6 HOURS Australian police said they had rescued a man who was forced to cling to a tree for more than six hours after rising floodwaters swept his car from the road in Australia’s remote northern territory. The 33-year old man was driving near the Todd River in Alice Springs when localised flooding swept his car away, after nearly 100mm of rain over 24 hours. To avoid putting others at risk, the police said it took over six hours for the fire service to rescue the man. “They had a zip line set up, and they were able to bring him to safety as the water level started to drop,” an official said. He was unharmed.

CREW MEMBER SUES BALDWIN, OTHERS The head of lighting on the film “Rust” filed a lawsuit over Alec Baldwin’s fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set of the Western, alleging negligence that caused him “severe emotional distress” that will haunt him forever. Serge Svetnoy said in the suit that the bullet that killed his close friend Hutchins, narrowly missed him, and he held her head as she died. “They should never, ever, have had live rounds on this set,” Svetnoy’s attorney said. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court names nearly two dozen defendants associated with the film including Baldwin, who was both star and a producer; David Halls, the assistant director who handed Baldwin the gun; Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who was in charge of weapons. It is the first known lawsuit stemming from the Oct 21 shooting.

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Novelty incentives by govt, community in India to facilitate vaccination Nischal Sanghavi India scripted history with 1 billion Covid vaccine doses in nine months of vaccination programme rollout. It is no mean feat considering the high proportion of the uneducated and rural population with several disbeliefs and the wide religious diversity of the country.

One of the interesting things in the vaccination programme has been various innovative incentives offered to those who get vaccinated by the government, local bodies, community organisations, and also by some private businesses.

On 10th October Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation came up with a scheme to provide one litre of edible oil to all those who get vaccinated in their jurisdiction. Though a litre of edible oil costs less than £1, it served as an attractive incentive to many citizens, especially the underprivileged, as one litre is equivalent to a week's supply for

an Indian family kitchen.

With the scheme becoming a hit with labourers and in slum areas, it was extended to the other four districts.

On 14 October, the same administration officials came up with an additional scheme to provide all those taking the jab a ticket for an entry into a lucky draw. The draw has 25 Samsung mobile phones to be won each worth Rs 10,000 which is equivalent to around £100.

A public-private partnership that runs eight ropeways at different locations in India, offered free

tickets as a celebration for reaching the 1 billion vaccination mark. According to Manoj Pawar, President of Usha Breco, the company that has commissioned and is running ropeway services at Junagadh, Ambaji, Pavagadh, Maa Mansa Devi & Maa Chandi Devi in Haridwar, Jatayupara and Malampuzha in Kerala and Maa Tara Tarini in Ganjam, Odisha. He mentioned that he had a scheme to give away free to and fro ropeway tickets to the first 100 people at each of these places on Sunday.

However, a person needs to

India excludes China, HK, Macau, UK, and Canada from availing e-tourist visa Taking actions on similar lines regarding lack of mutual travel recognition, India has now excluded Hong Kong, China, and Macau citizens from availing e-tourist visa facility for travelling to the country.

As reported earlier, India will be allowing individual foreigners to visit India for tourism purposes from November 15. As per the reports, tourists from the United Kingdom, Canada, Malaysia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia too have been excluded due to lack of reciprocity. Referring to this, officials in the knowhow added that citizens of Vietnam, Taiwan, the United States, Singapore, and 152 other countries will, however, have access to e-visa facilities for tourists.

As per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), regular tourist visas and existing e-visas issued prior to October 6 shall also remain suspended.

Reportedly, fresh visas for single entry with a validity of 30 days can be utilised within 120 days of issuance.

Reports have it that before the Covid-19 pandemic struck, India had granted the e-tourist visa facility to a record number of 171 countries, which included the United Kingdom, China, and

Canada as well, but lack of reciprocity, and border tension with China seems to have affected their prospect.

Moreover, standoff with the United Kingdom on recognition of vaccine certificates and mandatory quarantine for Indian travellers pushed the Indian Government to also apply similar guidelines for British travellers visiting India. While with Canada, suspension remains in place in response to the testing restrictions, which the Canadian Government continues to subject travellers from India.

However, travellers from the United States are allowed to avail the etourist visa as per the latest guidelines.

Since the United States has reopened

for international travellers from November, it has allowed Indian travellers to enter without any quarantine, and even recognised WHO-approved vaccines, including Covishield and Covaxin.

MEA in touch with all countries Many countries from Europe, Africa, Asia, South America and the Caribbean islands have agreed to recognize Covid-19 certificates with India. “The ministry of health along with the ministry of external affairs is in continuous communication with all countries for mutual recognition of vaccine certificates, and WHO and nationally approved vaccines to facilitate hasslefree international travel across countries,” the minister said.

have taken both doses to get the free tickets. These 8 ropeways transport 8 million passengers every year.

Community leaders had arranged Sunday programmes in association with the administration.

The programmes would be a happening get-together of community members where people who get their jab are treated for a buffet lunch. As per Hasnan Johar Dawoodi Bohra of Community, their community had organised group vaccination events.

Community events give good leverage to vaccina-

tion as friends and family members encourage people to get vaccinated. A staterun nationalised bank has come up with an 'Immune India Deposit Scheme'.

Under this scheme, a person who has taken at least one jab can earn 5.35%

interest on their deposits as against 5.1% for others.

Apart from this many private businesses have come up with fancy schemes that will not only motivate people to get vaccinated but serve as a marketing tool for business.

According to restaurant owner Paresh Patel, this scheme not only encourages people to get vaccinated, as that would enable them to straight away save some money but, also helps businesses gain a slightly upper edge in competition as some vaccinated people would choose us over other restaurants to take the benefit of the scheme.

Some of the benefits for the vaccinated: 1. 1 litre edible oil-free with vaccine 2. Lucky Draw Ticket to win free mobile phone 3. Free Ropeway tickets 4. Discounts on food 5. 1-day free entertainment on DTH 6. Membership to premier loyalty program 7. Higher interest rate on bank deposits 8. Extended product warranties

Zydus Cadila vaccine to be administered only to adults now Zydus Cadila’s Covid-19 vaccine ZyCov-D, which has been cleared by India’s drug regulator for those aged 12 years and above, will only be administered to adults as of now under the government’s national anti-coronavirus vaccination programme, sources said. The health ministry has given a go ahead to initiate the preparatory work for the inclusion of the indigenously-developed, needle-free jab in the national Covid inoculation drive and it can be introduced in the programme anytime soon.

The ministry has already placed a purchase order with the Ahmedabad-based firm for 10 million doses of the vaccine. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the government does not want to make haste about administering Covid vaccines to children and any decision in this regard will be taken based

on expert opinion.

He said children are not being inoculated against Covid on a large scale anywhere in the world, though it has been initiated in some countries in a limited manner. “About vaccinating the children, we will take a decision based on expert opinion. We have decided to think and evaluate before going ahead with vaccinating children as they are the future of our country and we need to tread with caution in this matter,” Mandaviya had said.

ZyCov-D is the first

Covid vaccine cleared by India’s drug regulator for inoculation of those aged 12 years and above. As for the emergency use approval for Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin in the age group of two to 18 years by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), it is under expert opinion and evaluation, official sources said.

For administering ZyCov-D to adults, frontline workers and vaccinators will be provided a brief training for using the needle-free applicator in actual field settings.

SC to appoint retired judge to supervise Lakhimpur probe The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday acceded to the Supreme Court's suggestion for appointment of a retired SC or HC judge for supervision of the probe by the stateappointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) into October 3 Lakhimpur Kheri incidents mowing down of four farmers, lynching of three accused and murder of a journalist.

Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for UP, said the state government has no objection to the appointment of a retired judge. However, he told a bench headed by CJI N V Ramana that the court should not have inhibition in considering a judge from the Allahabad HC or any other HC or even the SC

as the court would have no doubt about the allegiance of a HC or SC judge towards the impartiality of the probe.

The bench agreed with Salve and said it would take a day or two to consider the names of retired judges, consult them for consent and pass orders thereafter. However, the bench, which earlier had expressed dissatisfaction over the pace and purport of the SIT probe, made it clear to the state government that the composition of the SIT needed upgradation.

"At present the SIT is composed of subinspectors, inspectors and deputy superintendents of police from Lakhimpur Kheri. We want some senior officers to be drafted into the SIT so as to give a better edge to the investigations," the bench said.

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14 killed as heavy rains lash Tamil Nadu CHENNAI: At least 14 people have died in Tamil Nadu following heavy rains, officials said. Several districts in the state were on high alert, bracing for more torrents as a depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal was set to cross northern Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, the 'red alert' for heavy rainfall issued for eight Tamil Nadu districts, including Chennai was withdrawn after the depression that triggered the alarm, and led to widespread flooding in the city and across the state, weakened at landfall.

The heavy rains first struck over the weekend, hitting the capital, Chennai. Photos and videos from the city showed residents wading through kneedeep waters and vehicles nearly submerged in the heavily flooded roads.

At least 14 people died in the

last few days, said N Subbaiyan, the director of the state’s disaster management. At least 800 huts have been destroyed this past week by the rains, said Kumar Jayant of the state's revenue department.

Multiple teams of the National Disaster Response

Force have been deployed to help local authorities with rescue efforts. In Chennai, which is among the worst hit, officials have evacuated hundreds of people from vulnerable areas. Authorities have also set up over 100 relief centers and distributed free

food, local media reported.

