AV 24th November 2018

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24 - 30 NOVEMBER 2018 - VOL 47 ISSUE 29

TEMPLES BURGLED, HINDUS SHOCKED

Mitul Paniker

inside: PM Modi raises Pak terror at talks with US V-P Mike Pence SEE PAGE 26

Hindu communities in Britain are hit hard with two thefts, and vandalism of Hindu idols and a temple in the country; events that sliced through the otherwise secular sentiments of all communities. It has been a tough year for the ethnic minority in the UK as it found its faith attacked not once, but thrice in one year. A theft of three Hari Krishna idols from a temple, an attempted burglary in another temple, shocked devotees who flock in each day to pray to the deities. Ironically, the events have made an utter joke out of the British government, which had in June this year, discharged an extra £1m for protective security of temples vulnerable to hate attacks.

Scotland Yard officers were called into the Shree Swaminarayan Temple, Willesden on November 9, late night after a thief broke through a door and left with three “beloved” Hari Krishna idols and cash.

NSA, NDA minister interfered in Asthana probe: CBI DIG tells SC SEE PAGE 26

Continued on page 7

British Punjabis: Breaking barriers SEE PAGE 14-16

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onetoone WITH KEITH VAZ, MP

Priya Tew Priya is an award winning registered dietitian and nutrition professional with a degree in Nutritional Sciences and a Masters in Dietetics.

Best known as resident dietician on BBC1’s Eat Well for Less and appearances on Food Truth or Scare and Channel 4’s Embarrassing Bodies, she is registered with the Health Professions Council and the British Dietetic Association. With wide ranging experience both within the NHS and as a freelance dietitian, Priya offers an inventive and fresh approach to nutrition.

Winner of the British Dietetic Association’s Media Spokesperson of the Year and an SBS award from Theo Paphitis. With a wealth of media experience, Priya is known for her down to earth realism and no nonsense nutrition messages.

1

What is your current position?

I'm a freelance dietitian running my own practice "Dietitian UK: www.dietitianuk.co.uk". I work with food brands, the media as well, so I am probably best known as the dietitian on BBC 1's Eat Well for Less. My main clinical work is in eating disorders, IBS and helping people eat a balanced diet. I also run a thriving Pilates studio in Southampton and am mum to 3 small children.

2

What are your proudest achievements?

I love my media work and was awarded the

Media Spokesperson of the Year award.

However my proudest achievements have to be my children and the way that I have managed to build my business around them. Being a working mum is hard work and being self-employed makes it possibly harder, but it is very much possible to do with some creative thinking.

3

What inspires you?

Inspiration is all around us. I get my inspiration from other professionals in my field who are passionate about health and nutrition, from my clients, from my children and from my faith. I also love to get outside

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4

What has been the biggest obstacle in your career?

Family life has definitely been the biggest obstacle. In the past 8 years I have had 3 babies and breastfed for over 4 years and been pregnant for 27 months. Having small babies has made it a lot harder to travel to meetings and to be away from home overnight. I have had to turn down work but it has also meant I have found ways to work creatively.

5

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

Probably my parents, who taught me to set my aims high and that I can do anything if I really set my mind to it.

6

What is the best aspect about your current role?

The variety of amazing work I get to be involved in and my media work. There is very little chance for boredom! I love working with people and seeing real change happening. My clinical work means I am able to help people make small changes to their eating and health behaviours and these changes lead to very real change in their health.

7

And the worst?

The paperwork! I am not a fan of the paperwork side but it has to be done. Also the amount of negativity there can be towards dietitians and registered nutrition professionals. Dietitians are state registered and have at the minimum a degree course, they continually work on updating their skills and knowledge, yet there is a myth that it is an outdated profession.

8

What are your long term goals?

For sensible, evidence based nutrition advice to be promoted to the public on all major platforms and that the public would know who to turn to for nutrition advice that they can trust.

9

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

The National Health Service needs a lot of help and attention, it is an amazing service and something that we really cannot lose.

10

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

Rosa Parks is one of my inspirational historical figures. I love the fact she stood up for what she knew to be true.

10 Downing Street celebrates Diwali at the Durbar Court in FCO Among the Brexit chaos and party backlashes, the 10 Downing Street had to move its Diwali and Bandi chhor divas celebration to Durbar Court in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

It was decorated with orange and pink marigolds, rangolis and candles, while Mrs May was represented by her husband Philip May, in true Asian style.

People from the Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist community gathered in the court, along with representatives from the Armed Forces as well as business leaders.

People from the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple distributed sweets (peda) to attendees with a smiling face and 'happy diwali' message.

The 'Point of Light' award was presented to Kirit Modi, Vice-President, NKF and President, NBTA, who attended with wife Meena, for raising awareness on organ donation in BAME communities. The award, which is given to a very important individuals by the government, was presented

by Mr May on behalf of the Prime Minister.

Community doyen and business tycoon Vinu Bhattesa garlanded Rt Hon J a m e s Brokenshire, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The event was compered by Krushali Kataria, a volunteer from the BAPS Swaminarayan temple in Neasden. His holiness Swami Radhanath from

Speaking at the event, Mr Brokenshire said, “These festivities create a positive impact, that I really admire. It spreads the joyfyul spirit of generosity. People come together in L e i c e s t e r , Birmingham, Manchester, Coventry as well as London. The message of Diwali is universal and resonates with all of us- triumph of light after Rt Hon James Brokenshire, MP addresses the darkness, truth over audience in presence of Philip May, Krushali falsehood, good over Kataraia and Swami Radhanath on the stage evil, knowledge over darkness...

“Today we have many people who have immensely contribured to Britain. Last weekend we paid huge tribute to WW1 soldiers, including the Indian soldiers. Over 60,000 Indian soldiers never returned home. At the national Remembrance service this year at the Kirit Modi with wife Meena holding his Point Cenotaph, we of Light award expanded representation to Jains and Zorastrians, b e s i d e s Hindus and Sikhs.”

Mr May apologised for his wife's absence and paid tribute to the community by saying, “We have Guests at the Diwali celebration received a huge amount of friendship and warmth from Iskcon temple in Watford the Indian community. did a short prayer to conThank you for it.” clude the evening.

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COMMENTS

3

24 - 30 November 2018

Lessons from Armistice centenary The backdrop to the commemoration of the Centenary of the Great War was convulsed with confusion. The Brexit crisis in Britain loomed large, with Prime Minister Theresa May struggling to convince her Conservative party, Parliament and the country at large that her plan for the UK’s divorce from the European Union would safeguard British interests and also maintain a workable relationship with Europe. With the Conservatives riven by discord over the issue, it is doubtful if she can carry the House when it comes to the vote.

Over in France, President Emanuel Macron had troubles of his own. His ratings with the French public are at an all-time low in keeping with the record of his discredited predecessor Francois Holland. M. Macron didn’t help matters by projecting the possibility of raising a European army to meeting alleged military threats from Russia and China. This provoked US President Donald Trump’s ire. He saw this as an attempt to erode Nato and America’s global role. His thunderous scowl told of his deep displeasure, which no amount of patting on the knee by his French host could obscure. President Trump made an abrupt departure from Paris. Meanwhile President Vladimir Putin arrived in the French capital, his unflappable presence a contrast to what had gone on before. He seemed unaffected by the description of Russia as a potential aggressor against France and French allies.

The Allies’ Eastern Front in the First World War, manned by the Tsarist army was drew off a sizeable force of Germans. Otherwise, as the eminent English historian A.J.P Taylor wrote, ‘France might have been defeated in 1914’. Likewise, the intervention of around 250,000 US troops in 2017 was an invaluable aid to an exhausted British army. It was Germany in the end who sued for peace. Taylor’s broader argument was that the American and Soviet Russian participation in the Second World War finally crushed Germany, and with it ended Europe’s global pre-eminence.

President Macron would have done better meditating on the past and its lessons. He might have displayed a little more tact in his dealings with President Trump. What is Nato without the US? The recent Nato Baltic exercise saw Norwegian troops relieving themselves near Norwegian

houses and gardens. Human excrement was deeply shocking to the inhabitants. Predators in the jungle are prone to mark out their territory through such methods!

President Macron may have forgotten the French record at Munich in 1938, when Czech Sudetenland was served up to Hitler; the road from Munich led to Vichy and active collaboration with the Nazis.

Talking peace and bombing present-day Libya and Syria does France little credit. The intoxicant of great power delusions led to Waterloo and the perilous retreat of the Grand Army from Moscow.

One must turn to the convulsions in Colombo, where a ruling government headed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickersinghe was dismissed peremptorily from office by the country’s President Maithripala Sirsena and a new prime minister, Mahinder Rajapaksa appointed to replace him without recourse to Parliament. Sri Lanka is a parliamentary democracy with a written Constitution. The Speaker in Parliament declared that the Presidential decision was illegal, MPs came to blows, and the country has a power vacuum, with no government presently in sight. This is little short of a tragedy. Sri Lanka has been among Asia’s most stable democracies. Hopefully time of troubles will blow over within a reasonable timeline.

The shocking case of Pakistani Christian housewife Asia Bibi, sentenced to death for alleged blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammed based on the accusation of a Muslim neighbor and languished in prison for 10 years before being released by the country’s Supreme Court provoked nationwide mob violence. Her lawyer fled the country for refuge in the Netherlands. Asia Bibi and her husband and their five children are in hiding, awaiting asylum in the West.

One of Pakistan’s foremost scientists Pervez Ali Hoodbhoy wrote thus: ‘Pakistan once had a violent, rabidly religious lunatic fringe. This fringe has morphed into the majority. We are now a nation of butchers and primitive savages.’ For decades past, the West has indulged the two bastions of jihadi global terrorism, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Having sown the wind, it is now reaping whirlwind.

India, US in productive dialogue Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US Vice President Mike Pence had a fruitful conversation on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Singapore. Their conversation was not confined to bilateral trade India’s Hindu newspaper anodyne report suggested, but covered other issues of interest to both sides including freedom of trade and security in the Indo-Pacific region, H-1B visas for Indian IT professionals, counter terrorism cooperation. The Indian Premier drew attention to the jihadi assault on Mumbai in November 2008 from across the border in which 167 innocent people died. The mastermind Hafeez Saeed, was free in Pakistan to engage in politics.

While there were differences over trade, the two countries are working towards a bilateral trade deal. ‘We are trying very hard to make better trade deals with India. But they are very good traders. They are very good negotiators. The best. So we’re working. So it’s moving along.’ said President Trump in Washington..

According to Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, who was with Prime Minister Modi in Singapore, ‘there

was a sense of convergence both on bilateral issues and on global issues and we look forward to taking forward in the coming months and in 2019’..

Mr Modi reminded the US Vice President that during the last two years, since the Trump Administration had taken office, US exports to India had risen by 50 per cent and is one of the top 10 countries where the US trade deficit in on the decrease.

On the broader trade front, Indian exports in October grew 17.86 per cent to $26.9 billion. Imports for the same period grew 17. 62 per cent, a growth of 44 per cent., of which crude and petroleum products garnered the largest share. Readymade garments, gems & jewellery, spices, electronics, leather goods, plastics and handicrafts dominated the export list. Total Indian exports from April to October 2018 rose by 13. 27 per cent over a similar period in 2017. Exports worth $191.02 billion were sold in foreign markets, a 16.7 per cent rise over a similar period of the previous year. There is a long hard road ahead before exports and imports are brought into a broadly parallel alignment.

Cambridge honours its Indian son Cambridge University has renamed its 1702 chair in chemistry after Mumbai-born Yusuf Hamied, Chairman of the Indian pharmaceutical firm Cipla, founded in 1935

by Bombay-based father Dr Hamied, who was encouraged in his endeavours by Mahatma Gandhi to help out the city’s poor. He approached Alexander Todd, the distinguished Cambridge scientist [later a Chemistry Nobel laureate in 1957], on a visit to Bombay, whether his son, lacking an A level school certificate] could apply for a place at Todd’s Christ College. Having sized up the young man Lord Todd did so. In 1954, the youthful Yusuf Hamied entered Christ College and never looked back, graduating with a coveted First in the Tripos and staying on for his PhD. Cambridge University stated that the 1702 Chair in Chemistry would be renamed after Yusuf Hamied: ‘Dr Hamied worked to provide low-cost generic

antiretroviral drugs to people with HIV and AIDS in developing countries, reducing the cost of the drugs to less than a dollar day.’

The previous holder of the 1702 chair, John Pyle, said: ‘I’m delighted with the name change. Yusuf has done so much for the department and he’s a wonderful person who has done great things. His mentor Lord Alexander Todd held the chair.’

Now a fit, debonair, mellow 82, Dr Hamied spoke of his ‘close bond’ with Cambridge, and especially its Chemistry department. He explained: ‘In recent years we have set up the the Todd-Hamied Seminar Room, the Todd-Hamied Laboratory and the Hamied Laboratory in the department. Now I am delighted that I am leaving behind a legacy for the future. I am not taking my money with me, so this is a good thing.’ A Life fulfilled as the evening shadows fall with ebbing tide.

The important work of moving the world forward does not wait to be done by perfect men - George Eliot (1819-1880)

CIIr Ketan Sheth

Councillor for Tokyngton Wembley Brent Council’s Chair of Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee

Scrutinising Diabetes: Why it’s More Than Just about the Numbers!

Earlier this month we celebrated the World Diabetes Day and are all familiar with some of the frightening numbers around diabetes: more people than ever have diabetes and are at risk of type 2 diabetes. If nothing changes, warns Diabetes UK, more than 5M people will have the condition in the UK by 2025. Also, the costs to the NHS of treatment and care are rising.

So, how do elected members on scrutiny committees get to grips with understanding the situation which in many areas is daunting in scale and complex? Well, recently my committee did just that and I want to share with you what I learned.

Firstly, I found out that Brent is at the sharp end of the problem. Prevalence of diabetes is higher than the national average: recent estimates suggest that about 8.5% of the population, or 25,000 people, have type 2 diabetes in Brent, with the national average being around 5.82%. Public Health England estimates that there are approximately 7,500 undiagnosed patients in Brent, who do not even know they have the condition. Part of the underlying reason for the high numbers is that there are many people in the borough who are in high-risk groups.

So, the situation in Brent is frankly very challenging.

When we discussed the situation in my committee I wanted to bring together everyone involved in treating, diagnosing and preventing diabetes. The discussion was wide-ranging from food and exercise to Brent’s prevention programmes such as Slash Sugar, which raises awareness of hidden sugar in food.

I also wanted to widen the discussion to hear from those directly affected by the condition. In Brent there is a project called Diabetes Community Champions, run by the council’s public health team, which works to promote awareness about diabetes at the grassroots. The community champions go out and about, talking to people, and giving out information, and Brent now has 40 community champions from a wide range of backgrounds. So, we invited two of them to the committee meeting.

I have to say that it worked extremely well.

Everyone is aware of the numbers, but as a member there’s nothing like being able to take on board firsthand testimony alongside the data. It was absorbing to hear one of them describe her personal experience of being diagnosed with borderline type 2 diabetes and how she works to share her knowledge of the condition.

At scrutiny, members are often told about ‘triangulation’ or to put it simply, comparing and weighing up different pieces of evidence as a whole rather than separately. So, I would say that what I learned above all is that triangulation is more than just weighing different datasets, as important as they are. It is also about listening to people whose firsthand experiences make our understanding of a condition like diabetes real and tangible.

Editor: CB Patel Asian Voice is published by Asian Business Publications Ltd Karma Yoga House, 12 Hoxton Market, (Off Coronet Street) London N1 6HW. Tel: 020 7749 4080 • Fax: 020 7749 4081 Email: aveditorial@abplgroup.com Website: www.abplgroup.com INDIA OFFICE Bureau Chief: Nilesh Parmar (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd. 207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad-380 015.

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6 UK

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

24 - 30 November 2018

BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir remembers our forgotten heroes BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London, on Friday 16 November 2018 held a special interfaith assembly to pay tribute to soldiers from India and the Commonwealth who served during the First World War. To commemorate 100 years of the Armistice day, a remembrance day program was held at the Mandir which coincided with National Inter Faith Week in the UK. Inaugurated by Nitin Palan MBE, an Inter-faith leader for the BAPS Swaminarayan temple and the Chairman of Golden Tours Foundation, this event remembered the contribution of Asian soldiers in Britain's war history. More than 1.5 million Indian Army soldiers served in the Great War, while 74,000 were killed and 11 Victoria Crosses were awarded to their ranks.

Various faith leaders began the assembly by lighting the auspicious lamp. A trumpeter played the ‘Colonel Bogey March’ and ‘Qadam Qadam Badaye Ja’ – music representing marches of the British and Indian armies during World War One. Meanwhile children stood in a queue holding 53 flags of the Commonwealth nations, and everybody stood upto the national anthems of Great Britain and India.

HE Euripides L

Faith leaders lighting the lamp

Nitin Palan MBE, Inter-faith leader for the BAPS Swaminarayan temple.

Evriviades, High Commissioner of Cyprus and Chair of the Commonwealth Board of Governors, delivered a poignant message on behalf of the Commonwealth.

“On 26 April 1949, the modern Commonwealth was born from the International collaboration that had been generated throughout the First and Second World Wars. The 21st century Commonwealth, now in it's 69th year is building on its dynamic legacy and heritage with international engagement and diversity at its core.”

Lord Jitesh Gadhia

explained the significance of the khadi poppy and highlighted how Gandhi's principled and loyal support was crucial at a difficult time in India's relationship with Britian. The diversity of the event was reflected not just in the evocative recital of Rabindranath Tagore's Gitanjali but marked by the presence of the faith leaders who spoke about the contributions of Indian soldiers regardless of their cultural and religious allegiances.

Lord Ahmad, Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the UN and the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief, said the

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event at the Mandir was “an incredible demonstration of the unity of mankind, the unity of remembrance, appreciation of friendship and ties of kinship”.

Sardar Sulakhan Singh, Honorary President of the Namdhari Sikh Sangat UK, reflected on the “sacrifice of servicemen from various faiths who fought in the Great War [to enable us] all to live in happiness today”.

Also in attendance was Rt. Hon. Tom Tugendhat MP, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee of the House of Commons. Mr Tugendhat recently laid a wreath at India Gate in New Delhi in respect of Indian

HE Euripides L Evriviades, High Commissioner of Cyprus.

soldiers who lost their lives in the Great War. The Mandir recently paid homage to the heroes of the WW1 by installing a poppy display outside their premises. It was one of 14 locations selected by The Royal British Legion to display large poppies featuring moving messages from the First World War generation woven along threads that pointed to 20-ft installation at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London.

Guests stand up for the national anthem

Indian Jewish Association hosts 'Our Common Values' The Indian Jewish Association (IJA) on 15th November hosted 'Our common values' at the Western Marble Arch Synagogue where members of both the Indian and Jewish communities came together to celebrate this year's Inter-faith week.

The event was celebrated in the presence of House of Lords member Lord Jitesh Gadhia, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis among various others. The Hindu community celebrated Diwali last week and the Jewish community is preparing itself for Hanukkah. On this momentous occasion, Lord Gadhia said“It's an opportunity to celebrate the strong ties between our two communities: 1.5 million British Indians and 300,000 British Jews. I speak as someone who grew up in North London side-by-side and in harmony with the Jewish community.”

Talking about togetherness and unity Lord Gadhia said how it “pains” to see “the ugly rise of antiSemitism in Britain and around the world. I would like to reiterate that British Indians resolutely stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Jewish community until anti-Semitism is eradicated

(L-R): Shashibhai Vekaria, Rami Ranger, Sonal Sachdeva. Peter Chadha, Lord Jitesh Gadhia, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, John Levy, C B Patel, Zaki Cooper, Mike Whine and other guests

in all its forms."

The event highlighted four central common subjects between the Indian and the Jewish community faith, food, family and spirituality aside from Business itself.

Mike Whine, founding treasurer of IJA “This association essentially came together because friends from Hindu and Jewish communities who work together and collaborate their businesses needed to establish a formal association where we allow members from these communities to come together and network!”

While business and cultural integration formed part of the event the Chief Rabbi spoke about his “Ben Azzai Programme”, which is an annual initiative taking university students on an immersive international trip to India or Ghana:

"In 2015, Valerie and I visited 19 Jewish communities in 5 cities over 11 days.

We also made a point of visiting the slums of Kolkata and Mumbai. Ben Azzai Programme, was established to empower the Jewish community to reach out to the people of India and others around the world who require help and assistance.

Next month, we are sending 16 Jewish students to Kolkata who will return to the UK as our social responsibility ambassadors.” the Rabbi said.

Zaki Cooper, IJA's trustee said- “Our small charity, the Indian Jewish Association, was founded in 1996. We do not have a paid staff and we rely on the goodwill of our volunteers.

We exist to strengthen relations between Britain's Indian and Jewish communities.”

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AsianVoiceNewsweekly

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24 - 30 November 2018

TEMPLES BURGLED, HINDUS THREATENED Continued from page 1

As if the New Year spirit wasn't dampened for the BritishIndian community, another break-in at the Shree Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple, Kenton, in the week following Diwali, has now prompted the community to believe it is in fact a hate attack and not a simple case of burglary.

The first real hate crime attacks at Hindu temples began earlier in 2018 when an image of Lord Ayyappan, located at the entrance of the London Ayyappan Temple, was drenched in fuel and set alight. Four weeks after the incident, the temple banners at front of the building were set on fire.

Following the incidents, Local London Assembly Member, Navin Shah AM has been closely liaising with local councillors, community safety officers and the Borough Commander to determine how security measures could be improved.

Shah said, “In the wake of the temple being subjected to two abominable attacks, it has been positive to see the local council, police force, and community leaders come together to stamp out religious and racial hatred, and provide

vital support to the Hindu community in Harrow. It's also reassuring to hear that, on the back of the local council's recommendation, the Temple has submitted a bid for funding to the Home Office to install enhanced security measures.” Shah also added, “I have, of course, also pledged my ongoing support to the Temple and will continue to assist them on this matter and any other issues that might arise.”

Swaminarayan Temple, Willesden The Swaminarayan Temple, Willesden theft took place on Diwali day. Reports said

priests in the building woke to crashing sound at around 2 am. When they went to investigate, they saw a man in dark clothing holding a yellow rucksack and moving around the temple. It is suggested he was crouching down to avoid detection.

Police officers were also called but no suspect was found. Collection boxes that were filled with donations were also taken along with the three religious idols that have caused a massive ho-ha within the community.

A member of the Willesden temple, Umang Jeshani, member of the temple committee, said, “The idols have been with us since

1975, when the temple first opened. They were handed down to us from our mother temple in Bhuj in Gujarat. They are used for rituals and have had huge impact on the Hindu community. We have had a lot of support from communities around the UK, it has hit the community quite hard, it's quite a shock.” The Hindu Council UK has expressed concern at the incidents and urged all Hindu temples to be vigilant and ensure all security systems were in place and in a working condition.

Shri Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple, Westfield Lane, Harrow On November 13, temple priests at the Shri Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple, Harrow, woke up to an alarm screeching at around 3.45 am. CCTV footage showed them a lone male searching the building.

He was wearing a hooded coat, was dressed all in grey and had covered his face.

Once again the police were called but the suspect was not found. The burglar entered both the temples by

forcing a glass door and window open.

Detectives believe that the offences could be linked due to the timing, method of entry and proximity of the thefts.

Leaders react to the burglaries: Call them hate crime Outraged at the thefts, Labour MP Virendra Sharma has urged British police to consider whether two recent robberies in London Hindu temples should be considered hate crimes. Addressing the House of Commons this week, Sharma asked Justice Minister David Gauke whether the cases would be treated as hate crimes and not just ignored by police as they “targeted people of one faith.” Sharma said, “Given the way society is developing, given the way some sections of society are going around and spreading hatred and intolerance in society, I strongly feel that people should keep open that possibility.”

Gauke too spoke on the thefts. He said, “Those specific cases will be a matter for the police and for the Crown Prosecution Service, but if activity of this sort is targeted on the basis of religious belief, that is completely unacceptable and I am sure that the whole

House is united in condemning it.”

Conservative MP Bob Blackman too made a point to bring attention on the recent burglaries. Speaking in the Parliament, he said, “We celebrated the Hindu New Year last week, and for most of us it was a joyous occasion. Very sadly the following day, Willesden Temple was broken into and the idols or statues all Hindus celebrate were stolen. Following that on earlier this week, Kenton Temple was broken into and the same thing happened.

Could we have a statement from the Home Secretary on this subject so greater security can be provided to the Hindu temples across the country to prevent this happening from anywhere else?”

Leader of the House, Andrea Leadsom added to the statement, calling the situation “appalling” and urging Home Secretary Sajid Javid to do something for the , saying, “Can I say to my honorable friend, I am really sorry top hear about the break-ins at Willesden and Kenton temples. That really is appalling and I do encourage him (Blackman) to take the opportunity to speak to the Home Secretary about that himself. I am sure he will do that.”

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8 UK

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

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24 - 30 November 2018

Help find match for Meena, a mother of five-year old twins Meena, a Punjabi mother to five-year old twins, is in urgent need of a blood stem cell donation in a critical fight against acute myeloid leukaemia.

From St Albans, when diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), originally Meena was responding well to the treatment. However the family soon received a shattering news and now a blood stem cell donation would be her last chance of survival. Meena’s BritishIndian background makes the search even more difficult as blood stem cell matches are determined by DNA. DKMS is a an international non-profit organisation with offices in the UK (opened 2013), Chile (2018),

Meena with her children

Poland (2009), the United States (2004) and Germany (1991).

Every 20 minutes, someone in the UK is diagnosed with blood cancer and some 2,000 people are looking for

a potentially lifesaving blood stem cell donor each year.

In a statement the organisation said on their website, “Meena lights up the room. Her positivity and

her energy is infectious. She is the most incredible mother and we’ll do everything we can to ensure she will be around to watch the kids grow up.

