Asian Voice

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London's Rath Yatra Festival of the Chariots illuminates the city....pg 2 Lord Dholakia re-elected as Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader in the House of Lords........pg 11 I will never say no to Mani Ratnam............pg 20 Vogue editor apologizes to upset Hindus......pg 25

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Osborne goes for spending cuts VAT goes up, Child benefit frozen for 3 years

Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne (C), flanked

by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg (L) and Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander, announces his budget in the House of Commons in London on June 22

spending cuts – including an £11bn trimming of the welfare bill – and £8bn in tax increases.

It pays for the past.

And it plans for the future.

It supports a strong, enterprise-led recovery. It rewards work. And it protects the vulnerable in our society. Yes it is tough – but it is also fair.”

The chancellor admit-

ted that the impact of the budget squeeze would lead to lower growth and higher unemployment in the short term but said the need to avoid a Greekstyle sovereign debt crisis left him with no alternative. Dismissing criticism that the budget risked derailing recovery, Osborne said the UK economy would grow by

1.2% this year and 2.3% in 2011.

Osborne said welfare reforms would include less generous housing benefit and stricter rules for disability benefits.

Banks and building societies will have to pay a new £2bn levy following their pivotal role in causing the financial crisis that led to the longest and deepest recession since in Britain since world war II. This levy however, is smaller than what had been feared. Even the rise in Capital Gains tax is just 10% against the expectations of 22% to 32%.

The VAT rise, due to come into force next January, will generate more than £13bn a year by the end of this parliament.

Zero-rated items – including food and children's clothes – will remain exempt from VAT over the course of this parliament.

Continued on page 24

Compensation for LRA victims too As Uganda is preparing for elections in 2011, the government has announced to pay compensations for about 10,000 people who have suffered LRA violence in the northern region for more than two decades.

In another development, a report by the Auditor General has exposed the false claims about left properties of Asians who were asked to leave the country during the Idi Amin regime.

Against the government report of just 136 properties, the latest findings say 3226 properties left over by Asians are unaccounted.

One of the most ruthless rebel groups, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) waged a brutal but futile insurgency from their bases in northern Ugandan and southern Sudan to dislodge President Yoweri Museveni and establish a theocracy in the east African country.

The military ejected the rebels from the area in 2005. The rebel

leader, Joseph Kony, wanted by the ICC over charges of war crimes, is now believed to be roaming the jungles of n o r t h e a s t e r n Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic (CAR).

Richard Todwong, President Museveni's special adviser on northern Uganda, said the government had begun to register everyone who had suffered crippling physical harm to prepare a register of victims to collect compensation.

Continued on page 24

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Chancellor of exchequer George Osborne went ahead with the widely expected, termed by himself as an “unavoidable budget” to go for a £40 bn austerity package with increase in VAT, a two year pay freeze for public sector, three year freeze in child benefits, relinking of state pension to earnings.

He did give some relief to low income families with a rise of £1,000 in personal allowance for Income Tax, bringing up the threshold level to £7,545 a year and also a nominal rise in child tax credits for those with the lowest incomes.

Cuts of more than 25% in spending by some Whitehall departments are also a part of the tightening exercise.

“This emergency budget deals decisively with our country's record debt," Osborne said as he revealed plans to raise an additional £32bn from

3,220 properties left by Asians unaccounted in Uganda

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Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

one to one Keith Vaz MP with

Paul Hackett -

Director, The Smith Institute

Paul is director of the Smith Institute, a leading centre-left think tank. He was previously Special Adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott MP, and has worked for the Parliamentary Labour Party and Trades Union Congress. Paul has also been a journalist at the Financial Times and Economist Group, and adviser to the OECD, ILO, and UN on industry, environment and employment issues. Paul lives in Hackney and has three daughters.

1) What inspired you to follow a career in the policy arena?

My first real job was as a labourer in a cement plant, loading bags of cement onto rail trucks.

The plant was unionised, and the union reps played a very important role in health and safety and improving working conditions. I learnt that health and safety policy at the workplace could save lives and make working life better. After college, I worked at the TUC where I helped shape policies for the world of work. Getting the policy right and making sure it can be delivered properly can make a huge difference to people’s lives.

2) What are your proudest achievements?

