AV 20th July 2013

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Indian woman's death forces legalisation of abortion in Ireland

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has said that he didn’t feel guilty for the 2002 Gujarat riots, in which more than 1,000 people were killed, but said he felt as sad as an occupant of a car that runs over a puppy.

In an interview to

Veteran actor Amar Pran passes away Bose, founder of USbased Bose audio firm, dies at 83 For story see page 16

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Axis Bank, India's third largest privately owned lender, has been granted a banking license in Britain and opened its first branch in London on Friday. The bank received approval in April from Britain's financial regulator to provide a full range of banking services, including deposit-taking and Continued on page 26

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Reuters - the first since he was named BJP’s chief campaigner for the 2014 elections and is largely seen as its PM candidate - Modi said, “I would feel guilty if I did something wrong.”

Besides, he said, the Supreme Court-appointed special investigation team (SIT) had given him a

“thoroughly clean chit.”

“If someone else is driving a car and we’re sitting behind, even then if a puppy comes under the wheel, will it be painful or not? Of course, it is. If I’m a chief minister or not, I’m a human being. If something bad happens anywhere, it is natural to be sad,” he said, without explaining why, as chief minister, he wasn’t in the driver’s seat in 2002.

His canine reference was quickly pounced on by his critics who demanded an apology. “What does Modi think, that Muslims are worse than even puppies,” said Samajwadi Party spokesman Kamal Farooqi.

Continued on page 26

A campaign to legalise abortion in Ireland, a predominantly Catholic country, that began with the death of 31 years old Indian dentist Savita Halappanvar, finally saw the light of justice.

Continued on page 5

Lajja Goswami, a 24-yearold shooter from Gujarat, has won silver medal in women’s 50-metre Rifle 3 Position event at ISSF World Cup in Granada, Spain, which was held on 9 July 2013. Her scores were 584 points in the qualification round and

Continued on page 26

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2

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 20th July 2013

Keith Vazwith MP

Keith Vaz MP

Rt Hon Tom Brake MP

Government to legislate, as well as planning the Government’s future legislative programme.

Tom Brake is the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Carshalton and Wallington since 1997.

He was formerly a Liberal Democrat Councillor in the London Borough of Hackney. He has also served as a Shadow Transport Minister and International Development Spokesman for the Liberal Democrats. In September 2012, Tom was promoted to the position of Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, a junior Ministerial role.

1) What inspired you to stand for Parliament?

In the 70s and early 80s, the threat of a nuclear war and acid rain heightened my growing concerns about risks to our environment. Rather than moan about it from the sidelines, I decided to get active in politics. I believe that climate change is now one of the greatest global challenges.

2)

What are your proudest

achievements in politics?

My proudest achievement is becoming the first Liberal Democrat MP to represent Carshalton and Wallington after overturning a 14,000 majority and helping to secure £219 million pounds for our local hospital, St Helier Hospital.

3) Please tell us about your current position?

My Ministerial role as Deputy

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

The fact that I need at least seven hours sleep to function properly!

Leader of the House of Commons is a backroom role which involves effectively managing the precious and very limited time available to

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

Margaret Thatcher, if environment was the first reason for getting involved politically, she was the second.

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

The Government committee I

sit on is at the heart of all Government business, so I have a good understanding of all Government department activities.

7) And the worst?

The reports I have to read are as thick as telephone books.

8) What are your long term goals?

To make a difference and be happy doing it.

9) If you were Secretary General of the United Nations, what one aspect would you change?

Make sure the UN prioritised human rights.

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

Shakespeare, because I know he’d have a great stock of stories to tell to help wile away those balmy Caribbean nights.

EXCLUSIVE

Britain shows its support to victims of Srebrenica Massacre Romil Patel Britain has become the first country in Europe to stage a memorial to honour the victims of the Srebrenica Genocide, which claimed the lives of thousands of Bosnians.

The event at Lancaster House in central London on the anniversary of the atrocity – organised by the charity Remembering Srebrenica – was attended by politicians, religious leaders and survivors of the massacre which took place on 11 July 1995.

On that fateful day 8,372 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were brutally murdered, thousands of women were raped and others were sent to concentration camps by the Bosnian Serb army under the command of General Ratko Mladi , this was the worst evildoing in europe since the second world war.

“Srebrenica Memorial Day is a day to stop, to think, and to remember the victims of the Srebrenica genocide. What happened to them and their families carries a wider message for all of us: that hatred can take

Baroness Warsi

minds and the mothers of Srebrenica in our hearts, we must stand together and pledge never, ever again.”

Hasan Hasanovi , who endured the 63-mile “Death March”, recounted harrowing details of the ordeal which killed his father and twin brother along with countless others.

The evening culminated in a speech by Foreign Secretary William Hague who encouraged the leadership of BosniaHerzegovina to continue on the road to European Union and NATO membership.

hold in any place, at any time - even at the end of the 20th century, on European soil,” said Faith Minister Baroness Warsi, who began taking MPs from across Europe on visits to Bosnia to see the place where so many people were murdered.

“I have met many of the mothers of Srebrenica over the years - women whose sons and husbands were so cruelly taken from them 18 years ago. We can all learn lessons from their courage to carry on, to seek justice, and to properly lay to rest their loved ones,” she said.

“With that fact in our

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“There are some today that still dream of breaking up Bosnia. To those people our message is simple: only the united and sovereign state of BosniaHerzegovina can be an EU member state. There are no shortcuts to that or alternatives that we will support,” he said.

“But I say to the Bosnian people, your destiny is in your own hands.

We will never give up on you and we shall always stand by you. We will keep the door open to the EU and NATO for you. But it is your task to walk through it and you should demand nothing less from your leaders than that they work to take the necessary steps.

“For ensuring that the country is tolerant, inclusive and at peace must be the lasting tribute to Srebrenica’s victims.

Tonight our thoughts are with them and their loved ones. Let us honour their memory and reaffirm the conviction that this, one of the darkest and most tragic chapters in human history, and most certainly, in European history must never be forgotten.”

The department for the

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communities and local government (DCLG) is providing Remembering Srebrenica with £170,000 to send 50 local leaders on educational visits to Srebrenica and to produce an accompanying website.

It will allow the local communities to raise the awareness of the genocide to different extents, as the DCLG gives the local communities power without inferences from the central government.

Restaurateur promotes local talents While most Indian restaurateurs will criticise immigration restrictions on non EU workers, resulting into 'curry crisis', The Daily Telegraph wrote a story on Rajesh Suri, Chief Executive of The Tamarind Collection, an Indian restaurant group, who thinks, the immigration rules are providing a rude but necessary wake-up call for curry entrepreneurs.

Mr Suri, 51, argues that an economic downturn is the right time for the industry – which is worth an estimated £3.5bn – to start employing young British workers rather than relying on shipping in cheap, readymade chefs from Asia.

So far, Mr Suri, pictured, has put 12 British

apprentices through a training scheme developed by his company, which has a turnover of £6.5m. He is also trying to convince the rest of the industry to copy his approach.

Last year, Mr Suri established the Asian Restaurant Skill Board with industry counterparts including Iqbal Wahhab, founder of London restaurants The Cinnamon Club and Roast.

Under the “Mastara Chef” banner, the group is focusing on raising funds for student scholarships for young chefs. So far, it has paid for 50 students to gain NVQs. However, Mr Suri has admitted that his approach is neither a quick nor easy solution to an acute shortage of trained chefs.

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Comment

Cleaning India’s Augean Stables Indians have long been blighted by the malfeasance of their country’s politicians. The criminal presence among the country’s legislators in State Assemblies and Councils and in Parliament in Delhi is a scandalous travesty of democratic governance. Corruption at the highest levels remain untouched because the sad truth is that political parties are in hoc to the unsavoury elements in their midst. But at last there appears to be a glimmer of hope that the system can be cleansed of its most retrograde features. Thanks to two writ petitions filed by Advocate Lily Thomas, legal advisor to an NGO, India’s Supreme Court has issued a judgment which could have far-reaching consequences for the country’s public life. Justices A.K.Patnaik and S.J. Mukhopadhaya have ruled that no person can stand for election while in police custody on a criminal charge. MPs, MLAs and MLCs can be disqualified from sitting in the House if they are charged with a criminal offence. Only if an appeal had been registered in a court prior to an election can a seat in the legislature be legally valid. Disqualification would follow automatically if a legislator were to be convicted of a crime. The widespread abuse of criminal legislators electioneering from behind bars has thus been tackled at source.

The Supreme Court ruling, while broadly welcomed, may not have gone as far as many would have liked, but it does marks a significant start, a stemming of the rot, as it were. The court has struck down a particular provision of the Representation of the People’s Act, which allows convicted parliamentarians and State legislators three months’ grace to lodge an appeal with the aim of getting a stay order to their conviction. Criminal offences listed against certain MPs, MLAs and MLCs include murder, rape, kidnap and forgery. These are not peccadilloes that can be brushed aside with a smile or a wink. They are an existential challenge to the rule of law and the democratic culture of free speech and thought. Such rights

must be untrammeled by fear of mafias and extortionists and wrongdoers of a similar ilk, out to silence the public voice and conscience.

One must hope that public concern about the cancer of corruption, including white collar crime and the endemic scourge of bribery, will gather fresh momentum. One should take heart from the evolution of India’s Election Commission into a model of probity over the past two decades; take pride that national and State elections at every level are free and fair and generally above board . There was a time when this not so, when murder, kidnap and booth capturing were the norm.

The road to good governance will be strewn with obstacles; the journey along it will not be easy, but every march, however long, begins with a single step.

Hopefully, that step has been taken along with kindred other steps. The Allahabad High Court, for instance, has issued a prohibition order against castebased rallies in Uttar Pradesh. Caste has scarred, still scars, Indian society and politics, as race has done, and still does, in other climes. Ancient bigotries and prejudices have as scant a claim to our tolerance than their modern mutants. Caste has institutionalized social injustice by giving it a moral and cultural platform; it has sanctified the violence of the privileged against the helplessness of the disadvantaged; it is a living affront to civilized standards of acceptable behavior. The Allahabad ruling will not make caste prejudice or caste violence disappear overnight. That will only happen when those with power discharge their responsibilities as good citizens should . By ruling against caste-based rallies, the Allahabad High Court has issued a statute of limitation on their public space. Civil society will now have to take the cause forward and help fashion a more equitable polity in which all citizens are not only deemed equal in word but also in deed . This is India’s pressing challenge in the years to come.

3

There is one way of attaining what we may term, if not utter, at least mortal happiness; it is by a sincere and unrelaxing activity for the happiness of others - Edward Bulwer- Lytton (1803-1873)

“Our London” Navin Shah

GLA Member for Brent and Harrow

Celebrate our NHS & work together to enhance the service The beginning of July this year the world celebrated 65 years of the National Health Service.

I’m immensely proud of our NHS – it touches all our lives at some point.

Admittedly, there are times when it makes us frustrated, but there are more occasions when we realise how lucky we are to have our NHS and the high class care and treatment it provides.

Middlesex Hospital in Brent. As a local resident and from my own experience as a patient I can vouch for the excellent quality of service this hospital provides. I’m also seriously worried that the closure of A & E at Central Middlesex Hospital would mean extraordinary pressure on the A & E at Northwick Park Hospital which is

The majority of us were born in an NHS hospital, we’ll have our babies in an NHS hospital and in our old age, the chances are NHS will provide care for us of the best quality. We are all aware of the challenges the NHS faces in the future and the problems it is confronted with now - trolley waits in Accident & Emergency (A&E) departments, waiting times for operations and pressure from emergency admissions.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt called the NHS a “60-year-old mistake” but an opinion poll this year revealed the truth to be the opposite.

37 per cent of our community are most proud of the NHS above all o t h e r institutions.

Across London, eight A&Es are earmarked for closure.

This includes Central

already facing sever crisis with over 4 hours waiting times. These cuts to the NHS will leave the remaining A&E departments to cover an extra 120,000 residents each. This will be the case at Northwick Park Hospital too. The situation is not helped with the local Alexandra Polyclinic/Medical Centre now operating on very restricted hours. If there was a time to fight to keep the NHS, this is it. We must continue to fight to save our A&Es and pursue every available option, including including referring closures to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel and Judicial Review.

In addition to the closure of London’s A&E departments due to this Government’s cuts we are looking at the closure of fire and police stations across London, Continued on page 6

India and Vietnam in partnership fit for purpose Vietnam is a small country in Southeast Asia, but its people and leaders have been the stuff of 20th century legend. The Vietnamese people fought and overthrew French colonialism; they took on the might of the United States and inflicted, against insuperable odds, the first military defeat in American history .

Ho Chi Minh, Pham Van Dong, Le Duan, Truong Chinh and Vo Nguyen Giap, one of history’s great captains, helped define the modern Vietnamese identity and experience and transform these into a global force.

Vietnam’s struggles evoked much popular sympathy in India. The Indian people were awed by the courage, fortitude and resourcefulness of their Vietnamese peers. There was a coming together of the two countries in the 1970s, when full diplomatic relations were established , but a further unity of purpose was manifested in India’s prompt recognition of the Vietnamese-backed regime in Cambodia, following the removal of the genocidal monster Pol Pot from power. He was subsequently succoured in his jungle redoubt by Chinese, American and British aid. The notorious Khmer Rouge seat at the United Nations was kept warm by these self-same powers. Vietnam, fot its part, endorsed India’s position on its contentious border with China. The common challenge of China, resulting in a border with India in November 1962, ended in an Indian defeat, while China’s invasion of northern Vietnam in February 1979 was brilliantly repelled by Vietnamese forces.

The paradigm of the Indo-Vietnam partnership took shape in the late 1970s. John Garver, a noted American scholar, wrote: “Prime Minister Indira

Gandhi realized that if India were to become a paramount power in South Asia, it would have to prevent a Chinese advance into Southeast Asia…..a strong anti-Chinese Indochina would guard the flank of the Indian sphere of influence in South Asia. There was thus a convergence of Vietnamese and Indian views.

Both were concerned with checking the Southern advance of Chinese power.” Such were the geo-strategic fundamentals of the evolving India-Vietnam alignment. Beijing’s exclusive claim to the East China Sea, where Vietnam is a major littoral state, has been strongly contested by Hanoi. Beijing has protested Indian oil and gas exploration activity in these waters on Vietnam’s behalf. Vietnam has issued a firm rebuttal. While seeking to manage their prickly relations with China, India and Vietnam are building their defences to meet any possible contingency from their northern neighbour. India-Vietnam defence ties reached a new level following an accord signed by New Delhi and Hanoi in 2010, under which India undertook to further the military modernization of Vietnam’s armed forces with technology, IT skills and appropriate funding.

The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 was a game-changer for both parties. For India it meant a search for new security and commercial arrangements, which resulted in New Delhi’s Look East policy. For Vietnam, it was membership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and a rapprochement with the United States.

ASEAN, in turn, sees Indian sea and air power as a hedge against China’s heft. The India-Vietnam partnership is clearly fit for 21st century purpose.

Slap, bang, wallop: ‘Cool’ Dhoni does it again With India looking down a barrel against Sri Lanka in the final of the Celkon Mobile Cup tri-nation series, involving hosts West Indies, Captain Mahindra Singh Dhoni did what he does best as ODI cricket’s most lethal finisher. The setting was Port of Spain, Trinidad. India, moving comfortably to victory at 139 for 3, in reply to Sri Lanka’s 201 all out, had slid to 187 for 9, with last man Ishant Sharma at the crease and the last over in which to score 15 improbable runs for victory. A wicket of eccentric bounce and turn posed a further daunting obstacle for the Indian pair. Lankan paceman Eranga’s opening delivery met with a swish-and-miss. Dot ball. The second delivery exploded on a distant roof - a kinetic straight six, no less; next came a lofted sliced drive to the cover boundary, climaxed with a follow-up drilled six over mid-off. Team India were home and dry, if only just.

Their opponents, in shock and awe, looked bemused.

A cause damned was transmogrified to a cause redeemed.

Spectators were transfixed, as were television audiences across the globe. Indian players and staff on the pavilion balcony, close to a near death experience as their side went into freefall, were reborn.

Team India had begun the tournament unpromisingly, losing their two matches in Kingston, Jamaica, to West Indies and Sri Lanka respectively. There would be a qualifying mountain to climb in the second stage in Trinidad, but climb it they did with panache and resolve. With Sri Lanka defeating West Indies in a preliminary round, India and Lanka squared up for the decider.

It had been a frenetic six weeks, during which Team India took possession of the Champions Trophy in England, and followed this with glory in the Caribbean. They bask, rightly, in the sunlit uplands.

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

4

Midlands Voice

www.abplgroup.com - asian Voice 20th July 2013

Nail bomb attack investigation begins in Tipton The homemade bomb device exploded near the Kanz Ul Iman Masjid mosque in Tipton, West Midlands, shortly after 1pm when about 200 worshippers would normally have been in the area for Friday prayers. However, the prayers had been moved back an hour due to Ramadan and no one was injured in the blast. The bomb was left on a defused railway line behind the mosque, showered the area with nails and other debris.

The bomb that was left on a disused railway line, behind the mosque, showered the area with ails and other debris.

Police were last night treating the explosion as a terrorist incident and were also investigating whether there are any links to a small explosion near a mosque in nearby Walsall last month.

Officers began examining whether there is a connection to right wing extremists. Due to the size of the explosion, it was being treated as a suspected terror attack because of the size of the explosion, the fact nails were included and it appeared to have been timed to coincide with the Friday prayers. A police source stated that such factors appear to show â&#x20AC;&#x153;at this stage an intent to cause serious injury and damage.â&#x20AC;?

The residents in Tipton believed the attack had also been timed to coincide with the day of the funeral of Drummer Rigby in Bury. The soldier died in an alleged Islamic terror attack in Woolwich

in East London, in May. Police in Tipton cordoned off an area of up to half a mile around Binfield Street while forensic experts, bomb specialists and counter-terrorism officers examines the scene. Residents reported finding nails in gardens several hundred yards away. The attack came just two weeks after police arrested a 75-year-old man in connection with another explosion outside a mosque in nearby Walsall.Mushtaq Hussain, chairman of the Kanzul Iman Mosque was inside the building at the time of the explosion.

"There was huge disruption and somebody told me that there had been an explosion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We immediately investigated and

Shisha cafe fire: Accused was threatened Imtiyaz Patel, 28, was accused of burning down a rival's business told a jury he was threatened at knifepoint by strangers who wanted him to get involved.

He claimed he was reluctantly recruited to assist unknown criminals because he feared for the safety of his family.

He said after his arrest he falsely confesses to the police, in fear of death threats from those responsible.

Patel denies arson, recklessly endangering lives, at Cloud Nine cafe on the third floor of Curzon House, Curzon Street, Leicester. He told the court that he was friendly with the owner of Cloud Nine.

Patel claimed that on October 21 he saw two strangers pull up in a car near his father's home in St James Road, Highfields.

He was ordered into the car and shown a knife.

The vehicle was driven a short distance before the strangers stopped and told him they wanted him to do a â&#x20AC;&#x153;jobâ&#x20AC;?. The black man and Asian man told him to attend Cloud Nine.

He said he was told to take a few tools as they wanted him to disconnect the CCTV cameras.

Patel said the men must have found out he knew where the CCTV hard drive was kept. He said the men told him they had set fire to three cars linked to the Sheikh family.

He claims that he was

â&#x20AC;&#x153;scaredâ&#x20AC;? when a knife was held to his head. Patel said on the morning of October 25, he saw the black man driving past his father's home, which caused him fear, and he went to the cafe with some tools.

He said the Asian man and â&#x20AC;&#x153;a white manâ&#x20AC;? met him inside, where he was punched in the stomach and â&#x20AC;&#x153;pushed aroundâ&#x20AC;?.

They stayed away from CCTV cameras, which was why he was the only person visible in footage shown to the jury.

He said the white man used a crowbar to break in. The defendant said he removed the CCTV hard drive, which was later recovered. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Asian man got a jerry can from somewhere else,â&#x20AC;? said Patel.

When he said he would not, he was pushed and punched.

Patel said he was unaware the men planned to start a fire until after he arrived. He made off and asked a lorry driver to call the fire service.

Patel initially denied involvement, saying that he was nowhere near the scene. After being CCTV footage of him at the scene, he confessed claiming that his his own shisha business was not doing very well and he caused the fire out of â&#x20AC;&#x153;spiteâ&#x20AC;?. He told the jury that it was a false confession.

Patel claimed in April he received a text message telling him: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Plead guilty and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be smart or you'll be dead.â&#x20AC;?

alerted police. We tried to remain calm as we weren't sure what was going on.â&#x20AC;?

"If what I'm hearing is correct and it was a targeted attack you can't help but feel unsafe, worried for your friends, family and your own life."

Ahmadul Haque, councillor for Tipton, said: "I think it may be a retaliation to Lee Rigby's funeral today.

It seems like it was planned to go off at the busiest time of the day and if that's the case, we can only be thankful that the timings were wrong."

Razmullah Khan, 27, a local resident who lives next to the mosque, said: "It's terrifying to be around, this is a place of worship not a war zone and with what happened in Walsall things are becoming terrifying people are starting to not feel safe about walking down the streets."

In a joint statement, the mosque said: "We express our deep shock and utter dismay regarding the incident that has occurred this afternoon. We jointly on behalf of the local community condemn this senseless and mindless act.

It's a blessing from God that thankfully no one was injured in the blast.

Bradford summer activities for young people Whether it's sports or arts, trips out or residential, cooking or gardening, if you're aged 13 to 19, or to 25 with a disability, there's something exciting for you to do this summer in Bradford Youth Service's programme of activities.

As mentioned, the Youth Service Manager, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have literally hundreds of events and activities for young people across the whole of the district this summer, with a wide range of activities for disabled young people and their friends.â&#x20AC;?

The programme also includes Special Summer Youth Buzz events in the award winning City Park which will take place on Fridays 2, 9, and 23 August 1-5pm. Young people will be able to try out circus

skills, try graffiti arts, and get on their soap box.

Cllr Ralph Berry, Portfolio Holder for Children's Services said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;It's great to see so much available for young people of all abilities to do this summer. It's a brilliant way of learning new skills, taking on new challenges and having fun too.â&#x20AC;?

To access the programme of activities organised by Bradford Council's Youth Service visit www.bradford.gov.uk/activities.

Details of events targeted at younger children are available in School's Out. Find out more by visiting the council's website www.bradford.gov.uk/schoolsout Parents, carers and childcare providers can also find out more by contacting the Families Information Service on www.bradford.gov.uk/fis

Terror guides on how to handle AK47 gun Mohammed Banares, 44, had terror guides showing how to make a bomb and detonator and how to handle an AK47 gun. He is also known have links with another radical preacher, Abu Izzadeen, downloaded the terror material from online, before storing it on three hard drives.

Online al Qaida magazine Inspire and a document called 39 Ways to Serve and Participate in Jihad were found by the police.

The material gathered by Benares's mobile phone found texts between himself, Choudary and Izzadeen.

Prosecutor, Adina Ezekiel told the court Choudary was â&#x20AC;&#x153;a spokesman and prominent figureâ&#x20AC;? of an organisation called Al Ghurabaa, which was banned in July 2006.

Choudary was also leader of Al Muajiroun, of which Al Ghurabaa is a splinter group. Al Muhajiroun was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in January 2010.

The police arrested Benares at the three-bedroom terraced house where he lived with his wife in March 2012.

His laptop, mobile telephone and three hard rives were seized and later checked.

Benares claimed that he was not an extremist, that his interest in the material found by police was just curiosity and that he wanted to understand both moderate and extreme Islam so that he could use the information to counter arguments about extremism.

He is due to be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court.

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In Brief Jury is still out in care worker trial The jury in the trial of a care worker accused of raping and sexually abusing a boy at a children's home is to resume considering the verdicts on July 4th.

Anwar Ismail 31, denies four charges of sexual activity with a child and three counts of abducting a child between December 2009 and May 2010. All 10 counts relate to alleged abuse of Aaron Leafe, from the age of 12. Aaron was initially in his care, at Woodland Retreat children's home, Chantry Lane, Leicester.

The offences allegedly continued after Ismail was dismissed in 2008, for forcibly restraining Aaron, who committed suicide in June 2010. Ismail, giving evidence in his defence, claimed Aaron had displayed sexualised behaviour towards staff and they had all advised him about the about acceptable boundaries. The jurors went at Leicester Crown Court began their deliberations yesterday afternoon and were sent home overnight, before reaching verdicts.

Family pay tribute to murder victim Hassan Mahmood The family of 15 year old boy has paid tribute to the tragic teenager who was stabbed to death in Birmingham park on Monday night. Hassan Mahmood died after he was stabbed at Oaklands Park, off Wash Lane, Yardley, just before 6pm on Monday.

Hassan's uncle Sajid Ramzan, aged 32, told the Birmingham Mail: â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was a lovely kid, and was family orientated.â&#x20AC;?

Hassan Mahmood Police were called by ambulance crews to the park at 5.55pm last night. Despite the best efforts of medics, Hassan died a short time later. A 15, 17 and two aged 16 have been arrested and continue to be questioned by police on suspicion of murder of Mahmood.

Detective Inspector Tom Chisholm, from Force CID is leading the investigation.

He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;This was a tragic incident and our deepest condolences go out to the young manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A murder investigation was immediately launched. We have a team of detectives working with local officers to gain an understanding of what happened. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are aware that there were groups of young people in the area, some of whom may have left the scene before the police arrived. There is some suggestion that this was a fight which has tragically gone too far. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would ask that people who were in the park or anyone else with information to contact us immediately. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are very well experienced at supporting people who are reluctant to share important information which helps solve serious crimes like this. If anyone finds themselves in that position I would urge them to contact me personally.â&#x20AC;?

The park remained cordoned off today as forensics officers continued examining the scene.

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 20th July 2013

Indian woman's death forces legalisation of abortion in Ireland Continued from page 1 The Irish Parliament on Friday 12th, finally adopted the historic bill that will allow doctors to carry out abortions on women whose lives are threatened by pregnancy or those who display suicidal tendency.

The Lower House passed the bill by an overwhelming 127-31 majority following a 48-hours debate that ran through two consecutive nights.

The Upper House is expected to stamp the decision after which it will become law.

A 17-week pregnant Savita died in a Galway hospital in 2012 after being denied abortion twice because Ireland is a "Catholic country".

Hours after Ireland's parliament adopted the bill said the new law should be named after their daughter.

In a statement to an Indian daily, Savita's father Andaneppa Yalagi from Belgaum, Karnataka said, "We are half satisfied now that one of our two demands are met. It's appreciable that the Irish government changed the abortion law which will save women from death in Ireland. As Savita's death became instrumental for the new law, it should be named after her."

"However, our demand of conducting a public

Praveen Halappanavar

inquiry and holding the hospital authorities responsible for Savita's death is yet to be fulfilled.

Savita died due to negligence of doctors. But no action has been initiated against them," he added.

The passage of the bill is being attributed to Prime Minister Enda Kenny, who, despite facing the biggest intra-party revolt and threats of being socially banned by the Church, went ahead with the legislation. Ireland's European affairs minister Lucinda Creighton, a senior leader of Kenny's Fine Gael parliamentary party, voiced concerns and voted against the bill. She now faces permanent expulsion from the party.

Catholic bishops have branded changes to Ireland's abortion regime as morally unacceptable, saying, "If approved, it

would make the direct and intentional killing of unborn children lawful."