The rains this week are among the heaviest to hit the city since 2015. Experts have warned that more heavy rains can trigger further flooding and devastation.

“The public should not go Greater Chennai out,” Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said. He said authorities had managed to drain the majority of the floodwaters, but cautioned that low-lying areas could once again get inundated.

Rains at this time in Tamil Nadu are not unusual, but experts have warned that climate change has exacerbated the problem, making the downpours more intense and frequent. Last month, flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains killed at least 28 people in neighboring Kerala state.

PUNJAB

Kartarpur corridor to open for pilgrims ‘within days’ NEW DELHI: The government has decided to reopen the Kartarpur Corridor with Pakistan following a meeting that BJP MPs from Punjab had with PM Narendra Modi on Sunday. The decision also comes ahead of the upcoming Gurpurab, the birth anniversary of first Sikh guru Guru Nanak, for which the government has already allowed Sikh pilgrims to travel to the Kartarpur gurudwara via the Attari-Wagah border.

Pakistan had also urged the Indian government last week to reopen the corridor. Seen as a corridor of peace, mainly because of how India and Pakistan managed to

overcome incessant hostilities in ties to build and open it in just 12 months, the Kartarpur Corridor is expected to reopen "within days".

The Corridor, which was inaugurated in 2019, was forced to shut last year in March after the Covid-19 outbreak. The government had maintained since then that the Corridor, which is of immense religious significance to Sikhs as the last resting place of Guru Nanak, would be reopened only in line with the Covid-19 protocol and after consultations with all involved authorities. The decision to reopen the corridor also comes ahead of the assembly

elections in Punjab early next year.

In view of the significance of Gurupurab and sentiments associated with it, India had decided that a "jatha" of around 1,500 pilgrims will be allowed to visit Pakistan from November 17-26, 2021 via the Attari-Wagah ICP. Such visits are covered under the 1974 Bilateral Protocol between India and Pakistan on 'Visits to Religious Shrines'.

India also recalled that Pakistan had twice earlier this

year denied permission for a visit by Sikh pilgrims to Pakistan while expressing hope Pakistan would facilitate the visit on this occasion. A day later, Pakistan announced it was going to issue 3,000 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims on the eve of the 552nd birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.

WEST BENGAL

Mamata rejigs cabinet, retains Amit Mitra as adviser Minister Manas Bhuyian as an additional charge. Women and Child Development minister Sashi Panja was also given an additional charge of the Self Help Group department while Becharam Manna was given additional charge as Minister of

State of the Panchayat department. However, during the cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister said, “This change is for the time being. The changes will be reviewed next month and further reshuffle may take place.”

TMC gets SC boost for Tripura local body polls Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee last week announced a cabinet reshuffle and changed major portfolios.

While addressing the media after a cabinet meeting, State Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee said, “After the demise of Subrata Mukherjee, Pulak Roy has been appointed as the new Panchayat and Rural Development Minister.” Roy is now in charge of the Public Health Engineering department.

Last Monday, the six-month tenure of State Finance Minister Amit Mitra also came to an end.

Since he did not contest the by poll, his department automatically went under the Chief Minister’s control.

The CM made Chandrima Bhattacharya as the Minister of State of the Finance department and urged Mitra to stay in the government. The CM retained Mitra in the finance department as an adviser with the status of a full-fledged minister.

The Consumer Affairs department, which was under Sadhan Pande who is currently hospitalised over a prolonged illness, was handed over to Water Resource Development

NEW DELHI: Taking note of the allegation of All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) that it’s leaders were being prevented from campaigning in the municipal elections in Tripura because of “actual and threatened violence”, the Supreme Court directed the state government to ensure that right of the political party to participate in election process is not impeded and make all arrangements for free and fair election.

A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud, Surya Kant and Vikram Nath passed an interim order directing the director general of police and the home secretary of the state to address the grievance raised by AITC and its leaders and take appropriate measures to maintain law and order. The bench noted in its order several incidents of violence which took place after August 2 as pointed out by the petitioner party. “We accordingly direct the respondents, by way of an ad-interim order, to duly consider the grievance which has been placed before the Court in these proceedings, which has been briefly adverted to in the earlier part of this order so that appropriate arrangements are made to ensure the maintenance of law and order in a manner that would further the unimpeded right of political participation in the course of the ensuing municipal elections.

in brief INDIAN-ORIGIN APPOINTED BISHOP IN CENTRAL ENGLAND An Indian-origin vicar who grew up in the Syrian Orthodox Church in South India has been appointed as the new Bishop of Loughborough, in central England. Reverend Malayil Lukose Varghese Muthalaly, known as Saju, is the Vicar of St. Mark's Gillingham, in the Diocese of Rochester – southern England. His appointment to the Diocese of Leicester has been approved by Queen Elizabeth II, according to a statement. Saju, from Kerala, was educated at the Southern Asia Bible College in Bangalore and trained for ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He served his title at St Thomas', Lancaster in the Diocese of Blackburn and was ordained Priest in the Church of England in 2009.

PUNEETH RAJKUMAR'S PARTING GIFT The sudden death of Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar of a heart attack recently left his family and fans lost. But even in that moment of crushing grief, his brother Raghavendra called the eye bank, asking them to collect the actor's eyes for donation.

When thousands had gathered at Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru to say an emotional goodbye to the popular actor, doctors in an eye hospital were transplanting his corneas into the eyes of four patients. Eye donation is important for Puneeth's family. The eyes of his father and superstar Dr Rajkumar were donated in 2006 and those of his mother, Parvathamma, in 2017. Dr Bhujang Shetty of Narayana Nethralaya said, "I got a call from Raghavendra Rajkumar. It was he who called me when Dr Rajkumar died too. He said, "Doctor, this has happened. Kindly come and collect the eyes."

AMARINDER MOVES EC TO REGISTER HIS PARTY The Election Commission has received an application from an association seeking to register itself as a political party with the name of Punjab Lok Congress, sources said.

This comes days after former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh resigned from the Congress and announced that he would launch a political party under that name.

Earlier, Amarinder Singh formally quit the Congress party and announced the name of his new political outfit - Punjab Lok Congress. In a scathing seven-page resignation letter addressed to acting AICC president Sonia Gandhi, he accused the Gandhi family of a “midnight conspiracy” to oust him, adding that he was deeply hurt by Sonia’s conduct and that of her children Rahul and Priyanka. Amarinder also questioned the appointment of Navjot Singh Sidhu as the PCC chief.

CONTROVERSIAL 'ADVICE' OF BENGAL BJP LEADER West Bengal BJP MLA Swapan Majumder, has courted controversy by allegedly telling his party workers to break the hands and legs of Trinamool Congress leaders if they terrorise them and slap false charges against them. In a purported video that surfaced on social media, Swapan Majumder, BJP legislator of Bongaon South, also promised to fully support the distressed party workers in any situation. "If a (TMC) leader seeks to frame our workers in false cases, if our workers are terrorised, that leader may not return safely. Enough is enough. Break his hands and legs in selfdefence and come to me. I promise to be on your side," Majumder was heard telling his supporters in the video.

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NSAs seek unimpeded aid to Afghanistan in Delhi Declaration A strong focus on delivering Afghanistan from terrorism, a call for a truly inclusive government that represents the will of the people, and unimpeded humanitarian assistance formed the core of the “complete consensus” that India’s regional NSA-level conference arrived at in the form of a “Delhi Declaration”.

The declaration emphasised that the Taliban-ruled country’s territory should not be used for “sheltering, training, planning or financing” any act of terrorism while reiterating support for a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan. It was significant that Russia and Iran are signatories to the unambiguous declaration.

Both nations were initially seen as receptive to Taliban given their animosities with the US, but have subsequently been more guarded in their responses. With several nations sharing concerns about groups active in terrorist Afghanistan and their benefactors,

the declaration also stressed on respect for sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and non-interference in the country’s internal affairs.

The conference, chaired by India’s national security adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval, saw participants discussing the evolving security situation in Afghanistan and its

regional and global implications while calling for efforts to ensure the country didn’t turn into a safe haven for global terrorism. Official sources said the participating countries acknowledged India’s concerns on crossborder terrorism perpetrated by Pakistan-based groups and shared concerns of an Afghanistan under Taliban export-

ing radicalism and violence.

According to sources, the participants also stressed that no one should boycott the NSA dialogue process due to any “bilateral agenda”. Both China and Pakistan had turned down India’s invitation to the conference.

The NSAs also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and were said to have had a substantive exchange with him as the PM shared India’s perspective on Afghanistan. The conference is an effort by India to remain engaged in Afghanistan and seek commonalities with other nations post the installation of a Pakistan-backed and-supported regime in Kabul.

“The sides paid special attention to the current political situation in Afghanistan and threats arising from terrorism, radicalisation and drug trafficking as well as the need for humanitarian assistance,” said the declaration issued shortly after the conference attended by seven countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,

Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan besides Russian and Iran - apart from India. The conference is seen as an important step made by India to underline its role in regional efforts for peace and stability.

Russia, as Doval said in his opening remarks, was the initiator of the idea for a conference.

According to the declaration, the countries stressed on the necessity of forming an open and truly inclusive government that represented the will of all the people of Afghanistan and had representation from all sections of their society, including major “ethno-political forces” in the country.

The conference emphasised that the fundamental rights of women, children and minority communities are not violated and expressed concern over the deteriorating socio-economic and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, while underlining the need to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Afghans.