I led the TUC’s campaign against pit closures back in 1992, which included a rally of more than 300,000 people in Hyde Park; I set up the first trade union

environment programme which showed how unions could help cut pollution at the workplace; I was senior adviser to Prescott between 1997-2005 and am particularly proud of the work we did to promote an urban renaissance and support jobs and growth in many of our most disadvantaged places.

3) What are your long term goals?

I want to continue doing my bit to make a difference to the lives of others. I hope through my work in the policy arena I can help shape policies which provide for a fairer and less divided society.

I would like to think I can inspire others and share my own work and life experience. I believe we should all seek to tackle ignorance and share the special gift of life. On a personal level, I wish to see all my family and friends healthy and happy.

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

There is never enough time. As Oscar Wilde said “if I had the time I would have written you a shorter letter! Learning to manage your time and accept that you can’t do everything perfectly is a salutary lesson, and that sometimes you need to force yourself to step back, listen more and appreciate the bigger picture.

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

I learnt a lot from the former sports minister Richard Caborn, who I worked for as a young man in the House of

Commons. He had great respect and patience with others and a zeal and energy for getting things done. He taught me how important it is to stick to your guns and keep your eye on the prize.

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

I am privileged to work with such a diverse and interesting group of people. The Smith Institute undertakes work in a broad range of policy areas which means I get the opportunity to connect with politicians, experts, practitioners and commentators from all walks of life. That can be scary, but always enlightening.

7) And the worst?

I often have to get up early for our breakfast events. I’m a late night bird and early mornings are anathema to me. I need at least two espresso’s to get me going!

8) If you were Prime Minister, what one thing would you change?

I would like to end the charitable tax relief for private schools, and add a new tax on those who wish to opt out of the public education system.

I think it is wrong that tax payers should crosssubsidise schools fees for the wealthy who want to buy privilege. I think we should seek to end the two tier education system which makes for a divided Britain, and use the tax on private schools to invest in better state schools for all.

9.) What do you think is the biggest issue facing British politics today?

Ignorance and apathy is the biggest barrier to progressive politics.

Our grandparents died in their millions to protect our democracy. We all need to help restore greater pride and trust in our political system.

The politicians have a lot to improve on, but there is also a need for more civic engagement and more grown up politics between the people and those who represent them.

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

I suppose it would have

People ■ The new MPs are already making a mark on Parliament. Priti Patel has been elected to the 1922 Committee and Valerie Vaz has got onto the Health Select Committee. Later this week a number of the other BAME MPs are seeking election to other Select Committees.

■ The Indian Law and Justice Minister Mr. Verappa Moily will be visiting London as the guest of the British Government. He is due to meet Lord Chancellor Ken Clarke and Attorney General Dominic Grieve.

■ Bollywoods Royal Family Abisheikh, Ashwaria, Jaya and of course the great Amitabh were in London last week for the latest film release.

Thousands attended the Premier.

■ A group from the Swaminarayan Hindu Mission performed at a Gala Dinner at the Grosvernor House last week in support of British Athletes going to the Commonwealth Games.

The Master of ceremonies was Hardeep Singh Kholi. Bhanu Choudhary is the new Chairman of the Business Advisory Council. to be Socrates, the classical Greek philosopher. He was never short of something to say and had a fantastic mind and a great sense of respect and understanding of others. He was the founder of logic and ethics and had a good sense of humour. He might also know how to get off the island!

London's Ratha Yatra Festival of the Chariots illuminates the city London’s 'Ratha-yatra’ Festival of Chariots returned to the streets of the capital on Sunday 20th June 2010. London was illuminated by the wonderful colours and sounds of the annual Hare Krishna festival, a vibrant celebration of Indian culture and spirituality in our city.

Thousands of festivalgoers, pilgrims, devotees and VIPs from all over the world hand-pulled the three 40-foot high colourful chariots carrying the sacred deities of Lord Jagannatha, Lady Subhadra and Lord Balarama from Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square. The giant chariots were accompanied by a procession of singers, musicians, and dancers. London pulsated to Indian spiritual sounds with instruments from across the globe.

At Trafalgar Square, where the procession concluded, families enjoyed cultural and educational displays and exhibitions, revealing the spiritual heart of Vaishnavism.