Weeks ago, Dr Savita Halappanavar's widower said he had received abusive letters after her death in which he was told to leave Ireland. Praveen Halappanavar told Irish state broadcaster RTÉ that he was hurt by the content of letters from "campaigners".

In a RTÉ radio interview, broadcast on Thursday, Mr Halappanavar said he had received abusive correspondence from "different campaigners" but said one in particular "keeps writing again and again".

"Basically, I was told to leave the country. I was told to clean the mess that our country [India] has, rather than cleaning the mess here and to leave stuff for them to clean and mind my own business.

It's hurting," the widower had added.

The two-decade debate over how Ireland should deal with a Supreme Court ruling that abortion be permitted when a woman's life is in danger was reopened last year.

The Irish Supreme Court ruling in 1992 resulted from a challenge by a 14-year-old rape victim to a constitutional amendment nine years earlier that aimed to ban abortion in all instances.

CPS decides not to bring charges against hoax call DJs The British prosecuting system is under great scrutiny as the family of the nurse Jacintha Saldanha, want action taken against those who pushed her into committing suicide, but Britain's Crown Prosecuting Service (CPS) has decided that no charges would be brought in the UK.This means that the two Australian DJs who made the hoax call to a private hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge was staying will not face any action in UK. This has left the family shaken and many people doubting in the crown prosecuting service once AGAIN. Whilst the world is awaiting the birth of the royal baby, there is a lot of anxiety surrounding it, and everyone wants a bit of the baby, everyone wants to know the name of the baby, how Kate and William are feeling, but aside this huge excitement there has been the tragic death of Jacintha, a Nurse at the King Edward VII Hospital in Central London. The gleaming nurse was a victim of a foolish hoax prank call to the hospital by two

Au s t r a l i a n s Mel Greig and Michael Christian re s p o n s i b l e for this act.

Please make them pay my mortgage. I am sorry.

Jacintha."

Rt Hon Keith Vaz, the official spokesperson of the Saldanha family said Jacintha Saldanha "the decision

by Ms Greig to Australian DJ's Mel sue the radio station is Greig and Michael brave, although it comes Christian acting as as no surprise. members of the royal Ultimately the radio stafamily, on the 4th of tion made the decision December 2012. They to broadcast the hoax leaked information on call and must bear Kate's health. responsibility for the The future bright tragic death of Jacintha. prospect described as It seems that the DJs “intelligent and goodand radio station are natured” was found now turning on each dead in her room few other. I hope Ms Greig days later. It is believed will clarify her position that she hanged her self at the inquest in due to pure shame and September. This has remorse, leaving her been an unbearable time family and friends devfor the family. They are astated. A suicide note very much awaiting the was found mentioning results of the postponed "Please accept my apoloinquest. They simply gies. I am truly sorry. just want to get on with Thank you for all your their lives. " support. I hold the

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5

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UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 20th July 2013

Spriha Srivastava

London welcomes Dr. Kiran Bedi India’s first woman police officer, Dr. Kiran Bedi was in London on 12th of July to address the Indian community here and ask them to help in every way possible to build a new India. Dr. Bedi spoke at an event organised by various Hindu associations in the UK. The charity dinner was held in Harrow and all the proceeds were sent to Dr. Bedi’s India Vision Foundation, an NGO based and headquartered in New Delhi.

Before going ahead with the rest of the evening, let me write a little bit about Dr. Kiran Bedi. We all know her and have grown up hearing and seeing her on TV but to hear her in real life is an experience in itself.

She has been India’s first and highest (woman) ranking officer who joined the Indian Police Service in 1972. Her expertise includes more than 35 years of creative and reformative policing and prison management.

She worked with the United Nations in New York as the Police Advisor to the Secretary General, in the Department of Peace Keeping Operations. She represented India in International forums on crime prevention, drug abuse, police and prison reforms and women’s

issues.

She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award (also called the Asian Nobel Prize), and several other national and international decorations, Dr. Bedi has a biography, I Dare, anchors radio and television shows and is a columnist with leading newspapers and magazines.

She is the founder of two NGOs, Navjyoti and India Vision Foundation, which reach out to thousands of under -served children, women and men in the areas of education, vocational skills, environment, counseling, and health care to the urban and rural poor, including prisoners and policemen's ' children.

Currently her NGOs are running Community College, registered with Indira Gandhi National Open University, to provide vocational and soft skills to Indian youth.

On the day of the event, Dr. Bedi took centre stage and explained the way she set up India Vision Foundation, the challenges and the hurdles she faced and how she overcame these. She said corruption is rampant but it’s also important that we as citizens and community members worldwide do the best we can to give back to the

country.

Also speaking at the event was Rt. Hon the Lord Dholakia and renowned-diamond merchant Harshad Mehta.

On the day, for the first time a film based on the life of Dr. Bedi was screened in the UK. ‘Yes Madam Sir’ is the inspiring non-fiction feature film by award-winning Australian filmmaker, Megan Doneman, on the life story of Kiran Bedi.

Narrated by Academy Award winner Helen Mirren, and filmed over six years, YES MADAM, SIR has been scooping the awards and garnering rave reviews during its run on the worldwide film festival circuit.

The film showcased Dr. Bedi’s journey right from the beginning of her career to the time when she resigned and dedicated herself completely to her NGO. The film brought tears and a sense of pride to everyone sitting there. Close to 500 members present at the event gave Dr. Bedi a standing ovation and showed their respect for whatever she has done.

The event ended with auctioning of a few signature items in order to raise funds. The highlight was two autographed cricket bats auctioned by Farokh Engineer, famous Indian Cricket player.

Chor Bizarre joins hands with UK government Chor Bizarre, Central London’s well-known restaurant hosted a lovely fundraising dinner dinner in support of a Government-backed, industry-led initiative to nurture and train, through apprenticeships and speciality courses, UK-grown chefs and food professionals in the methods and nuances of authentic Indian cuisine. The pioneering initiative, which has been implemented jointly by the Asian Restaurant Skill Board and the UK Government, is intended to boost youth job opportunities and skills within the Asian cuisine sector.

In attendance at the event was the Hon. Don Foster MP, Minister for Integration at the Department of Communities and Local Government and Iqbal Wahhab OBE, Founder of Tandoori Magazine, The Cinnamon Club and Roast and is the Chairman of the Asian Restaurant Skills Board. Also in the attendance were the VIPs, industry stalwarts and celebrities, including Bend

It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha, the Maharani of Jaipur and London leading hair stylist and salon owner, Paul Edmonds.

Guests were treated to a sumptuous three-course meal with unlimited wines and live Bollywood music.

All the proceeds from the £50 tickets were given to the Asian Restaurant Skills Board charity, supported by the Government and the University of West London. Rohit Khattar, the Chairman of Old World Hospitality which operates said: “I am so delighted that in our 15th year, we have partnered with a great organization as the Asian Restaurant Skills Board. It is difficult for restaurants in the UK to bring in Chefs from India due to the strict

immigration policies however with the launch of the new initiative we have been able to fill a much needed hole in our business, and what’s more, we are giving someone from the UK the opportunity to prosper and learn in the workplace at a time when jobs are hard to come by. We are so pleased with our new apprentices Ranbir and Aaron who have been a delight to mentor and we look forward to continuing our partnership with the Asian Restaurant Skills Board.”

While keynote speaker Hon. Don Foster MP thanked Mr. Khattar for inviting him and supporting the scheme. A big fan of Indian cuisine, he said, ““Food is a very important aspects of our lives – it’s at a restaurant where some of the biggest business deals have been sealed and couples have met. In an integral part of or lifestyle, especially the £3.6bn Indian curry industry.”

The Four Birthday Wishes – Let Us Renew Our Promise To The World For solace and strength, from King's to commoners, Princes to paupers, Maharajas to the masses, more have read the words of the Ramayan since the beginning of time than any other words we know this because more have been followers of this faith, than any other since the beginning of time. Imagine that.

More have lived and died as Hindus than of any other faith since Creation. Sanata Dharma indeed – eternal.

Long before there was religion in the world, there was the Ramayan. Known to the people of Loas, Indo-China as 'Phra Lak Phra Ram' as their own national epic. Ever since a student reading Radhakrishna's (India's first Vice President) 'Indian Philosophy' about how the Ramayan influenced all Indo-China, I've wanted to see these countries for myself. I shall with great joy see the 'Phra Lak Phra Ram' performed in Loas on Indian Independence Day and see what heritage the Sanata Dharma gave these ancient peoples – gave the world.

I write to you on my birthday this week, and I am reminded of a poem, ‘And how can man live better; Than facing fearful odds; For the ashes of his fathers; And the temples of his Gods.’

That trip to Laos is my birthday gift to myself. This column, other than my BBC newspaper review this morning which now reaches 276 million people worldwide, will be the only work I do today. And that was important not because of the viewership, but because I was able to talk about the important lesson the Muslim Brotherhood just learnt in Egypt – that democracy is about respecting the minority and not about winning elections.

Democracy is hard work. So what birthday wishes do I have? That I play my part in helping the world’s largest democracy to fulfill its glorious promise and destiny from the age of Ramayan to today. And that each of us recognizes that because one in six humans on this planet lives under that Constitution, it matters to all of us to help that democracy, India, because democracy is not easy.

A patriot of the whole world would help, regardless of nationality, hold up the Indian Constitution. So I have four birthday wishes enshrined in the Indian Constitution: Article 15 states, ‘The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on

grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them.’ My wish this year is to do more than ever as CoChairman of the Advisory Board of the Loomba Trust which helps widows in India and to continue the work with groups bringing women’s rights to the forefront and spreading the message from my book that more women entrepreneurs make more money to better protect themselves. Without the wealth of Lakshmi there can be no Democracy.

Article 21A; “The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to fourteen years in such manner as the State may, by law, determine” My wish this year is that I am able to do more to highlight the amazing work for Akshaya Patra, for which which this paper and I have raised funds. Without education there can be no ‘world’s largest Democracy’.

Article 23; “Traffic in human beings and begging and other similar forms of forced labour are prohibited.” This year, my wish is to do more with International Justice Mission whose sole aim is to fulfill this article of the Indian Constitution – ending trafficking and forced labour in India.

Article 24: “No child below the age of fourteen years shall be employed to work in any factory or mine or engaged in any other hazardous employment.”

This year, my wish is that we grow UnLtd, the social entrepreneurship charity of which I am a Director, which is helping fulfill this Article of the Indian Constitution.

Can we do all this? Is it not an impossible task?

‘And how can man die better; Than facing fearful odds; For the ashes of his fathers; And the temples of his Gods.’

Do, or die trying. We come from the land of the Ramayan – in which even a God faced fearful odds to save his wife from enslavement. We face fearful odds trying to make the Indian Constitution a reality.

The Indian Constitution is a Constitution for the whole world, for Patriots of the world. Worth dying for, but even more, worth living for to make it a reality - because one in six humans on this planet lives under that Constitution and it matters for as long as there is government of the people, by the people, for the people on this small planet of our fathers and mothers.

Immigration backlog tops 500,000 The Home Office's immigration backlog has topped 500,000 for the first time and will take till 2050 to clear at current rates, MPs have warned. The total features more than 4,000 foreign criminals the government is trying to deport, 33,500 asylum cases and 61,000 cases which are still awaiting inputting into computer systems. The backlog includes all types of case handled by the immigration service including applications from foreigners to visit or settle in this country. Rt Hon Keith Vaz, MP, the Home Affairs Committee Chairman, said: “The backlog of cases has now hit a staggering half a million people. This could fill Wembley Stadium to

capacity six times over. It has risen by 56 per cent in just three months. At the current rate it will take 37 years to clear and the Home Office cannot confirm that

this is the last of the backlogs. “There should be no more bonuses paid to any senior management at the Home Office until the backlogs are cleared.”

Celebrate our NHS & work .....

Continued from page 3 losing fire-fighters, police officers and paramedics as well. All emergency services are in a siege situation. Massive and reckless cuts to the emergency services may be a short term fix but they’re storing up huge risk to the wellbeing of our community and the safety and security of London and Londoners.

I’ve celebrated 65th Birthday of the NHS by participating in a

demonstration with the Nurses and members of our community outside the Department of Health.

I’d also be marking this momentous occasion by engaging with our local communities in our High Streets in Brent and Harrow over the next weekends. Happy 65th Anniversary NHS, here’s to the next 65! Let us do everything we can to preserve and enhance our valuable asset that the NHS is.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 20th July 2013

Forced

UK

EXCLUSIVE

marriages rob you of a childhood

The issues of Forced Marriage within Britain's ethnic communities, especially Asians, are known to all. Forced marriage which is completely different from the concept of an arranged marriage (also common amongst Asians), can include physical, psychological, financial, sexual and emotional pressure. Victims of forced marriage can be both women and men, and the marriages may take place in the UK or overseas.

However after many complaints and horrific cases that were brought into light by activists like Jasvinder Sanghera, the UK government especially the Ministry of Justice, has turned vigilant towards the existing vices within Asian communities including declaring it as a criminal offence on 9 May 2013.

Yet on 29 May 2013, the Huffington Post reported that a "distressed" teenage girl was seen in her pyjamas begging for help at a police station, telling officers she had been forced to marry a man she had met just once under threat that she would be taken to Pakistan and shot if she refused, a court had heard.

Yet lavish wedding was held in a city centre hotel in the UK, with between 550 and 1,000 guests, despite the court order put in place to protect the 16year-old girl, which banned the wedding without the consent of a court.

This is not a lone case.

Statistics and Forced marriage cases The UK's Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) received 1063 reports of possible forced marriages between January and August 2009 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an increase of 25% on the same period in 2008.

The majority involved families of Pakistani background with the rest originating from others parts of South Asia, Middle East, Europe and Africa.

Nearly 40% of the cases dealt with by the FMU concerned people under the age of 18. Plan

7

UK, the charity suggests that every year 14million people are married off under the age of 18 and at least half of them are from South Asian countries.

Women and girls are the victims in 85% of the total cases. The nature of forced marriage means that a number of them are also not reported, as a result of

Justice Minister Damian Green MP

which true scale of the problem is still unclear.

Between 2008-12, 491 people have been given protection under the Forced Marriage Protection Orders (FMPO) in Britain, which is a civil law to protect someone at risk of being forced into a marriage.

There were two applications for a FMPO to protect someone under nine years old in 2012.

In 2008-2013 there were at least 195 people at the age of 17 or under and there were two applications for a FMPO to protect someone aged 36 or over in 2012.

In the last twelve months 21 FMPOs have been taken out in London, 24 in Midlands, 28 in

Jasvinder Sanghera meeting PM David Cameron

North East, 39 in the North West, 17 in the South East, 1 in South West and 2 in Wales.

Bollywood films like Namaaste London or Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge may glorify the whole drama of forcibly marrying off girls on holidays in subcontinental villages, but the trauma that a victim suffers is unmeasurable.

Jasvinder Sanghera CBE, Founder and Chief Executive of Karma has campaigned for 15 years to make forced marriage a criminal act after she was forced in to a marriage and her sister, also forced in to a violent marriage, killed herself. The Ministry of Justice now funds her charity, Karma Nirvana, to support victims of honour based violence including forced marriage. In a statement, she told Asian Voice "Forced marriages rob you of a childhood out victims have the most horrific of crimes committed against them here in Britain. As cases increase so must awareness, legal remedies and a strong message to perpetrators.

"Strengthening Forced Marriage Protection Orders reinforces the serious approach we are tak-

ing to tackle these abuses.

All these measures remind victims that forced marriages are a crime not part of culture, tradition and that they will be believed and supported if they report."

Justice Minister Damian Green told Asian Voice, "Forced marriage is abhorrent and little more than slavery. To force anyone into marriage against their will is simply wrong and this continued practice in modern Britain is a stain on our social fabric.

That is why we are legislating to make it illegal.

"To protect men and women from being forced in to marriage we are making it a criminal offence to breach a Forced Marriage Protection Order (FMPO) punishable by up to five years in prison."

What does a FMPO do?

A FMPO puts in place restrictions like: l not to threaten or use force against the person concerned; l to not take a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passport or other travel document; and l not to arrange the engagement or marriage of the person protected by the FMPO If a FMPO is broken the

A lot to think (and smile) about

By Rudy Otter Many Asians were among the thousands of elderly and middle-aged folk who poured into the 50+ Show at London's Olympia over three lively days earlier this month (11th to 13th July).

The annual event featured cookery demonstrations, seminars on everything from financial tips to gardening, a cracking fashion show, plus music and dancing.

Included under the same roof were sections on travel and health tourism.

At one stand I encountered a smiling young woman with perfect rows of teeth. It was Dr Sunita Pradhan, who with her husband Dr Amol Pradhan jointly run their Dental Creations practice in Mumbai set up more than 10 years

ago. Sunita, attending the show for the first time, was cradling baby son Ansh in her arms as she dealt with a stream of enquirers eager to improve their smiles. She told me: "We are 40 to 80 per cent cheaper than dental treatments in the UK and United States.

What's more, we are offering a 15

per cent discount for all treatments until the end of 2013." Their proud boast is that their practice combines Indian hospitality with "the best that global technology can offer", all carried out by qualified specialists performing everything from cosmetic and restorative dentistry to "full mouth reconstruction". (see www.dentalcreations.in) Cruise companies dominated the travel section, reflecting the growing importance of this sector to elderly holidaymakers seeking breaks with a difference.

Advice abounded on pensions and savings, inheritance tax, care homes, health checks, diet and exercise and how to keep burglars at bay and avoid scams of all kinds ranging from door-to-door sales offers to payment card fraud and even dating scams.

person is in contempt of court â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this person can then receive a fine or prison sentence of up to 2 years.

What is new?

A new offence of breaching a FMPO with a maximum sentence of: l on indictment (serious crime) - 5 years imprisonment, a fine or both and; l on summary (lower level) - 6 months impris-

onment, a fine or both.

A new offence of forced marriage with a maximum sentence of: l on indictment (more serious) - 7 years imprisonment, a fine or both; and l on summary (lower level) - 6 months imprisonment, a fine or both.

This is being brought in by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing (ASBCP) Bill, which was introduced on May 9th 2013 and includes measures to make both forced marriage and the breach of an FMPO a criminal offence.

These measures will enable forced marriage cases to be tackled more effectively by strengthening protection for victims and potential victims of forced marriage. At the moment there is no specific offence of forcing someone to marry - however someone can be prosecuted for criminal offences that are involved in forcing someone to marry such as kidnap, false imprisonment, assault, child abduction, harassment etc.

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8

2013

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 20th July 2013

As I See It A message from Jamnaba Sarvajanik Hospital

LILY Foundation is the sponsored charity of Asian Achievers Awards 2013 Dear Readers,

What did the Independence of 1947 deliver to the majority of Indians? in the brothel for one and half years and says, ‘I was just a body with a dead soul.’

Lady Mohini Kent Noon She hated the baby in Prema was born into a her womb when she desperately poor family became pregnant. in Dumka, Jharkhand.

Prema was rescued by Worse, her father died STOP India, a charity when she was a small supported by the LILY girl and the family was Foundation, and she gave left to starve. They surbirth to a girl.

Her vived by eating wild tragedy did not end there roots. ‘To have one propbecause she was rejected er meal seemed impossiby her own village in ble,’ she recalls. SixtyJharkhand when she five years of ‘freedom’ returned and accused have failed to deliver of ‘spoiling the characeven one meal a day or ter of other girls’. In clean drinking water to desperation, she called millions such as Prema.

Roma, the ‘mummy’ of Malnourished and STOP India. Roma unhealthy, she could not brought her back to retain a job as a houseDelhi. Prema now maid. She filled her lives in the family stomach with dirty, polhome and has met luted water but ‘the other victims of wheel of hunger and human trafficking. starvation began to take Roma even helped her its toll’. Frustrated and to find way to love her angry, she tooka train baby daughter, Mary. out.

Arriving in ‘Today, I feel like a Kolkatta, she didn’t free bird that has just Prema wept and begged know what to do next so learnt to fly. I want a for mercy but to no avail. she stayed on the plathappy life for my daughShe was sent off with her form. ter and want to educate first customer, who beat A day later, a couple her. I want to be part of her and repeatedly raped who had spotted her, the worthy work that her. offered to take her home.

STOP does,’ Prema said.

‘After that day, I was a She spent a month The courageous different person. I didn’t cleaning and cooking for efforts of Roma and believe in anything or them before they took STOP India give hope to anyone. I was raped and her to Delhi, promising girls such as Prema whom beaten every day, almost her a better-paid job.

India has forgotten. every moment’. She was For more information go to http://www.ipartnerindia.org/lily-foundation.php OR contact us at info@ipartnerindia.org/+44 20 7841 8919 Desperate to support her mother, she readily agreed.

In Delhi, they told her to wait at the train station.

Hours later, a woman came and declared she was the sister of her Kolkatta employer, so Prema went with her. The woman took her to G.B.Road, Delhi’s red light district, and sold her to a brothel.

Shree Swaminarayan Temple, Willesden organises Community Weekend Shree Swaminarayan Temple, Willesden helped to organise a special “Community Weekend” as part of their 25th anniversary celebrations.

On Saturday 8th June, a group of volunteers from the temple joined with an organisation called “Groundwork” to help clean up a woodland area near Grand Union Canal.

Additionally, a dhol (Indian drum) workshop took place at a local community centre where children playing the steelpans were able to get tips from and practice with some of the temple’s musicians.

On Sunday 9th June, a charity walk was held in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital. Starting from Shree Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple – Kenton, participants came in their masses to walk all the way through to Willesden Temple. With the dedicated assistance of volunteers from both temples, the walk went as smoothly as you could hope for. Local councillors Cllr. Barry Cheese, Cllr.

Suresh Kansagra, Cllr.

Raju Brahamchari, Madhavpriyadas Swami, Maharaj Shree Tejendra Prasad Pande, Manjibhai Shivji Halai and Mr Graham Storey

Krupesh Hirani, Cllr Mohammed Butt, Cllr Harbhajan Singh, Cllr Ketan Sheth & Cllr Krupa Sheth, representatives from both temples and Great Ormond Street helped to make the event a success. Around 450-500 people were estimated to have taken part. The great day was capped off with the announcement that more £20,000 had been raised – and is still expected to be pledged in the coming weeks.

On Sunday 7th July, H.H. Acharaya Tejendraprasadji and

Shree Swaminarayan Temple Willesden President Manjibhai Halai presented a cheque for £25,200 to Graham Storey from Great Ormond Street Hospital. Also present were revered priest from Bhuj Mandir and Ahmedabad Mandir. The amount raised commemorates the forthcoming celebration of their Silver Jubilee. The money raised is for a new Operation Recovery room at the hospital.

See coming events for Ghanshyam Maharaj's 25th Abhishek.

If you are not familiar with the first 2 words, let me explain. Jamnaba refers to a Hindu lady whose family donated the precious land near the famous Swaraj Ashram in Bardoli, Gujarat. In the 1920s a famous peaceful and non violent battle took place in Bardoli. The second word of the name means 'Public'.

Due to the scarcity of rain, the drought conditions became miserable for the farmers in Bardoli in 1920s. But the Collector increased the land revenue exorbitantly. Those were the days of Gandhian movements. The farmers pleaded with the authority to delay the unjustifiable increase in the land tax, and if possible for some special considerations to defer payments to the subsequent years. The farmers approached the Governor of Bombay Presidency (the present day Gujarat, Maharashtra, some districts of Karnataka and entire Sindh). The Governor was completely adamant and he endorsed the District Collector's dictate.

Gandhiji investigated through a lawyer's panel and found the situation in favour of the farmer's case. Under Gandhiji's guidance Barrister Vallabhbhai Patel went to Bardoli, visited the villages and studied the situation in detail. Vallabhbhai Patel prepared a proper and well argued dossier for the Governor in Bombay but to no avail.

Eventually a peaceful Non Cooperation Movement was launched. Thousands of farms were ceased by the British Indian government. The land, cattle and poor farmers' possessions were being put to auction at a throw away price, but there were no takers.

The farmers suffered all the agonies

under the Gandhian principle of Peaceful public protest and Non Violence. Eventually the matter was discussed in British Parliament and the India Office in London advised the Governor to settle this unfair and unwinnable conflict.

If one looks at the debate in House of Commons, of that period, a word entered the Oxford dictionary viz 'bardolise'. British government to their credit intervened and Vallabhbhai Patel was acclaimed as the 'Sardar'- Chief by one and all, endorsed by the Great Mahatma.

The Bardoli even now provide a glaring example of community spirit and interfaith harmony. The Jamnaba Sarvajanik Hospital is run by the Muslim Welfare Society, Bardoli.

Looking at the annual report 201213, I was very impressed with several facts.

1. The entire hospital Committee is composed of Muslims.

2. All the Office Bearers are Muslims 3. Amongst 9 members of the Advisory Committee, there are 7 Hindus and most strikingly out of 24 were qualified medical specialists, all but one are Hindus.

The hospital is open to the followers of all the faiths. Many Muslims based in the UK, Barbados Panama, USA, Dubai, Canada, Botswana, New Zealand and South Africa are generous supporters as well as they are the overseas Representatives of the Hospital.

This is Gujarat and this is India which augurs well. It gives us inspiration, hope and confidence for a more peaceful and harmonious society in India and amongst Indians abroad.

Great Britain has Christian ethos Thank God Christianity has changed enormously from the days of Old Testatment. Mercy and Service are at the heart of this faith. The Church of England has helped to mould the Christian faith in these islands and abroad to be more tolerant and all inclusive. Amongst the 62 odd million people living in the UK, nearly 85%, if not bit more are Christians. Whether they regularly attend the Church or not, the Christian beliefs and values are at the core of this great Nation. PM David Cameron proclaimed this in some important speeches both in the Parliament and outside.

Her Majesty is the living example of the highest values of Christianity. Prince Charles has expressed his deep desire to be the defender of all faiths. Lord Melvyn Bragg, a Labour Peer in the House of Lords recently proclaimed at the Darlington Hall, Devon that the Christians deserve respect and added that 'Christianity should be respected for its history and contributions to mankind.' How right he was.

In India though 85% of the people are Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists (all with Sanatan Hindu faith roots), there are politicians who focussed on the vote bank and decry and denounce anyone proclaiming his Hindu faith or adherence to the oldest faith in the world. Hindus keep their head down and follow their faith more or less 'within the four walls.' They do not claim that theirs is the only religion for salvation, not forcibly convert people of other faith, do not kill if anyone from their fold accepts another religion.

In the world's largest democracy followers of Islam and Christianity have increased substantially in population since 1947. They occupy the highest

positions of power in the most walks of life. The Shias in India are experiencing more safety and understanding from their Sunni brethren. Indian Muslims are of much better temperament and coexistence have been nurtured for decades if not centuries.

Unfortunately that cannot be said about the countries East and West to India. Almost regularly we hear about attacks on Minorities (Hindus, Sikhs, Christians) in Pakistan and Bangladesh, but the attack and blood letting of the Shias, even in the holy month of Ramzaan is most sad and depressing.

The killing of Muslims by fellow Muslims in Arab Islamic world in Syria, Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon and Yemen is deeply disturbing, sad and horrible. The situation is very precarious for the minority Muslims of certain sects. In Egypt whatever one might say, democratically elected President Morsi was toppled by the army. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and UAE have pledged over $12bn to the new military government.

