AV 25th July 2020

FIRST & FOREMOST ASIAN WEEKLY IN EUROPE

inside: British Muslim MPs urge government to help Uyghurs in China SEE PAGE - 11 R

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

EXCLUSIVE INVESTIGATION

Kanti Nagda MBE

With lockdown restrictions being eased and Britain moving into a new phase of the Covid-19 crisis, I want to scrutinise what happened during the lockdown within the Asian local community groups and charities, particularly in England.

Those from minority backgrounds have been disproportionately affected by Covid-19. Research shows that areas with high BAME populations have higher death rates among those with coronavirus. Health inequalities among the Asian Community has prompted community leaders to demand that health departments help close the gap.

Since the beginning of lockdown, Asian community groups have been working tirelessly to support those in need. This has included providing hundreds of thousands of vegetarian and special diet meals each day, assisting isolated people with shopping and medicines,

Children at ‘serious risk’ due to childhood obesity & diabetes

25 - 31 JULY 2020 - VOL 49 ISSUE 13

ASIAN GROUPS GET ONLY 2% OF NATIONAL LOTTERY FUND

carrying out religious activities via Zoom, providing essential PPE, assisting people with welfare benefits, counselling people with mental health and many more activities to keep the community safe. The Gurdwaras, Ismaili Jamat Khanas, Hindu Temples, Jain Centres, Mosques, modern evangelical Churches, and community centres have all provided an ongoing, selfless service, a foundation of the Asian culture. On 8 April 2020, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a £750mn package to ‘ensure [charities] can continue their vital work during the coronavirus outbreak.’ We have to ask ourselves the question, why have the local authorities, government departments, major grant giving bodies and other wellestablished groups not made the effort to find out how much of this funding has been awarded to Asian communities?

Continued on page 17

SEE PAGE - 15

PM Modi calls for multilateralism with reformed UN SEE PAGE - 23

Foundation for Ram temple set to be laid on August 3 or 5 SEE PAGE - 26

Furloughed BAME create new jobs

Goodie Kalsi, Laura Wiggins and Raj Kumari-Byford (left)

Priyanka Mehta & Rupanjana Dutta Paid employment in Britain has plunged by almost 650,000 employees since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March, official figures show, as growing numbers of companies cut jobs.

According to the Office for National

Statistics the number of payroll employees fell by 2.2%, or 649,000, from March to June. And Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic in the UK economically as well.

Continued on page 16

2 UK

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

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25 - 31 July 2020

with Keith Vaz

Labour to apologise for anti-semitism

Dhwani Thakrar Dhwani Thakrar is a Co-Manager and E Commerce Manager at Ladlee Direct. Ladlee is an Asian clothing business specializing in occasion wear for men women and children. The business is located at the heart of the Golden Mile in Leicester and was established by her parents, Mahesh and Kiran Thakrar in 1992.

She works alongside her parents and siblings jointly run the business whilst being based in London. Since 2010, they have launched their clothing busines onto an online e commerce platform. They are well established in the European market and they are looking to expand their Global presence in the coming years. She is a first generation British Asian and was born in Leicester in 1991 to her parents from Indian and Tanzania. Dhwani completed her studies at Aston University in Birmingham and graduated with BSc International Business and Management. In 2015, she went onto to work on a graduate scheme at Diageo Plc in commercial sales and marketing.

Which place, or city or country do you What is the best aspect about your current most feel at home in? role?

As someone who was born and raised in I enjoy the digital marketing aspect of my role Leicester and now living in London, I feel as it is constantly changing to suit the needs of most at home whenever I go back to see my the consumer. I spend my free time listening friends and family in Leicester. I move to podcasts and online seminars on the subbetween the two cities often and enjoy differject and apply it to my role. ent aspects of both.

And the worst?

What are your proudest achievements?

I don’t have a ‘worst’, aspect to my role, as I see My proudest achievement was completing every unwelcomed challenge as a learning lesmy BSc International Business and son to better my skills and personal growth.

Management in 2013. I studied in What are your long-term goals?

Birmingham at Aston University.

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6 7

2 3

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What inspires you?

I am inspired by the amazing family role models in my life. I come from a family business going back many generations in India. I enjoy having conversations related to strong work ethic with my parents who came to the UK in the late 80’s.

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What has been biggest obstacle in your career?

I work on the Ladlee ecommerce platform whilst being based in London. Travelling between Leicester and London regularly, has by far been the biggest challenge in my career. With the help of digital platforms such as Zoom, I have found myself to overcome this challenge in recent months.

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

My parents have been the biggest influence in my career. I knew from a young age, that I wanted to study Business and Management.

As a first generation British Asian, I am the first of my family to have earned a degree and this is something which I am very proud of.

In the future, myself and my brothers wish to expand the online business to a wider and more global audience. We are working towards it and only hope to grow in the coming years.

9

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

I would introduce a scheme to help retail stores. The scheme mentioned by Mr Sunak was favourable for the hospitality and tourism industry. However, the retail industry employs and generates as much as these industries and I feel more could be done to help businesses like ourselves in these circumstances.

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

The recent Black Live Matters campaign has been really inspiring. I would love to meet Barack Obama and discuss these issues with him. During, his time as US President he emphasised the need of equality and inspired me and the world. Therefore, it would be a dream to meet him.

Civil servant inquiring into allegations of Patel’s bullying behaviour leaves post On Thursday 16th July, it was reported that a senior civil servant in charge of the bullying inquiry into the home secretary, is slated to leave her post next month.

Helen MacNamara’s new role as a permanent secretary has led critics to claim that the government is facilitating Priti Patel to be cleared of multiple bullying allegations.

These allegations appeared following reports of tensions between Patel and her staff across three government departments.

Furthermore, Philip Rutnam quit as Home Office’s permanent secretary and Simon Donald announced his early retirement as permanent secretary at Foreign Office.

Patel has consistently

Priti Patel

denied all allegations. But, Rutnam is suing her after accusing her of lying and of bullying the staff.

The inquiry was first headed by cabinet secretary Mark Sedwill and is now being led by MacNamara. As part of her inquiry, MacNamara interviewed former staff from the Department for Work and

Pensions, where Patel worked as an employment minister in 2015, and the Department for International Development where Patel was secretary of state in 2017.

She also interviewed staff from the Home Office while investigating bullying claims from Rutnam, who resigned as permanent secretary earlier this year. Johnson authorised the inquiry four months ago, and insisted at the time that Patel would be exonerated. Leaks from Whitehall have since claimed that Patel was about to be cleared, but it has not yet been released.

According to the Financial Times the findings of the inquiry were being held back because its “robust criticisms” of Patel could be embarrassing.

On 16th July, reports emerged that the Labour party is slated to issue a formal apology to all those who had disclosed that antisemitism was rampant within the party when Jeremy Corbyn was the leader.

According to The Guardian, whistleblowers sued the party for defamation in light of BBC Panorama investigation last year. They had claimed that senior members of the party had attacked their reputation and had personal and political motives to damage the party.

In the BBC Panorama programme, a Labour spokesman called them “dis-

affected former officials” and said they had “worked actively to undermine” Corbyn and had “both personal and political axes to grind”.

Seven of the eight whistleblowers – all former Labour staffers – who featured in the documentary instructed the prominent

media lawyer Mark Lewis to take action against the party.

No final settlement has been reached but sources said an agreement was imminent with a formal apology requested from the party, to be read in open court. Labour MPs are also waiting for the arrival of the findings of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) investigation into allegations of institutional antisemitism. The party revealed this week that it had received a draft of the report and party leader, Sir Keir Starmer and his deputy, Angela Rayner, have both said publicly they will accept the EHRC’s finding.

Court rules Shamima Begum can return to the UK On 16th July, Thursday, Shamima Begum won her legal battle to be allowed to return home to contest the government's decision to strip her off her British citizenship.

The 20-year-old Bethnal Green schoolgirl had fled London in 2015 to join the Islamic State in Syria and in 2019, Sajid Javid, the then Home Secretary had decided to strip her off her citizenship on security grounds.

Now, the court of appeal has said that she had been denied a fair hearing because she could not make her case from the camp.

The government therefore, has to allow the 20year-old to appear in court in London despite insisting that it would not assist removing her from Syria.

Begum had initially

argued that the government's decision to revoke her citizenship was unlawful because it left her stateless.

Under international law, it is only legal to revoke someone's citizenship if an individual is entitled to citizenship of another country. The UK government had initially argued that she was entitled to Bangladeshi citizenship owing to her parents’ South Asian heritage. However, Bangladesh has refused any and all grounds of citizenship for Begum.

However, in February, a tribunal ruled that the decision to remove her citizenship was lawful because she was "a citizen of Bangladesh by descent" at the time.

Daniel Furner, Ms Begum's solicitor, in a statement to the BBC said,

"Ms Begum has never had a fair opportunity to give her side of the story.

She is not afraid of facing British justice, she welcomes it. But the stripping of her citizenship without a chance to clear her name is not justice, it is the opposite."

At a hearing at the Court of Appeal last month, her lawyer also argued that Ms Begum, who remains in the camp in northern Syria, could not effectively challenge the decision while she was barred from returning to the UK.

Home Office accused of “inaction” on bringing back innocent British orphans from Syria MPs have accused the Home Office of “inaction” for no efforts at bringing back British children from Syria for the last eight months.

In October last year, Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary had announced that “unaccompanied minors or orphans” in Syria can return to Britain.

Following the announcement three orphans had returned to the UK in November. And Prime Minister, Boris Johnson described the children’s repatriation as “a great success”.

But reports indicate that an estimated 60 British minors are still trapped in north-east Syria, and the government has apparently not provided any indication on the timeline of their return.

According to the chari-

ty, Save the Children, home secretary, Priti Patel, has not yet responded to their letter asking how she was to bring them home. They had sent the letter in December and since then, the charity

has followed up with Home Office officials for a progress report on its attempts to repatriate unaccompanied children and orphans stranded in refugee camps.

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25 - 31 July 2020

Shamima is Britain’s responsibility ‘Jihadi bride’ Shamima Begum’s return to the UK has become a bone of contention. Questions are being asked, debates are being held, petitions are making rounds, asking the UK Courts not to make the mistake to letting her back into Britain. The Court of Appeal ruled last week that Shamima should be able to return to Britain to fight her case against being stripped of citizenship. It dismissed the Government’s argument, which, in effect, was that Shamima had left Britain of her own volition and was therefore not entitled to a fair trial. Her citizenship was revoked by the Home Office on security grounds after she was found in a refugee camp in 2019.

The Court of Appeal added that she had been denied a fair hearing because she could not make her case from the Syrian camp. The Home Office said the decision was "very disappointing" and it would "apply for permission to appeal".

When Shamima left Britain, she was barely 15. She was undeniably a victim of child grooming and was brainwashed by home grown hate spewing preachers. The question arises here: what has the Government done to deal with the root of such disloyalty? Shamima had no connections to Bangladesh, other than that her parents are Bangladeshi. It is rather wrong to expect a country where she has never set her foot to be responsible for her? Why should others deal with deceitful British cit-

izens? We should not ignore the fact Shamima ran away from home to join Isis. She violated the law, betrayed the faith her country had in her. But the bigger question is how many citizens appreciate the value of their own rights, till they are taken away?

Shamima was born in the UK and have never known any other country as home. Teen delusion or irrational and dangerous obsessions are not unknown traits in young adults. She is now 20, she has lost children and her husband. She does not look remorseful, and yes, she should be punished for that- but making her stateless will only aggravate the anti-West sentiments further. Refusing entry would not simply keep her out of Britain. It would also force another organisation to be responsible for her- and that could be catastrophic.

Shamima has been described as self-pitying, manipulative and evil. She obviously deserves stricter punishment for every harm she has ever caused, and it is Britain’s duty to set an example.

We are often told that Britain is different from the brutality of Isis because we abide by the Rule of Law. But this instance shows how the UK Government is ready to abandon that difference. In this ‘complicated’ case it is pivotal to hold on to that particular ‘distinction’, that makes Britain fairer than others.

Johnson or Cummings: UK’s actual PM? Media has recorded Boris Johnson as the ambitious Tory who fractured the Conservative Party and wrestled against David Cameron ever since university in wanting to be the UK’s prime minister. A year into assuming office at No. 10 Johnson has seen a topsy turvy ride in and out of Downing Street. Be it to Brussels to wring out a Brexit deal or unexpectedly visit the St Thomas’ Hospital to negotiate his survival. And whether Britain emerges successful or meek in a post-Covid world, Johnsons’ battles will be by far the toughest that any British prime minister has ever combatted in nearly a century.

But future historians will square a sizeable portion of failures and a lot of credit to Dominic Cummings. The political advisor to Boris Johnson who has perhaps, received more negative adulation in recent times than the prime minister himself.

The New York Times said Boris Johnson cannot fire his brain ergo Dominic Cummings after it emerged that the political advisor had broken lockdown rules and driven down to Durham. Johnson defended Cummings and two-thirds of the country thought he was wrong to back him, and fourfifths said Mr. Cummings broke the rules. As a result, the Prime Minister’s approval rating dropped 20 points. In the following weeks, Labour’s newly elected leader Sir Keir Starmer raced up to narrow the gap between them. Yet, Johnson relies on Cummings to execute every strategy and believes he has the ability to score brownie points despite reports indicating export shipments of Personal and Protective Equipment to China in a bid to increase the cash

flow in the country. At the stake of? The NHS. Parts of which he aims to privatise or sell off to the USA, or so the media speculates.

These strategies being the abrasive political punditry of Dominic Cummings. The BBC has documented that Cummings was the mastermind of the 2016 Leave campaign.

He was successful in pushing for an election in December last year and managed to breach Labour’s red firewalls scoring an enormous victory for the Tories.

But the country’s economy was already willy wobbly with an exhaustive long-standing Brexit gloom and coronavirus has only exacerbated these fault lines. Now, the onus is on the chancellor Rishi Sunak to save British lives. While Johnson appears to have passed the buck to Sunak, the public will remember the cause for Sajid Javid’s resignation from No. 11 in the first place. The former chancellor had suggested that his team of advisory was to be replaced by those handpicked

by Cummings. The Guardian had then noted that Javid’s departure confirms No.10 is determined to be in control of the UK’s economic policy. And the current speculation around rifts between Sunak and Cummings are taken into account, then perhaps there is credibility to the premise.

Political analysts had very early on warned that the new chancellor would only be a deputy to Dominic Cummings and that the economy will take a radical turn.

Question remains, who is the UK’s actual prime minister: Cummings or Johnson. Perhaps, the answer is hidden in plain sight.

One Nation, One Flag, One Constitution The first anniversary of the implementation of “One Nation, One Flag, One Constitution” in India falls on 5 August 2020.

While making the historic announcement in his speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 73rd Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the "One Nation, One Flag, One Constitution" has become a reality on 5th August 2019 with the repeal of Article 370. The Prime Minister also touched the issue of "population explosion", talked of triple talaq legislation, targeted Pakistan on terrorism and exhorted people to work with dedication to create a new India while noting that incremental progress was not enough to transform the country and there was a need for giant strides.

The abrogation of Article 370 has been heralded as a kind of constitutional surgical strike - the clearing of an unruly and hopelessly overgrown legal tangle, in one brilliant and blinding swoop. This was a long delayed tryst with destiny - that of one nation united at last under one constitution and one flag.

Opinions wary whether the surgical strike achieved the desired result. But one thing is clear that the special provisions enjoyed

by Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 are no longer available and J&K is treated like any other part of India and the people have lost special privileges they enjoyed for decades under Article 370. Now, any Indian can own land and settle down in Jammu and Kashmir.

Article 370 was one of the provisions under Part XXI of the Indian Constitution that dealt with temporary, transitional and special provisions. The Articles in this Part dealt with different constitutional rights and protections for citizens of various states in the Indian Union and about the adaptation and continuance of pre-constitutional laws and institutions such as the judiciary in post-independence India. Article 370 has been repealed almost in its entirety by the Constitutional Orders of 5 August 2019, and replaced with text that effectively dismantles the limited protection it afforded to Jammu and Kashmir in self governance, territorial integrity and collective rights to

land and livelihood. The United Nations map of the ‘Republic of India and Border areas’ does not include the disputed Jammu and Kashmir Territory. Jammu and Kashmir was officially “integrated” into the Union through its own Constitution in 1957.The Indian state censors the publication of any map that does not show the entirety of Jammu and Kashmir as Indian territory.

With abrogations of Article 370 Jammu and Kashmir loses its separate flag also. Now for the whole of India there is only one flag. Referring to the government's decision to repeal Article 370 which provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Modi said it encouraged corruption, nepotism, separatism, discrimination and there was injustice when it came to rights of women, children, Dalits, tribal communities. "If this (provision) was so important or life-changing, why was this Article not made permanent? Why did you let it remain temporary? After all, those people had huge mandates and could have easily removed its temporary status of Article 370," he said, targeting the Congress.

Modi said within 10 weeks of returning to power, his government took key decisions including repeal of Article 370, ban on the practice of Triple Talaq and anti-terror laws to fulfill the aspirations of the people. Repealing of Article 370 and Article 35A were steps towards fulfilling Sardar Patel's dream of a strong and united India, he said. "The task that was not done in the last 70 years has been accomplished within 70 days," he said. Referring to the reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, he said they can become role models for peace and prosperity and contribute significantly to India's development. Apart from Jammu and Kashmir, the other Union Territory will be Ladakh. He attacked Pakistan for "supporting and exporting" terrorism while outlining the need for all global powers to come together to fight against the menace. He stated that his government's policy for eradicating terrorism was firm and clear.

A man is but the product of his thoughts.

What he thinks, he becomes. ― Mahatma Gandhi

Alpesh Patel

The Politics of Chinese Killing Muslims Below is what I wish the Indian and British Ambassadors to the UN had said this week. They didn’t. But I believe they do believe in the sentiment.

Mr President, India and UK consider the actions of the Government of China in killing Uighur to be an act of war upon humanity and as a member of the family of nations, India and the UK shall act to defend the citizens of China and considers itself as of now formally in a state of full sanctions upon the nation of China.

You can imagine what a bitter blow it is to us that all our long struggle to win peace has failed.

Yet we cannot believe that there is anything more or anything different I could have done and that would have been more successful.

Up to the very last it would have been quite possible to have arranged a peaceful and honourable settlement between China and its people, but Xi would not have it.

He had evidently made up his mind to attack whatever happened; and although he now says he has there are no issues, that is not a true statement.

The facts were never shown; and although they were announced in a broadcast, Xi ordered his troops to cross the villages and hold captive Muslims for ‘retraining’.

His actions show convincingly that there is no chance of expecting that this man will ever give up his practice of using force to gain his will. He can only be stopped by force.

We are today, in fulfilment of our obligations, going to the aid of China’s citizens, who are so bravely resisting this wicked and unprovoked attack on her people. We have a clear conscience.

We have done all that any country could do to establish peace. The situation in which no word given to China’s ruling Communist Party could be trusted and no people or country could feel themselves safe has become intolerable.

And now that we have resolved to finish it, I know that you will play your part with calmness and courage.

At such a moment as this the assurances of support that we have received from the Commonwealth are a source of profound encouragement to us.

Our Governments have made plans under which it will be possible to carry on the work of the nation in the days of stress and strain that may be ahead. But these plans need your help.

Now may God bless you all. May He defend the right. It is the evil things that we shall be fighting against – brute force, bad faith, injustice, oppression and persecution – and against them I am certain that the right will prevail."

Actually, the UK and Indian Ambassadors to the UN did not say the above. No, the British PM said it. He said it in 1939 when Britain declared war on Germany for acts of genocide.

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Four-year-old urgently needs an Asian stem cell donor A four-year-old boy diagnosed of Fanconi Anaemia last August and now needs an urgent Asian stem cell donor to survive.

Veer Gudhka is one of the few hundred people in the UK to bea life changing diagnosed of this life-changing illness which results in a decreased production of all types of blood cells. His doctors initially believed that he was likely to need a stem cell transplant within three years, but recent tests have revealed Veer’s blood cell counts are rapidly declining making it urgent for stem cell transplant. Veer’s father, Nirav explains, “We have known that he will ultimately need a transplant since he was diagnosed in August 2019, but the predictions were that he would probably hold out for a few years. We had hoped that would be the case, if not that, he would rebound and prove as some anomaly to the stats.

“We feel so unprepared and are very worried for what lies ahead. Outwardly Veer is the same happy go lucky, and healthy-looking boy we have always known and loved… but unfortunately, underneath this his blood counts have been steadily dropping over the course of this year.”

Veer’s mother Kirpa,

Veer and his family

father Nirav and five-yearold sister Suhani were all tested but unfortunately none of his family are a match for him. There also are no perfect matches on the global stem cell registers currently, and so the family are now campaigning to find the matching unrelated donor that Veer needs to survive.

His medical team are optimistic that it may be possible to buy some time by putting him on a steroid course to boost his blood counts, but Veer's current levels suggest the steroids may not take effect. Veer’s Asian heritage means it’s more difficult for him to find a matching stem cell donor.

Currently, only 69% of patients can find the best possible match from a stranger, and this drops dramatically to 20% if you're a patient from a black, Asian or ethnic minority background.

Only 2% of the UK population is currently on the stem

cell register. The family have also fundraised for Anthony Nolan, hosting a virtual extravaganza in May which raised a phenomenal £9753.14 and recruited and additional 165 potential donors onto the stem cell register. Nirav says, “As much as we don’t want it to take over our lives, it has. We know that finding a donor is like finding a needle in a haystack, so we are campaigning hard.

“We've had so much support from so many people, friends, family and even strangers. Over lockdown someone who heard of our campaign was inspired to host a whole day extravaganza to raise money for Anthony Nolan, but more importantly to raise awareness of our appeal. It is an example of the generosity we have seen in the campaign.”

Rebecca Sedgwick, National Recruitment Manager at Anthony Nolan,

New statue of Black Lives Matter protestor in Bristol removed On Wednesday 15th July statue of a Black Lives Matter protester which replaced that of the slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol was removed by the council.

According to Marvin Rees, the mayor of Bristol, the statue symbolises a black woman making the black power salute as the “work and decision of a London-based artist” who did not have the permission or support of the people of the city. The sculpture, it is believed, will be held at the city’s museum for the artist to collect or donate to the collection.

In the meantime, the mayor has launched a commission to help Bristol residents decide what should replace Colston’s statue, which was thrown into the harbour by protesters on June 7.

“Anything put on the plinth outside of the process we’ve put in place will have to be removed. The people of Bristol will decide its future,” he said in a statement to The Times.

Marc Quinn had not secured permission from the local authorities to erect the statue and acknowledged that it would not be a

“permanent solution” for the plinth.

The damaged and graffitied Colston statue is to be placed in a Bristol museum along with the Black Lives Matter placards left at the scene on the day it was toppled. But there are fears that new figure could stoke tensions in the city.

A petition is calling for a statue of Paul Stephenson, a Bristol civil rights activist, to be erected has received more than 10,000 signatures.Mr Stephenson, a social worker, led the 1963 boycott of the Bristol Omnibus Company, protesting against its refusal to employ black or Asian drivers or conductors.

The campaigns led by Mr Stephenson, now 83, were instrumental in paving the way for the first Race Relations Act, in 1965.

His family have made it

known that he is not keen on the idea of a statue, so the petition has been changed to call for Edward Colston to be replaced with “a black individual”. That petition has more than 75,000 signatures.

says: “The tale of brave Veer has touched hearts around the country, inspiring almost 700 selfless individuals to sign up as stem cell donors.

Time is now critical for Veer and his family, so we’re hoping that anyone thinking of joining acts right away.”

“We urgently need more people from South Asian backgrounds to sign up, to ensure we can find a match for everyone that needs one.

Anthony Nolan recruits people aged 16-30 to the stem cell register as research has shown younger people are more likely to be chosen to donate.

You can get in touch with Mr. and Mrs Gudka at : 07949321338 or 07984936272 and find out more here: https://www.helpveernow.org/ You can watch their interview here: https://drive.google.com /file/d/1NuPwzec3Ygg9JibkO N5iY2Y_8hXomXcg/view?us p=drivesdk

in brief POLL INDICATES RACIAL DISCRIMINATION WORSE IN THE UK A latest survey indicates that people are more likely to say that racism has got worse or stayed the same.

Almost two-thirds of the population think there is a “fair amount” or “great deal” of racism in British society today.

Black respondents however, are twice as likely as white respondents to say the problem is very widespread. Matt Singh, is the founder of Number Cruncher Politics, who shared the survey details with The Guardian and was able to look at the unique experiences of different ethnic groups because of the size of the BAME sample was half of the 3,000 respondents.

According to the study large numbers of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people reported incidents of racial abuse – both verbal and physical – with many experiencing attacks regularly. Wherein, Muslim men and women are thought to face the most discrimination, followed by black men and women. Other Asian groups appearing to fare better In a statement to The Guardian, under Katwala, Founder of thinktank British Future said, “It is clear that there have been significant social changes on race over the last quarter of a century – but what this poll captures is that expectations have risen considerably faster.”

According to him overt racism was less prevalent than in the 1980s and 1990s and that ethnic minorities had more voices in public life. But the poll reflected the frustration of young people hearing politicians focus on the “bad old days” of people being beaten up by National Front “thugs” when they wanted a focus on the realities of everyday racism in 2020.

British MPs received over £30,000 from government of Pakistan to visit Pakistan occupied Kashmir An All Parliamentary Group on Kashmir (APPGK) which has regularly highlighted alleged human rights abuses in Kashmir has received upwards of £30,000 for their visit to the Pakistan occupied Kashmir by the government of Pakistan.

According to the register of all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs), the group on Kashmir chaired

by Labour MP Debbie Abrahams, received a "benefit in kind". The compensation fund ranges from £31,501-£33,000 on February 18, 2020 from the Pakistan government for a "visit to Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir" between February 18 and 22. The Group had received similar funding two years ago from the Pakistan high commission in London worth £10,501 - £12,000 for a "visit to Pakistan and Kashmir" between 17th -

POLICE INVESTIGATING SWASTIKA ON OFFICER’S BELONGINGS The Greater Manchester police launched an investigation on 19th July, Sunday after a swastika was found scrawled on an officer’s belongings with the force suspecting the officer’s colleague. The incident was reported to GMP’s leadership team and was subsequently declared as a hate crime and a critical incident.

Assistant chief constable Mabs Hussain in a statement said, “We are appalled that one of our employees felt that this behaviour was acceptable. We are currently supporting the officer and I have spoken to the officer on a number of occasions today to update them on our investigation and offer them further support. “We serve one of the most culturally diverse areas in the United Kingdom and we’re incredibly proud to have a diverse workforce to serve and represent our communities. “It is absolutely unacceptable that an officer has been faced with such an atrocity during their shift and we’re urging any officers or staff with any information to report it.” GMP said it would not confirm the victim’s identity, including their gender or religion, in order to respect their privacy.

Debbie Abrahams, Chair of APPGK

20th September 2018.

Abrahams, the Chair of the Group, was deported from India to Dubai earlier in February this year after Indian government officials stated that her e-visa was invalid. She conducted a meeting with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan on the following day, it was reported. APPGK constitutes cross-party MPs and peers who aim to "support the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people through dialogue; to seek support from British parlia-

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mentarians; to highlight the abuses of human rights in Kashmir; and to seek justice for the people there".

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Why the India League is more relevant today than ever before Mayuri Parmar Amin Much is written today about the success of the Indian community, mostly due to our high educational achievement, ability to gain well-paid professional employment, home ownership and low levels of crime compared to other ethnic communities. Our Mayuri Parmar Amin Chancellor of Indian origin is being touted as the next Prime Minister, whilst curry remains the dish of the nation. With Indian names visibly leading rich lists and being seated at top tables across industry, politics and the media, the community is often described as a “model minority”, showboated as a template for successful multicultural integration.

A great deal of this success can be attributed to the work of strong communityled institutions that became the voice of Indians in corridors of power. One of the earliest institutions of its kind, created in 1928, was the India League. It was originally established to attain the independence of an 'undivided India' and to ensure that the early immigrant population settled and thrived amongst the native British.

The India League was secular in its truest sense and believed that politics should be conducted based

on debate, not dogma. A testament to this is that Nobel and atheist, Laureate Bertrand Russel was Chairman from 1932-39. He followed the leadership of V.K Krishna Menon, a close friend of India’s first Prime Minister, Nehru. The League were in constant correspondence with Gandhi and in 1968, they funded a statue to commemorate him in London’s Tavistock Square, a tradition kept alive by Chairman, CB Patel today.

Whilst being India focused, the League was inclusive, multi-racial and catered for all spiritual traditions and

none. They were organised, intelligent, and dedicated, allowing it to be 'the' Indian body in the UK for many decades, caring about Indian civilisation and how its values, stories, and philosophy should be decolonised and shared.