Policemen gun down 26 Maoists in Maharashtra At least 26 Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces in the dense forests of Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district, officials saidy evening, in one of the deadliest counter-insurgency operations in the region since 2018 when 42 Maoists were killed in two encounters.

People aware of the developments said that four police officials were seriously injured in the gunbattle that lasted for about 10 hours, and were airlifted to Orange City Hospital in Nagpur for treatment. The major offensive came after specific intelligence about the movement of the Maoists from Chhattisgarh to the forests of Mardintola and Kotgul, under the Gyarapatti police station, for a meeting, the officials said.

The site of the encounter is over 900 km away from Mumbai

and borders Chhattisgarh. A special police party with jawans of the C60 force, an elite anti-Maoist squad of the district police, led by additional superintendent of police Soumya Munde, raided the Maoist hideouts at around 6am, the officials said.

“Police had received secret information that there was a camp of Naxalites in the GyarapattiKodagul forest of Korchi, on the

Assam Rifles Colonel, kin killed in Manipur ambush Militants of the banned People's Liberation Army (PLA) and Manipur Naga People’s Front (MNPF) jointly carried out the deadliest ambush in the northeast in six years, killing an Army Colonel officiating as the commanding officer of the 46 Assam Rifles, his father, wife and their six-year-old son along with four personnel of the paramilitary force near the India-Myanmar border in Churachandpur district.

Col Viplav Tripathi’s convoy, comprising a quick-reaction team of the Assam Rifles, was passing

by S Sehken village in Singngat subdivision when an IED blast set them up for a volley of indiscriminate firing from the forested hillside that not only felled the Army officer from Chhattisgarh's Raigarh but also his father, wife Anuja and their son Abir. The four other Assam Rifles personnel killed in the ambush were identified as Suman Swargiari, Khatnei Konyak, RP Meena and Shyamal Das. Four personnel in the convoy were critically

injured.

"The blast was targeted at the CO’s vehicle and then the firing started. It was sudden and ferocious," a defence source said. PLA and MNPF issued a statement, claiming responsibility for the killings. The last such ambush on security forces in the militancyravaged region had also taken place in Manipur in 2015, when 18 soldiers were killed in Chandel district.

Colonel Tripathi, on deputation from the Army's Kumaon Regiment, was returning along with his family to Churachandpur from a forward post of the Assam Rifles at Behiang on the India-Myanmar border. He had attended a civic programme there earlier.

Churachandpur is the southern extension of the Manipur valley, with the ambush site having ample cover for the attackers to fire at the approaching convoy from camouflaged positions. The thinly populated area is mostly inhabited by the Zomi tribe.

basis of this, the C-60 unit of Gadchiroli Police started the search operation in Gyarapatti-Kodagul forest area,” Gadchiroli superintendent of police Ankit Goyal said.

During the raids, the left-wing extremists started firing at the security forces that retaliated the gun fire, the official said. A special combat force of the district police was sent to the forest to aid the security efforts, Goyal said. “We have recovered the bodies of 26 Naxals so far from the forest,” Goyal said, adding that toll may increase as a search operation in the area is still going on, amid sporadic gunfire. The slain Maoists include women commanders, the official said. The bodies of the slain Maoists will be brought to

Gadchiroli for post-mortem examination, Goyal said. Officials believe that the heavy casualties suffered in the encounter will have disastrous impacts on the Maoist movement.

Gadchiroli is one of the dozens of Maoist hotbeds dotting central and eastern India.

“Gadhchiroli, after being developed into a strong zone, became the pivotal point in the Maoist dominated areas particularly in Bastar, enabling supply of logistics, medicines and medical treatment to the cadres, “ a senior Chhattisgarh Police official said.

Over the past few years, the extremists have attempted an expansion into the MMC zone (Maharashtra-Madhya PradeshChhattisgarh confluence) - a new area adjoining the Kanha reserve that they are seeking to enter.

Gadhchiroli also offered a safe

passage for cadres and senior leaders of the outfit’s central committee to travel to MMC zone. “The gradual decimation of Maoists in Gadchiroli will have disastrous impact on growth of Maoists in MMC region. Maoists in Bastar will be isolated with pressure across Gadchiroli, Telangana, AP and Odisha,” another official in Chhattisgarh said. While the identities of the Maoists are yet to be ascertained, people familiar with the matter said that many senior members of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) were killed in the operation.

Milind Teltumbde, a central committee member, who was once the secretary of the Maharashtra unit of the CPI (Maoist), is suspected to have been one of the targets in the encounter, the people cited above said.

China biggest security threat facing India, says CDS Bipin Rawat China is the biggest security threat facing India, “much bigger” than Pakistan, and the country is prepared to deal with “any misadventure” on the “land borders or the high seas”, chief of defence staff General Bipin Rawat said.

Asked whether China was “enemy number 1” for India at the Times Now summit, Gen Rawat said there was “no doubt” about it.

“The threat on the northern borders is much bigger,” he said. “We are well prepared for any misadventure... Should they carry out a Galwan-like incident again, they will get it (back) in the same coin as they got last time,” said Gen Rawat. The CDS was referring to the violent skirmishes between Indian and Chinese soldiers at Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on June 15 last year.

On the18-month-long military confrontation in eastern Ladakh, he made it clear that India’s immediate priority is to ensure troop disengagement at the friction points with “sufficient separation

and distance” to ensure no inadvertent incident takes place.

While such disengagement has taken place in “almost all areas” including Pangong Tso-Kailash Range region, some places like the strategically-located Depsang Plains and the CNN junction in Demchok are left. “Disengagement is likely and will happen. But deescalation appears to be farfetched because of the kind of infrastructure the Chinese have developed… it will take a long time,” he said.

The Indian armed forces, on

their part, remain wellprepared for forward deployment for the second consecutive winter in the high-altitude region, and will not pull back till China agrees to withdraw its troops to their preApril 2020 positions.

“We have already stocked up for the winBipin Rawat ter. We have adequate resources to combat the adversary if he indulges in any misadventure. We will not budge because we are concerned about China re-occupying the positions.

If the Chinese are going to stay there permanently, so will we,” the CDS said.

Noting that there is “mutual suspicion on both sides”, he added that India will not “let its guard down” because the People’s Liberation Army has better infrastructure on its side and could come back faster to forward locations.

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Russian missile system arrives despite US threat India’s first squadron of the formidable S-400 Triumf surfaceto-air missile systems will become operational by January-February next year, with the country now getting initial deliveries of the air defence weapons from Russia despite the threat of US sanctions.

The S-400 system can detect, track and destroy incoming strategic bombers, jets, spy planes, ballistic missiles and drones at a range of 380-km. The first squadron will be "suitably deployed in the western sector" to tackle aerial threats from both Pakistan and China before they can enter Indian airspace, top sources said.

Ahead of the Modi-Putin summit in early-December, the "thousands of containers and packages" of the first S-400 squadron, including two missile batteries, long-range acquisition

and engagement radars and allterrain transporter-erector vehicles, are now being sent to India through the air and sea routes.

"After the deliveries of the first squadron are completed by next month, the massive S-400 systems will be assembled, erected and then undergo `acceptance trials’ in front of

Russian experts," said a source.

Systems to be delivered by 2023 All five mobile squadrons of the highly-automated S-400 systems, under the $5.43 billion contract inked with Russia in October 2018, will be progressively delivered by 2023.

“They will cater for the borders with China and Pakistan as well as airbases and places like New

President presents Padma awards to India’s heroes President Ram Nath Kovind last week presented Padma Awards to the achievers honoured in 2020 for having spent years making a difference to the masses or contributing to their respective fields and disciplines.

Among those handed the Padma medallion and ‘sanad’ at the Civil Investiture Ceremony, held almost one and-a-half years after it had got postponed due to Covid outbreak, included the late Union ministers George Fernandes, Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj; as well as actress Kangana Ranaut, film producers Karan Johar and Ekta Kapoor, boxing champion M C Mary Kom and two time Olympic medalist P V Sindhu.

Among the awardees are Gujarati actress Sarita Joshi, Gujarati humorist Shahbuddin Rathod, Guajrati Parsi theatre artist Yazdi Karqanjia, Nadiad-based educationist H M Desi, Gujarati businessman Gafurbhai Bilakhia and Gujarat based IIT Gandhinagar director Sudhir Jain.

The awardees for 2020 include former President and PM of Mauritius Anerood Jugnauth (posthumous), Sri Vishveshateertha Swamiji Sri Pejavara Adhokhaja Matha Udupi (posthumous), classical singer Chhannulal Mishra (all conferred the Padma Vibhushan); Padma Bhushan winners Manohar Parrikar (posthumous), industrialists Anand Mahindra and Venu Srinivasan, former Nagaland CM S C Jamir and J&K politician Muzaffar Hussain Baig; and retired DG

medical services, Air Force, Air Marshal Padma Bandopadhyay, who was handed the Padma Shri by President Kovind amid loud applause.

Some heroes who have spent a lifetime in social service and were conferred Padma Shri in 2020 include Abdul Jabbar Khan, who has been doing advocacy for victims of Bhopal gas tragedy for past three decades despite having lost his family and 50% of own vision to the poisonous gas leak; Usha Chaumar, head of Sulabh International Social Service Organisation; Harekala Hajabba, an illiterate fruit vendor from Karnataka who has been providing affordable education to poor children; Arunoday Mondal, a doctor from West Bengal who treats patients in the remote Sundarbans; Ravi Kannan, an oncologist from Chennai who treats cancer patients in Assam’s Barak Valley; S Ramakrishnan, a specially-abled social worker who has rehabilitated over 14,000 speciallyabled people in Tamil Nadu; and Rajasthan environmentalist Sundaram Verma who has planted 50,000 trees.