One cannot blame Western powers for direct involvement but Saudi Arabia and other Sheikhs, Amirs and Kings work in a way under the tutelage of the West. If the situation in Egypt and Syria worsens, which looks most likely, what is the future of that region and the world? The root cause of the problem appears to be a certain anomalies of a faith with several strong values. Thank God in India amongst the Hindus there are many Sects, but they live peacefully and help to create a new Society. Credit would perhaps go to the thinkers of that religion and the Founding Fathers of the Freedom movement.

-CB

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 20th July 2013

Leading Lights

Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

Ritula Shah – An Important Asian Voice in Mainstream BBC Radio News Ritula is a presenter of The World Tonight (on air 10pm weekdays) and Saturday PM on BBC Radio 4. She graduated in History from Warwick University in 1988 and in 2011 won Media Professional of the Year at the Asian Women of Achievement Awards.

Ritula joined the BBC as a researcher at Radio 4 in Birmingham. Around a year later she became a Midlands Production Trainee, gaining experience in Radio and TV. In 1991 she joined the Radio 4’s Today programme. “It makes the day’s news agenda and is a fantastic place to learn about British politics” Ritula told me.

In 1999, she joined the World Service as the launch presenter of daily news programme the World Today. Her training was mostly on the job. She presented the programme from some unlikely locations, including a building

Ritula Shah

site at the back of a mosque in Tehran and under a table on a rooftop in Moscow (the only place where the equipment was protected from the snow).

After seventeen years of nightshifts (both at Today and the World Service) in 2008 Ritula

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arrived back at Radio 4 permanently, as presenter of the World Tonight.

Ritula keeps up with the news on the internet and via specialist news websites. She aims to read two broadsheets properly every day and across a week, she tries to read

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most broadsheets and tabloids at least once.

Anchoring a programme which covers a lot of international news, Ritula usually has some foreign names to pronounce. Her background determines the way she approaches this situation.

“Although I was born in England, I’m from a Gujarati family and I speak my mother tongue.

I feel my pronunciation of Asian names should reflect my heritage.”

Ritula reads avidly; newspapers, news magazines, blogs and books. “I start listening to the headlines on Today from 6am and dip in and out of Radio 4 throughout the day. I try to listen to the World at One and PM, most days. I listen to other BBC and commercial stations too.

There are normally two producers and an editor working on the programme. Ritula and her editors talk about the stories of the day throughout the shift. “By the time I arrive, they have a plan for what we expect to do that evening but it keeps changing, sometimes even while we are on air.

I don’t prepare questions as such. I read round a subject and think about the issues that need to be drawn out of it and that partly depends on the person I’m speaking to.

Listening to what is being said is really important.

You have to react and respond to what an interviewee is saying, rather than sticking to a pre prepared script.”

So how does a shift day work for Ritula? The mornings, she explained, are spent reading, keeping an eye and ear on the news, doing chores and occasionally going to the

“You have to react and respond to what an interviewee is saying, rather than sticking to a pre prepared script.” gym. She arrives at work around 3.30pm, in time for a 4pm editorial meeting.

“We may at this point change direction if new ideas emerge. I then focus my reading and thinking onto the stories we are planning to cover. I also start monitoring TV and radio output fairly closely (Sky, Channel 4, ITV as well as BBC) to make sure we’re not missing anything. There may be pre recorded interviews set up ahead of the programme and by 7pm I start writing my script. Dinner is usually eaten at my desk and the evening disappears very fast. Suddenly it’s 10pm and I’m on air.” The

9

programme is a mix of live and pre recorded material.

I asked Ritula about the unexpected. “You hope that the only unexpected event will be breaking news, but there’s plenty that can go wrong…guests fail to turn up, the line to a guest fails as you begin an interview, etc. In the last couple of years, much of the Arab spring has unfolded during the programme and the night this coalition government was formed, I went on air with quarter of an hour’s notice, at 7.15pm knowing nothing except there was a lectern outside Downing Street, which meant something was definitely going to happen. It was very exciting.”

The production team talks to Ritula sparingly. It tells her how long is left for an interview, live or recorded, and occasionally messages her via the computer about a point it wants included in a live interview.

She finds it relatively easy to stay focused while on air. She listens to the output, keeps an eye on the newswires and the Twitter feed.

Ritula tends to work fairly intensely and then fit ‘life’ into short bursts when she can. She explained, “My husband and children are very tolerant.”

10

Your Voice

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 20th July 2013

Concept of karma

Caste confusion

India Tossed the Coin

Dinesh Sheth, Christians/Muslims do believe in karma but in pragmatic manner, discarding essential profound, spiritual and divine ramifications. Their proverbs say- “day of judgement”, “reconcile with father in heaven” “man cannot live by bread alone”, “reap as you sow”, “do as you would be done by”, “sow wild oats etc”, “neki kar darya me dal-equivalent to karmanye vadhi karastey(Gita)” etc.

Also note, life of honesty, simplicity, piousness, penance and penalties is not waste. Hindu teachings propounded thousands of years before Christ / Mohammad, were/are meant to stabilise ones attitude during prosperity/suffering; a cushion of philosophy which appears to be unprovable mumbo jumbo, is essential to tread middle path.

These teachings appear dormant to non-Hindus because after being taught

by Hindu saints and sages, nobodyHindus/non-Hindus-bothered to enquire, test, question, prove with credible and scientific evidence. Modern Hindus should have tried to prove concept of karma by psychology, parapsychology, hypnosis, mesmerism etc to plumb depths of time/consciousness.

Yet civilisation, having Indic roots/ Indo-European interaction, has subliminally absorbed the concept of karma.

Please also note concepts of karma were propounded in era and environs of no competition or threat from other religious/ spiritual philosophies prevalent at that time. All commoners and rulers were preoccupied with their vocations and accepted teachings full Monty. But Christianity and Islam arose after and with conflict and struggle for survival.

Therefore their teachers shed ethereal and impalpable portion as per needs to survive.

Humans rose from Hindu world of dream, vision and utopia, into world of modern technology.

While I share Arunji’s sentiments pertaining to caste discrimination and his admirable knowledge of Tamilnadu politics, his summary and comparisons to this country is so often irrelevant and misleading, akin to appeasement and weasel words.

His blanket statement that Hindus, apart from the South, use the caste as surnames is an uneducated guess, entirely misleading and confusing in the extreme. I understand Narendra Modi emerges from schedule caste while surname Modi is common amongst allegedly higher caste of Brahmin and Vanik.

Surnames Patel, Shah and Gandhi even crosses religious divide, having friends with such surnames back at home who were Shia Ithna-Asheri Muslims, as well as Jains and Parsis. Hindu surnames like Lila, Lalji, Lakhani, Mawji and Premji are common amongst Ismali Muslims, followers of Aga Khan.

Caste system may be deep rooted in Tamilnadu but how passing legislation in this country could help people of Tamilnadu is beyond my comprehension?

India has passed tons of legislation on castism, dowry, child marriage and such evils practices without much success.

Surely Arunji is living in a bunker of despair rather than enlightened Hindu society that we experience.

Education is the answer, as proved by our younger generation, as castism was the norm in marriages in sixties while it is as dead as dodo among Indians. Our youngsters do not even know their own caste, let alone of their partners. So let us concentrate on issues pertaining to this country, such as terrorism, child grooming, sex exploitation, education and NHS that affect us directly.

Eleven year old Pinki Sonkar from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh in India flipped the coin at the men’s Singles Final in lawn tennis on 7 July and marked the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Wimbledon. Perhaps it removed the jinx which had been hovering over British tennis players for 77 years, since Fred Perry lifted the cup, and Andy Murray of Great Britain won the men’s singles title after beating the reining champion, in three straight sets. It was a pleasure to watch the two titans where neither would let go of a single point without struggle. Besides the prize money of £1.6 million, Andy Murray will earn much more in sponsorship money and a title of knighthood would most certainly be bestowed upon him by the Queen. 17.3 million People watched the match on TV which was attended by the PM and the Scottish first minister. One wonders whether Pinki or the cause for which she is an ambassador will be rewarded by the Lawn Tennis Association for being the one to bring luck to GB tennis!

Apart from a few attempts at Wimbledon by Anand Amritraj and Ramnathan Krishnan followed by Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhuppathi and Sania Mirza, India seems to have lost interest in this sport. Otherwise in a population of 1.21 billion people, why India has not been able to produce more people taking part in the game of tennis and representing us Indians at Wimbledon?

Would it be that tennis is an expensive game and not many people could afford to spend money in tennis? Could the Government of India not pour more money into this game?

Ramesh Jhalla Via Email

New immigration policies All the comments made by Sarah Teathers MP (Liberal Democrat for Brent Central) in Asian Voice about the new immigration policies effecting the lives of Asian and African in this country from July this year are right.

But are these comments are only meant for Asian Voice readers or is she going to discuss with her top party leaders who have supported the conservative party to make these laws? I would recommend to all the MPs of all the parties who have residents of Asian and African origins in their constituencies must come out and speak openly what they are going to do to help their constituents.

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Bhupendra M Gandhi Via Email

Why go through life after life?

Dinesh Sheth of Ilford made interesting points about karma and reincarnation in last week’s Asian Voice. He took us out of our comfort zone by asserting that the soul’s birth after birth need not be exclusively in human form, which means we can be a king or queen in one incarnation, a crocodile in the next, followed by a bird, a fish or a frog, all depending, as Dinesh says, on the “accumulated effects of our actions, our attitudes, our mode of life in this and previous lifetimes”.

All this, he says, is leading to the ultimate destination of “moksha” or salvation when one’s soul is finally laid to rest in peace.

What is the purpose of this long drawn-out process of reincarnation over many hundreds or thousands of years? Is it assumed that the more souls achieving moksha will result in greater peace, happiness and prosperity enriching the world?

Dharam Sahdev Via Email

Rudy Otter Via Email

Patriotic Modi I am very pleased that India after independence has produced a top true nationalist leader Narendra Modi. Mr Modi stated that he is Hindu nationalist because I am a born Hindu and he is true patriotic. As an Indian born in India I consider myself as a Hindu Nationalist.

Modi is right in saying about ‘burqa of secularism’ since the word secularism is meant to demean majority Hindus in India. In India Hindus, Muslims and Christians have their own code bill. Now the supreme court in the recent judgement has said that Jainism and Sikhism as separate religions and they will have their own code bill and the government is dividing Indians on the basis of religion.

Muslim religious groups are allowed to hold public gatherings but Hindu caste groups are banned.

In Uttarkhand the Indian government has done anything to help the tsunami victims since all the victims are Hindus.

It is an insult on the part of the Congress leaders to equate Gujarat killing as Genocide and they should know what genocide means. How about killing of more than 10,000 Sikhs during the assassination of Indira Gandhi and they call it riot?

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Alpesh’s Political Sketchbook Though I regularly read editorial columns of Asian Voice for the last several years, I rarely contribute to these columns unless I feel exceptionally strongly about an issue or an issue which is close to my heart. According to Mr Nitin Mehta, Alpesh is very very angry as if it is crime to be an angry, venting your anger against the ills in any society can’t be bad, it is on the contrary a good thing, many would argue. Many politicians have made their way to the top by highlighting imminent ills of the society, immediately surrounding them and two such names that that immediately comes to the mind of the undersigned are John F kennedy and Nelson Mandela. They both fought fiercely against the discrimination meted out to the blacks of USA and South africa respectively. Nelson Mandela as we all know was imprisoned by white regime of South africa for over 20 years and John F kennedy was fiercely criticised by white thugs for opening supporting Martin Luther King for his anti- discrimination movement.

If Alpesh Patel has got the right to be angry, so do we because using some harsh words publicly (though totally unwarranted in my view), which he has used would not eliminate the harsh reality of discrimination being faced by some under-privileged/lower caste Hindus. So, whereas on the one hand, I totally despise the harsh words having been used by Alpesh Patel, I absolutely endorse the gist of his article, because some sections of the Hindu community do face discrimination both in UK and India, which either we fail to recognise or fail to acknowledge.

Subhash Mahajan London Now the government wants to bring anti-superstition Bill. In fact Mother Theresa who was very well respected in India was given a title of ‘saint’ because of her miracle power to cure Cancer.

There are books written by the British authors exposing the ‘myth’.

Whether BJP wins the next year Indian election or not, Narendra Modi has made every Hindu and Indian proud through out the world.

Arun Vaidyanathan Via Email

Casteism and Hindu hypocrisy Both Baroness Shreela Flather and Arun Vaidyanathan have boldly drawn out in their respective letters (AV 13 July 2013) how hypocrite the mind of a typical Hindu can be when it comes to the issue of casteism. The Hindu might well deny this, but in reality casteism does exist within him inherently.

Let me cite a personal episode with which I was involved. Some three years ago, whilst I was staying with my brother in the village of Degam in Gujarat, Continued on page 11

uK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 20th July 2013

Your Voice

National Hindu Students Forum (UK)

Casteism and Hindu hypocrisy

Continued from page 10

a delegation of the so-called ‘Backward Class’ community came to us seeking donations to build a Shirdi Sai Baba temple in their locality. My brother gave a large amount but I was prepared only to give half as much, arguing that the village already had a Baba’s temple so why build another. They didn’t answer but left disappointingly. Soon I observed that the dominant Hindu community had, implicitly, denied them access to the temple by not expressing an open-door welcome. Ashamedly, I gave them the full donation and even assisted them with the cost of materials and utensils. Sai Baba was a simple man and it would have pained him grievously to witness caste

By Remya Unnithan, Legal Team Coordinator

discrimination from his worshippers.

Today, their new temple, appropriately named ‘Sai Kotis’ (Sai’s humble hut), is flourishing, even attracting foreign visitors.

There is a general concept of British law that any kind of prejudice between humans is unacceptable, so how can we, as British Hindus, avoid being ‘typical’ Indian Hindus when it comes to caste? In my view, this question can’t be dismissed outright as something which simply does not exist or happen within the UK’s Hindu society.

Uttambhai D Mistry Bolton

Does BJP need to rethink its policy on Andhra Pradesh?

Andhra Pradesh can be neatly divided into three zones: 9 districts forming the coastal region (Andhra Pradesh region); 4 districts forming the interior region (Rayalseema region); and 9 districts adjoining Hyderabad forming the Telengana region.

Barring Hyderabad, Rayalseema and Telengana regions have inferior social and physical infrastructure.

The “Telengana region” has uplifted the state as a cyber hi-tech state. Firms registered as Software Technology Parks at 1,345 is second only to Maharashtra. It has the largest number of arts, science, commerce, engineering, technical and architecture colleges. It is definitely a Knowledge State, a growing haven for students from around the world.

“Andhra Pradesh” has a thriving port infrastructure—13 major and minor ports with Vishakapatnam being the second biggest port, handling the largest tonnage

in India. This region has the third largest power generation and the highest hydel power generation in the country.

The State remains predominantly agrarian with more than 60% of population dependant on this sector. Fertile land and water have assured a surplus good grain production with high yields, and ground nuts, tobacco, cotton, castor and sugar cane are major crops.

Major industries are IT, auto components, horticulture, poultry, pharmaceuticals and textiles.

However, drawbacks are too many to list [www.phdcci.in].

United the strong parts would uplift the weaker parts; divided could create lower GDP growth overall long-term.

Finally, united the State would have an interdependent economy of industry, IT, agriculture and exports.

Nagindas Khaujira Via Email

A Huge Step To Equality Same sex marriages have nearly been approved in the UK. The first gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender marriages have been set to take place in 2014, once the government finalises the legislation and makes the various changes needed in order for approval.

This news has brought jubilance and happiness within the 700,000 strong homosexual community. This was clearly demonstrated when the news came out, there were very loud cheers from outside of Parliament. Lawmaker

Lord Waheed Alli

Lord Waheed Alli told colleagues in a emotional speech “My life and many others will be better today than it was yesterday.”

11

Changing how Hinduism is taught – one school at a time Hindus are constantly asked questions such as, ‘Why do you worship so many Gods?’ or ‘Are you idol worshippers?’ As Hinduism is not a subject taught in many of the primary and secondary schools in the UK today, some Hindus do not know the answers to these questions and go through life with a misconception of their religion.

It is imperative that these fundamental questions, as well as the common stories of Hinduism, are taught and learnt properly at a young age to ensure that the teachings of our dharma are not only correct but enable the lessons of our great faith to continue for generations to come.

It also ensure that people who have questions about Hinduism are taught the teachings as accurately as possible to ensure misconceptions of our faith are removed at an early stage.

To tackle this matter, NHSF (UK) has taken the initiative to attend primary schools across the country and educate

young minds about the various festivals that Hindus celebrate. The year officially commenced with Jaimal Patel (NHSF (UK)’s London Zone Coordinator), Poonam Patel (NHSF (UK)’s HUM Editor) and I visiting Lathom Junior School in East London, where we delivered a presentation to four separate classes on why and how we celebrate Diwali and providing them with a narrative of the Ramayana.

As we walked into our first class, the students were all ready and seated. Their glaring eyes looked up at our faces while we introduced ourselves and started our presentation.

InitiallyS the nerves got to us, having not taught a class of students before, but the warm welcome from the staff and children made it easier. After the first class and seeing the impact our presentation had on the children, the feeling of satisfaction took over the nerves.

To make our presentation more engaging,

we included some role play where the students were encouraged to volunteer themselves to act out the characters of the Ramayana as the story unfolded. Their excitement and hope that we would choose them to play the protagonists made it all the more gratifying to teach them as it showed a willingness and interest to learn.

Towards the end of the presentation, we played a small quiz, which to our surprise; the students answered all questions correctly and were able to recite the Ramayana back to us. We finished the class by explaining the significance of ‘Namaste’.

Teaching students about Diwali was an invigorating and fulfilling experience, which we recommend all members of NHSF (UK) to become involved in. A lot of us complain about how Hinduism is taught at schools. Here is our chance to change that!

For more information, please contact schoolsteam@nhsf.org.uk.

This is a massive step towards equality in the UK as in the prior years transgender marriages weren’t allowed.

This will eliminate most of the abusive discrimination aimed at gay and lesbian marriages. Nick Clegg said the legislation represents “the kind open, modern, tolerant and diverse society we want Britain to be in the 21st century.”

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We are UK's largest ethnic newsweeklies.

Established on 5 May, 1972, Asian Voice, our English edition, previously known as New Life and our Gujarati edition Gujarat Samachar have been serving the British Asian community for the last 42 years.

The company has been developed by the Directors along with their colleagues and the newspapers have remained extremely credible since inception.

Every week we not only publish local news, we also present news

standards- and do not accept any advertisements from false claimants, faith, magic healers and others who exploit our readers.

The readers of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar belong to various sectors, age group and

www.abplgroup.com - asian Voice 20th July 2013

On 18th March, 1977, a separate English weekly 'New Life' was launched, later to be known as Asian Voice In 2011, the Chief Minister of Gujarat, CM Narendra Modi during the occasion of "Vibrant Gujarat" addressing the guests through a live video conference at a gathering in Central London

and our interactive website is becoming more and more popular. Our e-

Editions are apt for reading in iphones, ipads, tablets and androids.

Prime Minister Rt Hon David Cameron giving an exclusive interview to Publisher/Editor C B Patel and Asian Voice Associate Editor, Rupanjana Dutta

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Prime Minister Tony Blair being gifted an idol of Lord Ganesha by CB Patel in 1997 on the silver jubilee of Gujarat Samachar, in presence of MP Jack Straw and Keith Vaz, MP

communities. People who buy our papers know of our reach, influence, strength and reputation too. We are confident of our duties and responsibilities. Readers are also aware that we will stand by them without any hesitation, whenever a situation or need arises.

Social Media Our presence can also be felt in different social medias such as facebook, twitter (@Asian VoiceNews), google plus

In 1981 PM Margaret Thatcher made her first official visit to India. Gujarat Samachar and New Life ran a campaign against PM's immigration and nationality bills. A petition was signed by over 32000 people. On the eve of PM's departure, CB discussing the issues with her at the official residence of the Indian High Commissioner, Dr Saeed Ahmed. CB was the first Indian origin journalist to accompany British PM to visit India

In 1994, CB Patel talking to Prime Minister John Major in London

Some of the key campaigns

Hare Krishna Temple: In 1994 the Tory government badly wanted to close the doors of Letchmore Heath 'Hare Krishna' mandir near Watford. Gujarat Samachar decided not to allow this injustice to take place. ISKCON priests, Hare Krishna defence movement activists, Patrons' Council, Pandavsena and youth from various organisations got together and formed a movement. Gujarat Samachar office was their common meeting point. On 14th March 1994, a huge Hindu rally was run in streets of Central London with loud chantings of 'Hare Krishna Hare Ram' mahamantra. People from all walks of life joined this rally and the government was influenced greatly. The war had a happy ending in 1996. At present the temple of Bhaktivedanta Manor is spread on a land of 71 acres. These are the photographs of the campaign that was fought against the plans to close the doors of the Watford Mandir.

Youth Employment: We are aware that the recession has hit the markets in Europe real hard, and our youngsters are struggling to find jobs after graduation.

We campaigned on behalf of them so that our Asian businesses offer jobs to graduates. We have also offered internships/placements in our offices.

Democracy: General Rabuka suddenly emerged out of obscurity on 14 May 1987 in Fiji, when he staged the first two military coups to reassert Fijian supremacy.

Immediate meetings were held at our offices in May 1987 to pressurise British government in order to protect the interests of the Indians and a campaign was planned by few dignitaries and people who had come to Britain from Fiji were welcomed in the meetings, a rally from Hyde park to White Hall was organised.

Direct Flight to Ahmedabad: The ongoing campaign to start a direct flight between London and Ahmedabad.

More than 9000 petitions have been collected and handed over to Gujarat CM Narendra Modi for further action.

Lawyer and Chairman of the Labour Community Engagement Forum Manoj Ladwa handing over petitions to CM Narendra Modi in presence of Bollywood actor Paresh Rawal

London Mayor Boris Johnson with Asian Voice Associate Editor Rupanjana Dutta and Gujarat Samachar News Editor, Kamal Rao at a dinner

Charities We have assisted people and organisations for the causes they support, including charities, whom we have helped to raise more than ÂŁ5mn for worthy causes over last 10 years.

Team Asian Voice participating at the 5K Loomba Foundation Charity Walk to mark International Widows Day on 23 June.(L-R): Kruti Patel, Tanveer Mann, Rupanjana Dutta, Reon David George, George, Rovin George, Ajay Kumar, Ragini Nayak, Kamal Rao, CB Patel & Akshay Desai

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 20th July 2013

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Theme based special magazines

Key Events

Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar have published many magazines over the last 42 years

Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar are the organisers of many corporate and community events. Some of the key events are as follows:

Some of the key magazines are as follows: India Centric:

UK centric l British Asian Women: Celebrates the success and contributions of Asian Women in Britain

l Medical Tourism: The possibilities of having medical tourism in Gujarat and opportunities available

l British Punjabis: Celebrates the success and contributions of the Punjabi community in Britain

l Love Gujarat: Launched by Chief Minister Narendra Modi at Vibrant Gujarat to celebrate golden anniversary of the formation of the State of Gujarat.

l British Tamils: Celebrates the success and contributions of the Tamil community in Britain

l Sayaji

Rao

l British Gujaratis: Celebrates the success and contributions of the Gujarati community in Britain

Gaekwad: A salute to the contributions of this Maharaja on his 150 years birthday

l Finance, Banking, Insurance: Talks about economy, finance, banking and insurance market in Britain

l Rangilo Rajkot: About Rajkot, tourism, education, culture and available opportunities for businesses

l Asian House & Homes: Every Asian dreams to have a house of her/his own. This is our comprehensive guideline to buy a house.

l Charotar special: About Charotar area tourism, culture, education and available opportunities for businesses

l Wedding and Fashion: Asian Wedding and Fashion industry have a unique characteristics. The magazine proves to be a doorway to the latest trends in Britain.

l Asian Achievers Awards: In its 13th year, AAA celebrates the contributions and successes of unsung heroes from different walks of life- nominated by the readers of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar l Asian Voice Public and Political Life Awards: Celebrates success of Britons (whether natives or ethnic) from different professions across Britain l Asian Voice Youth Conference: Career consulting, mentoring, work shop based event, including famous guest speakers to Awarding International motivate students or Personality of the Year award at youngsters between AAA 2012 to Bollywood actress 15-25 year olds Hema Malini by CB Patel l Diwali on the Square: Media partner for Mayor's Diwali on Trafalgar Square l Events for women and elderly: To discuss issues affecting women and elderly, and solutions from experienced professionals l Property fair: Media partner for a few property fairs in Britain l Anandmela: A fun fair with stalls to have food, shop and enjoy some great entertainment

l Accountancy and Pharmacy: Talks about the Accountancy and Pharmacy field and the potentials, including job opportunities. l Diwali: The largest hindu festival- a coffee table read for all age during this festival period.

Our Prime Minister reads Asian Voice- DO YOU?

4th edition of the British Punjabis magazine launched at the House of Lords by Lord Loomba, Lady Ann Dholakia and Lord Navnit Dholakia

British Tamil special issue launched in 2011 at the House of Lords. Asian Voice Associate Editor Rupanjana Dutta addressing the audience, as Mamta Saha, compere for the evening looks on

Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar newsweeklies not only publish local news, they also present news items from different parts of the world. The newspapers give the readers an array of feature items, topical debates and campaigning items against social injustices- something for all age and taste/choice. Asian Voice is NOT a direct translation of Gujarat Samachar. The AV contens are aimed at the second and third generaotions of Briton from the South Asian communities If you live in Britain, you can SUBSCRIBE to AV and GS at £30 together or £25 each for 1 year.

If you are a paid subscriber, the magazines are posted to you FREE of cost with your papers.

For more information call us at 020 7749 4080 or email at support@abplgroup.com

The then Deputy Mayor Richard Barnes pictured with ABPL Business Development Manager Rovin George, during the former’s visit at the Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar stall at the Trafalgar Square to mark Mayor’s Diwali celebrations

CM Narendra Modi launching Love Gujarat coffee table book to celebrate Swarnim Gujarat in presence of CB Patel and Nilesh Parmar, Bureau Chief, GS-AV India office

C B Patel with Labour leader Ed Milliband at Asian Voice Political and Public Life Awards in 2011

Gujarat Samachar-Asian Voice organised Swarnim Gujarat celebrations on 2nd May 2010 in Ahmedabad. On the occasion, a Snehmilan was organised, which was addressed by Moraribapu.

Gujarat CM Narendra Modi, former minister Jaynarayan Vyas, senior journalists Bhupatbhai Parekh and Vishnu Pandya and Editor/Publisher CB Patel were present on the dais. “Gujaratna Kranti Tirthau,” a book authored by Vishnu Pandya- Aarti Pandya was also launched on that occasion

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www.abplgroup.com - asian Voice 20th July 2013

What Peers have to say about Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar Dear Readers, It is with absolute pleasure that I write to congratulate Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar of Asian Business Publications Ltd (ABPL) on their 42nd year of reporting and publishing news here in the UK. As one of the leading ethnic weekly news publishers in the UK, Asian Voice and Gujarat Samacher have worked tirelessly to bring up-todate, exclusive news to the South Asian diaspora in Britain and to the whole country at large.

I provide my utmost support for the work of ABPL in delivering news to represent the large majority of Asians in the UK and reflecting their views in British mainstream news. Without such worthy newspapers like Asian Voice, whole sections of society would go unheard and unrepresented, fighting for space within the nationals that are not necessarily concerned by the issues of minority communities. ABPL strives to support and represent the South Asian community and bring valuable and enjoyable news to all age groups.