The spirit of India League remains just as relevant to us today, as we seek to understand the relative success of our community against the backdrop of movements such as Black Lives Matter. Although evidence of integration is undeniable, the question remains whether the process is complete. Are we so woven into the fabric of British life, beyond integration to assimilation, that being of Indian no longer limits access to opportunities for progress or prosperity?

Recent Black Lives Matters protests shine an interesting light on the question. One distinctive feature of the movement is the sharing of equalities data on the black communitymost of which shows how much work needs to be done. The other enduring feature is the call from young people to look back into the past, acknowledge and understand uncomfortable truths from history, and

India League Chairman CB Patel addressing the audience at Tavistock Square on Gandhi Nirvan Din in 2018

use this to understand how to pave the way for a better future. In doing both, the black community is reclaiming its own narrative and addressing injustices they see today.

Taking and applying these lessons to our community shows that further work can be done to better understand our own narratives.

With focus on the Indian community’s relative success, we have yet to explore the complex perspectives of Indians in the UK, especially the younger population that is increasingly identifying with the narrative of being a 'global citizen' and are more likely to be of mixed heritage. This is unsurprising, given that wide consultation of the Indian population has not been done, with existing polling agencies and the

government finding the cost of engagement prohibitive.

Studies are therefore not always representative and require larger sample sizes for further analysis.

The truth is that as a community of individuals, with different migratory stories, languages, social capital, experiences of education and access to services, the Indian experience in the UK is complex. It is easy to use the veil of success to prevent us from looking under the hood to understand what is really going on. The importance of good data and a better understanding of our history has never been more relevant. It is therefore fitting that the India League, having been present through the ever-evolving history of Indians in the UK, should be revived to lead the

way in a modern context.

The India League today will act as a platform for critical thought on British Indians and India, whilst upholding its original values of non-partisanship, pluralism and dialogue. It once lobbied for a free India and will now be used to tackle contemporary problems, using data and research to explore relevant solutions. Its latest project, the British Indian Census, is in collaboration with the University of Oxford. It will survey a representative sample of the 1.5 million British Indian population and intends to explore the diversity of heritage, identity, beliefs, and behaviour of the community, whilst identifying key issues of concern to British Indians.

Tackling the issue of a lack of representative data, the India League intends to go directly to Indians in Britain to accurately illustrate their lives and thoughts on issues of the day. The British Indian Census data will go on to form the basis of a seminal British Indian report, painting a portrait of the community in 2020.

Take part in the historic British Indian Census at https://www.indialeague.or g/british-indian-census.

Lord Loomba CBE voices concerns over “Connected Communities” Youth hoarding of vaccine and stamp duty Competition launched for the summer Speaking at the recent House of Lords hybrid parliamentary sessions Lord Raj Loomba CBE raised concerns over fair accessibility and affordability of vaccines for Covid-19 for low and middle income countries.

Citing Professor Robin Shattock of Imperial College that a vaccine was unlikely to be available to masses before the middle of next year, Lord Loomba wanted to know if the Government has any policy or safeguards in place to stop profiteering from the discovery, and to stop more prosperous countries hoarding the vaccine thereby preventing lessdeveloped countries gaining

Lord Raj Loomba CBE

access to it. Lord Loomba also spoke during the passage of the stamp duty land tax Bill containing legislation to adjust stamp duty obligations until March 2021. Lord Loomba welcomed the reduction in stamp duty saying, ' This is a welcome move by the Chancellor to reduce the amount of stamp duty

payable on property sales in the UK as it will help the economy. As the country gets back on its feet it will help people as they assess their situation and make decisions about moving or buying a home.'

He was, however, concerned that the Bill is lacking in specific help for first-time buyers. He asked whether the Government will look more closely at what can be done for first-time buyers so that they are not priced out of the market and deprived of buying their first house. He added, 'They need incentives, as this Bill could well encourage second home ownership, to the detriment of young people.'

A new competition for school children for the summer holidays has been launched by Faiths United and a coalition of partners.

Faiths United is a temporary coalition of faith leaders and activists responding to the Covid19 crisis. It was set up in March 2020, at the start of lockdown, to discuss how faith communities have been coping with the pandemic and to drive possible joint responses.

The “Connected Communities” competition is asking youngsters to use their imagination, and a range of media to

Research reveals it takes seven adults to raise a child in London A recent study has revealed that it takes an average of seven adults to raise a single child in London, with grandmothers (34 per cent), teachers (33 per cent), aunts (29 per cent), uncles (24 percent), and older siblings (22 per cent) all playing key roles alongside parents, according to the results of a study amongst British parents and children.

Interestingly, the Asian way of raising children have always involved more relatives than any other community. A great deal of attention is bestowed on them by a large group of relatives and if anything happens, the child is usually left with relatives.

The survey, commissioned by My

Nametags (https:// www. mynametags. com), a leading name label manufacturer, suggests that the proverb ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ rings true for families across London, with members of the wider family and community playing important roles in a child’s upbringing.

Nearly a quarter of those surveyed believe it takes as many as 10 people to bring up a child, highlighting the extent of those involved in raising a family in modern Britain.

Almost three quarters of parents in the city agree that the main attribute needed to raise a child is love, with this ranking higher than being related to

the child or regularly looking after them. For instance, great reliance is placed on grandmothers (35 per cent) and older siblings (31 per cent) for childcare whilst parents are at work.

Parent’s friends (27 per cent), grandfathers (19 per cent), and neighbours (12 per cent) are also amongst those who are regularly called upon for childcare.

Parents in the city agree that older siblings are most likely to influence children’s bad habits (23 per cent), as well as having the biggest impact on their personality (20 per cent), whilst grandmothers are considered to teach children the most of anyone in the family.

answer the question: How has the Covid-19 crisis brought your community together?

Partners on “Connected Communities” include: Faiths United, Faiths United Youth Network, Church of England Newspaper, British Muslim TV, Asian Voice, Sikh Channel, Jewish News, Faiths Forum for London, Storytelling Schools and Ostro Fayre Share Foundation.

The competition is open to children/young adults aged 7-18, divided into three age categories (7-11; 12-15; 16-18).

Entrants can respond to the question through either a written piece, a photo, or a video. A prestigious judging panel will then decide on the winners, which will be announced in early September with various prizes.

Faiths United is working with a number of organisations, including partners from the Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and Sikh communities. Maurice Ostro OBE, Chair of Faiths United, said, “From the time the pandemic started, we have brought

together faith leaders and activists to respond to COVID-19, to share best practices and drive joint responses.

Now we want to give young people the opportunity to share their stories of how the lockdown period, with all its difficulty and suffering, has also brought people together.

We are working with a range of community partners, across the Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and Sikh communities and want to encourage entries from young people of all faiths and none.”

One of the Judges, Dame Helen Hyde DBE, said, “The past few months have been a challenging time for our young people. Schools have been closed and routines have been disrupted.

Through this competition, we are inviting young people to use their creativity and imagination to produce some great content showing how communities have come together.

We are excited to see what they come up with.”

For further information about the competition, see https://faithsunited.co.uk/competition.

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First picture of NHS worker Economic toll of the lockdown lingers on for UK’s minority women knifed by attacker emerges after Brighton hospital stabbing Due to the Covid-19 lockdown across the UK, Black and other ethnic minority groups are now under debt and working longer hours for less pay. New York Times published a report that said, according to a recent study, women from black and ethnic minority backgrounds in Britain are being hit disproportionately by the financial and psychological impacts of the pandemic.

Women lost their cleaning jobs, a nanny living with a family was fired for using public transport, many complained that their debts were accumulating due to freeze in salary or pay cuts. NYT spoke to three women who had one thing in common.

“They are all women of color, a group that has long faced economic and racial inequality in Britain and is now being hit disproportionately by the financial and psychological impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a recent study by a group of British

universities and women’s charities,” the report said.

Interim Director of Runnymede Trust & Member of Independent sage, Zubaida Haque told NYT, “Covid-19 has brought the harsh realities of preexisting racial inequalities into sharp relief, and nowhere is this more manifest than the disproportionate social and economic impact of Covid-19 on Black and ethnic minority women.”

Minji Paik, a Korean beautician said that she makes £10 per hour now as compared to £19 including tips before the pandemic.

She told NYT, “My manager says this is temporary and she will give me more money when we make money. But actually, I should be paid more because I’m working inside and risking my health.”

Candice Brown, 48, a cleaner who is of Jamaican descent, said that she lost all her jobs one by one and owners told her not to come. She is said to have

navigated through the government’s financial support system for those affected by the pandemic, but eventually, due to lack of paperwork related to her employment history, she couldn’t use the grants.

Zuhr Rind, 48, a Pakistani laundromat worker in East London, who was afraid to lose her job was chided by her manager when she asked for a mask.

She was later laid off. “When you have brown skin, when you have an accent and when you don’t have a high education, you don’t have choices,” she said. “And this is a very dangerous situation to be in during Covid,” she told the publication.

According to the study

by Runnymede trust, black and ethnic minority women also generally have much lower levels of savings and assets than white Britons.

So those who lost their jobs in the pandemic have had to seek new employment straight away, forcing some of them to take lower-paid, higher-risk posts.

Joseph George’s (56), a member of the catering staff was attacked inside the Royal Sussex County Hospital a few minutes before 9 am.

His wife, Beena woke up to the news of her husband being attacked after working for a night shift.

The scene was handled by the Armed police and neighbouring businesses were ordered to close.

Sussex Police confirmed that a 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder an hour later in a nearby street.

Mr George's wife Beena is a neonatal nurse at the same hospital, and the couple has two children. She told The Sun: "We don't know anything, we don't even know how he is yet. He works in the catering department. I have been on a night shift all night and was woken up to this news."

According to an online report, a witness claimed Mr

Anti-mask protesters march on London’s Hyde Park Wearing masks will be compulsory in shops and supermarkets from July 24.

Hundreds of anti-mask activists marched on London's Hyde Park to protest the mandatory use of face coverings in shops.

Rule breakers will be hit with a £100 which can be reduced to £50 if paid within a fortnight.

The march started in Speaker's Corner and moved to Marble Arch.

They raised placards that read: 'I will be not be masked, tested, tracked or poisoned during the ‘Keep Britain Free’ march. While rules for wearing masks remain stringent even in public transport, the government reiterated its stance on covering faces in public places in England earlier this week.

The movement was founded by Simon Dolan, an aviation tycoon worth around £200million, who earlier this month lost a High Court bid to overturn the government's lockdown rules. Launching the movement on July 6, the Essexborn entrepreneur said: 'I believe in freedom of choice for all and the protection of personal liberties. The Government’s actions are crippling the economy, denying children education, and trampling over human rights.'

The demonstrators used more slogans and phrases like: ‘'the erosion of freedoms in the UK and 'liberty-sapping regulation'.

ings compulsory in shops last weekend, said it was best to 'trust' the public to make a personal decision.

He was spotted not wearing a mask while he stepped out of Pret in London last Tuesday. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, tweeted: 'This is frankly ridiculous. The virus doesn't know if you're in a take-away or a supermarket.

Some protesters came dressed as a plague doctor, another had a mask with the front ripped out and one donned a vest saying: 'Save human rights. No to 5G. No to vaccinations.' Keep Britain Free's website cited the new rules for shops 'was the last straw, following 16 weeks of liberty-sapping regulations and laws imposed during lockdown'.

According to online reports, its founder lost his High Court bid to reverse lockdown measures earlier this month, but is thought planning an appeal. Ms Butler-Smith told Sky News: 'It is just the fact that people are being told they have no choice about wearing a mask. Because the Government started out saying ''there is absolutely no need for a mask'', and many other important scientists have reportedly said the same, it did not make any sense why they suddenly said it was going to be mandated.

If the Government really wants to protect the public and give them more confidence then they should stop

trying to use the coercion strategy or to make people scared.' The group's website adds: 'They will starve the battered retail sector of the oxygen that is needed to claw its way back to something like a healthy position. Moreover, it is a further barrier to people getting back to a normal life. It is not just about masks. It is about your rights, your freedoms and your way of life, all of which has been changed to your detriment by this Government. So we urge you to join Keep Britain Free on for the peaceful demonstration to demand restoration of freedom and liberties.'

Hours after Matt Hancock suggested the opposite, PM Boris Johnson was said to have sent mixed messages that meant wearing masks and face coverings weren’t necessary.

While Cabinet colleagues Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak were pictured protecting themselves at the same store, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove dismissed the idea of making face cover-

Mr and Mrs George

George was stabbed by a man who demanded access to a drugs cabinet. They told the publication: "The guy came in the hospital and grabbed the first person he saw and demanded they open the drugs cabinet with his security pass. Joseph works in catering at the hospital and his card doesn't open drugs cabinets. In a statement earlier, the force said: "At 8.42am on Sunday (19 July) police were called to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton after a report that a member of staff had sustained a stab wound. The hospital site was quickly secured while officers have been working with security staff to confirm that nobody else has been injured, and that staff and patients are safe.

Police & Crime Commissioner for Sussex Katy Bourne tweeted: 'Dreadful event and thoughts with the injured NHS staff member's family and those police officers & health colleagues at the scene...'

Lewes District Lib Dem

Councillor Sean Maclead said: 'My wife works at the Sussex County hospital.

They have been absolute hero's all the staff through this crisis.

'For someone to go into the hospital and stab a member of staff is frightening. Thoughts and Prayers are with the victim.'

MP for Hove Peter Kyle put: 'Shocking news from our Hospital. We don't yet know why a member of staff was stabbed but I'm thankful to @BtonHovePolice for a swift arrest for attempted murder. All affected by this are in my thoughts, especially the victim who I wish a swift recovery.'

MP for Brighton Kemptown Lloyd RussellMoyle added: 'My thoughts are with the worker and family. Last year Labour passed through a backbench bill a law to ensure that people who assault NHS workers got double time. This will be no relief to the person who was stabbed, but I hope it will ensure justice can be delivered when the person is Brighton to book.'

Fitness fanatic dies of alcoholic ketoacidosis in her garden 27 year old Alice Burton Bradford of Brighton, died in her garden after drinking alcohol on an empty stomach which triggered a rare reaction.

She suffered from alcoholic ketoacidosis where the metabolic complication can be triggered from drinking on an empty stomach. Her friends confirmed that she wasn’t an alcoholic but a fitness fanatic. She died in her garden even before she could be taken to a hospital on June 1.

Her friend Aaron Mulvay, 30, who had known her for eight years, is calling for more information about the condition to prevent similar tragedies. He said: 'It was absolutely a horrible shock. No-one expected it at all. Just three weeks before she died, she had cycled over to say hello at a

distance.

I had never even heard of alcoholic ketoacidosis until she died. We're not sure how much she had been drinking that weekend, but she was not an alcoholic. 'She had not eaten enough and it had triggered an acid in her stomach. It was just so sudden - she didn't even have to go to hospital but had gone out into her garden and passed away there. It's so tragic as she was such a young age.'

Mr Mulvay, from

Rottingdean, a former colleague of Alice said, 'We worked together for four years at The Font but after she left we remained really good friends.

We used to love going to festivals together, like the Wildlife Festival in Shoreham.”

Mr Mulvay, has raised £979 so far in a crowdfunding campaign for a memorial bench. He said: 'None of us were able to go to Alice's funeral so we want to put up a memorial to say our own goodbyes’

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Tata Steel to go green with closure of Police officer blast furnaces amidst fear of job loss kneeling on a man's neck suspended

Several media reports have emerged stating that Tata Steel is exploring plans to close down its blast furnaces at its Port Talbot steelworks in Wales and replace them with electric arc furnaces in its strategy to acquire millions of pounds via a UK government coronavirus bailout fund.

According to The Sunday Times, the Indian steel giant and company, Tata Motors owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), are trying to obtain state support via the Project Birch fund, which was set up to help big, strategically important companies that have been shattered by the Covid-19 pandemic. Under this apparent proposal, the state would invest alongside the company, with the conversion of the furnaces starting in 2025. But it appears that the workforce and the Union is caught unaware of this proposal.

In a statement to The Times, Steelworkers’ union Community said, “If this report is accurate then this plan has been developed without any consultation with the workforce, which is an absolute dis-

On 17th July, Friday video emerged in Islington where two officers held a black individual handcuffed and on the pavement. Deputy Met Police commissioner Sir Steve House has been on record to state that the footage was "extremely disturbing" and had been referred to the police watchdog. grace.”

These reports have fuelled fears of job losses at a time of mass unemployment in the UK and restructuring of the economy. One Port Talbot unit employs about 3,500 people and is one of the two in Britain capable of turning iron ore and coal into molten iron and steel.

Addressing fears of mass unemployment, Labour MP Stephen Kinnock, in a statement to the BBC said, "They should not be making those kinds of proposals without discussing this first with the workforce and the trade unions," he said.

"What I would also say is the blast furnaces at the Port Talbot steelworks are an absolutely vital part of

primary steel making in Wales and in the UK, and if you don't have those blast furnaces you're not able - with an electric arc furnace model - to produce anything like the same quality and variations of steel.

"So, this proposal raises massive questions and the future of the industry thousands and thousands of jobs are on the line."

Ministers have placed stringent conditions on Project Birch cash, including demanding that it helps achieve its target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and that jobs are not lost. It takes about two years to build an electric arc furnace and they require fewer workers and produce far lower carbon

emissions.

However, according to the Tata Steel Europe Group spokesperson, "We are in active discussions with the UK government on several options for the future of our UK operations, including potential co-operation and participation from the government to create a sustainable decarbonised footprint for the future.

"Discussions with the government are constructive and ongoing, and at this stage no decisions have been made.

"It would therefore be inappropriate to comment on unsubstantiated speculation about the outcome of these discussions or the potential impact of any changes to secure our sustainable long-term future.”

BAME Covid-19 deaths linked to air pollution On 19th July, Monday a study of 400 hospital patients noted that the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on people from minority ethnic groups was linked to air pollution and overcrowding and poor-standard homes.

BAME patients who constitute 14% of the entire population account for 34% of critically ill Covid-19 patients in the UK. The study, first of its kind analysing the role of environmental and housing deprivation has highlighted that patients from ethnic minorities were twice as likely as white patients to live in areas of environmental and housing deprivation. Furthermore, people from these areas were twice as likely to arrive at hospital with more severe coronavirus symptoms and to be admitted to intensive care units (ITU).

Yet to be formally peer-reviewed by other scientists the study also found patients from ethnic minorities were on

average 10 years younger than the white patients. Age, frailty and underlying health conditions remain critical factors for all patients in determining the outcome of Covid-19. The study, followed 400 Covid-19 patients admitted to the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham. Two-thirds of the patients listed their ethnicity as “white”, 21% as “Asian/Asian British” and 7% were “Black/African/Caribbean”.

Dr Aarash Saleh, an NHS respiratory doctor and member of the Doctors Against Diesel campaign In a statement to The Guardian, said: “We need more research like this to understand how air pollution interacts with other societal injustices to exacerbate health inequities, including death from Covid-19. Strategic responses to air pollution are urgently needed and must acknowledge and address the socioeconomic and racial intersections of this public health crisis.”

Government urged to withdraw plans of scrapping free travel for young A recent survey by London TravelWatch has noted concerns among young people about personal safety, and increased travel costs for their families if the government’s proposals to withdraw free travel were implemented.

Siobhan Benita, the Lib-Dem mayoral candidate, said, “I have heard from young people who are dropping career ambitions because they will no longer be able to afford to travel to the college of their choice to study a particular course.

“Grant Shapps needs to do the right thing and reverse this decision. In light of the many pressures that families and councils will be facing due to Covid-19, it is more important than ever that young people in

London must be able to travel safely and affordably across the capital.”

One of the biggest conditions of the government’s £1.6 billion bail-out for Transport for London included temporary suspension of free travel from under-18s, for an unknown period, to prioritise space for key workers owing to social distancing plans that need to be implemented because of Covid-19 pandemic. However, it has yet to be imposed after a stand-off between Mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

An online petition set up by Lewisham schoolboy Joshua Brown-Smith, 14, calling for free bus travel to be safeguarded, has attracted about 200,000 signatures.

In the video, one of the officers appears to be using his knee to control the suspect and has his hand on the man's head and the man on the ground, repeatedly shouted, "Get off my neck."

He is eventually released from the ground and continues to talk to officers after they sit him up. Media reports suggest that several police cars arrived at the scene after the arresting officers were confronted by onlookers.

In a statement to the BBC, Sir Steve said, "The video footage that I have seen today and is circulating on social media is extremely disturbing. Some of the techniques used cause me great concern - they are not taught in police training.

"One officer has been suspended and another officer has been removed from operational duty, but not suspended at this time. This decision will be kept under review."

The man had since been seen by a doctor, Scotland Yard said. It has also referred arrest to the the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said, "I'm deeply concerned about this distressing incident and we have raised this with senior officers at the Met Police as a matter of urgency.

"I welcome the fact the incident has been reviewed quickly by the Met and it's right that they have referred it to the IOPC." The force confirmed it had charged a 45-year-old man with possession of a knife in a public place.

Marcus Coutain, of Islington, is due to appear in custody at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on Saturday. The IOPC said it would conduct an independent investigation, according to the Met

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Versatile subjects The Your Voice page of 18-24 July Asian Voice was full of versatile subjects. I particularly enjoyed reading Nitin Mehta’s “Defending Hindu Dharma and India from a hostile media" It was refreshing to learn that he had challenged Kartar Lalvani and Arundhati Roy with their ideologies denigrating Hindu Dharma in particular.

There is a group of educated intellectuals who wants to portray Hindu Dharma as caste based and backward looking. Political parties often use this for their advantage. We must also stop any cast legislation being considered in this country in the future.I was also delighted to read Bhupendra M Gandhi's "Time for PM to act decisively." I agree that the world needs to unite against the expansionist policies of CCP- Chinese Communist party and thus threatening all nations with its economic and military might. Time is running out for the world especially when the world is battling to control Covid-19 and their economies are in dire straits. The only way to fight this challenge is the world to unite and weaken Chinese economy by boycotting its products and technologies. It is good to learn that UK has also decided to move away from Huawei 5G technology along with other western nations.

As individuals, we must stop buying Chinese products so readily available everywhere. In the long run, the loss of economic power will hurt CCP and will force them to review their approach towards the world. Nobody wants war and no nation should dominate any other nation, whatever its size. We all need to live peacefully and respect each other. I would also like to support the views expressed in Kapil's Khichdi "Too old to Serve". Our Mandirs and community organisations need to be progressive, open and efficient. The administration should be run by competent and dedicated individuals without any prejudices of age and caste. Educated young people need to demonstrate their commitment and dedication to the society. They must encourage sincere promotion of Sanatan Dharma and develop into a knowledge-based organisation where you invite Sants and enlightened individuals who will enhance experiences of members in learning Yogas, meditation, Hindu scriptures, Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagvad Gita, Patanjali Yog Sutras. It is not enough to continue to practice religious rituals all the time. Mandirs and community organisations must be predominantly learning centres so the whole society benefits.

Bharat Naik Warrington

Global India Week 2020 PM Narendra Modi mentioned during India Global Week 2020 that “India remains one the most open economies of the world” is a very important mission statement. (AV 18-24 July 2020). It shows the road map to global companies to come and invest in India and take advantage of its educated, English speaking youth having dedication and “can do” approach. Google’s recent declaration about investment of $10 billion in India is a step towards the fulfilment of PM Modi’s dream to make India an attractive destination for FDI investment and “Aatmnanirbhar Bharat” Now the onus lies on the administration to make sure that the investment of Google and other companies come at the earliest by giving them the required facilities and cutting red tape, if any. The youth of India should work with enthusiasm and dedication and give them “better than the best” service, so they do not need to think about any other countries. To beat China economically, we need to have comparable infrastructure, the best talent with an attitude that “the customer is king”. In the corporate world Quality, Consistency, Commitment, Communication and Customer Service are extremely important parameters. I think, we have got almost everything from infrastructure to industrious manpower. Let us work together to convert Covid19 crisis into one of the best opportunities for mutual commercial advantages with the world’s best companies.

Hitesh Hingu London

Eid-ul-Zuha 'Eid-ul-Zuha' is a famous festival of Muslims. It is also known as 'Eid-ul-Adha' in Arabic. It is also known as 'Bakra-Id' or 'Bakrid' in the Indian subcontinent. Many Muslims in India celebrate this festival on the 10th to 13th days of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijja. The word 'Eid' is derived from the Arabic 'iwd' meaning 'Festival' and Zuha comes from 'uzhaiyya' which translates to 'Sacrifice'. Eid-ul-Zuha is a festival of sacrifice.

On this day Muslims sacrifice a goat to commemorate the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim. It is celebrated with great enthusiasm among Muslims all over the world. The animal sacrifices made during the festival are mainly to provide food to the poor and to commemorate the noble act of Ibrahim.This festival coincides with the Haj pilgrimage in Mecca. Prayers are offered in the mosques and the sacrificial meat is then distributed after the Eid prayers. Special delicacies are prepared and served among family and friends on the occasion. Gifts are also exchanged on this auspicious day.

Jubel D'Cruz Mumbai, India

Gigantic Strides by Reliance Industries During the ongoing Corona pandemic for the past 5 months now, we are used to listening to most depressing news every day. Growing the number of fatalities, shutting down businesses, shooting and widespread unemployment etc. are all common occurrences. Amidst this gloomy environment, a big cheerful news has come from Reliance Industries in India that has made every Indian proud. This company, very ably led by Shri Mukesh Ambani, has taken gigantic strides in the digital world. This company, amongst several other advancements, has developed the world's first cloud-based video conferencing app JIOMEET and has also come out with 5G technique. No wonder several global technology giants, like Facebook and google, are queuing to invest in this world market leader. The capital market has also favourably reciprocated to these achievements as its rights issue is oversubscribed, market capitalisation is at all time high and the company is debt free too.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fostered indigenously developed products calling for 'Make in India' a slogan. Reliance has transformed his dream into reality.

India now stands at the gateway of the IT revolution being transcended by this company. Its chairman Mukesh Ambani, who is now the 6th richest person in the world, rightly showed as an illustration that every adversity presents multiple new opportunities.

Bharat Shah

By Email

Land of Milk and Honey Being born and brought-up in British colony, we were taught to believe that Britain is indeed a land of milk and honey; roads are literally paved with gold, crime-free society and honesty beyond belief.

I remember when we first came here in mid-sixties; it was indeed a safe heaven. Ladies would walk home late at night during Navratri, as not many of us had cars in those early, pioneering days. Our priorities were to buy property, become homeowners ASAP. House prices were unbelievably cheap.

We bought our 3-bedroom terrace house in East London for £3700. Now it will cost more just to carpet the house.There was a long waiting list stretching a year for telephone installation. But Red Telephone Booths were at every junction and were widely used. A couple of times, I forgot my telephone book, even once my wallet. Having my home address, they were returned to me by person who found them, money intact. Could this happen now, not in a million years!Watching consumer programmes like Caught on Camera, Rip-off Britain and few more, I feel sad, disappointed and angry, how come we have sunk so low, created morality vacuum and honesty has become a dirty word. People do not hesitate to steal charity boxes from shops and pubs, mug an old lady and steal milk bottles left outside the house by early morning delivery float.

Fortunately, coronavirus crises have also brought-up the good nature and help the needy attitude in most of us. We are inundated with offers of help, food parcels and volunteers who are willing to do our shopping, collect medicine and help us with gardening and such other routine chores OAPs are unable to tackle.Let us hope that this spirit, kindness and help the needy spirit will continue long after coronavirus crises is over, not fossilized and forgotten!

Bhupendra M Gandhi

By Email

Paying lip service to NHS Standing outside one’s home and clapping in appreciation of wonderful service under pressure NHS staffs provide, day in, day out, may be good for morals but in reality it does not help underpaid and overworked NHS staffs, especially at bottom end, newly qualified nurses and junior doctors who risk their lives attending covid-19 patients.

I recommended in one of my early letters that NHS staffs should get a fair, if not hefty pay-rise to reflect the wonderful, kind and caring services they provide under difficult working conditions, as it is the norm in many EU countries, especially France. Instead, NHS staffs will soon be lumbered with parking charges which were suspended for time being. Is this the punishment they deserve! When it comes to “Overseas Aid” we have inexhaustible surplus to give away but when it comes to “Home Front” government pleads poverty! How come we have our priorities so wrong? It is the same when it comes to looking after OAPs whose income in form of interest on their savings have been wiped out. Yet there was not a hint of helping them in Chancellor’s budget just presented to the nation!

I know it is difficult for Chancellor to please everyone.

But it is not difficult to spot who are the most deprived segments of the population. They are some, if not all OAPs; hourly paid casual labourers, zero hours stand-by workers, waiters, casual actors and their likes. We know that Chancellor is not Mystic Meg, but has failed to manifest, stem the tide of “High Street” vandalism. He could have manoeuvred, taxed online shopping operated from warehouses located in rural areas, even in Ireland and pass on benefits to our struggling High Street shops, to create level playground!