Delhi,” said the source.

The initial deliveries of the S400 systems come at a time when there are still no signs of any deescalation in the 18-month military confrontation in eastern Ladakh. China has deployed at least two S-400 batteries, apart from several other anti-aircraft systems, to tackle any air strikes

by India.

India will send IAF teams to Russia for training in operations and maintenance of the S-400 systems, ahead of its deliveries beginning this year-end, despite the threat of US sanctions under CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act). Enacted in 2017, the US law seeks to prevent countries from buying Russian weapons or Iranian oil. The US has imposed financial sanctions on China and Turkey for inducting the S-400 systems from Russia. India,

however, remains “reasonably confident” of getting a waiver from the Biden administration on the ground that the air defence systems are an “urgent national security requirement” for it, given its two long unresolved borders with China and Pakistan.

India has also assured Washington it will “never compromise the operational secrecy” of the weapon systems it has bought or will buy from the US, while pointing to its unblemished record of not passing sensitive military information of a country to a third party, as was reported by TOI earlier. One of the main reasons for the US to remove Turkey from its F-35 fighter programme was the fact that the powerful radars of the S-400 systems are capable of “mapping or recording” data of other aircraft or radars.

Covaxin finally gets WHO approval The World Health Organization last week granted Covaxin an emergency use listing, or EUL, which means the 'made-in-India' vaccine will finally be recognised by other countries and Indians who received the shot need not self-quarantine or face restrictions when travelling abroad. Covaxin has been cleared for use in all age groups (18+) over two doses spaced four weeks apart.

However, no recommendation has been made for use on children, and available data for use on pregnant women is insufficient to assess safety or efficacy, WHO said.

"The Technical Advisory Group (an independent panel that provides the WHO with vaccine recommendations) has determined Covaxin meets standards for protection against Covid-19... the benefit of the vaccine far outweighs risks (and) the vaccine can be used," the global health body said.

"Covaxin was also reviewed by WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), and recommended use of this vaccine (is) in two doses, with an interval of four weeks, in all age groups 18+," the WHO tweeted.

"Available data on vaccination of pregnant women with Covaxin are insufficient to assess vaccine safety or efficacy in pregnancy; studies in pregnant women are planned, including a pregnancy sub-study and a pregnancy registry," it said.

The WHO confirmed Covaxin had been found to be "78 per cent effective against Covid-19 of any severity, 14 or more days after the second dose, and is extremely suitable for low- and middle-income countries due to easy storage requirements".

Bharat Biotech said grant of the EUL was "a very significant step towards ensuring

global access to India's widely administered, safe and efficacious (vaccine). As an organisation we have focused on maintaining stringent quality and safety standards that meet rigorous assessment and scientific standards established by WHO...

EUL authorisation for Covaxin will enable us to contribute to accelerating the equitable access of Covid-19 vaccines..." Dr Krishna Ella, Bharat Biotech Chairman and Managing Director, said.

The EUL comes after a lengthy and rigorous review period - Bharat Biotech provided the first batch of data in July - that involves assurances about the vaccine's safety, efficacy and stability, as well as checks of production facilities.

The delay left millions in limbo; in particular it was a huge problem for Indian students studying abroad in countries like Canada, the US, the UK, and Australia.

The WHO had said it "understands many people are waiting for Covaxin to be included in the Covid-19 Emergency Use Listing" but had also stressed "we cannot cut corners before recommending a product for emergency use... we must evaluate thoroughly to make it is safe and effective".

The WHO also underlined its trust of the Indian vaccine industry, and in its defense, referred to the 30 days it took for an EUL for Serum Institute's Covishield (the AstraZeneca-Oxford University shot). "... this is not about moving quicker with one or another vaccine. We really trust the Indian industry."

The approval is also likely to clear the way for India to commit vaccine supplies to COVAX - the global vaccine-sharing effort co-led by the WHO which aims to provide vaccines to poorer countries.

Kangana now targets Mahatma Gandhi Keeping the controversy cauldron bubbling, actor Kangana Ranaut claimed that Subhas Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh got no support from Mahatma Gandhi and went on to mock his mantra of ahimsa by saying that offering another cheek gets you “bheek” not freedom.

In making the “bheek” comment, Kangana wound the clock back to last week when she described India’s Independence as “bheek”, or alms, and declared that freedom came in 2014, when the Narendra Modi-led government came to power.

In a series of posts on Instagram, Kangana this time targeted Mahatma Gandhi and said “choose your heroes wisely”.

The actor, still in the eye of the proverbial storm for her comments, shared an old news clipping headlined “Gandhi, others had agreed to hand over Netaji”.

The report claimed that Gandhi, along with Jawaharlal

Nehru and Mohammed Ali Jinnah, came to an agreement with a British judge that they would hand Bose over if he were to enter the country.

“Either you are a Gandhi fan Nataji Kangana Ranaut or supporter You can’t be both… Choose and decide,” Kangana whose Twitter account has been suspended, captioned the news clipping.

In another post, Kangana, who has courted many a controversy with her incendiary and

provocative statements, then claimed, “Those who fought for the freedom were ‘handed over’ to their masters by those who had no courage burning/ boiling hot blood to fight their oppressors but they were power hungry and cunning.” She then went on to target Gandhi, even claiming that there was evidence suggesting he wanted Bhagat Singh to be hanged.

“Those are the ones who taught us, ‘If someone slaps you offer another cheek for one more slap’ and that is how you will get Aazadi. That’s not how one gets Aazadi, one can only get bheekh like that. Choose your heros wisely(sic),” the 34-year-old actor said.

The actor said it’s about time people know their history and their heroes. “… Because just placing them all in one box of your memory and every year wishing them all birth anniversaries is not enough. In fact it’s not just dumb but highly irresponsible and superficial…,” she added.

Kangana’s “azaadi” statement at an event organised by a news channel last week came two days after she was presented the Padma Shri by President Ram Nath Kovind. She has been under attack ever since with politicians from across the spectrum, historians, academics, fellow actors and others lashing out at her for views and many saying she should return her award.

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Spending more than 10 minutes on the toilet dangerous: NHS doctor An NHS doctor has issued a stern warning that applies to anyone who is fond of spending long hours on the potty. Dr Karan Rajan explained in a TikTok video that taking a long time to poop is a sign of diet issues and can be quite detrimental to one’s health.

In the video, he said the practice can be a contributor to an extremely painful condition called hemorrhoids.

Talking about what people shouldn’t be doing, he says, “Number one, straining. Fun fact, everyone has anal cush-

ions. These are there to stop us from posing ourselves and they also contain blood vessels. But if you keep

straining on the toilet these blood vessels could swell up and cause hemorrhoids.”

Rajan adds, “Try not to

spend on average more than ten minutes on the toilet.

Gravity is not your friend.

The longer you spend on the toilet the longer the blood can pool in these rectal veins causing hemorrhoids.” The doctor advises people to consume lots of fibre to avoid constipation, and adds, “Unless you have a specific medical condition you should be aiming for 20 to 30 gm of fibre a day. So you don’t always have to cut the crusts off your bread and keep the skin on your fruit and veg.”

Blood pressure drugs could prevent type 2 diabetes: study A recent study published in the Lancet suggests blood pressure drugs could prevent millions of people worldwide from developing type 2 diabetes. Lowering high blood pressure is an effective way to slash the risk of the disease in the future, it says. While doctors already prescribe cheap blood pressure drugs to reduce the chances of a lifethreatening heart attack or stroke, whether these drugs could also help fend off the threat of type 2 diabetes were unanswered.

Researchers have found positive effects of the drugs are much wider than previously thought. In the largest study of its kind, scientists at Oxford and Bristol universities followed more than 145,000 people from 19 global randomized trials for an average of about five years. They found that a 5 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes by 11 per cent. Researchers also investigated the effects of

five major types of blood pressure drugs from 22 clinical trials compared with a placebo.

They found angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) had the strongest protective effect, both reducing someone’s relative risk of developing diabetes by 16 per cent.

Other types of blood pressure-lowering drugs were not protective. Calcium channel blockers had no effect on type 2 diabetes risk, while beta blockers and thiazide diuretics actually increased the risk despite their known beneficial effects in preventing heart attacks and strokes.

Prof Kazem Rahimi, lead researcher of the study at the University of Oxford and a consultant cardiologist said, “Our research provides clear evidence that giving ACE inhibitors or ARBs, which are widely available and affordable worldwide, to patients at high risk could

curb the growing burden of type 2 diabetes.”

Prof Sir Nilesh Samani, the BHF medical director, said, “Diabetes and high blood pressure are two important and growing problems which increase a person’s chance of developing an array of other serious health complications, including heart attacks and strokes. This research shows that the two are inter-connected and that lowering blood pressure could be a powerful way to reduce the risk of developing diabetes.”

He added, “It also shows

that different commonly used drugs for lowering blood pressure have very different effects on risk of diabetes. Doctors should therefore consider the patient’s risk of developing diabetes when they are choosing an anti-hypertensive drug to lower their blood pressure.”

The research was funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and the Oxford Martin School.

Anti-inflammatory diet cuts dementia risk by a third Eating an “anti-inflammatory” diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, tea, and coffee could cut the chances of getting dementia by a third.