I have been privileged personally to know CB Patel for over 25 years as his son Merul was a contemporary of mine at Cambridge University. I never cease to be amazed and inspired by CB’s dedication, determination, and enthusiasm. He is one of the key, most enduring, and most important figures of the Asian community in Britain, and someone we all hugely admire and respect.

I am very proud of Asian Voice for its ever growing readership. Congratulations ABPL on achieving an outstanding 42 years in the industry and to another 42 years and many, many more!

Yours sincerely, Lord Bilimoria CBE, DL Founder and Chairman, Cobra Beer Independent Crossbench Peer, House of Lords

UK

EXCLUSIVE

Indian Jewish Association hosts reception with distinguished Guests, Professor Satvinder Juss and Henry Grunwald OBE, QC

As we advance in life the memory fades. Famous names and faces become a distant past. Some things never change. Our values and principles that have brought us where we are. We share these with those who are part of our growing up process. Gujarat Samachar and Asian voice are part of that process. These papers have touched many lives and have carried out many campaigns on behalf of those who are unable to speak for themselves. The editor has been fearless in defending the rights and liberties of the Asian community in the United Kingdom.

I am one of the few individuals who can say that I was there when Gujarat Samachar was launched at the Commonwealth Institute in Kensington High Street.

Kusum Shah and Balwant Kapoor were the pioneers who introduced the paper to the Gujarati diaspora in Britain.

Our migration process has been a short one. There was the devastation in Britain inflicted by the war. Its role as a global power was declining with changes in the former colonies and at home.

There was little policy consideration of a genuine migration policy and the settlement of new arrivals.

Step in CB Patel. He took control of Gujarat Samachar and introduced Asian Voice as a sister paper. His aim was clear. Little thought was given to the impact of racism and economic marginalisation by the British Government. Policy makers did not accept that people would want to retain the cultural heritage of which they were proud at the same time as feeling included as citizens.

Much has changed since those days.

Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar have helped destroy myths about Asians in Britain. A desire to reclaim the concept of Brutishness from the far right has been at the centre. Add to this the campaign to tackle discrimination and equality.

These papers have helped in the steady development of the concept of human rights. It has protected our liberties by articles setting out our traditions and community activities by promoting general consensus within our society about the liberty of individuals.

Think of Bhaktivedanta Manor Centre. Think of the plight of the East African Asians. Think about campaigns on restriction of immigration policies. Think of international flights to Ahmadabad. Think of issues affecting Indian doctors. Think about the plight of the Fijian Indians. Just a few examples of a fearless approach to projecting the rights and liberties of the minorities.

It is now 42 years since the paper was first published. It has focused attention on our key organisations in the community. It has raised nearly £5 million for charitable causes.

The journey has been difficult at times of economic recession but it has stood the test of time and resources.

Newspapers are a reflection of our own self and of our communities. Our cultures and values are stronger now than ever before because newspapers have played an important role towards this aim. We salute the editorial staff and all those who have continued to support these newspapers.

Lord Navnit Dholakia Deputy Leader, Liberal Democrats

John Levy (IJA Executive); Prof Satvinder Juss; Henry Grunwald OBE, QC; Arjan Vekaria (IJA Executive); Mike Whine (IJA Executive)

made by Henry The modest beginGrunwald OBE QC, nings of two eminent who has devoted lawyers were never a many years of service barrier to progress to the Jewish commufor the two speakers nity, rising through at the Indian Jewish the ranks of the Board Association’s annual of Deputies until he Summer Reception, was elected President, hosted by Mishcon for the maximum two de Reya on Thursday 11th July. terms. He serves as P r o f e s s o r Henry Grunwald OBE, QC; Prof Satvinder Juss Chairman of World Satvinder Juss and Jewish Relief, which local secondary modern Henry Grunwald OBE, QC was created to secure a safe school, but the same ethic fascinated and inspired haven in Britain for Jewish propelled him to their audience as they refugee children from Nazi Cambridge and Harvard talked about their early life.

Germany. universities, and to qualify Satvinder Juss, Like Professor Juss, as a barrister.

Professor of Law at Kings Henry Grunwald came He now specialises in College, London, and an from modest origins in human rights, immigration eminent human rights barLondon’s East End, where and discrimination cases his father worked in caterrister, spoke of his family’s because of his commitment ing, having arrived on the forced eviction from East to helping others. Sikh bareve of the Second World Africa, where his father had risters may now plead their War, from what is now been a colonial administracases in white turbans Slovakia. tor, to their very modest life instead of wigs, and Sikhs The loving family backin Wolverhampton where may be cremated in specialground, ambition to better his father could only find ly allocated public spaces, menial work. But their faith oneself and to give someas their religion demands, and the self reliance thing back to society, and to because of the legal caminstilled through Sikhism charity, comes from the paigns he has pursued. drove his father to start faith traditions of both He noted that Britain is over again, to study at night Sikhism and Judaism.

Both more welcoming to immischool, and to eventually speakers believed that this grants, and accepts relirejoin the civil service on is what has led to their sucgious diversity more readicompletion of his studies. cess and eminence in the ly, than its European partlaw.

Their son attended the ners. The same point was

The British Indian community is an unusual social phenomenon. For many of us, our roots and ancestry are many miles from here in India and – in many cases – East Africa.

Our interests are often dictated by our traditional values; business and commerce, education, faith and family. And we are living in a multicultural society in which many of us – particularly our younger generation - consider ourselves more British, yet our experiences, social activities and friends would indicate we are still predominantly Indian.

We are an evolving community that enjoys debating and is open both in our praise for one another but also in our disagreements. I think it is hard to truly appreciate how many different strands of thought there are within our community, and even more difficult to reflect those concisely into a format that those not directly involved in the debates can appreciate.

Yet week-after-week, Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar do exactly that. They hold up a mirror to our community; they praise our successes and they lament our failures. They bring us news from our homelands yet they cover our neighbourhoods as well. They support our community institutions and leaders, yet they challenge all of us to do better.

I am amazed at how often the letters featured in Asian Voice crop up in – or indeed instigate – the conversations I have with my friends. The 200,000 readership that the papers enjoy is – in my opinion – an understatement of the reach of the papers. I receive countless emails every week from people who have read the paper and passionately agree or disagree with something that somebody has written.

But what I feel is most important is that it isn’t just an ‘Indian’ paper. As a community we have integrated into British society; many of our children go to the best universities and then go onto work in our major corporate firms rather than staying and running the family businesses, as previous generations did. Asian Voice reflects these shifting priorities; it hasn’t stood still with any one generation, but has broadened its tent to welcome our youngsters as well. CB may be getting older in age, but I believe he is getting younger in his outlook; constantly appealing to the new generation.

Forty-two years is a long time for any institution, yet in many ways this is only the beginning for our community and therefore for Asian Voice. These newspapers educate us, they provoke and inspire us. But most importantly they bring us British Indians together; long may it continue.

Lord Dolar Popat Conservative Peer

MediA Watch

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 20th July 2013

Thirteen bomb blasts violated the Buddhist serenity of Bodh Gaya. Mercifully, there were no deaths and no serious injuries.

The giant statue of the Buddha survived unscathed, as did other sculpted monuments. It was a disturbing event, nonetheless, a timely reminder of the unremitting challenges facing India. Rumour mills were in overdrive and media speculation was rife. BJP politicians, with an eye to the main chance, accused the government of being “soft” on terrorism, forgetting the party’s own record in office in the cocked up jihadi hijack of an Air India aircraft in December 1999, and the craven agreement on a prisoner swap in Kandahar. There, Hafiz Saeed, the notorious mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai bombings, and the murderer of US journalist Daniel Pearl, were exchanged for innocent Indian passengers, the event overseen personally by foreign minister Jaswant Singh.

Buddhists in Kolkata rally against Bodh Gaya bomb-blast

Throwing stones from glass houses is faught with peril and it best avoided. Petty politicking, when the national interest should be the paramount concern, reflects poorly on the wisdom and morality of the mud-slingers.

NIA takes charge

streets (Hindu, Times of India July July 10)

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) was asked to take charge of the inquiry into the Bodh Gaya affair. The Union Home Minister told reporters that the Centre had advised the Bihar government way back in October of the possibility of such an attack. The State administration said it would raise a 340-strong anti-terrorist paramilitary unit, but this can be likened to shutting the stable door after the horse had bolted.

The Centre in Delhi, meanwhile, has discreetly revisited its earlier proposal to set up an anti-terror body called the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NC TC) on the lines of the Department of Homeland Security in the US. The proposal was rejected by the chief ministers of Opposition-ruled States on the ground that this would be a violation of the country’s federalism. No such argument was made by American federalists about Homeland Security (Times of India, Hindu July 814)

The Indian Army’s elite Special Forces, along with sharpening their clandestine skills, are set to develop their linguistic abilities as well. The Army has begun training its Para and Para Special Forces battalions in “strategic foreign languages” with special emphasis on the “Chinese language,” which includes Mandarin and Cantonese. The Army says its Special Forces should be adept in “linguistic, and cultural behaviour patterns” of potentially hostile countries because of its mandate to undertake unconventional covert surgical missions deep inside enemy territory to “neutralize high value targets.” A Special Operations Command was one the key recommendations of the Naresh Chandra taskforce report submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in May 2012 (Times of India July 11)

Dalai Lama birthday marred in China

Nuclear power plant goes critical

The Dalai Lama’s birthday celebrations by Tibetan Buddhists in China’s Sichuan province were marred by Chinese gunfire.

Beijing has long denounced the Tibetan leader as an enemy of the People’s Republic. His followers, whether Buddhist monks in Tibet, or Tibetan laity in China, face unrelenting pressure from the Chinese authorities, ever fearful of the power of the Dalai Lama’s name. Tyrants sleep uneasily when freedom’s songs are chanted on their

Focus on Chinese language skills

The first unit of India’s nuclear power plant at Kundakulam achieved criticality at the week end and is performing “in copybook fashion,” according to a senior scientist at the site, and will generate 1000 MW of electricity.

Clearance given Earlier India’s Atomic energy Regulatory Board (AERB) had given final clearance for the first

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his home in Wayland Massachusetts on July 12. He was born in Philadelphia on November 2, 1930. His Bengali father Noni Gopal Bose, who fled to the United States in 1920 as an opponent of British rule in India, married an American schoolteacher. Husband and wife were deep into ancient Indian philosophy and their

Kundakulam nuclear power plant

unit of the Tamil Nadu-based Kundakulam nuclear power plant to commence operations.

The approval came after a prolonged in-depth review of safety checks.

“We have got the clearance from various agencies as mandated by the Supreme Court,” said an official of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India. The plant, with two further units in the pipeline, is being built with Russian assistance. It incorporates the most advanced technology and design features in the field. Operations at the first unit fell over a year behind schedule, thanks to a covert London-funded agitation in the State involving gullible farmers led by specious “human rights” agitators (Hindu July 12, Telegraph July 15)

ISRO readies GSLV launch Following its recent landmark satellite navigation launch, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is in preparation mode for another ambitious exercise involving the inaugural flight of its indigenous Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV).

ISRO Chairman Dr K. Radhakrishnan said the GSLV-DS launch was planned for lift-off around midAugust.

The GSLV is crucial for India’s space programme. Two previous launches in 2010 failed, leading to further tests on the country’s cryogenic. motors.

Previous GSLV flights have been powered by Russian-built cryogenic engines. The heavier 2,000-kilogramme GSLV-14 communications satellites can be placed in a higher 36,000kilometre orbit.

Meanwhile, IRNSS-1A, the first navigation satellite in a series of seven to be launched through 2015-16, has reached a near circular orbit of 23 hours and 50 minutes and is currently at a distance of 35,870 X 35,484 kilometres from the earth. The satellite is working well, said an ISRO release (Hindu July 10)

Manufacturing is growth driver The government has decided to increase India’s steel capacity to 300 million tonnes by 2025 and raise textile exports 30 per cent this year to boost manufacturing and exports. It will also sanction the development of the 70-100 seat civilian aircraft, long a dream project awaiting its turn in the pipeline.

Shifting economy A high-level committee chaired

by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh decided on a package of measures to stimulate greater domestic manufacturing capabilities and remove bottle necks that impede economic growth.

Addressing the meeting, Dr Singh said: “ We are witnessing a major shift in the structure of our economy. Agriculture today constitutes less than 15 per cent of our GDP. If we have to grow at 8-9 per cent in the future this has to come through sustained growth in manufacturing, particularly in labour intensive manufacturing. Manufacturing and manufacturing alone can absorb all those who need better livelihood opportunities” (Telegraph July 10)

Pro-India party wins Bhutan election The pro-India party People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of Bhutan, led by Tahering Tobgay, has swept the polls, winning 32 of the 47 seats in the country’s General Assembly. The outgoing party, the Druk Phuensum

Dr Amar Gopal Bose

house, as their distinguished son was later to recall, was filled with the sounds and smells of India. Amar Bose was never shy of expressing pride in his Indian heritage.

MIT career Recognizing Amar’s aptitude for electronics, Noni Gopal borrowed $10,000 to send him to the famed Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where Amar Bose acquired his Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD degrees. He was to become an inspirational teacher at MIT for 45 years until his retirement in

Bhutan election

Tshogopa (DPT) took the remaining 16 seats. Indo-Bhutan relations were strained under the previous dispensation and the subject became the heart of the election campaign. The DPT government’s approaches to China, despite India’s strategic concerns, and its acceptance of a British consul in the country didn’t go well in New Delhi, which cut its LPG subsidy to Bhutan.

Much of the credit for the PDP success has been attributed to Mr Tobgay, a former civil servant. His pro-India stance gelled with the views of the Bhutan’s Monarchy. Democracy has enthused rural Bhutan in particular (Hindu, Times of India July 14)

Bose sound silent Amar Gopal Bose, the IndianAmerican entrepreneur whose revolutionary sound systems are marketed by the Bose Corporation, died, aged 83, at

2001. “His class gave me the courage to tackle high-risk problems….Amar Bose taught me how to think,” said Dr William Brody, Head of the Salk Institute.

Epitaph Today, Amar Bose’s sound systems are used in Staples Center.

Los Angeles, in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel and the Masjid-al Haram, the Grand Mosque in Mecca, and in millions of homes across the world. He was the first Indian to create a global brand, opined Infosys CEO Narayan Murthy. Retaining control of his $2 billion Bose Corporation, Amar Gopal Bose wrote his own best epitaph.

“I would have been fired a hundred times at a company run

by MBAs. But I never went into business (simply) to make money. I went into business so that I could do interesting things that had never been done before.”

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 20th July 2013

Prabhu D opens up

Veteran actor Pran passes away Veteran Bollywood actor Pran, who played the dreaded villain and lovable character with elan in hits like 'Milan', 'Madhumati', 'Bobby', 'Zanjeer' and 'Ram Aur Shyam', passed away at a suburban hospital in Mumbai at the age of 93.

"He died after a spell of prolonged illness," his daughter Pinky said. He was admitted to Lilavati hospital a month ago after his health started deteriorating, she said. His funeral was held at Shivaji Park in Dadar. The veteran actor, who had a six-decade-long career that saw him performing in over 400 films, was conferred India’s highest cinema honour -- Dada Saheb Phalke award -- in April.

Pran left his imprint as a villain with powerful roles in films like 'Kashmir ki Kali', 'Khandaan', 'Aurat', 'Bari Behen', 'Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai', 'Half Ticket', 'Upkar', 'Purab Aur Paschim', 'Don' 'Karz' and 'Naseeb'.

Born on February 12 in 1920 in old Delhi, Pran Krishan Sikand was educated at places like Kapurthala, Unnao, Meerut, Dehradun and Rampur as his father Lala Kewal Krishnan Sikand was in government service.

Initially, Pran wanted to become a photographer but destiny had different plans for him. A chance meeting with a film producer got him his first break in Punjabi film 'Yamla Jat' in 1940.

There was no looking back for the actor after that as he went on to star in films like 'Chaudhary' (1941), 'Khandan' (1942), 'Kaise Kahun' (1945) and 'Badnami (1946).

After Partition, Pran came to Mumbai with his wife Shukla and sons Arvind and Sunil but found it difficult to get work as an actor in the city of dreams. Pran had almost given hope when writer Saadat Hasan Manto helped him get a role in Dev Anand starrer 'Ziddi' in 1948 which revived his career.

He will be forever remembered for bringing villains on par with the heroes, ruling the industry from 1969 to 1982. He commanded equal money and respect for his negative characters in 'Madhumati', 'Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai', 'Ram Aur Shyam' and 'Devdas'.

Aishwarya-Abhishek to come together?

Shekhar Kapur's 1983 directorial venture “Masoom” evoked many emotions amongst the audiences with its heart-rending subject and now it is heard that Abhishek Bachchan and his wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan have been approached for the lead roles in the remake of the film. Reportedly, Himesh Reshammiya has acquired the remake rights of the movie and the film will be directed by Bedabrata Pain, of “Chittagong” fame. The original featured Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi in the lead roles and if everything falls in place then Abhi and Ash will reprise their roles in the remake.

British actress Feryna signs two-movie deal

British-Asian actress Feryna Wazheir, who was last seen in Raj Kanwar's “Sadiyaan,” has signed a two-film deal with iRock Films. While the exact details are not known, It is learnt that both the films are going to be fun, youth-centric and edgy.

She will be seen in a more daring and dynamic avatar. Says Feryna, "This is an exciting time for Indian movies. I am as comfortable working on a serious, independent film as I am with a hip, happening and edgy movie." Apart from numerous commercials and short films, Feryna was part of the theatrical production of the acclaimed play “The Vagina Monologues.”

She has also acted in Ketan Mehta's yetto-be-released “Rang Rasiya.”

Tejaswini to debut in Kollywood Kannada actress Tejaswini Prakash has decided to widen her horizons and branch out into other industries. The actress has been busy shooting for an upcoming bilingual, which will mark her debut in Kollywood and Mollywood. "The movie is ‘Manal Nagaram,’ most of which has been shot in Dubai. Directed by Mollywood actor Shankar, the film will see me paired with Prajin Padmanabhan," says Tejaswini, "We have another schedule left, which will probably be shot in Chennai or Kochi." Meanwhile, she is also set to debut in Tollywood with newbie Sanjay. "It is a love story with a hint of horror. I play a Botany student in the film, which will be directed by Subramanya Padiyala," she says.

Actor Ram Charan has recen turned vegetarian. And no, t has nothing to do with healt lifestyle reasons. He spoke about the reason for turning vegetarian. "I got a dog as a from my wife Upasna, on m birthday on 27 March this y The first time I saw this pup there was a sense of comfor and positive vibe instantly. I was named Brat. I loved him immensely. Recently, Brat sustained a fracture and we to get a rod inserted in his l It was devastating for me to watch him in pain. I just wa him to get well soon and too mannat that till he was up a running, I would give up no vegetarian food. His rod wa removed a few days back, bu am waiting for him to recov fully and run again. I will gi up anything for him to be fi

‘Ramaiya Vastavaiya’ – a romantic movie “Ramaiya Vastavaiya” is an upcoming Bollywood romantic film directed by Prabhu Deva. The film introduces producer Kumar Taurani's son Girish Kumar, opposite Shruti Haasan. It will be a remake of Prabhu Deva's directorial debut Telugu blockbuster “Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana” which in turn was inspired by the 1980s romantic cult movie ‘Maine Pyaar Kiya.”

“Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana” was also unofficially remade in Nepali as “Pharkera Herda” (The Flashback) in 2010. It was also remade into Tamil with the title “Unakkum Enakkum” and also in Bengali which was called “I Love You.” The theatrical trailer of the film was uploaded on 25 April 2013 and is expected to release on 19 July 2013. The story will be based on youngster Ram (Girish Kumar) who falls in love with Sona (Shruti Haasan), who is his cousin's best friend and lives on the fields of Punjab. He follows her to her farm, where her elder brother (Sonu Sood) challenges him to produce more seed on their fields.

The first song promo of the film was released on 10 May 2013, under the title of "Jeene Laga Hoon", sung by Atif Aslam and Shreya Ghoshal. All songs of this album are composed by Sachin-Jigar. Prabhu Deva made a special appearance in song "Jaadu Ki Jhappi."

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Deva finally p on Nayanthara

ntly this th or

g

gift y year. p; t It m

The much-hyped relationship of actress Nayanthara and directoractor-choreographer Prabhu Deva came to an end quite sometime back with both parting ways.

The couple split up when they were on the verge of getting married causing frenzy as no one knew the reason and neither did they clear the airs. After more than a year now, Prabhu Deva has opened up quite recently that whatever happened was because of God's will and the fate cast upon them by God. If it was meant to be, then it should have given him enormous happiness, else he has agreed to the fact it was not meant to be and his immense belief in God has made him realize not to ponder over the past, and whatever happened is for the best.

Ram Charan turns vegetarian for his dog

A

ctress Kareena Kapoor has been approached to design a signature denim collection that will be called "Bebo" for an international couture brand. The 32-year-old actress, who has always received a thumbsup from fashion critics on home turf, has caught the eye of an international couture brand that has approached Kareena to design a signature line of denims, a statement said.

The actress will have her signature denim

Ranveer Singh’s family keeps him grounded

had eg. o anted ok a and ons ut I ver ve ne."

Mary Kom biopic: Priyanka training hard Actress Priyanka Chopra is training hard for the Mary Kom biopic, but her trainer says he doesn't want her to build extra muscles and ruin her femininity.

Priyanka, 30, plays the Olympic bronze medalist in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film, being directed

by Omung Kumar. Physical trainer Samir Jaura, who is working with Priyanka to get the right look for the character, said : "We are working on building her muscles, but I don't want her to build extra muscles. I want her curves to get the right look, and not ruin the femininity." Jaura vouches for Priyanka's hard work and dedication. "Priyanka was very close to her father. When he passed away (June 10), I thought it will not be easy for her to come out of it, and the film will get delayed. But she is highly professional and she joined back within eight days and started working hard to get the right look," he said.

line in some of the biggest stores abroad, it said. "Kareena was approached by the brand as her appearances have impressed several people. Whenever Kareena has associated herself with a fashion or health initiative it has always gone to be very successful. Apart from that she is always impeccably dressed and has international appeal, qualities that the brand is looking for," a source added. Kareena lends her face and name to 22 brands.

R

anveer Singh says that after tasting success early in his career there have been moments when stardom got to him, but the actor credits his family for keeping him grounded. Ranveer started his acting career with 2010 hit "Band Baaja Baaraat" and then went on to do "Ladies vs Ricky Bahl". The 28-year-old actor's recent release 'Lootera' has also been appreciated. The actor's father scolds him whenever he tends to act "bratty".

"I have a very close knit nuclear family that is very frank and blunt with me, especially my father. I will admit, there have been occasions where my father has scolded me saying, 'What are you doing? Why are you behaving like this? You are getting really bratty!'. He keeps me in check."

And then I have two best buddies since the age of 13-14. They are just what real friends do, keep criticising my work and never let me fly high. They make me feel like just another guy. When you have such close people you can never lose your mind," Ranveer said in an interview.

The actor says he does not care about stardom and plans to stick around in the industry for a very long time. "What I hope for myself in terms of the career I want and the sort of contributions I want to make to the films, stardom doesn't really matter then. I know where I have to reach so I am not looking at what is happening around me but just concentrating on work," he said. Ranveer insists he wants to be part of significant cinema just like Aamir Khan.

Katrina, Deepika both vying to work with Ranbir?

A

few months ago, there were speculations that Katrina Kaif will be doing Imtiaz Ali's next with her boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor.

However, it was denied by the actress. It was then reported that Ranbir's former girlfriend Deepika Padukone has been approached for the project.

Strong buzz of Deepika's casting started after her onscreen pairing with Ranbir was highly lauded in the smash hit “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.” It was also attributed to the actress' comfort level and equation with her “Love Aaj Kal” director, Imtiaz.

Now, news of Katrina being the chosen one is being talked about. One source revealed, "She hasn't signed the film as yet, but Kat will be doing Imtiaz's film. Ranbir is keen on working with her as well."

Imtiaz remained unavailable for comment.

However, when asked if Kat has been zeroed in for the film, Sajid Nadiadwala, who's producing the film reverted, "No, not true."

About Deepika, he added, "No one has been finalised."

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 20th July 2013

Financial Voice Dear Financial Voice Reader,

I write to you before my travels begin again. I’ve just booked flights to India, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Jordan and Jerusalem. This morning in my BBC Newspaper review I was asked about China. So even before my travels let me give you what I think is happening with the global economy: China’s slowing growth does not worry us in the West because it is controlled slowing and intentional.

India’s falling Rupee is a good time to spend in India and invest in India. It is a temporary problem and a warning to the Government that its days are number and the world has lost confidence in the Indian government’s ability to do the right thing for the economy.

Britain’s focus on cutting waste and spending on essential public investment and infrastructure will and is paying dividends, albeit slow and small ones for now.

Europe as the Prime Ministers of the countries have mentioned is in debt but coming slowly out of it and things look hopeful that so many disparate countries work so well together – for the first time in their history.

The US is growing yet again and they have said they will continue QE. So little wonder the market again hit an all time high. I kept being asked by people why I didn’t say to just sell in May and go away. And I explained this is an exceptional and unusual year – one in which we should hold on because the markets will be stronger than normal. And it has proved to be the case. Stocks are a strong investment for at least end of the year as a general rule because companies as a whole are profiting form the discipline they learnt during the credit crunch.

I could talk about Japan, Russia, Brazil, but let’s face it, if you have exposure to US, Europe, you have enough exposure generally surely to the world’s markets. I was in Moscow last year and I cannot say I was filled with confidence. The economy seems just too tied up in the hands of the few.

What of India then? Presently I like USA and India for a 5 year period. You can make all the arguments you want as to why I may be wrong, but the US focus on growth does not let you down, and India’s change of government will give a boost to the markets.

Are there other major changes we need to worry about? Not really presently. We will have debt concerns next year, concerns about bubbles, but for now, as Gold falls, you know the worlds is more confident in putting its money into more risky assets. www.alpeshpatel.com

Manmohan backs 100 % FDI in telecom sector In a bid to send a strong message to global investors, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has backed the finance ministry and industry department's plan to raise foreign direct investment (FDI) ceiling in telecom to 100%, besides allowing overseas flows into several sectors without prior government approval.

The list of sectors where companies will be allowed to invest through the so-called automatic route includes oil and gas refining, courier and commodity and power exchanges, sources familiar with the discussions said.

The plan to go ahead with a higher cap for telecom is seen as crucial with PMO having to deal with security concerns in the sector raised by the home ministry along with defence and space. The move on telecom can set the tone for more liberal limit in defence production. Although defence minister A K Antony has opposed higher foreign investment in defence, citing vulnerabilities, he has

left the door open for allowing over 26% FDI backing in case-to-case clearances by the cabinet committee on security (CCS).

Officers argued that the industry department's plan also follows the caseto-case model as the Foreign Investment Promotion Board, an inter-ministerial panel, will take a call with proposals beyond Rs 12 billion going to the Cabinet.

In addition, sources said the PM is keen on pushing the pension and insurance bills, where the government wants to allow 49% foreign investment in the two financial sectors that can tap into long-term savings and help fund infrastructure.

The decision on FDI liberalization was taken during a meeting between Singh and finance minister P Chidambaram and signals the government's keenness to initiate steps to stem the slide of the rupee, which for the first time crossed the 61 mark against the dollar last week.