"Meena is a positive strong determined individual, always smiling and we all know she will fight this disease but at the same time we know how hard it has been for her - make this fight easier for her. Our personal plea to you - give this selfless gift to someone in need and sign up today."

You could show your support to the #Match4Meena appeal and sign up as a potential life saver for someone in need, regardless of your ethnicity.

For more details see https://www.dkms.org.uk/ en/register-now.

Britain witnesses the historic opening of Gandhi Peace Centre Over 500 people gathered at Tividale's Shri Venkateswara Balaji Temple to witness the historic opening of UK's first Gandhi Peace Centre on November 12. A proud moment for the Indian community in the UK, the centre was inaugurated by Mrs Rajashree Birla, chair of the Aditya Birla Group. The centre, supported by Aditya Birla Group, is the first outside India. The inaugural event was hosted by temple trustees including current chair Dr S Kanagaratnam and founding chair Dr VP Narayan Rao, with support from West Midlands Combined Authority and the Indian Consulate General in Birmingham.

The centre hosts a permanent exhibition of Gandhi's life and message, told through interactive exhibits, video clips and rare photographs, yoga and meditation teaching resources and a library. There are also facilities of meetings, seminars, and practical activities to spread the message of peace and non-violence and foster community relations.

Sandwell Mayor Cllr Joy Edis welcomed dignitaries including Mrs Birla, Indian Consul General in

Mrs Rajashree Birla officially opens the Gandhi Peace Centre

Birmingham Dr Aman Puri, Lord Bhikhu Parekh, Lord Popat and Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street.

Also present at the event were mayors from around the region as well as representatives from the Gandhi Foundation and faiths across the community.

Addressing the event, Dr Kanagaratnam thanked everyone present for their support towards the project.

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“I would, at the outset, thank Mrs Rajashree Birla, our co-host, for her dream, she impressed her vision and reposed her faith with Mr Gopi Hinduja and my predecessors to bring this centre to the divinely blessed grounds of Balaji temple, the first such centre in the UK.” Mayor Andy Street said West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) was proud to support the centre.

“It is so right that it should be here in the West Midlands, it couldn't anywhere else. The Mahatma talked of peace, reconciliation and harmony, exactly the principles by which we are trying to live and build a community that is for every faith.”

The mayor delivered a personal message from Prime Minister Theresa May, who said Gandhi's legacy had a particular

poignancy in the UK. “His values continue to resonate and we are very fortunate to now have an exhibition of his life and lessons at the Gandhi Peace Centre,” she wrote. Gandhi scholar and award-winning author Lord Bhikhu Parekh spoke on Gandhi and Ahimsa as a way of life. The ceremony was followed by an entertainment and cultural programme, as popular Indian singer Mayaben performed songs requested by Mrs Birla, and Dr Deeraj Joshi from the Indian Consulate led everyone in a set of yoga and meditation exercises.

The centre is the latest addition to the temple complex, that opened in 1999.

The 27 acre temple site attracts more than half a million visitors each year, including devotees, students and some 10,000 schoolchildren.

New Avanti school inaugurated in Stanmore

(L-R) Conservative MP Bob Blackman, Mayor of Harrow Kareema Marikar and Secretary of State for education Damian Hinds.

Priyanka Mehta On 15th November, Avanti Trust inaugurated Avanti School at a permanent location in Stanmore in the honorary presence of Secretary of state for education, Damian Hinds, conservative MP, Bob Blackman and the mayor of Harrow, Kareema Marikar among others.

Avanti School is a faithbased school that teaches not just Hindu religion but also educates the students about other religious texts along with following the GCSE curriculum. This faith-based school in an attempt for an establishment of an integrated society teaches students from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Damian who congratulated the Avanti Schools Trust for their initiative in education said how British organisations have been involved for far longer in the education society than the state's participation. It is quite unusual in countries to have fully funded faith-based schools. But Damian said“I see faith schools as really important part of our rich diversity in our education system and they provide choice to our parents and the faith designation can be an important part of its ethos so, I think that is true here and it is welcoming people of different backgrounds or people who have no faith at all! And I don't think it should lead to isolation of any particular community in any way.”

But does establishment of faith-schools really promote an integrated society?

In December 2017, Amanda

Spielman, the chief inspector of schools in England, said private faith schools run by religious conservatives were “deliberately resisting” British values and equalities law. But she also clarified that this isn't a criticism against faith schools.

While imparting religious education may promote a diverse and a multicultural environment, not all parents believe that it should be the only initiative. *Pooja Patel, a naturalised British mother from Kenya, talks about how the schools should take an initiative in teaching about colonial history and imperialism for the students to understand the historical backgrounds of who some of the “natives call outsiders”.

“It is unfortunate that these schools don't teach about British history in that light and this leads to bullying in classes and racism in some cases.” she said However, Mr Hinds clarified, “We don't specify in the national curriculum of the schools about particular periods. The only thing that we have specified for them to teach is the Holocaust but beyond that there are different examination boards and the curriculum may or would include some of the elements of the world history!”

Avanti has also just opened a Secondary School in Leicester. Avanti Fields, Leicester is the first hindustate-funded secondary school outside of London in the UK and has received great support from the local community.

Senior forensic scientist Nicola Taylor on Tuesday gave evidence to the Teesside Crown Court in the Jessica Patel murder case where her husband Mitesh Patel is alleged to have suffocated her using a Tesco bag. Ms Taylor said she found blood on the inner surface of the bag, in a "concealed area", matching the DNA of Jessica, and traces of her saliva.

However, she was unable to determine who had held the bag. Although, a mixed DNA

profile was found on a damaged area of the bag near the opening which indicates Mitesh Patel as a “potential pre-dominant contributor while the damage to the bag could be explained as someone trying to get access to air. Another potential explanation Mrs. Taylor said was that the bag was used as a ligature.

Mitesh Patel, 37, ran the Roman Road Pharmacy in Linthorpe with his wife. He denies murder.

Court examines forensic evidence in Jessica Patel's murder

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AsianVoiceNews

UK

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

9

24 - 30 November 2018

Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

How Meera Lee Patel’s Book “Made Out of Stars” Can Heal US t is often hard for we Asians to articulate it when we suffer from depression or low self-esteem. Who would think that a book could help us heal? Meera Lee Patel did, and had the brilliant idea to help us heal ourselves with her second book; a journal that we can write in, called Made out of Stars.

She talked to us about why she did it.

“I wrote Made Out of Stars because I wanted people to realize their honest selves—who they are when the world isn’t telling them who to be. Our world is busy, distracting, and overwhelming. Despair is felt when a person no longer feels connected to the core of who they are—when the motions in their days and the way they spend their time feels meaningless. I wrote this book because I want people to recognize themselves—to see themselves when the expectations of society and culture are pulled away—and to nurture the connec-

I

Meera Lee Patel

tion they have with themselves. My wish is that when someone does the work of seeking to understand who they are, they will

begin seeing themselves in everything around them—in the people, animals, and plants that surround them. When this happens, it becomes impossible to feel disconnected from the world—it becomes impossible to not have a sense of belonging.”

Many readers, like me, suffer from depression at times. Meera’s work speaks to us all. She says, “Made Out of Stars” seeks to dismantle the anxieties and fears we have about not living up to the expectations of others or ourselves. It asks readers to look inside themselves and answer questions that are much easier to avoid or ignore. It asks readers to gauge progress and personal growth: How have you changed for the better in the past year? What do you hope to learn about yourself a year from now? It asks readers to remember self-care and to nurture themselves: Think of something you’ve felt unsure of for a long time. What would help you have more faith in yourself? It also asks readers to practice gratitude: Write about three fulfilling aspects of your life that you tend to overlook.

These questions seem simple but answering requires thought, courage, and awareness. It also asks readers to find meaning in unexpected places: in the smiles from strangers on the street, in the quiet time we have during our commutes, in the ability to read a book or listen to a song and escape into an unknown world. These moments are what make up our lives— and if we can find purpose and meaning in them, even the difficult periods of struggle and heartbreak become more manageable.”

Meera has interesting thoughts on mental health in the Asian Community.

“In the Asian community, there is little emphasis on emotional intelligence or mental health. This is paired with expectations and often, the hope for second-generation children to fulfill and carry the

expectations of their immigrant families.

In an effort to make our parents, relatives, and communities proud, we run away from ourselves—from who we are, how we feel, and what we want to accomplish in this world. I’ve felt the responsibility of fulfilling my parents’ dreams and carried a weight for years because the life I envision for myself is different from the one they had imagined for me. The weight of living inside two worlds is difficult and often leads to increased anxiety and depression.”

Meera Lee Patel also has ideas on what else we can do to help ourselves, those of us with inconsistent mental health.

“I’ve written Made Out of Stars and My Friend Fear because I know there are people like me who suffer from depression and want to change the way they feel but don’t know how. I’ve learned to neutralize my fear by walking alongside it, instead of turning away from it. My hope is that readers will use my books for self-exploration and realization on a journey to becoming a more honest version of themselves. I’ve found that therapy, meditation, developing interests outside of work and family are all additional methods to living a healthier and more balanced life. There is no shame in taking time for yourself.

There is no better use of time than to spend it in a way that feels meaningful to you.”

Finally, this author gave us a clue as to her next project and what she wants to do next.

“I will begin working on my third journal, which will deal with practical methods for reducing anxiety, within the next year. I’ve spent a number of years helping others overcome their fears and anxieties, and I’ve dedicated to spending the next year asking myself what I need.

Meera Lee Patel’s book Made Out of Stars is published by Particular Books.

10 READERS VOICE

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24 - 30 November 2018

Iron man Sardar Patel's 'statue of unity' Mr Gandhi in his letter (17-23 Nov) has truly stated that almost all the people admire BJP government and PM Narendra Modi erecting the tallest 'statue of unity' of Sardar Patel. Tiny minority in hands of Congress party has distorted the facts to unduly raise Nehru's image against the truly deserving image of Sardar Patel; and whatever the present government has done is done democratically, and in the interest of the public and tourists.

Sardar Patel, following Mahatma Gandhi's request, gladly and readily sacrificed his right to be the first PM of India, and became a Deputy PM and Home Minister to fulfil the huge task of forming the Union of India, which was thought quite impossible by many people including the Briyish themselves. This itself is one of the political wonders of the world.

During the Independence movement, Sardar Patel had single handedly convinced the owners of cotton and steel industries, traders and farmers to create funds for the National Congress which had initially nothing in its fund.

The property owned by present Congress is mainly due to the past efforts of Saradar Patel when the country as a whole was utterly poor; and the cost of the property was contributed by the forefathers of all the members of the existing political parties of India today; and all the political parties of the nation can lay claim to it. £314 million cost of the project is based on public private partnership. The cost of the statue is minimal comparatively with the major cost of the other modern facilities, such as, exhibition halls, museums, libraries promenade, bridge,shops, modern technologies,maintenance etc for tourists as well to create income.

Sardar Patel's sacrifice and efforts are truly appreciated, and will be recognised in Indian history at long last by the erection of the great patriot's 'statue of unity'.

R N Patel Via email

Could flour power cut birth defects?

It is scientifically proved opinion of health experts, especially paediatricians that if we fortified our flour with folic acid, we could significantly reduce birth defects among new-born babies. This includes risk of spina bifida and other neural tube defects in some one thousand newly born babies. As usual, Government has been toying with this idea for some time, unable to make its mind up.

But now under pressure from health experts, Public Health Minister Steve Brine has just announced that he will launch national consultation process early next year.

This is an unnecessary delay, as current advice is for pregnant women to take 400mg of Frolic acid daily for at least first 12 weeks. But not many follow this advice for various reasons, as some are not aware that they are pregnant, need frolic acid, especially when pregnancy is unplanned and have not seen their GP. Moreover some eighty nations have already taken this advice to heart and added folic acid to flour, used mainly in baking breads, a stable diet in the Western world, as well as chapatti or roti, a stable diet in the Eastern world.

So this consultation process is some-what outdated and unnecessary, a delaying tactic by the government who always hesitate to introduce new ideas, especially on health front, as British people and politicians are traditionally cautious when it comes to change, although in this case, government may want to know what effect this may have on rest of the population, that is if such a risk assessment has not already been studied, taken into account in those eighty countries who have taken to heart medical advice and added folic acid to their diet.

Some of our MPs are medically trained, working part time as GPs, in A & E department, as well as hospital Consultants. If these enlightened MPs put pressure on government, it will definitely make difference, as was the case in reducing gambling stake from £100 to £2 government wanted to delay until October 2019 under pressure from gambling industry, but pressure from some MPs, the original date of April 2019 was reinstated.

Fortunately such pressure groups are springing up all over the country, run and managed by dedicated people.

We receive such request to sign petitions every week and we oblige without hesitation on most part.

Kumudini Valambia Via email

Having a go

Brexit Drama

All these warnings of Brexit being like stepping off a cliff edge must be affecting embattled prime minister Theresa May so much that she is probably thinking of stepping off a cliff edge herself. We must feel sorry for the lady because she is doing her best to stay in control in incredibly challenging circumstances.

Rudy Otter by email

Currently Brexit is dominating over other important issues of health, education, crime, austerity and economy. It has become a farce and in the eyes of world a joke.

How come the issue is still hanging on after having 2 years’ time, the British Government has not satisfactorily resolved this serious issue. It has become worse than a dog’s breakfast.

The hard-line Brexiteers are hell bent to hit the buffers and are heading for a ‘no deal’ Brexit which will be in their own selfish ideological interest and not the national interest. They are treading on dangerous ground not knowing what the disastrous outcome the nation will face. DUP of Northern Ireland were paid $1 billion to keep Theresa May in power, now they have turned against her.

So it is only right that DUP pays back £1billion to the British government to which they were not entitled to, in the first place.

Presently there are only 3 options left: 1. To accept the deal. 2. People’s vote on the deal. 3. General election.

Anything apart from these options will lead the country into the abyss, damaging jobs, economy, workers’ rights and security. Eyes of the British people has now been opened because the true situation was hidden from them when the referendum took place in 2016. They have seen the fiasco of the Brexit negotiations done by the incompetent Brexit secretaries and the Government. It is time to take the interest of the people and the nation as the top priority and not just of the few people’s vested interests. At this state, removing Theresa May as prime minister will not solve the Brexit problem but will make it much worse. It is better to deal with "better the devil you know than the devil you don't".

Baldev Sharma Rayners Lane, Harrow

Diwali by the Prime Minister With the Government in turmoil over the Brexit Agreement, the Prime Minister the Rt. Hon Theresa May MP moved the Diwali reception from her residence at No. 10 Downing Street to the more grandeur Darbar Court, an area within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on King Charles Street, Westminster.

The Rt. Hon. James Brokenshire MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Governments along with Mr. Philip May, our Prime Minister’s Husband stepped in for the Prime Minister as the Prime Minister was busy giving a press conference in the wake of two resignations from her Cabinet of Brexit Secretary and Works and Pension Secretary.

The Darbar Court was beautifully decorated keeping in mind the theme of Diwali adorned with flowers and lights. It was a magnificent sight with approx. 300 plus Hindus, Sikhs and Jains attending the celebrations along with the officers of the British Armed Forces. In all, it was a well-attended reception and guests were entertained with music and refreshments. The priest from the Neasden Swaminarayan temple started the reception with prayers and both the Secretary of State and Mr. Philip May paid a tribute to the hardworking and peace loving Indian community. They said that the Indian diaspora has enriched Britain with their culture and is contributing in every aspect of British life.

Guests were given a box of Indian sweets on their departure, courtesy of Swaminarayan Temple, Neasden.

Dr Rami Ranger CBE Via email

Moon Landing: Fact or Fiction?

Recently prominent personality raised doubt on moon landing on TV chat show. The landing happened in 1969 stirring my memory of this unbelievable achievement that caught imagination of the world. When we were in America on holidays, few decades back, I watched an interesting discussion on the subject. The experts were hopelessly divided, those who believed it happened and a small but significant number believed it to be a hoax, orchestrated from NASA’s Nevada base where Earth topography resembles that of the Moon.

As it was space race between America, under dynamic President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Union under Chairman Nikita Khrushchev, there was unity among all political divide in US that would prevent any such speculations. It was an incessant self-promotion with every one toying party line. After all America’s prestige was at stake!

As USSR beat USA when it put first satellite, sputnik, in orbit in 1958, then manned flight, President Kennedy declared ten year plan to land an astronaut on Moon by 1970, developing powerful Saturn V rocket capable of flying to Mars! President Kennedy achieved his aim two years earlier than planned, although he was not there to see it happened. Neil Armstrong was the first astronaut to set foot on the moon surface. Who can forget this heart-throbbing spectacle we watched all night live on TV, a small step for men but a giant leap for mankind, drawing the biggest TV audience ever?

Although it was followed by more landings, American people soon lost interest, once America beat, eclipsed USSR and the whole programme was abandoned, as funding for NASA was cut to the bone. What puzzles everyone is that this was God send opportunity for USA to dominate the world by building Moon base for further exploration of universe, as well as for military purpose. Due to Moon’s low gravity, it is much easier and cheaper to launch rockets to far flung corners of universe, even landing a man on Mars, that was the ultimate aim.

Instead, even after fifty years when we are so far ahead in technology, US is unable to put satellite in orbit, instead depending on India and Russia to launch commercial satellites, although this is a temporary setback.

The next astronaut to land on Moon will be Chinese, according to experts. China will not stop there. It will conquer and colonize Moon, building base for military use that will be detrimental for the world peace. It will be in the interest of the West to help India to match China in space race, as Indian technology is well advanced and much cheaper, less cumbersome than that of Russia and China.

Bhupendra M. Gandhi Via email

Brexit Madness Some 6 million people including senior MPs, celebrities and people from all sections of the society rallied in front of Parliament Square last month demanding second referendum on Brexit.

People are worried sick of the frightening outcome of the economic disaster and disintegration of the country as dire consequences of Brexit. Theresa May is trying her best to save the country respecting the result of referendum although she was in remain lobby. Boris Johnson, Ian Smith and others, who for their political ambitions initiated Brexit based on immigration issue have misled the British public, remain in the back seat unperturbed.

Theresa May has the best interest at heart for the country but is taking a risky path. David Cameron was so pissed off with the misinformation and deception of Brexit lobby, on losing the referendum, he sacrificed his political career. The country is deeply divided. Even if the post Brexit economy of the country does not get affected, the threat that country pauses is that Scotland and N Ireland will find any excuse to split from UK. This will be the biggest catastrophe.

I wonder if those concerned to save the integrity of the country can get their act together to prove the wrong doings in campaign by the leave lobby and render the result null and void. This of course will pave the way for another referendum.

Niranjan Vasant

By Email

Et tu Brute Brexit - this newly coined word has now become so prevalent that it does not need explaining that it refers to Britain’s exit from the European Union (EU). Now that we are getting out of the EU, one would have thought that the British negotiators should have tried their utmost to clawback the billions of pounds which we were made to contribute towards the running of the EU since 1974, and in bailing out its sick partners.

Five key members of the Prime Minister’s own party feel that a better deal could have been been negotiated.

On the contrary, we are being made to pay vast sums of money to join the Customs Union! That apart, Theresa May’s government has been hit by a wave of six resignations. No doubt others may follow suit. One after the other minister is either resigning or is being sacked.

The most high profile person, the Brexit secretary, Dominic Raab, has also departed. Media reports suggest that there are others in the party waiting in the wings and ready to step into her shoes. They are conspiring against her to topple her. This reminds me of Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar, where Brutus, Caesar’s most trusted friend, joined in Casius Clay’s conspiracy to oust him and caesar said the famous words “Et tu Brute?” meaning “you too, Brurtus?” as Brutus was Caesar’s friend and supporter.I suppose the PM must have felt the same as Caesar felt many years ago.

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

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EDUCATION

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

11

24 - 30 November 2018

Bhikhu Patel donates £1 million to support alma mater to thank Bhikhu and Shashi for their tremendous generosity and look forward to working with them and other key partners as we bring this new campus to life.”

Dr Bhikhu Patel and his wife Shashi have donated £1 million to University of Bristol to create the university’s transformational new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus (TQEC).

After Dr Patel graduated from this university in 1973 with an honours degree in Architecture, followed a career as an architect before taking on a couple of small businesses with his wife. In the early 80s he joined forces with his brother Vijay to work in the pharmaceutical industry. In 2001, they were jointly voted Ernst and Young’s ‘UK Entrepreneur of the Year’ having already won numerous accolades from various top organisations and institutions including ‘Europe’s Top 500 fastest growing companies’.

Speaking about the importance of education Dr Patel said, “Education is very important to me. I came to the UK from Kenya with virtually nothing and was the beneficiary of a first-class education.

“I fell in love with Bristol – the University and city. I couldn’t have achieved what I have in my business and personal life without my degree. I’ve always followed the University and been very proud of its research and teaching successes.

“My father died when I was young, and my mother set up her own business whilst also caring for her family. I learnt self-reliance at a very early age from her as well as a strong belief in philanthropic giv-

Bhikhu and Shashikala Patel Student Support Fund

Bhikhu with wife Shashi discussing the new plan

ing and helping others who are less well off.

“I have supported charities overseas in India and Kenya, but I wanted to give something back to Bristol. The new campus will put the University and Bristol on the global map and will bring tremendous benefits to the city and society as a whole.

“Bristol’s new campus will attract the best and brightest from around the world. It will be a very stimulating teaching environment, combining the classroom with business and industry “Entrepreneurship is in my blood and so many modern institutions don’t cater for this. TQEC

will answer this in a very exciting way. The new campus will also be accessible to the wider communities of Bristol - inviting them to be part of University life.”

The new campus at Bristol The new campus promises to revolutionise teaching and learning at Bristol. The purpose is to co-locate business education with worldclass science and engineering research and development. There will be a focus on digital innovation at scale, and provision to increase the skills pipeline to support the burgeoning digital economy. Education will be challengebased and enterprise focussed with

students working alongside key industry partners to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.

Professor Hugh Brady, ViceChancellor and President said: “I am absolutely delighted that Bhikhu Patel and his family have shown such a high level of confidence and support in our bold ambitions for the future of our university and our city.

“We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build on our history as one of the world’s great civic universities through the transformation of a key site at the heart of our city. Our new campus will be a beacon of collaboration, innovation and opportunity...I would like

As well as supporting the new campus, the Patels are also providing support to students most in financial need. Through scholarships and bursaries, the Bhikhu and Shashikala Patel Student Support Fund will give much needed support to students, both international and from the UK, to help them during their time at Bristol.

Dr Patel added, “I am so grateful for everything education has given me in life. I want others to benefit in the same way – helping the next generation to become entrepreneurs and innovators of the futur.

Steve O’Connor, Director of Development and Alumni Relations, said: “Bhikhu and Shashi’s belief in higher education and tremendous support for the University will be instrumental in realising our vision for the new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus as a beacon of digital innovation and enterprise.

“We greatly value the expertise, involvement and philanthropic support of all our alumni and friends which is helping to power our researchers, our academy, our students and our contribution to this great city and worldwide.”

12 MEDIA WATCH

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24 - 30 November 2018

SCRUTATOR’S India’s deal for the French Rafale aircraft remains the target for the opposition Congress party and its voluble President Rahul Gandhi. As India’s general election in May/June 2019 draws nearer the decibels on Rafale can be expected to grow louder and more incoherent from the opposition Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

The Supreme Court had stepped into the breach and asked the government to provide only the financial aspects of the Rafale contract.

The court undertook to keep in confidence these provisions. The government Rafale fighter plane complied with the Court’s request and the world’s largest company, also enclosed stages of the Binny Bansal quit as Chairman negotiations initiated by its and CEO following an Congress predecessor (Hindu ‘independent investigation into an November 13). allegation of serious allegation of personal misconduct.’

Rafale CEO denies lying Bansal, the 36 year-old cofounder with fellow Indian Responding to the Congress Institute of Technology graduate President Rahul Gandhi’s Sachin Bansal in 2007 has accusations that he was covering ‘strongly denied the allegation.’ up for the Modi government, Dassault Chief Executive Officer Flipkart Board Eric Trappier said he was statement saddened by such mudslinging, recalling the long association of ‘While the investigation did not the company with past Indian find evidence to corroborate the governments from the time of complainant’s assertion that …it Jawaharlal Nehru. Mr Trappier did reveal that other lapses of declared: ‘I don’t lie…I don’t have judgment, particularly a lack of a reputation for lying. In my transparency related to how he position as CEO you don’t lie.’ responded to the situation.’

The Indian Air Force is delighted (Times of India, Hindu, Mint with the performance of the November 14).

Rafale ( Times of India November 14, Mint interview November 2).

Odisha could power ahead Indian Rafale makes maiden flight Strong economic growth, business potential and industry friendly A customized Rafale aircraft made policies of the State government its maiden flight in France on could make Odisha a $1 trillion October 30. It carried the emblem economy by 2030, according to ’RB 008,’ the initials for Air Sajjan Jindal Chairman and Marshal R. Bhanduria, who played Director of the JSW Group. a major role in the contract Addressing the ‘Make in Odisha’ negotiations with manufacturer Conclave 2018 in Bhubaneshwar, Dassault Aviastion, and is Mr Jindal said: ‘If India is to currently the Air Officer become a $10 trillion economy by Commanding-in-Chief of the 2035, Odisha has vital role to play.

IAF’s Training Command. The He said JSW would set up a a contract for the aircraft is before modern steel plant in the State, the Supreme Court following an while Reliance Industries was appeal by lawyer Prasant Bhusan committed to a sizeable increase and former BJP ministers in the of its considerable investments in Vajpayee government,Arun Odisha. Tata Steel, too, has Shourie and Yashwant Sinha announced a huge expansion plan (Hindu November 9, 15). at Kalinganagar. The steel majors’ investment pledge amounted to Binny Bansal quits Rs 1,42, 000 crore. Other Flipkart industrial houses such as the Aditya Birla Group have also Six months after he led Flipkart, pitched in. It promises to be a truly remarkable transformation of a State, once among the poorest in the country (Hindu, Business Line November 13).