Foods like a cup of tea, morning coffee and fruit, vegetables and legumes such as lentils and chickpeas, all contain healthy plant compounds. They help combat age-related inflammation in the body which can increase the risk of dementia.

A study rated the diet of more than 1,000 older people for anti-inflammatory foods and tracked them over an average of three years.

People who consumed the most anti-inflammatory diet consumed around 20 pieces of fruit, 19 servings of vegetables, four servings of legumes and 11 cups of coffee or tea in the average

week. Whereas, those with the least anti-inflammatory diet were three times more likely to get dementia.

Dr Nikolaos Scarmeas, senior author of the study from Kapodistrian University of Athens in Greece, said, “These findings suggest that people could protect their brains by eating more healthily. As people can change their diets, they might want to think about eating antiinflammatory foods like fruit and vegetables and avoiding more inflammatory choices like very highcalorie foods.” They added, “But more research is needed before specific dietary advice can be given, as this was not a clinical trial providing clear proof.”

The study said analyses

the diets of people aged 65 and over, based on questionnaires they filled out on what they had eaten in the past month. These foods included fruit and vegetables, dairy products, meat, fish, desserts, alcohol, and legumes, which include beans, peas, chickpeas, and lentils. Among the 1059 study participants, six per

cent or 62 people developed dementia.

Those with the least anti-inflammatory eating habits, who were three times more likely to develop dementia, ate only around nine pieces of fruit, 10 servings of vegetables, two servings of legumes and nine cups of coffee or tea during an average week.

Avoid Drama in your life with these tips Psychologist Mamta Saha Dear readers, do you dread your family gatherings because you have to spend time with your uncle who makes offensive jokes or meet your sister-inlaw who won’t stop asking when you will have kids? The bad news is, you can’t get rid of these people completely, but good news is, you can learn to deal with difficult people and protect your energy and peace. So here are a few things to keep in mind.

Don’t try to fix the difficult person It can be tempting to try to help someone you want to care about. Accept them exactly as they are. Difficult family members are infamous for their inability to self-reflect and admit when they’re wrong. It’s important to soften your expectations about what others can and want to do, this way you won’t be disappointed or hurt.

Can I find compassion in my heart for this person, just like I need myself?

Difficult people are not born that way, they become that way due to a combination of nature and nurture. A difficult relative will always want a reaction. Even though it can be really hard, try to understand their perspective.

Don't take it personally. Their negativity is not a representation of you and your life, it's a representation of theirs.

What do I need right now in this situation?

Another technique that you can use to deal with a difficult family member is to excuse yourself as soon as the interaction gets too intense. Take a few moments to breathe and center yourself. Remember, your own wellbeing comes first. Visualize your boundaries, that protective territory between you and the other person. No one is entitled to occupy your space unless you let them.

Dealing with a difficult family member can be extremely stressful and hard to handle emotionally. This can be even more dreadful during the holidays. Seeking support is the best way to navigate through difficult family relationships.

Join me for a FREE 60-minute masterclass packed with practical tools and techniques on how to handle toxic family members, set boundaries, and practise selfcare, and have stress free family holidays. Email me at mamta@mamtasaha.com to book your spot. Follow me on Instagram (saha_mamta) and Facebook (Mamta Saha) for more details about my masterclass. Stay in touch and I look forward to hearing from you! Good luck dearest readers.

Sleep disorder linked to severe outcomes from Covid-19 A new research shows a 31 per cent increased risk for hospitalisation and mortality in patients with sleep-disordered breathing and sleep-related hypoxia. Findings of the study were published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

The research team analyses retrospective data from 5,400 Cleveland Clinic patients. Findings showed that while patients with sleep-disordered breathing and sleep-related hypoxia do not have an increased risk of developing Covid-19, they have a worse clinical prognosis from the disease.

Dr Reena Mehra, MD, who led the team, said, “As the Covid-19 pandemic continues and the disease remains highly variable from patient to patient, it is critical to improving our ability to predict who will have a more severe illness so that we can appropriately allocate resources.”

She said, “This study improved our understanding of the association between sleep disorders and the risk for adverse Covid-19 outcomes. It suggests biomarkers of inflammation may mediate this relationship.” Researchers used the Cleveland Clinic’s Covid-19 research registry, which included data from nearly 360,000 patients tested for Covid-19 at Cleveland Clinic.

They assessed the sleep study findings and Covid-19 positivity were assessed along with disease severity, and also accounted for comorbidities such as obesity, heart and lung disease, cancer and smoking. First author of the study Cinthya Pena Orbea, MD, said, “Our findings have significant implications as decreased hospitalisations and mortality could reduce the strain on healthcare systems.”

They added, “If indeed sleep-related hypoxia translates to worse Covid-19 outcomes, risk stratification strategies should be implemented to prioritize the early allocation of Covid-19 therapy to this subgroup of patients.”

To Our Readers

We are publishing these reports in good faith. Before you try any of these remedies, please consult the doctor. We are not responsible for any adverse effects.- Editor

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NEHRU - The debates that defined India The Nehru Centre recently gave a platform to two co-authors Tripurdaman Singh and Adeel Hussain who were in conversation with Dr Swapan Dasgupta (Hon’ble MP, Rajya Sabha) who launched their book titled ‘Nehru The debates that defined India’.

Senior journalist Pallavi Ghosh moderated the conversation.

Adeel Hussain said that part of the reason why he and Singh wrote this book is that it began a series of debates with leading Indian intellectuals and politicians that still remain contested to this day.

And part of what they wanted to do was to bring the debate back to its origins because debates after a century tend to transmute and transform and take very different shapes and forms. They wanted to highlight how Nehru originally engaged with them.

“And what that tells us is, for instance, what Nehru’s constitutional moves were when he was thinking about how to bring about a democratic constitution for the Indian Republic,” Adeel said.

Hussain further explained that part of the appeal of the book is that it historicises his ideas, like how socialism was a disaster for India, it did not bode well, and it created the no top downstate that's wasn't very much conducive from benefiting of the capitalist expansion that many other countries did in the latter part of the 20th century.

“But if we start thinking about national socialism in the context of what capitalism means, and then what capitalism means for the West, and what it means for India, then it comes with very different promises. So for the West capitalism came with the promise of liberty, regardless of how

incompletely it was able to distribute that but it came with the promise of wealth and liberty and

that generally, humankind would march into a direction of progress.

“Now in India, capitalism came with the East India Company, which wasn't a promise of liberty.

So for an Indian politician who comes of age in the early 20th century, it was expected that he would associate everything that capitalism stands for, and everything that capitalist modernity stands for, like something, or at least the economic system of capitalism is something that he would fight and he would want to fight even though of course, never kept alive the promise of modernity.

Hence, we have on India has all of these institutions that reflect that, but in general, narrow socialism is something that was widely prevalent at the time amongst an entire generation of nationalist leaders,” Hussain said.

Tripurdaman Singh reminded saying, “It's important to

remember that Nehru was not just a socialist, he was also an internationalist.”

Speaking on what extent was Nehru’s socialism motivated by contemporary fashion, I think, to some extent, Swapan Dasgupta said, “It was the spirit of the times, at least for Nehru, enhanced sort of social demeanour was very much an upper-class Englishman in various ways. And even if he didn't sort of embrace vegetarianism, and some of the alternative lifestyles, which were a feature of the 1930s socialist culture in Britain, he did take up some of those issues. But it's important to note that so far as his

socialism was concerned, it was not a consensus within Indian nationalism at that time. I think that's a very important point between say, that Nehru certainly represented a stand, but it was by no means the only stand. The Congress had a very active policy of encouraging indigenous capitalism, Indian capitalism, Nehru stood apart from that, even as late as 1948.”

The conversation also navigated through Nehru’s stand on China, NATO, his relationship with Lady Mountbatten and more of his socio-political ideologies that shaped the future of presentday India.

Social media influencer culture is exploiting children During an evidence session of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Tuesday, several MPs have raised objections to the exploitation of kids by parents on social media to act as influencers and market themselves at a very tender age in order to earn social and monetary benefits for their parents.

MPs will examine how issues raised in the inquiry such as consent, labour protections, and mental health relate to children and family influencers. The inquiry is also likely to consider the shortcomings of regulation on the promotion of products and services. The ways in which influencers and influencer content affect children as consumers - specifically in terms

of body image, digital rights, and advertising - is also on the agenda. In the previous session, the inquiry heard evidence from Amy Hart about abuse she faced following her Love Island appearance and requests for her to publish ‘diet tips for under-13s'.

National Railway Museum Artists and celebs create their Best Seat in the to investigate slavery and House for World Toilet Day colonialism The National Railway Museum is going to investigate the economic, social and infrastructural legacy of steam trains under a £9,000 project that will consider whether steam power aided imperial expansion.

A report in The Guardian claimed that some of these objects include an 1896 Cape Government Railway locomotive, the KF7 locomotive and a Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway locomotive. It has been said that

Artist Liaqat Rasul toilet seat design for WaterAid x Rankin Best Seat in the House for World Toilet Day 2021; Credit: © RANKIN/WaterAid, 2021

the Museum staff previously raised concerns about the train that carried Winston Churchill's coffin in 1965. This project was reportedly backed by research hubs at York, Leeds and Sheffield universities.

Everything ‘blue’ in colour is about to get costly Blue painted cars, homes and commodities might get a bit more costly than usual because in an unprecedented turn of events, the pandemic has resulted in shortages of several tints of colours, the most important of which is blue.