RBI move to shore up rupee hits stocks & bonds India's boldest attempt yet to stem a rout in the rupee delivered only a modest lift in the currency but sent bond and stock prices tumbling on Tuesday, sparking concern that the unexpected measures inflict too much pain for limited gain.

Late on Monday, the Reserve Bank of India raised short-term borrowing costs, restricted funds banks could access and said it would drain cash from the market via a 120 billion rupees bond sale as it sought to create demand for the rupee, which hit a record low last week.

The steps make it harder to speculate in the rupee and are intended to attract foreign inflows

needed to fund a record current account deficit, but markets were not convinced.

"The best case or what we are all hoping for is that these are short term measures purely to drive home a point, that it does not endanger growth in the long term," said Ananth Narayan, co-head of wholesale banking for South Asia at Standard Chartered Bank.

While the central bank stopped short of an outright policy rate hike, its moves will still raise funding costs for firms that are already facing the slowest economic growth in a decade.

The Nifty fell 1.6 per cent, dragged by sharp

losses in banks and nonbanking financial firms that most access shortterm funds. Yes Bank shares fell 8.5 per cent while IDFC fell 7.5 per cent.

Benchmark 10-year bond yields surged as much as 50 basis points to their highest since December 31, and shortterm rates also jumped.

"These measures are intended to quell speculation or excessive speculation in the forex market, trying to reduce volatility in forex market," finance minister P. Chidambaram said.

"These measures should not be read as a prelude to any policy rate changes," he said.

MoneyGram funds transfer service now on mobile devices

MoneyGram, a leading global money transfer company, announced an agreement with Lebara Mobile, one of Europe’s leading mobile telecoms operators, to offer real-time MoneyGram transfer services over the Lebara Money mobile and web solutions.

MoneyGram’s money transfer platform is now integrated within the Lebara Money iPhone and Android mobile payment platform solutions and the Lebara Money website, enabling customers in the United Kingdom and soon, in Spain, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland , to send international transfers from a mobile phone to more than 320,000

MoneyGram locations in 198 countries worldwide.

By downloading the Lebara Money iPhone or Android apps from the iTunes and Android stores, or visiting Lebara Money online, Lebara customers can directly connect to MoneyGram’s convenient and secure mobile remittance services global network. The real-time transfer services can be used 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to provide our European customers with easily accessible

transfer services though Lebara’s smart phone apps,” said Carl Scheible, executive vice president, Europe, Africa and Emerging Channels, MoneyGram. “Our agreement gets us yet another step closer to our goal of linking with fast and reliable mobile and web services that give our customers even more flexibility when sending money to loved ones nearby or overseas.”

Lebara and MoneyGram signed a multi-year contract for the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Denmark, and Switzerland.

Lebara Money services will help provide a global consumer audience with funds transfer options.

N9 FX intervention: The rupee gained to 59.43/44 per dollar from a close of 59.89/90. Last week, it fell to a record low of 61.21 and is down nearly 10 per cent since the start of May, the worst showing among emerging Asian currencies.

"The central bank, presumably reluctant to use up too many foreign exchange reserves, clearly felt it had to show a stronger intent to put a floor under the rupee," Credit Suisse economist Robert Prior-Wandesforde wrote.

Regulators have also tried to clamp down on speculative trading by focusing on onshore derivative markets.

India’s inflation quickens in June India's headline inflation picked up for the first time in four months in June, driven by higher food prices, adding to the economic challenges facing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government and reducing the odds of an early national election.

Monday's data comes on the heels of a surprise contraction in industrial output, a fall in exports and higher retail inflation, suggesting that a firm recovery from the worst downturn in a decade is still far-off. A global sell-off has made the rupee currency the worstperforming emerging Asian currency so far this year. It hit an all-time low of 61.21 per dollar last week and is down more than 8 per cent against the dollar so far this year.

Fukhera Khalid - one of top 100 most influential Asian businessmen in UK

Fukhera Khalid, managing director of Elbrook Cash & Carry business, has been listed as one of the top 100 most influential Asian businessmen of UK. Fukhera was earlier awarded as “The business person of the year 2011”

by ABPL Group, the publishers of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar. He started his business 28 years ago when he was just 16 and is now a member of the Grocer’s Top 30 Elite Wholesalers. He started with just with a small warehouse in Mitcham and over the past 25 years Elbrook has become one of the top 30 wholesalers in the country with an annual turnover of over £100 million.

In 2005, Khalid also launched Chak 89 - a restaurant that has become a favourite destination of

Fukhera Khalid

many of the Bollywood celebrities. The restaurant serves Punjabi, Pakistani, South Indian, Sri Lankan, Afrikan Carribean and Gujarati cuisines. The success and popularity of Chak 89 has also resulted in Asda partnering with the brand to launch instore take-away outlets for their customers. The roots

of the business lay in Essex and East London with early depots in Stratford and Barking before the business expanded to Mitcham in 1993.

Elbrook exports beers and spirits to Europe, with France a key market.

Overseas sales climbed to £13.8m last year. Khalid is British citizen and was born in 1968. Elbrook celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2010. The core of the business revolves around extremely competitive pricing and excellent customer service. Elbrook specializes in beers, wines, spirits, confectionery and tobacco – has a healthy Retail Club – and prides itself on its excellent relationship with both suppliers and loyal customers.

Khalid and his wife Sajida has 4 teenage children – their second son –

Imran – was diagnosed with Autism in 1994. In 2010 while celebrating the 25th anniversary of Elbrook, Khalid supported Autism Anglia in a substantial way by raising of £25,000 from a series of events over the year.

Awards: Elbrook has won the ‘Today’s Member of the Year Award’ 2012.

Khalid has won the Entrepreneur of the Year Award at World Food Awards in 2012. Elbrook has won the Best Wholesaler Award in 2011. Khalid was awarded as ‘The business person of the year 2011’ by The Asian Voice Political and Public Life Awards. Chak 89 was awarded as restaurant of the year 2012.

Khalid was runner-up in the prestigious Lloyds TSB Asian Jewel Business Awards in 2003.

finAnciAl Voice

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 20th July 2013

19

Continued….. Strength In Numbers Following on from last week’s article.....

Suresh Vagjiani Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

We originally bought the property 308 Kilburn High Rd (made up of 18 self-contained studios and one bedrooms) along with 50 Palmerston Rd (5 large flats) at £2.675m, which was several thousand pounds less than the offer which was going through. We managed to close the deal out of speed and commitment and beat the other party.

We managed to get several investors in on the deal and therefore had to make sure there was a proper structure in place to protect everyone, and everything had to be predefined in advance. Actually the structure ended up being more complicated than the deal; property I understand, clever corporate documents I do not.

We were advised that the best vehicle to do this deal in was a limited partnership. Not just this but three other companies had to be involved in order for this to be compliant with current rules governing collective investment schemes.

And each had to have a document defining the relationship between each other as well as the operating company which would look after all the monies invested.

This was a steep learning curve with little time involved to understand it all. However we did not compromise on the advice we received, we used one of the best fund management lawyers in the country, currently they are setting up funds for the UK government. I may not fully understand this corporate side but I’m pretty sure they do.

On e t hin g I have learn t is you cannot co mpro mise on the fou ndations, which in this case are the docu ments which defin e and bind t he deal t oget her. The n you can con ce ntrat e o n t he d eal and no t be distracte d by o ther side issue s.

When the structure was set up we went out to the market to try and get funding in place in time for completion. This however became problematic for two reasons: one was the structure, it was too clever for most lending companies on the market, they just didn’t get it; for many it was a learning curve; the other reason was all the lenders had a point blank policy of wanting Personal Guarantees.

I thought the second reason was simply unfair. We had bought this property at roughly half price, and we were only asking the lender to lend 50% of the purchase price so it has a very low exposure to the project. The investors are not in charge of the project we are, so how can they insist on a personal guarantee? I did not even propose this to the investors to consider. If the lenders really wanted the business then they would need to step outside of their box and take an intuitive decision on the deal. Many chose not to.

However one agreed and luckily they used a strong legal firm who were able to understand the structure and reasons why it was set up in this way.

We went with this lender, along with another one who was happy to go along without the personal guarantees as a backup; much like an insurance policy.

So we had two separate valuations done. The first company gave us a valuation of £3m as it is, this was very surprising as the first objective of a valuer is NOT to value the property, but for them to cover themselves for any future liability claims, the same goes for lawyers. Normally they do not extend themselves further than the purchase price. The fact they did shows they really did believe in the deal; this was a strong confirmation we had caught a good deal. Not just this they stated the breakup value on this deal if we were to sell it piece by piece was £4.2m.

at the deal the less I was inclined to resell this property, the reason being in addition to it having a lot of equity in it, it is a cash cow. Normally in property there is a trade off, in either equity or capital growth. This one seemed to have the best of both worlds.

Rather than looking to resell as soon as possible and cash in there is another way, and this is to refinance; pull out the original injection of funds, and then hold on to the asset.

The rental we discovered was in the region of £260,000, net of management costs. Once the property is tidied up we can look to refinance at the valuation of the property and not the purchase price. If we go by a valuation figure of £4m - which is not unreasonable, a high street lender will lend 70% of the valuation, this equates to £2.8m which is roughly the purchase price allowing for costs. Allowing 6% as an interest rate the cost of funding will be £156,000, this will mean the investors will get all / most of their money back and then enjoy a passive income for the rest of their lives. Perhaps we never sell this asset and keep refinancing it say every 7 10 years, and simply enjoy the passive income.

If this asset increases even 5% per annum this equates to an uplift of £200k, this is after the initial money has been extracted from the deal.

A housing association is desperate to get their hands on this deal, they have grant money to throw at us in exchange for taking this property on for a period of ten years. Normally housing associations and councils are a pain to deal with and require constant chasing, with these guys it was the other way around; they were hounding me to the point where as soon as we completed they were there at the property within an hour of completion, this being their fourth visit to the property.

I feel it is prudent to give only one of the buildings to the association rather than both of the buildings, this way the other one can stay open and flexible, so if we wish for whatever reason to resell we are able to. The blocks can be vacated within 6 to 12 months, so if for example we have any issues raising finance in the future this part can be disposed of easier and the other be held in cash with no funding.

This is not all there is to the deal, though even if it was this would be enough. But we are greedy people and this is what we get paid to be. We see a possible planning angle in this; we feel the property has not been fully utilised, there are another two floors to be got from this building, and the front part can be brought out to the street level.

We also aim, by hook or by crook, to purchase the freehold of the property. This will be via a nice request, if this is not reciprocated our lawyer has already etched another plan to extract the freehold from the current owner using what’s called collective enfranchisement.

The future planning will add at least £1m to the building. We will focus on this more once the building has been let and refinanced.

We were able to get this level of discount due to our ability to move fast and raise funds. It made more sense for an individual investor to enter into this type of collective deal rather than go alone as there is power in being part of a herd. This means there is more money for each of the investors than what they could have achieved going alone. Also this has all been done without personal guarantees, which means your investment will never effect your other assets. This is not the case when you sign your own mortgage form; many people do not realise that even if they are purchasing a BTL property they are giving a personal guarantee.

We are currently working on a similar investment, so if you like what you read please give the office a call.

It would be very difficult for each of the investors to find a deal which is basically half price individually, through the power of the collective this kind of deal can be executed; with the right structure and protection in place.

The lenders had their own lawyers who progressed fast on the deal, however our backup lender's lawyers didn’t get very far at all they had trouble understanding the structure and basically didn’t move on from first base! Luckily they were only our back up lender.

The initial aim was to break up and resell. However the more I looked

The Real Deal Rare opportunity in Ealing, London, W5 Purchase Price: £650k l l l l l

Residential building in prime location Can be converted into three flats Refurbishment costs will be approximately £60k We expect the end value to be £900k Close to proposed Crossrail station

Call us now to reserve!!

We provide a turnkey solution. Contact us now:

Specialists in Central London Property Sourcing

0207 993 0103 info@sowandreap.co.uk

www.sowandreap.co.uk

55 Bryanston Street, Marble Arch Tower, London, W1H 7AA Follow us online:

Sowandreapuk

SowandReapProperties

Tips of the Week l People are often surprised with how much property they can purchase; £100,000 can buy you £400,000 of property, this is through the principle of gearing. Also, if you join a team your purchasing power will increase further, remember unity is strength. l The speed with which you make decisions and commit to them will ensure you get deals time and time again.

20

UK

Maria Fernandes

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 20th July 2013

9 Indian companies in list of ‘International Track 200’ by ‘The Sunday Times’

maria@abplgroup.com

Setting the Income Threshold too High Breaches Article 8 recent High Court case has found that the new A income threshold of

£18,600 set by the Home Office to be an unjustified and disproportionate interference with a genuine spouse relationship under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. There was significant evidence collated to indicate that the variations in salary in different areas meant that in some areas a person would not be able to reach the minimum salary. The Judge compared this case to a case which declared the age requirement to be unlawful. In that case he noted that at least a person could hope to qualify if they waited to turn 21. In this case there was little prospect of the applicant earning the required amount thus preventing them from being joined with their spouse.

He found that this was particularly difficult to understand this where it concerned British citizens who have a right to live in the UK. He compared EU citizens who can come and live in the UK without any restrictions whilst British citizens were excluded from their spouses joining them. The point on British citizenship has been made before in a case involving children and this case asserts the importance of this right to adults as well.

The points that were made in brief were: 1. That the Home Office had rejected the lowest amount set by the Migration Advisory Committee, a figure of £13,400 which is the equivalent of a 40 hour week on the minimum salary. Of 422 occupations listed in the 2011 UK Earnings Index only 301 were above the minimum income threshold of £18,600. As the judge pointed out, the executive can hardly say that the minimum wage is an inad-

equate sum to provide a basic standard of living.

To deny entry of spouses, it was stated, was to deny many young people and low wage earners in full time employment the ability to be joined by their spouses unless “they happen to have wealthy relatives or have won the lottery.” The Court suggests that the Government consider lowering the threshold to £13,500 or thereabouts.

2. The requirement of £16,000 before savings can be taken into account is too onerous a requirement and that a more reasonable approach is to consider all savings available.

3. Disregarding credible and reliable evidence of third party support. Cases had already established over several years that third party support could be taken into account.

4. Disregarding the spouses own earning capacity. The Court suggested that the Home Office could take account of the earning capacity of the spouse and/or the undertakings of third parties.

The Home Office response is to “pause” decision making on “some” spouse/partner applications whilst they consider the implications of the judgment. They have been granted permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal. For now, what it will mean is that a number of applications will be delayed for months whilst the case is brought before the Court of Appeal. Watch this space for further developments.

Maria Fernandes has been in practice exclusively in immigration for the past 28 years. Fernandes Vaz is based at 87 Wembley Hill Road Wembley in Wembley and can be contacted by telephone on 02087330123, by email on info@fernandesvaz.com.

India’s forex reserves hit 3-year low of $ 280 bn The recent pullout by FIIs has begun to show on India's foreign exchange reserves, which fell almost $ 4.5 billion in the first week of the month to a three-year low of $280 billion on July 5. The data, released by RBI, coincided with a meeting convened by chief economic advisor Raghuram Rajan, where various fund raising options, including a sovereign bond issue, were suggested by bankers.

"They (banks have

given) us a lot of suggestions, including sovereign bond issue. All options are on the table and we will examine as and when the need comes," Rajan told media after the meeting.

Foreign exchange reserves are at their lowest level since the week-ended July 16, 2010. They are sufficient to cover imports of a little over six months, prompting the government to discuss various options with foreign banks.

3 companies belong to Gujaratis: Harshadbhai Patel’s Interport at No 17 This is the most critical time when the whole nation is going through hard phase of recession; there are few companies that still stand progressive and expand day by day. In fact this period is worst in last 60 years, but there are companies that are not affected and grown big with the times. It becomes a matter of pride to find that there are such topmost companies that are growing by leaps & bounds. Such 200 highly progressive top companies get listed in “International Track 200” by ‘The Sunday times’. Out of such 200 companies, nine of them are owned, run or managed by Indians is quite commendable.

The 200 companies listed this year are such that has made tremendous growth in last two years.

There are 34 companies in the list that has made growth in three figures, approximately growth of 44 %. That sums up to business of almost £8.2 billion. As many as 130,000 people are working in these companies and 31,000 new employment opportunities were created in last two years. Of these companies, 44 are in engineering, 40 in consumer goods, 31 in TMT, 22 in business services, 16 in transport, 15 in food & drink, 11 in building, 7 in laser and other fields.

Most of the companies trade in Europe & America whereas 88% companies do their business in China, Indonesia & Turkey. But now they feel it will be more profitable to trade with India, Brazil and China as of now.

In list of Fast track, the first position is given to energy efficiency specialist Mark Group which has international sales growth

513.39% per annum.

Indian/Asian companies listed Interport - Harshadbhai Patel: At no 17, this company is South London’s Pharmaceuticals wholesaler totaled £103.72 million in sale, AAISG 134.14%,IS £75.38 mn consist a staff of 80 people and is being managed by 70 –year- old Harshadbhai. He supplies pharmaceuticals to Europe, Dubai and Angola, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and now expanding in Africa and South America.

Harshadbhai originally Malataj, is from Gujarat, born in Machkos in Kenya and is educated in Pharmacy.

Freeworld Trading Sanjoy Das: At no 26, the company is wholesaler in dried fruits and nut and is situated in Edinburough.

The turnover of the company is £71.58 million AAISG 106.37%, IS 23.3mn and employs just 19 people who are fluent with as many as 12 languages. In 1995, the company was founded by 57year- old Chairman Sanjoy Das. Elbrook Cash and Carry - Fukhera Khalid: At no 40, the South London’s company of alcoholic drinks exports to Europe and total sale of £129.21 million, AAISG 88.62%, IS £13.76 mn. Has staff of 66 employees. Co’s managing director Kukhera Khalid had started Cash & Carry business at a very young age of 16 and within some time they started exporting Bear & wine in all of France & Europe.

Very popular Indian restaurant Chak 86 restaurant also belong to this group. Elbrook Cash and Carry & Chak 86, both have received prestigious ‘Asian Acheivers Award’ and many other awards.

Vohkus - Richi Sharma:

At no 68, the Hampshire company of hardware reseller firm Vohkus has total sale £736.79 mn, AAISG 66.04, IS £2.34 mn and with staff of 83 employees. Company managed by 43- year- old cofounder Richi Sharma.

Uneek Clothing - Raja & Nasir Khan: At no 70, the North West London clothing distributor company Uneek Clothing has total sale of £30 mn, AAISG 64.93, IS £ 1.87 mn and has staff of 75 employees. The company is being managed by brothers Raja & Nasir Khan.

Sells clothing materials to wholesalers and distributors in France and Germany using telesales teams based in London.

Ardour World Sandeep Goyal & Ashish Chowdhary: At no 86, the North-western London company of metal business has total sale £64.98 mn, AAISG 55.78, IS £ 64.98mn. Has staff of 10 employees. Deals with various types of metals and scrap, it was founded by Sandeep Goyal (41) and Ashish Chowdhary (34).

Has set up a subsidiary in Hong Kong to manage sales across Asia.

P&B Foods Thakorbhai Patel and Mohinder Bhatau: At No 97, the Bradford Food wholesaler firm P&B Foods has total sale of £38.32mn, AAISG 49.54, IS £ 3.30mn. Has staff of 97 employees. Managed by Thakorbhai Patel (73) and Mohinder Bhatau. And Hira, Rista, Bala & family exports Indian foods & Asian grocery to EU countries.

Arrowedge - Ulash Patel: At no 111, the Poole company of Pharmaceuticals wholesaler Arrowedge firm AAISG 43.68 IS £31.4 mn and total sale £45.67

mn and has staff of 48 employees. Before 31 years, the company was established by Ulash Patel and family. Ulash patel is originally from Uttrasanda, migrated from kampala-Uganda to UK. He is son of Shri Mahendrabhai patel.

SERT-MST - Sabir Tayub: At no 131, the toiletries wholesaler firm SERT-MST AAISG 37.90%, IS £18.60 mn and total sale £120.11 mn. It has staff of 123 employees.

The company was established by Sabir Tayub in 2002.

Sun Mark - Rami Ranger: At no 162, the West London consumer product wholesaler firm Sun Mark AAISG 32.31, IS £128.60 mn and total sale £142.34 mn and staff of 55 employees.

Originally from Punjab of Pakistan, Remy Ranger is self-made person, achieved success and the company was established in 1995. Last year, did 90% of its business in foreign countries. Prosperous in Middle East & African countries, Unilever, Heinz and own product sold through Sun Mark. Remy Ranger has been honoured by Asian Achiever’s Award, Maharani’s Queens Award and other awards.

The topmost 200 companies that has made tremendous growth & expansion are researched & listed by Fast track, from which Indian-Asian companies are listed here.

In order to get a place in this list of topmost companies, private companies have to show maximum sale in International market. Oxford based Fast Track organizes networking dinner for Britain’s topmost companies Owners & Directors.

Scottish mountaineer launches Lanka’s first adventure travel company Moonstone Expeditions specialises in trekking, mountain biking and surfing itineraries which take full advantage of the country’s unique and beautiful terrain. The company is underpinned by an ethical approach that gives prominence to respect for the environment and making a contribution to the local economy.

With full-time staff in Glasgow and Sri Lanka, the company can call upon a wealth of local knowledge to take in all the highlights and uncover the hidden gems, which are off the beaten track.

All expeditions are led by locals who help visitors get to the heart of Sri Lanka’s culture, heritage

Iain Mackay

and landscape – taking in everything from dense jungle and ancient temples to unspoilt tropical beaches.

Moonstone director Iain Mackay said: “We’ve

developed a deep understanding and passion for Sri Lanka through living, working and travelling throughout the island and we want to share this with others. As the only com-

pany specialising exclusively in adventure travel here, we pride ourselves on being the Sri Lanka experts who take a responsible approach to offering once in a lifetime experiences.”

Kate Hathway, operations manager added: “You can trek through misty highlands, cycle through tea plantations and rice paddies or surf world class breaks by topical beaches – Sri Lanka really has it all.”

Moonstone offer fully guided itineraries of between five and 12 days starting from only £649 (excluding flights). For further information please visit www.moonstoneexpeditions.com

finAnciAl voice

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 20th July 2013

21

Foreign Exchange Paresh Davdra is the Dealing Director of RationalFX, Currency Specialists.

UK GDP Forecasts Upwards A very quiet week for the UK in terms of data left the pound at the mercy of its counterparts.

The only significant information from the UK resulted in a mixed bag of results. Firstly the industrial and manufacturing production figures failed to meet expectations. This saw the pound lose ground on Tuesday against all of its major peers.

Shortly after this announcement, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research revised the UK GDP forecasts upwards for the first time in over a year. This statement helped the pound regain some of its losses.

The UK had further support after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) published their Global Economic Forecasts and improved the UK’s outlook stating that 0.9% growth for the last half of 2013 (compared to their previous forecast of 0.3%) should be achievable. This was actually the first time since April 2012 that the IMF has raised the expectations of the UK economy. This announcement however did come with a caveat as IMF chief Thomas Helbling went on to say that the economic recovery in the UK is weak.

The fragile nature of Europe

was highlighted once again as conflicting statements from officials of the European Central Bank (ECB) surfaced. Jorg Asmussen, stated that the ECB’s forward guidance actually goes beyond the 12 months previously stated by the head of the ECB, Mario Draghi. The ECB quickly issued a correction of this statement as it contradicted Mario Draghi’s comments from last week. However reading between the lines, this correction hardly drew a line in the sand as the ECB stated that guidance will go on for an extended period rather than alluding to a specific timeframe.

The US dollar continued to strengthen for the third week in a row until Wednesday night when the Federal Reserve

released the minutes from its June monetary policy meeting.

In short Bernanke’s comments supported sustained fiscal stimulus despite heavily hinting last month that the Fed would consider slowing down their quantitative easing (QE) program towards the end of the year. This move was very hawkish compared to Bernanke’s typical tone as he reverted back to a previous comment he made stating that he wants to see more sustained improvements in the US jobs market before looking at tightening fiscal policy.

Risk appetite picked up instantly as stocks rallied and the dollar weakened with the dollar weakening by 2% against the pound. The dollar’s position was then weakened further as a

couple of hours later, the Bank of Japan announced that its economy was experiencing a moderate recovery and that their own asset purchasing facility would remain in place for the time being. This saw the USDJPY rate slip below 100 once again as the Bank of Japan’s stance gave investor’s confidence that stability of the economy and not just growth was a key priority.

All eyes will once again be on the action taken by central banks’ fiscal policy for hints as to how their respective currencies will perform. The US does appear to have its nose ahead of the UK and euro zone and Ben Bernanke’s speech on economic policy this week should give the market further guidance as to when the Fed would be looking to reduce QE. Current expectations are for the Fed to begin tapering QE as early as September with an end to the program for mid 2014. The Bank of England minutes is also due for release this week and once again the market will be looking for guidance as to what effect newly appointed governor, Mark Carney, will have on stimulus measures for the UK.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 16th July 2013 @ 1pm GBP - INR = 89.40 USD - INR = 59.27 EUR - INR = 77.71 GBP - USD = 1.51 GBP - EUR = 1.15 EUR - USD = 1.31 GBP - AED = 5.54 GBP - CAD = 1.57 GBP - NZD = 1.92 GBP - AUD = 1.64 GBP - ZAR = 14.83 GBP - HUF = 336.43

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

22

Pakistan-Bangladesh-sri lanka

In Focus Graft cases: Zardari may leave Pak after prez term

Islamabad: Asif Ali Zardari is expected to leave Pakistan after completing his term as president on September 8 due to security threats and fears about the reopening of corruption cases, according to a media report. Zardari’s friends have advised him to leave Pakistan because of “serious threats to his life”, the report on the website of the Dawn newspaper quoted sources close to the president as saying. Another “core reason” that could force Zardari to leave the country is corruption cases pending against him, the sources said.

Pak Taliban bans tight & thin clothes during Ramzan

Peshawar: A Pakistani Taliban group banned the use of “tight or thin” clothes both for men and women in the holy month of Ramzan and warned of one month imprisonment for not fasting. The Razdan code of conduct guidelines was issued in a pamphlet after the Mullah Nazir Taliban Group held a Shura meeting in Wana headquarters of South Waziristan Agency. Tight or thin clothes have been banned for both men and women during the holy month, the pamphlet stated. “We warn the shopkeepers and tailors with severe punishments (for violating the rule). Fine up to Rs 50,000 would be imposed on those found guilty,” the pamphlet read.

Bomb 'kills Zardari security chief'

Karachi: The chief security officer of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has been killed in a bomb attack in the port city of Karachi, police say. Bilal Shaikh and two other aides died in the blast, which took place near an office of Zardari's Pakistan People's Party (PPP). Several more people are reported to have been wounded in the explosion. An active member of the PPP, Sheikh was responsible for the safety of Zardari's son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Sheikh had survived an assassination attempt near his home in Karachi about a year ago.

Roadside bomb kills 17 in Afghanistan

Kabul: A roadside bomb struck a motorcycle-drawn cart carrying women and children between two villages in western Afghanistan, killing all 17 people on board, a grim reminder of the dangers facing Afghan civilians ahead of the 2014 withdrawal of foreign combat troops.

International troops already have pulled back into a largely advisory and training role as they try to prepare Afghan soldiers and police to take over their own security.

That effort has been marred by a series of attacks by Afghan troops or insurgents disguised in their uniforms.