Arihant: Long term fallout for India

Binny Bansal Flipkart CEO

India’s most valuable startup into the biggest global acquisition e-commerce deal with Walmart

Former Chief of the Army Staff General N.C. Vij shared his thoughts on the long-term implications of India’s first nuclear submarine INS Arihant testing its operational capability with its nuclear armed ballistic

missiles on board. India’s triad of intermediate range and intercontinental range missiles on land, air and now sea, had given the country a second strike capability against the enemy. This was the introductory paragraph in the General’s edit-page article in The Times of India (November 13).

He dwelt on the Chinese and Pakistani threats to Indian security on land air and ocean – this case the Indian Ocean. The deterrent factor was uppermost in Prime Minister Modi’s mind when he spoke of the Arihant’s true coming of age. What followed was riveting. ‘The ecosystem in the private and public sectors that has been built as a result of the construction of these SSBNs [nuclear submarines] will have tremendous spinoff benefits for indigenous submarine building,’ wrote General Vij. ’India’s long awaited nuclear triad is now fully operational and provides us with a credible nuclear deterrence.’

One must in fairness add a postscript. The nuclear reactor propelling the Arihant is Russian.

When it was launched by Prime M Minister Manmohan Singh, he was mindful that the Russian engineers and designers were invited in appreciation of their contribution. The Arihant’s successor INS Arighat, presently undergoing sea trials is bigger and more powerful than Arihant. It was entirely Indian built, the experience with Arihant put to good use.

Army power boosted with US-made M777s US-made M777 ultra light howitzers and K9 Vajra-T selfpropelled artillery from South Korea have been inducted into the Indian Army for use in the high altitude Himalayan border areas.

The induction was carried out in the presence of Defence Minister Nirmala Sithraman and Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat (Hindu 10).

HAL trainer cleared HTT-40, the basic trainer aircraft bult by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) cleared a challenging milestone when it passed its test for for its operational certification. Seventy nine of these aircraft will join the 75 Swissmade PCC-7 MarkII that are already in service with the IIAF.

ALHH Indian war memorial unveiled in France

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu unveiling Indian war memorial

An Indian war memorial was unveiled at Villiers Guislain, 200 km north of Paris, by Indian Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, who was a guest at the country’s centenary commemoration of the Great War in which around soldiers from all sides perished.

First of its kind ‘This is the first national memorial for Indian soldiers who died in France during the First World War and features the Ashoka emblem,’ said Squadron Leader (retd) Rana Chhina, Secretary, Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research at the United Services Institution of India. (Hindu November 11). benefit transfers. RuPay cards, Satish Dhawan Space Centre at which came with Jan Dhan Sriharikota on the country’s east accounts, which together with coast. The GSAT-29 was placed in other accounts, have played a a geosynchronous transfer orbit singular role in the debit card about 17 minutes after launch. surge. These cards were only Weighing 3,423 kg, this is a multiband, multi-beam introduced in 2012, hence their communications satellite. India expansion has been phenomenal plans a manned space flight by (Times of India November 5) 2021, said ISRO Chairman S.Sivan (Hindu November 15).

India best place for Investors: PM Anand trails clouds Speaking at the Singapore of chess blitz glory Finttech Festival (he was there for the ASEAN summit), Prime Five times world chess champion, Minister Narendra Modi projected Viswanathan Anand, was in India as the best investment superb form in the Tata Steel blitz destination, citing the speed and chess to beat Hikaru Nakam,ura, scale of the country’s ongoing the favourite, in the final of the digital revolution, enabling the tournament in Kolkata for the financial inclusion of its 1.3 billion crowning glory as the winner. It was by all accounts a stellar population. The first head of performance was greeted with government to address the rapture by chess aficionado Festival, the Indian Prime watchers, who were treated to a Minister said the technology had feast by the game’s foremost stars. transformed governance and delivery of public services in India It was a magical experience and unlashed innovation and (Telegraph, Hindu November 15). business opportunities (Hindu November 15).

Pettiness on show GSAT-29 a perfect launch

Milestone Congratulating the design and project team, HAL Chairman and Managing Director R. Madhavan, said: ‘The successful start…gives a boost to HAL and also restores its credibility in successfully designing a spin worthy aircraft.’

(Hindu N N November 10).

Debit cards: 84 million to 1 billion in 10 years GSAT-29 a perfect launch

India is set to touch 1 billion debit cards from 84 million ten years ago and around 500 million a year ago. This phenomenal surge has come on the back of the government’s consistent drive for rural inclusion measures such as Jan Dhan accounts and direct

Surmounting apprehensions of a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched its heaviest satellite on board its second heaviest developmental flight GSLV Mark III D2 from the

The central government in New Delhi turned down a request by the Government of West Bengal that the name of the state be changed officially to ‘Banga’ or ‘Bangla’.

The excuse against this name change was that might lead to confusion with Bangladesh. West Bengal in the aftermath of Partition was dubbed West Bengal to differentiate from East Bengal, then in Pakistan. The situation having changed the ‘West’ before Bengal is absurd. If former East Punjab can become today’s Punjab, why cannot the same rule be applied to West Bengal? Petty spite against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, no doubt (Hindu November 15).

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24 - 30 November 2018

The Brexit Bill Is not as Bad as the India Bill The UK will be paying the EU a Brexit bill for leaving. What about the bill to India? When I was reading politics at University this was an area of my studies in the subject of British Political History which was one of my chosen subjects.

Data is the hardest part and of course some economists, a minority, maintain India economically benefited more than the cost of Empire. You can make economics say anything as the Brexiters know.

But now, this past week an economist has put some figures together. Her name is Utsa Patnaik. And here are the key points highlighted in Mint and other Indian publications and Columbia University Press – and I quote: Over roughly 200 years, the East India Company and the British Raj siphoned out at least £9.2 trillion (or $44.6 trillion; since the exchange rate was $4.8 per pound sterling during much of the colonial period).

In the colonial era, most of India’s sizeable foreign exchange earnings went straight to London.

There was virtually no increase in per capita income between 1900 and 1946, even though India registered the second largest export surplus earnings in the world for three decades before 1929.

Because the purchasing power of ordinary Indians was being squeezed by high taxes, the per capita annual consumption of food grains went down from 200kg in 1900 to 157kg on the eve of World War II, and further plummeted to 137kg by 1946. No country in the world today, not even the least developed, is anywhere near the position India was in 1946.

From 1765 up to the takeover by the Crown, the East India Company was using upto a third of net revenue collections to purchase export goods from the peasants. A large part of the producer’s own tax payment simply got converted into export goods, so the Company got these goods completely free.

How was it possible for Britain to export so much capital—which went into building railways, roads and factories in the U.S. and continental

Europe? Its money to these regions were being settled by appropriating the financial gold and forex earned by the colonies, especially India. (Or in the language of economics, the balance of payments deficit with the US and Europe by Britain, was plugged by capital from the colonies with which it ran a current and capital account surplus thanks to some financial instruments engineering at the Bank of England).

In the Cambridge Economic History of India, for example, there is not a single word on the stringent protectionist policy against Asian textiles that Britain maintained from 1700 to 1846. Nor is there a single word on Britain’s appropriation of India’s entire export surplus earnings for 180 long years from 1765 to 1945.

Now we know the mechanism of extraction of wealth, not just through taxation, but also the double whammy that by removing that capital, you prevent the local economy from importing innovations and modernising. So you dwarf it’s growth and make it even poorer.

Brit-Indian launches first ever Asian marketplace in the UK Rupanjana Dutta A leading Brit-Indian accessory entrepreneur, 37 year old Neil Chauhan, has recently launched the first ever Asian marketplace in the UK. Asonbuy, an online based Asian marketplace extends the opportunity to buy and sell anything Asian at highly affordable prices.

Originally from London, Neil's parents are from Gujarat.

Chauhan has been

working for his family business that he took over for the past 15 years. The idea of Asonbuy came up as he noticed that the growing community of Asian people in the UK have limited access to retail areas across the UK where they sell Asian products (Ealing Road, Southall, Green Street, Leicester etc.). So customers have to travel from different part in the UK to access them.

Asonbuy had a soft

launch on July 26, 2018.

Speaking to Asian Voice, Chauhan said, “Our marketplace aims to fill that gap by extending an easy to access online niche Asian marketplace for buyers. No longer would you need to waste time in searching multiple websites for your desired Asian product as we have brought everything under one roof with Asonbuy.”

From apparel to jewelry to accessories to haberdashery to groceries, home and

kitchen items and spirituality collectibles - the marketplace has got everything.

Asonbuy has received its first investment round and is currently developing a redesigned platform as well as a mobile app for iOS and Android which will be launched in December 2018.

Keith Vaz calls out search for Paresh Patel 48-year-old Paresh Patel, pictured, has been missing from his home in Melton Road area of Leicester and disappeared just after 9 p.m. on a Saturday night of November 10.

There have been multiple appeals for information from police and Paresh's wife Kalpana who even filmed a video with Leicestershire Police asking him to come back home.

Leicester East MP Keith Vaz joined 300 people as they walked through the Belgrave area of Leicester to try and bring attention to the plight of the family of Paresh Patel following his disappearance from his home on Saturday 10th November 2018.

Mr Vaz spoke at the meeting which called on all members of the local community to try and locate Paresh and said: “The family is rightly extremely concerned by the disappearance of Paresh. He was a much loved husband son and father and everyone is very

concerned about his whereabouts. The family is of course extremely grateful to Simon Cole the Chief Constable of Leicestershire and his team as they try and find out where Paresh is. All possible avenues have been

explored, but what is now vital is that the community itself move forward to try and find this young man.

If you have any information please contact Leicestershire police immediately on 0116 222 2222 or 101

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Police Mistreatment During Strip Search

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Dr Koshka Duff was arrested and stripsearched by police in London in 2013.

At that time, Dr Duff had been trying to give a legal advice card to a black teenager who had been ‘stop and searched’.

She believed the search had been illegally conducted as a result of racial profiling. She had not known that the teenager had been found in possession of a knife and therefore could be lawfully arrested.

Dr Duff was arrested for obstructing and assaulting a police officer. At the station she reports being bound, stripped and subjected to an intimate search.

She was charged with the offences but acquitted at a subsequent trial.

Dr Duff complained to the police about her treatment; however the misconduct hearing found the officers’ actions were justified.

She seeks a judicial review of this decision.

With limited information avail able, we cannot ascertain whether the police had breached any of their standards of professional behaviour or committed any criminal offence. The standards are laid out in The Police (Conduct) Regulations 2008.

Whilst a comprehensive review of each is outside the scope of this article, the most relevant to this case might be the use of force: ‘Police officers only use force to the extent that it is necessary, proportionate and reasonable in all the circumstances’.

When authorising a non-intimate search, a custody officer has the power to check what a person coming into custody has on them when they enter a police station. This can be done without consent but is subject to the above, and to other legislative safeguards mentioned below.

An intimate search defined by s.65 Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (‘PACE’) is: “… a search which consists of the physical

examination of a person's body orifices other than the mouth…”

Annex B of PACE Code C stipulates that a strip-search may only take place if it’s necessary to remove an article reasonably considered to be concealed which a detainee would not be allowed to keep.

In ‘Detention and Custody; Control, Restraint and Searches’ (“COP”) the College of Policing states: ‘Officers and staff should carry out searches with respect and dignity...’

Dr Duff described being handcuffed, with her legs tied and three officers on top of her.

All her clothes were cut away and her piercings forcibly removed. Her arms were twisted behind her, her breasts grabbed and one officer touched her genitals.

S.117 PACE permits an officer to use ‘… reasonable force, if necessary…’

While the initial arrest may have been justified, Dr Duff’s account infers several breaches of PACE, the Standards of Professional Behaviour and COP guidance. If proven, that might affirm criminal liability.

The judicial review is an attempt by Dr Duff’s legal team to have the matter reassessed.

Graeme Rothwell

If you have been subjected to similar treatment, contact Graeme Rothwell, of Duncan Lewis, who has experience in matters concerning criminal defence and claimant litigation against the police where there are allegations of misconduct: 020 7275 2886 and graemer@duncanlewis.com.

14 BRITISH PUNJABIS

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“Wahe guru ji ka khalsa: What matters to us" Rupanjana Dutta From fighting for the British Raj, to establishing a life outside their homeland, the struggle for the British Punjabis to secure their basics on UK soils was unimaginable. They faced discrimination, lived in cramped, squalid conditions, meals were prepared and eaten communally, and shared beds between those who worked day and night shifts. They were joinedwith their families several years later.

Pritam Singh Sangha was one of the first Punjabi to make Southall, today's Little Punjab, his home in 1951 and kickstart a consumer revolution by establishing the Asian corner shop in the British landscape. When he received shipment of food provisions from India, he sent around his daughter Guddi to spread the good news. The shelves in the shops emptied as rapidly as they had been stocked with spices, chapatti flour, lentils and other products not available elsewhere.

Many Punjabis arrived in the 1950s to 70s particularly in Southall area, wanting to work in the Hayes R Woolf rubber factory, as the general manager had served with Sikh soldiers during the second world war and was happy to recruit them.

The stress of re-locating to a new culture, language barriers and racism meant that many of these men turned to alcohol to cope.

This reliance on alcohol has had generational repercussions. Many at that point

found themselves struggling to assimilate within a new country, often working long hours to send money home to their families. Racial attacks included beating up a woman in an Asian shop in 1980s, one which led to the infamous riots A week of rioting involved full-blooded clashes in a number of major inner city areas, to

identity beyond one's particular culture. But the problem of racism persists.

Despite increased levels of discrimination and hate crimes against Sikhs especially after the EU Referendum and Brexit, the government has taken very little notice.

A section of the community has campaigned harder

less serious disturbances in dozens of places and to panic boarding-up of shops in many cities.

Today the issues facing British Punjabi youth is entirely different. While much of it is to do with inter-faith marriages (see article on P16), or cross community interactions as well as inclusiveness, a lot is being discussed on individualism, self expression and

to establish its identity after Jagtar Singh Johal's arrest in India. Johal who was arrested for allegdly being involved in the murder of Hindu nationalist leader Ravinder Gosain and other criminal activities, has not been returned to the UK, despite several campaigns and protests, including one during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UK in 2018. The

Sikhs now are urging the Office of National Statistics to give them a separate ethnicity identity instead of refering to them as Indians.

ONS is doing a community survey to understand the trend.

However, there are many who are also not entirely behind the campaign, with some groups pointing out that being Sikh is a choice, not something you belong to at birth or by DNA. The debate took an ugly turn on twitter, when the debaters were divided into two camps - one for and the other against. Some also called for a worlwide referendum for Khalistan, which saw hundreds of Sikhs gathering at Trafalgar square to kickstart the campaign.

The British Sikh Report, an annual survey of the UK Sikh population aims to explore current trends and issues so as to engage in active discussion with political and community leaders and groups. This year the report focused on mental health issues in the Sikh community.

Providing quantitative data about Britain’s Sikh community, the key findings of the report on mental health said

that twice as many Sikh women have been diagnosed with mental health issues as compared to men from the community. Besides, 35% of Sikhs surveyed in the report said that their job was the major cause of stress; a further 27% said the stress was due to family responsibilities.

Despite all the hindrances, a major section of the community has done incredibly well as entrepreneurs and role models, and our next piece pays tribute to their contributions to Britain's Big Society.

Sikhs at War The Sikhs fought valiantly in the wars, protecting the Western Front against Nazi

invasion; they were often seen running into battle with nothing but their swords when their ammunition had been exhausted.

While the Sikhs (and other Indians) who died fighting in the war were buried in the Chattri Memorial in Brighton and honoured in Britain, as well as remembered by the Memorial Gate in Hyde Park, along with other commonwealth

sodiers, the ones who survived and were sent back to India received less-honourable treatment.

In the present day, however, the role of the Sikh soldiers in the British Army is celebrated. The National Army Museum and the Imperial War Museum both have exhibitions dedicated to the same. Writers and filmmakers such as Jay Singh-Sohal have launched movements that aim at celebrating this facet of the Sikh heritage that is an essential part of their identity both as individuals and as a race.

Singh-Sohal’s project ‘Sikhs at War’ chronicles the experiences of the Sikh soldiers in the trenches. During an interview with Kate Gerbeau of Force Networks, he

revealed a touch of authenticity in the document by adding actual letters that the Sikh soldiers would send back home.

According to SinghSoyal, this is a way for third and fourth generation Sikh immigrants in the UK to connect with not only their origins but also with Sikhs in the UK who date back at least 100 years.

A Tribute to British Punjabi Entrepreneurs Britain is home to a large Punjabi community that arrived in the UK from different parts of the world especially northern and central parts of Punjab in India and Pakistan.

According to the 2011 Census their total population in the UK is estimated to exceed 700,000 with Indian origin Punjabis estimated at 466,563 constituting 45% of the British Indian community. A majority of the community is Sikh but there are Hindu Punjabis too. Their culture is one of the oldest in the world and is rich and sophisticated.

Music and dance are very much a part of the Punjabi culture with the high-energy 'Bhangra' dance being universally popular. Punjabi cuisine is heavily influenced by agriculture and farming and the tandoori style of cooking has won world-wide acclaim.

Notable entrepreneurs and their contribution to the UK Many of UK's successful entrepreneurs are from the British Punjabi community.

Created in 1999 the Arora Group was pioneered by

Editor’s Choice Award winner Joginder Sanger with CB Patel, Lord Jeffrey Archer and Girish Sanger

Surinder Arora and his wife Sunita. The group consists of hotels, property and construction. The hotel business situated across all the major UK airports and the O2 arena includes 4,000 bedrooms and employs 2,500 staff.

Jasminder Singh OBE, considered a giant in the UK's hospitality sector, founded the privately-owned hotel group Edwardian Hotels London in 1979. The group owns and operates upscale, luxurious, distinctive hotels and restaurants across multiple cities in the UK. It is now one of the largest privatelyowned hotel group in the UK. His new £300 million development The Londoner in Leicester Square is a five-star, 15 level hotel set to transform

London’s hospitality scene.

Born in Gujranwal, now in Pakistan, Dr Rami Ranger CBE migrated to Patiala in Indian Punjab during India's turbulent partition. Starting with modest means he is now the Chairman of Sun Mark Ltd and Sea Air & Land Forwarding Ltd both of which are recipients of the Queen's Award for Export Achievement and the Queen's Award for Enterprise.

Another successful Punjabi is Atul Pathak OBE. He started his first McDonald’s franchise in 2003 in Southall. Today, his company Appt Corporation has 31 McDonald’s restaurants employing 3000 staff and serves 24 million customers

annually.

Chairman of the Mastcraft Group of companies, Joginder Sangar is a highly successful hotelier. His hotel portfolio of 11 properties includes the Washington Mayfair Hotel, The Bentley Hotel, and the Courthouse Hotel London. He is Chairman of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Britain’s largest Asian cultural organisation.

From steel to rice, Moni Verma's passion for innovation and commitment to his customers has seen Veetee Rice soar to the top of the league.

Avnish Goel and his brother Ram along with oldest brother Vidya is actively involved in the strategic direction of award-winning Hallmark Care Home which has a portfolio of seventeen high quality care homes.

Tony Matharu is Chairman of the Asian Business Association, Chairman of GHS Global Hospitality, Managing Director Grange Hotels and a board member of a number of other charitable, sports and

Harnoop Aktar, winner of the Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ receiving his award from Chief Guest Eleanor Laing MP and CB Patel

arts related organisations.

The Next Generation Message for young entrepreneurs Speaking to the British Punjabi magazine in November 2017, Jasminder Singh said, “As Britain prepares for a time of change, I think it is vital to remember and draw upon the values of Sikhism. Our younger generation has admirable role models, whose drive and commitment to their principles have helped to shape our community and make it what it is today.”

Echoing the words of Jasminder Singh several young British Punjabi entrepreneurs have taken up the baton of leadership from their parents and taken their businesses to the next level.

Harnoop Singh Atkar, Chief Executive of Oakland Care in Newbury Park, is changing the face of his care home and hospitality businesses in the UK. The Willows, their award-winning banqueting hall has seen significant success since opening in Summer 2014.

Naman Pathak, is a passionate and experienced real estate developer based in London. 29-year-old Naman has completed several projects amounting to over 60 residential houses and apartments and currently delivering circa £40 million of developments across London.

Harmeet (Sunny) Ahuja is another such example. He is the CEO of Sunmark Group of companies, married to founder Rami Ranger's daughter Reena.

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Breaking barriers and discourse in identities Art or science, fashion or property, Punjabis whether South Asians migrants or native UK born citizens have left their imprint across fields to the degree that they now form an integral part of UK's diverse cultural heritage. Here is a list of some of these people who have made a splash.

1. RUPINDER KAUR Rupinder Kaur is in final year of her bachelor's in Biomedical sciences at Northampton University.

But what drives the young British Sikh to write about partition of undivided India and speak about the Jallianwalabagh massacre?

“When I was 9-years-old I had seen this movie called “The Legend of Bhagat Singh. Ever since I used to see similar movies like Jhansi Ki Rani and I felt so deeply attached because I grew up hearing stories from my grandfather about how he lost his family.”

Kaur's grandfather were from the Lahore side of the undivided India. But postpartition they had stayed back in India and then moved to Delhi. Rupinder talks about the lack of awareness among the younger generation that it compels her to engage with the youth in a manner that educates them about Indian history.

2. RAHEEM MIR “Dressed as a girl” or drag is a legacy carrying forward from the Shakespearean era.

But embarrassingly the vision of drag queens for me was limited to men dressed in cocktail dresses and evening gowns with manicured nails shimmying around dance poles.

Meet Raheem Mir, a British-Pakistani Punjabi, a Kathak dancer dressed in floor-sweeping ghagras and feminine costume jewellery performing mujras and mudrikas with evocative grace of a female, symbolic of the classical dance form.

For most of us Pandit Birju

Maharaj is synonymous to Kathak but what sets Mir apart from his contemporary male counterparts is his drive to break the barriers of gender identities by embracing the roles traditionally reserved for women.

Mir earned his academic background at Royal Holloway University of London, where he finished his postgraduate degree by exploring gender & cultural studies and gender in performance. Inspired by performances of yesteryear's actresses like Rekha, Mir is determined to cut across gender identities by the embodiment of his 9 years training in Kathak where he is often seen paying tribute to UmraoJaan or delivering TedTalks.

hold. Bansal recently baked a vanilla sponge cake for a fundraising event where he supported the cause of sexual violence against women in India.

“For me, women empowerment is a close subject primarily because of my mom who in my childhood told me that if you are sister has to be in the kitchen then there is no reason for you to not be there.”

7. KEERA SIRA

5. SUJATA SHARMA

3. JASMIN KAUR SEHRA 'Paradise girl' or the woman behind the infamous Mala Sen portrait at Brick Lane, Jasmine Kaur Sehra is the Punjabi artist combining her desi roots with pop fashion that transforms into trendy art. Her typographical art is an illustration, a campaign in itself over women empowerment, self-love and gender equality. Inspired by her parent's vintage cassette collections, Jasmin portrays elements of her rich heritage in bold prints and savage captions that appeal to the rebellious independence of today's youth.

Lawyer, Judge, a mother of two, and an active supporter of women's rights, Sujata Sharma Bhanot was the first Asian lawyer at her Magic Circle Law Firm back in 1988. A British Punjabi, Sharma's journey has chartered an inspirational career of a construction lawyer, an area mostly dominated by men and where she recently achieved another feather to her cap by winning the prestigious WICE Awards 2016 in the field of outstanding woman in Construction law.

A Judge by profession now, Sujata finds herself always walking that fine line of not taking work back home and devoting enough time to her family and kids.

The Great British Bake-Off season 5's first ever vegan baker, Rav S Bansal from Kent was raised in a traditional Sikh family house-

Keera K. Sira is a British Punjabi, a hairstylist who has had an extensive career with Toni&Guy for 28 years now. She was an educator at the London Toni&Guy academy for many years and worked in all the London salons along side Toni Mascolo, himself. Keera enjoys doing bridal hair and has extensive work experience in photoshoots and covering London and Milan Fashion Week as part of the Toni&Guy team.

Keera has worked with many celebrities including Martin Kemp, Roger Daultry, Isabella Blow, Imran Khan, Lorraine Chase, including super models, Erin O Connor and Alex Wyke among others.

“I love to make people feel fabulous! To bring out the best in them, from their inner and outer self.” said Keera.

8. ANOOP KUMAR DOVEDI

6. TONY BANGE

4. RAV S BANSAL

first started out was Mike Tyson as I loved watching the way he used to fight, and Naz said my style is very similar to Tyson’s which is a real compliment!”

Tony's next match is scheduled on 24th of December 2018.

Tony Bange is a 28-year-old professional undefeated British Sikh boxer who made his debut in 2016 as world champion Prince Naseem’s Protégé. The 28year-old Berkshire boxer has a professional record of 4-0 and is looking to build towards titles in the next 12 months.

“My inspiration when I

Anoop Kumar Dovedi or Kam as infamously known is a property investor born and brought up in East London with a “rags-to-riches” story.

He is one of the respected property leaders, experts and educators. His wealth of experience expands over 27 years in the business and property sector that has allowed him to build a multi-million pound property portfolio.

Kam is the founder of both the Premier Property Education and also the Premier Portfolio Builder – an award-winning service that actively buys between 10-17 property projects each

month varying from buy to let to larger developments.

Drapers, the Daily Telegraph just to name a few.

Am Golhar, The Founder & Director Of A Vibrant Creative PR Agency Called Abstract PR.

9. AM GHOLAR Am Golhar is a British Sikh Business woman, presenter and influencer who was born in West London where she attended an all girls church school before attending the famous art school Central Saint Martins. She cut her teeth in to the fashion business, launching her own Manufacturing Consultancy at the age of 22 collaborating with leading fashion houses which included Burberry, Harrods, TK Maxx, Arcadia Group and Urban Outfitters among others.