According to Hindustan Times, Dutch paint manufacturer AkzoNobel announced that the

pandemic has affected supply chains, causing a shortage of key tints and ingredients required to produce some shades of the colour. The world is readjusting. Trend forecasters, interior designers and fashion houses will pivot to different segments of the rainbow for the next few seasons.

Artist Haseebah Ali toilet seat design for WaterAid x Rankin Best Seat in the House for World Toilet Day 2021; Credit: © RANKIN/WaterAid, 2021 | Haseebah’s photo credit: Arpita Shah

Artist Chila Burman toilet seat design for WaterAid x Rankin Best Seat in the House for World Toilet Day 2021; Credit: © RANKIN/WaterAid, 2021

Artist Seema Mattu toilet seat design for WaterAid x Rankin Best Seat in the House for World Toilet Day 2021; Credit: © RANKIN/WaterAid, 2021

A host of artists, fashion designers and celebrities have created their own unique toilet seats as part of a project with WaterAid and the Rankin Agency to help elevate the status of the humble loo and celebrate them for the lifesavers they are.

Liaqat Rasul, Haseebah Ali, Chila Burman and Seema Mattu are among the Asian artists who have given the Best Seat in the House a special splash of luxury, to highlight how toilets are a luxury that is out of reach for millions.

The collection, which includes a golden throne, punk art, seats decorated in beautiful fabric, and a lucky toilet seat, has been photographed in a set of stylish shots by the Rankin Agency ahead of World Toilet Day on 19 November to help lift the lid on the sanitation crisis.

One in five people globally have no decent toilet at home, compromising their safety, dignity, and health, with 800 children dying every day from diarrhoeal diseases caused by dirty water and poor sanitation. A third of schools lack decent toilets, so millions of girls have to stay at home during their period, holding them back from fulfilling their potential.

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Alia answers when she will get married in new video

Actor Alia Bhatt gave a sneak-peek of her life with her latest YouTube video titled ‘A day in the life of Alia Bhatt’.

The actor took her fans to her work and answered some AMA questions.

She also spoke about the questions around her wedding, and also gave the viewers a sneak peek into her love life with actor Ranbir Kapoor.

Alia began her video by answering about what inspires her every day. She said, “My own dreams for myself. They inspire me to work harder everyday.

My people in my life. My team, my friends, my family and loved ones inspire me to become a better person.

Just with their compassion, kindness and love.”

When one of her fans asked her to show her phone screen, the actor

Anushka reveals similarities with daughter Vamika Actress and producer Anushka Sharma has revealed one thing her daughter Vamika has in common with her, and it's all kinds of cute. Anushka and husband Virat Kohli welcomed their first child, Vamika in January this year and have kept her away from the paparazzi.

Speaking in an interview last week, Anushka talked about her daughter and what kind of parent she wants to be. She said, “I find her extremely determined. I feel that if she wants to do something then she’s going to do it, and I can tell that it’s going to serve some purpose for her in life. It’s nice to see that because I think I was like that too.”

“My role is to guide and support her, to be her sounding board without micromanaging or being too controlling. I think an important thing to imbibe in your child is to be loving and compassionate towards everybody,” she added.

Vamika is a regular feature in Anushka’s Instagram posts, however, her face is always hidden from the camera. On the occasion of Ashtami last month, she shared a happy picture of the two and wrote, “Making me braver and more courageous every day. May you always find the strength of the goddess in you, my little Vamika. Happy Ashtami.”

blushed and revealed a cute picture of her and Ranbir as the wallpaper. Alia also spoke on how she handles negativity and trolling. She concluded, “None of these things should be taken too seriously. Someone very wise told me once that how you never take success to your head and failure to your heart, the same way, don’t take praise to your head and negativity or criticism to your heart.”

However, the best part was when she teased her fans before she bid goodbye to them. Alia had received hundreds of questions asking about when she will be getting married. “A lot of you have asked this one question…

When I am getting married?” Alia read and shrugged her shoulders in response.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' postponed again

Rajkummar Rao ties the knot with Patralekha

Bollywood actor Rajkummar Rao has got married to his long time girlfriend Patralekha on Monday, November 15.

Rajkumar has shared this information while sharing his lovely wedding photos on social media. Meanwhile, Patralekha has also shared a post about her marriage.

Rajkumar Rao has shared two photos on his Instagram account. In the first picture, Rajkumar Rao and Patralekha are holding each other’s hands and putting their heads together and laughing. In the second picture, Rajkumar Rao is seen filling vermilion in the demand of his wife Patralekha. Prince Rao wrote in his post, ‘Finally after 11 years of love, romance, friendship and fun, I got married today with my soul, my best friend, my family, everything. There is no greater joy for me today than being called your husband. Forever and beyond.'

Patralekha also shared two photos from her Instagram account. In the first picture, Patralekha and Rajkumar Rao are holding each other’s hands and putting their heads together and laughing. In the second picture, in the style of Rajkumar dancing, Patralekha is standing behind him laughing. ‘I have married everything I have today. My boyfriend, my crime partner, my family, my soul mate. My best friend for the last 11 years. There is no greater emotion than being your wife. For us forever.'

The wait to watch Alia Bhatt as Gangubai in filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' just got longer.

The film that was delayed multiple times owing to the pandemic, has been postponed yet again. Just months after the director picked January 6, 2022, as his release date, he announced that the film will now release on 18 February 2022.

The period film, adapted from one of the chapters of noted author Hussain Zaidi's book, 'Mafia Queens of Mumbai', features Alia in the title role of Gangubai, one of the most powerful, loved and respected madams from Kamathipura during the 1960s.

Interestingly, it was director SS Rajamouli who revealed the reason behind the film's delayed release. In a tweet, Rajamouli thanked director Bhansali for postponing the film's release on his request. 'RRR' that features Alia in a prominent role, was scheduled to clash with 'Gangubai' on January 7, 2022. However, with SLB agreeing to move his release, the films will not be forced to share business at the box office.

"The decision by Mr @JayantilalGada and Mr. #SanjayLeelaBhansali to move the release date is well appreciated. Our heartfelt wishes to #GangubaiKathiawadi..:)" Rajamouli tweeted.

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Shilpa 'shocked' after FIR lodged against her and husband in cheating case Actress Shilpa Shetty has issued a clarification after an FIR was lodged against her and husband Raj Kundra in an alleged cheating case. The pair, along with Kaashif Khan, director of SFL Fitness company, have been accused of duping a Mumbai-based businessman of £151,000.

Shilpa took to her Instagram and Twitter accounts following the accusations, to clarify that she and Raj Kundra were not involved in the said case and that it “pains” to see her name and reputation being damaged.

She wrote, “Woke up to an FIR registered in Raj and my name! Shocked!! To set the record straight, SFL Fitness, a venture run by Kashiff Khan. He had taken naming rights of brand SFL to open SFL Fitness Gyms around the country. All deals were struck by him and he was signatory in banking and day-to-day affairs. We are not aware

Dwayne Johnson open to act in Hindi films Hollywood actor Dwayne Johnson, who was promoting his movie ‘Red Notice’ alongside Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds, has expressed his readiness in starring a Bollywood movie in the future.

Speaking in a press conference, Dwayne said that while he hasn’t been offered a role in the past, he would “love that”.

Former professional wrestler Johnson said, “I have not been offered one in the past, but I would love that. And you know, I, as I would like, we talked about this the other day when there’s like two big cultures in terms of entertainment, it’s coming out of Bollywood and Hollywood. There should be more crossover. So I think that would be really cool. Absolutely. And I’m well aware.”

Gal Gadot, who was seated with Dwayne in the press conference, vouched for him and said, “He can dance too and do everything easily.” Meanwhile, Reynolds too expressed his wish to see his Marvel superhero film ‘Deadpool’ get a Bollywood makeover.

He said, “‘Free Guy’ would be a good one to adapt for Bollywood.

I’d say ‘Deadpool’ though would be a little bit more fun. I think it’d be easier for ‘Deadpool’ to embrace the Bollywood culture. Guy in ‘Free Guy’ is a non-playable character, he exists only in the digital world.

But Deadpool’s real flesh and blood so that I think it’d be ‘Deadpool’.”

Siddhant Chaturvedi breaks down on stage of ‘Bigg Boss 15’ Actor Siddhant Chaturvedi had an emotional moment on the sets of ‘Bigg Boss 15’ recently. The ‘Gully Boy’ star had a dream-come-true moment while meeting show host Salman Khan and teared up. Accompanied by his ‘Bunty Aur Babli 2’ co-stars Rani Mukerji and Sharvari Wagh, Siddhant appeared nervous as he walked up on stage.

When asked by Rani why he seems so scared, Siddhant could barely form a sentence as he said, “Bohot bada fan hun (I am a huge fan) … ankh mein pani aa raha hai (I’m tearing up).” When he broke down, Salman greeted him with a hug.

The actor made his Bollywood debut with the 2019 movie ‘Gully Boy’, which was headlined by Ranveer Singh and starred Alia Bhatt. He won critical acclaim for portraying the role of a gully rapper named MC Sher.

On the work front, Siddhant will be seen soon in ‘Bunty Aur Babli 2’, ‘Phone Bhoot’ co-starring Katrina Kaif and Ishaan Khatter, ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahan’ with Ananya Panday and Adarsh Gourav, and a Shakun Batra movie co-starring Ananya and Deepika Padukone.

of any of his transactions nor have we received a single rupee from him for the same. All franchisee's dealt directly with Kashiff. The company closed in 2014 and was entirely handled by Kashiff Khan.”