Summons issued to Musharraf in Bugti case

Islamabad: A Pakistan court rejected security concerns and directed police to produce former military ruler Pervez Musharraf for the hearing of the murder case of Baloch leader Akbar Bugti on July 30. Police presented initial chargesheets against Musharraf to the anti-terrorism court in southern-western city of Quetta, saying the former ruler could not be presented due to security threats. Judge Muhammad Ismail Baloch accepted the chargesheet but rejected concerns about security and ordered police crime branch department to produce the accused on next hearing, said a lawyer.

3 Christian women paraded naked in Pakistan

Lahore: Over a month after a Muslim landlord allegedly paraded three Christian women naked in Pakistan's Punjab province, a court here has finally taken notice of the matter and directed a judge to investigate the incident. The Lahore high court ordered the district and sessions judge, Kasur, to probe the matter and submit a report within two weeks. The three Christian women were allegedly brutally beaten and then paraded naked by armed men of Muhammad Munir, a local landlord.

www.abplgroup.com - asian Voice 20th July 2013

Lanka bans film on Tamil conflict

Colombo: Sri Lanka has banned a film about the island nation’s ethnic conflict and civil war because it insults the government and its military, a government spokesman said on Monday.

“It’s an illegal film which insults the security forces and the government of Sri Lanka,” said Lakshman Hulugalla, director general of the government’s Media Centre for National Security.

The film, “Flying Fish,” was banned in Sri Lanka because the film’s creators used images of the Sri Lankan military uniform without permission from the Ministry of Defense, said Mr. Hulugalla, adding that legal action will be taken against those

involved in making the film.

The distribution and screening of the film has been stopped in Sri Lanka, he told reporters.

The film directed by Sri Lankan filmmaker Sanjeewa Pushpakumara had its world premiere in 2011. The film weaves together three narra-

Jamaat boss gets 90 years in jail for war crimes Dhaka: The leader of Bangladesh's fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami, who prosecutors likened to Adolf Hitler, was on Monday sentenced to 90 years in jail for masterminding atrocities during the 1971 liberation war in which around 3 million people were killed.

The 91-year-old wheelchair-bound Ghulam Azam, the wartime head of Jamaat and now its spiritual leader, was spared the death penalty because of his age and health.

He was found guilty by the International Crimes Tribunal on five charges, including murder and torture.

Azam was the fifth Jamaat leader to be sentenced for war crimes but his was the most awaited verdict in a country swept by the antifundamentalist Shahbag movement. With the Jamaat calling a general strike in protest, clashes were reported in various parts of Bangladesh. An Awami League functionary and a Jammat activist were reportedly killed.

"Ghulam Azam's case is a unique one. Ghulam Azam was not physically present during these crimes but he has been accused of being the main man and overseer of the war crimes during 1971," Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, chairman of the three-mem-

Ghulam Azam

ber International Crimes Tribunal-1, said.

"He will serve 90 years in jail," the judge added, reading out portions of a 75-page judgment in a packed courtroom. Azam sat through the proceedings stony-faced.

The judge said Azam deserved the death penalty for the crimes he committed in collusion with Pakistani forces but the 90-year jail term was given in view of his age and physical condition. Azam, the court ruled, held "superior responsibility" for atrocities by militias, which he helped create to support the Pakistan Army. "It has been proved that Ghulam Azam was the architect of the militia groups, including Peace Committee, Al Badr and Razakar," Justice Kabir said.

Prosecutors sought the death penalty for Azam, describing him as a "lighthouse" who guided all war criminals.

tives set against the backdrop of the civil war that ended in 2009 when the government forces crushed the Tamil Tiger rebels, who were fighting for a separate state for ethnic minority Tamils. The quarter-century-long civil war killed an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 people.

The director was not immediately available for comment.

Both the Tamil Tigers and government forces have been accused of war crimes during the fighting. A U.N. investigation showed that the ethnic Sinhalese-dominated government might have killed as many as 40,000 Tamil civilians in the war’s final months.

The government denied

that any civilian deaths occurred, but said it would investigate instances of alleged abuses identified by its own war inquiry. A Sri Lankan commission report, released in December 2011, cleared the government forces of wrongdoing.

The government argues that its own investigation should suffice, but international pressure has been growing for an independent investigation into possible war crimes.

In March, the U.N. Human Rights Council approved a U.S.-backed resolution calling on Sri Lanka to more thoroughly investigate alleged war crimes committed by both sides.

Afghan Taliban close Qatar office to protest flag fracas

Islamabad: The Afghan Taliban have closed their office in the Gulf state of Qatar, at least temporarily, to protest the removal of a sign identifying the movement as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, a diplomat and Taliban official said. The office, which opened less than a month ago to facilitate peace talks with the US and Afghan government, has also come under pressure for using the same white flag flown during the Taliban's five-year rule of Afghanistan that ended with the 2001 American-led invasion. Qatar removed the sign and flag last month after Afghan President Hamid Karzai demanded they be taken down.

When the office opened in the Qatari capital of Doha in early June it was seen as the best hope of finding a political end to the protracted 12-year war in Afghanistan that unseated the Taliban and brought Karzai to power. But it was quickly mired in controversy when Karzai protested the name and accused the Taliban of using the occasion to set up a government in exile.

Both the US and Qatar quickly chastised the Taliban and accused them of reneging on a promise to refrain from using either the name or the flag.

Now the office itself has been temporarily closed, a

Taliban official familiar with the talks in Qatar said.

"They (Taliban) do not go out of their homes in Doha and have not gone to the office since the removal of the flag and the plaque," the Taliban official said. He said the Taliban blamed Karzai and the United States for the breakdown in talks, accusing both of using the name and the flag as an excuse.

A diplomat in the region who is also familiar with the negotiations said: "The (Taliban) Political Commission has stopped all international political meetings and is not using the office."

In Doha, the office remained guarded by Qatariappointed security along the outside walls. There were no signs of the flag or former sign. The gates to the compound were open, but there was no evidence of Taliban officials inside. The two Taliban spokesmen at the Doha office did not respond to telephone calls. The Taliban official said all communications with the movement's negotiators have been cut.

Islamic militants leave Pakistan to fight in Syria Islamabad: Suleman spent years targeting minority Shia Muslims in his home country of Pakistan as a member of one of the country's most feared militant groups. Now he is on his way to a new sectarian battleground, Syria, where he plans to join Sunni rebels battling President Bashar Assad's regime.

It is a fight he believes will boost his reward in heaven. The short and stocky Pakistani, who identified himself using only his first name for fear of being targeted by authorities, is one of an increasing number of militants who have left Pakistan for Syria in recent months.

The fighters have contributed to a growing presence of

Islamic extremists and complicated US efforts to help the rebels.

Many fighters like Suleman believe they must help Syria's Sunni majority defeat Assad's Alawite regime - an offshoot of the Shia sect.

Radical Sunnis view Shias as heretics.

The presence of Islamic extremists in Syria looms large over US efforts to help the rebels, especially when it comes to providing weapons that could end up in the hands of America's enemies.

The extremists have also sparked infighting with more secular rebels concerned about the increasing power of the Islamists.

Most of the foreign fight-

ers in Syria are from Arab countries, including al-Qaida militants from Iraq on the rebel side and Hezbollah fighters from Lebanon on the regime's side. The flow of militants from Pakistan adds a new element to that mix.

Pakistani interior ministry spokesman Omar Hamid Khan said provincial authorities throughout Pakistan deny that militants have left the country for Syria. But three Pakistani intelligence officials based in the tribal region that borders Afghanistan, as well as militants themselves, say the fighters leaving Pakistan for Syria include members of alQaida, the Pakistani Taliban and Suleman's group,

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

The fighters fall mainly into two categories. One includes foreign combatants from places like Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and likely the Middle East who came to Pakistan's tribal region to fight US-led forces in neighboring Afghanistan and are now heading to Syria because they view it as the most pressing battle, said the Pakistani intelligence officials, speaking on condition of anonymity.

This group includes members of al-Qaida who trained the Pakistani Taliban in areas such as bomb-making and are now moving on to the battlefield in Syria, said Pakistani Taliban fighters.

world

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 20th July 2013

Opposition storms to power in Bhutan Thimphu: The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) drubbed Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) to capture power in Bhutan’s second general election on Saturday.

PDP is known as an organization whose foreign policy is in alignment with that of the Bhutanese monarchy, which stands for a strong friendship between India and Bhutan.

PDP won 32 seats and DPT 15. The National Assembly, the kingdom’s parliament, has a total of 47 seats. “We’re grateful to the people of Bhutan and will try our best to fulfil their expectations,” PDP secretary-general Sonam Jatsho said. He pledged to sort out all problems with India.

PDP president Tshering Tobgay (47), who contested from Haa in western Bhutan bordering the strategic Chumbi Valley, is likely to be the next prime minister.

Tobgay, an alumnus of Harvard University, is a former civil servant. In the 2008 polls, DPT had

humiliated PDP by winning 45 seats. PDP was founded by Sangay Ngdup, an uncle of former monarch Jigme Singhey Wangchuck (the present monarch’s father). After the defeat, Nhedup quit politics, paving the way for Tobgay to take charge of PDP. PDP’s win came as a big surprise to most Bhutanese. It had won just 12 seats as against DPT’s 33 in the primary election held in May last to choose the two top parties eligible for Saturday’s poll. The kingdom follows a bi-party system. Druk Nyamdrup Tshogpa (DNT), which had won two seats in the

primary round, merged with PDP. DPT had a number of heavyweights, including former PM Jigmi Y Thinley, as its candidates.

Thinley’s family has served the palace for generations. “It was Thinley’s father who had composed our national anthem,” said a journalist. Compared to this, PDP had mostly nominees who were little known in the country. “In 2008, we got just two seats because DPT said we had no experienced leaders,” remarked Jatsho while reviewing the 2008 defeat.

PDP’s chances grew manifold after word spread that India was not happy

with DPT, especially Thinley, when campaigning gained momentum after the preliminary round. This was followed by a bitter argument between the two parties over whether India would help Bhutan implement its 11th five-year plan. Delhi contributes almost 70% of every plan.

Around this time, New Delhi announced cuts in cooking gas and kerosene subsidies for Bhutan, pushing up their prices by two to three times. As panic spread in the kingdom, DPT and PDP decided not to raise India-Bhutan ties during campaigning, which had never happened in the kingdom before.

The main cause of “discord” between India and Bhutan is said to be Thinley’s meeting with then Chinese premier Wen Jiabao in Rio last year without taking India into confidence. Besides, Delhi is also understood to be upset with the DPT government’s decision to establish diplomatic ties with 32 countries in five years.

23

HLH saves life of children Vaishali was 22 years and from Gujarat. She had been born with a heart problem and her parents had been told that not much could be done for her. Vaishali was referred by the Satya Sai organisation to a hospital in Rajkot, where they offered Vaishali an operation.

On the day of surgery Vaishali was taken to the operating theatre and the surgeon felt that nothing he could do will cure her. Luckily for Vaishali, a senior member of the Satya Sai Organisation had worked with a charity before and thought that they may be able to help Vaishali. HEALING LITTLE HEARTS (HLH), a UK based charity that sends teams of doctors and nurses every 6 weeks to the HOLY FAMILY HOSPITAL in MUMBAI to perform heart surgery on patients who are born with heart problems.

A HLH surgeon Mr Premsundar carried out an operation on Vaishali’s heart in February 2013. He was able to correct her heart problem and gave her a clean bill of health to lead a normal life. Vaishali is among 60,000 children born with heart problems in India every year.

HLH also operated on Mr AR Rahman's daughter in May 2010 and was featured by the BBC in November 2011. In November 2102 the Nargis Dutt Charity Trust launched a collaboration with HLH to operate on these desperately ill and desperately poor children. HLH has been operating since 2007 and has operated on nearly 300 children so far. But it is only a drop in the ocean with many thousands more lives to save with your help.

More deadly clashes continue in Egypt

Cairo: Seven people were killed and 261 wounded in overnight clashes in Cairo between supporters of ousted president Mohammed Morsi and security forces.

Two people died in clashes around the central Ramses area near Tahrir Square, while another five were killed in Giza, officials said.

The clashes were the first in Cairo since dozens of Morsi loyalists were shot dead outside an elite military headquarters a week earlier.

Overnight, hundreds of proMorsi demonstrators cut off the October 6 bridge across the Nile.

Security forces fired tear gas to drive them back and some of the protesters responded by hurling rocks.

Before the battles on the bridge, tens of thousands of pro-Morsi protesters gathered outside Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque, where they have rallied for the past two

weeks demanding Morsi's reinstatement.

Egypt's new leaders are pushing ahead with a transition plan for an interim government and fresh elections.

The Muslim Brotherhood has refused to take any role in the new government, arguing Morsi's overthrow was an affront to democracy.

Hours before the clashes, US deputy secretary of state William Burns called for dialogue to replace the violence. "The first priority must

be to end violence and incitement, prevent retribution, and begin a serious and substantive dialogue among all sides and all political parties," he said.

Burns also said Washington had no desire to meddle in Egypt's affairs. "Only Egyptians can determine their future," Burns told reporters in Cairo.

"I did not come with American solutions, nor did I come to lecture anyone. We will not try to impose our model on Egypt."

Burns was speaking after talks with the new leadership, including the army-appointed interim premier Hazem al-Beblawi who is expected to soon announce a new cabinet.

His visit is the first to Egypt by a senior US official since the military toppled Morsi in a popularly backed coup on July 3.

A spokeswoman for the US State Department confirmed Mr Burns had not met any Muslim Brotherhood officials.

Amar Bose, founder of US-based Bose audio firm, dies at 83

Boston: Acoustics pioneer Amar Bose, founder and chairman of the audio technology company Bose Corp, known for the rich sound of its small tabletop radios and its noise-canceling headphones popular among frequent fliers, has died at age 83.

Bose's death was announced on Friday by the company's president, Bob Maresca, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where Bose began his acoustics research and was on the faculty for more than 40 years.

Details about Bose's death weren't immediately available.

Bose founded the company, based in Framingham, just outside Boston, in 1964. Maresca

said the company would remain privately held. "Dr Bose founded Bose Corporation almost 50 years ago with a set of guiding principles centered on research and innovation," Maresca said in a written statement. "That

focus has never changed."

The company's products include elegant Wave system radios boasting "lifelike, room-filling sound," cushioned QuietComfort headphones for reducing background noises such as airplane engines, home theater accessories and computer speakers.

In 2011, Bose gave MIT the majority of Bose Corp stock in the form of nonvoting shares whose dividends are used to support education and research.

MIT does not participate in management or governance of the company.

Bose, who was born and raised in Philadelphia to parents who were natives of India, received his bachelor's degree, mas-

ter's degree and doctorate from MIT, all in electrical engineering.

Bose was asked to join the faculty in 1956, and he accepted with the intention of teaching for no more than two years, the university said. He continued as a member of the MIT faculty until 2001.

The university said Bose made his mark in research and in teaching.

Bose started a research program in physical acoustics and psychoacoustics, leading to the development of patents in acoustics, electronics, nonlinear systems and communication theory.

"As long as there are interesting problems to solve, I'll stay active," Bose said in a 2005 interview.

In Focus US marks 100 years of Sikh arrival

Washington: The US has acknowledged immense contribution of the Sikh community in its socio-economic fabric and cultural milieu as it celebrated the 100 years of the arrival of Bhagat Singh Thind, who led a lifelong battle for the rights of Indians to gain American citizenship. Thind, who arrived in the US in July 1913 from Amritsar, was the first turbaned Sikh to fight in the American armed forces and fighting a legal battle to obtain citizenship for him and many others.

"The goal of this event is to acknowledge the contributions this community has made to the country, celebrate 100 years of achievement, the immigrant success story in America and also to acknowledge the horrible tragedy of Oak Creek last year," said Paul Monteiro, associate director of the White House office of public engagement.

Ottavio Quattrocchi dies taking Bofors secrets with him

New Delhi: Controversial Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi died of a stroke on Saturday, perhaps taking with him crucial secrets of the Bofors howitzer scam that led to Rajiv Gandhi dramatically losing power in 1989 amid corruption allegations. The man who became infamous as "Q" managed to evade the law till the end with the CBI finally withdrawing charges against him in 2011. Earlier, his bank accounts in London were defreezed in 2006 after the Congress returned to power. The death of the 74-year-old Italian will almost certainly bring the curtain down over a scandal that shook politics in the late 80s and catapulted rebel Congress leader V P Singh as the PM on the back of an opposition alliance that included both the BJP and the Left parties.

Nelson Mandela may be discharged soon

Washington: Anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela might get discharged from hospital soon to recuperate at home, a former president of South Africa said.

Thabo Mbeki, who succeeded Mandela as South Africa's president, made the prediction on Saturday that Mandela's health was improving so he could get a discharge soon. Mandela has been hospitalized for more than five weeks for a recurring lung infection in a Pretoria hospital. According to the report, Mandela has been on life support in the form of mechanical ventilation.

30-40 buried in China landslide

Beijing: Between 30 and 40 people were buried by a landslide in southwest China last week, local officials said, as heavy rains in the area also destroyed homes and bridges. The landslide in Zhongxing, in the southwestern province of Sichuan, was triggered by rain, the fire brigade of the provincial capital Chengdu said.

24

IndIa

South Heritage buildings on the verge of collapse Around 15 per cent of the nearly 140 heritage buildings in Hyderabad and its outskirts are in a dilapidated condition and require immediate intervention of the authorities lest they collapse. One such building is the Irum Manzil built by Fakhrul Mulk, a noble in the Nizam's court, which now houses the office of the roads and buildings department. Portions of the building could collapse anytime.

NHRC notice on arrest of PMK men

The National Human Rights Commission has sent a notice to the Tamil Nadu government following a complaint lodged by PMK youth wing leader and former Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss regarding the arrests of his partymen under the National Security Act and the Goondas Act. In its communication to TN DGP and chief secretary, the commission asked them to submit an action taken report in four weeks.

Vijayakanth charged with attempt to murder

DMDK leader Vijayakanth has been accused of attempting to murder a government advocate. Vijayakanth was also booked under three more counts, including criminal intimidation and preventing a government servant from discharging his/her duty. Vijayakanth, who was asked to appear in the court in connection with his alleged defamatory speech against chief minister J Jayalalithaa. He is expected to move an anticipatory bail plea again.

Uncertainty ends, TN N-plant goes critical

Saturday will remain a red letter day in the nuclear history of India as the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first 1,000MW pressurised water reactor at Kudankulam in south Tamil Nadu was expected to attain criticality at midnight.

The plant is getting commissioned six years after the scheduled date. Unit 1 of the Indo-Russian project would commence sustained chain reaction on Saturday midnight.

Punjab Godman held for molesting aspiring model A 32-year-old self-proclaimed godman was arrested for allegedly cheating and molesting a girl on the pretext of helping her fulfill her ambition of becoming a model at his office. The victim was residing in a paying guest accommodation. She alleged Vikesh Kumar, who made an obscene MMS of her on his cell phone. She said he threatened her with dire consequences if she reported the matter to the police.

8 booked for parading boys with blackened faces Eight persons have been booked by the Sirsa police for allegedly tonsuring heads of two 17-year-old boys and parading them with their faces blackened in Dhiktaniya village. Sources said that the boys had allegedly given a love letter to a girl who informed her parents about it.

Incensed by the boys' gesture, the known of the girl beat them up, got their heads shaved and blackened their faces to parade in the village.

Shocking rise in adolescent pregnancies in Gurgaon There is a marked rise in the number of adolescent pregnancies inGurgaon .

Doctors said that most of these girls were minor and were not aware of their medical condition till they entered the second trimester. As a policy matter we ask them to bring a parent but then these children disappear. There are also a growing number of cases where teenagers walk in with infections which are seen in sex workers, which in turn can be directly transmitted by their partners.

www.abplgroup.com - asian Voice 20th July 2013

Notorious fake courts back in Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu's notorious 'fake courts', which hold civil and criminal proceedings and exercise even 'contempt of court' jurisdiction, are back in news with all their paraphernalia such as court halls, national emblem and 'judges' accompanied by mace-wielding duffedars calling out 'Silence'. Now the 'fake courts' issue has reached the portals of the Supreme Court, with advocate Manikandan Vathan Chettiar filing a PIL saying these 'courts' operated from various locations and had their own websites too.

He now wants the apex court

to appoint a sitting or retired judge of the court to head a special investigation team to probe the menace and annul several hundred 'judgments' delivered by these 'courts'.

Manikandan said these fake courts had a separate registry, filing wing, cause lists, examiners and even registrars. The 'judges' presiding over the proceedings came in a car sporting a red beacon light and were addressed as 'My Lord' during hearings.

These fake courts conduct civil, criminal, service and contempt proceedings by usurping the functions and

powers of high courts and the Supreme Court, the PIL said, adding that names and photographs of several sitting and former judges too were being used by those running the racket. The PIL named at least 25 former as well as sitting judges, and said they were being cited as 'patrons' and 'legal advisors' of these courts.

"They (fake courts) charge a preliminary court fee of 9.5% of the value of property and function under various names such as evening courts, arbitral tribunal, etc.

The decrees (awards) of the fake courtsa re issued on Rs

150 stamp paper which hears a court emblem with a seal resembling that of a civil court. It also carries a copyist seal, resembling that of the madras high court," the PIL said.

"Calling themselves people's courts, evening courts, human rights organizations and tribunals claiming to function under the aegis of the Human Rights Act, Arbitration Act, etc., its masterminds issue advertisements in vernacular dailies and build a network of members by collecting subscriptions and donations, the PIL said.

Eye on polls, Karnataka Clamour for Union Territory CM woos backward classes status for Hyderabad

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah announced a slew of welfare schemes and pro-poor programmes targeting its traditional voters, expecting sweet returns in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. While the main objective was very much to keep the traditional vote bank happy, another was to put an end to the BJP's appeasement of Lingayat mutts.

In the past five years, the BJP government doled out several goodies to mutts totalling over Rs 5 billion.

Siddaramaiah proved he's no different as he announced several welfare schemes to appease OBCs, SC/ST and minorities. Going one step ahead of Yeddyurappa, the CM earmarked Rs 30.01 billion for the welfare of SCs/STs in the current year.

For development of minorities, Rs 6.76 billion will be provided, of which Rs 1 billion will be reserved for the Christian community.

A caste-wise, social and education survey will be undertaken through the

Siddaramaiah

Permanent Backward Classes Commission. The backward classes welfare department will be also be strengthened.

In all, 60 general schemes were announced for backwards /SC /ST and minorities.

Other schemes: Creamy layer limit of backward classes enhanced from Rs 350,000 to 450,000. Income ceiling for students belonging to 2a, 2b, 3a and 3b categories to get various benefits enhanced. Special training for SC/ST students for civil services exams.

Conman fools Panjab University for 3 years

A conman worked as a clerk on dailywage basis for over three years at Panjab University (PU) on the basis of fake educational certificates. The fraud did not raise any eyebrows till a query under the Right to Information Act (RTI) was filed. That too after the accused applied for a permanent position of dresser in PU health centre.

On receiving the query on June 4, PU formed a special committee to probe the matter. The accused's services were terminated with immediate effect after anomalies came to the fore. Now, PU officials have filed a complaint with police. The accused has not been to the university for a month.

Kumar had applied for regular post of dresser a few months ago.

"It has been found that in his application for the post of

daily-wage clerk in 2009, he had claimed of having graduated in 2008. Whereas in his fresh application, he submitted a certificate showing that he had passed Class XII in 2012," said Rajinder Singla, an RTI activist who had sought information from PU. "He submitted two different certificates of matriculation with two different dates of birth. In his application for the post of dresser, he has also attached fake experience certificates. It is quite astonishing that his application was forwarded by the chief medical officer of PU under whom he worked as clerk," he added.

It may have ended with the Congress core committee failing to reach a final decision on the statehood issue. But, back home, the city's 'settler' population seemed to have made its choice: Telangana or no Telangana, Hyderabad should be given Union Territory status.

Apart from improving the administrative setup of the 'cosmopolitan' city, they argued, such a move would help instill a sense of security among those from other regions of the state, who despite their decades-long stay in Hyderabad are feeling the jitters now, given the prevailing political situation.

"If a bifurcation is inevitable, then this is the only solution. At least for the next 10-15 years, Hyderabad should be a UT," said R J Janardhan Rao who, despite his Andhra roots, made the city his home for 25 years. Rao explained: "As a UT, Hyderabad will be able to attract central funds exclusively for its development. If it's part of a state, the same funds will have be distributed among

other parts of the region.

Given the current state of affairs, Hyderabad needs uninterrupted growth. Only then will investors be able to revive their confidence in the city and take note of its potential."

A shining example, the city's Andhra populace feel, lies in the governance model of Chandigarh. As common capital, along with UT status, Hyderabad would also manage to 'free' itself of all the political bickering, they claim. "The ongoing uncertainty that's brought with it unrest and unwarranted trouble has left the city bleeding. To put an end to it, awarding it UT status is the best option. Doing so will also help Hyderabad acquire tax benefits and avoid fund crunches. ," noted IT consultant Rajesh Kota. That such an arrangement would also resolve the issue of discrimination against 'settlers', is something Kota does not shy away from admitting. Though the 'outsider' feeling hasn't come to haunt Lakshmi Sakuntala so far, being part of a free-for-all Hyderabad is definitely what she wants.

Child marriage attempts foiled in Fatehabad, Jind

The district and child marriage prohibition officer foiled three weddings in Fa t e h a b a d and Jind in Punjab. Two marriage were foiled in Fatehabad and one in a Jind village. The family members of the girls assured the officer that they will marry their daughter after maturity.

In the first case, district child marriage prohibition officer Rekha Aggrawal got information about two 14year-old girls being married off in Khumber village. The officer informed the matter to SP Fatehabad and formed a team to conduct raids there. The officer demanded age proof certificate from the family members of the girl, but they failed to produce the documents. Rekha Aggrawal said, "Both the girls are 14-

year-old and their marriage was fixed by their parents in some village of Punjab."

"Family members of the girl gave in writing that they will marry their daughters only after maturity," the officer said.

In another case, child marriage prohibition officer Krishan Rani, of Jind district got information that Suresh Kumar of UP fixed her 13year-old daughter's marriage at Dohana Khera village. The officer reached the place demanding age proof, which the family members could not display.

indiA

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 20th July 2013

In Focus 1500 ready to marry Uttarakhand widows Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh said that nearly 1,500 followers of the sect were ready to marry the Uttarakhand women who lost their husbands in the flash floods and landslides that struck the hill state last month. Singh made the announcement after flagging off 33 trucks of relief material bound for Uttarakhand. The Dera chief made the remark in reference to DeoliBrahmgram village, which is referred to as the 'village of widows', where many men reportedly died in the disaster.

21 get life term for fake encounter A Mumbai sessions court awarded life sentence to 21 people, including 13 policemen, for the killing of gangster Ram Narayan Gupta, alias Lakhan Bhaiya, in a staged shootout on November 11, 2006.

The prime accused in the case, former “encounter specialist” and dismissed policeman Pradeep Sharma, was acquitted of all charges and set free by the court. mong others, the 21 have been found guilty of murder and destroying evidence of their acts.

Three killed in West Bengal violence

The husband of a CPM candidate was among three people killed and several others injured in violence during the second phase of panchayat elections in three West Bengal districts where 30 per cent polling was recorded till noon. "Two persons were killed in Burdwan district.

Mohammed Sheikh Hasmat was killed in a bomb attack and another was lynched by a mob after he threw a bomb.