As a trained designer Am launched her own Men’s Knitwear label ‘AM Golhar’ in 2010 and became something of a name in the industry where she designed her own exclusive collection for ASOS making her the first and youngest British Asian woman to have made that collaboration. She was scouted by high profile publications such as Vogue,

10. SUKHI WAHIWALA Sukhi Wahiwala is a renowned personality in his home town, and was schooled in business by his parents, humbly becoming a millionaire by 21, a MultiMillionaire by 25 and financially free by 27.

With an extensive property portfolio, and commissioning single developments of over 23 properties along with his other diverse businesses; internet online etailing business, retail outlets, importing, manufacturing and retirement homes, make up just a few of Sukhi’s multiple businesses & experiences; all of which he has transformed into successful business ventures. Sukhi is an award winning mentor who can also be seen educating youngsters on Ted Talks.

British Punjabi MPs and Peers 1 Atma Singh was the Policy Advisor, from June 2001 until July 2007, to the Mayor of London on Asian Affairs in the Great London Authority, under Mayor of London Ken Livingstone. He was also a member of Socialist Action from 1981 to 1994.

2 Lord Indarjit Singh CBE is a British journalist and broadcaster, a prominent British Asian active in Sikh and interfaith activities, and a member of the House of Lords.

3 Marsha Singh was a British Labour Party politician, and Member of Parliament for Bradford West from 1997 to 2012. However, in 2012, he stood down due to ill health.

4 Neena Gill, CBE MEP, is a British Labour Party politician. She is a Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands. She was first elected to serve from 1999 to 2009 and then re-elected in 2014.

5 Onkar Sahota is a British Labour Party leader, who has been the member of the London Assembly for Ealing and Hillingdon since 2012.

6 Parmjit Singh Dhanda is a British Labour Party politician who was MP for Gloucester from 2001 until the 2010 general election.

7 Parmjit Singh Gill was a British Liberal Democrat politician.

8 Paul Singh Uppal is a Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton South West.

9 Preet Kaur Gill is a British Labour Co-operative politician, and the first female British Sikh MP for Birmingham Edgbaston since the 2017 general election.

10 Ranbir Singh Suri is a Conservative life peer made by Queen Elizabeth II on 15 September 2014.

11 Sonika Nirwal was a senior Ealing Southall constituency Labour politician representing the Greenford Broadway ward. In 2006 she was elected as the leader of the Ealing Labour group, the first Asian women to have done so in British politics.

12 Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP is a British Labour Party politician who was elected as the MP for Slough in 2017.

13 Seema Malhotra, Labour politician who has been the MP for Feltham and Heston since 2011.She is the Shadow Chief Secretary to Treasury.

14. Virendra Sharma is an Indian-born British Labour Party politician. He was first elected as the MP for Ealing Southall in 2007.

15. Baroness Sandip Verma, is the Ministerial Champion for tackling Violence Against Women & Girls Overseas, a role that she has held since 13 May 2015.

16 BRITISH PUNJABIS

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Inter-faith marriages and changing identities Priyanka Mehta *Ananya, a Punjabi by birth and her husband of English origins have been married and in the UK for the last few years now. How did they meet? Originally from India, Ananya was here to pursue her academic career and as the tale goes, fell in love with the boynext-door. But like many other cultures, inter-faith marriages even in the Punjabi and Sikh community bring with them challenges at cultural, religious and even societal levels.

How is the generational gap bridged between the older members of the family with staunch beliefs and amalgamated with the liberal value system of the working youth?

For Ananya, marrying a white guy was not a laborious task. Boy flies down to India, meets her parents as a friend and gradually approved and accepted as the son-in-law. Classic “Two States” affair one would imagine.

“My family earlier wanted me to get into an arranged marriage but eventually they came around to the realisation that this is it and to be honest the priest was very welcoming as well.

We married following the traditional Anand Karaj customs and ever since we have been in the UK.” But what kind of cultural influence has this had on raising children especially when it comes to teaching mythological sermons, religious customs and celebrating festivals?

“Neither of us are particularly religious ourselves so these are no issues for us!

Yes, when it came down to naming my children it was a contentious issue because

for close to six years now.

The only time her boyfriend has ever visited the Gurudwara is at the demise of one of her relatives. Her parents are open and acceptable of her boyfriend who she has been working with for quite some time now.

“Everyone in the community knew that this is the person I am dating but I did not go out of the way to introduce him because the occasion did not warrant for it. My parents like him and as a traditionalist, I would want to be married following the Sikh customs.”

Anand Karaj and its significance

Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh wedding

practicality of the situation meant to have a generic name where they couldn't be placed by the religion.”

But it is the sentimental side of her who wanted to keep part of her Punjabi heritage and pass it down to her kids. Her husband supported her and today while the mythology is not strictly ingrained into their childhood, Ananya at least tries to converse and teach Punjabi to her older kid.

Partition and the aftershocks Ananya's story is a simplified and perhaps a smoother anecdote of interfaith marriages. With virtually no opposition either from the community or the family, the acceptance to multi-cultural identities and adaptibility is an easier process. But the same cannot be said for the rest of the Sikh community where youngsters practically feel the need to hide the details of their dating life from their parents knowing of their dislike to people of different communities especially Muslims.

“Growing up I was

warned against Muslim guys. My mom always believes that Muslims cannot be trusted and they will distance me from my family and so she has given me this liberty of dating anyone outside the community, but not Muslims!” said *Simranjeet who currently works as a freelance PR consultant.

inter-religious dating. And apparently, the WordPress blog has already helped close to 1200 youngsters who face the pressures of being boxed

Anand Karaj is a Sikh marriage tradition that ideally takes in the Gurudwara between two people (Sikhs) who understand the signifi-

Inter-faith marriages Simranjeet's ancestors hail from undivided India and the years of partition not only saw the untimely demise of her forefathers but left scars which the family carries forward even after they migrated to the UK a decade ago.

Simranjeet's story is similar tale that many young couples seek advise about on Inter-faith shaadi (Interfaith wedding).

Amin created this website back in 2009 after moving to the US from Gujarat, India and observed the pressures of cross-cultural and

up in the community. And in a way forums of this kind are healthy platforms where matured adults discuss of ways to find a common ground between their wishes and addressing the insecurities of their family members carve out a balanced middle-ground. *Tamanna has been dating her Gujarati boyfriend

cance of Anand Karaj. In 2016 a Sikh temple in Leamington Spa was occu-

pied by 55 masked armed men, who were thought to be protesting an interfaith wedding between a Sikh and a Muslim. After an eight-hour stand-off the men were arrested and disarmed.

“But if the Anand Karaj cannot happen in the Gurudwara then we have given alternate options a thought as well. We may call a priest at home and hold a small ceremony among friends and families.” said Tanveer.

We may think that such customs are more strongly imposed upon ordinary, couples. But today even celebrities are not exempt from the scrutiny of religious institutions. The wedding between Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh has upset the Italian Sikh organisation who has alleged that the couple violated the code of conduct during their Anand Karaj by taking the Guru Granth Sahib out of the Gurudwara and to a private villa.

Whether it is receiving acceptance from the various family and community members or adapting to the inter-cultural identities and customs, inter-faith marriages bring their fair share of challenges that are only minimized today and not completely overcome.

Upcoming issues of British Punjabis The British Punjabi special issue, which we will aim to publish quarterly, in its next editions, will talk about the community and its accomplishments in the Armed forces, City, politics and other professions.

To read a special article by Dr Rami Ranger CBE, on the community, log on to www.asian-voice.com.

Turban & Tale: The memoirs of Sikh identities Almost five-years ago two youngsters Amit and Naroop came together thinking about photographing the Sikhs of the community in Southall where they grew up. Their project “Singh exhibition” which documented 38 Sikhs from the UK and 36 from the US started by capturing the imagery of Turbans and beards embraced by Sikh men who they knew in their family and community. But interestingly, the duo themselves do not wear the turban.

“We never wore a turban because we were never raised in that fashion. My father never wore it and my grandfather had to cut his hair to get a job. The fact that we are Indian Sikhs and doing this project doesn't necessarily mean that we have to wear the turban. If you look at the history of

when we started back in 2013, we were trying to showcase our culture and make a difference to the community out there who embraces it.”

But neither of the duo would want the book to be associated with their personal choices or their lifestyle. Amit almost laughs at the irony of being asked the same question time and again about how personal identity culminates into inspirational work. However, Amit is quick to argue“We could go on to do a project on orthodox Jewish community or represent the catholic culture and it doesn't mean that you have to be one of them to do it. Back in 2013-14 when we started there were a lot of non-Sikhs who were growing and sporting that long beard. So, we thought that this could make for an interesting project! It

is not about us but about the people.”

What is Turbans and Tales then? A book portraying Sikh men from US and the UK, each wearing wrapping a Turban in a unique way and growing a beard different from the other? Is it just a documentation of fashion and representation of identities?

“Turbans and Tales documents the stories of the people. It highlights the experiences of some of the older generation who migrated to the UK in 50's and 60's and records their stories.” Amit explains saying how it took them close to 4 years to finish the project during the course of which the project transformed slightly from simply being a representation of identities to in a way wanting to create awareness about the Sikh community.

Book: Turbans and Tales

More so, especially in the US as opposed to the UK where Amit believes that in

the latter a lot of people know how the Sikh community is different from the

Muslim community not that there is anything wrong about it, he says.

“There is still a lot of racism and calling Sikhs terrorists and we got in touch with The Sikh Coalition which is a non-profit organisation that helps in providing legal advice to these people which would make this project more powerful!”

Amit explains.

Talking about his own personal story, Amit explains how he has never suffered any racism while travelling to countries but he talks about how there is this stigma associated with the “brown skin” and that makes him “want to play safe” and not cause any unwanted trouble.

Turbans and Tales will be released on 24th January 2019 after 4 years of research, production shooting and editing.

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Riddhi Vyas:

Man arrested for attacks on Edinburgh temple and church

My Holistic Coach Sunetra Senior For young life coach, Riddhi, all aspects of one’s lifestyle, form a holistic approach. Including relationships with food which is a reflection of relationship with self. The inner reality is expressed in external relationships with others. “If one area is punctured,” she commented, “the other segments will invariably suffer.

It’s part of the holistic way of life ancient philosophy,” known as Bhavachakra in Sanskrit. “In modern times,” Riddhi told us, “this can mean turning to a sugar fix when we are constantly on the go and our emotional resilience is lacking, which provides an opportunity for inward reflection.” Of course, this routine can also have a detrimental impact cognitively, “if turning to food to fill the emotional void”. The meanings we attach to the thoughts and emotions if remained unchecked can also influence our relationships at work.

Riddhi has worked with many big companies and a variety of organisational bodies, including the UK government, to increase efficiency through greater focus on restoring wellbeing, and with it fostering soft skills such as teamwork, time management and personal dynamism. Given that there is such a meditated logic underlying, it is no surprise that the young professional’s work has resulted in the affiliated workplaces emerging more organised, including “yielding higher profit, generally increased personal efficacy, and less staff members calling in sick.”

Feeling better able to cope, employees could manage the workload and deliver more effectively. This created a relationship of mutual trust, confidence and momentum throughout the establishment.

can there be than “efforts that sets your world on fire!”

Here, Riddhi made sure to emphasise that entrepreneurial women, especially, can benefit from examining the possibility of a psychological or spiritual void in their routines. In addition to My Holistic Coach, she has established a wellbeing plan, incorporating Mind and Body to this end. She spoke of the social expectations that exacerbate the pressure: “we’re expected to take on different roles: the student, the sister, the mother. There are different responsibilities that the balance of health and work priorities is yet more precarious. I organise seminars, workshops and retreats that will speak to this conundrum,” literally, “by allowing women to take off that mask and relieve stress by giving them a voice to articulate the particular issues, and let the emotions flow. This acknowledgement is the first step in developing better emotional resilience and redressing the imbalance. Coming together with other women and feeling empowered, female professionals can feel more fulfilled overall, and ignite that vital passion for their work. They go from stress to freedom.”

Jitesh Gadhia, Riddhi Vyas and DolarPpopat

Of course, it wouldn’t be a real My Holistic Coach insight without also considering the wider perspective: “actually, there are overlaps between the cognitive challenges faced by pro*** fessional and boss women, heads of Having spent 6 years as a city lawyer, enterprises alike because both are highprior to establishing the My Holistic ly intelligent and emotionally involved Coach programme, Riddhi had one of with the problems! All the women I the best social case studies to learn work with are self-sufficient and highly from. “As you know, legal work analytical, but this also means they is some of the most stressful might be overthinking probWe and high-octane. You’ve lems at work and will be too can only got sleep pods in some invested at times. They international offices, give as much develop tunnel vision with where workers stay problem solving.” as we can overnight, and a sense of Generally, their thinking equilibrium is very hard patterns either cause a express ourto achieve. I found myself greater emotional burden or selves struggling with multiple lighten and streamline the interests, trying to manage path. “Humans do tend to expenutrition and emotional relationrience mental blocks and are chalships and wellbeing while others were lenged when reacting to particular situincreasingly stressed against tough ations, and the type of reactions can deadlines.” As a result, the young workhave an impact on the system overall: it er found herself revisiting knowledge impacts our cravings and nutrition, gained from an academic background which impacts how we develop as indiin psychology and hypnotherapy to viduals.” face the social challenge. “I found symRiddhi also utilises mind techbolically that a lot of the relationships niques such as CBT, Cognitive between employees at work were akin Behavioural Therapy in her work. to relationships between family memThus, through her own precocious pasbers at home e.g. if there was tension at sion, Riddhi represents a contemporary home, this would be brought to work professional movement that values and vice versa, this is because we spend emotional intelligence alongside the the majority of our life “working”. It textbook smarts. Productivity is much was important to address this among about personal realisation and time other areas of life. Another problem management as reaching the corporate was eating times. My approach seemed targets. “Companies can get lost in the to work, and soon the life coaching chase for short-term,” Riddhi added. could grow into a part-time enterprise.

But, as she showed us, this does not In general, I advise the hard worker to guarantee long-term reward, including centre organisation around their pasfinancial stability. This lies in the more sion.” What better activation energy elusive realm of collective livelihood,

Riddhi Vyas

and the exploration of inner worlds.

The young guide aptly concluded: “we can only give as much as we can express ourselves.”

You also do a lot of spiritual work; how exactly are there parallels with the Bhagavad Gita and modernday living?

The Bhagavad Gita analyses three categories of food as sattvic, rajasic and tamasic gunas. It’s all about doing the lesser of the two evils. Fresh food and vegetables are better than baked foods, which are better than fried foods. All foods carry different energetic properties, which when consumed can either give us energy or zap energy from us.

The parallel can also be drawn between food and individual personalities. Sattvic personalities are the studious type, with a sharpened intellect and ability to focus well. Tamasic personalities are those who experience feelings of tiredness and lethargy regardless of how much they sleep and rajasic are somewhere between the two.

This is further analysed in the Gita

by Dronacharya where he instructs each disciple to during an archery session to aim at a target. This demonstrates 80/20 vision, an optician’s worst nightmare. The ability to focus on bulls eye and not be easily distracted or swayed, thereby performing better in less time.

You have spoken on Zee TV and at British Parliament. Tell us, what exact topics did you speak on?

For Zee TV, I was speaking at a time when Public Health Authorities released a report discovering hidden sugar within cereals impacting children’s health. It’s important to identify where research is being done, and who is funding it. It has an impact on results.

At Parliament: I spoke on success career lessons and women empowerment learnt from Vedic scriptures, and how we manage our thoughts and emotions. It’s incredible how the Vedic Sciences go so far back.

Do you have a few thoughts on prioritisation and decision-making?

If you make a decision and take action within five seconds, it can make all the difference. Not acting in that time, leads to procrastination as an outcome. It’s basic time-management but effective. In terms of self-care, know when to reach out and ask for help with battles.

Finally, do you have some quick tips for health and well-being generally for workers?

It’s a vast area, but my main advice is to simply slow down. Professional business owners tend to look at grand outcomes, and don’t celebrate the little wins and individuals who can bring value in their own way. If not failing, try harder. There is no such thing as failure only feedback, it’s a comma, not a full stop. How can you become more resilient?

W: https://myholisticcoach.lpages.co/rv

A man has been jailed for four years after carrying out fire attacks at a Sikh temple and a church. Paul Johnson, who wanted to make a “political statement”, used petrol to ignite the doors of Edinburgh’s Guru Nank Sikh temple and Leith Methodist church. He admitted to two charges of wilful fire-raising aggravated by religious prejudice, on August 28, when he appeared at the high court in Edinburgh last month. Judge Lord Boyd described his actions as “reckless and wicked”. He said Johnson appeared to have a “grudge” against religion or religious authority in general, rather than a prejudice against one particular group. The court heard how on the evening of August 27, Johnson bought a container and fuel worth £3.51 from a local petrol station.

The next morning, a little before 5 am, a man heading to the temple to pray, spotted fire on one side of the doors and immediately raised the alarm with a man sleeping inside in the family quarters. A few hours later, the caretaker at Leith Methodist church noticed the smell of petrol and burning but continued to clean up the area around the front door as there were no signs of fire damage. He later contacted police after hearing about the incident at the temple.

Authorities later arrested him in Leith on August 30.

18 FINANCE - UK

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Consultant Editor Financial Voice Alpesh Patel Dear Financial Voice Reader, What are the best investments in a downturn bear market? Of course most Indians have their property portfolio of residential and commercial rental properties I’m sure!

But what about stocks? Especially around Brexit and market concerns? The reason we like property so much is that it is leveraged. You borrow a shed load of money and get to keep the upside of the investment you buy with the borrowed money. And you can borrows tones off it. In the good old days, you just needed to show you would rent out the property and it would cover the mortgage and you had enough for the 5% deposit!

How many Indians are super rich today in Britain because of it. Of course many many. With stocks you cannot really do this. And also unlike property they feel a lot more volatile because you can see the value daily – not every five years which is what you do with property.

Well in America, their accounts often offer leverage, so you can with say $10,000 buy $50,000 of Amazon stock and check back in 5 years and find you’re a millionaire.

Can you do this in the UK? Should you? Given the market may well fall between now and five years from now? Of course you can get leverage in the UK. The problem is no one will look at their portfolio five years later. They will panic in 12 months. You don’t do that ever with property. So psychology is important.

Then you have the issue of what to buy. I prefer in these difficult times cash rich companies. Companies such as Microsoft and Apple and Amazon. They can never be valued less than the money they have in the bank. (Well they could but it would be nuts).

You also have funds which invest in corporate bonds. These give a lower return but a return nevertheless better than a bank account. After all if the market falls, and there is fear of property price falls after Brexit, then a positive return of any size is even more attractive. A corporate bond is a loan to a company.

Depending on the quality of the company, the interest rate varies. So a low quality company has to pay more interest but you have more risk of default.

Funds invest in these and you invest in the funds.

Google is a good place to search. You may get a 5% return but you may be happier with that than the alternatives.

But truly, to get the crazy property like returns – you need leverage and the ability only to check prices every five years. Which is why Warren Buffett says buy stocks you would hold forever. So you don’t panic at price falls.

Alpesh Patel Her Majesty’s Government’s Dealmaker For a free online trading course visit www.alpeshpatel.com

Lenders contemplating action against Liberty House Lenders contemplate action against the London-headquartered Liberty House for failing to meet commitments made under a resolution plan that it has submitted to lenders.

Options before the lenders range from ignoring the company's Sanjeev Gupta future bids to taking action under Section 74 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), which provides for punishment for contravention of moratorium or the resolution plan.

The resolution plan submitted by the UK-based company, headed by Sanjeev Gupta, had been approved for several companies including Amtek Auto, Castex Technologies, Adhunik Metaliks, and Zion Steel. The company has however, failed to make a £40 million payment to lenders due to its acquisition of Adhunik Metaliks. It has also missed a deadline on making payments for Amtek Auto. The company was to pay £481 million to Amtek Auto's financial creditors by end August, but has sought more time to make payments although the process does not provide for such extensions.

CEO of a public sector bank said, “We will talk to them and see if they can bring in the money. If they do not, there are only two options - go for a fresh resolution process, or liquidation.

How to find a business niche Starting a business is one thing; finding the right niche to enter is quite another.

Expertise and enthusiasm alone are not enough if there’s no gap in the market.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has published a crib sheet of 20 questions to help entrepreneurs decide what path to follow.

These include: Can you see some form of opportunity from your existing work or occupation? Can you combine products or services into a package? There may be a niche product that employers or consumers find difficult to source or would like as a bundle for additional convenience.

Looking at trends can also help businesses find

their niche. A survey by yell.com found an increase in the number of companies aiming to save time for customers. “There’s a market out there for serving people who are cash rich and time-poor.

They will pay for someone to take the strain off them,” says Mark Clisby, marketing director at Yell Business.

Sometimes business owners find their niche will expand due to customer feedback. The WD-40 team had 39 failed attempts (that’s where the name comes from) at coming up with the right formula for creating rustpreventing solvents for the aircraft industry. When they went to market, their customers taught them that the product had much wider

uses, including repelling slugs and cleaning rubbish bins. The company now invites customers to tell them how they use WD-40 and posts the ideas on its website, allowing its niche to become wider.

At other times, finding a niche is the result of necessity. Mash Direct, a maker of mash potato and other farmfresh products, was started in 2004 by Martin and Tracy Hamilton as a way to keep their family farm afloat at a time when the UK vegetable market was in decline. In 2017 it won the Daily Telegraph’s SME of the year award.

In seeking to understand why some business niches succeed, it’s useful also to

consider why so many fail.

According to CB Insights, a venture capital database, the No.1 factor in failures is when entrepreneurs create companies that offer products and services that tackle interesting-to-solve problems but don’t serve a clear need.

Starling Bank is meeting a need for better business accounts. Its mobile-only business accounts can be applied for in minutes and have no monthly fees. Find out more about Starling Bank at www.starlingbank.com

Leading insurance company celebrates centenary The New India Assurance (NIA) hosted a cocktail party on 15th November at the Washington Mayfair Hotel, London for its insurance/reinsurance brokers, MGA’s, banks and other service providers as part of its centenary celebrations and introduce new executive management team to the market.

The company was founded by the house of Tata’s in 1919 and is headquartered at Mumbai, India. NIA operates in 28 countries across the world.

In India the company is a pioneer and L to R: Bhasker Reddy Pindi, Dy. CE, NIA; Krishnamoorthy Venkat Raman, CE, NIA; trendsetter having a Saikat Sen Sharma, Counsellor (Economic) High Commission of India – London & Paren Patel, Claims Manager, NIA market share of 15%.

NIA has 20,000 employees globally serving more than 12 million customers through a network of 2,456 offices spread across 28 countries.

The company has strong financials and is rated A(Excellent) (Positive Outlook) by A.M.Best and AAA/Stable by CRISIL. It has operated in the UK since 1920 out of London and Ipswich.

Gross written premium of UK operations of the company has grown to over £159m in the financial year 2017-2018. The UK branch of the company has been performing consistently well in terms of growth and profitability for the past several years.

MPs call for tribunal to bring 'misbehaving banks' to justice A cross section of MPs are fighting for a financial services tribunal that would bring misbehaving banks to justice, ahead of a key meeting with the chancellor this week. Tory MP and co-chair of the all party parliamentary group (APPG) on fair business banking, Kevin Hollinrake, is expected to meet Philip Hammond to exert more pressure on behalf of small business customers who say they have been wronged by UK lenders. Hollinrake presented proposals last week by submitting a letter of support for the tribunal.

Hollinrake is set to push for two systems of redress, including a compensation scheme for business customers who were victims of the HBOS Reading fraud and Royal Bank of Scotland’s global restructuring group, as well as the mis-selling of interest rate hedging products. The second will centre on the creation of the financial services tribunal which will ensure SME customers’ complaints receive a hearing in future disputes with British banks.

Business lending is still not regulated in the UK, an anomaly which has left victims without protection from the Financial Conduct Authority, the City regulator. The meeting between Hollinrake and Hammond comes weeks after the chancellor set a deadline in his autumn budget for the banking industry to respond to recommendations for a

Kevin Hollinrake

voluntary dispute resolution process by the end of November. Hollinrake’s proposals are gaining momentum, having secured a letter of support from the chairman of challenger bank TSB Richard Meddings. He is the first to pen a reply to the APPG’s industry-wide call for backing for the proposed tribunal system in letter sent to UK banking bosses last week.

Meddings said “more needs to be done” for small business customers in dispute with their lenders. “TSB is proud to have been the first bank to back the APPG’s campaign for a financial services tribunal and we hope that others in the industry will follow,” Meddings said, putting TSB among groups including the influential Treasury select committee which has also backed a tribunal.

Banks such as Lloyds and RBS have been more hesitant to give full-fledged backing to the APPG’s vision. Lloyds Banking Group has instead thrown

support behind the FCA’s planned extension of powers for the Financial Ombudsman Service to cover business banking customer complaints. The ombudsman service has been thrown into controversy after a Channel 4 Dispatches investigation suggested some consumer cases may have been been mishandled by inexperienced staff. The Treasury select committee chair, Nicky Morgan, has called the ombudsman “under-prepared and under-resourced,” and said rushing through a proposal to extend its powers would “yield little benefit.” TSB’s chairman said in his letter that he welcomed an extension to the ombudsman’s powers, but stressed it was important that small businesses “are given an alternative dispute resolution mechanism with which to challenge their bank over unfair lending or treatment practices”. There is also the issue that maximum compensation from the ombudsman would be capped at £350,000 despite many victims claiming damages in the millions. “We remain open minded about how more complex cases might be resolved in the future,” Lloyds said in a statement.

RBS has also been cautious in giving wholesale support to a tribunal, suggesting in a submission to the Treasury select committee that a tribunal would be unlikely to provide any different outcomes than a court.