“I have worked very hard over the last 28 years and it pains me to see that my name and reputation is getting damaged and dragged so loosely to get eyeballs. My rights as a law-abiding proud citizen in India should be protected. With gratitude, Shilpa Shetty Kundra,” she concluded the post.

An FIR was registered based on a complaint by businessman Nitin Barai, who has claimed that in July 2014, Khan, Shetty, Kundra and a few others asked him to invest £151,000 into SFL Fitness company to earn a profit. He claims that he was assured the company will provide him franchise and open a gym and spa in Pune, but things did not materialise.

Vicky Kaushal opens about the kind of girl he wants to make his wife

Vicky Kaushal faced his fears alongside British adventurer Bear Grylls as he went “Into The Wild”. Kaushal faced his biggest fear - the deep blue sea, covered himself with mud to avoid mosquitoes, ate raw crab meat, and took a dive into the Indian Ocean. Besides conquering his fears, the actor opened up about his personal life and shared the story of being born in a small house and leaving engineering for acting.

Much to his fans’ delight, Kaushal also revealed the kind of girl he would like to have as his wife. The show featured a video message from his father and Bollywood action director Sham Kaushal. He said, “Hello Vicky puttar, Love you. I am a bit tensed. It is difficult to survive in some corner of the world with no one around. But I know you have Bear Grylls with you who is the biggest survivalist of the world. Another name of difficulties is ‘never give up’. So please don’t give up. Come out as a winner. We are waiting for you.”

Vicky got emotional on hearing the message, and told Grylls, “He is my pillar of strength and I can’t tell you what he has gone through in life. I have seen the hardships he has gone through in life. So, a word of advice, encouragement from him at the beginning of the journey is going to make a big difference to me.”

Kaushal narrated, “I have been an engineering student.

My father was very happy seeing his kid becoming an engineer because nobody in my family has ever done a 9-5 job where they get monthly pay cheques, where they get weekends off so that they can plan their family time. So he was very happy that somebody in the family is going to live that life.”

He added, “The day I saw people working in front of the computers, I just couldn’t feel that and for the first time in life, I was sure about something, and it was that I don’t belong here. I was always active on stage. That’s what gave me happiness and I thought I should explore that but I still didn’t have the confidence to say that I want to become an actor.”

Amid his wedding rumours with actress Katrina Kaif, Grylls also quizzed Vicky about the kind of girl he would like to have as his wife. “Whoever makes you feel at home all the time, you just know that connect. Also, where there is that understanding where you love each other for your plus and minuses both and we make each other a better version of each other,” the ‘Udham Singh’ actor said.

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Samantha shares note on building a 'lovely life' Telugu star Samantha Ruth Prabhu often states insightful posts on her social media. Last week, she shared a quote by a Los Angeles author Jamie Varon. The quote read, “How about you don’t have to build an empire? Or dominate an industry?

Or be the number one at anything? What if you simply built a lovely life that makes you feel happy, that brings you joy, that is generative and supportive? What if you healed the parts of you that need more and more and more? What if you redefined what success looks and feels like to you? What if you decided enough is enough?”

It further read, “What if you felt satisfied in the right here, the right now? What if you realized your life is likely a lot closer to your ideal than you ever thought? What if changing the filter in which you view your life makes everything that much more vibrant? How much open empty space would be left for your joy

if you stopped thinking you needed to earn it? How much time could you spend in the actual living of your life if you let go of striving for more? How much more beautiful would this moment, right here, become for you?”

Samantha and her former husband Naga Chaitanya announced separation after four years of marriage, on October 2. The couple released a joint statement that read, “To all our well-wishers, After much deliberation and thought, Chay and I have decided to part ways as husband and wife to pursue our own paths. We are fortunate to have a friendship of over a decade that was the very core of our relationship which we believe will always hold a special bond between us. We request our fans, well-wishers, and the media to support us during this difficult time and give us the privacy we need to move on.

Thanking you for your support.”

Madhavan calls himself 'terrible star' Actor R Madhavan, in an interview, admitted there are moments when he starts believing that his work has left an impact on people’s lives, however, is convinced that he is a terrible star.

Speaking in an interview with Companion’s Baradwaj Film Rangan, Madhavan said, “If anything, I feel very inadequate right now. I don’t think I’ve ever reached that stage at all. Those sort of realisations happen when I meet a big star or a politician or a leader, who embraces me and means what he says when he says that he really likes my work. Or I meet people from different generations in the same family, who say they are a part of the products that I create. Maybe that time I feel like I’m on the right path. But if anything, I still feel very strongly that my best is yet to come. I don’t know if that is a safety mechanism or if that is a fact…”

Rajinikanth’s ‘Annaatthe’ crosses £10 mn in 3 days

Veteran Malayalam actor KPAC Lalitha hospitalised Idavela Babu said that the artist is doing much better now. He said, “She had several health issues including diabetes. There is bacterial infection leading to liver ailments. The next course of treatment will be decided after further diagnosis.”

KPAC Lalitha is the current chairperson of Kerala Lalithakala Akademi and is known for her stellar movie performances. She has won the National Award twice for supporting roles.

Veteran actor KPAC Lalitha has been hospitalised in Kochi following liver-related ailments. The actor was previously undergoing treatment in a Thrissur hospital. She was first admitted to an ICU, from where she was later shifted to a room last week.

A hospital spokesperson said “her condition is stable now”.

General secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA)

SATURDAY 20 NOV 6.00

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The actor said he has never allowed himself to be extremely well-off at any point in his career, which has furthered his fuel to do better. He said, “I think, also, I was never financially super settled at any given point of time, and never allowed myself to be there. That hunger to create what is called a ‘star life’ has always kept me wanting more. But I have realised I can never live like a star. I’m a terrible star. I don’t wear designer clothes, I can’t afford to have people around me all the time.

I also realised the way you walk at the airport decides how many people mob you and how many people leave you alone. I’m very, very hungry. I don’t think I can ever reach a stage where I can say I’ve made it.”

On the work front, Madhavan is gearing up for the release of ‘Rocketry’, a biopic on the life of aeronautical engineer Nambi Narayanan.

Thalaivar Rajinikanth’s latest Tamil film ‘Annaatthe’ has gone on to make £10 million worldwide in just three days since its release despite opening to mixed response. Directed

by Siva, the movie is the story of a village president played by Rajinikanth, who goes to Kolkata to look after his sister.

Trade analyst Trinity said, “In Tamil Nadu, the film has done unbelievably well at the boxoffice, despite the mixed response from all quarters. Annaatthe has breached 100 crore club in just three days worldwide. Since it was a Diwali weekend, audiences came in hordes to watch the movie. It has to be seen how the film will hold during the weekdays.”

With ‘Annaatthe’, Rajinikanth now has nine films that have grossed over £10 million

at the box-office. Directed by Siva, the movie also stars Khushbu Sundar, Meena and Jagapathi Babu in key roles. Actress Keerthy Suresh played his sister in the movie.

Rajini was recently bestowed the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke award for contribution to cinema as one of the biggest stars of the country.

BHAV BHAV NA BHARTHAR

14.00 BIGG BOSS 15

14.00 RASOI SHOW

16.30 RASOI SHOW-DESI FLAVOURS

18.30 ABHILASHA - EK ASTITVANI

17.30

19.00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR 19.30 MARU MAN MOHI GAYU

20.00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI * Schedule is subject to change

MON 22 NOV FRI 26 NOV 2021 6.00 HALO MANVYU NA MELE 14.00 RASOI SHOW 18.30 ABHILASHA - EK ASTITVANI 19.00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR 19.30 MARU MAN MOHI GAYU 20.00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI 20.30 MOTI BAA NI NANI VAHU 21.00 PREM NI BHAVAI 21.30 BOLO KETLA TAKA

20.30 MOTI BAA NI NANI VAHU

21.00 PREM NI BHAVAI

21.30 BOLO KETLA TAKA

SUNDAY 21 NOV

12.00 Mari Life Tari

15.00 Roll No. 56

18.00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR

19.00 SHU CHALE CHE

19.30 Dharam Thi Gujarati

20.00 MOTI BAA NI NANI VAHU 22.00.00 SHU CHALE CHE

SATURDAY 20 NOV

BIGG BOSS 15

19.00 BHAGYA KA LIKHA

* Schedule is subject to change

MON 22 NOV FRI 26 NOV 2021 8.30

BHARADWAJ BAHUEIN

15.00 DIL KA RISHTA

15.30 DIL SE DIL TAK

16.00 TUM KAUN PIYA

16.30 RASOI SHOW DESI FLAVOURS 17.30

BIGG BOSS 15-WEEKEND KA VAAR

19.30 EK SHRINGAAR SWABHIMAAN

19.30 EK SHRINGAAR SWABHIMAAN 20.00 KHATRA KHATRA KHATRA 21.00 THAPKI PYAR KI 2

21.30 SASURAL SIMAR KA 2

SUNDAY 21 NOV

14.00 BIGG BOSS 15 -

WEEKEND KA VAAR

16.30 RASOI SHOW -

DESI FLAVOURS

20.00 BALIKA VADHU 2

17.30 BIGG BOSS 15

21.00 THAPKI PYAR KI 2

20.00 KHATRA KHATRA KHATRA

20.30 SIRF TUM

21.30 SASURAL SIMAR KA 2

19.00 COMEDY NIGHTS WITH KAPIL

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20 - 26 November 2021

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Yorkshire racism scandal I got pinned down at my local cricket club and had red wine poured down my throat - Azeem Rafiq Fighting tears and accepting that his cricket career may be over amid racism accusations against Yorkshire County Cricket Club, cricketer Azeem Rafiq revealed some horrendous tales of racist abuse to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Tuesday.