Kumudini Valambia

By Email

KHICHADI Kapil’s

Follow me on Twitter: @kk_OEG

Kneecapping of a Nation Kapil Dudakia I just read the news that the police are looking at dropping the terms “Islamist terrorism” and “jihadis” when describing attacks by those who claim Islam as their motive. I wonder what your first reaction is to that headline news?

Mine was to remember other events in the recent past.

For example, the so-called Black Lives Matter (BLM) fiasco, they were allowed full access to do conduct their vandalism and breaking the COVID restrictions in full view of the police. Not only that, they brow beat the cops to take the knee. We witnessed politicians jumping on the bandwagon and taking the knee, followed by sports people, entertainment artists, faith leaders, and the list goes on.

Yet have we ever seen any mass protests to highlight the black on black crimes? Black people are significantly more likely to be killed by other black people than our police, yet we see the extremists in our society wishing to defund the police.

Not so long ago we witnessed Extinction Rebellion (ER) protesters flooding our streets with their vile and extremism. Again, the police sat back and allowed the law to be broken and for the crooks to get away with it. Why? Last year we witnessed Pakistani hooligans storm the streets of central London on 15th August when they attacked Indians celebrating their Independence Day at the High Commission of India in London. Witnesses recount the terror as they shielded children and senior citizens from objects being thrown at them. Yes, the police stood by whilst this illegality was allowed in the name of, well to be honest, I have no idea! Was it appeasement to the Muslim community? Was it appeasement to the extremists who are supporting the terrorists in Kashmir? Was it to keep the Pakistani Mayor of London happy? I don’t quite know.

You then begin to wonder why we never had the Mayor lead protests for the victims of the Pakistani grooming gangs? Surely white girls matter.

If you recall ‘People’s Vote’ campaign took over central London, led by Sadiq Khan, to protest the democratic vote on Brexit. Yes, you cannot make this up, an elected Mayor took part in a protest – to protest against a democratic vote that the British people had mandated time and again.

The madness of protests has gripped some people to such a degree that we even had one that was against the President of the United States, our closest friendly nation, the most powerful democracy in the world and we had the Mayor of London, again, leading it. The same Mayor is unable to lead a protest against the dictatorship of China that is intent in killing the Uighurs, in harvesting their organs and in sterilising their women. That’s his moral compass.

I do not object to protests, as long as they are peaceful.

I do believe it is right to hold to account public figures and bodies that appease to extremists in order to curry favour. I do object to the fake outrage brigade that has now become a fulltime industry. These people seem to have nothing better to do than to collect their dole and hit the streets with any anti-national protest that is the flavour of the month.

Some even get paid to come along on these protest marches. Our nation is getting kneecapped. The anti-national forces are well armed, well groomed, and well resourced.

This nation is in danger of total anarchy if we do no arrest this decline now.

Business inspiration We read your story on inspiring businesses on Asian Voice page 16-17, AV 18 July. The story of Jigna Varu at Micro-Fresh International is indeed inspiring. It is encouraging to read about how youngsters from our community is serving the country, in the time of pandemic, through innovation and dedication. Nitin Palan, is well-known to the community.

His philanthropic work and engagement with the Swaminarayan Temple are praiseworthy. It is a privilege to read how he has helped his staff and community overall, during the lockdown. It is unfortunate that the tourism industry is suffering so much. The other day I was in central London and I have never seen London this empty in 3 decades of being in this city. Taxi drivers are complaining about the lack of tourists too. The business loss to this country is indeed unprecedented.

Mohak Mohan London

We are grateful to all letter writers for more and more versatile letters well within word limit.

Please keep contributing as always.

If you are new, then write to Rupanjana at rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com - AV

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British Muslim MPs urge government Sharma announces UK has access to 90 million doses of promising Covid-19 vaccine to help Uyghurs in China British Muslim MPs have been urging the government to consider designating for the so-called "Magnitsky sanctions" on those who exploit and abuse the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang, commit human rights abuses against people in Tibet, and repress democracy activists in Hong Kong.

“I have raised the ongoing persecution of Uyghurs in China. The Chinese government has now taken draconian measures to curb its Muslim population. Sadly, the world’s response has not matched the gravity of the situation.

“The systematic oppression of a whole ethnic minority who are being physically abused and psychologically indoctrinated must be condemned. I am certain that the pandemic has worsened the conditions of the internment camps and has created a double emergency for the Uyghur minority. Has the secretary considered using Magnitsky powers for personal sanctions?” said Afzal Khan, Labour MP for Manchester.

A recent petition has been doing rounds on social media which has gathered over 125,000 signatures from residents across the UK asking the government to impose sanctions on China for their human rights violation on Uyghurs. The Parliament is slated to consider this subject for a debate.

On Monday, 21st July, Business Secretary Alok Sharma announced that the UK government has signed various deals and has access to 90 million doses of promising coronavirus vaccines.

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has also raised this issue at the House of Lords and on the floor of the Parliament and is a signatory of the petition.

“There is a Genocide happening in China on our watch, in plain sight and raised by us over and over again. Are we really going to say to our kids and grandkids that we were too busy to care?” she asked.

Only recently China and its expansionist behaviour became the subject of an extended debate in the House of Commons. It was based on a new report by the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China which noted that there is new evidence suggesting that China is pursuing a birth-prevention programme targeted at Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region. Iain Duncan-Smith, former Conservative leader, who tabled the urgent question, said it cannot be “business as usual” with China given what he called “bullying behavior” in relation to India, Hong Kong and elsewhere. Citing figures from the report of falling birth rates among the minorities

Afzal Khan

in Xinjiang, he said, “Of course the world wants to deal with China, but we cannot continue with business as usual while this sort of blatant activity continues”.

“Considering the Chinese Government’s appalling record on human rights, their attack on freedoms in Hong Kong, their bullying behaviour in border disputes from the South China seas to India, their blatant breaching of the rulesbased order governing the free market and their delayed declaration on Covid-19, will the Government now initiate an internal review of the UK’s dependence on China, with a view to significantly reducing that dependence, and call on the free world to come together to ensure that this growing threat from China is dealt with together before, as history teaches us, it is too late?”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also strongly criticised Beijing for enacting a security law applicable to the former British colony of Hong Kong that, goes against international law and agreements signed before the 1997 handover to China.

Land banking scheme taken to court Buyers who paid thousands of pounds for one-acre plots and who later found out that there almost certainly never be any construction will face the millionaire seller in court next week.

About 180 people are being sued by Terracorp Limited who had failed to pay their covenant or services charges on the plots of land which they bought from Terracorp that is owned by Alexander Deschauer on which there is hardly any development.The Terracorp Limited v/s Mr. Martin Kearey, Mr. Olatunji Alaba Dairo, Mr. Shanmuganathan Karunakumar and others case is being heard at the County Court at Central London. As it stands today, out of the 180 defendants, about 40 of them have had an out-of-court settlement with Terracorp Limited.

Buyers paid between £10,000 and £30,000 for these plots from a network of companies owned by Baron Deschauer, a Canadian who lives in Britain. The buyers all claim that salesmen promised them that, by the time they had completed five years of interest-free payments to pay off the cost they would have permission from the local council to build properties.

However, Deschauer denies the claims, which a judge said could not be proven. The buyers say that they have since been saddled with £300-a-year costs because of covenant charges in the contracts they signed when they bought the plots stating that they had to pay for the upkeep of roads and other facilities.A group took legal action against Deschauer to stop him from charging this sum because no roads — or anything else — had been built on the land. The land is in Hertfordshire, Kent, Essex, Buckinghamshire, Surrey and

Nottinghamshire, and part of the designated green belt, so there is little chance of getting planning permission to build, and it was never applied for. Next week Deschauer is appealing in the High Court against a ruling in September that found in favour of more than 180 plot-holders on the issue of covenant charges. If his appeal is unsuccessful, he could be forced to pay back hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Knife crime at the highest levels in almost a decade On 18th July, Saturday, reports emerged that knife crime was at the highest levels in nearly a decade in England and Wales.

London reported a 28% annual rise in knife killings over the past year and offences involving knives or sharp instruments in England and Wales rose 6% to 46,265 in the year to March 2020. According to the Office for National Studies, this means that there was 51% spike higher than when comparable figures began in 2011.

London, which accounted for just over a third of knife crime, saw a 7% rise in offences.“The number of homicides involving the use of a knife or sharp instrument in London increased from 67 to 86, a 28% increase,” the ONS said.While knife crime rose, there was a 4% decrease in firearms offences and a 9% decrease in burglary across England and Wales. Data for the city of Manchester in northwest England was excluded due to problems with a new computer system in the city.There were 619 offences involving a corrosive substance such as acid - the first time the figures have been published by the ONS.

Sharma highlighted that the government had agreed to significant partnerships with leading pharmaceutical and vaccine companies BioNTech/Pfizer and Valneva that are developing vaccines to protect people against Covid-19. He said, “The hunt to find a vaccine is a truly global endeavour and we are doing everything we can to ensure the British public get access to a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine as soon as possible.

“This new partnership with some of the world’s foremost pharmaceutical and vaccine companies will ensure the UK has the best chance possible of securing a vaccine that protects those most at risk.

“By signing up and participating in important clinical studies, together we can speed up the search for a vaccine and end the pandemic sooner.”

UK has now the most likely chance of getting access to a safe and effective vaccine at the “quickest

Alok Sharma

speed”. It has also secured access to treatments containing COVID-19 neutralising antibodies from AstraZeneca to protect those who cannot receive vaccines, such as cancer and immunocompromised patients. Alongside, the new vaccine registry website will allow members of the public to register their interest and be contacted to participate in clinical studies. To enable large-scale vaccine studies to take place across the UK, the aim is to get 500,000 people signed up by October, which is considered vital in the fight against coronavirus.

Additionally, the government has an agreement with AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford to research, develop and manufacture a COVID-19 vaccine for the UK in partnership with the Serum Institute of India.

AstraZeneca will work to

produce 100 million doses for the UK in total for the vaccine which has shown some promising results in human trials.

Initial trials of the Oxford vaccine has showed promising results in developing white blood cells and T-cell immune responses with the strongest response among people who received two doses.

“The global programme is made up of a Phase III trial in the US enrolling 30,000 patients, a paediatric study, as well as Phase III trials in low-to-middle income countries including Brazil and South Africa which are already underway,” the university has said in a release.

As part of a wider £131 million investment by the government, support has been given to the Oxford University’s vaccine project as well as one by Imperial College London, which started human studies in June.

The three different vaccine classes that the UK government has secured to date include adenoviral vaccines (Oxford University and AstraZeneca), mRNA vaccines (Imperial College London and BioNTech/Pfizer) and inactivated whole virus vaccines (Valneva).

10-year-old wins virtual Yoga contest A 10-year-old Yoga prodigy has won the “My life My Yoga” contest conducted by Indian Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi.

Ishwar Sharma is a Yoga Prodigy and an International performer and International Speaker on Yoga and its benefits. He won the British Indian of the year Award in 2018 and was bestowed the British Citizen Youth Award by the British Government at House of Lords in 2018 for his contributions to yoga and spreading the message of yoga in the community.

He is passionate to spread the health benefits of yoga particularly to students and children with special needs and is that yoga should be introduced in the national school curriculum. He believes that yoga is a way to overcome the addiction for mobile phones and combat stress and anxiety in students.

The global contest was a joint effort by

the Ministry of AYUSH and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) which was launched on May 31, 2020, on the occasion of International Yoga Day this year.

According to a press release by PIB The contest was held in six categories- Professional, Adult (above 18 years) and Youth (under 18) with male and female contestants considered separately. A total of 35,141 entries were received from India and nearly 2,000 entries were received from other countries. The entries of other countries are being evaluated by the respective Indian Missions.

He has addressed various national and international conferences and events including world yoga championship in Italy, World yoga festival and World games in Nepal and Canada among many others and regularly participates in television programs including BBC, ITV etc.

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SCRUTATOR’S Identical twins score identical marks in CBSE exams Manasi and Manya, residents of Noida near Delhi, are identical twins. They not only look identical, but have also scored 95.8 per cent marks each in the CBSE Class 12 board exams.

They scored 98 in English and Computer Science, and 95 each in Physics, Chemistry and Physical Education.

"Everybody remembers us for identical looks and it's only our names that differentiate us. We were confident about scoring well but were not hoping to score identical marks. When we analysed our performance after the exams, we were hoping Manya would score more," Manasi said. The two siblings plan to pursue engineering and are waiting to appear for the JEE Mains, which has been postponed to September due to the coronavirus pandemic. "I read two years ago about identical twins scoring identical marks. But then I thought it was too much of a coincidence. Still, can't believe we scored exactly the same as well," Manya said. She said while both competed fiercely, they have never scored exactly the same before. (Agency) £26.4 mn bridge collapses 29 days after inauguration Portion of a new bridge

connecting Gopalganj and East Champaran in Bihar collapsed last week after heavy rainfall in the region, just 29 days after it was inaugurated by chief minister Nitish Kumar. The 1.4 km Sattarghat Mahasetu bridge on Gandak River was thrown open to commuters on June 16, eight years after work on it started in April 2012. It was built by the Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Ltd at a cost of £26.4 million. But the culvert connecting the approach road to the bridge was unable to withstand the pressure caused by the rising levels of the river and was washed away after water was released from Valmiki Nagar, officials said. The culvert had already been eroding after rains in the region over the last couple of days that has caused the river to swell. The bridge collapse has led to severe traffic disruption, with several areas being cut off as this was the only major link between Gopalganj and East Champaran. (Agency) Compulsory leave without pay for some AI crew Cash-strapped Air India has decided to send “redundant” employees among its 13,000strong workforce on compulsory leave without pay for six months or two years, extendable up to five years. Departmental heads and regional directors have been instructed to make their recommendations by August 15, based on an assessment of each individual in terms of suitability

for the assigned role, competence, performance and health.

Employees voluntarily seeking to go on leave without pay will

for his own survival. In all, the strangers footed the Rs 14,00,000 bill of the baby. “The child was having breathing difficulty, infections, aspiration of feeds and a congenital heart problem among other complications. But looking at the desperation of the parents for a child, we decided to crowdfund the costs and also pitch in with our own contributions,” said Dr Bhavik Shah of an Ahmedabad-based hospital.” (The Times of India)

physical hearing given the pandemic situation, it would like to commence day-to-day hearing on "this important issue" from July 27. (Agency)

clicking photos there is a punishable offence. The accused has been booked under various sections of Prisons Act. (The Times of India)

Dog bites Ranbir Kapoor on face Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor was recently spotted coming out of a hospital as his pet dog bit him on the face. As per reports, Ranbir's pet dog bit the actor on his face, and it was not an ordinary scratch or peck. It was a considerably serious bite and since it was his face, the actor couldn't take any chances and rushed to the best doctor to fix the wound amid relaxations in Covid-19 induced lockdown.

(Agency)

Dubey encounter: SC for probe by judge-headed panel The Supreme Court proposed to set up a committee headed by a retired apex court judge to inquire into the encounter killings of gangster Vikas Dubey and his four associates within seven days of the ambush in which eight Uttar Pradesh policemen were killed at Bikru village on July 3. “We are against a court-monitored investigation into the encounter killings. But we would like to do something similar to what we had done in the Telangana encounter killing case. All of you tell us what will be the composition of a good committee which can inquire into the incidents (encounter killings of Dubey and his associates by UP police),” said a bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices R S Reddy and A S Bopanna. On December 12 last year, the SC had appointed a committee headed by retired SC judge V S Sirpurkar and comprising former Bombay HC judge Rekha Baldota and former CBI Director D R Karthikeyan to inquire into the alleged fake encounter killing of four men accused of gangrape and murder of a veterinarian. The committee was asked to submit its report to the SC in six months, a time period which has since passed.

Selfie sends released man back in jail

Day-to-day hearing in Maratha quota case The Supreme Court has decided to hear day-to-day

An attempt at expressing his joy at being released from jail landed a 29-year-old man behind bars again, in a matter of minutes after attaining ‘freedom’ from the Lajpore Central Jail (LCJ) in Surat.

The accused was arrested in December 2019 over charges of non-payment of alimony to his

arguments from July 27 through video conferencing on petitions challenging the validity of 12% Maratha quota in jobs and admissions to educational institutions in Maharashtra but refused to grant any interim stay on its application saying the court had earlier refused it multiple times. The main plank of the bunch of petitions challenging the validity of Maratha quota is that it took the total reservation in the state to 74%, which is way beyond the 50% ceiling put by the SC in its landmark Indra Sawhney judgment in November 1992 while upholding the validity of 27% OBC quota in government jobs, which was later extended to admissions in state-run educational institutions. A bench of Justices L N Rao, Hemant Gupta and S R Bhat weighed requests for open court hearing of the petitions but said since there was no certainty about when the courts would open for

former wife. However, the mistake of clicking selfies in the prohibited zone outside the high security area proved disastrous.

Police arrested Sudhakar Sardar on charges of taking pictures in the outer compound of the jail. Out of a legal muddle, the ‘happy’ man, unfortunately, stepped right into the middle of a bigger mess. “After getting released from jail, the man wanted to share his joys with his kin by taking selfies from the compound of the jail well within the prohibited area. This captured images of jail’s entry as well,” said a police officer at Sachin police station.

The compound between the jail’s main enclosure and the outer gate is a prohibited area and

require approval on a case-bycase basis, “subject to the requirements of the company”.

The Air India CMD will take a call on the lists compiled by the departmental heads and regional directors. (Agency) Crowd funding saves the life of 640-gm baby Crowd funding saved the life of a baby boy weighing a mere

640 gram. Having undergone three miscarriages, the parents of the child desperately wanted to save him, but broke down when told that the child has to undergo costly treatment for survival.

That's when the crowd stepped in. Thirty-three direct donors and 158 others made online donations on a crowdfunding plea to help save gardener Bholu Kori and his home-maker wife Durga's baby on a social media platform. More than four months later baby Arjun was discharged weighing a reasonably healthy 1.875 kg. He is frail but is strong enough to fight

Railways unveils future of train travel Provision for plasma air purification, hands-free amenities such as foot-operated soap dispensers and handrails coated with anti-microbial copper are among the features planned to be introduced in coaches by Indian Railways as it looks to make travel safer post Covid. Railway minister Piyush Goyal gave an indication of things to come when he tweeted: “Future Ready Railway: Designed to fight Coronavirus, Railways creates 1st ‘Post Covid Coach’ with hands free amenities, copper-coated handrails & latches, plasma air purification, Titanium di-oxide coating…For Covid -free passenger journey!" The Rail Coach Factory at Kapurthala in Punjab unveiled two such ‘Post Covid coaches’ – one AC and another non-AC. Rail ministry officials said the coaches have

titanium di-oxide coating to kill viruses and prevent infections.

Officials said the use of hands to navigate washrooms and other parts has been brought down to a minimum, making them “almost hands-free".

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UK celebrates the first ever South Asian Heritage Month On Friday 17th July, the Mayor of London announced the launch of the first South Asia Heritage Month (SAHM), with the aim of celebrating the contributions of the South Asian community to the UK’s socio-economic fabric.

The celebrations are slated to run until August 17 and will recognise South Asian cultures and the intertwined histories of the UK and South Asian diaspora. The month begins on July 18 as the date the Indian Independence Act 1947 gained Royal Assent and ends on August 17, marked as Partition Commemoration Day. Those part of SAHM include celebrity names such as Binita Kane, Bobby Seagull, Anita Rani and Amir Khan GP. Anita tweeted, “I am so proud to reveal the official launch video for @SAHM_UK a special poem written by the incredible Hussain Manawer and music

gifted by @nirajchag produced by yours truly. A labour of love. Welcome to the first ever #South Asian Heritage Month.”

In the meantime, Dr Khan recorded a video of what it means to him to be of South Asian heritage. He revealed his love of the food, culture, dancing and his pride at being British Asian and how it has helped him in his medical career.

The South Asia celebration covers eight countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh,

Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Cofounder of SAHM, Jasvir Singh emphasises that each of these countries has been hugely impacted by its relationship with the UK, primarily through war and colonisation via the British Empire. He noted, “Part of SAHM seeks to explore and embed understandings of these histories which are important to any understanding of presentday UK and London. For example, these histories are inextricably linked to the presence of large South Asian communities in the UK and London, with 1 in every 7 Londoners being of South Asian heritage.

“The above has motivated me to co-create a month dedicated to reclaiming the

history and identity of British South Asians. People of South Asian heritage need to tell their own stories, and this is our opportunity to show what it means to be South Asian in the 21st century, as well as look to the past to see how we got here. “ The focus of SAHM will be on the celebration of arts, culture and heritage; commemoration of the history and important anniversaries; and education and awareness around these issues.

The organisers highlight that the month also coincides with the South Asian month of Saravan/Sawan, which is the main Monsoon month when the region''s habitat undergoes renewal.

From concerts and workshops to quiz nights and story-telling, the SAHM plans to host a series of virtual events over the course of the month given the coronavirus pandemic social distancing restrictions.

UK Charities fundraise for vulnerable in Syria Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Coronavirus Appeal has raised £10 million to help vulnerable in world’s most fragile states as doctors in Syria prepare for ‘an explosion of coronavirus’ in camps for displaced.

The DEC has brought together 14 leading UK aid charities including Action Against Hunger, ActionAid UK, Age International, British Red Cross, CAFOD, CARE International UK, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide UK, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Oxfam GB, Plan International UK, Save the Children UK, Tearfund and World Vision UK. As part of this initiative, Islamic Relief is helping the most vulnerable communities in the world fleeing conflict and instability and now facing the deadly threat of

Covid-19.

28-year-old, Mustafa is a frontline worker supported

by DEC member, and lives in a camp outside Idlib with displaced people. In a statement, he said, “We are expecting an explosion of coronavirus in the camps. The coming days are really critical for us.

Doctors are preparing for the spread of the virus.

People live in large overcrowded settlements in tents with maybe 12 people and no access to clean water.

It will be a catastrophe.

Disaster. Please help them.”

Of the 111 public hospitals in Syria, only 57 public hospitals (64%) are fully functioning. There is a considerable shortage of trained staff and a high turnover rate, reducing capacity to manage cases. Up to 70% of health workers have already left the country. In a statement, Saleh Saeed, DEC Chief Executive, said, “With warnings that the virus could spread like wildfire in camps in Syria and elsewhere, our appeal to help the most vulnerable people is now urgent.

“We are witnessing the tremendous generosity of the UK public who, even in the midst of their own uncertainty during this pandemic, have reached out to help the poorest and most

vulnerable threatened by Covid-19 in countries weakened by years of war and instability. The UK public has been incredible with their support, but we urgently need more funds to scale up operations and save lives as the virus continues to spread.”

The DEC Coronavirus Appeal will help the most vulnerable people in six of the world’s most fragile states: Yemen and Syria; Somalia, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo; and Afghanistan. A total of 24 million displaced people live in crowded temporary shelters in these countries.

The appeal also includes the world’s largest refugee camp – in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, where more than 850,000 Rohingya refugees have sought sanctuary.

Indian Mum of two children to star in national charity’s television appeal A mother of two children is slated to share her experience of living with an inherited sight loss condition in a television appeal for a national charity.

Bhavini Makwana was diagnosed with the inherited retinal condition retinitis pigmentosa aged 17 and will speak about her condition in the BBC Lifeline Appeal for Retina UK, due to be broadcast on Sunday, 26 July 2020.

An Ambassador for Retina UK, she now dedicates her time to empowering others with inherited sight loss to grow their confidence and live independent lives. In a statement she said, “I really enjoyed

being part of the filming and it was great to be able to give something back to the charity that has made such a difference for me.

“At first I hid my sight loss because I felt ashamed and didn’t want to be labelled disabled and worried about what my extended family and community would think. This left me depressed and isolated. The support I received from Retina UK helped me find my inner confidence and realise I could still achieve my ambitions. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders and I started to live again.”

“It’s a fantastic charity

and volunteering for them enables me to help others which is really rewarding.”

For 15 years Bhavini was unable to accept her sight loss and hid it from those around her.

But with the support of her family and Retina UK, she has come to terms with her visual impairment and made many positive changes to her life. She received support from Retina UK’s helpline and attended the charity’s information events and support group meetings. Bhavini works for London Vision and travels independently on public

Bhavini Makwana

transport with the support of her guide dog, Colin.

She has previously organised charity fundraising events for Retina UK to help reach those from the Asian Community who maybe experiencing sight loss. In addition to providing support services, Retina UK funds research into inherited sight loss and has invested more than £16 million into the search for causes and treatments in its 43 year history.

Projection of rural India Rohit Vadhwana Recently I watched a Hindi movie, Chaman Bahar, on an online streaming platform. Starring Jitendra Kumar and Ritika Badiani, the movie is directed by Apurva Dhar Badgaiyann.

The movie is certainly not one of the 100 crore clubs but is in the line of a new generation, real-life movies. A rustic village life, seemingly realistic depiction of small villages and its youth, is interesting.

How a young girl, a new entrant in the village, creates an economic opportunity for a small pan walla boy and how his indulgence in one-sided love ruins everything, is humorous as well as touching.

Earlier there was one web series named Panchayat, again featuring Jitendra Kumar, in a rural setting where he was posted as a Panchayat Secretary.

In the series, the young secretary coming from Delhi struggles to fit in a small-village life where he is all alone amidst petty politics of Gram Samiti.

When Pradhan looks in him a potential groom for his young girl, it adds to enigma for the young government servant who is preparing for MBA entrance exam. Trifling and hilarious incidents also bring out the kind-heartedness of rural people. Whole set up of the countryside area, people and their activities were similar to what I saw in the movie Chaman Bahar.

This movie and series bring to us new themes which were not much explored for a long time.

Earlier when rural setups were depicted in movies, they were more on romantic or feudal stories. Daily life settings of slow-moving villages could give us a good and entertaining story, much closer to real life.

Not only big-budget and action-filled blockbusters are a source of entertainment, is clearly proven by this new rustic genre which might also create nostalgia in many of the viewers. It has also brought to limelight new actors who may not be the immediate superstars of Bollywood but certainly could go well in the semi-commercial cinemas and web series. And once successful, the only sky is the limit for any actor.

Some people may question why dusty and poor villages are shown in such movies? Are they derogatory to India, the third-largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity? Well, opinions may differ but they are not showing a darker picture, rather it shows the Great Indian Dream type village and smalltown set-ups, full of hopes and enthusiasm.

Optimistic nature of people and willingness to adjust to the situation is evident. Simplicity is another virtue we could see in such setups. We may hope this genre will be further explored successfully.

(Expressed opinions are personal)

British Indian Jewish Association organises virtual conference On 23rd July, Thursday, the British Indian and Jewish Association (BIJA) will be exploring the lives and careers of notable members of the two communities with a talk by Lord Dolar Popat.

Formerly known as the Indian Jewish Association), this organisation seeks to develop and strengthen relations between the Indian and Jewish communities in the UK. This year owing to the coronavirus pandemic, the event is organised as a virtual conference. You can register

Lord Dolar Popat

for the event here: https://www.eventbrite.co .uk/e/bagels-and-samosaswith-lord-dolar-popattickets-113353352930

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Children at ‘serious risk’ due to childhood obesity & diabetes Shefali Saxena An analysis by Labour shows that urgent Government action on childhood obesity is needed because many are placed at ‘serious risk’. Responding to Labour analysis of NHS England’s latest figures on obesity, which highlights a lack of progress on childhood obesity, BMA board of science chair Professor Dame Parveen Kumar said: “The childhood obesity crisis shows no signs of slowing due to the lack of inaction by the Government to truly address this. It ultimately places the health of our children at serious risk.

This must include a comprehensive 9pm watershed on junk food advertising, mandatory labelling of food and drinks in out of home outlets and regulatory backing for UK wide reformulation targets to reduce calorie, fat, saturated fat, salt and added sugar levels on food products.”

The WHO states “Obesity poses a major risk for serious diet-related noncommunicable diseases, including diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and certain forms of cancer. Its health consequences range from increased risk of premature death to serious chronic conditions that reduce the overall quality of life.”

Obesity is the biggest human generated burden on the economy, after smoking. The NHS spends over £5.1 billion a year treating conditions relating to obesity.

Speaking to Asian Voice, Pediatrician, Dr Prabu Rajendran said, “Obese children are much more likely to be obese adults. So growing up to be overweight or obese is a preventable disadvantage in children. It worsens not just their physical health, but also

the mental health, i.e. affecting their self-esteem.”

He stated that the causes of obesity in childhood are multifaceted, together with genetic and epigenetic factors, there are multiple environmental factors.

So when planning an intervention, it is important to consider an approach for the multitude of stakeholders involved, such as parents, children, businesses and social factors. “Being aware of the cultural context, plays a major role and, in particular, to understand the growing inequality in childhood obesity,” he said.

According to figures for 2015/16 from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, 621 children and young people under the age of 25 received care for Type 2 diabetes from Paediatric Diabetes Units in England and Wales, of which 78.5 per cent

were also obese. This number has continued to rise, with 790 being registered in 2018/19.