College student gangraped, set on fire in Etawah

A 20-year-old college student was gangraped and then set on fire in Uttar Pradesh's Etawah district. Etawah is the home district of Mulayam Singh Yadav, whose Samajwadi Party is in power in UP.Latest in a string of horrific rape cases being reported from UP, the case has brought the issue home to the Yadavs.

The girl was invited by a 21-year-old man to his house on Tuesday evening. The BA student was raped by the man and his three friends at the house.

Supreme Court sets out to cleanse Indian politics

MPs, MLAs will be disqualified on date of conviction; can’t fight polls from jails and police custody The days of politicians fighting elections from jail are over. The Supreme Court has ruled that a person, who is in jail or in police custody, cannot contest elections to legislative bodies.

The far-reaching order was passed by the apex court along with its landmark verdict that MPs, MLAs and MLCs would be disqualified the day they are convicted. This double whammy against criminals in Indian legislatures is expected to go a long way in cleaning up politics.

An apex court bench of Justices A K Patnaik and S J Mukhopadhayay ruled that only an “elector” can contest the polls and he/she forfeits the right to vote during imprisonment or in police custody.

However, the court said that disqualification would not be applicable to a person subjected to preventive detention under any law.

The court based its order on provisions of the Representation of the People Act. Sections 4 and 5 of the Act lay down that in order to be elected to Parliament or state legisla-

tures, one must be an elector. The bench also referred to Section 62(5) of the Act which says that no person shall vote at any election if he is confined in a prison, whether under a sentence of imprisonment or transportation or otherwise, or is in the lawful custody of the police.

Reading Sections 4, 5 and 62(5) together, the apex court came to the conclusion that a person in jail or police custody cannot contest elections.

Going by the court’s reasoning, it appears that this ineligibility will not hold back a politician if he or she is out of jail before the date for filing nomination papers. However, it will still be a drastic change from the current scheme of things where politicians have not only contested but also won elections from behind bars.

Uttarakhand tragedy: Nearly 6,000 missing people to be presumed dead

It is all but the end of hope for thousands of families as the Uttarakhand government prepares to officially announce the death of 5500 to 6000 people still missing after massive floods devastated the hill state a month ago.

Over 5,700 people still missing from 18 states will now be "presumed dead", Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said today. But the search for the missing would continue, he added.

"The list of dead will be sent to the chief secretaries of all states," Mr Bahuguna told reporters.

Uttar Pradesh has the maximum number of missing people - at least 2,000.

Madhya Pradesh comes second with a little over 1,000 people missing.

Several others are missing from the states of Rajasthan, Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana. In Uttarakhand, the majority of deaths took place between Kedarnath and Gaurikund, the site of one of India's holiest pilgrimages, an official told NDTV. "We know the numbers that were in Kedarnath that day. Then we know normally how many people are in Rambara where the maximum deaths took

place," said Rakesh Sharma, Principal Secretary in charge of rescue and relief operations, in an interview to NDTV. As schools reopen in Uttarakhand, at last 30 villages still remain cut off, making it difficult to provide relief.

The state government says an alternate land route for pilgrims into Kedarnath being tried out by the Army is not likely to be feasible. The possibility of a ropeway between Gaurikund and Kedarnath valley is being examined, but only in the long term.

For now, the government is likely to limit the number of pilgrims on the Kedarnath route to 2,000, far less than the eight to ten thousand who frequent the route daily during the Chardham yatra.

In order to control the number of pilgrims on the route, the government is planning an online registration system and will stop pilgrims in Rishikesh if the weather takes a turn for the worse.

George Fernandes and A K Roy, for example, won elections while in jail during Emergency in 1977.

“Baubalis” and criminals with immense political clout, across party lines, have since regularly contested and won elections while in jail, even on serious charges.

The Supreme Court of India struck down as ultra vires a provision of the Representation of the People Act which protects convicted lawmakers against disqualification on the ground of pendency of appeal against their conviction in the higher courts.

"The only question is about the vires of section 8(4) of the Representation of the People Act (RPA) and we hold that it is ultra vires and that the disqualification takes place from the date of conviction," a

bench of justices A K Patnaik and S J Mukhopadhaya said.

The court, however, said that its decision will not apply to MPs, MLAs or other lawmakers who have been convicted and have filed their appeals in the higher courts before the pronouncement of this verdict.

The provision of RPA says that a lawmaker cannot be disqualified in the event of his conviction in a criminal case if he or she files an appeal in the higher court.

The apex court's verdict came on the petitions filed by Lily Thomas and NGO Lok Prahari through its secretary S N Shukla who had sought striking down of various provisions of RPA on the ground that they violate certain constitutional provisions which, among other things, expressly put a bar on criminals getting registered as voters or becoming MPs or MLAs. The PILs had said that certain sections of RPA allow convicted lawmakers to continue in office while their appeals are pending and thus those provisions are "discriminatory and encourage criminalisation of politics".

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125 Gujarati pilgrims still missing in Uttarakhand Almost after 25 days since disaster struck Uttarakhand, there is no clue of 125 persons from Gujarat who have been declared missing by the state government.

State relief commissioner Punamchand Parmar who is leading the team of officials from Gujarat in Uttarakhand for bringing the rescued Gujaratis back to state told, "As on date (July 9) a total of 125 persons are missing from Gujarat.

Arvind Patel and his wife Hinaben from Kheda district were rescued and brought to Haridwar camp on Tuesday.''

Out of the missing persons around 40 are from Ahmedabad, 30 from Kheda, 25 from Surat, seven from Vadodara, six from Narmada, four from Anand and two each from Sabarkantha, Rajkot and Bhavnagar. Thirty of these including 14 males are more than 60 years of age.

Approximately 4700 plus pilgrims are still missing from different states in Uttarakhand. Nearly 60 percent are from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Many locals are also missing.

Fortunately the number of persons missing from Gujarat is less.

26

IndIa

Mumbai is our next target after Bodh Gaya, claims IM A Twitter account purportedly belonging to terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM) has claimed responsibility for Sunday’s Bodh Gaya serial blasts and also warned that the next target would be Mumbai.

More than 12 hours after the early morning blasts, a tweet by @IndianMujahidin — which claims to be the IM’s official Twitter handle — said: “9 Dhamake Humne Karay (We carried out the nine blasts)”.

The tweet about Mumbai —dated July 6, a day before the Bihar blasts — reads: “Hamara Agla Target Mumbai Hai. Rock Sago Toh Rock Lo, 7 days Left (Our next target is Mumbai. Stop us if you can. Seven days left)”.

The National Investigation Agency and other security agencies are probing the authenticity of the account that, according to sources, originated in Canada. “We will defi-

nitely look into who is behind this Twitter account,” said a senior NIA official.

“Each and every terror threat in the country is thoroughly probed, though almost all of them turn out to be fake or a prank,” said a security official.

Meanwhile, the Patna police on Tuesday detained four people in the city on the basis of CCTV footage of the temple complex.

The suspects were identified as Anand Prakash, Gunjan Patel, Hassan Mallik and Priyanka — all in their 20s.

“The footage showed them moving suspiciously in the temple premises early Sunday. We are working on circumstantial evidence,” said a police officer.

A National Investigation Agency team scanned records of hotels close to the Mahabodhi Temple and zeroed in on the four.

Lajja Goswami wins silver medal in World Cup shooting Continued from page 1 454 in the finals to bag the silver to lead Norway's Malin Westerheim, who shot 443.9 in the finals.

Petra Zublasing of Italy won the gold after scoring 459.1 in the medal round.

Goswami totalled 152.4 over three series in kneeling. She has scored 154.8 in prone and 146.8 while standing to win India’s first medal in the tournament.

The 24-year-old Lajja Goswami, hails from Anand district in Gujarat and is a silver medalist at

the 2010 Commonwealth Games. She had teamed up with Tejaswani Sawant to win silver in Pairs 50-m rifle 3 position at the Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010. She also had won gold in the women's 50m Rifle 3 Position, ahead of Maharashtra's Sawant and veteran Anjali Bhagwat at the IX Sardar Sajjan Singh Sethi Memorial Masters shooting competition in year 2012. She failed to get selected in the 11member team for 2012 London Olympics after failing to lift her game during the trials.

www.abplgroup.com - asian Voice 20th July 2013

Malala Yousafzai invokes Gandhiji in UN address Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenager shot by the Taliban for promoting education for girls, celebrated her 16th birthday last week, demanded in her first public speech since the attack, that world leaders provide free compulsory schooling for every child.

In an impassioned address from the podium at the United Nations to more than 1,000 youth leaders from over 100 countries, Malala called for "a global struggle against illiteracy, poverty and terrorism."

"Let us pick up our books and our pens. They are our most powerful weapons," she said. "One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.

Education is the only solution. Education first."

Malala, who wore a traditional pink shalwar

kameez and a shawl that she said belonged to slain Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, began her speech with a traditional Muslim prayer.

She called herself just one of thousands of victims of the Taliban and said the bullet that entered the left side of her forehead last October had not dimmed her ambitions to promote peace, education and prosperity. Her head was covered in a scarf and her face displayed little sign of injury.

Malala invoked Mahatma Gandhi and

other global advocates of non-violence stressing that "I'm not against anyone, neither am I here to speak in terms of personal revenge against the Taliban, or any other terrorist group.

"I'm here to speak about the right of education for every child," she said. "I want education for the sons and daughters of all the Taliban and all the terrorists and extremists. I do not even hate the Talib who shot me."

But her main focus was on the 57 million children who aren't in school today. The UN designated July 12 as "Malala Day," and there were cheers, and a round of "Happy Birthday" for her.

But she said, "Malala Day is not my day. Today is the day of every woman, every boy and every girl who have raised their voice for their rights."

India's Axis Bank opens branch in Britain Continued from page 1 making loans and investments, it said.

Britain is encouraging new banks to open to increase competition in financial services. It has introduced measures to encourage new entrants, including allowing startup banks to hold less capital than their established rivals.

Axis Bank UK's Chief Executive Cyril Anand said it would pursue corporate and retail banking opportunities in Britain and Europe having already expanded outside of India into Singapore, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka.

"With its presence in the major financial hubs in Asia, the bank is in a position to complement the business arising from the UK," he said.

Sonia Gandhi asks CMs to roll out food scheme in 'letter and spirit'

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday asked the states ruled by the party to implement in 'letter and spirit' the food security scheme which it sees as a 'game changer' in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

She held deliberations with Congress chief ministers on how to implement the food scheme seeking to provide cheap foodgrains to 82 crore people, for which an ordinance was promulgated last week.

Party sources said the CMs were told at the meeting to rollout the scheme

in 'letter and spirit'.

The meeting was held at a time when the party is preparing for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and is keen to reach out to the people with its populist measure.

Delhi, where assembly polls are due by year-end, will be the first state to roll out the scheme on August 20, the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Besides Congress CMs, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, party vice president Rahul Gandhi, food minister K V Thomas, AICC general secretaries and Core Group members were present during the deliberations.

The aim of the meeting was to ensure that the scheme is implemented in

the best possible manner with Congress-ruled states becoming role models in implementation of the food security measure.

Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme and the Food Security Act are being considered as major moves by Congress ahead of the 2014 general elections as was the farmers' loan waiver scheme and MNREGA announced in UPA-I. The loan waiver and MNREGA schemes were credited among other things for return of UPA to power in 2009.

Not feeling guilty for Gujarat riots: Modi Continued from page 1 Others to protest were CPM and Congress leaders. Former ally JD(U) leader Shivanand Tiwari said Modi needed to be psycho-analysed. As a verbal war between critics and his BJP defenders blared on TV channels, Modi tweeted a defence.

He said what he meant to say was that every life was of value in Indian culture.

Modi said he believed that India should have a secular leader but questioned the definition of secularism. He went on to explain, “For me, my secularism is, India first. I say, the philosophy of my party is - Justice to all.

Appeasement to none.

This is our secularism.”

Asked whether the ‘real Modi’ was a Hindu nationalist leader or probusiness chief minister, he said, “I’m nationalist. I’m patriotic.

Nothing is wrong. I’m a born Hindu.

Nothing is wrong. So, I’m a Hindu nationalist so yes,

you can say I’m a Hindu nationalist because I’m a born Hindu.”

Asked if he was authoritarian, or just a decisive leader, he replied, “If you call yourself a leader, then you have to be decisive.” He shook off the authoritarian tag by giving credit for his government’s performance to what he termed as “Team Gujarat”.

On his supposed inability to take criticism, he clarified that while he welcomed criticism, he was opposed to baseless allegations. “The strength of democracy lies in criticism. If there is no criticism that means there is no democracy. And if you want to grow, you must invite criticism. And I want to grow, I want to invite criticism.”

Cong hiding behind 'burqa' of secularism: Modi: Modi charged Congress with wearing the "burqa (veil) of secularism" and "hiding in a bunker" each time it is confronted with a crisis.

Addressing a public meeting in Pune, Modi also attacked Congress vicepresident Rahul Gandhi on the issue of his party's "failure" to eradicate poverty and alleged that it was raising the bogey of "threat to secularism" to throttle people's aspirations.

"Look minutely, whenever Congress is faced with a challenge - whether it is corruption, price rise, directives from the Supreme Court, or a minister being jailed, or the rape of girls or an atmosphere of insecurity - they do not answer the people. The moment there is a crisis, they wear the 'burqa' (veil) of secularism and hide in a bunker," Modi said.

Modi said Congress follows this act by insisting that one should not talk about poverty or corruption or price rise at this juncture as "secularism is in danger". He charged that Congress has done this for decades.

The BJP leader said Congress won’t be able to

throttle the aspirations and hopes of the people in the name of secularism any longer.

"Congress will no longer be able to keep the poor hungry, or the young unemployed or distance itself when a girl is raped.

Now this medicine will not work," Modi said.

Though Modi attacked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for failing to check the fall of the rupee despite being an expert on economics, he was more scathing on Rahul Gandhi.

Without naming Gandhi, Modi said the "heir" spends nights in the homes of the poor and shows this to the media and foreigners as "remnants of the past" when 35 years back Congress had given the slogan of removing poverty.

Modi alleged that the present regime was suffering from a "policy paralysis" which was reflecting in its failures on all fronts.

"Power plants in the country are shut down because there is no supply

of coal. PM is sitting on files and there is no decision-making. The country is in the dark," he added.

Modi said the government's inaction in bringing back the black money stashed abroad gave rise to the suspicion that it was trying to "protect" some people and their money.

"When the country became independent, the rupee was almost equivalent to the dollar. Now, the rupee is falling and it looks as if it will reach the PM's age (in terms of value in relation to US dollar)," he quipped while alluding to 80-year-old Singh.

The country, he said, would not be free of problems "unless we create a Congress-free India".

Modi, recently elevated as BJP's election campaign committee chief, said currencies of neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh had not lost value despite the global downturn.

"This is because those sitting in Delhi are so busy

eating and looting that they are not bothered about the rupee," he said.

Attacking the government over issuing in a hurry the food security ordinance, touted as a "game-changer"

by Congress ahead of next year's Lok Sabha polls, Modi said, "people are not getting two square meals a day.

So, they have brought a law, irrespective of whether it is possible or not to give food to poor...to give the people a piece of paper containing a law that they will get food as a matter of right."

Modi said the Congressled UPA brought the ordinance instead of waiting for a Parliament session as it did not trust its allies.

"Why was the ordinance brought in a hurry, instead of the bill? It is because they don't trust the UPA partners," he said in an apparent reference to UPA allies who were not in favour of the measure to be brought in the form of an ordinance.

india / UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 20th July 2013

27

Surendra Patel - a visionary who has foreseen Ahmedabad as s mega city Former chairman of Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) Surendra Patel, popularly known as ‘Kaka,’ was instrumental in the making of 76 km long Sardar Patel Ring Road. Today, the Ring Road, which encircles the Gujarat’s biggest city, defines the new boundary of Ahmedabad with an area of 450 km.

By Mayuri Dave

U

ndisputedly Surendra Patel is the most impressive chairman in the history of Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA). The Sardar Patel Ring Road, which in fact expanded the boundary of Ahmedabad, is the brainchild of Patel, one of the stalwarts of Gujarat unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Apart from SP Ring Road, he was instrumental in converting Vastrapur Lake from a slum area to one of city’s most happening places.

During his tenure as chairman of AUDA, from 1995 to 2005, he revamped town planning schemes and devised nearly 100 new schemes. Apart from Vastrapur Lake, he developed another 10 lakes and more than 60 gardens, which in itself is a record. The 76-year-old visionary belongs to Gada village of Charotar region in Central

Gujarat. After completing civil engineering, he joined family owned construction business in 1960 and married to Hasumatiben in 1963.

Since childhood, he was attached with Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS). His penchant for social service ultimately brought him into politics. At the age of 40, Kaka became general secretary of Janata Party. He also served as director of Gujarat C o n s t r u c t i o n Corporation.

From 1990-91 onwards, he became active in BJP and also became election in-charge of former deputy prime minister LK Advani. Knowing his ability, Kaka was appointed as the treasurer of Gujarat BJP since 1994. The new headquarters of Gujarat BJP ‘Shri

Surendra Patel

Kamalam’ is also being constructed under his supervision at Koba circle on the outskirts of Gandhinagar. Patel was also a member of the Rajya Sabha from 2005 to 2011. Even while he was an MP, he continued to contribute

uru Purnima is a festival traditionally celebrated by Hindus and Buddhists, marked by ritualistic veneration of the Guru. It is celebrated on July 22 this year.

The word Guru is derived from two words, 'Gu' and 'Ru.' The Sanskrit root "Gu" means darkness or ignorance. "Ru" denotes the remover of that darkness. Therefore one who removes darkness of our ignorance is a Guru. Gurus are believed by many to be the most necessary part of lives. On this day, disciples offer puja (worship) or pay respect to their Guru (Spiritual Guide). It falls on the day of full moon, Purnima, in the month of Ashadh (June–July) of the Shaka Samvat, Indian national calendar and Hindu calendar.

Traditionally the festival is celebrated by Buddhists in the honor the lord Buddha who gave His first sermon on this day at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, India.

While Hindus celebrate it in the honour of the great sage Vyasa, who is seen as one of the greatest gurus in ancient Hindu traditions, and a symbol of the Gurushishya tradition. Vyasa was not only believed to have been born on this day, but also to have started writing the Brahma Sutras on ashadha sudha padyami which ends on this day, hence their recitations as a dedication to him, are organised on this day,

which is also known as Vyasa Purnima.

The festival is common to all spiritual traditions in Hinduism, where it is dedicated to the expression of gratitude towards the teacher by his/her disciple.

Hindu ascetics and wandering monks (sanyasis), observe this day by offering puja to the Guru, during the Chaturmas, a four month period during the rainy season, when they choose seclusion, and halt at one selected place; some also give discourses to the local public.

Students of the Indian classical music, which also follows the Guru shishya parampara, celebrate this festival, around the world.

This was the day the “Adhi Muni” (another name of Lord Shiva) teaches the yogic techniques to his seven students (Known as Saptha Rishi). In this day, the full moon day this world got its first Guru. That is why this day is called as Guru Purnima. The Adhi yogi became as Adhi guru (first Guru) to teach all his yogic techniques to his student. This day is very important to Hindus because this was the day humanity came to know that as humans, they have the ability to transcend their limitations and learn techniques that teach them to go beyond their five senses and become an enlightened Yogi (enlightened human)).

contributed in the field of education too. In 1999, he was one of the directors of an engineering college promoted by Shri Charotar Moti Satavis Kelavani Mandal at Changa village near Nadiad. Later on he took over as chairman of the educational institution. With his efforts, the college got the status of university in 2010. “Apart from engineering, other courses like nursing, applied science, MBA, MCA, pharmacy and other courses up to Ph.D level are available at the Changa university campus,” he says.

He also started Vivekananda Institute in Ahmedabad for vocational courses. A different kind of academy was developed by him for Yoga, Music and spiritual living on 5,500 sq yard in Prahaladnagar area of Ahmedabad. He is also associated with many institutions active in women empowerment, health and tribal development.

Clapham Tandoori

Guru Purnima day to venerate the Guru G

in the urban development process in Gujarat.

His convincing ability is unmatched. He could convince farmers and slum dwellers at the time of land acquisition for SP Ring Road and Vastrapur Lake.

They happily agreed to hand over land in the larger interest of the city and participated in the development process. It was not enough, the 60 m wide Ring Road that encompasses the Ahmedabad urban agglomeration was designed and built with the highest technical specifications set by the National Highway Authority. It includes 1.3 km long Railway over bridge.

Apart from infrastructure and urban development, Kaka also

a Dutta

Rupanjan

In ancient India Guru Purnima was celebrated as a very big festival to remember the people about that the human have the ability to cross their limitation. This was the day, when Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa – author of the Mahabharata – was born to sage Parashara and a fisherman's daughter Satyavati, thus this day is also celebrated as Vyasa Purnima.

Buddhist History: Lord Buddha went from Bodhgaya to Sarnath about 5 weeks after his enlightenment.

Before Gautama attained enlightenment, he gave up his austere penances and his friends, the Pañcavaggiya monks and went to Isipatana (Sarnath).

After attaining enlightenment, Buddha traveled to the Isipatana to join his friends and teach them. He went to them because, using his spiritual powers, he had seen that his five former companions would be able to understand Dharma quickly. While travelling to Sarnath, Gautama Buddha had to cross the Ganges. Having no money with which to pay the ferryman, he crossed the Ganges through the air. When King Bimbisara heard of this, he abolished the toll for ascetics.

When Gautama Buddha found his five former companions, he taught them, they understood and as a result they also became enlightened.

Clapham Tandoori, a restaurant based in the south side of the Clapham Common (right outside the station) has a history of 40 years. A family run restaurant, may not appear huge and grand from outside, but when you step inside, you are at the mecca of tandoori food, in an incredibly relaxed atmosphere. Of course much of the success is attributed to the chef's work, and the food has won the well acclaimed House of Commons awards, the decor remains clean, simple with an open air extension right outside the main entrance, enabling one to have their meal basking in the summer sun.

The in house menu is

Ratings Taste : Ambience : Decor : Service : Value 4 Money :

**** *** *** ***** *****

divided into several sections and sub sections.

Appetizers, to signature appetizers to main courses which are then divided into signature dishes, signature tandoori, simply tandoori, tandoori dishes cooked in sauce, classic, signature sea food, signature vegetarian side dishes, vegetarian side dishes, biriyani and sundries. While each and every dish is exclusive in its taste, the tandoori items are what you must not forget to order.

The main courses have a prevalent tomato based gravy, and if you are a vegetarian, you will also have more than 25 dishes to choose from. The por-

tions are extremely generous and the flavours are fresh and unique.

The drinks menu is widely varied and extends from wine sections to beers to fruit juices or other beverages.

The staff is very helpful and if you do not know what to order, they will walk you through the available options and explain to you the nitty gritty of each dish, so that you can pick the one you like the most. The food is colourful and most affordable, given the restaurant's prime location.

The ambience is accommodating and friendly, with a lot of non Asian customers who seem to be locals, loving their hearty Indian food even on a busy weekday.

The decoration is simple, expect a lot of glass and modern architecture, it is perfect for a romantic or family dinner.

Address: 10 Clapham Common South Side, London SW4 7AA. Contact: 020 7622 0926

Competition Answer this simple question and win a voucher for £40 restaurant spend + 2 glasses of house wine.

Where is the Clapham Tandoori restaurant? a. Clapham South b. Clapham North c. Clapham Common Email your answer to aveditorial@abplgroup.com by 31 July 2013. The winner will be chosen on a lottery basis from the correct answers received.

If you want your restaurant to be reviewed, email rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com with your full details or call 020 7749 4098.

Statutory message: Please note the reviewer holds no responsibility or guarantee for your personal experience.

28

travel & women

www.abplgroup.com - asian voice 20th July 2013

Dandeli: Bask in nature, wildlife & adventure sports andeli is a fast developing tourist destination with its amazing mix of D beautiful natural scenery, wildlife and

adventure sports. It is a district in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka.

This place is situated by the Kali River with the Western Ghats in the background.

It is believed that the city got its name from a person named Dandelappa who

crawl down 40ft deep through winding, narrow tunnels to catch a glimpse of the naturally created Shiva linga Shiroli Peak: This is one of the most famous tourist spots in the region and is a must-visit while on a tour to Dandeli. This point is located at a distance of about 25 km from the city and is within the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary. It is believed to be the highest point in the area.

THE PATHTHARWALI MOSQUE worshipped even for its beauty AV Correspondent ultan Ahmed Shah mosque is a religious S place for Muslims, which

Rafting

was a servant in the house of the Mirashi landlords. He was very loyal and had in fact lost his life for it. The people hold him in great esteem and he is worshipped in temples.

Kavala Caves

Dandeli has a dense forest cover all around which is believed to be one of the best natural habitats in the world. For people who love adventure sports, Dandeli is definitely the place to be. The place offers a host of adventure sports, including trekking, mountain biking, cycling, river rafting, canoeing and kayaking.

Dandeli is a perfect place to bask in the beauty of the natural surroundings. Visit the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary to catch a glimpse of the bison & the Black Panther.

Dandeli Attractions Kavala Caves: These are limestone caves and situated at a distance of about 25 km from Dandeli. There are 375 steps which the tourists have to climb down to reach the entrance. Next they have to

Wildlife Sanctuary

Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary: The Wildlife Sanctuary and the Ansh National Park located close to it contain huge areas of dense, deciduous forests.

You can visit the place in open jeeps with trained guides to acquaint you with the diversity of the sanctuary. The place is home to the famous Black Panther and many other animals.

Kulgi Nature Camp: This is an ideal place to lodge in while you are at the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary. The camp is located at a distance of about 12 km from the Dandeli bus stand in Kulgi village.

This is a very popular place with the tourists for the tented accommodation facilities that it offers.

Shiroli Peak

Rafting: Dandeli, located by the Kali River makes for a great rafting location.

There is almost 9-14 km of rafting facility available with class 3 rapids continuing for 2-3 hours or more. The rapids are named Adi's beard, The stitch, Snuggler's trove, Stanley's squeeze and many more.

was constructed in 1414 AD by Sultan Ahmed Shah.

Located towards the left side of the Bhadra Fort, this mosque is one of the oldest mosques in the city.

The prayer hall of the mosque, which is known as Mehrab is designed using black and white marbles.

For women, there is a separate worship chamber in the mosque, which is located towards the north east corner. This prayer room for women is popularly known as 'Zenana'. In the early time, this mosque was a holy place meant for the royal class only. It is believed that the mosque has been constructed on the site of a Hindu temple.

This beautiful mosque is also known as Jaali wali Masjid which translates as the mosque with grills.

The name attributes the number of grills that ornate this spectacular monument. This mosque has unique pre-Mughal architecture and the buildA new variation in sandesh, it has a fruity twist.

Ingredients: 150 gm paneer 50 gm sugar (powdered) - 5-6 elaichi (powdered)- 2 mangoes a drop of rose essence Method: Mix together: Paneer, sugar and elaichi powder. Mash the paneer smooth. Add a dash of rose essence. Keep this mix in the refrigerator for 10 minutes so that it binds together. In the meanwhile peel the mangoes and cut into thin slices.

Fill the paneer mix on one side of the slice and roll. Repeat for other slices. Alternatively you can also sandwich the mango slice between two layers of the paneer mix.

Keep these rolls in the

ing resonates a very Gujarati architecture unlike the Mughal buildings which were of Persian influence and we see here use of pre- Mughal stones and style of building. The mosque is well known for its architectural designing.