Rafiq said, "Pretty early on at the club, I joined a dressing room full of my heroes, Michael Vaughan, Matthew Hoggard, part of the 2005 Ashes team. And it was just the most surreal moment for me.

"Pretty early on, me and other people from an Asian there were background... comments such as, 'you'll sit over there near the toilets', 'elephant washers'. The word P*** was used constantly. And there just seemed to be an acceptance in the institution from the leaders and no one ever stamped it out."

The cricketer also said that he remained in denial and wanted to focus on playing. He said there ‘seemed to be an acceptance’ of racist abuse at Yorkshire.

Background In an interview in September 2020, Azeem Rafiq told ESPN Cricinfo that he encountered "institutional racism" while at the Yorkshire club left him close to taking his own life. A report found former Yorkshire player Rafiq was a victim of "racial harassment and

Lord Patel of Bradford OBE

bullying" but the club said they would not discipline anyone. Rafiq, who was born in Pakistan and moved to England aged 10, played the majority of his career at Yorkshire, between 2008 and 2018.

He captained England teams at the youth level and also captained Yorkshire in 2012.

Rafiq’s experiences around alcohol Speaking on Tuesday, he said, “My first incident of drinking, I was 15, I got pinned down at my local cricket club and had red wine poured down my throat. The player played for Yorkshire and Hampshire.

“I felt like I had to drink to fit in. I regret that massively, but it has no bearing on the things I was called.

“Around the loss of my son, the attitude of Andrew Gale, I was making it out to be more than what it was.”

"There are no two sides when it

Azeem Rafiq

comes to racism," Azeem Rafiq told MPs at the DCMS select committee hearing into allegations of racism at the Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

“Me and other people from Asian background” had comments like “you lot sit over there near the toilets, elephant washers”, Rafiq said.

Resignations and new appointments Yorkshire chief executive Mark Arthur resigned on Thursday. Soon after which the resignation of chairman Roger Hutton followed.

Meanwhile, Essex player Maurice Chambers added that he had been regularly subjected to racist taunts at Essex and became used to one teammate offering him bananas in a mocking manner.

John Faragher resigned with immediate effect as Chair of Essex County Cricket Club following a historic allegation of racist

language used by him at a Board Meeting in 2017.

Essex County Cricket Club said that it does not tolerate discrimination of any kind and will immediately consider further steps the Club must take.

While Faragher strongly denies the incident, the Club will review why it was not fully and independently investigated at the time.

Mohinderpal Sethi QC of Littleton Chambers has been appointed to lead the independent investigation process which will consider any allegations that are lodged through the hotline.

Professor Lord Patel of Bradford OBE, the newly appointed Chair of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, said: “This is an incredibly difficult day for all associated with Yorkshire County Cricket Club. The emotion of Azeem Rafiq’s compelling testimony at the Select Committee today was plain to see, and his experiences are harrowing and upsetting.

“Azeem’s courage in speaking up should be praised, and nobody should underestimate how difficult it would have been to relive all of this in public. His wish to bring a ‘voice to the voiceless’ should be an inspiration to provoke real change in the sport.

“I repeat our apology to Azeem

for what he has gone through, it should never have happened and that is something that the Club has to recognise.

“I agree with Azeem that we are only at the start of a journey, which will take time. At the heart of this is listening, and going through our past – including the Fletcher Report – as well as examining our culture and taking positive steps to build to a better future, such as the progression from grassroots to the professional game. We need to own the issues collectively as a Club, and cannot hide from what has been spotlighted.”

Whistleblowing hotline Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s independent whistleblowing hotline is now operational.

The club said that anyone wishing to lodge a formal complaint about any form of discrimination or harassment that they have suffered as a result of any act or omission of the Club will be able to do so using the dedicated email address: Yorkshireccc@whistleblowerhotli ne.co.uk Lord Patel has had an ongoing liaison with West Yorkshire Police since his appointment about this issue. Staff have been informed how to report any incidents and will be supported throughout the process.

Australia beat NZ, win first T20 WC Dravid appointed Team India coach A clinical unbeaten knock from Mitchell Marsh (77 not out) along with a crucial half century

by David Warner (53 off 38 balls) and a superlative spell by Josh Hazlewood (3/16) powered Australia to win their first Men’s T20 World Cup trophy, defeating New Zealand by eight wickets in the final at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. Facing a target of 173, the biggest chase in a Men’s T20 World Cup final, Australia reached home with seven balls to spare.

This is Australia’s first victory in a format that eluded them for a long time.

Hazlewood was the standout bowler as New Zealand made 172/4 in their 20 overs, thanks to Kane Williamson’s whirlwind 85 off 48 balls. Marsh and Warner put up a brilliant partnership of 92 runs after losing Aaron Finch early. After Warner fell, Marsh joined forces with Glenn Maxwell (28 not out off 18 balls) to take Australia home.

New Zealand shock England New Zealand have avenged the loss of the 2019 World Cup final as they beat favourites England in the first semi-final T20 World Cup 2021 to reach their firstever final of the tournament. Kane Williamson won the toss and chose to bowl first and their new-ball bowlers put England's new opening pair of Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow under pressure and didn't let them off the hook. Adam Milne removed Bairstow and New Zealand's Ish Sodhi accounted for England's Buttler.

However, a six off Tim Southee and Moeen Ali unleashing himself against Ish Sodhi meant England got the push they needed. A couple of lusty blows from Liam Livingstone and Moeen getting to a halfcentury helped England get to 166.

The Kiwis, however, got off to the worst start losing two of their main batters in Martin Guptill and skipper Kane Williamson cheaply. The rebuilding phase got extended for a little longer than they would have hoped for but Daryl Mitchell and Devon Conway ensured that they stuck at the wicket.

Aussies beat Pakistan The never-say-die attitude of Australia, coupled with some shoddy fielding by Pakistan saw to it that Aaron Finch’s men book a berth in the final against New Zealand. Australia still needed 20 off 10 and Shaheen Afridi was looking to work his magic at the death. It was at this point that a mistimed pull off Matthew Wade was put down by Hasan Ali at deep square-leg and immediately the Pakistan knew the game was slipping away. And then followed the final onslaught by Wade -three consecutive sixes off Afridi and Australia won with an over to spare. Pakistan captain Babar Azam would feel bitterly disappointed because they had the game virtually covered till the 16th over of the Australian innings.

Chasing 175, Australia had dug themselves into a hole but it was at this point that the grit and the experience of Wade and Marcus Stoinis took over. They followed the basic principle of T20 cricket that if there are wickets in hand at the death, the game is always on.

The Cricket Advisory Committee comprising Ms Sulakshana Naik and RP Singh unanimously appointed Rahul Dravid as the Head Coach of Team India (Senior Men).

The former India captain will take charge from the upcoming home series against New Zealand. The Board congratulates Ravi Mr Shastri (former Team Director & Head Coach), B. Arun (Bowling Coach), R Sridhar (Fielding Coach) and Vikram Rathour (Batting Coach) on a successful tenure.

Under Shastri, India became the first Asian team to win a Test series in Australia (201819) and followed it with another series win in 2020-21. India were also the first team to win all 5 T20Is in a bilateral series when it blanked New Zealand 5-0. Under Shastri and his team’s guidance, India won all their seven Test series at home.

Rohit Sharma is new T20 captain Rohit Sharma, the white-ball captain-inwaiting for a while now, has finally been handed the baton in T20 cricket. It has passed from Virat Kohli, his teammate for close to a decade now and captain since 2017.

This had been the writing on the wall for close to six months now. The BCCI announced a 16-member squad for the threematch T20 series against New Zealand, giving the captaincy to Sharma and making opening partner KL Rahul his deputy.

Outgoing T20 skipper Virat Kohli has taken a break for the series and will be back for the Tests against New Zealand to be ready in time for the tour of South Africa later this year.

The baton in One-day cricket too could be passed on to Sharma, but the announcement will take some time to come.

The BCCI has decided that white-ball captaincy cannot be split and therefore, they are left with no choice but to have a chat with Kohli on the issue.

The Sharma-Dravid pair will together plan and shape India’s campaign in the 2022

Rohit Sharma & Rahul Dravid

edition of the T20 World Cup and most likely the 2023 edition of the 50-over World Cup. Rahul, who has been announced as Rohit’s deputy, may continue in the same role in the 50-over format too.

Along with Kohli, some other seniors like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and spinner Ravindra Jadeja have also been given much-needed rest from the three-match series against New Zealand starting November 17 in Jaipur. The new-look team also has IPL’s highest run-getter Ruturaj Gaikwad and top wicket-taker Harshal Patel in the squad of 16 along with Venkatesh Iyer, who is seen as a potential allround replacement for the injury ravaged Hardik Pandya.

Pandya has been dropped from the squad after failing to make an impact during the T20 World Cup. Ruturaj has already played for India in the Sri Lanka series. Senior legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal rightfully got his place in the squad back while Mohammed Siraj, who has played a few T20Is in the past, is also in the mix. Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel and Deepak Chahar, who were in the T20 World Cup reserves are now in the main squad.

India’s T20I squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-Captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Harshal Patel, Mohd. Siraj.