Revellers participated in lively workshops, sample music, food, and literature, or try sari-draping and face-painting. From the stage, festival-goers were treated to traditional temple dance, drama, and music. In addition to all this, free prasad was added to a special family outing.

It was indeed a feast for the eyes, ears and the palate!

Titikshu Das, Co-ordinator of London Carnival of Chariots says: “Each year, we aim to make the Festival of the Chariots a more vibrant and colourful festival for London. Now over forty years on, it’s amazing to see yet another generation of Londoners enjoying the Ratha-Yatra celebrations here in our capital”.

This Festival of Chariots, Ratha-yatra, is a celebration dating back over 5000 years, annually observed in the ancient holy city of Jagannatha Puri in Orissa, India, making it the oldest street festival in the world.

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

COMMENT

Case to answer: China's supply of nuclear reactors to Pakistan The Obama administration in Washington has made nuclear non-proliferation an article faith.

China's rulers are as determined to breach the non-proliferation regime. They will announce at the forthcoming meeting of the 46-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in New Zealand, Beijing's decision to supply Pakistan with two 650-megawatt nuclear reactors, which are to be sited at Chashma in Punjab. What gives this development its sinister colouring is Pakistan's record of purloining nuclear secrets in Holland through the efforts of the country's rogue scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, and passing these on to North Korea, Iran and Libya for financial gain and jehadi profit.

As Pakistan and North Korea were, and are, closely aligned to China, Beijing's role in the orchestration of this clandestine commerce becomes self-evident. China even presented Pakistan with a readymade nuclear bomb from its inventory, obligingly testing it at its Lop Nor site in Xinjiang on 26 May 1990, as two US nuclear scientists, Thomas Reed and Danny Stillman, claim. The weapon was then handed over to the Pakistanis.

“How the West summoned up a nuclear nightmare in Pakistan” is a lengthy Sunday Times extract (September 2, 2007) from Adrian Levy's and Catherine Scott-Clark's book, Deception. The work is a detailed exposure, as its title suggests, of America's double dealing and double-talk, an elaborate cover up of the Pakistani role in stealing nuclear technology and selling this to favoured clients. Washington's protection of Abdul Qadeer Khan is also set out.

The unstable and chaotic situation in Pakistan, one hoped, would have encouraged Beijing to take pause in its reckless desire to put a spanner in India's works. China's aim is to browbeat India in to complying with Beijing's strategic demands in Asia and beyond as the region's Great Power.

A parallel has been drawn in The Times with America's civilian nuclear accord with India, and the NSG waiver to New Delhi, permitting the international community to sell civilian nuclear

reactors to the country. This has not gone down well with the mainstream British media and their handlers in Whitehall. In arguing for India's exception before the NSG, the Bush administration had pointed to India's exemplary record on non-proliferation. This time, The Times, suggested slyly, Washington would have difficulty in organising a NSG consensus prohibiting the Sino- Pakistan nuclear deal. Furthermore, the US needed Pakistani cooperation over Afghanistan and its Taliban insurgency, opined The Times South Asia Correspondent Jeremy Page. True. But Pakistan's need of US economic and military aid is immeasurably greater. Denied such aid, Pakistan may well surrender its unruly ghost in a convoluted dance of death.

The stakes are indeed high. Islamist terror owes much to past and present Anglo-American indulgence toward Islamabad: the monster now stalks its godfather. There is nothing but the deepest hatred for America in almost every segment of Pakistani society. Every one of the nation's myriad ills is ascribed to US malevolence, and to Washington's ties with Israel and India. The time has come for President Obama to show his true colours, to display American resolve and nail Sino-Pakistani blackmail. Further US appeasement will only compound Washington's own problems and destabilise the current global order.

Those, like the British, who keep bleating about India and Israel, in a duplicitous bid to take the pressure off Islamabad and Beijing, should reflect more deeply on their country's rising dead (the 300th soldier has recently been killed) and wounded in Afghanistan, and on Pakistani activities in feeding the Afghan Taliban insurgency.

US legislators on Capitol Hill are already champing at the bit. They want the White House to be more affirmative in defence of the national interest. China's sawdust Caesars, inebriated by loose talk of their country's superpower status, must be cut to size, and their Pakistani clients given a lesson on the basic facts of political life.