COME RAIN OR SHINE

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Suresh Vagjiani

Sow & Reap London Property Investment

AsianVoiceNews

AGONY AGENT IS HERE TO HELP! Q: Do I treat a room let in my home, the same as a flat let?

properties which he was looking at were dropping sometimes at a rate of £50K per month.

Therefore, he didn’t know when he should enter the market.

When purchasing to live in, the aim is to buy somewhere which suits one’s life style. Whether you pay slightly over for it won’t matter so much in the long run.

However, this is typically not the mindset of an end user.

The property was purchased for £336K, and the idea was to have a quick resell for £450K. This price was set not by us, but by local sales agents. Two agents and two months later the property still hasn’t sold.

As we could not resell the property on, we went on to Plan B, which was to get the planning, do the works, refinance and rent the property; and hold on to it.

The aim being to extract most, if not all, of the money our client has put into the deal.

This is testimony to the condition of the market, especially considering this property sits at the bottom end of the market.

End users, for whom this is probably the biggest purchase of their lives, are concerned if they put money into a property will it decrease by another £25K next month? This is their fear, and this causes paralysis in the market place.

The trouble with trying to do a trade in this market is you cannot be certain of the resell-ability. IF it happens that’s great, but you cannot be dependent on it, otherwise you can be caught out.

I met an end user who was looking for a freehold house to live in, in Ealing. He reported

A model which is bullet proof to the above is one which is not

WE ARE OUR WORD

how creation is built on energy, vibration and, ultimately, sound.

The ancient Indian Vedas reveal that the sound vibration "aum" or "om" produces the cosmos.

Mantras are powerful sound/word constructions that empower the chanter to raise his/her awareness and consciousness.

Modern scientists explain, through sub-atomic physics,

My experience is, whether you look at this in spiritual, mystical

BUY TO LET OPPORTUNITY

19

24 - 30 November 2018

We purchased a property on behalf of a client a couple of months ago. The idea was to trade the property on without doing any works to it whatsoever.

There were two additions we were going to make to the property. One was to extend the lease, and the other was to purchase the roof space from the landlord. This makes the property accessible to end users, people who purchase to live in, not speculators like us. The reason being, a property with a long lease becomes mortgageable, otherwise only a cash purchaser can purchase.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God".

This is how the Christian bible starts.

REAL ESTATE VOICE

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

l l l l l l

reliant upon the resell values.

The only other component in property investment is yield. So, an idea would be to invest in property where they can be developed into HMOs with a strong yield. Yields of anywhere between 6-10% can be achievable, dependent on location. There was a time when a 5% yield in London was the norm, not anymore.

For example, you could look at purchasing freehold houses which can be converted to six bed sits. They can be rented out individually for a higher premium. The property can be refinanced once developed. You then have an asset producing money for you on a monthly basis. Whether the market goes up or down in terms of capital value is irrelevant. Your concern would be the rental yield and occupancy levels, which are far less prone to fluctuations.

Currently, this is one of the strategies we are focusing on for our clients.

or very earthly tangible terms, what we speak we become.

When we speak we create our present, and thus our future, through sound vibration.

Our speech, that being what we say and also what we do not say, determines what we think, how we meet others, how we connect with others, ongoing relationships and trust.

In short, not only are we what we eat, but it is also true to observe: "We are our word".

A: No. Whilst there are some similarities between the two i.e monthly rental payments, written agreement and legal responsibilities, there are clear differences.

The best way to look at them is that people that rent out a room in your house are lodgers/ licensees, and people who rent out your property are tenants.

These words have different legal meanings.

A lodger is someone who lives in the same property as you. In this case you are called a resident landlord. Lodgers rent under a licence and have fewer rights e.g. you only have to give them ‘reasonable’ notice to leave which is normally 28 days – 1 month.

Tenants on the other hand are people who have sole and exclusive use of your property, and have more rights than lodgers which should all be listed under their AST. A prime example is access rights, for tenants by law you must give 24h written notice unless it is an emergency. For lodgers, no notice is required.

With both though, it is essential to ensure you have met all legal obligations and health and safety requirements; and of course ensure that checks have been made and the correct agreements have been signed prior to move ins. Legal obligations, and health and safety requirements also differ for other types of tenancies, e.g. HMOs, so do check all requirements in each instance.

Do get in touch if you require any assistance.

Richard Bond

Abraham Goldberg

First floor, period conversion Long lease of 120 years Low service charges Close to the amenities of Kentish Town and Camden Town Minutes away from Kings Cross St. Pancras station Excellent yield of 5.5% per annum, approx 50% higher than the yield for this location

An eye popping deal in NW1 Two bedroom flat for £350K Specialists in Central London Property Sourcing

l Due to the price and location, this is expected to be sold very quickly Call us now for more information!

0207 993 0103

info@sowandreap.co.uk www.sowandreap.co.uk 27 Gloucester Place, London, W1U 8HU SowandReapProperties

Sowandreapuk

Turning land into cash Get in touch about our land opportunities

20 FINANCE - INDIA

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24 - 30 November 2018

in brief

PM Modi calls for early conclusion of RCEP deal Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for an “early conclusion” of negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) even as his Singapore counterpart warned that the trade deal will lose credibility if discussions are further prolonged. Modi joined other leaders of RCEP, which includes 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) members and China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea, in Singapore to take stock of negotiations that began in 2012 and to give the mandate to trade ministers to take things forward.

RCEP aims to create world's largest free trade area and will lead to the largest regional trade bloc, accounting for 30 per cent of global trade, once implemented. In convening talks among RCEP leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Singapore PM Lee Hsien Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong said a final Loong

agreement on the deal, expected to cover nearly half the world's population and 40 per cent of world trade, would be delayed until 2019.

“Further prolonging negotiations puts the RCEP at risk of losing credibility and support from our stakeholders,” he said.

India's Additional Secretary in the Commerce Ministry, Sudhanshu Pandey, addressed the media in Singapore, and said Modi called on fellow RCEP leaders to give mandate to trade ministers and negotiators to take the economic grouping forward. Financial inclusion has become a reality for 1.3 billion Indians with the government launching a number of people-friendly digital platforms. Modi said as he pitched India as the “best” investment destination for tech firms at the prestigious Fintech Festival in Singapore.

Govt and RBI break the ice after 9-hour marathon meet The Government and the Reserve Bank of India on Monday pulled back from the brink after a public spat over the last few weeks with the central bank and the board reaching an agreement on providing relief to small and medium firms and easing lending restrictions on some state-owned banks. At the nine-hour board meeting, the RBI agreed to work out a loan restructuring scheme for SMEs for a loan exposure of up to £2.5 million in line with the advice of the board. The board advised that the scheme should be subject to such conditions as are necessary for ensuring financial stability. The RBI was earlier unwilling to consider any loan recast scheme for small units as the banking sector is already reeling under the impact of a huge pile of bad loans.

An existing committee of the RBI, the Board for Financial Supervision (BFS), will now review the Prompt Corrective Action or PCA framework - which imposes restrictions on lending on banks which have been hit by bad loans and weak capital. This is expected to ease curbs - and so boost lending - for a few of the 11 PSU banks which have been placed under this framework. Sources said that the BFS is expected to release some of the banks from the PCA framework in the wake of improvement in their operations.

The board also decided to form an expert committee to fix the appropriate capital framework or the capital which is needed to shield or protect the central bank from future losses. This will help ease lending to

Urjit Patel

small business' future capital and not for the past. The Economic Capital Framework which was in place over the last four years will be reviewed, sources said. Besides, banks are expected to get a boost with the easing of norms on the Capital Conservation Buffer which is the extra capital banks hold above their mandatory capital and in terms of pushing back the deadline for transition to the globally recognised Basel norms by one more year - to end of March 2020.

Clearly, efforts at top levels of the government to dial down the tension appear to have worked after the government invoked for the first time a provision in the RBI law, Section 7, to open a formal discussion with Governor Urjit Patel on these issues.

Sources said Patel was in touch with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley leading to both sides finding a common ground on key issues after an earlier meeting with the

Prime Minister. With a lot of time taken on settling some of these issues, including a presentation on capital and reserves, some of the other issues on the agenda - such as liquidity for Non Banking Finance Companies or NBFCs and governance in RBI will now be discussed at the next board meeting December 14.

On the issue of the Economic Capital Framework (ECF), the board decided to constitute an expert committee to examine the ECF structure, the membership and terms of reference of which will be jointly determined by the government and the RBI. The view of some of the directors on the board is that the RBI is holding excess reserves and that the government - which is the owner or the sole shareholder - should receive a larger share of the surplus or dividend. While the government thinks the RBI has “excess capital” in its reserves and wants the central bank to transfer more money to it as part of the surplus, the RBI contends that it needs to have a stronger balance sheet to deal with a possible crisis and external shocks.

On the issue of capital for banks, Government nominees and an independent director argued for 8 per cent capital in line with the Basel recommendations. The RBI Board, while deciding to retain the capital adequacy requirement at 9 per cent, agreed to extend the transition period for implementing the last tranche of 0.625 per cent under the Capital Conservation Buffer (CCB) by one year - up to March 31, 2020.

Tatas to go slow on deal to buy Jet Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran, who was the prime mover of a deal to acquire struggling Jet Airways, is believed to have decided to go slow after a few directors in the group holding company expressed reservations at the board meeting. The board is expected to meet again in the third week of December and these directors have indicated that they would like to have more details about the deal by then. While no one in the Tatas is saying the deal is off, there is a sense that Chandrasekaran, who had perhaps hoped for at least an in-principle nod from the board, may have lost some of his earlier enthusiasm.

Bailout package unlikely for Jet Virtually ruling out the possibility of a bailout package for Jet Airways, civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu has said a private airline’s management must ensure the carrier functions properly. An official said the aviation ministry would not intervene in Jet’s

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N Chandrasekaran

plea for time to pay airport operators as such matters need to be dealt with by the two entities.

Tatas experience with Goyal may queer the pitch There is also a perception that more than the possible pitfalls of such an M&A, it is the fraught history the Tatas have with Jet’s founder Naresh Goyal that may queer the

pitch. Goyal is widely thought to have lobbied behind the scenes to thwart the Tata Group’s attempts to re-enter aviation in alliance with Singapore Airlines (SIA) back in the 1990s and early 2000s. The memory of that still rankles some old-timers at Bombay House, who aren’t overly keen to “bail out” Goyal. For Goyal and Jet, a slowdown - or worse, reversal of the acquisition process would be bad news. The Jet stock, which had soared 40% over the past few days in anticipation of a transaction, fell nearly 7% to close at Rs 323 on Monday. The airline, in which Goyal and Abu Dhabi’s Etihad are the two largest shareholders with 51% and 24% respectively, is staring at financial defaults in the coming days.

There is an emerging view that the Tatas may wait to see if Jet, in the absence of any deal, ends up in insolvency court - and then bid for it, without having to negotiate with Goyal.

FITCH KEEPS INDIA RATING UNCHANGED FOR 12TH YEAR Refusing to upgrade India’s credit rating for the 12th year in a row, Fitch retained its sovereign rating for the country at ‘BBB-’, the lowest investment grade with a stable outlook, saying a weak fiscal position continues to constrain the ratings and there were significant risks to macroeconomic outlook.

The government has been making a strong pitch to Fitch Ratings for an upgrade after rival Moody’s Investors Service in November 2017 gave the country its first sovereign rating upgrade since 2004. Fitch had last upgraded India’s sovereign rating from BB+ to BBB- with a stable outlook on August 1, 2006. “Fitch Ratings has affirmed India’s long-term foreign currency issuer default rating (IDR) at ‘BBB-’ with a Stable Outlook,” it said in a statement.

The rating, it said, “balances a strong mediumterm growth outlook and favourable external balances relative to peers with weak fiscal finances, a fragile financial sector and some lagging structural factors.”

VODAFONE-IDEA REPORTS £500 MN LOSS IN Q2 Vodafone and Idea Cellular began their journey on a tough note as merged entity.

India's largest telecom operator reported a loss of nearly £500 million in the second quarter of this fiscal. Vodafone-Idea witnessed £766.4million in revenues and announced plans to raise up to £2.5 billion of new equity capital by March-end 2019, indicating they are prepared to take the competition head-on. Of this, promoter shareholders - Vodafone Group and Aditya Birla Group - will contribute up to £1.1 billion and up to £725 million respectively.

The merged entity set up a committee of board members to evaluate the capital raise.

“The board remains optimistic about longterm outlook for the market and future for business, and recognises that further equity funding is required to ensure that the company has sufficient balance sheet flexibility to successfully execute its strategy,” Vodafone-Idea said. “The committee will be evaluating various options, including, but not limited to, a rights issue, qualified institutional placement and/or a preferential share issue.”

Vodafone and Idea Cellular had decided to merge operations, following the stiff competition unleashed by Reliance Jio with dirt-cheap tariffs, which launched services in September 2016.

INFOSYS BUILDING $35 MN EDUCATION CENTRE IN US India's IT major Infosys began constructing its US Education Centre at Indianapolis in midwest Indiana state for its employees at a cost of $35 million (Rs 252 crore), said the global software major. "The upcoming training campus and residential centre will prepare the American workforce for the technology jobs of the future," said the IT firm in a statement.

The 125,000-square feet innovation centre is located on a 70.5-acre land on the west side of the city on the old Indianapolis airport terminal. It will house its employees and that of its select clients. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed by 2020.

"The centre will be a symbol of our commitment to train American workers as learning and reskilling are core components of our DNA," said Infosys Chief Operating Officer U.B. Pravin Rao on the occasion.

NISSAN MOTORS CHAIRMAN CARLOS GHOSN 'ARRESTED' Nissan Motor Chairman Carlos Ghosn was reportedly under arrest in Tokyo, as his firm accused him of “significant acts of misconduct” and said it would seek to oust him. Japan’s public broadcaster NHK and other media outlets said Ghosn had been arrested after being questioned by prosecutors for various improprieties, including under-reporting his income. In a statement, Nissan said it had been conducting a probe into him for several months after receiving a whistleblower report and had uncovered misconduct going back several years. The Tokyo prosecutor’s office had no comment on the reports about Ghosn, who also heads an alliance of Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi. Nissan said it launched an investigation into both Ghosn and Representative Director Greg Kelly several months ago.

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in brief TWO DETAINED FOR POSING WITH INDIAN FLAG IN MECCA A father and his son were detained by authorities in Saudi Arabia for posing with the Indian flag inside the Haram in Mecca considered the most holiest place on earth

by Muslims. They were released after India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) intervened. Imtiaz Ali, aged 45, and his 12year-old son Uzair Ali are both residents of Vadodara in Gujarat. Imtiaz, along with his wife and two children, had left for Saudi Arabia on a pilgrimage. Unaware that posing with any flag inside the Haram is prohibited, the father-son duo attempted to click pictures of them with the tricolour.

They were spotted by the guards deployed at the sanctum sanctorum, who took them into custody. While Uzair was released hours after being detained, Imtiaz was freed later after the Consulate General in Jeddah intervened.

INDIAN-ORIGIN PROFESSOR IN US USED 'STUDENTS AS SERVANTS' An Indian-origin professor in the US compelled his students to act as his personal servants, a daily said. The Kansas City Star daily in a report said that it had found that over professor Ashim Mitra's 24 years as a leader in the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Pharmacy, his students hauled equipment and bused tables at his social events. They were expected to tend his lawn, look after his dog and water the house plants, sometimes for weeks at a time when he and his wife were away. The claims were made by nearly a dozen of Mitra's former students. Former Indian student Kamesh Kuchimanchi told the newspaper that he considered his life at UMKC as "nothing more than modern slavery".

CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE DEATH TOLL RISES TO 77 With the recovery of one more set of human remains, the total number of people killed in the California wildfire rose to 77. A report released on Sunday said the flames destroyed more than 10,500 homes. Over a thousand names remain on a list of those unaccounted for after the so-called Camp Fire swept through the rural town of Paradise on November 8. Hundreds of volunteers are sifting through ash and debris, searching for human remains before expected rains complicate their efforts. The predicted downpours could wash away telltale fragments of bone, or turn loose, dry ash into a thick paste that would frustrate the search. The fire was 65 per cent contained on Sunday. On Saturday president Donal Trump visited the area to see firsthand the grief and devastation from the deadliest wildfire in a century.

TALIBAN KILL 30 POLICEMEN IN AF PROVINCE An overnight attack by the Taliban on an Afghan police outpost in Farah province killed 30 policemen, Afghan officials said. It was the latest in a series of brutal and neardaily Taliban assaults on the military and police forces, government and other installations throughout the country. The resurgent Taliban did not comment on the attack in Farah. The attacks have been so relentless that authorities no longer provide casualty figures, but unofficial estimates say that about 45 Afghan policemen or soldiers are killed or wounded on a daily basis. In Kabul, lawmaker Samiullah Samim said the Taliban killed all 30 policemen, including the district police commander, Abdul Jabhar.

SRI LANKA

Political crisis continues in Lanka COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's parliament was adjourned after just 10 minutes on Monday after opening for the first time since MPs brawled and threw objects at each other last week. The island has been politically paralysed since October 26 when President Maithripala Sirisena sacked prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replaced him with Mahinda Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa has lost two no-confidence votes and last week while his supporters threw projectiles and chilli powder at their rivals and the speaker, deepening international concern. Monday's session was adjourned after 10 minutes as the 225-member assembly failed to agree on a committee to draw up the legislature's agenda. They were to meet again on Friday.

Sirisena rejects no-confidence votes Sirisena earlier told MPs to call for another no-confidence vote on the government, after he rejected last week's noconfidence vote as unconstitutional.

According to a statement, following the allparty meeting held between several parliamentary legislators and the President on Sunday evening, Sirisena said he could make a decision on the no-confidence motion against the government only if a vote was taken by name or conducted through an electronic vote.

Sirisena said this would be the most accepted method of voting by the local and international community. Rajapakse and Wickremesinghe also attended the meeting.

On November 16, Parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said that a second no-confidence motion called against the government had been passed in Parliament with a majority, despite it being taken amid violence and under heavy police presence.

However, the government rejected the vote as invalid, saying the Speaker had not followed the basic parliamentary rules in calling for the no-confidence vote. Sri Lanka has been embroiled in a political turmoil since October 26 when Sirisena surprisingly dissolved the cabinet, sacked Wickremesinghe and appointed Rajapakse to the post along with a new caretaker government.

On 15 November, Speaker attempted to pass a no-confidence motion against Rajapaksa. The situation swiftly devolved into a brawl, with a group of MPs loyal to Rajapaksa surrounding the Speaker's podium and pelting him with objects, including a garbage bin and a copy of the Constitution. A fight broke out with several

India invites Pak Sikhs LAHORE: Following an announcement by the Pakistan government of celebrating 550th birthday of Guru Nanak Devji, the founder of the Sikh faith, India has also decided to celebrate the event at the government level. Members of Pakistani Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee have also been invited to attend the festivities set to begin from November 23 in the neighbouring country.

Taking similar measures as that of Islamabad, New Delhi has also decided to issue commemorative coin and postage stamp and install a heavy telescope at Darshan point in Gurdaspur, Punjab, through which Indian Sikhs will be able to see Darbar Sahab Kartarpur situated in Pakistan. According to a notification issued

by Indian government, different events including kirtan, seminar, symposium and Gurubani will be held to mark the 550th birthday of Guru Nanak Devji.

Indian state television will live telecast all the events. Scholars from Pakistan among other countries will participate in an international seminar on the occasion.

Pakistan has announced celebrating Guru Nanak Devji’s 550th birthday with full fervour.

Rajapaksa supporter throws a chair at police inside Parliament

MPs on both sides exchanging blows.

Despite the fracas, parliamentarians shielded the speaker, who attempted to take a vote on the no-confidence motion. Being unable to take a vote by name, he took a voice vote. A memo signed by 126 MPs was subsequently handed over to Sirisena.

However, Sirisena refused to accept the memo, on the basis that the motion did not follow proper procedure. However, the session on 16 November saw unprecedented violence and contempt for parliamentary proceedings. A number of Rajapaksa loyalists stood on the Secretaries Platform, including UPFA MP Arundika Fernando, who occupied the speaker's seat. They began chanting angrily, highlighting the actions of UNP MP Palitha Thewarapperuma, who

appeared to be brandishing a knife in footage on November 14 (he later said it was a letter opener that had been 'pushed into his hand' in the confusion).

The chanting continued for 45 minutes, and the Sergeant-at-arms came in through a side door, holding fast to the Mace, and surrounded by police. Jayasuriya followed close behind. However almost immediately, the Rajapaksa loyalists began throwing objects at the group, including chairs, books and water laced with chilli powder. The Speaker's Chair itself was toppled over.

Several police officers, as well as senior UNP MP Gamini Jayawickrema Perera and JVP MP Vijitha Herath had to receive treatment in the parliament dispensary following the session.

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PAKISTAN-BANGLADESH

No immediate plans to grant MFN status to India: Pak govt LAHORE: The Pakistan government has said it has "no immediate plans" to grant Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India. Asked whether the government was considering granting MFN status to India and that Prime Minister Imran Khan was keen to hold peace talks with the Indian government, adviser to the Prime Minister for Commerce, Textile, Industry and Investments, Abdul Razak Dawood said, "No such plans at the moment".

"At present we have no immediate plans to grant MFN status to India," he said at an event.

However, he said Pakistan is working out free trade agreements with different countries, especially China, and hopes to complete the second FTA with China by

Abdul Razak Dawood

June, 2019. Pakistan is yet to award the MFN status to India and it maintains a negative list of 1,209 items which are not permitted to be imported from India.

As per a World Trade Organisation rule,

every member of WTO is required to accord this status to other member countries. India has already granted this status to all WTO members, including Pakistan. Under the MFN status, a WTO member country is obliged to treat other trading nations in a non-discriminatory manner, especially with regard to customs duty and other levies, but Pakistan is yet to transition fully to MFN status for India. Pakistan allows only 137 products to be exported from India through the Wagah border land route.

Bilateral trade between the two countries stood at USD 2.28 billion in 201617. India mainly exports cotton, dyes, chemicals, vegetables and iron and steel to Pakistan while it imports fruits, cement, leather, chemicals and spices.

Former Pak cricketer Afridi asks Imran govt to give up demand for Kashmir ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi has asked his country’s government to give up its demand for Kashmir and take care of the area that is already under its control. In comments that are likely to trigger a controversy, Afridi said that Pakistan was demanding that India cede Kashmir when it was not even able to handle even the four provinces it has.

“Pakistan doesn't need Kashmir; it is not able to even handle the four provinces it has,” Afridi told students during an interaction at the British Parliament. The stunning admonishment of the Imran Khan government did not end there as the swashbuckling cricketer said that Pakistan had failed in its efforts to keep the country united and safe from extremists.

Shahid Afridi

During his address, he also said that Kashmir should also not go to India and that he was pained to see that people were dying in the Valley. “Say Pakistan doesn't need Kashmir, don't give it to India as well. Let

Kashmir become a country. The people dying there should not die, humanity should stay alive. It pains to see people die there,” he said. This is not the first time that Afridi has spoken on the Kashmir issue. In April this year, he had slammed India for its policy in the state. “Appalling and worrisome situation ongoing in the Indian Occupied Kashmir. Innocents being shot down by oppressive regime to clamp voice of selfdetermination & independence. Wonder where is the @UN & other int bodies & why aren’t they making efforts to stop this bloodshed? (sic)” he had written on the social media platform. Back in March 2016, the cricketer had also suggested that a lot of Kashmiri fans supported Pakistani cricketers.

Bangladesh postpones plans to repatriate Rohingya COX'S BAZAR (BANGLADESH): Normal life returned to a Rohingya Muslim refugee camp in Bangladesh a day after government officials postponed plans to begin repatriating residents to Myanmar when no one volunteered to go. The checkpoints at the entrance to Unchiprang, one of the refugee camps near the city of Cox's Bazar, were temporarily left unguarded - a sign of easing tensions - as about 500 people crowded into a mosque for Friday prayers.

One of the imams told the devotees that the government could not force Rohingya to go back without Myanmar guaranteeing them protection and civil rights, to which they raised their hands and replied, "Amen."

More than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled to Bangladesh from western Myanmar's Rakhine state since August 2017 to escape killings and destruction of their villages by the military and Buddhist vigilantes that have drawn widespread condemnation of Myanmar. Bangladesh's refugee commission had planned to begin a voluntary repatriation process under a United Nations-brokered deal with Myanmar by escorting about 150 refugees across the border last week.

But some people on the repatriation list left their shanties and disappeared into other camps to avoid being sent home. After a demonstration involving about 1,000 Rohingya broke out at Unchiprang, Refugee Commissioner Abul Kalam said plans had been shelved because no refugees were willing to return. Nabi Hossain, 45, left his shanty at Unchiprang camp with his wife and six other family members after noticing

extra security at the camp.

"We heard they will come and take us.

We were in a panic," Hossain said, adding that the family slept outside and didn't eat much because they didn't want a cooking fire to attract attention. They returned after hearing about the protest. "If they allow us to have our rights, our citizenship, we want to go. But if we are forced, if our rights are not given, it is better to crush us under the wheels of cars or be thrown in a river," Hossain said. Not everyone who fled Unchiprang has returned.

Violence against Rohingya inexcusable, Pence tells Suu Kyi In Singapore US Vice President Mike

Pence told Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi that the treatment of her country's stateless Rohingya Muslim population was inexcusable. "This is a tragedy that has touched the hearts of millions of Americans. The violence and persecution by military and vigilantes which resulted in driving 700,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh is without excuse," Pence told Suu Kyi on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Singapore.

"I'm anxious to hear about the progress you're making in holding those accountable who are responsible," he was quoted as saying.