The latest figures are - almost 1 in 5 children are overweight or obese when they start primary school, figures have shown, that 20% of children are already obese by the time they leave primary school. Dr Rajendran said, “This number alarmingly rises to 1 in 3, when they start secondary school and this is totally unacceptable.

This increase is leading to more and more cases of type 2 diabetes, asthma and high blood pressure in children.”

The current concern is that the lockdown measures could exacerbate obesity due to the enforced school closures. He said, “The thinking is that by staying at home, children would miss out on regular physical activities.

Alongside, increased screen time

is a collateral damage due to the online-classes.” Dr Prabu also shared that the data on Paediatric Intensive Care Unit admissions have shown a higher proportion of those admitted to ITU had a comorbidity, which is worrying.

Of those, 20% was obesity and they required mechanical ventilation.

When asked about common mistakes made by Asian parents with obese children, he said, “The first problem is that many

parents are ignorant (or don’t want to accept) that their child has a high BMI. Sadly it is considered as a social stigma, as having ‘ puppy fat’ is an entrenched myth in our society of being healthy.

It’s not, generally, the lack of understanding about healthy eating, but also the factor that unhealthy food is often cheaper, easier, and quicker to prepare.

For most families, working long hours limits the cooking times, in their priority list.”

A Suitable Boy: “If we don’t tell our own stories, no one else will” The cast and crew of BBC One’s upcoming series, ‘A Suitable Boy’ held a webinar on Tuesday evening. The session was moderated by the BBC Asian Network’s Senior Journalist and Entertainment Reporter, Haroon Rashid, who was joined by director, Mira Nair, screenwriter, Andrew Davies with cast Ishaan Khatter, Tabu, Tanya Maniktala and CEO of Lookout Point, Faith Penhale.

Adapted from author Vikram Seth’s novel, A Suitable Boy, the story of the BBC One drama is set in 1951. It shows the days when India was struggling in the burning embers of freedom and there was a cauldron of politics. Calling it a “distilled screenplay” the cast spoke about the filming and inception of the show.

Andrew Davies chuckled, “I generally prefer the writer I’m working with to be long dead but I’m happy to work with one who is still alive. We (him and Vikram) met over a four hour lunch in which by the end of it I was quite drunk but we were friends by the end of it,” he said.

Debutante actor, Tanya Maniktala who plays Lata Mehra

in the show, said, “I had to remind myself that Mira Nair, a legend, believed in me so I should believe in myself. People don’t have any expectations of me as of now. It’s surreal to be a part of this and I’m grateful for this opportunity.”

Ishaan Khatter plays Maan Kapoor, a colourful and interesting character. Asian Voice asked Ishaan to elaborate on the energy of his character because it somewhere matches his spirit and energy in real life. He said, “I’d imagine you’re comparing my energy to my previous work in interviews and public events that you might have seen me, but I have to say that a very large part of Maan’s energy came from the character and it

was very much the requirement of his character and the story for him to be as energetic as as he is. I think I borrowed that to a very large extent from of course Mira Di (Nair) and from my coactors who gave me the right cues to be able to be that. He is sort of a miscreant, in a sense, a rebel without a cause and he is sort of the nonconformist in his family. So he has to be the one that kind of sticks out in order for the story and the themes to go forward. When I said that it’s a very compelling character, that’s one of the elements that made him so. As the story progresses, you’ll see why he happens to be a certain way and you’ll also see the very defined arc of Maan that was wonderfully written by Sir Andrew Davies and

by Mira Di.” Tabu, plays the role of Saeeda Bai, a courtesan. Tabu has some heavy weight dialogues written by Hriday Lani and she has performed seven ghazals sung by singer Kavita Seth. When Asian Voice stated that her dialogues have the potential to get recognition, an elated Tabu told us, “It involved a lot of time spent with

each other, laughter, a lot of going back into history and coming to a way of communicating with the characters in a languages Hindustani and English. We had discussions with Vikram about how he sees the character and of course the music. I think Mira’s favourite part in any film is the music, the songs, the playback and the background. Wherever there is Mira, there has to be an echo of beautiful sounding pieces and beautiful lyrics.”

Mira Nair added, “Music is my oxygen and it is a big part of my wanting to direct ‘A Suitable Boy’.

It was actually Saeeda Bai’s ghazals and what she sang and the whole way she was inspired.” Mira explained how she cast for the show. She said, “If we don’t tell our own stories, no one else will. I have a pulse on Asian actors in England, in fact two of them I did cast in London - Mikhail Sen and Shubham Saraf. Very early on, Andrew and Vikram, wanted to restore the balance of language even though the novel is written in English. The worlds of the characters are very anglicised and in English but it's also another one, rural India.”

They also spoke about the homesexual undertones in Maan (Ishaan) and Firoze’s (Shubham Saraf) characters. “They have a delightful romantic friendship which at times has become physical. It’s a romantic friendship.

Certainly, I’ve been indicating that,” said Davies. “I know so many people this way I didn’t want to ignore it or sugar coat or avoid it,” Mira added. Ishaan said, “I was absolutely on the same page. It was communicated very clearly. It is sort of undefined in the larger scheme of the story. She didn’t want to define it too much; she only wanted to evoke a feeling.”

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Furloughed BAME create new jobs Continued from page - 1 The latest annual report by the Social Metrics Commission found that BAME families as a whole were between two and three times as likely to be in persistent poverty than white households. While research from University of Essex has pointed that 31% of BAME workers who have experienced a drop in their working hours have been furloughed. More than 20% have lost their jobs.

Tajinder Dhillon-Kochar used to work as a Travel Manager at Sirio UK. She lost her job due to banks and crisis centre we were the impact of coronavirus on the able to get them this shipment. We travel industry and ever since has then quickly realised that the food been actively looking for employbanks and crisis centres needed ment across industries on access to more long-life food, as LinkedIn. Tajinder is not the only well as fresh produce. woman. Rachana Vitankar also “We then became the foodbank completed her stint as a Senior to food banks where we negotiated Business Analyst at Virgin prices on their behalf as well Media in March. BAME as buying fresh fruit and workers make a disveg along with cupboard proportionately basics.” large number of Raj, with her staff in lockedfriends Goodie Kalsi, down industries Laura Wiggins, Bryan such as travel and Valencia and her two hospitality. Sectors nieces Sonia Rattu and that have been shut Sanita Mehta, along with have 15% BAME workSharon Bowen worked ers- 3% higher than in Dr Rakaish Rana tirelessly to enable access to other sectors. However, it food. Everyone donated their said the rate of decline in employtime generously and also motivatment slowed in June compared ed and shared what they were with May. While no one knows doing with their family and friends when this doom and gloom will around the globe from Ethiopia, end, there are companies that are Kenya, Mexico and India. creating jobs, as demands in cerSpeaking about 1TCA and tain industries surge. Many have opportunities it has created, a pascome forward to feed the needy as sionate Raj added, “1TCA is 3 well as create jobs. mums who within 3 months have In her 50s now, Raj Kumaridecided to make a difference and Byford founded 1TCA (One the face coverings are a revolutionThought Changes All), on the outary bi-product that we saw as a break of the Covid-19 pandemic game-changer to reduce cross-confelt a moral obligation to help feed tamination from the the thousands of vulnerable resivirus. Developed and manufacdents who were struggling to cope. tured in the UK by Project Plan B Within 100 days she had fed thouas a sustainable, 1TCA masks and sands of families and set about to snoods for both adults and chilprovide families with affordable, dren are recyclable alternative to sustainable protective masks and disposable masks ending up in our snoods. oceans and powered by HeiQ Feeding the vulnerable Viroblock technology. The techWith roots in Punjab, Raj from nology is proven effective against Wolverhampton, was born and Covid-19 as 99.99%. raised in the UK. Speaking to Asian “We’re working with ethical Voice exclusively, she said, “For the factories within the UK who make past 16 years, I’ve been a mum. I our masks and look after their peohave 2 children, my son is 15 and is ple. Our mask and snood collecmy biological child, and my daughtion are keeping people safe with ter is 4 and we adopted her from their unique anti-viral fabric. The Ethiopia. Before I focused on my pace at which we had to move family I worked in finance. meant we’ve had no time to count “As a family, it is within our number of employees. But what we DNA to help and when the virus do know is, we’ve enabled people hit, it was a reflex action to do to continue to work due to our inisomething for the community. We tiatives.” decided to help 20 local families via Parcel delivery firm Hermes is the local charity Oasis in Cobham. also creating more than 10,000 However, those 20 families soon jobs as it gears up to cope with the became over 200 families needing shift to home shopping during the food support. The initial reflex was coronavirus pandemic. The comto buy the whole of the local coffee pany reportedly says it wants 9,000 shop as they had unlimited eggs, more couriers, most of whom are bread, toilet rolls, pasta, and tinned classed as self-employed and so not tomatoes. guaranteed the legal minimum “By day three, we had found wage, full sick pay or holiday beneonline warehouses, which had no fits. It will also hire 1,500 full-time limit the basics we could buy, staff, including some roles at its things such as pasta, rice, baked head office in Yorkshire as well as beans, and crisps. We challenged created opportunities. It currently the system and bought as many as employs 4,515 staff and 20,000 we could, and we accidentally purcouriers. chased a lorry load. Lockdown was Dr Rakish Rana, 48, is an announced overnight. The lorry Executive Life Coach and founder was then stuck in Daventry whilst of The Clear Coach, London. we were in Surrey.

Speaking to Asian Voice about why “We then came across the have people tuned to amazing charity Action for entrepreneurship during the panChildren, and between the food

he makes on the sale of his mortas a mortgage advisor and then gage courses. He said, “The more moved departments to a fraud established businesses sell mortinvestigation team working alonggage advisor courses for £600 or side 40 colleagues. Speaking to more whereas I sell it at for £198.

Asian Voice, he said, “In January The sales help fund the growth of 2020 (before the crisis) we were the business and I hope to add told by our employers that our more international customers. contracts would be extended, and “I normally use YouTube tutoour jobs were safe for at least a few rials for learning new process and years. upgrading my website. For pay"Even with the pandemic we ments, I use WooCommerce and if were again reassured that our jobs I have any problems with payments were safe. The UK was then placed then I would join the in a lockdown and in the first two WooCommerce Facebook Group weeks we were told that we were and ask a question. The groups are all let gone and we had lost our demic, he added, “Some of it is desfriendly and everyone usually helps jobs. peration, some of it is spotting an each other out.”

Jay talks about having to pay a opportunity. Some of the biggest Instagram vloggers, bloggers and mortgage and supporting a family. companies in the world right now influencers With the country in lockdown, he were formed in the last recession; knew that it was virtually impossiIn the meantime, there has AirBnB, Uber, Groupon. The fact ble for him to get through other been a considerable surge of using that so many people are online, jobs. He therefore set up his own social media to access target audithere's a captivated audience to sell business, uAcademy, which ence for their business espeto. With so many people sitting at offers online courses for cially among the creative home - they now actually have aspiring mortgage millennials and time to do something, no excuse. advisers. He said, “I Z. Generation “A client of mine who I mentor decided to put my ‘SprinkledbyHannah’ was struggling before Covid-19 to mortgage advisor is a personal blog on get a niche business off the ground, skills to use and creInstagram started by but the lockdown afforded him the ate a website to Humairah in East opportunity to pivot and get into teach students.

London in May this PPE. Because of his connections to During the next three year in the wake of the the Asian market, he was able to weeks I taught myself pandemic. A professional use his influence to really grow a how to create a website analyst her posts range from Jay Lee business.” and made an online learning baking cakes to decorating Another report has also highcourse for people that are looking them. Now, Humairah has been lighted how the last recession hit to change careers. Business has successful in garnering hundreds BAME workers the hardest been growing steady with mostly of followers in just two months’ with the rate of joblessIndian customers wanting to time. Other such influencers ness peaking at 14.7% learn about the property include Anj & Pri, dentists by profor these minorities. and mortgage market in fession but running wedding and Many economists the UK. I have added lifestyle blog with 20k followers have warned that Free Life in the UK across social media platforms. coronavirus Practice tests as a result Such platforms not only help them would lead to a for my international in gaining business through cusfate worse than clients and plan to hire tomised orders but they can also that of the financial two more employees to monetise their posts through paid crisis. But a crash in help me with the expanpartnerships almost like celebrities the job market has Raj Kumari-Byford sion.” do, provided they have a considerresulted in a surge in He financed his business able following. start-ups and DIY businesses. by investing his savings and started It appears that the creative Online mortgage tutorials and the company with less than £300 in minds would be the first ones to international customers software and hosting. His business survive and strengthen in a postJay was working at a UK bank is monetised through the revenue pandemic world.

Brent council approves action plan for black community The Brent Council has finally approved an action plan aimed at addressing the inequalities faced by the black community. Its full council meeting unanimously supported the document put forward on Monday.

The action plan has been designed with the consideration of the black community leaders in Brent and covers a series of points including tackling health inequalities and support programmes for young black people.

Additionally, it aims to promote community-led projects, increase employment opportunities, improve care, and help tackle homelessness.

The council has also agreed to an internal review of processes within the council, while it will look to embed equality and diversity within its workforce.

Cllr Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, in a statement said, “We are extremely proud to be the most diverse borough in the UK and the black community is an integral part of that.

“We would not be the Brent we love if it wasn’t for the wide

variety of people who live here.

This new community plan is our commitment to do whatever we can to reduce the inequalities that people from black communities experience on a daily basis.

“From housing to health, education to entrepreneurship black people come up against prejudice, discrimination and

systemic issues which mean they can’t always achieve their full potential. This is not acceptable.

“Working closely with community leaders and young people we have identified the key areas we as a council need to work on and together we can improve the lives of black people in Brent.”

Nurses, social care workers and junior doctors excluded from public sector pay rise Almost 900,000 workers from the public sector are to get a pay rise, including doctors and teachers. However, the exclusion of nurses, junior doctors and social workers have hurt the community.

Doctors and dentists getting an increase of 2.8% and police and prison officers of 2.5%. Teachers will receive a 3.1% increase, and the armed forces 2%. Nurses are not included in the announcement because they negotiated a separate three-year deal in 2018. It also does not include junior doctors. Other sectors covered by this increase include senior civil servants and the judiciary, whose pay will go up by 2%, and staff at the National Crime Agency, who get a 2.5% increase. Vic Rayner, Executive Director, National Care Forum said, “Care workers are here to care and have been a stalwart of the Covid-19 front line. 24 hours a day, seven days a week our professional care home staff have continued to provide care under the most challenging of circumstance. They – like their amazing colleagues in health – have done this with compassion, providing a lifeline for the most vulnerable across all our communities. This has never been a low skilled job and should never again be consigned as a low paid role. We need the government to act now to ensure that each and every care worker is recognised and rewarded for their extraordinary work.”

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ASIAN GROUPS GET ONLY 2% OF NATIONAL LOTTERY FUND Continued from page - 1 infrastructure organisations is lacking and promote equality of opportunity and protect Further research into grants of between that she wishes it had made more progress. human rights. £50,000 to £99,999 shows that £3,823,891 Understanding the power within the funders The Head of England funding, Elly De Bias against Asians will also continue was divided between 54 groups and of that, a Most of this funding has been given by Decker, when I contacted her office for until we can have a fair representation of paltry sum of £161,350 went to two BAME government departments directly to comments I was told," Before commenting Asians working as grant officers. The current groups: charities. And the government has shown on your data we need to establish whether number is minimal, if any, (the exact figures • Walsall Black Sisters - £71,696 itself willing to hand over the final it’s accurate or not. To help us with this, are not forthcoming from the Lottery • Southall Black Sisters - £89,654 decision-making power at a large scale. Of please could you clarify on the following Board). There is also the same representation This evidence shows the true the total package, £200 million has three points: issue on the National Lottery England Board reality; that National Lottery been given to the National Lottery 1. Where has the data come from i.e. the with the five members being: Grants have barely reached the Community Fund in order to be John Mothersole, Maggie Jones, Tarn Asian community. It seems that source? distributed amongst local 2. The date range of the data have you used?

Lamb, Kevin Bone, Rosie Ginday and Ray the officers are not keen to community groups and 3. What methodology did you use to Coyle. The chair is John Mothersole who has publish these figures as it charities. Funders have a lot of held senior local government posts in UK would expose their bias and determine ‘Asian organisations’?" power when it comes to making sure minority communities are cities including London, most recently as underlying belief that all Asians It is very difficult to understand how this properly represented and Chief Executive of Sheffield City Council. are rich and therefore do not particular injustice has escaped the minds of supported – especially during a crisis One would have expected, considering need any funding. the Asian community leaders and has not Dawn Austwick which is impacting them massively. the growing Asian population in England, to already been challenged. The Equalities Through my contacts with Asian Now is the time to tackle this injustice have at least one, if not two, members on the Commission has, to date, not thought of groups and charities I have come to Committee. After all, there is Asian investigate the scandalous conduct of the Institutionalised myths about Asians, understand that not only there is no clarity representation at the highest level of UK Lottery Board and other such funding bodies especially that they are all rich, have been on how they can access the funding but Government Cabinet Ministers now, so to establish and explore whether there is going on for years but the Pandemic virus there is also a lot of confusion about how it should not all committees follow this evidence to support a public inquiry.C B has opened to the reality. has been allocated. example?

Patel of India League said it is time that the I investigated the initial outlay of the Equality Commission has to investigate Unfortunately, when I tried to challenge British establishment considers Asians as £200 million in grants which clearly shows the Chancellor and the Minister responsible part of the larger society and treat them on Unless this changes, Asian groups will how the breakdown is unfair to the Asian for the public funds given to the Board for par with others.Ms Shah of Asian Ladies continue to be ignored, be it by quangos, community. distribution, they were unavailable Group said that the Asian community local authorities, or government During the months of lockdown, grants for comment. The always believes in self-help and because departments. It is time that the of between £10,000 to £49,999 were Chancellor’s office of this reason our tax money is not equalities commission seriously provided by the National Lottery directed me to the being used for our welfare.A investigates this bias – to this Community Fund to the tune of £7,157,612 Department for spokesman from the National end, I have referred these which was divided between 518 projects. Of Digital, Culture, Congress of Gujarati inequality details to the Equality these just 7 organisations are from Asian Media and Sports Organisations (NCGO) said that and Human Rights communities and they have received only who suggest in the the Lottery Board thinks that we are Commission, a statutory non2% of the allocation: £158,250. first instance all crooks but has failed to recognise departmental public body The 7 organisations are: getting in touch with the fact that the lowest number of established by the Equality Act • Bangladesh Youth Shomito, Leicester - £45,000 National Lottery John Mothersole criminals are from the Indian 2006. The Commission operates Elly De Decker the • KitKit Pathways to Recovery, Birmingham - £32,455 Community Fund, who community. We need strong leaders to independently, and its job is to help • Tara Centre, Lancaster - £36,606 manage the fund. Dawn Austwick, Chief take us out of this blatant discrimination make Britain fairer by safeguarding and • Bangladeshi Islamic Association, Sandwell - £14,189 Executive at the National Lottery because we are letting the likes of the Lottery enforcing the laws that protect people’s • Naseeb Badminton Club, Nottingham - £10,000 Community Fund for the past seven years, Board get away whilst the silent majority rights to fairness, dignity and respect.

• Jet Singh Trust, Staffordshire - £10,000 who is due to leave later this year, has said look on in disbelief as they observe how the I am asking them to use their unique Sikh Community Centre, Northampton - £10,000 that on long-term funding for BAME rabble-rousers take the cream. powers to challenge discrimination,

Home Secretary to set out actions in response to Windrush Lessons Learned Review On 21st July, Priti Patel announced that the Home Office is setting out new actions in response to Wendy Williams Windrush Lessons Learned Review.

These will include comprehensive training for all working in the Home Office to ensure that they understand and appreciate the history of migration and race in this country. The department will also increase engagement with civil society and the public at an early stage to build evidence for policy and an introduction to specialist mentoring and sponsorship schemes to ensure that the Home Office reflects the diverse communities for senior jobs. This will ensure more Black, Asian and minority ethnic people will be in senior roles to drive cultural change. Home Secretary Priti Patel said, “I am driving change to implement the important findings of the Lessons Learned review to make sure nothing like this can happen again. The action I have taken will ensure cultural change at the department, leading to more diverse leadership.

“I want the Windrush generation to have no doubt that I will reform the culture of the department so it better represents all of the communities we serve.”

Patel has also announced an evaluation of the compliant environment policy and measures.

The evaluation will make sure

there are the right protections in place to protect against immigration abuse, whilst ensuring no one with a legal right to be in the UK is wrongly penalised. The work to respond to and act on the Windrush Lessons Learned Review is being informed by the cross government Windrush working group co-chaired by Bishop Derek Webley.

The five themes are, righting the wrongs and learning from the past, taking a more compassionate approach – putting people above cases, more Inclusive and rigorous policy making, greater openness to scrutiny and creating an inclusive workforce. A delivery plan has been drawn up to ensure meaningful and rapid action; an approach welcomed by Wendy Williams.

Bishop Derek Webley, co-chair of the Windrush CrossGovernment Working Group said, “I and others on this group know the communities who have been affected well. We live, work

and dwell among them. They have endured a great deal for a long time, and they must not be disappointed again.

“The true story of the Windrush generation is one of courage, faith, and hope. One of success and achievement. That is where we need to get to, and this process represents another positive step on the journey there.

“Three sub groups have been established to look at how to implement the Lessons Learned recommendations, how to design the new Windrush Community Fund, and how to work with the new Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities.” The Home Secretary will publish a comprehensive improvement plan in response to the Windrush Lessons Learned Review in September, which will show how the Home Office is delivering on the recommendations and working to be more diverse and worthy of the trust of the whole communities it serves.

Report notes Boohoo CoFounder linked to accused of money laundering A Boohoo Co-Founder has been running a fast-fashion brand with two associates who were investigated over accusations of links to organised crime and money laundering.

According to The Times, Jalal Kamani, runs the I Saw it First women’s wear website and has been connected to a factory in Leicester which was embroiled in allegations that workers were paid below minimum wages and they worked in unsanitary conditions.

I Saw It First was founded in 2017 by Harpreet Singh Johal who was arrested under a European Arrest Warrant over an inquiry by the French authorities, the newapaper records. He later submitted himself to the French in June 2018 after an extradition order was made and eventually bailed.

The Times has also noted that HMRC officials searched premises linked to Johal as part of a separate French inquiry a month before his arrest.

Operation Bowshot in the UK, looked at “potential excise duty evasion” and the suspected “laundering of funds by organised crime in the West Midlands and London areas”, according to a judgment in proceedings against HMRC over the legality of the search warrants.

The allegedly laundered money was thought to be from

the sale of illicit imported alcohol and “other organised crime groups across the UK”, the judge heard. HMRC has stated that it had lost £440 million in tax revenue since April 2010 over the alleged irregularities. Mr Johal’s lawyers said HMRC has never been able to substantiate the figure. The warrants were declared unlawful after paperwork errors.

Until two years ago Johal ran M and R Developments with Rishi Lakhani who is now the sole director. The company has a 25 per cent stake in I Saw It First, which is not linked to any allegation. But Lakhani was detained as part of the same operation. Their lawyers said “after eight years there is virtually no evidence against any suspect” and they successfully argued that the first raid was unlawful.

They have disputed the legality of further searches but an application for an injunction over material seized from one of Johal’s businesses in June 2018 was rejected by the courts, according to The Times. And neither has been charged with any offence.

I Saw It First’s latest accounts suggest that it lost £9.7 million in the 17 months to the end of September 2018. Boohoo has now written to the government asking it to implement a licensing scheme to ensure that garment factories are fit to trade.

18 FINANCE - UK

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Dear Financial Voice Reader, Alpesh Patel Almost exactly a year ago, I wrote to you from Silicon Valley, having met the CEO of Zoom. Zoom, whose stock price would give you a nose bleed given how much it has risen. Since then the stock market of Silicon Valley companies have risen to all time highs. I go to the Valley each year to get a feel hands on and stay ahead of the curve.

I want to share with my readers insights because of the number of Indians here running the Valley. I’ve come along with a UK company I helped in my Government capacity. I helped this company set up a UK HQ and now they are with me in Silicon Valley to set up their subsidiary.

I want Asian Voice readers to know what’s happening in finance. This company is Finboot and the Chairman is Indian too – Nish Kotech. So there are a lot of links.

Bitcoin’s rise and fall are rightly becoming the side show of what is the core value proposition: the emergence of Blockchain as the trust substitute technology.

Worrying about a bubble risks diverting your attention away from the disruptive technology powering crypto today and potentially our world tomorrow. The next blockchain winners will be those who use this technology for real world challenges - so called front end services - and that’s what is captivating technologists in London, India, China, Europe and Silicon Valley.

Blockchain is the technology behind a distributed network of computers that can be used to store data securely but which, uniquely, has a single memory. That means data cannot be copied to sell the same asset again. Imagine duplicating the deeds of your house and re-selling it – a common enough practice in the developing world; that risk remained even with the passage from stamped paper to a digital file. Blockchain removes this risk. It’s why Blockchain technologists refer to it as the ‘trust platform’.

The technology is still nascent though evangelists believe it can fundamentally change the way we live, work and transact. Storing and managing data in a distributed way vs today’s single guardian of your data approach requires a new way of thinking.

In a recent study by Deloitte 39% of the surveyed 1,053 global C-level/senior executives stated they were likely to invest more than $5 million in Blockchain technologies in 2019 and this from a diverse range of sectors from oil and gas to fintech to automotive, retail, media, and so on. It seems that the new way if thinking is catching on.

Repsol, the leading Spanish Oil and Gas group valued at over Euro 24 billion announced a partnership with Finboot (London/Barcelona) where their product Marco has been successfully tested to improve the Product Certification process. Marco, which means ‘frame’ in Spanish, acts as a platform for end-to-end blockchain applications which can be easily developed and deployed using a single dashboard and thereby bringing these solutions to the desk of every employee.

The early adopters of Blockchain such as Walmart, Repsol, IBM, Accenture, BP will encourage the mainstream to come onboard.

It is clear the technology is at the start of the adoption curve. As an evangelist, I say move on and don’t let the froth get in the way: The hype of Blockchain will demand interest and resource: a deeper and wider ecosystem of developer and design skills, mentoring, early-stage capital and a maniacal startup culture which each technology centre of excellence is running to make Blockchain their own.

Marks & Spencer to cut 950 jobs in wake of Covid-19 Marks & Spencer has announced plans to cut 950 jobs, blaming a sharp downturn in business driven by the Covid-19 pandemic. The retailer said 950 jobs were at risk as part of plans to reduce store management and head office roles. M&S employs 78,000 people across the UK and 27,000 were furloughed during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Our proposals reflect an important next step in our Never The Same Again programme to accelerate our transformation and become a stronger, leaner and more resilient business,” Sacha Berendji, director of retail, operations and property at M&S, said in a statement.

“Through the crisis we have seen how we can work faster and more flexibly by empowering store teams and it’s essential that we embed that way of working. “Our priority now is to support all those affected through the consultation process and beyond.”

M&S said headcount “will be examined at all levels” in its full-year results in May. It came as the retailer announced a 21% fall in annual profits and chief executive Steve Rowe said he was working to “secure the future of the business.”

Most UK firms plan to invest less in next three years A survey by the accountants firm Deloitte found that 65% of the companies said a combination of the coronavirus pandemic, the potential for a no-deal Brexit and worsening geopolitical conflicts has forced them to reduce capital spending.

Almost 80% of respondents expect their revenues to decrease in the next 12 months, the second-highest reading on record. Many of these companies expect their revenues to continue to fall next year too, leaving only 49% to say they expect a return to pre-Covid-19 levels by the end of the second quarter of 2021.

The gloomy outlook followed a string of forecasts throwing doubt on the likelihood of a V-shaped recovery this year. The prime minister said that he expected most of the economy to be open by Christmas and office work-

in the second quarter of the year, with 80% believing there was a high or very high level of uncertainty facing their business, slightly lower than the record-high reading Chancellor Rishi Sunak at the Worcester of 89% in the first Bosch factory in Worcester quarter. The survey ers to begin returning to found that firms were likely work in town and city cento cut dividends and share tres. But the Treasury’s buybacks to shore up their independent forecaster, financial reserves.

Office for Budget A separate report by Responsibility, said that it Link Group showed UK divcould take until the end of idends dropped by 57% in 2022 for the economy to the second quarter to recover and in the mean£16.1bn, almost £22bn less time unemployment would than the same period in rocket to more than 10%.

2019. In a blow to pension Experts at the OECD, the funds and individual Paris-based forecaster for investors, the UK dividend wealthy nations, recently monitor found 176 compawarned that Britain’s econnies cancelled their diviomy is likely to suffer the dends altogether and anothworst damage from the er 30 cut them. The report Covid-19 crisis of any counsaid: “Together these made try in the developed world. up three quarters of all the Deloitte said finance companies that usually pay directors remained cautious in the second quarter. Just

61 increased their payouts.”