Now, surely, is the time for America to draw a line in the sand. It will save more trouble in the future.

Historic budget unveiled It was, as the Conservative Lib-Dem coalition government promised: an emergency budget that would meet head-on the need for a drastic reduction in public spending in order to tackle Britain's spiralling public debt, now standing at a crippling $230 billion. Without this reduction, Britain would go the way of Greece, predicted the pundits. The financial market had to be assuaged. Maybe. But so surely has the public, who have been defrauded by a fraternity of unscrupulous bankers and speculators. The Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne had to perform a difficult balancing act: how to combine fairness with effectiveness. Those at the bottom of the economic ladder required protection from the welfare state, those at the top had to carry the burden that their wealth made possible. This is at best a fragile distinction that can go awry.

Mr Osborne has increased the personal income tax allowance by £1000 in April to £7,475; higher rate income tax remains frozen to 2013/14; National Insurance threshold rises by £21 next year, while VAT, for long a sacred cow, rises to 20pc from 17.5pc from January 4, 2011. There is to be a two-year pay freeze for public sector workers. Get ready for a summer of discontent. There is much else besides in this package.

Whether the medicine will work is an open question, for economics, unlike physics, chemistry, medicine, hard sciences all, is a soft science whose outcomes depend frequently on unpredictable human behavioural patterns.

Only time will show whether the Chancellor has got the mix right in his laudable bid to get the country to live within its means. Hopefully there will be no double dip recession along the road.

Vote bank politics alive and well in India The news that the much admired Bihar chief minister, Nitish Kumar, had returned a cheque for Rs 5 crore (50 million) collected for the Bihar disaster fund by the Gujarat public is dismaying. More intriguing is Mr Kumar 's decision to keep the cheque un-cashed for two years before handing it back to the donors. Why so?

Apparently he will be facing a state election soon, and he was keen on courting Bihar's Muslim vote bank, with whom the Gujarat government, allegedly, has been out of favour since the communal riots in the state in March 2002.

However, the cheque in question came not from the Gujarat government but the Gujarati people, so one can only surmise that all things

Gujarati are persona non grata with some of India's great and good, who consider themselves to be paragons of virtue.

The pity is that instead of moving forwards, Mr Nitish Kumar has chosen to take a step backward by pandering to the passions and prejudices of a minority of his electorate. The ends may not even justify the means. Greater weight is possibly given to Muslim vote banks, whose peripheral, if uneven influence, throughout India has never quite fulfilled the hopes of their wooers. No election call should be based on the sectional interests of religion and caste. India has still some way to go in bringing its political culture up to 21st century speed.

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Thought for the Week

Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose.

- Tom Krause

Change through evolution The following views were expressed by Bharat Solanki regarding Nitin Mehta’s article last week regarding Caste in UK. Nitin Mehta’s response follows.

Your letter published in Asian Voice is very interesting and you are right in saying that in a Democracy like India's, change comes through evolution and not revolution. You are also correct that the problem of caste discrimination cannot be legislated against. This is because it so much embedded in the hearts and the psyche of the 'Hindus' and their mind set that despite thousands of years of Hinduism, this blot on the Hindu religion continues to cause deep hurt and sense of rejection to millions of Hindus, who shamefully have been categorised into lower castes, not by the religion, but by people who have vested interest to maintain their so called higher status, particularly the Brahmin's, perpetrated by Manu's laws.

So in a way, caste being largely a human concept, legislation is necessary to force a change of attitude. But having said that, it is absolutely disgraceful how on the pretext of Hinduism, millions of people are made to suffer in such a way and will continue to suffer until all the so called ' Hindu religious leaders' come out and say that there is no place for caste discrimination in Hinduism and that upper catstes or any other caste have no higher status and furthermore, the so called 'Hindus' actually pratice the idea that we are all equal before Bhagwan.

You talk about 'victim psyche' and there being some sort of Christian Evangelical conspiracy, but can you honestly blame a person having being totally rejected by his own religion, turn to some other religion that not only welcomes him with open arms, but provides food, education, support to him and his family and, most importantly, gives him human dignity and self respect. I, on the other hand, wish to fight from inside. Unless ALL the Hindus unite and fight this evil together and force their religious leaders to come out against this century old injustice, nothing

is going to change. But this is tremendously an uphill struggle because of the Hindu Mindset.