ISRAELI DEFENCE MINISTER QUITS OVER GAZA TRUCE Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman has resigned in protest against a Gaza ceasefire that he called a "capitulation to terror", weakening Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conservative coalition government. "Were I to stay in office, I would not be able to look southern residents in the eye," Lieberman said, referring to Israelis subjected to a surge in Palestinian rocket attacks before truce took hold. Lieberman said his resignation also withdraws his far-right Israel Beitenu party from the coalition. That would leave Netanyahu with control of just 61 of the 120 seats in parliament a year before Israel's next election. Israeli political commentators had speculated that Netanyahu, who despite his approval ratings has been dogged by multiple corruption investigations, might bring forward the ballot. But a spokesman for his rightist Likud party played down that option, saying Netanyahu would assume the defence post.

5 FACE DEATH AS SAUDI ADMITS KHASHOGGI WAS SLAUGHTERED Saudi Arabia called for the death penalty against five people accused of murdering journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate, but absolved the crown prince of any blame.

Khashoggi, the Washington Post contributor and critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was drugged and his body dismembered, a spokesman for the public prosecutor said, in the first Saudi confirmation of how the journalist died. But spokesman Shaalan al-Shaalan denied Prince Mohammed had any knowledge of the killing. The journalist’s body parts were handed over to an agent outside the consulate grounds, Shaalan said. The prosecutor has requested the death penalty for the five who “are charged with ordering and committing the crime and for the appropriate sentences for the other indicted individuals”, Shaalan said.

JUDGE HALTS TRUMP'S ASYLUM BAN A US federal judge has stopped President Donald Trump's administration from refusing asylum to immigrants who cross the country's southern border illegally. US District Judge Jon S. Tigar issued a temporary restraining order after hearing arguments, NBC News reported. The request was made by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Centre for Constitutional Rights, which quickly sued the administration after Trump issued the ban earlier this month in response to the caravans of migrants that have started to arrive at the US-Mexico border. In a proclamation on November 9, Trump said that anyone who crossed the southern border would be ineligible for asylum. The regulations, which will remain in place for three months absent a court order, could potentially make it harder for thousands of people who enter the US to avoid deportation.

TRUMP GRANTS MELANIA WISH, FIRES TOP AIDE An angry Donald Trump pushed out a senior advisor after first lady Melania Trump demanded her sacking, with more heads set to roll in a White House reshuffle triggered by infighting and setbacks in the midterm elections. Melania made the extremely rare demand for deputy national security advisor to be fired, saying “It is the position of the office of the first lady that she (Mira Ricardel) no longer deserves the honour of serving in this White House.” The first lady at least partially got her way when presidential spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Ricardel “departs the White House to transition to a new role within the administration.”

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Indian-American nominated to Trump lights 'diya', sparks replace Kavanaugh in US court controversy with tweet WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has sent the nomination of Neomi Rao, a prominent Indian-American attorney and academic, to the Senate to replace Justice Brett Kavanaugh on the powerful DC Circuit Court of Appeals. If confirmed by the Senate, Rao, who is 45, would be able to serve a lifetime post on the DC court, largely considered the second highest court of the land and a training ground for future Supreme Court judges. If the Senate confirms her, she would be the second Indian-American judge in the DC Circuit Court after judge Sree Srinivasan, who was appointed during the previous Obama regime. Rao's nomination was sent to the Senate. President Trump, during Diwali celebrations at the Roosevelt Room of the White House, announced the surprise nomination of the 45-year-old regulatory czar for the DC Circuit.

He appeared delighted to jump ahead of planned announcement to nominate Rao, saying it was potentially the "biggest story" of the day. "We were going to announce that tomorrow," President Trump told a crowd of Indian-American members of his administration at the White House. "And I said, you know, 'Here we are, Neomi, we're never going to do better than this.'" "She's going to be fantastic," President Trump added. "Great person."

Last month Kavanaugh, 53, was sworn in as a Supreme Court Justice. He has been embroiled in a bitter battle to stave off claims of sexual assault, which he denies.

Rao, who currently serves as the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), is a vocal advocate of President Trump's efforts to slash government regulations, crediting the reductions with stimulating job growth.

In her current role, Rao has played a key role in regulatory reform, which according to the White House saved American families and businesses $23 billion in fiscal year-2018 by getting rid of unduly burdensome and unnecessary regulation.

Prior to her service as OIRA Administrator, Rao was a professor of structural constitutional law, administrative law, and legislation and statutory interpretation at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University. Rao founded the Law School's Center for the Study of the Administrative State and focused her scholarship on the political and constitutional accountability of administrative agencies and the role of Congress. She has previously served in all three branches of the federal government, and before taking on her current role in the executive branch, she was associate counsel and special assistant to the president for the George W Bush administration.

Born to Zerin Rao and Jehangir Narioshang Rao, both Parsi physicians from India, Rao grew up in Michigan and did her schooling from Detroit High School. She is married to Alan Lefkowitz and the couple has two children.

Neomi Rao

WASHINGTON: US President Trump lit a diya in the White House last week, calling Indians “very, very special people” and exulting about US-India relationship, ties he said “can act as a bulwark for freedom, prosperity, and peace.” The ten-minute event in the Roosevelt Room at the White House had familiar ad-libbed Trump asides, digressions, and playing to the gallery, but with his daughter Ivanka Trump also in attendance, it was as warm as it was unexpected, considering he had just returned from Europe amid the Trump lighting Diya in Roosevelt Room at the White House usual tumult in his administration, CMS administrator, Uttam Dhillon, the and there was no advance notification of his acting administrator of Drug Enforcement participation. There was also the usual storm Agency, and Neomi Rao, administrator of in the teacup with critics complaining that the Office of Information and Regulatory he failed to greet Hindus on the occasion Affairs. and that he referred to South East Asians Typical of the showmanship the when he meant South Asians.

President is known for, he announced that It happened because an initial tweet he was nominating Neomi Rao to be on the from the @real-DonaldTrump account after DC Circuit Court of Appeals, the seat of the event picked a line from the middle of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was recently his speech and recognised the festival as “a elevated to the Supreme Court. He also holiday observed by Buddhists, Sikhs, and kidded with FCC chairman Ajit Pai saying “I Jains” without mentioning Hindus. Trump just didn’t like one decision he made, but began his remarks by saying “I am thrilled to that’s all right. Not even a little bit. But he’s be here for the celebration of Diwali, the independent,” referring presumably to the Hindu Festival of Lights, and I am honoured issue of net neutrality. to host this beautiful ceremony at the White There was also the familiar complaint House. Our nation is blessed to be home to about trade with India backed by a millions of hardworking citizens of Indian compliment. “The US has deep ties to the and Southeast Asian heritage who enrich our nation of India, and I am grateful for my country in countless ways.” friendship with PM Modi. We’re trying very Among those Trump greeted personally hard to make better trade deals with India, on the occasion was Ajit Pai, chairman of the but they’re very good traders. They’re very Federal Communications Commission, Neil good negotiators, you would say, right? The Chatterjee, chairman of the Federal Energy best,” Trump joked, adding, “So we’re Regulatory Commission, Seema Verma, working, and it’s moving along.”

JALARAM TEMPLE LEICESTER SUPPORTS LOCAL CHARITIES The Jalaram Temple, Leicester, celebrated the 219th birthday of the Saint Jalaram Bapa (Jalaram Jayanti) on 15th November 2018.

Amidst devotional singing and prayers attended by over 4,000 people during the day, Jalaram Temple announced that it will be supporting a number of local Charities through various projects.

Representatives from several charities including the British Legion and the British Heart Foundation were also present.

Pramod Thakkar, Chairman of Jalaram Temple, said that the Temple is actively engaged in promoting the registration towards organ donation within the Hindu Community and in providing financial support to the British Legion’s Poppy week and the British Heart Foundation.

He added that Jalaram Temple is delighted in raising awareness through the British Legion of the contribution and the sacrifices

our forefathers made during World War 1. He stated that, “Over 1.3 million Indian Soldiers served in the First World War and 74,000 lost their lives. We owe it to them by remembering the sacrifices they made”. Bill Brown, County Chairman of The British Legion welcomed Jalaram

Temple’s support and accepted a donation of £1,501 from the Jalaram Temple.

A double decker bus, with an on-board traveling exhibition of the Indian soldiers was sent from London by Golden Tour’s Nitin and Kumudiniben Palan, which gave devotees an opportunity to

see for the first time the contribution of the Indian soldiers to the war efforts.

Mr Hemu Ghelani, from the British Heart Foundation said “Jalaram Temple has supported our charity for some years and this continued support is very much welcomed”. He thanked the Temple on behalf of Professor Sir. Nilesh Samani, Cardiologist at Glenfield Hospital and the Director of British Heart Foundation.

Also, amongst the guests were the former Lord Mayor of Leicester, Councillor Rashmikant Joshi, Helen Fairfield, Fundraiser for Leicestershire & Rutland. Rev Tom Wilson, Director and Laura Johnson Church’s Training officer of St Phillips Centre visited with members of the Mosaic

Church, Trinity Methodist Church and Liz Carnelley, Programme Director for Near Neighbours.

Pramod Thakkar pointed out that “35% of people waiting for organ donation are from BAME communities whilst only 1% are registered for organ donation”.

Bharat Patel, a recipient of organ donation urged the congregation of the need to register for organ donation and help save lives like his where more than 50% of the people with chronic kidney disease are from the Hindu Community.

Following the principles of Jalaram Bapa, Jalaram Temple Leicester continues to help local charities and projects through several channels, this year being one of its biggest.

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SOUTH INDIA

Cyclone Gaja leaves 40 dead, over 80,000 stranded in TN CHENNAI: With the death toll rising to 40 and more than 80,000 people stranded at relief camps, the magnitude of the havoc caused by cyclone ‘Gaja’ in Tamil Nadu has left the state authorities reeling. Six coastal districts and three in the hinterland besides Karaikal in Puducherry have been ravaged.

Given the enormity of the calamity, the Tamil Nadu government has urged the Centre to release funds to carry out rescue and rehabilitation operations.

The situation remains grim, with despair and anger building up over so many deaths, destruction of property and livelihoods being affected.

Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and DMK leader MK Stalin visited Nagapattinam and other worst-hit district to meet the people.

The chief minister said the government is undertaking the relief works on a war footing. “The government is taking every effort to remove the trees that have fallen on the roads. Ministers are on the job in the

affected areas to restore normal life,” he said.

Despite the elaborate preparations by the administration and the Disaster Management Agency, cyclone Gaja has taken a heavy toll. Locals have not imagined that their livelihood would be wiped out in a span of few hours by the ferocious gale winds which slapped the coast at 120 kmph last week.

Nagapattinam had witnessed a calamity of this proportion for the first time after the December 2004 tsunami. In the aftermath of the cyclone, thousands have been rendered

homeless. The government has put the toll at 40, which included 16 women and three children.

The damage to standing crops, coconut trees and other crops is yet to be assessed. According to the State Disaster Management Agency, 1,27,300 trees have been uprooted and over 25,000 houses severely damaged. Over 30,000 electric poles have been uprooted and around 450 electricity substations damaged severely, crippling power supply in the entire region.

“At least 20,000 workers are on job to restore power,” said a top official of the department.

AIADMK leader and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai has appealed to the Centre to release funds for carrying out relief and restoration works. Though the government has opened around 500 temporary camps in the affected districts, people are alleging that food supply is woefully inadequate. Sporadic protests are being held in many places demanding early and timely assistance.

PUNJAB-HARYANA

3 killed, 19 injured in grenade attack on Nirankari meet AMRITSAR: Two masked men brandishing a pistol forced their way into a weekly congregation of the Nirankari sect and lobbed a grenade into the prayer hall, killing three people and injuring 19 near Amritsar on Sunday afternoon. The Nirankaris are considered heretics by orthodox Sikhs and have long been the target of hardliners. An alert has been issued on Punjab’s border with Jammu and Kashmir after the attack.

Chief minister Amarinder Singh said this was the first attempt, in a long time, to disturb peace in Punjab through indiscriminate killing. It was possible that Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI was involved, he said. The hand of ISI-based Khalistani or Kashmiri terror groups was not ruled out. “Police teams have been rushed to raid suspected hideouts of the assailants and multiple teams are investigating various angles to the crack the case,” the CM was quoted as saying.

The devotees had gathered for a satsang (spiritual discourse) at Rajasansi branch of Nirankari Bhawan at Adliwal village in Amritsar district. Preliminary investigation revealed that two men with covered faces, one of them with a flowing beard, forced their way into the prayer hall by brandishing

a pistol and lobbed the grenade into the crowd. A 3-inch crater was formed due to the impact of the explosion. The forensic team has examined the site and found the safety valve of the grenade.

Rs 5,00,000 compensation Amarinder announced compensation of Rs 5,00,000 each to the families of the three men killed in the attack, identified as Sandeep Singh, Sukhdev Kumar and Kuldeep Singh. Two of the injured are in a critical condition. An eyewitness, Gagandeep Singh, who was on gate duty at the Nirankari Bhawan said: “I was standing at the gate and a group of sangat arrived on a gharuka (an improvised vehicle also known as Peter rehra

in Punjab) and went inside. Just then, two motorcycle-borne youth, whose faces were covered, came to the gate. One of them asked me about the function and the other one pointed a pistol at me and took me inside the compound.”

“They also made me call another sewadar, Lakhbir Singh, who was on parking duty. When he came, one of the persons lobbed the grenade at the congregation and both of them fled,” he added. Gagandeep said one of the Nirankari followers tried to pick a brick to attack the assailants, but by then the devotees had caused a stampede in panic.

Another eyewitness, Gurbaj Singh, said: “I was stunned when I felt something whizzing past my ear and then there was an explosion. I was thrown several feet away and my wrist was injured. When I gained my senses, I saw my son drenched with blood and many injured persons.”

Inspector-general (border range) S P S Parmar said the organisers did not have any permission to hold the function. Amarinder, who reviewed the law and order situation in the state after the blast, directed the police to immediately enhance security at all sensitive places.

Threats spur cops to step up anti-Maoist operations in Bengal There is no reason to panic. Prima facie, this incident has no connection with the arrests of suspected Maoists.” Sources said that apart from state minister Adhikari, the sheets also carry threats to local TMC MLA Srikanto Mahato. A team from Gurguripal police station rushed to the spot soon after local villagers found the sheets carrying messages written in red ink, scattered on the ground.

Some of the messages also targeted the government. One read, “We are with you to stand against the TMC government’s corrupt policies.” A few weeks ago, the police had recovered similar posters in Jhargram sub-

The Andhra Pradesh government has barred the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from conducting raids or carrying out investigations in the state without its permission. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government issued the orders withdrawing “general consent” to CBI officers to exercise jurisdiction in the state to investigate corruption charges against officials of central government and private persons. The move came amid ongoing crisis inside the bureau in the wake of corruption allegations against its director Alok Verma by his deputy Raksh Asthana.

TDP President and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had been accusing the Modi government of misusing central agencies to target TDP leaders for demanding special category status to the state.

DINAKARAN, 3 OTHERS CHARGED Tamil Nadu MLA TTV Dinakar and three others were charged in the 'two leaves' alleged bribery case, while Delhi's Patiala House Court discharged five others from the case. The Court has fixed 17-22 December for the recording of evidence.

The Court has also asked Dinakaran to appear before the court on 4 December to sign the copy of charges. On December 14, 2017, Dinakaran was charged under various sections of the IPC. Dhinakaran and others were accused of trying to bribe EC officials to get the "two leaves" poll symbol for the AIADMK faction led by V K Sasikala, was arrested on April 25, 2018, and was granted bail on June 1. The police had accused Dinakaran and others of hatching a criminal conspiracy to bribe the Election Commission officials.

GOVERNOR GRANTS PERMISSION TO PROSECUTE HOODA Haryana Governor Satyadev Narayan Arya has sanctioned the prosecution of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) case. The move comes a year after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that Hooda allegedly misused his official position and illegally re-allotted a plot in 2005 to the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) in Panchkula. The ED told the court in an affidavit that Hooda allegedly misused his official position to re-allot the plot to the petitioner. It said investigations have revealed that when Hooda became chief minister in 2005, he allegedly reallotted the plot in gross violation of the existing policy and legal position.

BJP RESCHEDULES ITS RATH YATRA IN BENGAL

WEST BENGAL

KOLKATA: Police have stepped up security and began an inquiry after sheets of paper carrying messages like “We want Subhendu Adhikari’s head,” found in West Midnapore’s Lalkali area. Police suspect that it may the handiwork of Maoists. Villagers spotted the sheets a day after four persons, two of them alleged to be students, were arrested on sedition charge in Jangalmahal. Police claimed to have recovered “Maoist leaflets” from their possession.

Superintendent of Police Alok Rajoria said, “We are trying to find out who is behind these posters. It seems a lot of people are involved.

ANDHRA BARS CBI OFFICIALS FROM ENTERING STATE

division’s Jambani block. Sources said the recent developments indicated the possibility of guerrilla movement in the area, which is close to the Jharkhand border. After the recent deaths of a DD cameraman, a constable and an assistant constable in a Maoist ambush in Dantewada, police are taking no chances and have intensified anti-Maoist operations in the area, they added. Ranjit Sur, vice-president of the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR), which had protested against the arrests, said, “Murder threats to anyone is not acceptable and we condemn such action.

However, everyone has a right to protest.

The Bharaitya Janata Party has deferred its proposed "rath yatra" in West Bengal next month again owing to poll campaigns in other states, a party official said. BJP state general secretary Sayantan Basu said party chief Amit Shah would now kick off the "yatra" on December 7 from Coochbehar district, instead of Birbhum district, as was planned earlier. Due to the ongoing poll campaigning in five states, the party decided to reschedule the dates for the "rath yatra" (chariot march) in West Bengal, Basu said. The fresh dates were December 7 from Coochbehar district in the north, December 9 from Gangasagar in the south and December 14 from the Tarapith temple in Birbhum district, he added. Amit Shah is scheduled to attend the programmes on all three dates.

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HERITAGE HISTORY

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

25

24 - 30 November 2018

India too a Country of Immigrants • Only 8 % Adivasis, not the Dravidians, are the original inhabitants • Justice Katju like Sardar Patel dreams India and Pak as united one

T

he Supreme Court of India had broken the myth that the Dravidians from the Southern Indian states are the original inhabitants of India. The judgment delivered in 2011 by the Bench comprising of Justice Markandey Katju and Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra surprised most of the people who used to discuss the theory of Aryas Vesus Dravidians. This historical disquisition in Criminal Appeal No.11 of 2011, arising out of Special Leave Petition No.10367 of 2010 in Kailas & Others versus State of Maharashtra TR. Taluka P.S. The appeal was filed against a judgment and order passed by the Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court of Maharashtra. The Supreme Court Bench saw in the appeal a typical instance of how many Indians treat the Scheduled Tribes, or Adivasis.

The case related to Nandabai, 25, belonging to the Bhil tribe, a Scheduled Tribe in Maharashtra.

She was beaten, kicked and stripped, and then paraded naked on the village road, over an alleged illicit relationship with a man from an upper caste. The four accused were convicted by the Additional Sessions Judge, Ahmednagar, under different Sections of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for six months, one year and three months in three instances and to pay a fine in each. They were convicted under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for one year and a Justice Markandey Katju fine. But the High Court acquitted country of old immigrants and that them of the charges under the pre-Dravidian aborigines, SC/ST Act, while confirming the ancestors of the present Adivasis, convictions under the IPC rather than Dravidians, were the provisions. Each was directed to original inhabitants of India. pay Rs. 5,000 to the victim.

The judgment not only makes Justice Katju is a grandson of an interesting reading but even Kailash Nath Katju, 3rd Chief Justice Katju has been delivering Minister of Madhya Pradesh and a lectures on “What is India?” in Union Minister in Nehru Cabinet.

Indian and western universities: If He retired as the Judge of the North America is predominantly Supreme Court of India in made up of new immigrants, India September 2011. He was also the is largely a country of old Chief Justice of the Madras as well immigrants, which explains its as Delhi High Court. Between tremendous diversity. It follows October 2011 and October 2014, that tolerance and equal respect Katju was the Chairman of the for all communities and sects are Press Council of India. Justice an absolute imperative if we wish Mishra who was the Chief Justice to keep India united. If it was of the Jharkhand High Court believed at one time that retired as the Judge of the Supreme Dravidians were the original Court in April 2014. Their inhabitants of India, that view has judgment became a trend-setter since been considerably modified. even for the historians in India and The Bhils are probably the abroad. The judgment established descendants of some of the with the historical studies and original inhabitants of India research that India is largely a known as the ‘aborigines' or

Birthday, Wedding, Anniversary

Scheduled Tribes (Adivasis), who now comprise only about eight per cent of the population of India. The rest, 92 per cent, consists of descendants of immigrants. Thus India is broadly a country of immigrants, like North America.

While North America (USA and Canada) has new immigrants who came mainly from Europe over the last four or five centuries, India is a country of old immigrants in which people have been coming in over the last ten thousand years or so. Probably about 92 per cent of the people living in India today are descendants of Birsa Munda (1872-1900) who is considered the God by the Adivasis immigrants, who came mainly from the North-West, and to a the original inhabitants of India into India (except those Indians lesser extent from the North-East. were not the Dravidians but the who were sent out during British Since this is a point of great pre-Dravidian Munda aborigines. rule as indentured labour, and the importance for the understanding The Supreme Court judgment recent migration of a few million of our country, it is necessary to go has recorded an excellent message Indians to the developed countries into it in some detail. Calling with humanity while summing it for job opportunities). There is Pakistan a "fake country", Katju up: “The bravery of the Bhils was says India's troubled neighbour accepted by that great Indian resulted from a bogus "two-nation warrior Rana Pratap, who held a theory that Hindus and Muslims high opinion of Bhils as part of his have two separate nations." He army. Despite the horrible Like Sardar Patel beleives that one oppression on them, the tribals of day India and Pakistan would be a India have generally (though not united country. invariably) retained a higher level The judgment elaborates: of ethics than the non-tribals in People migrate from our country. They normally do not uncomfortable areas to cheat, tell lies, and do other comfortable areas. This is natural misdeeds which many non-tribals because everyone wants to live in do. They are generally superior in comfort. Before the coming of character to the non-tribals. It is modern industry, there were time now to undo the historical agricultural societies everywhere, injustice to them.” and India was a paradise for these “Hence, it is the duty of all because agriculture requires level people who love our country to see land, fertile soil, plenty of water for Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra that no harm is done to the irrigation and so on, which were in Scheduled Tribes and that they are abundance in India. Why should given all help to bring them up in perhaps not a single instance of an anybody living in India migrate to, their economic and social status, invasion from India to outside say, Afghanistan, which has a harsh since they have been victimized India. India was a veritable terrain, rocky and mountainous for thousands of years by terrible paradise for pastoral and and covered with snow for several oppression and atrocities. The agricultural societies because it has mentality of our countrymen level and fertile land, with Next Column: towards these tribals must change, hundreds of rivers, forests, etc., The Dream of India by and they must be given the respect and is rich in natural resources. they deserve as the original Hence for thousands of years Dr. B. R. Ambedkar inhabitants of India.” people kept pouring into India months in a year when one cannot because they found a comfortable grow any crop? life here in a country which was Dr. Hari Desai Hence, almost all immigrations gifted by nature. Thus, the and invasions came from outside generally accepted view now is that (The writer is a Socio-political Historian.

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26 INDIA

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24 - 30 November 2018

PM Modi raises Pak terror at talks with US V-P Mike Pence Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the 13th East Asia Summit in Singapore, last week, where leaders of the group discussed global and regional issues, including maritime cooperation. It was Modi's 5th East Asia Summit. India has been participating in the East Asia Summit since its inception in 2005. Members of East Asia Summit consists of 10 ASEAN nations (Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, The Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Brunei and Laos), Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the US. The Summit was formed to further the objectives of regional peace, security and prosperity.

Modi interacted with leaders of other countries, including his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, before the East Asia Summit Retreat. Earlier, he had also participated in the ASEAN-India Breakfast Summit where he underlined the need for maritime cooperation and centrality of trade for the prosperity of the strategic IndoPacific region.

Prime Minister Modi began his two-day visit to Singapore by delivering his keynote address at the prestigious Fintech Festival.

He held separate bilateral meetings with US Vice President Mike Pence and the premiers of Singapore, Australia and Thailand and

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the other leaders, at the ASEAN-India Informal Breakfast Summit, in Singapore

discussed ways to further strengthen ties, including in areas of trade, defence and security.

During his meeting with Pence, he shared India's “serious concern” at the “mainstreaming” of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, who carries a $10 million bounty, in Pakistan's recent elections. Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said Modi reminded the US Vice President that “in one way or other, all the traces or all the leads in global terror attacks ultimately lead to a single source, a single

place of origin.” He added that Modi also pointed out, “The mainstreaming of the people involved in Mumbai terror attacks in a political process, which had taken place in a recent election in Pakistan, should be a matter of serious concern not just to the two countries, that is, India and the US, but to the international community.”

The Indian PM also urged Pence to consider India as a manufacturing base for defence equipment, and develop it as a hub for exports in the regional market. He stressed that there was a great opportunity

for the US for setting up defence industry in India. Gokhale said, “Not only is India a substantial market, but because of the way we are placed regionally, we can become a hub for exports to the rest of the region. So he conveyed to Vice President Pence that he hoped the Trump administration would recognise this as a new opportunity, as a new economic opportunity as well.”

Modi also met Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Calling it a “very good meeting”, the PMO tweeted, “Subjects pertaining to India-Singapore relations, particularly trade and people-to-people ties were discussed during the meeting.” Also, he held a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. ” At Singapore Fintech Festival (SFF), the world's largest event on financial technology, Modi said his government launched Jan Dhan Yojana through Aadhaar and cellphones, and opened 330 million new bank accounts in three years. “There are 330 million sources of identity, dignity and opportunities. Less than 50 per cent of Indian had bank accounts in 2014. Now, it is nearly universal. So today, more than a billion biometric identities, more than a billion bank accounts and more than a billion cell phones give India by far the biggest public infrastructure in the world.”