Make UK, the body representing manufacturing and engineering companies, said the industrial sector was facing a wave of job losses unless further action was taken by the Treasury to extend subsidies into next year. It said the government must retain the job retention scheme for some industry sectors for another six months to avoid a loss of highly skilled jobs on a scale not seen since the 1980s.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak plans to end the furlough scheme in October but faces a rising tide of warnings that unemployment will rocket without an extension for the hardest hit sectors.

The manufacturing organisation said a survey of 170 firms suggested that the number planning to make redundancies in the next six months has risen to 53% despite a gradual improvement in sales and orders.

JLR set to get new chief as Speth’s term ends in Sept Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is set to get a new face at the helm as a search committee has begun paring the list of potential candidates. Both insiders as well as outsiders are in the run for the post and a decision on who will lead the company will be made soon.

The company had earlier planned to extend current CEO Ralf Speth’s tenure by a year. But that has been shelved and the search committee has started considering other candidates. Recruitment

Ralf Speth

specialist Egon Zehnder has been assisting JLR in identifying replacement candidates for Speth.

Speth’s term ends in September when he turns 65 - the retirement age for

executive directors. He will be subsequently re-designated as a non-executive VC of the company.

JLR’s engineering head Nick Rogers and woman independent director Hanne Brigitte Sorenson are in the reckoning. So are Audi’s former CEO Bram Schot and current production head Fred Schulze. ExBMW honcho Klaus Froehlich is also being considered, according to reports. There’s speculation that Tata Motors’ CEO Guenter Butschek is also being evaluated for the

Dr Anand Kumar of Union Bank of India Anand Kumar has been working for more than three & half decades with the financial services in India, United Kingdom, Singapore and Middle East regions.

Among other assignments, he contributed in setting up retail and banking operations of ICICI Bank in UK. He was Regional and Zonal Manger, Head of Retail Banking ICICI Bank UK and later on spearheaded International Business of ICICI Lombard UK covering GCC and other geographies.

Subsequently he worked with Bank of Baroda UK as Advisor Strategic Initiatives & Head - Retail Banking.

He helped in setting up Union Bank of India (UK) Ltd subsidiary in London and served its Board for seven years as Executive Director & Deputy Chief Executive. From July 1, 2020 he has transited from his executive role to Non -Executive Director role with Union Bank of India (UK)Ltd. He has been also working as Member -Board of Supervisors, First Microfinance Bank, Afghanistan from December 2019. He is Fellow of Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment UK and was also a member of Microfinance Club UK

Dr Anand Kumar

(served as Director Microfinance Club UK board for two years).

Apart from his association with NSPCC, Save the Children, he is founder of Kusum Foundation in Bihar, India. The Foundation has been providing vocational education to the rural children for last 12 years, it has skilled more than 5,000 students comprising of 60% girls from rural centres. He is a PhD, MBA, LLB, PGDBM, and Dip in training & development. He had been a visiting fellow to the Business School, University of Greenwich, and London, UK for 12 years. He has been also on the committee for moderating papers for compliance examination conducted by CISI, UK.

role. Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley is, however, out of the race.

Whoever steps into Speth’s shoes has a challenging task to steer JLR out of the woods. The company reported losses (a pretax of 400 million pounds) for fiscal 2020. JLR was showing turnaround signs late last year from the impact of a slowdown in China and Brexit, but the pandemic affected its business in the fourth quarter, which generally is a strong quarter for the automotive industry.

UK borrows record £128 bn in three months British government borrowing went to a record 128 billion pounds in the first three months of the 2020/21 financial year, when Covid-19 lockdown measures were tightest, more than double the entire previous year’s borrowing. Most economists think British government borrowing this year will be its largest since World War Two relative to the size of the economy.

Borrowing in June, excluding state-owned banks, was 35.5 billion pounds, the government statistics office said. That was five times more than a year earlier though below economists’ average forecast of 41.5 billion pounds, following a big downward revision for May. April, May and June made up the three months of highest borrowing in Britain’s history, even though spending on job support was lower than first estimated, and tax revenues higher, the Office for National Statistics said.

Following the figures, finance minister Rishi Sunak restated his intention to put the public finances on a more sustainable footing over the medium term, and launched a muchdelayed long-term review into government spending. But analysts doubt the economy will be strong enough for him to start tightening fiscal policy later this year.“If (interest) rates remain as low as they are currently - and it is likely the Bank of England will make sure they do - the chancellor may just decide to push out those difficult decisions a little longer,” HSBC economist Elizabeth Martins said.

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Covid threatens India's financial system: SBI chairman Rajnish Kumar, chairman of the State Bank of India, said that the coronavirus outbreak has threatened the country's financial system and urged the lenders to extend support to the struggling industries.

He said that the publicsector banks may need further capitalisation by the government, debt reschedulings and writedowns due to pressures on their loan books.He said the State Bank would have been in a better position but for the shutdowns to contain the spread of Covid-19. He said that the last couple of years the SBI had done the clean up and this was the time for reaping the benefits. But, unfortunately that did not happen due to the pandemic. He said that that banking system has been plagued by the bad-loan

Rajnish Kumar

problems. In recent years the share of bad debt had started to fall thanks to and the reforms introduction of bankruptcy code.Following the announcement of the nationwide lockdown in March, the financial system has been buttressed by emergency liquidity injections, credit guarantees a temporary and moratorium on loan repayments that runs through August. With no end in sight for control of pandemic, Kumar said that

industries like aviation, hotels and need jewellery further financial support. He said that many industrialists wanted to repay the loans but were not able to do so because of the cash crunch.

Kumar said that the SBI would take necessary steps to help such industries. Sunil Mehta, chief executive of the Indian Banks Association, said he has submitted a proposal to the government to extend tax relief and other emergency measures to airlines and others so that they won't collapse and contaminate lenders’ loan books. He said that collapse of any industry would have a very bad impact on the balance sheets of the banks.Even before the pandemic, the financial system had been rocked by a

series unfortunate events.

In March, Yes Bank, a fast-growing previously private lender, was the subject of a central bank-led rescue by SBI and a consortium of investors.

While the ratio of nonperforming loans had eased from a 2018 peak of 11 per cent, credit rating agency S&P expects it to rise back as high as 14 per cent in the financial year ended next March.Fitch estimates Indian banks will need anywhere from $15bn to $58bn next year to withstand the shock to their loan books. SBI said that it planned to raise ($2.7bn) in equity capital, joining a range of other private and public lenders like ICICI, Axis and Punjab National Bank in seeking to bolster their balance sheets. But weaker public-sector banks may require government support.

Ameera Shah-the entrepreneur behind Metropolis Healthcare Ameera Shah is the promoter and managing director of Metropolis Healthcare Ltd., a chain of diagnostic centers with a loyal customer base across India, South Asia, Africa and Middle East.

Metropolis delivers over 16 million tests annually and is rated amongst the top 1% laboratories globally for its quality systems and protocols. For the last 20 years, Ameera has focused on delivering sustained growth, built and led corporate functions, including finance, strategy, business process optimization, innovation, investor relations etc. Under her leadership, Metropolis raised the bar of diagnostic accuracy, technological equipment, customer experience and research driven, empathetic service.

She has been responsible for corporatizing Metropolis by setting protocols, hiring expert professionals for the management team and also bringing together a fully actualized board.

Named amongst ‘Asia’s Most Powerful Women in Business’ by Forbes Asia and ‘Fifty Most Powerful Women in Business’ by Fortune India, Ameera is recognized as a global thought leader in the healthcare industry. She has also played an instrumental role in changing the pathology industry landscape in the country. Following the imposition of the nationwide lockdown, the 40-year-old entrepreneur found herself at the centre of a maelstrom, trying to help her company ramp up its coronavirus

Ameera Shah

testing capacity amid the severe disruption.

For years, she fought the stereotype that young women lacked seriousness, as she transformed her father’s small pathology lab into a listed company valued at nearly $1bn on the Bombay Stock Exchange. Now, she knew it was critical to manage her own emotions and keep a cool head to face the onslaught.“Thankfully we know how to operate in chaos,” she recalls. Testing kits, reagents, protective

equipment and other necessary items were in short supply, leading to fierce competition by rival labs for stocks. “It was a struggle,” she says.

“Ten of us were all fighting for the same chemicals and nobody was giving consistent supply.”

Government testing policy was another frustration.

While New Delhi urged private labs to scale up, state and city governments had their own testing criteria often highly restrictive.

“While battling government authorities over access to testing, the entrepreneur also had to devise ways for Metropolis to withstand the financial shock of lockdown, as nearly all medical services - except emergency care and coronavirus treatment - were suspended, a huge blow to private healthcare businesses. Ameera worked

“day and night” with lawyers to prepare arguments against the order. It was finally rescinded, though many states have since imposed price caps on coronavirus tests. By late April, the strain had left Ms Shah “bonetired”.

Metropolis’ roots lie in the in-house lab of a small 10-bed private nursing home run by her grandfather, a prominent Mumbai doctor.

In the late 1980s, her pathologist father, Dr Sushil Shah, moved the lab into bigger, independent premises. She leveraged her father’s reputation, and the frequent but mistaken assumption that he was driving the project. As the network grew, Metropolis also built a high-tech centralised laboratory in Mumbai to carry out the most sophisticated tests of samples collected from across India.

Google plans $4bn investment for stake in Jio platforms A day after Google said it would invest $10 billion in India, the US company is considering to spend a good portion of that amount for a stake in Jio Platforms. The move is part of its plan to join rival Facebook in upping its play in one of the world’s biggest internet services markets.

Google, according to Bloomberg, is in talks to acquire a $4-billion stake in Jio, the digital technology arm of billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries (RIL). If the talks convert into a transaction, then Google

will be the second strategic investor in Jio after Facebook, with a seat on the board of the Indian company.

Facebook has spent $5.7 billion for a 9.9% stake in Jio. While announcing its $10billion commitment to India, Google CEO Sundar Pichai had said that the company will route the investment through equity deals, partnerships and other

structures. The US tech major already has investments in Indian companies such as local delivery app Dunzo. Google, whose Android mobile operating system powers a bulk of India’s 500 million smartphones, is looking at various opportunities to ramp up its play here. And Jio, which counts 400 million subscribers on its wireless network, offers the largest base of customers. So far, RIL has sold a quarter of Jio to 12 foreign investors, raising £11.8 billion ($16 billion) in total.

Another horse enters the race

Suresh Vagjiani, Sow & Reap Properties Ltd

I’d like to apologise for last week’s article; the stamp duty holiday does not work in a step fashion as indicated, instead by a graduation.

Back to this week’s article: Interesting times currently, I have been told there are many who have simply closed shop in regards to doing further property deals, in anticipation of a further lockdown in the economy, there is more to come they say.

Fewer buyers means less people going for deals, therefore more deals to be had, or so the logic goes.

Property is ingrained in the psyche of the UK population, they intrinsically trust property as a store and upliftment for wealth.

In reality, all that will occur is investors will be choosier about the deals they do and will be more ruthless in regards to price.

This point was well demonstrated this morning when my solicitor got an email from the seller of a building we hold the contracts for to say they had another contract issued, and were putting us on notice. This means we are in a race. A few years ago I would have rushed, but not anymore.

The existence of another buyer on the scene need not rush us, let the other party rush if they wish.

We will only be buying on our terms or not at all.

Gazumping normally happens in a rising market where prices increase with time, therefore, if you don’t jump on the train right now you will lose money by jumping on later when prices have increased.

Currently, it is happening to us right now, although the motivation for this phenomenon is different. There are still only a finite number of good quality deals in the market place. The choicest ones will be well sought after, therefore there will inevitably be competition. Even though in the current environment you have investors who have simply refused to even enter the market.

I may have inadvertently let the cat out of the bag when I approached the neighbouring property owner regarding identifying access.

It will be interesting to see where this deal lands later on in this week.

INDIA RECORDS TRADE SURPLUS AFTER 18 YEARS ndia’s exports fell for the fourth straight month in June as shipments of key segments like petroleum and textiles declined but the country’s trade turned surplus for the first time in 18 years as imports dropped by a steeper 47.6%. Exports in value terms declined by 12.4% to $21.9 billion in June on weak global demand due to Covid-19, official data showed. The outward shipments in June, however, recovered from a steeper decline of 60.3% in April and 36.5% in May. Imports also plunged for the fourth month in a row by 47.6% to $21.1 billion in June, leaving a trade surplus of $0.8 billion. It was in January 2002 when India last posted a trade surplus of $10 million.

ROSHNI NADAR IS NEW CHIEF OF HCL TECH Roshni Nadar Malhotra, India's wealthiest woman, is now the chairperson of HCL Technologies, the Noida-based IT company said. The 38-year-old succeeds her father, Shiv Nadar. The appointment of non-executive director Roshni to the new role takes effect immediately, the company said. Shiv Nadar will continue to be HCL Tech's managing director, with the designation as the chief strategy officer. Roshni has been the executive director and CEO of HCL Corporation, vice chairperson of the board of HCL Technologies, and trustee of the Shiv Nadar Foundation. At HCL Corporation, Roshni has been responsible for providing strategic guidance to the organisation. Roshni was inducted as an additional director on the board of India's third largest software exporter in 2013. This was four years after her appointment on the board of HCL Corp, the holding company of HCL Technologies and HCL Infosystems.

HOME SALES FALL TO DECADE LOW IN H1 OF ’20 Launches of new residential units and sales hit a decade-low in the first half of this year, a report from property consultancy firm Knight Frank showed. Launches were down 46% to 60,489 units compared to the year-ago period, while sales tanked 54% to 59,538 units. Inventory of unsold stock was stagnant, showing that negligible sales took place. “The residential real estate sector, which was already going through a rough patch, has got severely hit by the current crisis. With income uncertainty for future, demand for housing will take a hit,” Knight Frank India CMD Shishir Baijal said.

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PAKISTAN & BANGLADESH

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Pak court gives last chance to Sharif to appear in corruption case Lahore: A court notice was displayed at the residence of Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, giving him a final chance to appear before it on August 17 in a corruption case.

Sharif, the supremo of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), may be declared proclaimed offender if he does not appear before the court to defend himself in the Toshakhana (treasure house) corruption case.

“Proclamation under section 87 Cr. P.C. is hereby made that the said accused Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is required to appear before this court to answer the said reference on August 17,” the court notice said.

The Accountability Court of Islamabad had recently issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Sharif in the

Nawaz Sharif

Toshakhana case. Sharif is accused of taking cars from the treasury house by paying 15 per cent of the price of these vehicles.

Sharif, former Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari and former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani are also accused of receiving luxury vehicles and gifts from the treasure house.

Gilani had facilitated Zardari and Nawaz in this respect, alleges the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The court has directed the Foreign Office to execute the arrest warrants against Sharif through the Pakistan High Commission in London. He is residing in Avenfield Apartments in the UK. Sharif, 70, left for London in November after the Lahore High Court granted him four-week permission to go abroad for treatment. He had submitted an undertaking to the court to return to Pakistan citing his record of facing the law and justice within four weeks or as soon as he is declared healthy and fit to travel by doctors.

He was also given bail in the Al-Azizia Mills corruption case in which he was serving a sevenyear sentence in Kot Lakhpat Jail and in a money laundering case to facilitate his travel abroad.

Sharif has been diagnosed with “complicated coronary artery/ischemic heart disease.

His daughter Maryam Nawaz

had said her father was a highrisk patient and therefore, his cardiac catheterisation/coronary intervention had been postponed owing to Covid-19.

Last month, the country's anti-graft body filed a corruption reference against Nawaz Sharif, Jang/Geo media group owner Mir Shakilur Rahman and two others in a land case in the Lahore's accountability court. According to NAB, Sharif in 1986, when he was the Punjab chief minister, allotted 54 kanal land in Lahore to Mir Shakilur Rehman in violation of rules.

Rahman has been on judicial remand after his arrest by the NAB on March 12.

Since Sharif did not respond to any of the NAB's summons and questions, his arrest warrants had already been issued and the bureau announced to have moved the accountability court to declare him a proclaimed offender.

Pak govt lays artificial turf in Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara LAHORE: The Pakistan government has laid a 16,000 feet artificial turf in the courtyard of the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara to facilitate bare-footed pilgrims walk on the marble floor in the scorching heat, a top official said. Sikh pilgrims from Pakistan have been visiting the gurdwara after it was reopened on June 29 following its closure for three months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

'Astroturf was laid on the marble floor of the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib last week,' Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) spokesperson Amir Hashmi said.

He said the gurdwara floor is carpeted with 16,000 feet turf in the courtyard to facilitate pilgrims as they have to walk barefoot on the marble floor and in this hot weather, it is difficult to walk or sit on it.

Indian pilgrims are currently not visiting the gurdwara as India temporarily suspended the pilgrimage and registration for

the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara on March 16 in view of the coronavirus outbreak. Pilgrims of all faiths from India are allowed to undertake round the year visafree travel to the historic gurdwara in Pakistan's Punjab province.

“Still there has been no green signal from India to allow Sikhs to visit the gurdwara,” Hashmi said, adding Pakistani Sikhs, however, are visiting it since June 29. Sikhs from Pakistan and India are allowed to visit the Darabar Sahib by following the SOPs for social distancing. ETPB and Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee have made special arrangements for the safety of the pilgrims.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Pakistan had conveyed to the Indian side about its readiness to reopen the corridor in connection with the occasion of the death anniversary of Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjeet Singh on

June 29. Sources in the government of India in New Delhi had said Pakistan was trying to create a mirage of goodwill by proposing to reopen the corridor on June 29.

The sources also wondered why Pakistan proposed to reopen it in such a short notice of two days while a bilateral agreement on the corridor provided for information to be shared by both sides at least seven days before the date of travel. The 4km-long Kartarpur Corridor provides visa-free access to Indian Sikh pilgrims to

visit the Gurdwara, the final resting place of Sikh faith's founder Guru Nanak Dev, who had spent the last 18 years of his life in Kartarpur.

In November last year, the two countries threw open the corridor linking Dera Baba Sahib in Gurdaspur in India and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan, in a historic people-topeople initiative. Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara is located in Pakistan's Narowal district across the river Ravi, about four km from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine.

About 100 schools go up for sale in Bangladesh DHAKA: It was a heartbreaking decision for Nargis Akter to make. Burdened with unpaid bills, she had no other choice but to put her school up for sale.

Over the last four months, Ideal Public School in the capital's Matikata area saw its earnings plummet as most of the guardians were unable to pay tuition and other fees amid the Covid pandemic.

"I had my back against the wall… The pandemic posed unprecedented challenges... The amount of outstanding house rent and unpaid salaries of teachers and staffers are going up every month," said Nargis, the founder and head teacher of the kindergarten. If she fails to find a buyer, the school has to close its doors to 300 students and 25 teachers and staffers after 15 years of operation.

No one has yet showed any interest in buying it, said a frustrated Nargis. Every month, Nargis has to pay Tk 50,000 as house rent and Tk 70,000 in salaries of teachers and staffers.

Till June, the dues stood at about Tk 500,000.

The government announced closure of all schools from March 17 due to the corona virus pandemic. It's still uncertain when they will reopen. Nargis said they don't have any funds to meet the expenses as the school reached break even point only a few months back.

Many schools in and around the capital found themselves in a tight corner amid the pandemic.

The majority of the teachers at these schools have returned to their village homes and are in financial hardship.

About a hundred schools have been put up for sale over

the last few months, say people involved in the sector. Srijan Central School and College in Savar's Bypile area is one such institution. It has about 150 students and 15 teachers.

Its Chairman Shamim Iqbal said, "I was compelled to make such a difficult decision. I really feel bad when I think about my students. But what can I do? I need about Tk 100,000 a month to run this school. I am not getting any tuition fees."

Another school, Rajdhani Ideal High School in Basila area, was put on sale by its Director Faruk Hossain Ripon. Founded in 2015, the school has 170 students and 15 teachers.

"I have to pay dues of around TK 350,000 in house rent and salaries of teachers and staffers," Faruk said. With 250 students and 12 teachers, Phoolkuri Kindergarten and High School

in the capital's Mohammadpur has also been put up for sale.

Established in 2003, its monthly expenditure is about Tk 100,000. In April, school Director Takbir Ahmed gave advertisement for selling it. "No one has yet made any offer…," he said.

As the owners move to sell their schools in the middle of the academic year, the students of class V and VIII of these institutions may find themselves in a difficult situation. They are expected to take public exams in November this year.

Iqbal Bahar Chowdhury, chairman of Bangladesh Kindergarten School and College Oikya Parishad, said almost every day they get news that schools have been put up for sale. "As far as we know, about 100 schools have been put on sale.

in brief UN DESIGNATES PAK TALIBAN CHIEF AS A GLOBAL TERRORIST The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terror group’s chief Noor Wali Mehsud has been designated as a global terrorist by the UN for participating in the financing, planning and perpetrating acts on behalf of and in support of entities associated with al-Qaida.

The UN Security Council’s 1267 ISIL and AlQaida Sanctions Committee added Mehsud, 42, to the ISIL and Al-Qaida Sanctions List last week, subjecting the Pakistani national to an assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo. Mehsud was named TTP chief in June 2018 and the group was blacklisted by the UN in July 2011 for its links to Qaida.

“Under Wali’s leadership, TTP has claimed responsibility for many attacks across Pakistan, including an attack on security forces in North Waziristan in July 2019 and a bomb strike against Pakistani soldiers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in August 2019,” the committee said. The US state department’s bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs welcomed the move. “The US domestically designated Noor Wali as a terrorist in September 2019,” it tweeted.

7 PAK PM AIDES ARE DUAL NATIONALS At least seven members of Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s cabinet are either dual nationals or hold another country’s permanent residency, according to the details issued by the government amid growing demands by the opposition to disclose assets and nationalities of non-elected members. Information minister Shibli Faraz said the details had been made public on the instruction of PM Khan. All dual nationals were non-elected members and working as special assistants to the PM. In Pakistan, a foreign national cannot contest an election. The move comes amidst growing criticism of the government.

15-YEAR JAIL TERM FOR TWO LET MEMBERS Two leaders of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were sentenced to 15 years in jail in terror financing cases by a Pakistani antiterrorism court. 'Today the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Lahore concluded the trial of two leaders - Luqman Shah and Masoodur Rehman - of proscribed organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in two cases registered, investigated by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab police in 2019,' the CTD said in a statement.

The court found the accused guilty of terror financing under section 11-N of AntiTerrorism Act 1997. Along with the 15-year imprisonment, fines were imposed on both.

The CTD said the two convicts had committed offences of terror financing by managing the assets/properties of the LeT and by raising funds from them. “The prosecution successfully proved the offences by producing strong evidence wherein the convicts had collected funds for LeT and managed assets of LeT. The conviction and sentence will have big impact to stop terrorism financing in the country,” the CTD said.

HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE IN BELARUS PLAY 'HOLI' Amusement park, Dreamland, in Minsk, Belarus, organised a ColorFest festival, which saw hundreds of people in attendance.

Participants were seen having a gala time at the fest where they applied colours on each other and seen grooving to foot-tapping numbers. Here's a look at some pictures from the vibrant festival under the shadow of coronavirus pandemic

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in brief NETANYAHU’S GRAFT TRIAL TO BEGIN IN JAN Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial will begin in earnest in January with witnesses being heard three times a week, a court decided. Lawyers for Netanyahu, the first serving prime minister in Israel to go on trial, had asked for a six-month postponement to prepare their strategy. They suggested it would be difficult to gauge the truthfulness of witnesses wearing anticoronavirus masks, currently compulsory in Israel. Netanyahu's legal troubles have partly fuelled mounting street protests against him, with demonstrators citing his alleged corruption and handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has taken a turn for the worse in Israel. Israeli police used water cannons to disperse demonstrators from outside Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem and in Tel Aviv protesters blocking traffic clashed with police. Netanyahu was not required to appear at the court session.

MONGOLIAN TEEN DIES OF PLAGUE A 15-year-old boy has died in western Mongolia of bubonic plague, the country’s national news agency reported. The health ministry said laboratory tests confirmed the teenager died of plague that he contracted from an infected marmot, according to the Montsame News Agency. In an unrelated case in neighbouring China, a patient who was infected with plague in the northern region of Inner Mongolia is improving, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Xinhua said 15 people who had contact with the patient were released from quarantine. The government has ended its emergency response.

US TROOPS LEAVE 5 AFGHAN BASES AS PART OF DEAL WITH TALIBAN US troops have left five bases in Afghanistan and the number of servicemen in Afghanistan has decreased as part of the peace agreement reached with the Taliban in Qatar in February, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said. According to the envoy, 135 days have passed since the agreement was signed and now the sides have reached a "key milestone" in its implementation. "The US has worked hard to carry out the first phase of its commitments under the agreement, including to reduce forces and depart five bases. NATO troops have come down in proportional numbers," Khalilzad said on Twitter. A US official said that the bases were located in Helmand, Uruzgan, Paktika and Laghman provinces. Khalilzad also condemned the latest Taliban attack near the National Directorate of Security office in Samangan province that killed 10 people and injured dozens of others.

FLOYD'S FAMILY SUES CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS, FOUR POLICE OFFICERS George Floyd's family filed a lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis and the four police officers charged in his death, alleging the officers violated Floyd's rights when they restrained him and that the city allowed a culture of excessive force, racism and impunity to flourish in its police force. The civil rights lawsuit, filed in US District Court in Minnesota, was announced by attorney Ben Crump and other lawyers representing Floyd's family members. "This complaint shows what we have said all along, that Floyd died because the weight of the entire Minneapolis Police Department was on his neck," Crump said in a statement. "The City of Minneapolis has a history of policies, procedures and deliberate indifference that violates the rights of the detained, particularly Black men, and highlights the need for officer training and discipline." Crump said the lawsuit seeks to set a precedent "that makes it financially prohibitive for police to wrongfully kill marginalised people " especially Black people " in the future".

Uhuru calls national summit as Kenya's Covid-19 cases surge NAIROBI: President Uhuru Kenyatta has called a national and county governments' summit on Covid-19, following a surge in the cases in Kenya. The Fifth Extraordinary Session of the National and County Governments Coordinating Summit will take place on July 24.

A press release from State House noted that cases of the virus have so far been reported in 44 out of Kenya's 47 counties.

The session will review virus containment measures and the impact of the phased easing of restrictions earlier put in place.

Among the restrictions were a cessation of movement order for hotspot counties and the closure of restaurants as well as churches.

So far, President Kenyatta has lifted the ban on intercoun-

lution of Covid-19 and medical models on how it may spread locally in August and September, which are expected to be the peak infection periods.

As of July 20, Kenya had confirmed a total of 13,771 cases of the virus, with the number of infections for the day being 418. On July 18, Health Cabinet Uhuru Kenyatta Secretary Mutahi ty movement and allowed the Kagwe announced a record 688 reopening of restaurants and infections in a single day, the churches but with the requirehighest ever reported in the ment to strictly observe guidecountry. lines for curbing the virus. The State House Spokesperson summit will also assess county Kanze Dena said, "The preparedness and evaluate the President calls on all Kenyans to overall national response and continue applying the simple capacity to handle the yet most effective individual pandemic. and collective measures that are It will also discuss the evothe best weapons against

Covid-19."

The primary measures are wearing face masks in public, applying correct face and hand hygiene at all times, maintaining social distancing and adhering to all guidelines given by the Health ministry.

The President and Health ministry officials led by Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe have been reiterating the call for the public to observe basic measures for preventing infection but some, including political leaders, have carried on with meetings.

In areas such as slums, residents say they would like to follow the guidelines but challenges including limited spaces that do not allow social distancing due to the sharing of basic amenities, and the lack of money to buy masks and other protective items.

NRM 'rebel' MPs meet Museveni, seek pardon KAMPALA: NRM Members of Parliament who defied and voted against several party positions have met the party chairman and President Yoweri Museveni, and sought forgiveness. "We are here as your sons and daughters. We request you to forgive us and we move on," said Kumi Woman MP, Monica Amoding, on behalf of her 16 colleagues, while meeting with Museveni at State House Entebbe.

At the meeting also attended by the NRM Secretary General Justine Kasule Lumumba, were MPs; Theodore Ssekikubo (Lwemiyaga), Barnabas Tinkasimire (Buyaga West), Mbwatekamwa Gaffa (Kasambya), Muyanja Ssenyonga (Mukono South), Kibalya Maurice (Bugabula South), Sylvia Rwabwogo (Kabarole Woman) and Sam Lyomoki (Workers). Others were; Michael Timuzigu (Kajara), Moses Adome (Jie), Susan Amero (Amuria Woman), James

Kaberuka (Kinkizi West), Robert Migadde (Buvuma), Sarah Nakawunde (Mpigi Woman), Evelyn Chemutai (Bukwo Woman), Dennis Sabiiti (Rubanda) and Anthony Semuli (Mubende Municipality).