It is defined by curved

Islamic architecture in the country was highly influenced by Persian style. In Ahmedabad, the local artisans were involved in construction of mosques.

Thus, a lot of motifs such as blooming lotus, tree of life, lamp with chain and sacred animals and birds

Jali Work

arches and domes that is Indo-Islamic or IndoSarsanic construction style includes 152 pillars and few of them display mythological figures.

With the reign of Ahmad Shah I in 1410, there began a new chapter of Islamic architecture in the state. Before him, the

integrated in the design.

Intricate carvings, a unique point in Jain temple architecture, were effectively used in the city mosques.

Ahmed Shahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mosque justify the city's title of Jinat-ul-Bala'd or Jewel of All Cities given by scholars in Sultanate times.

Mango Sandesh

refrigerator to set for 20 minutes. Once done cut them into smaller cubes and serve.

Health Benefits: Paneer is a good source of calcium, which helps build strong bones and teeth, and also prevents osteo-

porosis. Paneer in moderation, is associated with lower body weight as well as reduced risk of developing insulin resistance syndrome. Paneer is a good source of protein and it reduces cancer risk.

www.abplgroup.com - asian Voice 20th July 2013

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Drinking Beer makes your heart healthier! his news will surely make millions happyT Yes you can drink beer

and be healthy.. A new study shows that drinking a pint a day improves the health of your heart.

Research has found out that blood flow to the heart improved within a couple of hours of drinking 2/3rds of a British pint and the results were better than people who drank a non-alcoholic equivalent!

The drinkers’ arteries became more flexible and blood flow improves within a couple of hours drinking! A British pint is 568ml and 2/3rd of it would be 378ml.

Moderate beer consumption protects against heart disease and reduces the risks of heart attacks and strokes by 30%.

Actually, this is one of the first studies that actually observe the changes in the

cardiovascular system after consuming alcohol.

Those consuming nonalcoholic beer and vodka were also checked but found them to be detrimental. The researcher tested for something called the endothelial function – to measure how easily blood passes through major arteries and also checked aortic stiffness, a check designed to assess whether the vessels are relaxed or beginning to harden.

Endothelial function was significantly improved only after beer consumption.’ The health effects were caused due to the combination of alcohol and antioxidants. While it’s believed that excessive consumption and binge drinking can increase the risk of heart disease, moderate consumption of alcohol has a protective effect.

slightest cough. Cough, unless it gets worse or becomes persistent, is not something you need to be alarmed about.

Actually, coughing is important because it is a defense mechanism of our body. It helps clear our airways of irritants, such as smoke and mucus. And sometimes, it helps prevent infections as well.

However, if you are coughing for more than two weeks after a viral infection or the cough is progressively getting worse, then you definitely need to see a doctor.

Treating the cause is important: ENT and Pulmonology experts suggest treating the cause of cough rather than the cough itself. ‘Cough is often a reactive / protective response of the body to a disease. Unless we treat the cause, the purpose is not achieved,’ says Col Ajith Nilakantan, Prof & HOD (ENT), Army Hospital (R&R), Delhi.

There are many reasons but the causes most commonly seen are the common cold or flu, seasonal changes, allergies, irritation and asthma.

It could be due to heartburn, congestive heart failure or even serious lung disease. Very rarely, cough could be the side effect of ACE Inhibitors * prescribed by

Did you know that dark underarms could Flop indicate diabetes? P

surprising to find out dark underarms is Iantsthatindicator of diabetes?

Many people brush it off as a beauty or skin problem. Though it could be just that, in some cases, it can also indicate a deeper condition like diabetes.

Darkening of the underarms can show up as a condition known as acanthosis nigricans in people who have a genetic predisposition towards diabetes. In this condition, a dark, velvety pigmentation is formed on the back of the neck and often in the underarms. If you too notice it on your skin, it is best to get yourself checked by a doctor who can run tests to figure out if it is indeed a case of diabetes or a skin problem. Control on food choices as well as good care like avoiding highglycemic and foods high in sugar, diabetes can be prevented and brought under control.

In order to get rid of the velvety and dark pigmentations, dermatolo-

gists often recommend alpha-hydroxy acids or topical retinoids or at times chemical peels and laser therapy after careful observation of the condition.

People have also tried home remedies like rubbing lemon juice or massaging the area with coconut oil which has high vitamin E content to lighten their underarms or rubbing slices of potato and cucumber which have a bleaching effect on the skin. While these might work for some, it is always a good idea to get it checked by either a dermatologist or doctor who can understand the underlying cause of the darkening if it persists for a long time.

29

your doctor for the treatment of high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attacks, diabetes, certain chronic kidney disease and migraine Smoking also give rise to chronic cough that leads to chronic bronchitis ** if there is increased mucus secretion. And if there is blood in the cough, it could even be cancer.

Get symptomatic relief with OTC cough formulations: While it is obvious that such cough conditions need to be treated for

their underlying causes, you can get some relief from the symptoms with syrups available over-thecounter. Your doctor may recommend either cough suppressants called antitussives or expectorants to loosen mucus and cough them up depending on whether the cough is productive (with production of sputum, phlegm or balgam in hindi) or dry (without sputum).

Bronchodilators may also be prescribed to relax the airways when required.

The formulations by

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Benadryl can help reduce both the productive and dry kinds of cough with their CR and DR variants.

The Benadryl CR formulation has a unique triple action formula which thins, loosens and expels phlegm, allowing consumers to get symptomatic relief. The newly launched DR variant caters to people with dry cough caused by chronic irritation. It helps by suppressing the cough and blocking the cough reflex.

Home remedies help too!

Ayurveda categorizes cough as a kapha disorder which is treated with herbs and spices such as cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and long pepper.

Ayurvedic formulations such as Sitopaladi churna, Talisadi churna and Draksha are effective in treating cough claim Ayurveda experts.

Home remedies such as lemon tea with a dash of ginger or basil leaves and honey help relieve symptoms of coughSimple steam inhalation is also very effective as it releases the mucus in the throat and provides relief. So does gurgling with warm salt water.

Identify the kind of cough you have and opt for home remedies along with OTC formulations meant for the cough you have. If you do not get relief within a week, do consult a doctor.

food combos you should avoid!

airing of food also needs some thinking .

Is it simply for taste or is there any scientific or logical explanation behind it?

Actually our digestive system cannot process everything we eat at the same time. For this precise purpose, we need to be careful of what we eat at a given time. Expert tells us what food combination is good and what isn’t for our digestive system.

Food combination refers to the best combination of foods that can be eaten together in the same meal to ensure easy and perfect digestion.

Different foods require different body enzymes for digestion. For example, protein requires an absolutely acidic environment in the stomach and starchy food requires alkaline environment. The stomach of course cannot possibly be acidic and alkaline at the same time.

As students of chemistry will tell you, acid and base (alkaline), neutralize each other. So if you eat starch with protein, digestion is impaired or completely arrested. Undigested food

mass is apt for bacterial worms and parasitic developments and can lead to various ailments of the stomach. Here’s how one should pair their foods.

Why eating acidic fruits and starch is a bad combination Acidic fruits like lemon, tomato, tamarind, etc destroy ptyalin, a salivary alkaline enzyme and inhibit starch digestion. In the presence of acids, no alkaline juices are property

To Our Readers We are publishing these items in good faith, kindly consult your Doctor before you try to implement it. We do not hold any responsibility for its efficacy...

secreted which causes gas and fermentation.

Why combining different types of protein is a bad idea Our body consist of different kinds of mechanism to digest different food items and if we eat proteins of different combinations, only one of

them will be efficiently digested by our body. It is also that the body secretes a particular kind of enzyme at a given time so spreading out your protein intake over the day will result in better digestion.

The body processes meat in the first hour of digestion and milk in the last hour so eating them accordingly will yield in better digestion. However, eating different kinds of meat and nuts at one go isn’t a problem.

Eggs also receive digestive secretions at a different time than meat or milk so eating them separately is a good idea.

It is very necessary to carefully use the combos.

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UK Celebrating Ghanshyam Silver Jubilee Mahotsav

30

It is a festival that celebrates the birthday of a Mandir and its Murtis.

The completion of a temple doesn’t signify its birthday; it’s the day of the Murti Pratishta (installation of Murti) which is celebrated. For our Ghanshyam Maharaj this day was on the holy day of Guru Purnima on Friday 29th July 1988.

The Swaminarayan Sampraday is a sect of Hinduism, which has been established for over two centuries; the founder of this sect was Lord Shree Swaminarayan.

In the 1960s, many devotees emigrated to Great Britain from East Africa. As they were religiously conscious and followed the principles of Lord Shree Swaminarayan via the Shikshapatri (letter of righteous living) they wanted to get together for prayers and to celebrate religious festivals. In the beginning they used to meet up at each other's houses and for religious celebrations communal halls were hired.

In 1975 a disused church on Willesden Lane was bought and renovated. Shree Swaminarayan Temple Willesden was officially opened in late 1975 to the public. On the auspicious day of Sharad Purnima on 11th October 1975, Archarya Maharajshree personally installed the murtis (idols) of Lord Shree Swaminarayan, Shree NarNarayan Dev, Shree RadhaKrishna, Shree Hanumanji, Shree Ganeshji and gave his eternal blessings to the Temple.

However to accommodate the increase in numbers of devotees in 1986 a proposal was put forward to demolish the two exist-

ing buildings and in its place build a three temple storey complex, which would combine the traditional Hindu Temple architecture and British designs.

The ceremonial stone was laid on Sunday 12th October 1986 in the presence of holy saints from Bhuj Temple, the Mayor of Brent and other dignitaries. The demolition of the two buildings was started in November 1986 and the construction of the new Temple soon followed.

The building of the Temple was greatly accelerated due to the effort and time put in by our devotee volunteers, who worked on weekends, late evening and public holidays.

A year and a half later the project was completed. The official opening of the Shree Swaminarayan Temple Willesden was on Friday 29th July 1988 in the presence of H. H. 1008 Acharya Maharajshree and his family, saints and Swaminarayan devotees from all over the world.

Shree Swaminarayan Temple Willesden was the first Swaminarayan temple to have been built in Europe as well as the first temple outside of India to have a carved marble idol of Ghanshyam Maharaj. l Friday 19 July 7.00 20.00- Pothi Yatra and Opening Ceremony l Saturday 20 July Shreemad Satsangi Jivan Katha Katha l Sunday 21 July: The temple authorities request everyone to be at Roundwood park by 1:30pm, the Nagar Yatra will start promptly at 2pm. The Nagar Yatra is expected to arrive at Shree Swaminarayan Temple Willesden by 4:30pm. Expected visi-

Editor: CB Patel Associate Editor: Rupanjana Dutta Tel: 020 7749 4098 - Email: rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com Senior News Editor: Dhiren Katwa Freelance Correspondent: Rudy Otter Chief Operating Officer: Liji George Tel: 020 7749 4013 Email: george@abplgroup.com Chief Financial Officer: Surendra Patel Tel: 020 7749 4093 Mobile: 07875 229 220 Email: surendra.patel@abplgroup.com Chief Accountant: Akshay Desai Tel: 020 7749 4087 Email:accounts@abplgroup.com Business Manager: Alka Shah Tel: 020 7749 4002 - Mobile: 07944 151 893 Email: alka.shah@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Kishor Parmar Tel: 020 7749 4095 - Mobile: 07875 229 088 Email: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com Business Development Managers: Rovin J George - Email: rovin.george@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 - Mobile: 07875 229 219 Nihir Shah - Email: nihir.shah@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4089 - Mobile: 07875 229 111 Urja Patel - Email: urja.patel@abplgroup.com Kalpesh Shah Tel: 07539 88 66 44 Email: kalpesh.shah@abplgroup.com Graphic Designers: Harish Dahya & Ajay Kumar Tel: 020 7749 4086 Email: graphics@abplgroup.com Customer Service: Ragini Nayak Tel: 020 7749 4080 - Email: support@abplgroup.com (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd. 207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad.

Tel / Fax: +91 79 2646 5960

tors: 10,000 l Monday 22nd July: Maha-Abhishek & Raas l Tuesday 23rd July: Bal Mandal Boys Drama, Lazium Show & Academy Ladies Night & Gujarati School Results l Wednesday 24th July: A Musical Journey l Thursday 25th July: Kenton Mandir dance &

Woolwich Mandir Drama l Friday 26th July: Academy Mens Quiz Night & Ladies Musical Show l Saturday 27th July: Boys Drama & Bal Kendra Performance l Sunday 28th July: Mahotsav Ends For more details see http://www.sstw.org.uk

Coming Events l Shiv Puran Katha recited by Mathuradas Bapu, Sat 20th to 27th July 2013, 2-3 pm then Prashad.

Shree Ram Mandir Birmingham, 8 Walford Road B11 1NR. Contact Pujari 01217735735 l Millan Mela, Saturday 3 August at Harrow Leisure Centre, Stage Entertainment- India's independence day celebration, TV star India's famous comedian to visit, Raas Garba, Vbollywood dance and dance with Jay Kumar, 11am-7pm. Contact: Varsha Sallia 07903878401 l Fehmina Farani solicitors are launching an immigration office in Leicester on 16 August 2013 at 143- Loughborough Road at 5:00 pm. Please join them for immigration seminar and free snacks. l Sangam and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan hold dance/music classes upto Diploma. Starting 21st September on Monday evenings and Saturday mornings at Sangam, 210 Burnt Oak, Broadway, Edgware HA8 0AP. Contact: 020 8952 7062 l AMC presents Dhrupad course with Uday Bhawalkar, 5-9Aug, Museum of Asian Music 1 Bradford Road, London W3 7SP l Parajiya Pattni Association London (PPA) Proudly Presents Lok Sahitya no Dayro On Saturday 3rd August 2013, Time: From 6.30pm Till Late, Harrow Leisure Centre, Mansfield Hall, Harrow HA3 5BD, Please note Dinner Will Be Serving From 6.30pm to 8.00pm Tickets will be available from Vasuben 020 8930 2118 / 07742 591407

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 20th July 2013

If you're currently romantically involved, your lover could well go from strength to strength in the area of passion. The work that you are involved with at this time is likely to demand a great deal of energy and initiative from you. This will also involve a lot of moving around and a need to establish a wider network of contacts.

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 The need to push ahead with personal interests and to assert yourself with added force will take precedence over everything else for some time to come. Mentally you will be in top form, perhaps feeling quite passionate about expressing your ideas and views. A goal you have been striving towards will at last be reached.

Your attention turns to money and finance this week. You are satisfied with your love life, but now you’ve got to get busy making cash. You have much professional territory yet to cover, with planets in your financial sector, there is not reason why you should not get there. Good period for communications.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

You will feel energetic and confident as the week begins. New beginnings are favoured around now, as long as you do not bite off more than you can chew. Your thinking is inspired, so listen to your thoughts. This may be a time of expansion and improved opportunity and it would be unwise to let yourself become complacent.

With Venus traversing your sign for some time to come, it will put you in the right mood if you intend to indulge your pleasure-loving instincts. Venus, the planet of love and romance throws a pleasing light on affairs of the heart. Existing emotional differences can be easily sorted out now.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

Co-operative ventures are likely to generate financial success. So, if hoping to drum up support or backing, it would certainly do no harm to adopt a more pushy and outgoing approach to life.

As social life will tend to draw you into a wider circle, the chances of meeting someone attractive are greatly increased.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

Whatever you are aiming to achieve, everything is now swinging in your favour. Do not be afraid if you are working towards promotion or wish to begin a new venture. It is a time of high potential in regard to worldly achievement.

Important interviews, meetings, negotiations and correspondence are highlighted.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22 The cosmic energies are decidedly invigorating at the moment. If you are taking a holiday, so much the better ! Not only do you have Mercury putting a favourable emphasis on travel but, with Mars you can be sure of deriving the utmost pleasure from adventures and excursions.

Bureau Chief: Nilesh Parmar (M) +91 94266 36912 Email: nilesh.parmar@abplgroup.com Consulting Editor: Bhupatbhai Parekh, Ahmedabad, Gujarat Tel: +91 79 2630 4142 Urvashi Jagadeesan (India) Mumbai: Kanti Bhatt, Hemraj Shah (Jumbo Advertiser) Horizon Advertising & Marketing: 205, Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar,Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad. Tel / Fax: +91 79 2646 5960 Email: horizon.marketing@abplgroup.com Business Manager: Hardik Shah (M) +91 99250 42936 Email: hardik.shah@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Neeta Patel (Vadodara) M: +91 98255 11702 Email: neeta_abplgroup@yahoo.co.in Assistant Marketing Manager: Manish Shah (Vadodara) M: +91 96876 06824 Email: manish.shah@abplgroup.com Assistant Marketing Manager: Krunal Shah (Ahmedabad) M: +91 98243 67146 Email: krunal.shah@abplgroup.com Business Co-ordinator: Shrijit Rajan M: +91 98798 82312 Email: shrijit.rajan@abplgroup.com Prashant Chanchal (Rajkot) M: +91 98250 35635 International Advertisement Representative: Jain Group (South India) Tel: +91 44 42041122/3/4 Fax: +91 44 25362973 Mumbai: +91 222471 4122 Email: jain@jaingroup.net Delhi Office: Tel: +91 44 9311581597

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It is a particularly favourable time for dealing with financial interests with a long-term basis and all jointly held resources. There are influences around you now that will do much to give you greater confidence. The feedback you are receiving from others is helping to strengthen your selfimage.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20 You will make best progress by focusing your mental and physical energies on what you want to achieve. Intense focus is what is needed now so do not let yourself be distracted by non-essentials. A good time to develop fresh insights into other people and a better understanding of your own unconscious motives.

All close ties of love and affection will benefit from the gentle influence of Venus. If you are married or have a well-founded relationship, it seems that the pattern of events will somehow draw you closer together emotionally. For those concerned about their career, this is a fine time to do some serious thinking.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

This is a good time to get away from usual routines and seek a retreat for a few days. All the better if you are interested in such things as meditation, yoga and therapies that help you to get in closer touch with your inner self. This will have a beneficial effect on your physical and psychological well-being.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

31

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 20th July 2013

Bhupathi to manage Murray’s interests Mahesh Bhupathi, ace tennis player is the most recognizable face of Indian men’s tennis. He is one of India’s most successful professional athletes of all times, having won 10 grand slam professional tennis championships. A true champion and leader, Bhupati is using his talent to encourage sports in India and inspire others. He has also played a key role in developing and managing the careers of many Indian athletes.

Bhupati is also Managing Director of Globosport Pvt Limited, one of India’s leading sports and entertainment businesses. After a series of success on tennis court, he is now the chosen one to manage World’s no 2 Andy Murray who is the first British man in 77 years to win a Wimbledon title.

US Open and Olympic champion Murray signed on as the first client of a new partnership between his management company and Mahesh Bhupathi's GloboSport.

Globosport had signed up to manage the commercial interests of Murray a few months ago. Murray's win is a shot in the arm for Globosport, which is mandated to develop the tennis star's off-court interest globally, with a specific focus on Asia and the Middle East.

Bhupati - first Indian to win a Grand Slam: Bhupati was the first Indian to win a Grand Slam title by winning the French Open mixed doubles title in 1997. In 1999, he won the Wimbledon and French Open doubles title with Leander Paes and the US Open mixed doubles.

He and Leander Paes became the first doubles team to reach the finals of all four Grand Slams, a feat achieved in the Open era for the first time since 1952. He received the 'Arjuna Award' in 1996 and Padma Shri Award in 2001.

From 1995 to 2006, Bhupati has played 46 matches for India in the Davis Cup, winning 28 matches, of which 20 of his victories came in the doubles matches. He has partnered with many leading ladies of tennis including Ai Sugiyama, Elena Likhovtseva and Lisa Raymond among others to win numerous titles. In 1997, he became the first Indian to win a Grand Slam tournament with Rika Hiraki. With his win of the Australian Open Mixed Doubles in 2006, he joined the elite group of eight tennis players who have achieved a career mixed doubles Grand Slam.

Bhupathi also won the US Open mixed doubles

Mahesh Bhupathi, Andy Murray and Lakshmi Mittal

title partnering Ai Sugiyama of Japan.

Leander and Mahesh reclaimed the French Open title in 2001 but a split meant the two would never win any other doubles tournament as a pair. Even though they both split, Bhupathi went on to win the 2002 US Open men’s doubles along with Max Mirnyi of Belarus. He has tasted great success in mixed doubles also winning Grand Slams in 1997, 1999, 2002, 2005 and 2006.

Bhupathi holds a great doubles record to his name. He has won 521 matches while lost 253 matches, so far in all the doubles matches he has played. He has also won 44 doubles title, with different partners. However, his singles record is not that much noteworthy as he won only 10 singles matches, while lost 28 matches, so far in his career. He was ranked as the World No. 6

in the ATP Doubles Ranking in the year of 2008. He reached the highest ranking of World No. 1 in ATP Doubles Rankings on 26 April, 1999.

Bhupathi had teamed up with Pavel Vízner to win the 2007 Canada Masters.

In 2011, Bhupathi reunited with Leander Paes for the Australian Open. They reached the finals but lost.

Aims for shaping careers of Indian athletes: Bhupathi’s Globosport is involved in developing tennis facilities in India and has also played a pivotal role in shaping and managing careers of many Indian athletes like tennis star Sania Mirza.

GloboSport is the brainchild behind plans for an International Tennis Premier League, based on cricket's Indian Premier League and played during tennis' short off-season in November and December.

Leading players have

Anderson stars as England win Ashes thriller James Anderson took five wickets for the second time in the match as England just held their nerve to win the first Ashes Test against Australia by 14 runs at Trent Bridge on Sunday.

When Australia lost their ninth wicket on the fifth and final day, they were 80 runs adrift of their victory target of 311 and all but out of the match.

But by lunch they were 291 for nine, just 20 runs away from a stunning upset with Brad Haddin 69 not out and James Pattinson unbeaten on 22.

However, the third over after lunch saw Haddin, on 71, eventually given out caught behind by opposing wicketkeeper Matt Prior off man-ofthe-match Anderson's full-length delivery.

England, in a Test full of controversial umpiring decisions, had though first to challenge Pakistani on-field umpire Aleem Dar's original not out verdict. But third umpire Marais Erasmus, using Hot Spot technology, overturned the call and that meant Ashes-holders England had gone 1-0 up in this five-match series ahead of the second Test at Lord's on Thursday.

Pattinson finished on 25 not out after a last-wicket stand of 65. It was the second remarkable last-wicket Australia partnership of the match after their first innings 163, a tenth wicket Test record featuring teenage debutant Ashton Agar's 98 -- the

highest score by a Test No 11.

England spearhead seamer Anderson, who took four wickets for 12 runs on Sunday, finished with an innings return of five for 73 and a match haul of 10 for 158 -- only the second time in his 83-Test career he'd taken 10 or more in a Test following his 11 for 71 against Pakistan at Trent Bridge in 2010.

"Australia battled hard and a lot of credit to them. Jimmy was outstanding," said England captain Alastair Cook at the presentation ceremony.

Meanwhile, Australia captain Michael Clarke said Anderson and England batsman Ian Bell, whose second innings 109 laid the platform for victory, had been the difference between the sides.

"The boys can hold their heads high," said Clarke, after Australia's fifth straight Test loss, in their first Test under new coach Darren Lehmann, following their 4-0 thrashing in India earlier this year.

"It was a wonderful game of cricket but credit to England, they fought well. The two best performers in the match were Ian Bell and Jimmy Anderson and England deserved the win."

Anderson, who has now taken 49 wickets in seven Trent Bridge Tests at just over 17 apiece, admitted: "The match had the nerves going but I love bowling here and I'm happy to pick up some wickets again.

"It generally swings here but whatever way we can get the ball moving, it is a bonus for us."

All was going well for England earlier when Anderson took three wickets for six runs as Agar (14), Mitchell Starc (one) and Peter Siddle (11) were all caught by Cook at first slip to leave Australia nine down.

But when Pattinson swept offspinner Graeme Swann for six, Australia needed just 31 more runs for victory.

Haddin, with 26 needed, was dropped on 64 by a diving Steven Finn, running round in the deep, off Swann as a sun-drenched capacity crowd of 17,000 watched the most nerve-jangling climax to an Ashes Test since England's two-run win at Edgbaston in 2005.

already been approached and Murray's involvement with Bhupathi could lead him to become a key figure if the league gets the green light.

Murray's stock is currently sky high after he beat Novak Djokovic in New York last September to became the first British man to win a Grand Slam singles title in 76 years.

He also won the gold medal in the Olympic men's singles earlier in 2012, thrashing Roger Federer in the final just weeks after losing to the Swiss great in the Wimbledon final.

The venture is aimed at helping Murray develop his off-court interests in Asia and the Middle East.

His company has helped multiple brands connect with sports and Bollywood stars such as MS Dhoni, Saina Nehwal, Sania Mirza and Aamir Khan.

Mittal Champions Trust: Bhupati rekindled

Lakshmi Niwas Mittal’s, the CEO, ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel making company, passion for sport when he approached him in London for setting up a trust for nurturing promising Indian sporting talent.

Mittal Champions Trust is a charitable trust founded by Bhupathi and supported wholly by Mittal. The London-based steel tycoon pledged a whopping Rs 40 crore to the Mittal Champions Trust. The money is not going towards adding corporate addresses to his large empire; it aims to put Indians on the sporting map of the world.

“I hope other industrial houses take a cue from what we are doing and do more for sports in India,” Mittal said.

India's sporting world would have probably never seen the unprecedented three-medal haul at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, had it not been for the impressive off-the-field performance of Manisha Malhotra, 33, India’s former number 2 tennis player.

Having represented India internationally in the past, Manisha is now the administrator of the Mittal Champions Trust. She was also responsible for nurturing India’s sporting talent in the 2012 London Olympics.

Dhoni's cameo helps India win tri-nation series

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed 16 runs in the last over to help India win the tri- nation series, edging Sri Lanka by a wicket at the Queen's Park Oval at Port of Spain (Trinidad). Needing 15 runs of the last over, Dhoni whacked Shaminda Eranga for a six, four and a six to give India its seventh win over Sri Lanka in nine matches.

Dhoni's innings was reminiscent of the one he played at the Wankhede stadium where he struck an unbeaten 91 against Sri Lanka in the World Cup 2011 final.

Sri Lanka put into bat, from a string position, lost eight wickets for 30 runs and were bowled out for 201 in 48.5 overs. Most Indian batsmen struggled on a deteriorating pitch but Rohit Sharma (58), Suresh Raina (32) and Dhoni (45 not out) played key innings to take India to 203 for nine in 49.4 overs. India lost Shikhar Dhawan (16) and Virat Kohli (2) early but Rohit Sharma held one end up. At three for 139, India seemed to cantering home to victory but Rohit Sharma's wicket brought the Lankans back in the game. Sri Lanka were further buoyed after the fall of the dangerous Raina, who had looked in sparkling form. Rangana Herath put Sri Lanka in the driver's seat removing Ravindra Jadeja (5) and Ravichandran Ashwin (0) off successive balls to add to his scalps of Sharma and Dinesh Karthik (23).

Dhoni fought on as wickets tumbled around him but his hamstring injury that kept him out of the three previous games returned to haunt him. It all seemed lost for India as Mathews gave away just two runs off the penultimate over. But Dhoni hit back in style sending Eranga's first ball of the last over onto the roof and then with five runs required, the Indian captain smacked a flat six over extra cover to finish things off.