NSA, NDA minister interfered in Asthana probe: CBI DIG tells SC The internecine battle within the CBI reached the doorsteps of the Prime Minister’s Office when agency DIG Manish Kumar Sinha, moving a petition in the Supreme Court, alleged that National Security Adviser Ajit Doval interfered in investigations against Special Director Rakesh Asthana and stymied a search of his residence. Mentioning his plea before the bench of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph, Sinha sought urgent hearing of his petition but it was declined. The bench is scheduled to take up CBI Director Alok Verma’s plea. In response to the Chief Vigilance Commissioner’s report on charges against him, Verma filed his reply on Monday.

Verma and Asthana, who had been at loggerheads, were divested of their responsibilities and sent on leave October 23.

Both officers have approached the Supreme Court.

Claiming that his subsequent transfer to Nagpur was the fallout of the investigation against Asthana which he was overseeing, Sinha sought that the transfer order be quashed. His petition levelled serious charges against the PMO, Minister of State for Coal and Mines Haribhai Parthibhai

Rakesh Asthana and Alok Verma

Chaudhary and Law Secretary Suresh Chandra. In his petition, Sinha claimed that two alleged middlemen involved in the case were close to Doval. He also claimed that Sathish Babu Sana, the complainant in the case, had told him that MoS Chaudhary had been paid “a few crores of rupees” after he had “intervened with the senior officers of CBI through the office of the Minister of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension”.

The petition stated that surveillance had stumbled upon a conversation involving R&AW officer Samant Goel in which he was heard saying that the PMO had managed the CBI issue. That same night, the petition

In Male, India tries to reclaim lost ground In a gesture signaling India's solidarity with the newly formed government in Maldives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the swearing-in of President Ibrahim Solih, on Saturday. The day-long visit intended to boost bilateral relations. Modi assured all possible help to the new leader in fulfilling his government's pledges to the people and suggested an early meeting of officials to work out the details according to the needs of the strategically vital nation. In a joint press statement issued after talks between Prime Minister Modi and President Solih, both the leaders expressed confidence in the “renewal” of the close bonds of cooperation and friendship between the two countries.

Ties between both the countries came under strain during the rule of former president Abdulla Yameen, who was perceived as close to China. Several of his decisions did not sit well with New Delhi, including his restrictions on work visas for

Indians and signing of a new Free Trade Agreement with Beijing. Meanwhile, Solih, in his inaugural address, clarified that he will endeavour to “fortify” existing ties that Maldives has had with India and other regional countries. “We will endeavour to fortify existing ties with India. Maldives will hereupon bolster its shared role to retain enduring peace and harmony of the Indian Ocean,” he said. Solih said that he was taking on the presidency at a time when the country is in a precarious financial situation.

“The treasury has endured a colossal blow owing to reckless mega development projects undertaken purely for political gain.

Large-scale embezzlement and corruption has dwindled the coffers of the state by billions of rufiyaa,” he said. Modi walked into a meeting with Solih immediately after the ceremony, meeting former presidents Mohammed Nasheed and Maumoon Abdul Gayoom afterwards.

alleged, the entire CBI team involved in the probe against Asthana was removed. Sinha’s petition claimed that Sana had met CVC K V Chowdhary over the case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi, and that Law Secretary Suresh Chandra had contacted Sana on November 11 – while the Supreme Court-monitored CVC probe into the CBI battle was on – and tried to influence him.

While Doval was not available for comment on Sinha’s allegations, Haribhai Chaudhary refuted the allegations, saying “certain absolutely false and baseless allegations have been made against me. I neither know, nor have I met Sathish Babu Sana, who is alleged to have paid me a bribe.

I only came to know from various media reports today that an affidavit has been filed

in the Hon’ble Supreme Court mentioning this matter.

I condemn this malicious attempt to malign my reputation. I welcome any inquiry into this matter and the law should take its own course. If I am proven guilty, I am willing to leave politics.”

Suresh Chandra, on his part, said, “The allegations against me contained in the affidavit and the petition filed before the Supreme Court are false. As a serving government servant, I have reported the matter to the Union Law Ministry and the Attorney General of India for taking appropriate action.” CVC Chowdhary told reporters: “The matter is before the Supreme Court. It will not be appropriate for me to comment.”

Sudhir Ruparelia caught up in fake news Uganda business tycoon Dr Sudhir Ruparelia has refuted claims of criminal activity against him and his family. Dr Ruparelia, 62, this week described rumours as “fake propaganda”. In fact, Interpol, the almost century-old organisation tasked with transnational policing, has issued a ‘certificate of good conduct’ to Dr Ruparelia, which is proof enough of the unsubstantiated claims. Father-of-three Dr Ruparelia is no stranger to such fake news.

In February last year, a fake news portal had reported that Dr Ruparelia had died following a short illness during his visit to California.

The truth is this: Dr Ruparelia continues to flourish, “with the grace of Mungu (God),” he smiles. Last week he was recipient of the 2018 East African Business Leader Award in the Ugandan capital Kampala. Accepting his trophy, he revealed that when he started out, his dream was to just have a good home and private education for his children. “Have a strong foundation,” he told guests at the glittering ceremony held at Kabira Country Club. “No need to aim too high where you can’t reach. Aim where you can reach and then aim for the next level, then next level

and eventually sky’s the limit,” he added. Dr Ruparelia thanked President Yoweri Museveni and the Ugandan government for creating business opportunities for everyone to prosper.

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HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

27

24 - 30 November 2018

Eating dinner early can change our life When you eat could prove to be as important as what you eat. And eating your last meal, as early as 7 pm in the evening can do wonders to your health. For the longest time nutritionists over the world have been stressing on not just a light dinner but also an early one, but is it worth the hype?

Let's find out.

Our body doesn't have an actual clock, but it does have an internal rhythm according to which it schedules major body functions. Called the 'circadian rhythm', this internal clock helps the body adjust to environmental changes, sleep, and activities like digestion and eating. Thus, the timing of your meals can affect your body's weight regulation, metabolic regulation, heart heath and sleep cycle too.

Weight Loss Experts claim, that restricting your meal intake in the window of 6 am to 7 pm can reduce the overall calorie intake drastically. This could be because you are most likely to consume fewer calories as the time you have spent in eating has come down. Also a longer duration of overnight fast, helps with increasing fat loss as the body has time to reach a state of ketosis - a natural state for the body, when it is almost completely fueled by fat. In other words the body is using stored fat for energy.

An early dinner is good for digestion, and anything that is good for digestion aids weight loss. It is said that the body is wired to the movement of the sun. The later we eat, more are the chances of the food lying in the intestines, affecting the digestion. On the other hand, if you have your dinner early, you reach the satiety value earlier, the body is able to utilise the food better. The body uses everything we eat. If the calories produced are not put to use, it is stored as fat.

Good Sleep Over stuffing or eating too close to your bed time can increase the risk of heartburn and indigestion, making it harder to fall asleep. Experts warn against bed time munchies as well. Eating late in the night leaves the body on a 'high alert' state, which interferes with the circadian rhythm. It also prevents our body from powering down. If on the other hand, food is taken earlier, it is not only digested better, you sleep well and wake up energised too.

Better Heart Health For people suffering disorders like diabetes, thyroid,

PCOD and cardiovascular diseases, it is advisable not only to have a light dinner but also an early one. As Indians are used to eating sodium rich food for our dinners. Right from dal, papad, vegetables to meat, all of our preparations reek of salt in rather high proportions. If we happen to take these salty foods later at night, it will lead to water retention and bloating, but most significantly a looming risk of high blood pressure.

Restricting the eating to an early hour also ensures better heart health and keeps cardiovascular risks at bay. As we go on hogging more carbs and sodium in our dinners we put our heart and blood vessels to a greater risk of overnight blood pressure. For people suffering from hypertension it is advisable to eat more complex carbs, oats, brown rice and bran chapatis that can work as healthier alternatives.

Experts around the world haven't been stressing on maintaining the two hour gap between bedtime and dinner for nothing. Those who eat their dinner late are most likely to suffer from "non-dipper hypertension", which is a state where the pressure fails to drop properly over night. Ideally, the blood pressure is supposed to drop by at least 10 per cent at night allowing the body to rest well. If the pressure remains raised, it runs the risk of heart disease and, in extreme cases, even a stroke.

New treatment to protect people with peanut allergies ready for FDA review The final research results for a new treatment for protection against accidental exposure to peanut was presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology's annual meeting. The results show it is possible for some people with peanut allergy to protect themselves from accidental ingestion by building up their tolerance to peanut over time.

"We're excited about the potential to help children and adolescents with peanut allergy protect themselves against accidentally eating a food with peanut in it," says allergist Stephen Tilles. "Our hope when we started the study was that by treating patients with the equivalent of one peanut per day, many would tolerate as much as two peanuts. We were pleased to find that two thirds of the people in the study were able to tolerate the equivalent of two peanuts per day after nine to 12 months of treatment, and half the patients tolerated the equivalent of four peanuts."

Study participants ranged in age from 4 to 55 years, most were 4 to 17, and all had peanut allergy. One third of the participants were given a placebo, while the remaining twothirds were given peanut protein powder in increasing

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amounts until reaching the "maintenance dose" - the dose they stayed on for the remainder of the study. The maintenance does was the equivalent of one peanut daily.

"This is not a quick fix, and it doesn't mean people with peanut allergy will be able to eat peanuts whenever they want," says allergist Jay Lieberman. "But it is definitely a breakthrough. The hope would be to have a treatment available in the second half of 2019. If that happens, people who receive and are able to tolerate this treatment should be protected from accidental exposures."

All those in the study received peanut protein as part of an oral food challenge (OFC). A person in an OFC is given a very small dose of the food by mouth.

OFCs are considered the gold standard for testing food allergy. "Reactions from the oral challenges at the end of the study were much milder than prior to treatment," says Dr. Tilles. "On average, the participants were able to tolerate a 100-fold higher dose of peanut at the end of the study than they did at the beginning. In addition, the symptoms caused by the 100-fold higher dose at the end of study were milder than the symptoms on the lower dose at the beginning of the study."

There are currently no approved treatment options for peanut allergy. If this treatment is approved by the FDA, it will be available by prescription, and people with peanut allergy will need to remain on it to stay protected against accidental consumption. Once someone stops the treatment, there is no longer a protective effect.

in brief STATIC ACTIVITY MORE BENEFICIAL AGAINST HEART DISEASE While it is well known that physical activity is important for heart health, neither research nor recommendations consistently differentiate between the benefits of different types of physical activity. New research, presented at the ACC Latin America Conference 2018 in Lima, Peru, found that while all physical activity is beneficial, static activities such as strength training - were more strongly associated with reducing heart disease risks than dynamic activities like walking and cycling.

"Both strength training and aerobic activity appeared to be heart healthy, even in small amounts, at the population level," said Maia P. Smith, assistant professor in the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at St George's University in Grenada. "Clinicians should counsel patients to exercise regardless - both activity types were beneficial. However, static activity appeared more beneficial than dynamic, and patients who did both types of physical activity fared better than patients who simply increased the level of one type of activity."

Researchers analyzed cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, overweight, diabetes and high cholesterol, as a function of self-reported static and/or dynamic activity (strength training or walking/biking) in 4,086 American adults using data from the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The researchers then adjusted for age, ethnicity, gender and smoking and stratified by age: 21 to 44 years old or over 45 years old. In total, 36 per cent of younger and 25 per cent of older adults engaged in static activity, and 28 per cent of younger and 21 per cent of older adults engaged in dynamic activity. Researchers found engaging in either type of activity was associated with 30 to 70 per cent lower rates of cardiovascular disease risk factors, but associations were strongest for static activity and in youth. "One interesting takeaway was that both static and dynamic activity were almost as popular in older people as younger," Smith said. "I believe this gives clinicians the opportunity to counsel their older patients that they will fit into the gym or the road race just fine. The important thing is to make sure they are engaging in physical activity." Smith said future research and data collection should use definitions of physical activity that separate static from dynamic activity to further investigate independent effects.

EXPOSURE TO WESTERN DIET AND LIFESTYLE WILL AFFECT YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE In the US and most other countries, blood pressure rises with age, beginning early in life. Results of this study support the idea that the tendency in Westernised societies for blood pressure to rise with age is not a natural part of aging but could result from a cumulative effect of exposure to Western diet and lifestyle.

"The idea that rising blood pressure is a result of aging is a widely held belief in cardiology, but our findings add to evidence that rising blood pressure may be an avoidable consequence of Western diet and lifestyle rather than aging itself," says Noel Mueller, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Bloomberg School. For their study, the researchers took blood pressure measurements from 72 Yanomami aged one to 60, and found no trend towards higher or lower readings as the participants aged. The researchers also measured blood pressure in 83 members of the nearby Yekwana tribe, which is more exposed to Western influences including dietary - and here they found a clear trend towards higher pressure with advancing age.

The Yanomami live as hunter-gatherers and gardeners in a remote rainforest region of northern Brazil and southern Venezuela. Their diet is low in fat and salt and high in fruits and fiber. Studies of adult Yanomami since the 1980s have shown that atherosclerosis and obesity are virtually unknown among them, and that they have extraordinarily low blood pressure on average, with no apparent increase as they age. The new study reveals that this age-stability of blood pressure among the Yanomami starts in early childhood. It is the first to compare the Yanomami to a geographically co-located population - the Yekwana - that has had a different exposure to Western diet and other Western lifestyle influences. The researchers, examining members of Yanomami villages in southern Venezuela, found that their blood pressure measurements averaged 95 (mm Hg) systolic over 63 diastolic. (In US adults, the average systolic is 122 and diastolic 71.) This low figure among the Yanomami is consistent with prior studies in Yanomami adults, but the researchers measured roughly the same blood pressure among Yanomami children as well. In fact, the data suggest that blood pressure in this population remains close to the same low level from age one at least through age 60, with no trend towards an increase or decrease.

28 BOLLYWOOD

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24 - 30 November 2018

Deepika-Ranveer return to Arjun Kapoor shifts to Karjat Mumbai after low-key wedding

Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh are back in Mumbai after their super secret wedding in Italy. The actress wore a redand-gold kanjeevaram saree at the ceremony while Ranveer chose a veshti, kurta and angavastram -- both chose designer Sabyasachi for the occasion. The couple touched down in Mumbai on Sunday and are expected to shift to Deepika’s residence in the city’s Prabhadevi.

The couple tied the knot in a traditional Konkani ceremony at Villa del Balbianello in Lake Como, on November 14. It was followed by an Anand Karaj ceremony which was held in Sikh tradition. A close knit affair, the wedding of the year was only attended by close friends and family.

As difficult as pictures are hard to come by, a few details from the couple's sangeet and mehendi ceremonies did come forth and it is said that Deepika teared up at the sangeet ceremony, and Ranveer made a grand entry to his 'Gunday' song 'Tune Maari Entriyaan'. Tight security measures

included drone interceptors in the sky and guests being made to wear special wrist bands and scan unique QR codes on their phones to gain entry. No one was allowed to click or share pictures. However, when singer Harshdeep Kaur shared a photo of herself from the venue, Deepika and Ranveer were very disappointed and she was reportedly made to take the picture down.

Some photos of the venue have, however, made it out on the world wide web, and the affair that has reportedly cost the couple across £200,000 to £600,000, is nothing short of grand. Bollywood’s power couple had announced their wedding on October 21, after dating and denying their relationship for a good six years. Deepika and Ranveer will host three wedding receptions -- one in Bengaluru and two in Mumbai. They are also expected to go on a short honeymoon before Ranveer returns for promotional duties for Rohit Shetty’s Simmba.

'Thugs of Hindostan' a commercial disaster Previously touted to be the 'Film of the Year', Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchanstarrer 'Thugs of Hindostan' has proven to be a commercial disaster, with its opening week at the box office turning out to be outright depressive. The actionadventure fantasy film only managed to rake in around £14 million in eight days, peanuts as compared to the film budget and star cast.

With the poor run, multiplex owners have removed maximum shows of the 'Thugs' and are putting Neena Gupta and Ayushmann Khurrana's 'Badhaai Ho', and the latter's 'AndhaDhun' for cinegoers. Considering the damage, the film might end its theatrical run at around £15 million. There are no big releases in the coming two weeks till Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar's '2.0' hits the screens. Meanwhile, 'Thugs of Hindostan' has turned out to be Aamir's first flop in a decade, and Bachchan's highest grosser and first Rs 100 Crore club film of his career. Directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, the movie also stars Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Shaikh in pivotal roles.

Actor Arjun Kapoor is all set to leave Mumbai for good reason. The 33 year old who is all set to start his next project 'Panipat', is moving to Karjat, a mini hill station. The film is a period drama helmed by Ashutosh Gowariker and a huge set has been erected in ND Studios in the hilly town situated on the outskirts of Mumbai. In order to get into the skin of his character, he reportedly decided to leave Mumbai and stay in the small hillock throughout the shooting schedule of the film.

Also, he will be reaching the hill station five days before the film goes on floors to get used to the region. A production source said, “Arjun wants to live and breathe the role of the fearless Maratha Peshwa that he is essaying in Panipat.

So, he will shift to the town five days before the movies goes on floors early next week.

He wants to have a single-minded approach during the intense shoot. He said that he doesn't want to waste time traveling to and fro and wants to stay with the unit.”

AbRam's hilarious reaction to 'Zero' trailer

Aanand L Rai's Shah Rukh Khan-starrer 'Zero' has many a hopes pinned on it.

Especially the actor's, whose last release 'Jab Harry Met Sejal' bombed at the box office.

Also, he now has his third child AbRam to impress. In a recent interview, Shah was asked about his youngster's reaction to the film trailer.

Pretending to be a busy AbRam, Shah dismissed the question with a wave of his hand and said, “Too good.. Too good.” He also added that his son “doesn't have time for anything.” He, however, seemed nervous about the toddler's reaction to the upcoming film. “I assume that at age five, you become a little sensible and so this will be my first film

that could probably appeal to him. 'Harry Met Sejal' was a little adult for a kid and 'Fan' was probably scary for him... he was just three then. So maybe 'Zero' will be the first film of mine that he will like or dislike,” the actor said.

In the movie, Shah plays a vertically challenged man from Meerut named Bauua Singh. He is in a complicated love triangle with a wheelchair-bound scientist played by Anushka Sharma, and an actress battling alcoholism played by Katrina Kaif. 'Zero' also features special appearances by Sridevi, Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, Rani Mukerji, Kajol, and Salman Khan. It is slated to release on December 21.

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24 - 30 November 2018

STR did 'Kaatrin Mozhi' only for Jyothika

Malaysian firm to bring MGR to life in 3D digital film A Malaysia-based animation company has resurrected legendary Tamil actor MGR in a two-hour long 'feature film' in 3D digital mode. With latest technology called AN-Face, Orange County used artificial intelligence to define the facial expressions and his mannerisms. It has been working with a leading Hollywood VFX specialist for the past two years to create the movie. The film is based on movie stills, publicity photos, and films featuring the actor, who later became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

The official release will be made at the 4th edition of Indywood Film Carnival to be held at Ramoji Film City from December 1 to 4.th Brainchild of Keralite Sohan Roy, a marine engineer by profession who operates out of Dubai, the film carnival is an annual affair attended by all known in the industry.

Vijay Antony quits film production The recently release 'Kaatrin Mozhi' has created a splash across theatres with the masses and critics alike, loving Jyothika's character 'Viji' in the film. While many celebrities have sent their heartfelt wishes to the actress and the team in the last few days, Simbu also released a special video message.

He said, “My favourite Jyo Ma'am is acting in 'Kaatrin Mozhi'. I have done a special cameo for one scene in the film, and I did it only for Jyothika. Radhamohan is a fantastic director. The film has good performances from many actors including Vidhaarth, Lakshmi Manchu, MS Bhaskar, and others.

My heartiest wishes to everyone in the team. I wish producer Dhananjayan sir for a big success.” The film is the official remake of Vidya Balan's Bollywood super-hit 'Tumhari Sulu'.

In a press meet before the release, Jyothika had said that earlier she used to be very comfortable acting with Ajith, Vijay and Suriya. She said that she felt the same comfort acting with Vidharth. The movie is produced by her husband Suriya, and music is rendered by composer AH Kaashif. Since her comeback film '36 Vayadhinile', Jyothika has been focusing on acting in female-centric films.

Vijay Antony's cop film 'Thimiru Pudichavan directed by Ganeshaa, which was initially planned for a Diwali release on November 6, has apparently been postponed to November 16. The reason given is the shortage of theatres for a good release. Speaking in detail about the film, Antony revealed that he is quitting production soon.

“Actually while working, I've never had any issues. While producing, there are release issues, loan problems, getting money from buyers, etc. were the other problems I faced. When I'm the creator, I'm good. In almost every other

interview, I've been saying that I'll work on my acting. So, in order to focus on that too, I'm cutting down on multi tasking. I'm going to start distributing the responsibility to others.

Thereby, the first thing I'm going to quit is production,” he said.

'Thimiru Pudichavan' is produced by Vijay Antony's wife Fatima under his home production banner Vijay Antony Film Corporation. The film also has Nivetha Pethuraj and Daniel Balaji playing lead roles along with Vijay Antony.

* Schedule is subject to change

MONDAY 26th - FRIDAY 30th November

TIME

16:00: 17:00: 17:30: 18:00: 18:30: 19:00: 19:30: 20:00: 20:30: 21:00: 21:30: 22:30:

TIME

17:00: 18:00: 18:30: 19:00: 19:30: 20:00: 21:30: 22:30:

TIME

TV PROGRAM NAMES

RASOI SHOW THE GREAT INDIAN GLOBAL KITCHEN 2 THE GREAT INDIAN GLOBAL KITCHEN RADHA PREM KI DEEWANI UTTARAN DIL KI PUKAR SWARAGINI ISHQ MEIN MARJAWAN INTERNETWALA LOVE BALIKA VADHU - LAMHE PYAAR KE RED ALERT (PREMIERE) ZINDAGI KI HAQEEQAT SE AAMNA SAAMNA

SATURDAY 1st December TV PROGRAM NAMES

DIL KI PUKAR RADHA PREM KI DEEWANI UTTARAN DIL KI PUKAR SWARAGINI DANCE DEEWANE ZINDAGI KI HAQEEQAT SE AAMNA SAAMNA RED ALERT

SUNDAY 2nd December

TV PROGRAM NAMES

17:30:

ISHQ MEIN MARJAWAN - WEEKEND KA MAHA EPISODE

18:30:

UTTARAN

19:30:

SWARAGINI

18:00: 19:00: 20:00: 21:30:

22:30:

RADHA PREM KI DEEWANI

DIL KI PUKAR DANCE DEEWANE

ZINDAGI KI HAQEEQAT SE AAMNA SAAMNA RED ALERT

* Schedule is subject to change

SATURDAY 24th - SUNDAY 25th November

TIME

16:30 17:30 18:30 20:00 22:00 23:00

TIME

18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 23:00

TV PROGRAM NAMES

Comedy Circus Crime Patrol Indian Idol Indian Idol Comedy Circus Crime Patrol

MONDAY 26th November TV PROGRAM NAMES

Vighnaharta Ganesh Mere Sai Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai Chandragupta Maurya Main Maayke Chali Jaaungi Kaun Banega Crorepati Grand Finale Crime Patrol

TUESDAY 27th - THURSDAY 29th November TIME TV PROGRAM NAMES 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00

Vighnaharta Ganesh Mere Sai Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai Chandragupta Maurya Main Maayke Chali Jaaungi Patiala Babes Ladies Special Crime Patrol

FRIDAY 30th November TIME TV PROGRAM NAMES 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00

Vighnaharta Ganesh Mere Sai The Kapil Sharma Show Chandragupta Maurya Main Maayke Chali Jaaungi Patiala Babes Ladies Special Crime Patrol

* Schedule is subject to change

TIME 19:00:

MONDAY 26th - FRIDAY 30th November

TV PROGRAM NAMES

UDANN - ONE HOUR EPSIODE

20:00:

SHAKTI ASTITVA KE EHSAAS KI

21:00:

BIGG BOSS (SEASON 12)

20:30: 22:00: 22:30: 23:00:

TIME

DASTAAN-E-MOHABBAT SALIM ANARKALI BEPANNAAH ROOP

BIGG BOSS (SEASON 12) - WEEKEND KA WAAR

SATURDAY 1st December

TV PROGRAM NAMES

18:00:

INDIA'S GOT TALENT - SEASON 8

20:00:

NAAGIN - SEASON 3

22:00:

INDIA'S GOT TALENT - SEASON 8

19:30: DESI BEAT 3.0

21:00: BIGG BOSS (SEASON 12) - WEEKEND KA WAAR 23:30:

TIME

UDANN

SUNDAY 2nd December

TV PROGRAM NAMES

18:00: INDIA'S GOT TALENT - SEASON 8 19:30: INSIDE ACCESS (LAUNCH) 20:00: NAAGIN - SEASON 3

21:00: BIGG BOSS (SEASON 12) - WEEKEND KA WAAR 22:00: INDIA'S GOT TALENT - SEASON 8

30 UK

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24 - 30 November 2018

Pujya Mahant Swami feeds devotees aubergine during Shakotsav

Bochasanwasi Shri Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha's (BAPS) head Pujya Mahant Swami is currently in Bochasan.