Museveni welcomed the members back into the fold, saying he would table their request for forgiveness before the party's Central Executive Committee (CEC). At the CEC meeting, it was resolved that in order to maintain cohesion and discipline, the party leadership further interacts with the MPs to further guide them.

Emphasizing the importance of unity, Museveni told the MPs that what should pre-occupy them is the future of the African race. "The issue we are dealing with is not terms limits or age limits but survival of the African race," he said, adding: "We do not have a strong black nation like the US, Russia, India, China."

Museveni warned the MPs against preaching parochial pol-

President Yoweri Museveni together with the Secretary General Kasule Lumumba pose for a group photograph with some of the rebel

itics of identity, guiding that they should instead focus on wealth creation for the people.

"Because people are now waking up, we are having a lot of food, sugar, milk, bananas etc. Do not talk about your tribe or religion but talk about prosperity and wealth creation," he said.

Ssekibubo told the President that the group was ready to support and work with him. "When duty calls we are here and ready for deployment," he said.

Tinkasimire, who thanked the SG Lumumba for organising the

meeting, said they wanted the NRM party to recognize them and they would in return work for it. He commended President Museveni for being a father figure and a great leader.

Rwabwogo reiterated their commitment to work with Museveni while Lyomoki said their presence in Parliament was due to the NRM revolution.

"Without your revolution, we wouldn't be in that Parliament so thank you for this opportunity and please forgive us," said Lyomoki.

Tanzania presidential election on Oct 28 DODOMA: Tanzania's election commission has set October 28 as the date for the country's highly anticipated presidential election. In a statement, the commission said the election campaign would run from August 26 to October 27.

President John Magufuli will be seeking re-election after being chosen earlier this month as the candidate of the governing Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party.

Chadema, the main opposition party, has several candidates vying for the nomination, including Deputy Chairman Tundu Lissu who lives in exile in Belgium after being shot outside his home in 2017. Party leader Freeman Mbowe, who was hospitalised last month with a broken leg after his party said he was beaten in a "politically-

parliament and local councillors.

The opposition has called for the formation of an independent electoral commission, expressing fears the elections will take place in a climate of violence and intimidation.

Magufuli has pledged "free and fair" polls. The president, who took office in John Magufuli 2015 promising to crack down on corruption and motivated" attack, has also expand the country's road and announced his intention to run. railway network, has been Meanwhile, former Foreign accused of narrowing freedoms Affairs Minister Bernard Membe and increasing authoritarianism. last week switched allegiance During his first term, newsfrom CCM to the opposition papers have been shut down, Alliance for Change and and the work of non-governTransparency (ACT Wazalendo), mental organisations has been and is seeking their nomination severely restricted, with rights to run against Magufuli. groups and opposition parties Tanzanians will also vote on the accusing Magufuli's government same day to elect members of of curbing human rights. The

government has denied seeking to stifle dissent.

Meanwhile, opposition politicians and critics in recent month have accused authorities of covering up the true extent of the coronavirus pandemic.

Tanzania has not updated its number of virus cases since late April, and Magufuli has declared Covid-19 defeated. The president has recommended prayer, exercise and herbal medicines as the best ways to combat the pandemic, but also reminds Tanzanians to wash their hands regularly.

On Monday, Magufuli reiterated his claim that Tanzania has no Covid-19 patients, and urged international tourists to visit the East African country.

"That's why we are all not wearing face masks here. You think we don't fear dying? It's because there is no Covid-19," he said.

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Canadian govt distancing itself from Khalistanis OTTAWA: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in his second avatar, seems wiser to the separatists living in Canada and advocating violence against India. Most importantly, his minority government is distancing itself from the socalled ‘referendum 2020 for Khalistan.’The bogus ‘referendum’ by the US-based ‘Sikhs For Justice’ group was always a lot of hot air – and with the pandemic bursting the balloon completely, traction for trash talk is low. Canadian members of parliament are increasingly embarrassed by Khalistani voices, at least in public.

It took a lot of pushback from India, and a little selfrealisation by Trudeau and the Khalistan-friendly liberals, to face the ugly truth of diaspora politics. Trudeau’s disastrous 2018 trip to India in which a convicted Sikh terrorist was part of his entourage also clarified the mind some. It’s slowly dawning on the ruling Liberal Party that a small group of Canadian Sikhs managed to ruin bilateral

Justin Trudeau

relations with India in recent years. No senior Indian official bothered to visit, and slowly, the clueless in Ottawa began to realise that being ‘Khalistan Central’ was not good for Canada.

That a minority within a minority shouldn’t be allowed to intimidate, traumatise and control the half-a-million strong Sikh community, most of whom don’t support extremism. Now Canada appears to be taking some belated action. It helped that India and Canada signed an anti-terrorism cooperation agreement in February 2018. To say that Canada’s learning curve on Khalistan has been long and tortuous would be an

understatement. It will be long before the inflated importance of Khalistanis is minimised in Canadian politics, but a few things are changing. It’s slowly dawning on the ruling Liberal Party that a small group of lawbreaking Canadian Sikhs managed to ruin bilateral relations with India in recent years. Earlier this month, the government designated nine Sikh extremists living abroad as ‘terrorists’ under the Unlawful (Prevention) Activities Amendment Act or UAPA 2019.

At least two Canada-based Khalistanis with links to Pakistan’s ISI are now on a no-fly list. Charges against Bhagat Singh Brar and Parvkar Singh Dulai by Canada’s Security Intelligence Service include planning attacks in India, siphoning gurdwara funds, weapons procurement and radicalising youth.

The nine include Vancouverbased Hardeep Singh Nijjar and New York-based Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The noisy Pannun is behind ‘referendum 2020’, but these days he is making increasingly desperate

moves writing to Chinese President Xi Jinping to praise his army’s intrusions into Indian territory, and to Russian President Vladimir Putin, to ask for help in the UN Security Council.

The ISI masterminds are clearly at a loss - the referendum is suffering a slow death by pandemic, but they can’t blame iron brother China for spawning the virus. The pandemic prevented Baisakhi parades in Canada this year, which means there were no politicians to flaunt, no floats and posters of Bhindranwale to incite the young. The Indian High Commission is also taking a more pro-active stance against incitement of violence against India on certain ethnic radio stations and TV channels in Canada. It recently lodged a strong protest with the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission against PTN24, a Punjabi channel, for a programme aired on 26 April brimming with vitriol and glorification of Sikh assassins of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Indian-American Sarah Gideon gets Biden's endorsement for US Senate WASHINGTON: US Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has endorsed Indian-origin American politician Sara Gideon in her race for the US Senate race from the State of Maine. Gideon, 48, is currently the Speaker of the Maine State Assembly. She won the Democratic primary early this week to challenge incumbent four-time Republican Senator Susan Collins, 67, in the November polls.

'I want to congratulate Sara Gideon on her win in Democratic primary,' Biden said in a statement. Daughter of Indian-American father and Armenian mother, Gideon has already attracted the attention of the entire Democratic Party from across the nation and has raised a massive USD 23 million, which is a Maine record.

Democrats are pinning a lot of hope on her to get them a majority in the Senate.

“This November, we need to restore the soul of America by ending the presidency of Donald Trump. To do that, I need the help of every voter in Maine,' Biden said. 'But ending the Trump nightmare is not enough.

We can't just go back to the way things were. We need to make progress on health care, the climate crisis, criminal justice reform, our courts, and so much more. And to do that, I need Sara Gideon in the US Senate,' the former vice president said.

After entrepreneur Rik Mehta, Gideon is the second Indian-American to have won a Senate primary race this election season. Both are the first IndianAmericans to win the primaries in their respective states.

'Sara has been a leader on expanding health care coverage and lowering costs. On fighting against opioids and fighting for working families. She's taken on the drug companies and she's

fought for the environment. I support Sara Gideon for US Senate and hope you will too,' Biden said.

Gideon said she is honoured to have Biden's support in this race. 'I know that together, we will make real progress on the issues that matter most to Mainers,' she said. 'Here in Maine, we've fought to expand access to affordable health care, passed meaningful prescription drug reform, and set ambitious goals to fight climate change - and that's the kind of leadership Mainers and Americans need in Washington.

The future of our country is at stake in this election, and I'm proud to stand with Joe Biden to win back the White House and flip the Senate in November,' Gideon said. Earlier, Maine Governor Janet Mills announced

Sara Gideon

the endorsement of Gideon in the Maine US Senate race, citing her record work in the State House - affordable health care, strengthening access to reproductive rights, passage of property tax relief, among others.

“Sara Gideon has a proven track record of standing up for Maine families no matter what, and I’m proud to endorse her in this race,” said Mills.

Indian students lead anti-racism protest in US WASHINGTON: The antiracism campaigns across the globe are gaining momentum in every part of the world with the USA being the forefront of it.

Athletes, working professionals, as well as students, are condemning the racial practices on the field, at workplaces and schools/colleges.

Hundreds of thousands are coming on the roads demanding equal treatment towards the people of colour. The movement Black Lives Matter has been gaining pace ever since the death of George Floyd - the 46-year-old American. Indians are no different in this struggle and two

Indian students, including national high jump recordholder Tejaswin Shankar, are leading an anti-racism campaign on the campus of Kansas State University in the US. The controversy on Kansas State University campus erupted on June 23, when the president of a student group called 'America Students First', Jaden McNeil posted on Twitter: "Congratulations to George Floyd for being drug-free for an entire month."

An emergency Zoom meeting of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee was held in the wake of Neil's tweet and

being the marketing chair Tejaswin was part of the meeting. Tejaswin has supported several other athletes of colour on a sports scholarship at the university by threatening an immediate pull-out from training and competition if the "hateful remarks" from the fellow students continued. In an interview, Tejaswin claimed he had only taken a principled stand by standing with athletes of colour.

Another Indian student Vedant Kulkarni is leading another fight by voicing the concerns of the international students in the wake of the US Immigration and Customs

Enforcement announcement that international students in the US will have to return to their home countries if they are enrolled in programmes that are entirely online for the fall semester. Kulkarni, who is majoring in Management Information Systems and Mass Communication and is Director of the Student Governing Association (International Affairs), was hounded by McNeil and his supporters on Twitter.

Responding to Kulkarni's tweet that international students deserve to be in the USA, McNeil said: "You are entitled to nothing.

in brief TRUMP TO RESUME TELEVISED BRIEFINGS US President Donald Trump announced that he will resume his televised coronavirus briefings, saying he wants to tout positive news, even as the pandemic spreads across the country. “I think it’s a great way to get information out to the public,” he told reporters at the White House. “We’re doing very well in so many different ways.” The White House held dozens of coronavirus briefings over two months in the early stages of the pandemic, but abandoned them in late April. Trump often turned what were billed as opportunities to provide the anxious public with information into testy exchanges with reporters in the room. He then angrily ditched the events after a briefing in which he drew widespread ridicule for musing on air about the possibility of injecting household disinfectant to combat Covid-19.

He later said he had been speaking “sarcastically,” although there was no evidence of this at the time. The president has consistently sought to play down the severity of the health crisis, saying it will “disappear” by itself. But with the virus on the rebound, tearing through Florida and other major states, he finds himself accused of failing to lead. He is also dropping ever further in polls against his November presidential challenger Democrat Joe Biden.

Trump said the briefings would home in on good news regarding vaccine development and therapeutics.

RABBI HURT IN CALIFORNIA SYNAGOGUE SHOOTING ADMITS FRAUD The longtime leader of a Southern California synagogue who was wounded in a deadly attack at the house of worship he founded pleaded guilty to participating in a multimilliondollar fraud that disguised charitable contributions for personal gain. Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for fraud but prosecutors will recommend probation as part of a plea agreement. Robert Brewer, the US attorney in San Diego, said it was “a very difficult day for all of us.” “His role after the 2019 terrorist attack was exemplary,” Brewer said at a news conference.

Goldstein, who founded Chabad of Poway near San Diego in 1986, collected $6.2 million in fake donations to the synagogue and affiliates and returned 90% to contributors with phony receipts, allowing them to deduct the full amount from their taxes, prosecutors said.

Goldstein kept the remaining 10%, or $620,000, for himself. Goldstein acknowledged concealing a fake donation of more than $1.1 million in late 2017 by purchasing about $1 million in gold coins and giving them to the phony donor.

130 ACCOUNTS HIT

BY CYBER ATTACK THIS WEEK: TWITTER Twitter Inc disclosed that hackers targeted about 130 accounts during the cyber attack this week, an incident in which profiles of many prominent personalities and organisations were compromised. Twitter said that the hackers were able to gain control to a “small subset” of the targeted accounts, and send tweets from them. The company added that it was continuing to assess whether the attackers were able to access private data of the targeted accounts. Twitter reiterated that it was working with impacted account owners.

The FBI’s San Francisco division is leading an inquiry into the hacking, with many Washington lawmakers also calling for an accounting of how it happened. The law enforcement agency said that cyber attackers committed cryptocurrency fraud in the incident. Publicly available blockchain records show the scammers got over $100,000 worth of cryptocurrency.

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PM Modi calls for multilateralism India's Covid tally touches 11,55,000 with reformed UN Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it was important to “assess the UN's role and relevance in today's world” while making a strong pitch for a “reformed multilateralism”.

“Multilateralism needs to represent the reality of the contemporary world.

Only reformed multilateralism with a reformed UN at its centre can meet the aspirations of humanity.

Today, while celebrating 75 years of the UN, let us pledge to reform the global multilateral system. To enhance its relevance, to improve its effectiveness, and to make it the basis of a new type of human-centric globalisation," the PM said while addressing the high-level segment of the UN-ECOSOC session last week, the first time after India rejoined the UNSC for two years.

His virtual address was followed by Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, who made a case for pre-

serving the UN system and supporting it rather than changing it "unilaterally”.

Modi started by strongly articulating the doubts being raised about the UN's effectiveness.

India extends Covid aid to over 150 countries Modi said, “This year, we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.

It is an occasion to recognise UN's many contributions to human progress.

It is also an opportunity to assess the UN's role and relevance in today's world, and to shape a better future for it.”

cited newly He launched Indian initiatives to set up the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure as practical manifestations of multilateralism in action to address climate change, which “brings together all relevant stake-holders for a comprehensive approach”.

The session was attended by Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg and UN secretarygeneral Antonio Guterres.

Modi said, “We have always prided ourselves as the first responder in our

region - a friend in need.

Be it earthquakes, cyclones or any other natural or man-made crisis, India has responded with speed and solidarity. In our joint fight against Covid, we have extended medical and other assistance to over 150 countries. We also helped create a Saarc Covid emergency fund in our neighbourhood.”

Reminding the UN session that an Indian was the first president of the first ECOSOC, Modi highlighted the fact that India, one of the largest members of the UN system and the oldest, did not yet head even one of the bigger UN organisations.

China heads three.

“From the very beginning, India has actively supported the UN’s development work and the ECOSOC. The first president of ECOSOC was an Indian. India also contributed to shaping the ECOSOC agenda,” the PM Modi said.

India's coronavirus tally stands at 11,55,191 cases after 37,148 new infections were recorded in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry said, adding that the country recorded 587 deaths linked to the highly contagious since Monday.

More than 720,000 patients have recovered so far. A total of 28,084 Covid-19 linked deaths have been recorded since the beginning of the pandemic. India is the third worst-hit country by the pandemic after the United States and Brazil.

Maharashtra continues to report the highest number of cases, followed by Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat and West Bengal. Congress leader Marri Shashidhar Reddy alleged that there is a lack of transparency by Telangana government with regard to releasing the Covid-19 bulletin.

"We have been saying from the beginning that there is lack of transparency. The bulletins that are been put by the Telangana Government do not follow any standard proforma and the information is put out very selectively. Nowhere in the country and world have there this kind of lack of transparency," the Congress leader said. "I do not know who the state government is trying to fool. The data that is available is not complete for any meaningful decisions to be taken," he added.

Gujarat reports record 965 cases in a day Gujarat recorded yet another high daily tally with 965 cases in 24 hours, taking the state’s caseload to 48,441. It's the state's seventh consecutive day of 900-plus cases and 17th highest daily tally in July. The state also recorded deaths of 20 Covid-19 patients in 24 hours, taking the death toll to 2,147. It was the state’s highest daily death toll in the past fortnight.

The new cases included 285 from Surat, 212 from Ahmedabad, 79 from Vadodara and 49 from Rajkot. The deaths included nine from Surat, six from Ahmedabad, two from Dahod and one each from Bhavnagar, Gir Somnath and Jamnagar.

With the update, the state now has 11,412 active cases, which are 23.6% of total cases. The share of discharged and deceased patients in total tally is 72% and 4.4%.

India firmly asks China to pull back from intruded areas The Indian side last week told China that its troops need to vacate the intrusions in the Pangong area and elsewhere and nothing short of restoration of preMay 5 status quo will do. India conveyed its strong position in the last round of talks between Indian and Chinese military commanders.

The long discussions were held, as were previous exchanges, in a cordial manner but the Indian messaging was insistent and underlined that a Chinese pullback is simply non-negotiable. The tonality of the conversation would not leave any doubt on this score, said a source.

While official statements point to the complicated and time-consuming verification process for disengagement, Indian commanders put across their bottom line unambiguously in the course of the talks with the Chinese official.

integrated combined force in high altitude terrain” in the presence of defence minister Rajnath Singh.

The intent was to demonstrate that Indian capacities in the region now pack a punch.

The unsaid signal to China is evident: Rajnath Singh visting border areas That India will not shirk from use of The position on Depsang, force - and is in fact very well prewhich China claims to be within its pared in this respect - as it seeks side of the LAC, is similar. The restoration of status quo ante. The Indian view is that the Chinese readiness to use military muscle must sit down and discuss where comes even as India pursues a the LAC lies and avoid provocative negotiated easing of tensions along acts. “It cannot be that neither the the LAC. line is discussed nor is there an end The Indian position, said an to intrusions,” said the source. official, has found support internaIndian forces buttressed the tionally. The operational and inteldiscussions with a significant exerligence cooperation from friendly cise demonstrating “application of nations has considerable value and

points to China’s current isolation, said officials.

Won’t allow anyone to grab land: Rajnath No force in the world can grab Indian territory, asserted India's defence minister Rajnath Singh while addressing troops last week at the west bank of Pangong Tso, around 40 km from where Indian and Chinese militaries are in a stand-off in eastern Ladakh.

In comments during a visit that included a tour of forward areas in Ladakh where he witnessed combat drills with the latest weapon systems and platforms inducted by the armed forces, Rajnath said, “Talks are under way (with China) to resolve the border dispute…it should be resolved. But to what extent it can be resolved, I cannot guarantee. But let me assure you that no power in the world can either touch or capture even one inch of Indian territory.”

His remarks came at the inland lake, the north bank of which is the site of Chinese intrusions in the mountainous spurs - Fingers 4 to 8.

The minister, accompanied by Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Army chief General M M Naravane, said there would be nothing better than finding a solution through the diplomatic and military talks that were under way. Referring to the 20 Indian soldiers who were killed in the bloody skirmish with PLA troops in Galwan Valley on June 15, Singh said their sacrifice and bravery will not go in vain. “India is a country that has neither attacked any other nation, nor occupied anyone else’s territory. Our character has been that we have never tried to hurt the self-respect and dignity of any country. But if anyone tries to hurt the self-respect of India, we will not tolerate it and give a befitting reply,” he said.

Serum Institute of India starts making untested Covid-19 vaccine The coronavirus vaccine developed at the Oxford University will be in India by November and will ultimately cost Rs 1,000, said the Indian firm partnering the UK researchers. The manufacturing of the Covishield vaccine had started parallelly with the clinical trials, the first phase of which got positive results.

Adar Poonawala, the chief of the Serum Institute of India said that the decision to push in 200 million dollars into an untested drug took exactly 30 minutes - the risks were compounded by the fact that that if the clinical trials in the remaining phases do not get good results, the entire stock has to be destroyed.

The trial results published in The Lancet medical journal this

week said the vaccine had a favourable response in the first phase of clinical trials. It did not prompt any serious side effects and elicited antibody and T-cell immune responses.

The Serum Institute, which is the world's largest vaccine manufacturer, said it could take up to two years to inoculate all the people in India. "We are confident on going on to the Phase 3 trials in India in August and we forecast that it will take probably two to two-and-half months to complete... By November, we hope to launch the vaccine if the trials are positive and if the Drug Controller of India blesses it and says it is safe and effective," Poonawala said.

Along with the Indian population, half the stock of Covishield manufactured at the Serum

Institute will be exported - which would mean that out of roughly 60 million vials made each month, India will get 30 million.

Explaining the decision, Poonawala said even protecting our country first is seen as a patriotic duty, ultimately it will not work out in the country's best interests. In the era of globalisation, "health experts and economists have made it very clear that unless the whole globe is vac-

cinated and the vulnerable populations are protected, the fear factor will not allow factories and businesses to open everywhere, which means India, which is dependent on imports and exports, would also be affected,' he said.

The leaders of the country have "understood" the situation, he added. Asked who would get the vaccines first - corona warriors or the vulnerable population, he said the decision is best left to epidemiologists.

Explaining the situation, he said it is not known how effective the vaccine is going to be. A trial can only tell whether a vaccine is working but how well it is working, how many people it will protect is not known. "If you look at

all other vaccines, they're normally 70 to 80 per cent effective. So maybe 2 out of 10 people may still get the disease," he said. "So is it really going to protect you and save the day? Only time will tell," he added.

The Oxford vaccine is one of more than 100 being developed across the world and its human trials started on April 23. Clinical trials of seven others - some of them located in China and the US - are also being held.

Asked how the risky multi-million dollar decision was made, Poonawala said, "We just thought of it as a moral responsibility that we have to take this commitment and it was a 30-minute decision or less than that where we came to a unanimous conclusion that we have to just go ahead".

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in brief

Lockdown is not the solution to contain Covid: Karnataka CM BENGALURU: Lockdown is not the solution to contain the coronavirus, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said, as he dismissed requests by the Bengaluru municipal corporation to extend the cityspecific restrictions that end this week. He announced a slew of orders to track, test and treat Covid-19 patients, especially those above 65 years of age.

"Experts have said one week is enough. There will be no further extension of the lockdown," Revenue Minister R Ashok said.

Similar sentiments were expressed by Tejasvi Surya, parliamentarian from Bengaluru South, which has the highest number of Covid cases in the state capital which accounts for about 50 per cent of all cases in Karnataka. "The chief minister made it clear that the lockdown would not be extended at any cost. The limited lockdown was to catch up with backlog of cases, trace primary contacts and create medical

BS Yediyurappa

infrastructure," he said.

Steps to make efficient use of hospital beds were among the directives the Chief Minister gave to ministers and officials in charge of the Bengaluru municipal corporation's eight zones at a meeting. "We spoke about increasing the number of ICU and oxygen beds. We will also be talking to all medical colleges for creating Covid wards; private hospitals had promised 5,000 beds but haven't given any yet," Ashok said.

The chief minister ordered "strict action" against private hospitals that refuse admission

to patients. The directive comes amid increase in coronavirus infection among frontline healthcare workers, and no state support for their treatment.

Stating that Karnataka was conducting more tests than recommended by the WHO, medical education minister Sudhakar said, "We conducted 23,451 tests in a single day and 9,25,477 tests in the state so far...Within next 7-10 days testing capacity will be enhanced to conduct 40,000 to 50,000 tests per day." The Chief Minister also ordered increased police deployment to check crowding.

Row over minister's remark Karnataka health minister B Sriramulu's comment that "only God can help save us" has landed him in controversy amid attacks from the opposition parties.

Karnataka has replaced Gujarat as the fourth-worst affected state in the country after Maharashtra. "Worldwide the number of coronavirus cases is increasing. All of us should be

alert. Whether you are a member of the ruling party or in the opposition, rich or poor... the virus doesn't discriminate," the 48-year-old BJP leader told reporters. "The cases (in the state), I am sure will go up 100 per cent in the next two months.

One can keep claiming that it's because of the government's negligence or irresponsibility of the ministers or that cases are up because of a lack of coordination among the ministers. All of these allegations are far from the truth. Only God can save us from coronavirus," he added.

Hitting out at the BS Yediyurappa government over the health minister's remarks, Congress' DK Shivakumar tweeted: "Karnataka's health minister saying "Only God can save Karnataka" reflects poorly on @BSYBJP govt's ability to handle the Covid crisis. Why do we need such a govt if they cannot tackle the pandemic?

This govt's incompetency has left citizens to god's mercy. (sic)."

PUNJAB

Punjabi singer booked for promoting violence, gun culture CHANDIGARH: Police in Punjab booked singer Sidhu Moosewala on charges of promoting violence and gun culture with his latest song 'Sanju' - which was released on social media a few days ago.

Police will move the Punjab and Haryana High Court for cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to him in an Arms Act case.

Punjab ADGP and Director Punjab Bureau of Investigations, Arpit Shukla, said the singer had been booked at Mohali, on the basis of information received that his song 'Sanju', which is trending on various social media platforms, blatantly glorifies the use of weapons and boasts about the various FIRs, including the

Sidhu Moosewala

one under the Arms Act, registered against him.

The ADGP said the police would file a petition for the cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to Moosewala by the high court. Shukla said it had been verified that the latest video song, 'Sanju', was uploaded from Moosewala’s official YouTube channel. In the

song, Moosewala makes explicit references to the case registered against him under the Arms Act, and the video starts with a news clip of him being booked in the said case by Punjab Police for unauthorised use of an AK-47 rifle. In the video, Moosewala’s news clip is later merged with news reports of film actor Sanjay Dutt having been convicted and sentenced for similar offences.

Shukla said the lyrics of the song, as well as the video, promoted and glorified possession and use of illegal firearms, and boasted about registration of FIR as sign of a ‘real man’.

Shukla said the lyrics of the song not only promote the use of illegal firearms but also undermine the judiciary, the

police and the advocates. Shukla said Moosewala had earlier been booked for a similar offence on February 1 this year by the Mansa police. On May 4, he was booked by the Barnala police for various offences under the Disaster Management and Arms Act after his photographs of firing an AK-47 rifle at a firing range during the curfew went viral on social media. His latest act is clearly intended not only to ridicule, mock and undermine the police but also showed that the singer is incorrigible and had repeatedly committed such offences, said Shukla. The ADGP said the HC had already directed the DGP to ensure that no songs glorifying liquor, drugs and violence were played even at live shows.

WEST BENGAL

Bengal didn't handle migrants issue properly: Bombay HC MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court said the migrants' issue was not handled properly in West Bengal amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and the government there at one point of time even refused to permit labourers from other parts of the country to return to their homes.

A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Anuja Prabhudessai made the observation while hearing a petition filed by Centre of Indian Trade Unions, a Mumbai-based trade union body, raising concerns over the plight of migrant workers stranded in Maharashtra in the wake of the coronavirusinduced lockdown. According

to the petitioner, the process laid down by the Maharashtra government wherein migrant workers have to register themselves to travel by 'Shramik Special' trains to their native states was cumbersome and should be simplified.

The government last month told the court that presently there are no demands for 'Shramik Special' trains. Senior counsel Gayatri Singh, appearing for the petitioner, told the court that the governments submission that there are no stranded migrants who desire to go back to their native states was "incorrect".

"The petitioner has got in touch with several such migrant labourers and has learnt that

there are some 56,000 labourers who still want to travel back to their native states, Singh said, adding many of these labourers are from West Bengal.

The court, however, asked how can it accept this. "Do you know the situation in West Bengal? The government there at one point did not even permit migrant labourers to return...we do not want to say anything against anyone but the situation there was not handled properly, Chief Justice Datta said. He also gave an example of 30 labourers stranded in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra who had arranged a bus on their own and travelled to West Bengal a few months back. "Each and every migrant labourer is not banking upon the

state government. Many are making their own arrangements to travel back to their native states," the court said.

Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, appearing for the Maharashtra government, told the court that a similar matter pertaining to the issue of migrant workers was pending before the Supreme Court. The high court, after perusing the order passed by SC on July 9, noted that it was specific to Maharashtra. "The Supreme Court, in its order dated July 9, 2020, expressed its displeasure at the state governments reluctance to find out if there are migrants stranded in Maharashtra and were ready to leave for their native states.

TN LOGS NEW SINGLE DAY HIGH OF 4,979 COVID CASES Tamil Nadu on Sunday reported a new single day high of 4,979 fresh Covid-19 cases as the overall tally crossed 170,000 while 78 fatalities propelled the death count to 2,481. As many as 52,993 Covid samples were tested, the highest so far in a day, and the cumulative tests so far touched 19,32,492, a health department bulletin said. Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner G Prakash said the city civic body was the first in the country to have conducted 500,000 RT-PCR tests. Till July 18 from March, 500,000 tests were conducted, he said adding sample testing has been increased to 13,000 per day from about 4,500 (in recent times) in the Corporation areas. Of the dead were two men aged 22 and 37 and two 38- year old women and in total 75 had co-morbidities and 2,481 people have so far succumbed to the virus in Tamil Nadu.

SOCIAL REFORMER PERIYAR'S STATUE DESECRATED A statue of social reformer E V Ramasami 'Periyar' was found smeared with paint at Coimbatore and a youth belonging to a fringe pro-Hindu outfit has surrendered in this connection, police said. Chief Minister K Palaniswami, meanwhile assured of tough action. 'I have instructed the police to take appropriate action and bring the culprits to book,' Palaniswami said at Erode. After the incident, workers of DMK, MDMK, VCK and AIADMK protested demanding strong action against the culprits. Police said a young man in his twenties, Arun Krishnan, who is the Coimbatore south district organiser of Bharat Sena, has surrendered. The desecration comes against the backdrop of the arrest of two men, who subscribe to atheism, for denigration of 'Kanda Sashti Kavacham,' a popular, Tamil hymn held sacred and recited every day by millions of devotees in Tamil Nadu in praise of Lord Muruga/Skanda.

HEROIN WORTH £30 MN SEIZED Pakistani smugglers, taking advantage of the strong current in river Ravi, tried to push towards the Indian side high-grade heroine worth £30 million stuffed in football bladders, but the alert BSF personnel thwarted their attempt. The BSF men at the Nangli Ghat picket noticed 60 multi-coloured bladders tied together floating in the river. The bladders were covered with water hyacinth as a disguise and the smugglers were trying to control these using a nylon rope. The BSF seized the heroin and was in the process of handing it over to the Narcotics Control Bureau sleuths. DIG (Gurdaspur sector) Rajesh Sharma said he received a call regarding the sighting of some unidentified substance in the river. He along with fellow officers reached the scene within half an hour. Sharma said that the consignment was being controlled from the other side of the border using a long rope. Batala SSP Opinderjit Singh Ghuman said they were trying to track down the intended recipients.

BJP DEMANDS CBI PROBE IN DEATH OF PARTY MLA Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation led by party’s national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and Union Minister Babul Supriyo met President Ram Nath Kovind in Delhi over death of party MLA Debendra Nath Ray, whose body was found hanging. The delegation also apprised him about the “deteriorating” law and order situation in West Bengal. Vijayvargiya said, “Killing is being covered up as suicide. We asked the President for CBI probe as we don't trust any agency of Bengal government. We said that such a government has no right to be in power,” he added. Earlier, BJP workers observed a 12-hour 'bandh' in the districts of North Bengal over the death of party the MLA. Shops in Siliguri and Raiganj were seen shut. Ray’s body was found hanging in Bindal near his village home.

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

Anasuya Sarabhai: A Labour Leader from a Mill-owner family • She had deep respect for Gandhiji but was not a Gandhian, no interest in courting jail • Nehru invited her to lead the first Indian delegation to the ILO in Geneva, she declined ne would be surprised that the first woman trade union leader in India was from a Mill-owner family who’s younger brother was the President of the Ahmedabad Textile Mill-owners’ Association(ATMA). Inspiration of Mahatma Gandhi only can create such miracles. The Textile Labour Association (TLA) popularly known as Majoor Mahajan Sangh (MMS) was established by the trio - Gandhiji, Anasuya Sarabhai and Shankarlal Banker. MMS was one of the four organisations in the city that have the distinction of having been founded by the Father of the Nation between 1917 and 1920, the other three being Gujarat Vidyapith, Gandhi Ashram and Navjeevan Trust. Needless to say that at one time Ahmedabad was considered the Manchester of the East having so many textile mills.

O

doing unwomanly things like Under the mentorship of defying the government, getting Gandhiji, Anasuya Sarabhai (1885arrested and fighting heroic 1972), the pioneer of women’s labour battles. The Fabians were talking movement in India took lead to about social justice and trade establish the Majoor Mahajan Sangh unions and minimum wage. in 1920 after a month-long strike Under the influence of this three years prior to help weavers get a charged atmosphere, Anasuyaben 50 per cent wage hike while the mill decided to enroll in the London owners, including her younger School of Economics to study brother Ambalal Sarabhai, were ready labour and social welfare instead to concede only 20%. The Mahatma of pursuing medical studies. In went on a hunger strike and thus 1913, she received the news that obtained for the workers, a 35% her sister Kanta had died of increase in wages. Sarabhai was meningitis. She rushed home to called ‘Mota Ben’ (elder sister) by the India, to be by her brother’s side, workers. The Majoor Mahajan has never to return and resume her celebrated 100 years of its foundation studies. in the presence of Dr. Ela Bhatt, the Anasuya Sarabhai She started a school for the founder of Self Employed Women’s children of mill workers. Anasuyaben says: “I rented Association (SEWA) and a major contributor to the two rooms for two rupees each at the end of an alley labour movement. She has worked with Anasuyaben so I could have a small garden. I thought I would help as a Legal Officer with MMS. At present, she is the young girls. At that time, I assumed everybody who Chancellor of Gujarat Vidyapith. was poor was unhappy. In this way, I started working.

Ilaben puts the record straight: “Anasuyaben is The cost each month was around forty or fifty rupees, best known as the woman who joined hands with which my brother paid. One morning, I was sitting Mahatma Gandhi and led one of the earliest strikes in outside in the school compound combing the Ahmedabad (1917), and founded one of the largest children’s hair when I saw a group of some fifteen trade unions in India, the Majoor Mahajan Sangh workers walking by, as if in a trance. I got to know (TLA 1920). While that is true, what is more important some of them so I was no longer afraid of their wild to remember is that Anasuyaben had already led a looks. I waved them over, and asked, ‘What is the successful strike on her own, before Mahatma Gandhi matter? Why do you look so listless?’ They said, came onto the scene, and one can be so bold as to say ‘Bahen, we have just finished thirty-six hours of work.’ that it was Mahatma Gandhi who benefited in shaping ‘But doesn’t anyone stop you from working so many the idea of Satyagraha from her groundwork and the shifts?’ I asked. ‘Who would stop us? The factory trust she enjoyed among the mill workers of inspector eats dinner with the manager; he isn’t likely Ahmedabad.” to interfere. We have worked for two nights and a day Anasuyaben was born in 1885 in one of the most without a break, and now we’re on our way home.’ prominent Jain families of Ahmedabad. Maganbhai “These words filled me with horror. This was the Karamchand’s ancestors were enterprising merchants kind of slavery mill workers faced! What could I do to with a thriving textile and opium trade with China. change this situation? Then I found out that even His son Sarabhai and grandson Ambalal were among children worked double shifts. That troubled me to no the pioneers of the mechanized textile industry in end. I decided to do something to stop this. I had seen Ahmedabad. They were progressive in their outlook such situations in England working with the women in the family were literate, and according to suffragettes; I had heard those lectures on labor at the Anasuyaben, her mother enjoyed reading Shakespeare.

London School of Economics, so I understood the Her father Sarabhai was a gentleman. In 1918, during a issues. But I didn’t know what to do.” This was a trip to Kashmir he caught dysentery and within a few turning point in her life leading to establishing the short weeks died of dysentery. He was 31. His grief MMS. Once Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru invited stricken wife, who had been fasting fervently for his her to lead the first Indian delegation to the ILO in recovery was physically so weak, that she too fell ill.

Geneva, she declined. She was never seeking official She died just three months later. Her three children, roles or publicity. Anasuyaben lived a long life of 82 Anasuya aged nine, Ambalal aged five and Kanta a one years. During which, she broke many moulds and built year old infant, were left in the care of their father’s many institutions. She had deep respect for Gandhiji brother and their mother’s 15-year-old sister, who was but she was not a Gandhian. She did not have interest herself the mother of a newborn. in courting jail, and wore khadi reluctantly. More Unfortunately the uncle did not believe in often than not, she was surrounded by men, not educating girls. When Anasuyaben turned 13, she was women. Her close colleagues were Shankerla Banker, married to a boy from the Jain community. She was Gulzarilal Nanda and Khandubhai Desai. miserable. Separated from her brother and her little SEWA’s Ilaben concludes: “In her personal life she sister, unable to adjust to the ways of her new family, stayed close to her brother and his family. Her own and having no interest in her husband who was dull at household consisted of people who were not his studies, Anasuyaben Next Column related to her in anyway - Shankerlal Banker was found excuses to keep Jinnah opposed the her lifelong companion, the second most returning home. A friend had suggested that she Muslim League in 1906 important man in her life other than her brother. They had been comrade-in-arms since become a doctor. The idea the strike in Ahmedabad, and worked all their lives in of further studies appealed to her immensely. It was establishing and building the Majoor Mahajan Sangh. necessary to quietly escape from India to go to Their bond was strong, but their relationship defies England. For someone who had never walked down a categories, Narsimhan, came to her as a young servant street on her own, this was a big leap. boy, was adopted by Shakerlalbhai. Narsimhan’s little For six months she studied at a tutorial college, daughter Premvalli became Anasuyaben’s adopted finished her basic education, and passed the College of daughter. She left his family a significant part of her Preceptors examination. London was an exciting estate.” place in 1912. The suffragettes were on the streets,

Two Indian Covid vaccine candidates in crucial human trial phase Two vaccine candidates of India - Zydus Cadila and Bharat Biotech - entered crucial human trials phase this week. Zydus Cadila said that its vaccine candidate, ZyCoV-D, has entered the human trials stage. “The Adaptive Phase I/ II human clinical trials of its plasmid DNA vaccine, ZyCoV-D commenced today with the first human dosing. The Adaptive Phase I/II dose escalation, multicentric study will assess the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of the vaccine” the company said.

Zydus Cadila Chairman Pankaj Patel said, “This is an all important step in our fight against Covid -19.” ZyCoV-D was found to be safe, immunogenic, well tolerated in the pre-clinical toxicity studies, says Zydus Cadila. The vaccine was able to elicit high level of neutralising antibodies in animal studies. The Director General of ICMR Professor Balram Bhargava said, “It is a moral duty to develop them as fast as possible because more than half a million people have succumbed to the disease across the world. So, fasttracking these vaccine becomes very important.”

He was referring to two Indian vaccine candidates that have undergone successful toxicity studies in rats, mice and rabbits. Bharat Biotech has started human trials on its vaccine candidate. Covaxin is being developed by the Hyderabad-based biotech company and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and is India’s first indigenous Covid -19 vaccine. Zydus Cadila's ZyCoVD is the second.

Another significant development was Serum Institute's Oxford University's vaccine candidate being sent the Central Drugs Laboratory in Kasauli to determine the sterility. It takes at least 14 days

to test sterility, which is the first step critical to patient safety and a deciding factor on whether the vaccine candidate is safe for human dosage. A source at Serum Institute said, “Expect good news in August” on a question on how soon will the human trials start.

Significantly, US Biotech firm Moderna Inc's experimental vaccine showed it was safe and importantly provoking immune response. “mRNA-1273 was generally safe and well-tolerated, with no serious adverse events reported through Day 57.

Adverse events (AEs) were generally transient and mild to moderate in severity,” Moderna said in a statement. Moderna is in its phase 2 trial now, and will be starting phase three on July 27.

Interestingly, President Donald Trump tweeted ' Great News On Vaccines', presumably referring to Moderna but possibly even to news of British Pharmaceutical Company AstraZeneca's Vaccine candidate. "Positive news on initial trials of the University of Oxford’s potential Covid -19 vaccine that has been licensed to AstraZeneca could be announced soon, reported the ITV network. This is a vaccine which is already in Phase 3 trial stage. The data are expected to be published by The Lancet medical journal.

The World Health Organisation has identified the Covid-19 vaccine candidates developed by Oxford UniversityAstraZeneca and Moderna Inc as the front-runners.

Pak offers India third consular access to Jadhav After the second consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav for India turned out to be a non-starter, Pakistan offered another round of access to India claiming the meeting will happen this time without the presence of any Pakistan official.

This third consular access offer was announced by Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in a television interview. A note verbale was also sent to India saying Pakistan was willing to give “unhindered and uninterrupted” access to Jadhav.

India still weighing its options: Sources While India was still weighing its options, sources sounded sceptical as they mentioned that Pakistan had earlier this week too offered unconditional access and despite that had not allowed Indian officials to engage Jadhav in private on his legal rights.

Indian officials last week refused to meet Jadhav in the presence of Pakistani spies with surveillance apparatus installed at the meeting place in the foreign office. Confirming the offer, foreign office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said this time, Pakistan has offered to give consular access without the presence of security personnel. “The Indian authorities have been formally informed about the decision and that their response is awaited,” the spokesperson said, adding that the offer was made as a goodwill gesture. A day earlier, Farooqui had claimed that two consular officers of the Indian high commission were provided “unimpeded and uninterrupted” consular access to Jadhav. She did not provide details about what exactly transpired in the meeting between Indian officials and Jadhav.

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Foundation for Ram temple set to be laid on August 3 or 5 Finally, the ball was set rolling for the muchawaited construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya when the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerath Kshetra Trust decided to send a formal invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lay the foundation stone of the temple.

Sources said the Trust has proposed August 5 to PMO as the possible date for the ground-breaking ceremony (bhoomi poojan) and was hopeful of Modi making it. In fact, one of the members of the Trust, Kameshwar Chaupal, asserted that the PM has given his consent.

At the meeting of the Trust which decided to scale up the size of the Ram Mandir, there was consensus on two auspicious dates for ‘Bhoomi Pujan’ based on planetary configurations August 3 or August 5. The crucial meeting of the Trust was also attended by PM’s former principal secretary and chairman of temple construction committee Nripendra Misra.

“The Prime Minister’s Office will take the final call about the date,” said general secretary of the Trust, Champat Rai. This

India strongly protested against the construction of Diamer Bhasha Dam in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) by Pakistan and China, saying that the project will lead to submergence of large parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. “We condemn attempts by Pakistan to bring about material changes in Indian territories under its illegal occupation," MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in a weekly briefing.

was the first high-level meeting convened by the Trust in Ayodhya after the apex court ruled in favour of the temple at Ramjanmabhoomi.

Confirming the decision to invite PM Modi, Rai said it would launch a nationwide outreach to mobilise 100 million families after the monsoon to crowd-fund the project, which symbolises the ‘core of Hindu faith’.

PM’s presence would expedite project Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, spokesman of Ram Mandir Trust President

Nritya Gopal Das, said PM Modi’s presence at the ‘Bhoomi Pujan’ would expedite the project and give a message to scores of Hindus across the country.

He said it will take 3 to three and half years to complete the temple after the map is finalised. The Trust also agreed to make amendments to the design, laid down by Vishwa Hindu Parishad that spearheaded the temple movement for decades. Rai said there is a proposal to raise the height of the temple from 128 feet to 161 feet and increase the

India, EU to work towards achieving free trade pact A high level trade and investment dialogue between India and the European Union, set up after the first virtual IndiaEU summit last week, is expected to move to a broad based free trade agreement that has held out promise but has been stalled for the past seven years.

The convergence on economic initiatives was significant in the context of sluggish world growth in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and India and EU seeing the need for a closer embrace that includes shared strategic goals.

According to a, EU President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU sought an “ambitious” free trade deal with India and the high level dialogue would help the two sides towards achieving that goal.

India and the EU agreed to enhance convergences to ensure a “high level of protection of personal data and privacy, including through possible data adequacy decisions, with a view to facilitating safe and secure crossborder data flows between them”.

The reference is

India protests against construction of Diamer Bhasha Dam in PoK

important in view of concerns over China’s statesponsored data theft. The two sides also decided to engage on 5G and AI to foster “their safe and ethical deployment”.

In his inaugural remarks at the 15th EU-India summit, Prime Minister Modi said he was committed to enhance ties with the grouping, noting that a long-term strategic perspective should

be adopted to boost the relationship.

"We should go for an action-oriented agenda to expand ties and it can be implemented within a stipulated time frame," Modi said at the virtual summit.

Calling India and EU as "natural partners", the prime minister said the partnership is beneficial for peace and stability in the world.

In signal to China, Navy holds drill off A&N islands The Indian Navy is conducting a major exercise off the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago, in a clear display of strategic intent against China amid the ongoing military confrontation along the border in eastern Ladakh.

The Indian naval manoeuvres come at a time when two American super aircraft carriers, USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan, are conducting rare dual combat drills in the South China Sea, much to China’s chagrin. Sources said several Indian warships, including destroyers, frigates and submarines as well as maritime patrol aircraft, are conducting the exercise near the A&N archipelago, which dominates China’s critical sea lanes transporting the bulk of its energy and other trade through the Malacca Strait.

The exercise, led by eastern naval fleet chief Rear Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, is being conducted with warships and aircraft from both the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) and the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) headquartered in Visakhapatnam.

“Some warships deployed near the Malacca Strait are also taking part,” said a source.

number of conical domes from three to five. Also, there is a proposal to extend the temple circumference from 70 acres to 108 acres.

Chaupal said the decision to raise the height of the Ram Mandir was taken after consultations with all members. The discussions to alter the design have been on since the Supreme Court verdict, even though VHP underlined the need to adhere to the earlier model, depicted on various occasions like the Kumbh at Prayagraj.

"We have also consistently conveyed our protest and shared concerns with both China and Pakistan on all such projects in Indian territories under Pakistan's illegal occupation where it has no locus standi," Srivastava added. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is himself expected to visit the Diamer-Bhasha Dam project next week to review construction activities.

The project was marred by a delay of decades due to various contributing factors. However, the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government realigned the project prioritising the water and hydropower sectors in its development strategy, according to a Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) statement.

Following prompt decision-making by the government and an innovative financial plan by WAPDA to arrange funds for the construction of the project with meagre burden on the national exchequer, the dam will see the light of the day.

After Mohmand Dam, which was started in 2019, Diamer Bhasha Dam is the second mega multi-purpose dam that has been commenced in about a year.

Diamer Bhasha Dam, a vital project for water, food and energy security of Pakistan, is being constructed on the Indus River, 315 km upstream of Tarbela Dam, 180 km downstream of Gilgit, and 40 km downstream of Chilas town. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2028-29. The project has not only ravaged the natural resources of the illegally occupied territory but also left a large number of people homeless and povertystricken.

Obituary

The portrait of a grandmother

Anjani Devi Saxena [29.11.1933 -17.07.2020]

Shefali Saxena I was three when I was shocked to know that Mummy (my paternal grandmother) had-aname. We never called her Dadi, she was always, Mummy. She was born in a Kayastha household on November 29, 1933 as Anjani Johri in Bareilly. As a XIIth standard school drop out, she was married off to my grandfather, Late. Awadh Narayan Saxena at the age of 17. He was the son of an affluent zameendar and a postgraduate. She first saw him the night they were married. He was tall, dark and handsome with a deep seated voice. He loved his meat, liquor, nicotine and tea. Mummy, was a

vegetarian woman who was fair, beautiful and 4 ft 4 inches. The grey eyed lady with long curly hair.

She loved her shringar, her liquid bindi, her sindoor (she called it ‘sendur’), her dark red bangles, her emerald nose pin and toe rings. As a child I always made a weird geometric shape with the liquid on her forehead and believed it was round. She never erased it, but rather fixed it and made it round.

She taught me how to fold clothes - from crease to crease. She taught me how to avoid lumps while making ready to eat soup. I would sit on the kitchen counter and she lured me into liking karela (bitter gourd) with her interesting recipe. She was my milkmaid. She always got the temperature of the milk right, the exact amount of Bournivta and sugar. I did not have the concept of using a towel. No matter where she was in the ten bedroom home she and my granddad made together, I’d find her and wipe my face with her cotton saree.

She had a strong voice, and a stronger independent mind with a

dash of dominance in it, but extremely feminine in her ways. She could readwrite in Hindi and English.

I wrote letters to her while we both were in separate cities and later when I moved to London for higher studies, I called her every single day at 10 pm IST.She taught me the power of prayer. While many kids of my generation learnt the Gayatri mantra and Twameva mata shlok from K3G, I learned it from her.

Her recital echoes in my head till date. She read out every possible mythological story to me.

She died of multiple organ failure in Kolkata on July 17, 2020.

She was cremated in her cotton dhoti, red bangles, bichhue (toe rings), and Tulsi (she called it Tulsa Ji).

Incidentally, she passed away, exactly a day after my grandfather's 22nd death anniversary. I couldn’t see her one last time.

If you have grandparents who are still alive, tell them how much you love them, while they’re around. Give them a thousand hugs before the light dies.

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HEALTH

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25 - 31 July 2020

Indoor airborne spread of Covid possible: WHO The World Health Organisation has acknowledged the possibility of the airborne spread of Covid19 under certain conditions. Two scientists from Australia, and the US wrote an open letter published in a journal writing that studies have shown “beyond any reasonable doubt that viruses are released during exhalation, talking and coughing in micro-droplets small enough to remain aloft in the air.”

The researchers, along with 200 others, appealed for national and international authorities, includ-

ing WHO to adopt more stringent protective measures. While the organisation has long dismissed the possibility that the coronavirus is spread in the air except for certain risky medical procedures, it noted last week that stud-

ies evaluating Covid outbreaks in restaurants, choir practices and fitness classes suggested the virus may have spread in the air.

WHO said airborne spread “particularly in specific indoor locations, such as crowded and inade-

quately ventilated spaces over a prolonged period of time with infected persons cannot be ruled out.”

Officials also pointed out other modes of transmission, including contaminated surfaces or close contacts between people in such indoor environments.

The WHO has repeatedly stated such transmission is “rare” despite a growing consensus among scientists globally that asymptomatic spread likely accounts for a significant amount of transmission.

“The extent of truly asymptomatic infection in the community remains unknown,” WHO said.

Study: US prescriptions for HCQ rose from Feb to March A study reveals prescriptions for anti-malarial drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) rose in the US from February to March. Researchers reveal the estimated number of hydroxychloroquine prescriptions increased 86.2 per cent from February to March, from 367,346 to 683,999 and dispensed chloroquine prescriptions increased 158.6 per cent rising from 2,346 to 6,066 prescriptions.

Data published in a research letter by the JAMA Internal Medicine found prescription rates for chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine were stable from October 2019 through February 2020. They noted that the increased prescriptions might not all be for Covid-19. However, they wrote, the sudden surge of

hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine prescriptions may have affected availability for patients prescribed the drugs for uses approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

In recent studies of Covid-19 patients, the drugs have largely not stacked up.

A randomised clinical trial was halted by the National Institutes of Health after data showed hydroxychloroquine provided no benefit to

Fastest coronavirus blood test invented in world-first breakthrough Australian researchers have devised a Covid-19 test that can determine infection in around 20 minutes, using blood samples.

In what is said to be a world-first breakthrough, researchers from the Monash University said their test can determine if someone is currently infected, and if they have been infected in the past.

The team was led by BioPRIA and Monash University’s Chemical Engineering Department, including researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent BioNano Science and Technology (CBNS). “Short-term applications include rapid case identification and contact tracing to limit viral spread, while population screening to determine the extent of viral infection across communities is a longer-term need,” the researchers said in a paper published in the journal ACS Se nsors.Their test, using 25 microlitres of plasma from blood samples, looks for agglutination, or a clustering of red blood cells, that the coronavirus causes. The current swab test is used to identify people who are infected with Covid -19. It can also determine if someone has been recently infected, after the infection is resolved.

Covid patients.

An investigation reveals a Bristol NHS hospital discharged hundreds of untested or formerly Covid positive patients into care homes. Data revealed by a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by Bristol Live stated that Southmead Hospital transferred 213 untested patients into care homes in March and April without checking whether or not they were infected.

It added that another 20 who had tested positive “at some point during their stay” were sent to a care home without being re-tested prior to the move. The NHS was reportedly pushing to free up hospital beds for incoming Covid patients.

The Boris Johnson-led government had said at the time that testing was not necessary on discharge.

The report found Southmead Hospital, ran by The North Bristol NHS trust, discharged 171 untested patients in March. The 20 patients who had tested positive “at some point during their stay” were from March 1 to April 15 before guidance changed. Meanwhile, another report revealed around 50 care homes were officially investigated by regulators during the Covid -19 crisis because of concerns they weren't safe.

'Unknown pneumonia' deadlier than Covid-19: China warns Kazakhstan China has cautioned Kazakhstan of a local “unknown pneumonia” with a “much higher” fatality rate than the Covid-19 disease.

The Chinese embassy reportedly released a statement on WeChat saying the “unknown pneumonia in Kazakhstan caused 1,772 deaths in the first six months of the year, including 628 people in June alone.”

It added that the fatalities also included Chinese citizens.

A report quoted the statement, “The fatality rate of the disease is much higher than Covid-19.” The Chinese embassy in Kazakhstan also said that several organisations, including Kazakhstan's health

department, are studying the “virus of this pneumonia”. Currently, there are no indications whether this disease is related to the novel coronavirus.

The embassy reminds its Chinese citizens in Kazakhstan to raise their awareness of measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

Six daily habits to boost your mood instantly One fourth of people in the UK experience mental health problems each year. And worries about things like money and jobs can make it harder for people to cope.

According to the NHS, this includes conditions such as anxiety (5.9 per cent), depression (3.3 per cent) and post traumatic stress disorder (4.4 per cent).

Support is available However, if you feel your mood starting to dip and need a pick up, there are a few things you can do for yourself to give your mental health a boost. According to Dr Natasha Bijlani the below mentioned steps can help you feel stronger and face the day ahead.

Eat Obviously, a healthy diet is important if you want to feel good about how your body looks on the outside, but nutrition can also play a vital role in how you feel on the inside. While mental health is traditionally thought of as emotionally-rooted, what you eat is now thought to play a key role in the onset as well as severity and duration of depression.

Depressed people tend to skip meals or select sugary junk foods which are thought to contribute to low mood. "Healthy eating habits contribute to optimal body function including brain processes and performance," says Bijlani." As outlined in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, ensuring that you follow a diet rich in complex carbohydrates, essential fats, amino acids, vitamins and minerals alongside plenty of water can contribute to a balanced mood, so aim to eat well every single day.

When you’re depressed, the first instinct is often to retreat inwards and isolate yourself, rather than reach out to friends and ask for help. If you’re feeling down you might find yourself withdrawing from friends and family. Studies have also shown that socialising alters brain activity which decreases stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms and supports calm and happy feelings Sleep The importance of a good night’s sleep is common knowledge these days. But the two-thirds of Brits who reportedly suffer with sleep-related problems on a regular basis might not realise that sleep deprivation also plays a vital role in your mental health too. Insomnia is generally regarded as a symptom of depression, but new research suggests that lack of sleep may actually be a cause of it. "Poor sleep or oversleeping can also affect mood, energy and concentration levels alongside very many adverse physical consequences," says Bijlani. Keep regular sleeping hours and aim to get a healthy amount each night to keep your mental health in check.

Fitness Just 30 minutes of moderate exercise should convince you that fitness is one of the fundamental elements of good mental health. Research suggests that exercise and physical activity are associated with better quality of life and positive mental health outcomes to boot. Mental health is inextricably linked with physical health and the old saying “a healthy body leads to a healthy mind” may not have been originally derived as a result of a sound evidence, as modern science demands, but is definitely true and has been proven many times since," says Bijlani.

Fresh air A breath of fresh air in the outdoors can work wonders for your mental health. A recent study found that walking in woodland contributed to decreased levels of anxiety and bad moods, and another found that outdoor walks helped with major depressive disorder. Walking in nature has also been found to boost memory more than urban environments and in another study, researchers found a decrease in both the heart rates and cortisol levels of of participants who spent time in the forest compared to the city.

Hug Everyone likes a hug. However, did you know that, like eating, sleeping and breathing, physical contact is a fundamental part of human nature? According to research, regularly touching people promotes emotional wellbeing in everyone from babies to OAPs, while another study found that hugging can reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

To Our Readers

We are publishing these items in good faith, kindly consult your Doctor before you try to implement any advice. We do not hold any responsibility for its efficacy...

28 ART & CULTURE

AsianVoiceNews

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25 - 31 July 2020

SACF to train volunteers under its ‘Heritage Project’ Shefali Saxena As a part of an 18-month long research and training, the South Asian Cinema Foundation (SACF)’s Heritage Project is based on the “Selective Inclusion: African & Asian Celebrities’ in London’s ‘Vanity Fair’ magazine (1868-1914)”.

Asian Voice spoke to the Chief Researcher, Dr Kusum Pant Joshi who discussed the logistics of the project, its objective and the outcome.

What’s the inspiration behind the idea of the heritage project and collecting caricatures, biographical information on Asians and African celebrities in Vanity Fair magazine?

Heritage project on the basis of the criteria specified by them in order to qualify for consideration and selection for one of their grants award. Generally, the idea to collate caricatures, biographical data and other information on various African & Asian celebrities for this project is aimed to train volunteers in basic research methodology, online picture research and to share our learning with the wider community.

How challenging is it to narrow down to 28 non-British celebrities included in this magazine from India, Africa, China, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Malaysia?