He had reached the small town from Bhadra, on November 13. On 15th, Shakotsav was celebrated in the premises and Mahant Swamiji himself made aubergine curry and fed his devotees. Around 7000 followers from Bochasan and nearby villages had gathered to participate in the utsav. It is worth mentioning here that when God Swaminarayan was alive, a Shakotsav was celebrated in Loya village. He had served his devotees 30 kgs of aubergine cooked in 18 litres of pure ghee. Since that day, Shakotsav is celebrated in Loya village each year. The curry made by Mahant Swamiji was offered to God Swaminarayan. 1000 kgs Aubergine, 1500 kg pure ghee, 1000 kg Rotla, 250 kgs Jaggery, and 250 kgs pickled Chillies were used. On 16th, Mahant Swamiji spoke about the glory of Shastriji Maharaj in the evening assembly. On 17th eveniung, God Swaminarayan's birth anniversary was celebrated. On 18th, Pushpadolotsav celebrations were held, and Mahant Swamiji showered flower petals on his devotees. On 19th, Annakut of vegetables (Haatadi) were offered to the Gods on the occasion of Prabodhini Ekadashi.

Coming Events

l Shree Swaminarayan Hindu Temple will hold Hanuman Chalisa bhajan on November 24, Saturday, from 5.00 pm to 9.30 pm, at Bridle Road, Pinner Londonm HA5 2SH. Mahaprasad Bhojan will be served from 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm.

Beware of cyber crime this Black Friday

brands,” warns Jeremy Samide CEO of Stealthcare.

Stealthcare’s Zero Day Live Threat Intelligence platform has uncovered these cyberattacks and now protects its clients so eretailors with the tools needed to prevent these greed-motivated cyberattacks. Don’t make purchases using unsecured Wi-Fi hot spots at the coffeeshop.

Change passwords frequently and do not use obvious words as passwords, Samide advices.

There's been a surge of cybercriminals and cybergangs who bypass consumers and going directly to their favorite e-commerce merchants to rob them. and, They are expected to step up their game on Black Friday.

“No matter how diligently consumers strive to protect their credit card and personal information, organized crime is attacking the places where we shop online with no less than 14 malware families aimed at the biggest e-commerce

Sneh Joshi

The Sardar Patel Memorial Society UK would like to thank everyone for joining us in celebrating Rashtriya Ekta Divas at the Indian High Commission on 31st October 2018.

The Nirvana Day of Sardar Patel is organised on 15th December 2018 at Nehru Centre in central London from 5pm to 8.30pm.

The entry is by special invitation cards only, priority for the Life Members of SPMSUK. If you wish to become life member, please fill up the attached form.

We would like to invite you all to join us to pay tribute to Sardar Patel in the Spirit of Unity. (Entry by invitation only) For further information and to confirm your attendance please contact - Krishna Pujara (Secretary) on 07931 708 028 email: krishnajis@aol.com Jitubhai Patel (Trustee) on 01245 472648 email: jitupatel-ncgo@hotmail.com or Kanti Nagda (CEO) by email - kantinagda@hotmail.com

Navin Kundra's voice sees a sold-out Leicester British Asian singing sensation, Navin Kundra, delivered a powerhouse performance in Leicester on 9th November Sunday with his spectacular concert, “Voice Of Legends”. The sold out event, presented by Sony TV in association with Tilda and Ria Money Transfer, was held at the iconic Haymarket Theatre where Navin performed an electrifying music and dance extravaganza featuring his live band, The 515 Crew, vocalist Ambika Jois, and the Shiamak UK Dance Team!

“This is a real dream come true to perform my first solo concert in Leicester and I’m truly overwhelmed by the demand and all the incredible positive feedback! I set out to create a unique experience for everyone which they’ve never seen before and one that would make them sing, dance, laugh and even cry. I’m so pleased that

Navin Kundra at Leicester

we managed to achieve that and more!” said Navin.

Aside from performing the greatest Hindi cinema classics by Kishore Kumar, Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh and Jagjit Singh, Navin also sang his original songs, including the chart topping hit ‘Tere Liye’, ‘Mehbooba’ and his most recent love song, ‘Ishq Humara’. Navin is now gearing up to host a multiple city tour of his “Voice Of Legends” concert

in early 2019 with plans to take it international.

To round off what has been an action packed year for Navin where he also finished filming for his first Bollywood movie due to release in 2019 and picked up a British Soap Award for his “Scene Of The Year” in BBC Doctors, he is releasing of his new single, “Figure Hilaade” in December just in time for the holiday season!

The UK’s leading Vedic writer and TV personality

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 Jupiter moves into your solar ninth

house, where it will transit for just over a year. You will have energy for adventure, learning, and travel. Your desire to expand your horizons and to reach out beyond your usual circles brings opportunity and reward. However, there can be some delays or complications during Mercury's retrograde until the 6th December, you may want to plan around this period.

transit of your solar 8th TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 Jupiter's house energizes your sector of trans-

formation, sexuality, personal growth, joint resources and taxes. Intimate matters are especially important to you during this cycle. Mercury also goes retrograde, extra care should be exercised regarding any financial initiatives that involve shared resources as delays are very possible when it comes to receiving support.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 Jupiter, the planet of expansion and

good luck has just moved into you solar 7th house. The accent’s very much on relationships. The opening up of a more diverse social life is a point in favour of romantic attachments. Mercury also goes retrograde for about 3 weeks in your 7th house. Be as non-judgmental as you can with a partner.

Misunderstandings now can do some damage to your relationships.

Jupiter has begun its year long transit in your solar 6th house.

During this cycle, you take more pride in the work you do and in your health routines. This is a good time to build your skills, to get organized. The Sun also illuminates your solar 6th house. It's a great time to make improvements to your regular routines. Mercury also goes retrograde in that sector - Work-related mess-ups can frustrate you, so be focused.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

Sardar Patel Memorial Society UK (SPMSUK)

Jupiter begins a year-long transit that points to an especially opportunistic period for romance and recreational pursuits. Mercury turns retrograde, offering you the chance (or need) to review your goals in these areas of life, and this can be a blessing in disguise. Sun also illuminates this sector for a month helping you as much as possible.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

Very important week ahead. Jupiter's entry in your solar house of home and family begins a year-long transit of home improvement. The focus is on making your home life as Sun also moves there. Mercury also goes retrograde in that house. Ego confrontations with family members are possible now. Try your best to strengthen your relationship to your family and your home base.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

Very important week ahead. Sun's movement and Jupiter's entry in your solar 3rd house of communications begins a year-long transit in which doors open for you through new contacts and friendships, opportunities to learn and improve skills. Mercury's retrograde in the same house can stimulate the need for review of the ways you are communicating and getting around.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

Jupiter leaves your sign and begins a new, year-long cycle in your solar 2nd house of abundance. Money matters can improve greatly, but you have to avoid over-indulgence in order for Jupiter's promise to materialize. Sun is also there and Mercury's retrograde transit has also begun. This means that review is necessary before moving forward, particularly when it comes to your finances.

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SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

Jupiter's entry into your sign begins its yearly transit and Sun is also accompanying it. This is a time of expansion and new beginnings. The urge to improve and grow is strong. You project confidence, optimism, and enthusiasm, and others receive you especially well. Mercury also goes retrograde in your sign from 16th November. This is a time to review the manner in which you come across to others.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20 Jupiter transits your solar 12th house for a whole year. For you, it's a cycle of regeneration and spirituality.

You are building a very solid support system and focusing on emotional security and stability. Periods when you completely relax and retreat. Sun illuminates that sector too and with retrograde Mercury be as non-judgmental as you can, but do keep an eye out for deceptiveness and falseness in others.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19 Jupiter's movement into your solar eleventh house recently will transit for a year, suggests that it's important and highly beneficial to make acquaintances and contacts. Mercury's retrograde motion is there too and now Sun is also transiting the 11th house. This suggest it's time to review your long-term goals and attitudes towards people you connect with and groups with which you associate.

Jupiter, the planet of expansion, begins a new one-year cycle that brings opportunity and expansion into your professional life. Expanding professionally and developing your skills, will be a strong theme in the coming year.

Mercury turns retrograde in the same sector of your chart and now Sun also there points to the need to rethink goals. You may need to backtrack over work that you thought had been completed.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

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24 - 30 November 2018

in brief KIWI CRICKET BOARD ALLOWS ITS PLAYERS FOR FULL IPL SEASON In a significant development, New Zealand Cricket has allowed their players to take part in the entire duration of the next edition of Indian Premier League. The announcement came in the wake of reports that Australia and England cricket boards aren't allowing their players to figure in IPL12 till its conclusion, because of the 2019 ICC World Cup, which is beginning May-end in England.

Explaining the reason behind this decision, James Wear, GM Commercial, New Zealand Cricket, said, "We're keen to give our guys as much experience playing all around the world as possible so that they get a great experience by playing in the IPL." New Zealand skipper and captain Kane Williamson, pacers Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Trent Boult, and Mitchell McClenaghan regularly feature in the cash-rich T20 league. Meanwhile, New Zealand Cricket is preparing to host the Indian team in the upcoming five-match ODI and best-of-three T20 International series.

The first ODI is to be held at Napier on January 23.

NEW ZEALAND RECORD 4-RUN WIN OVER PAK IN 1ST TEST Pakistan succumbed to debutant spinner Ajaz Patel's five-wicket haul and lost the first test against New Zealand by four runs at Abu Dhabi. Needing 139 more runs with all 10 wickets in hand on the fourth day, Pakistan was bowled out for 171 with Patel taking 5-59 and Wagner claiming 2-27. Azhar Ali (65) and Asad Shafiq (45) seemed to have carried Pakistan to victory with an 82-run fourth wicket stand before Wagner broke through just before lunch by having Shafiq caught behind.

Babar Azam's (10) run out in a mix-up with Azhar triggered the collapse as Pakistan lost its last six wickets for only 24 runs. Azhar was the last man to be dismissed when Patel had him leg before wicket as New Zealand recorded its narrowest test victory in terms of runs.

BANGLADESH LEVEL SERIES AGAINST ZIMBABWE Mehidy Hasan took five wickets to propel Bangladesh toward a series-leveling, 218-run win in the second cricket test against Zimbabwe. The Bangladeshi offspinner returned 5-38 to help dismiss Zimbabwe for 224 in the middle of the last day despite a defiant, unbeaten 106 from Brendan Taylor.

Hasan underlined his importance as an allrounder in the absence of Shakib Al Hasan with figures of 8-99 for the match, combined with two unbeaten innings of 64 and 27.

Taylor, who scored 110 in Zimbabwe's first innings, resisted the Bangladesh spinners but didn't get enough support from his colleagues to bat through the last day to salvage a draw.

It was Taylor's second pair of centuries in a test following his 171 and 102 not out in 2013, also against Bangladesh, making him the third Zimbabwe batsman to achieve that after brothers Andy and Grant Flower. Opener Brian Chari was the other notable contributor for Zimbabwe with 43. Resuming the day on 76-2 and needing to survive three sessions for a draw to seal their first test series victory since 2011, Zimbabwe began cautiously with Taylor leading from the front. Pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman (1-19) got the opening breakthrough in the third over, dismissing Sean Williams (13). Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam (2-93) continued tormenting Zimbabwe, with his guile and turn to collect the wicket of Sikandar Raza for 12. He finished the series with 18 wickets, including three five-wicket hauls. Bangladesh set up the match with its first innings of 522-7 declared, which included Mushfiqur Rahim's career best 219 not out and Mominul Haque's 161.

ICC rejects Pakistan's $70 mn compensation claim against BCCI International Cricket Council's Disputes Panel has rejected Pakistan Cricket Board’s case against Board of Control for Cricket in India, the world cricket body confirmed.

PCB were seeking compensation for damages to the tune of $70 million from BCCI for not honouring the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two boards in 2014 to play a bilateral series.

ICC had earlier said the decision from the panel will be final and cannot be challenged.

“Following a three-day hearing and having considered detailed oral and written submissions, the Dispute Panel has dismissed the PCB’s claim against the BCCI,” the ICC said in a release. The hearings in the case took place in Dubai from October 1-3.

That agreement between BCCI and PCB was the price the Indian board paid for Pakistan board’s approval of the ‘Big Three’ (India, Australia, England) governance changes; those changes were first voted in before being reversed. As per the MoU, the two countries were to play six series over eight years between 2015 and 2023.

The issue arose with India refusing to indulge in any bilateral cricket with Pakistan owing to the political tension and lack of government clearance despite the MoU being signed. BCCI had maintained that the proposed series can only go ahead following a clearance by the government. The ICC

Najam Sethi

dispute panel ruled that the document signed between the two boards did not seem binding. “It follows inexorably that the PCB’s claim must fail. If there was no obligation on the BCCI to engage in the tours in either 2014 or 2015, its omission to do so was no breach and gave rise to no damages claim,” it said.

“We are happy that our stand has been vindicated. What PCB termed as Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was just a proposal letter,” CoA chief Vinod Rai said. “I would like to thank the BCCI legal team as well as everyone who worked on this arbitration,” Rai said. Rai said BCCI will now file a counter compensation case against the PCB to demand the cost of arbitration. “We

will make a presentation to the panel and demand entire cost of compensation to be borne by the PCB for the arbitration where there claims have been dismissed,” he added.

PCB’s compensation claim was triggered by a loss of TV revenue for the proposed series in 2015. “The Panel accepts that the awareness of the BCCI’s claimed need for government approval was indeed reflected not only in PCB Emails but also in minutes of PCB board meetings, all of which were aggregated in the BCCIs helpful schedule to its written submissions,” the ICC judgment stated.

India’s former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid was among those who were cross-examined during the dispute panel hearing. According to a senior BCCI official, he justified India’s refusal to play bilateral cricket with Pakistan, citing security concerns.

The ICC panel did urge the two countries, with frosty diplomatic ties, to consider reviving bilateral cricket. “The Panel expresses the hope that political considerations will not long prevent that desire from being fulfilled,” the judgment’s conclusion read.

India and Pakistan last played a bilateral series in 2013 in India and have only met in multi-team tournaments since then. The last Test series, also in India, was played in 2007.

England seal series against Lanka England captain Joe Root set his sights on taking England to the top of the world rankings after his spin trio finished off Sri Lanka in the second Test on Sunday to seal the series with a match to spare.

England needed just 30 minutes on the fifth day to take the final three Sri Lanka wickets. Jack Leach got last man Malinda Pushpakumara caught and bowled to claim his first five-wicket haul in Tests. Moeen Ali took four wickets and Adil Rashid one as England’s three frontline spinners accounted for the whole innings, as well as 18 of Sri Lanka’s 20 wickets in the game overall.

Root’s 124 in England’s second innings also played a key role in the 57-run victory and earned him the man of the match award.

Celebrating England’s first away series win since beating South Africa in 2015-16 and his first away triumph as captain, Root sees England - who are currently ranked third in

the world - challenging India for the top Test team spot. “It was a brilliant Test match,” said Root, whose team had to twice fight back after their top order batsmen gave away cheap wickets.

“It ebbed and flowed throughout, like against India in the summer, and it’s pleasing to see another close game go our way. We said we’d come out here and play bold cricket, and be courageous. It’s easy to talk a good game but we’ve backed it up,”

Root said.

Sri Lanka needed 301 in their second innings to register an upset win but managed just 243 at the Pallekele ground. They started the day needing 75 more runs and with three wickets in hand had an outside chance. After Niroshan Dickwella was caught by Ben Stokes off Moeen Ali for 35 - the first wicket of the morning - Sri Lanka’s hopes were all but extinguished.

Moeen then struck No. 10 batsman Suranga Lakmal, the Sri Lanka skipper, on the pad next ball for a strong lbw appeal which was turned down. He bowled Lakmal his very next delivery. Pushpakumara lasted only eight balls before chipping the ball back to Leach and the game was done and dusted.

Brief Scores: England 290 and 346 bt Sri Lanka 336 and 243 (Mathews 88, Karunaratne 57, Leach 5-83, Moeen 4-72) by 57 runs

8 Indian women boxers reach quarter-finals A judging controversy couldn't stop the Indian juggernaut from rolling with as many as eight pugilists reaching the quarter-finals in the ongoing AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships on Monday. Sonia Chahal (57kg), Pinki Rani (51kg) and Simranjit Kaur (64kg) won their respective pre-quarter final bouts to place themselves just a step away from assuring a medal while Saweety Boora (75kg) was the lone Indian boxer to lose her bout on an eventful day at the KD Jhadav Stadium in New Delhi.

MC Mary Kom (48kg), Manisha Moun (54kg), Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) and Kachari Bhagyabati (81kg) booked their quarterfinals on Sunday while Seema Poonia will directly begin her campaign at the last-eight stage against Xiaoli Yang of China. Former champion L Sarita Devi (60kg) was the second Indian boxer to bow out of the tournament in the pre-quarter finals after losing to 2016 World Championship silver medallist Kellie Harrington of Ireland in a split 3-2 verdict.

India's Sonia Chahal celebrates after being adjudged the winner of her pre-quarterfinal bout.

The best show for the Indians was in the 2006 edition at home when the country won 8 medals. The country won just two and one medal in the last two editions and this one may turn out to be the best in recent times.

The fifth day's proceedings were, however, marred by a judging controversy when 2014 gold-medallist Stanimira Petrova of Bulgaria (57kg) accused the judges of "corruption" after losing her pre-quarterfinal to India's Sonia Chahal.

The 21-year-old Sonia, daughter of a Haryana farmer, was trailing after the second round but recovered well in the final round to win the close bout on 3-2 split decision. All the five judges gave 10-9 points in favour of the Indian in the third round and that sealed the win for the local hope.

Last year, she won a gold in the Serbia Cup. She won a bronze in the Ahmet Comert Boxing Tournament this year. Sonia next faces Arias Castenada Yeni Marcela of Columbia in the quarterfinals.

Pinki and Simranjit, on the other hand, notched up easy wins with all the judges giving unanimous 5-0 verdicts in their favour. Pinki next faces Pang Chol Mi of North Korea in the quarterfinals. The 23year-old Simranjit's 5-0 win against Megan Reid of Scotland, was the most impressive among Indian bouts of the day as she won all the rounds. India, however, suffered a jolt with Saweety Boora losing her opening bout to Elzbieta Wojcik of Poland in 75kg in a unanimous decision.

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24 - 30 November 2018

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India women to face England in World T20 semis India will face England in the second semifinals on Friday after the West Indies defeated 2009 champions by four wickets in their last group match of the ICC Women’s World T20 at Providence (Guyana). India have been invincible so far in the tournament, winning all their three games in the group stage. The inform team will also have revenge on its mind, having lost to England in the 50-over World Cup final last year.

En route to the semifinals, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side also hammered three-time former champions Australia in its last pool match. Defending champions West Indies, on the other hand, topped group A with eight points after beating England in the last-over thriller to set up a clash with Australia in the first semifinals in Antigua on November 22.

In the last group A match, the West Indies dished out a disciplined performance as they first restricted England to 115-8 and then overhauled the target with three balls to spare, riding on Deandra Dottin’s 52-ball 48. In the semifinals West Indies will meet Australia while India will meet England.

(Both on Friday).

India top Group B Opener Smriti Mandhana smashed a career-best 83 to power India to a competitive 167 for 8 before spinners strangled Australia to power India to a 48run win in a group B match on Saturday.

Mandhana blasted 9 fours and 3 sixes in her 55-ball 83-run innings to anchor the Indian innings. She also became the second fastest in India to compete 1,000 runs in T20 internationals after Mithali Raj during her innings. Spinners Anuja Patil, Deepti Sharma, Poonam Yadav and Radha Yadav didn’t allow Australian batswomen to accelerate and were eventually bowled them

Pak hockey players get visas to play in India All doubts over Pakistan team’s participation in the hockey World Cup in India are over, as 22 of the 25 members got their visas.

However, Pakistan head coach Tauqir Dar, assistant coach Danish Kaleem and player Irfan Junior are still waiting for the final clearance by the Indian High Commission.

The 14th edition of the hockey World Cup will be held in Bhubaneswar from November 28 to December 16. “Out of 25 members, 22 have got the visas and we are quite hopeful that other three will also receive it,” former Pakistan captain and current Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary, Shahbaz Ahmed, said. According to Shahbaz, the applications for Dar, Kaleem and Irfan were submitted a little late, which could be the reason for the delay. “We had submitted the applications six weeks ago but their applications were submitted a bit late because they joined the team recently. The Indian High Commission has assured us that they get their visas soon,” he said.

Olympian Tauqeer Dar was approached by the PHF to coach the men’s national hockey team in the last week of October, a month after Roelant Oltmans stepped down from the post. The issuance of visas to Pakistani sportspersons has been a problem given the diplomatic relations between two countries. PHF had a bitter experience in 2016 when the junior team could not come to India to take part in the Junior World Cup as they were denied visas.

in brief BCCI SKIPS ASIAN CRICKET COUNCIL MEET IN LAHORE The BCCI didn't send its representative at the Annual General Meeting of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) held in Lahore due to “security concerns” and existing political tension between neighbouring nations.

Although the BCCI skipped the meeting, the head of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Nazmul Hassan took over as president of the ACC from Ehsan Mani till 2020. A PCB official said that India was the only notable absentee from the meeting which was attended by 33 nations affiliated to the ACC, including full members like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.

“Dave Richardson the CEO of the ICC also attended the meeting,” he said.“BCCI had conveyed to the PCB and ACC that it was not in a position to attend the meeting due to existing political situation and security concerns,” a PCB official said.

Smriti Mandhana in action during the Women's T20 match against Australia

out for 119. Earlier, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur too produced a strokeful 27-ball 43 studded with three sixes and as many fours to share a 68-run partnership for the third wicket with Mandhana.

Mandhana gave India a good start after her fellow opening batsman Taniya Bhatia (2) was dismissed in the second over.

Mandhana then stepped up and picked up a boundary each in the next two overs to keep the score ticking. She blasted a four and a six off Sophie Molineux in the 5th over before repeating the treatment to Megan Schutt in the next over to accumulate big runs.

Mithali, spinners star In an earlier group match, India produced an allround performance to beat Ireland by 52 runs. India scored 145 for six in the stipulated 20 overs and then restricted

Ireland to 93 for eight. India produced a slow batting performance managing only 145 for 6 against Ireland, riding on a painstaking halfcentury from former skipper Mithali Raj. Promoted to open the batting, veteran Mithali (51 off 56 balls) added 67 runs in 10 overs with Smriti Mandhana (33) but the innings never gained required momentum on a track that remained a bit damp due to overnight showers. Evan as wickets fell at one end, Mithali couldn’t shift gears at the other end. She was finally out in the 19th over, deceived by a slower delivery from Garth but India’s chances of putting up a substantial total had gone up in smoke by then. Though Mithali failed to accelerate, her half-century still provided India a respectable total to defend the inexperienced Ireland batting.

Mithali overtakes Kohli, becomes highest T20 scorer Veteran batswoman Mithali Raj became the highest T20 scorer in India, even surpassing Virat Kohli. Last week, Mithali struck a sublime 50 to help Indian women's team beat Ireland in the ongoing ICC Women's World T20 in Guyana. Mithali added 67 runs for the first wicket with Smriti Mandhana, but the side could not post a massive total. They managed 145/6 in their innings, before the bowlers ably defended the score. Radha Yadav (3/25) led the show with some fine piece of bowling.

India women's team restricted Ireland to 98/8, winning their third consecutive Mithali Raj match in Women's World T20.

Mithali, who scored a crucial 51, seems confident of scoring more runs for India.

"You are prepared for 2-3 shots for one delivery and you try and innovate your game to suit the format, you only need to clear the infield in the power-play to get boundaries and it's something I've worked on and I'm sure that I'll keep scoring runs for India."

Mithali ahead of Kohli and Rohit The 35-year-old Mithali has 2,283 runs in T20Is for India. She is now the highest runscorer in this format by any Indian player. In the men's team, Rohit Sharma (2,207) and Kohli (2,102) are the top scorers. Mithali has

SKIP RANJI, BCCI TELLS ISHANT, ASHWIN The Indian cricket board (BCCI) has asked Ishant Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin to skip Ranji Trophy matches ahead of their departure for the Test series in Australia. It is learnt that members of the Test squad, barring the ones playing for India ‘A’ in New Zealand and those already with the T20I team in Australia, will be leaving on Nov 24. The next round of Ranji Trophy matches are scheduled to end on November 23. The Indian team management has opted for a four-day First-Class match instead of a three-day practice match ahead of their four-Test series Down Under. The match starts on Nov 28 and is being seen more of a workout for bowlers like Mohammad Shami, Ishant and Ashwin who haven’t played much cricket recently. The first Test begins in Adelaide on Dec 6.

It is learnt that the Delhi team management wanted to get the services of Ishant for their next game in Hyderabad but the board sent a mail to DDCA telling them to ignore the pacer.

ADVANI BAGS DOUBLE, TAKES TITLE TALLY TO 21

gone past the duo during the WT20 and could further widen the gap. She also has surpassed men's leading scorer Martin Guptill (2,271).

Despite going past the men in terms of T20I runs, Mithali is still the fourth highest T20I run-scorer when it comes to women's cricket. She is behind Suzie Bates (2,961), Stafanie Taylor (2,691) and Charlotte Edwards (2,605). The star player managed to surpass Bates, Alyssa Healy (women's cricket) and Pakistan's Babar Azam (men's cricket), to have the most 50+ scores in a calendar year.

Green baize baron Pankaj Advani added the longer format title to the points format crown he won a couple of days ago in the IBSF World Billiards Championships at Yangonto and take his world title count to 21. In a lopsided title clash, Advani outclassed his mate and sparring partner B Bhaskar 1,500-299 for a record fourth double in his career. Advani reduced his rival, a two-time Asian silver medallist and a World Championship bronze medalist, to a mere spectator. Advani, who gave up his professional snooker card a few years ago to play both billiards and snooker, has been dominating the IBSF circuit in both disciplines and raking up titles with consummate ease. Most knew which way the final was headed from the start as Advani rifled in a sizzling break of 190 on his first visit following a poor opening by Bhaskar. Breaks flowed from his cue with regularity as further runs of 171, 86, 92 and 134 in quick succession had Bhaskar glued to his chair. He fired another flowing 198 to open up a huge lead. When Pankaj crossed the thousand mark in the first-to-1,500 final, Bhaskar was languishing at 206. The 800-point deficit proved to be a tall order for Bhaskar to bridge.