KPJ: By narrowing our geographical area and focusing only on African & Asian celebrities featured by ‘Vanity Fair’ (VF) between 1868 and 1914, we came to know that we had a list of 28 celebrities to cover. This has helped to make our project comprehensive as well as more manageable and less challenging.

Heritage Volunteers group picture at the British Library Kusum Pant Joshi, Chief Researcher, SACF

Assuming that work on the project will mostly happen via digital communication, how do you expect the project to evolve further?

KPJ: Luckily, with help from our research volunteers, we had managed to locate all our VF caricatures and related biographical data from the British library and other sources. We had also ordered all our VF caricatures and related biographical data from various suppliers. Moreover, the Lockdown has revealed that we can use new technology to push forward with the work of the project.

We have,therefore, managed to keep working on our project. We have, for example, started writing biographies of the 28 celebrities based on the data/material/ photos that we have gathered. We have identified and spoken to descendants of some of the celebrities in our project and plan to record online interviews with them.

Who all can be a part of it? Is there a specific criteria?

KPJ: Anyone from any background and ethnicity who is an adult and is interested in heritage, people, history, culture, art, creativity,

Caricature from Vanity Fair Magazine

social cohesion and wishes to work with others and learn /polish new / existing skills is welcome.

It is heartening to see that your literature on the project clearly mentions that volunteers will be given due credit. Tell us more about it.

KPJ: We realise that ordinary members of the public and ordinary people are very important. It is our sim to interest people so that they take an interest in our project and learn and contribute to our project. It’s a community project. It is not for our glory or to add another feather in our cap! We have been trying to link up with individuals and other community groups/ organisations/ (also descendants of these 28 celebrities wherever possible) and involve them. To keep people involved, we MUST acknowledge their contribution.

So we will make sure that whoever does something, each of them will be mentioned and given due credit!

Their involvement, inclusion and contribution to our project, will be our success!

Please elaborate more on the anticipated outcomes of the project.

KPJ: Most of the outcomes or results will be obvious and countable, e.g. number of exhibitions, training events, film or films made, number of volunteers etc.

(Note: Due to the Lockdown, we are trying to negotiate producing an illustrated book or booklet on our 28 personalities, instead of 3 short films.) We are also gathering feedback from volunteers via feedback forms and

The project involves public events and relevant training for community volunteers.

The public events include :

• Two exhibitions of pictorial material of the VF and new portraits and artwork created by artists from various age groups in two London venues, other info and artefacts.

• Three Talks/ PowerPoint presentations to share our findings with the general public.

• A pageant of a selection from our List of 28 celebrities by school pupils in a London school.

The training events include:

• Free Training and hands on experience for a group of about 15 adult community research volunteers in the following areas: research, filmmaking, publicity, making presentations, curating an exhibition, digitising, oral history interviewing and recording.

• Free training of 100 school pupils in how to create caricatures by a trained caricaturist.

Support Asian theatres & create digital archives for plays

Bhasker Patel

With artists losing jobs, people being furloughed, what is the current scenario in the arts and theatre community among Asians during the Coronavirus pandemic?

Asian Voice spoke to actor Bhasker Patel, known for his role as Rishi Sharma in the British soap opera Emmerdale, to throw light on the internal state of the asian arts community.

“Although the government Chancellor, Rishi Sunak sorted everyone out by funding, the situation is very bad.”

Patel cites that the problem is - that all the theatres had to close down and they had to let go off their staff. “The bigger theatres will open up and bring people back, but I’m not sure about the smaller Asian theatres.”

“You’ve totally neglected the freelance writers and painters, stage crews managers are at a loss,” he added.

“There aren’t many jobs. Companies will not employ them because they’ll tell them you’re too qualified to drive a

lorry,” he said. Bhasker thinks it’s going to be very difficult for Asian writers.

“Who is going to put them on?” he argues.

When it comes to acting, Bhasker thinks that actors will be back to square one. More auditions, more struggle and he doubts that there’ll be multiracial casting without any background, colour or religious scrutiny.

“Yes the UK government’s grant will help but for how long? I think the main problem will be you can open the theatre and cinemas, but if people aren’t sure of going out of fear of catching this virus and infecting themselves, nothing will help.” He feels that the grant can help to keep the theatres open, and maybe with that money, the writers can start writing.

Bhasker said that he and other actors who have begun shooting are taking complete precautions to shoot Emmerdale, which is one of the continuing dramas.

Actors are maintaining a two metre distance while shooting. Asked how he sees the future of filming in the post Covid-19 world, he explained that actors are now doing longer scenes, rather than jumping from one to another. But he also feels that theatres are all about interacting with each other. To keep a two metre distance there, loses the purpose of the stage and will be one of the biggest challenges going forward.

Keeping in mind the fragility of the

will analyse these. Regarding wellbeing, we have been requesting some GPs and Counsellors to recommend anyone showing signs of mild depression to join our project as volunteers so that we can try to impact on their wellbeing by connecting them with other volunteers and giving them some learning opportunities. We also have some trained Mental health counsellors on our Advisory Board who will guide us in this area of and monitoring promoting wellbeing.

pandemic, Bhasker feels that it is going to be very very difficult for artists to find a project. “I would find a way to support oneself. Ring around people who are willing to help you. No one will volunteer and help you out if you’re not mindful of the situation. A lot of actors in my opinion are always willing to help provided they are also in return, not forgotten. In the past a lot of today's Asian filmmakers were helped by then artists when they were starting out, but all of a sudden after tasting success they forgot the people who helped them. That happens in our industry,” said Bhasker.

Speaking about the preservation and archiving of plays in the post Covid-19 world which is heavily digitised, he said, “Throughout the years nobody thought of recording these plays properly, not even one show properly! Now people will think about those things as well. Even companies like Netflix, Amazon will be investing in them. If they don’t, they are mad. They should actually, it’s not very costly. It is such a shame that no one did in the proper way.”

He regrets that these plays weren’t recorded and that they would have been a goldmine now during a pandemic. He feels that this is something we’ve missed in Britain.”Many people are not theatre goers, they sit at home and watch all these Bollywood films which are copied from Hollywood. They don’t go out and don't support the asian theatres,” he said.

Book Recommendation : A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth Vikram Seth's novel is, at its core, a love story: Lata and her mother, Mrs. Rupa Mehra, are both trying to find—through love or through exacting maternal appraisal—a suitable boy for Lata to marry. Set in the early 1950s, in an India newly independent and struggling through a time of crisis, A Suitable Boy takes us into the richly imagined world of four large extended families and spins a compulsively readable tale of their lives and loves. A sweeping panoramic portrait of a complex, multiethnic society in flux, A Suitable Boy remains the story of ordinary people caught up in a web of love and ambition, humor and sadness, prejudice and reconciliation, the most delicate social etiquette and the most appalling violence.

The book is available on Amazon, Audible, Google Play, and Apple Books. Recently, the novel has been adapted to screen by filmmaker Mira Nair, starring Ishaan Khatter, Tabu, Tanya Maniktala, Rasika Duggal and Ram Kapoor in the lead amongst a massively critically acclaimed star cast. It can be watched on BBC One and on Netflix.

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BOLLYWOOD

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25 - 31 July 2020

Sara Ali Khan sends Taapsee Pannu 'a big hug' Sara Ali Khan has conveyed a lovely message to fellow actor Taapsee on behalf of mum Amrita Singh. Taapsee shared a picture of herself on sets of the 2019 film 'Badla'. She captioned the picture, “Being Naina Sethi. This picture I clicked while we were shooting for the interval sequence of 'Badla'. First day of shooting with the fierce Amrita Singh.”

She added, “I don't know if it's the Sardarni in me or the no holds barred way of life that connected us n it's so cool to see her so excited n nervous to approach her scenes like a debutant wanting to do her best n listening to the director with the intention to do her best.” In a pure show of female solidarity (we ship!), Sara shared a screen grab of Taapsee's post and wrote, “Thank you so much Taapsee. Amma sends you a big hug.”

Directed by Sujoy Ghosh, and produced by Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment, 'Badla' is a remake of the 2016 Spanish film 'The Invisible Guest'.

Sonu Sood donates 25,000 face masks to Maharashtra police

Bollywood actor Sonu Sood has really proved his mettle amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The actor helped scores of migrant workers from all across India in May, later opening up the gates of his Juhu hotel to accommodate medical workers. He also distributed cooked meals and groceries among people in need.

While one would assume that is the extent of his capacity, the actor went ahead and donated 25,000 face shields to Maharashtra police. Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh took to Twitter to share the news, and thanked

Sonu Sood for his gesture. Sharing a picture of the two, he wrote, “I thank Sonu Sood Ji for your generous contribution of giving 25,000 #FaceShields for our police personnel.”

Sonu Sood appreciated the work of police officials. Calling them “real heroes”, he said this is the least he can do for the work they have been doing.”

He wrote, “Truly honoured by your kind words Sir! My police brothers & sisters are our real heroes & this is the least that I can do for the commendable work which they have been doing. Jai Hind.”

Sanjana Sanghi shares ‘really special memory’ of Sushant

Sanjana Sanghi is currently preparing for the release of her debut film 'Dil Bechara', opposite Sushant Singh Rajput. She recently shared a sweet tribute to her former co-star in a social media post with a picture, and a caption that read, “Mere Chanda, Mein Tumhara, Sitara Raha. @amitabhbhattacharyaofficial: @arrahman @hridaygattani @jonitamusic @castingchhabra. Can’t believe we’re just one week away from our labour of love reaching you & hopefully entering your hearts”.

She added, “Sharing this really special memory of both us, with you all.

This was about one week into shooting 'Dil Bechara', in 2018. Just a moment of

us being really satisfied with what we were creating. It all tastes bittersweet.

Everything. No idea what to feel. Or how to feel. Numbness eludes. Wish you were here. #SushantSinghRajput #ThinkingOfYou”.

Directed by Mukesh Chhabra, 'Dil Bechara' is set for a direct-to-digital release on July 24. Sushant died on June 14. Sanjana had written on Instagram recently that she never understood what “bittersweet memories” meant.

She wrote, “I never understood what people meant by ‘bittersweet’ memories really, until we lost him. I do now.

Seeing or relieving any of these memories, is just as bitter and tough, as it is calming and sweet.”

30 BOLLYWOOD

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

25 - 31 July 2020

Alia shares closest response to nepotism controversy

by Vallisa Chauhan

Actor Alia Bhatt is one of an entire cliche of actors facing major backlash amid the nepotism debate for a month now. While she has chosen to maintain silence on the subject, she recently posted a motivational post on Instagram that many interpret as her reaction to the controversy.

Sharing a post on her Instagram Stories, she wrote, “Silence says a lot more than you think.” Bhatt and her entire family have been receiving flak since June 14, when actor Sushant Singh Rajput died by suicide. Fans of the actor have been targeting filmmakers, star kids, and powerful Bollywood camps. While Alia has kept mum on the issue, her sister Pooja Bhatt, and mother Soni Razdan have been sharing their two cents' worth on comments on social media.

Pooja had recently targeted actor Kangana Ranaut, saying it was funny how her family production house, which launched one of the famous outsiders, is now being dragged into the debate. “Have been asked to comment on the hot topic Nepotism that people are raging about. As someone who hails from a ‘family’ that has launched more new talent actors, musicians and technicians than the entire film industry combined, I can only laugh. Facts don’t find takers.

Fiction does,” she wrote.

Is matchmaking still a thing?

Indian matchmaking follows matchmaker Simi Taparia who uses her matchmaking skills to try and find life partners for the hardest of clients.

Gauri Khan stuck between two Shah Rukh Khans Actor Shah Rukh Khan and wife Gauri make for a complete, and fun-loving couple. Their chemistry often reflects on social media, like recently, when Gauri shared her photo with Shah Rukh and his wax statue. She wrote, “Too much to handle... @iamsrk.”

“Aur for the last 1 year & 6 months Dono ghar pe hain,” the actor responded without skipping a beat. The wax statue in the picture is from France's Musee Grevin. On the work front, Shah Rukh has not signed a film since 2018's 'Zero'. A successful interior designer and film producer, Gauri had previously spoken about Shah Rukh's break from movies.

She had said, “I think it was required. I think more than anything else it's high time he took this break and I'm happy I can travel while he is at home. And he takes good care of AbRam. So I am super excited. So if I'm

not there for the little one, he's there. It suits me. I think it's a great great idea.”

Shah Rukh is yet to confirm his next film despite reports claiming he

will be seen in a Rajkumar Hirani film next. He has been producing content for Netflix through his banner Red Chillies Entertainment

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte's new movie promises to be an amazing thriller Netflix India has dropped the trailer of its upcoming crime thriller 'Raat Akeli Hai', starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Radhika Apte. The movie is part of 17 originals set to premier on the streaming platform.

'Raat Akeli Hai' follows police officer Jatil Yadav, played by Nawazuddin, who is out to investigate the murder of a local politician.

The trailer gives a short peak into Jatil's attempts at unravelling the truth behind the gun-shot that killed the victim during his second wedding. Jatil believes there's more to what meets the eye, even though everyone around him calls it an accident.

The film boasts of a solid ensemble cast, including Aditya Srivastava,

Shweta Tripathi, Ila Arun, Khalid Tyabji, Shivani Raghuvanshi and Tigmanshu Dhulia. Talking about the movie, Nawazuddin said in a statement, “'Raat Akeli Hai' is the kind of story that draws you in immediately

Genre: Reality Television Duration: 8 episodes

and takes you along the winding journey.”

Calling his character a social misfit, he said, “He is always in search of justice – and does not rest until he finds out the truth.”

Some may think that matchmaking is such an old age thought, however, Indian matchmaking has taken the internet by storm and is trending on social media. In a world full of dating apps these clients of Simi’s are still finding it difficult to find a life partner and she is now stepping in to help, all of her clients have high expectations and have a view of what they think the perfect wife/husband should be and none of them are willing to compromise, an attribute that Simi believes needs to be prominent when trying to find a partner.

We meet a number of characters in the programme such as Nadia who lives in the USA and finds it difficult to date as although she is of an Indian background her family are actually from Guyana and therefore a lot of men are not willing to give her a chance as she is not technically India or Punjabi etc. Aparna who is an interesting character as she is a lot older at the age of 34 yet she has a very narrow minded view of what a guy should be like.

Her mother also does not help the situation by having her own views on the type of man her daughter should be with and also Pradhyuman is a young jewellery maker in Mumbai who has put himself on a pedestal and believes attraction is everything, he does not look past a picture if he does not feel the girl is pretty he will not even humour the relationship at all.

The programme is very cringe worthy especially with some of the lines the clients come out with when describing the type of person, they are looking for and the criteria they look for when looking for their future partner but it is also very entertaining and just goes to show that the old age idea of matchmaking is not forgotten and there are still people out there that believe that a matchmaker would be able to help them find love.

It is also very interesting to see what these clients look for in their life partner and maybe explains why they are all still single have not managed to find a match for themselves.

You can get in touch with Vallisa: djvallisa@gmail.com

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KOLLYWOOD

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25 - 31 July 2020

Parvathy comments on WCC, Vidhu Vincent fiasco Actor Parvathy has officially entered the entire chaos surrounding allegations levelled against the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) by filmmaker Vidhu Vincent.

In a long statement, the actress wrote, “I thought a lot whether or not to respond to these allegations for two reasons. First, some of the issues raised by Vidhu were pertaining to WCC as an organisation, and that needed to be addressed first, as the cause of this Collective and movement are of priority to me. Second are the other issues raised by Vidhu that are against individual members of WCC. I am going to address the ones raised against me.”

The actor explained the sequence of events in the run up to Vidhu's public outbursts. She said she had

sort of gone incommunicado in 2018, steering clear of her work for some time. A few months later, during a meeting of WCC, Vidhu reminded Parvathy that she did not receive any response for her offer.

Parvathy responded, “When I was asked about this matter, I distinctly remember messaging Vidhu with profuse apologies explaining that I had been away and did not know anything about her project.

She clarified that she had tried to contact me on Whatsapp; I requested her to resend the message.”

She added, “She did and it was a single message with a short one-paragraph synopsis of the film dated May 30, 2018. I apologised again and asked her if she would still consider me for

the role. She was keen so we agreed to meet on the sets of Uyare. As a professional practice, I discourage script narrations on sets but I suggested this only because I did not want to delay her in any manner (sic)”.

She insists that she turned down the movie soon after hearing the first narration, however, reconsidered over Vidhu's insistence. After 10 days, she again responded with a no for the project. Parvathy said that until Vidhu's public outrage, she was under the assumption that she was on good terms with the filmmaker.

Vidhu Vincent has alleged that she felt humiliated after she did not even get a ‘no’ for an answer when she approached Parvathy for 'Stand Up'.

Vijay Sethupathi to play 'pure evil character' in 'Master' Actor Vijay Sethupathi is all set to play a purely evil character in upcoming Tamil film 'Master'. Directed by Lokesh Kanagarah, the movie features the actor as the antagonist – a college professor. The leading lady, meanwhile, will be played by Malavika Mohanan.

“I play a purely evil character in Master.

There’s not even a grain of goodness in my character; it’s so evil. I really enjoyed playing it,” Sethupathi said in an interview. The actor is rumoured to be playing a gangster who locks horns with Vijay. He also revealed that he has signed two web series apart from shooting for an hour-long film co-starring Regina Cassandra and his daughter.

Vijay said that he has already signed on the dotted lines for these shows which will be made on two leading OTT platforms.

TV Listing 20:30:

NAATI PINKY KI LAMBI LOVE STORY

22:00:

UTTARAN

18:30:INDIA UNLIMITED

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MON 27 JULY FRI 31 JULY 2020

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SRIMAD BHAGWAT KASAM

INTERNETWALA LOVE

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THE GREAT INDIAN GLOBAL

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ISHQ MEIN MARJAWAN 2

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KITCHEN

CHOTI SARDAARNI SHAKTI

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schedule was filmed for over 90 days. Actors Karthi, Jayam Ravi and Aishwarya Lekshmi took part in the first schedule. The cast so far includes Vikram, Jayam Ravi, Vikram Prabhu, Amitabh Bachchan, Mohan Babu and Aishwarya Rai among others.

PAVITRA BHAGYAA

SATURDAY 25 JULY

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be involved as the producer.

On the work front, Ratnam is raring to get back to the sets of his upcoming magnum opus 'Ponniyin Selvan'. Based on Kalki's epic Tamil novel of the same name, the project went on the floors in Thailand last December where the first

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Fahadh Faasil, Suriya may make OTT debut with Mani Ratnam’s upcoming web series Hit southern actors Fahadh Faasil and Suriya have reportedly been approached for Mani Ratnam's upcoming web series 'Navarasa'. Reports reveal that the show would feature one of the biggest casting coups in OTT history. Several other actors like Vijay Sethupathi have reportedly given their nod to be part of the prestigious project.

The project will mark the directorial debut of actors like Arvind Swami and Siddharth, who will direct one episode each apart from Sudha Kongara, Jayendra, Gautham Menon, Bejoy Nambiar, Karthick Naren, and KV Anand. It is yet to be determined if Ratnam will direct one of the episodes or will only

Prabhas and Deepika to come together Superstars Deepika and Padukone Prabhas will join hands for huge the in project days. coming Sources close to the stars revealed that 'Bahubali' actor will be seen opposite Bollywood's The 'Padmavati.' film is produced by Vyjayanthi Entertainments, a banner that recently completed 50 years in the business. Deepika also took to Instagram to share the video and wrote, "Beyond Thrilled! Cannot wait for what we believe is going to be an incredible journey ahead.

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19:00: MERE HUMRAHI 19:30: OM NAMAH SHIVAY 20:30: BARRISTER BABU 21:00: BALIKA VADHU - LAMHE PYAAR KE SATURDAY 25 JULY 11:00: DESI BEAT SEASON 2 17:00: DHARAM THI GUJARATI 18:00: BFFS WITH VOGUE (SEASON 3) 19:00: FEET UP WITH THE STARS (SEASON 2) 19:30: OM NAMAH SHIVAY 20:30: DESI BEAT SEASON 2 21:00: BALIKA VADHU SUNDAY 26 JULY 11:00: DESI BEAT SEASON 2 17:00: DHARAM THI GUJARATI 18:00: DESI BEAT SEASON 3 19:30: OM NAMAH SHIVAY 20:30: DESI BEAT SEASON 2 21:00:00 BALIKA VADHU

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25 - 31 July 2020

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IPL set for Sept 26-Nov 8, but broadcasters unhappy The Indian Premier League (IPL) finally has a tentative schedule. The Indian cricket board (BCCI) wants the league to begin on September 26 (a Saturday) and conclude on November 8 (Sunday) - a period of 44 days to host 60 games.

Broadcaster Star India Pvt Ltd and the franchises are reported to have reservations about this 'constricted scheduling'. According to industry sources, Star wants to make optimum use of the Diwali week in a bid to rake in advertisements in these lean times. Diwali is on November 14, a Saturday, and Star wants the IPL to conclude that weekend. Those opposing BCCI's timetable say it'll mean more afternoon matches, which would affect visibility and ratings.

BCCI’s lack of enthusiasm

for the Diwali dates stems from its commitment to Cricket Australia (CA) that India will tour Down Under later this year for a four-Test series starting December 3, for which the team would have to arrive much earlier.

IPL GC will meet to give final approval Said a senior board official, “If the IPL concludes

by November 8, the team can fly to Australia by the 10th, undergo the mandatory Covid tests and start with and warm-up practice matches so that the first Test can begin as scheduled. Also, India might want to play a day-night warmup game ahead of the proposed daynight Test, and that will add days to the schedule.”

The schedule has been in discussion for a couple of weeks now and was again “informally” brought up at the apex council meeting.

The IPL governing council is yet to meet and give its final approval. The dates are expected to be made public soon after the International Cricket Council (ICC) formally announces the postponement of this year’s T20 World Cup. Star bought the IPL broadcast rights in 2018 with a consolidated bid of £1.63 billion and pays the BCCI £350 to 400 million every year as part of a five-year rights cycle.

Cricket Australia last week announced a 65-day window - from December 3 to February 6 - for its own T20 property, the Big Bash League (BBL), comprising 61 matches.

T20 World Cup postponed Almost 50 days after the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) board of directors first met to take a call on this year’s T20 World Cup, an official decision has finally been made. The game’s governing body sent out a statement that read: “The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia 2020 has been postponed due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.”

In doing so, the ICC also announced the following: A) Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 will be held OctoberNovember, with the final on November 14; B) Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 will be held

October-November with the final on November 13; C) Men’s (50-over) World Cup will be held in India in October-November 2023 with the final on November 26.

The ICC says it has rescheduled the 2023 50-over World Cup in India by six months “to allow a longer qualification period”. The 2021 edition of the T20 World Cup will be held in India as scheduled and Australia will host the tournament in 2022, sources said.

The ICC statement also said that the IBC Board (ICC’s commercial arm) will continue to evaluate the situation in relation to being

Hamilton equals Schumi’s single-venue F1 record Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix for the eighth time to equal Lewis Hamilton M i c h a e l Schumacher’s single-venue record and take the championship lead on Sunday.

Hamilton’s latest victory from pole position was as comfortable as the nearly 9-second margin over second-place Max Verstappen suggested. The British driver’s 86th GP win moved him just five behind the German great Schumacher’s F1 record of 91.

Schumacher won the French GP eight times when it was held at Magny-Cours.

Hamilton first won there in 2007 and his first success with Mercedes also came at the Hungaroring track in 2013, the year after replacing Schumacher on the Silver Arrows team. Verstappen drove superbly to hold off Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas, who finished less than one second behind him in third to relinquish the championship lead after three races.

able to stage the ICC Women’s World Cup 2021 in New Zealand in February next year and planning for the event will continue.

“The decision to postpone the T20 World Cup was taken

after careful consideration of all of the options available to us and gives us the best possible opportunity of delivering two safe and successful T20 World Cups,” ICC CEO Manu Sawhney said.

England win 2nd Test, tie series Ben Stokes delivered crucial contributions with bat and ball to lead England to a 113-run win over the West Indies late on the final day of the second test, tying the three-match series at 1-1 on Monday. Needing to bat out 85 overs to salvage a draw and retain the Wisden Trophy, the West Indies was dismissed for 198 with 14.5 overs and one hour left of a test played at an empty Old Trafford.

The third test starts on Friday and will also be in Manchester. England set the West Indies an unlikely victory target of 312 after declaring 11 overs into the day, having quickly added 92 runs _ chiefly through Stokes - to get to 129-3. Transitioning into limited-overs mode, the swashbuckling all-rounder smashed 78 off 57 balls to follow up his 176 from the first innings.

The West Indies was reduced to 374 after 15 overs of the reply, but a fifthwicket stand of 100 runs between Shamarh Brooks and Jermaine Blackwood gave them hope of a draw only for Blackwood to fall to Stokes on the last ball before tea.

There was some defiance by the

in brief ARJUNA AWARDEE SUCCUMBS TO COVID Former para athlete, badminton player and coach Ramesh Tikaram passed away after battling the coronavirus for more than two weeks at a private hospital in Bengaluru, according to the Para Badminton Association of India.. The 51-year-old Arjuna award winner, a computer science engineer from BMS College of Engineering in Bengaluru, tested positive for Covid-19 a day after he was admitted with respiratory problems on June 29 and was soon shifted to ICU and put on ventilator as he also had comorbidities. Tikaram had shown signs of recovery last week. His condition deteriorated last week. “His family members were monitoring his condition through video calls and doctors were planning to do a tracheostomy,” sources said.

INDIA WOMEN’S TEAM PULLS OUT OF ENGLAND TOUR Covid-19 continues to haunt international cricket. Now, it has emerged that the Indian women’s cricket team tour to England for a Tri-series in September has been cancelled. “The situation in the country is getting worse and worse. We had no option but to abandon our plans to send the team to England for a Tri-series that was to feature India, England and the South African women teams. We’ve conveyed our inability to come to UK to the ECB last week. In this situation, we can’t hold a camp even in England, as is there no clarity on when the regular commercial flights to London from India will resume,” a BCCI source told TOI on Sunday.

BCCI TOLD TO PAY DECCAN CHARGERS £480 MN A sole arbitrator awarded £480 million to Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd (DCHL) in its dispute against BCCI over what it alleged was an invalid termination of the former Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise team from Hyderabad. The termination of the Hyderabad franchisee Deccan Chargers occurred in 2012. DC which had won the second IPL was one of the first eight teams of IPL. Bombay high court had in September 2012 appointed the arbitrator to decide whether BCCI’s termination notice to the team for “irremedial breaches’’ was valid or not. The company had challenged the termination by BCCI over concerns of the company’s financial stability. The HC had at the time also directed DCHL to furnish a bank guarantee of £10 million in 10 days. BCCI had in 2012 said players were not paid and many banks were creditors of the franchise with collective dues of over £400 million pending against DCHL. In eight long years, while arbitration was pending, in 2017 insolvency proceedings had begun against the company. The insolvency proceedings under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code stalled the arbitral process for two years. Finally, in what may have seemed a like a long-drawn test match, to the parties, sole arbitrator former Supreme Court Judge C K Thakker, via a virtual proceeding, pronounced the award orally. Ashish Pyasi of Dhir and Dhir Associates, the law firm representing DC said its contention of unlawful termination is upheld and BCCI is given time till September end to pay the amount.

GANGULY IN ISOLATION Ben Stokes

West Indies' lower order but England grabbed the wickets to send the series to a decider. In a worry for England ahead of the third test, Stokes failed to complete his 15th, and what proved to be final, over of the day because of an apparent muscle strain.

Brief scores: England 1st Innings 469-9 dec (B Stokes 176, D Sibley 120; R Chase 5-172) West Indies 1st Innings 287 (K Brathwaite 75, S Brooks 68, R Chase 51; C Woakes 3-42, S Broad 366) England 2nd Innings 129-3 dec (B Stokes 78 no) West Indies 2nd Innings 198 (S Brooks 62, J Blackwood 55; S Broad 3-42) Result: England win by113 runs

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly has gone into home quarantine after elder brother Snehasish tested positive for Covid-19.

Sourav’s family members are also following the quarantine protocol. Snehasish, who is the Crcket Association of Bengal (CAB) secretary, complained of mild fever before deciding to go for the test. He got admitted in a city hospital last week. Snehasish was staying at their ancestral house in Behala since the lockdown began in the city and also attended the former India captain's 48th birthday last week. Sourav was supposed to start shooting for his Bengali TV show this week, but it has now being postponed. “Other than having mild temperature, he is all right at the moment.

Wish him a speedy recovery,” CAB president Avishek Dalmiya said about Snehasish. Incidentally, Snehasish's wife and daughter had tested positive last month.

Dalmiya informed that he too would be going into home quarantine. Snehasish’s report caused a flutter as he was said to be present during a meeting with police officials regarding handing over Eden facilities for police personnel quarantine centre.