Many Hindus don't want to know, 'I'm alright Jack' attitude, others sweep it under the carpet pretending it does not exist, others blame the victims saying that it is all your fault, your Karma, and others blame others for inciting this fight for equality and human dignity.Instead of blaming the Christians or any other religion, we should be condemning this practise of caste discrimination forthrightly and unequivocally.

Fight for Hindu Equality, Justice and Human Rights.

Had your article been along those lines then it would have been truly a wonderful article, but very sadly it was not.

Kindest regards, Bharat Solanki Thank you Bharatabhai for your considered opinion. In the article I emphasise that caste has been turned into a tool of oppression. I have also said that every thing must be done to eradicate this evil. Perhaps we disagree in that I believe India and Hindus have done a lot to fight this evil and continue to do so. I agree with you that a lot more needs to be done. However my article is about the caste lobby in UK. They want it to be included in the new equalities bill. I think you will agree that there is no caste discrimination in UK--not in the sense that it would impact jobs, careers etc.

So why are they driving this agenda? Christian evangelicals are pouring a huge amount of money on conversion in India. The irony is that even after conversion caste remains intact so it is not as if Christians are actually changing anything except increasing the number of converts. Wherever the conversion rate soars demands for breaking away from India also increase.

We have to be vigilant about this. Hindus respect all religions and do not try to win converts to increase their numbers but at the same time they will not want other religions converting people because they believe their religion is right and all other religions are wrong.

Nitin Mehta

YOUR VOICE

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India Vs Pakistan at The Asia Cup Brilliant team effort had been pulled throught out the game by the Indian team against Pakistan on 19th June. There has always been a last over thriller in most of the games between India and Pakistan; which again was the case in this particular game as well. Some negative play from Pakistan got them this defeat. Incidents like wrong caught behind appeals by (WK)Kamran Akmal, needless arguments by both Shoiab Akhtar and Kamran Akmal etc made sure that they loose. I think there was no need to show negativeness and anger over there; Pakistan simply lost it because of their negative tactics against India.

Devang Bhatt, By email

Obama’s lynch mob mentality Obama has badly failed the test that “A friend in need is a friend in deed.” At the first sign of crisis, he has melted, panicked and showed his political immaturity.

Britain has stood by America through thick and thin, even participated in Iraq war, an American obsession and a pit-fall that most British people wanted to avoid.

While the spillage of oil in the Gulf is a disaster, it is never the less an accident that was bound to happen sooner or later.

While BP should take the ultimate responsibility, it was the American oil lobby that influenced the licensing policy to carry out drilling at up to twenty thousand feet under the sea, without studying the impact or the technology to harness the oil safely and how to deal with such a disaster.

President Bush was under the thumb of the oil lobby and Obama made it his mission to make America self-sufficient in oil, as he regarded the Middle East and Russia too unreliable to depend on the oil life-line that America consumes in vast quantity.

America represents some 4% of the world’s population, yet consumes some 40% of the oil production, at a vast cost that drains its financial resources and creates some $50 billion balance of payment deficit every month.

America is nothing more than a big bully, as it would never take responsibility for its action as BP is willing to do. The Bhopal tragedy is the prime example when some three thousand Indians died within forty eight hours and some twenty thousand died prematurely. But not a single American stood trial for this mass slaughter of the innocent. Yet it cost the Union Carbide some $450 million in compensation, in comparison to $20 billion American is demanding from BP, the sum should be put aside to meet the compensa-

Correspondents wanted If you live in Leeds, Manchester, Bradford or Edinburgh and are interested to be the Asian Voice 'Community News Correspondent’, please send your CV to Rupanjana at rupanjana@abplgroup.com.

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Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

Hindus in Pakistan

Chhatri - a worth tribute

Ramanbhai Parmar (A.V.19-6-2010), should not abuse and insult government of India as a spineless government. Is a happy life in Britain a license to abuse government of India. It needs nerves of steel to govern subcontinent, torn apart by complicated intricate diversity, contrasting forces of religions, orthodoxy and modernity?

India’s government has sustained democracy and progress throughout its independence. Government steered cleverly after devastating natural disasters, and terrorist attacks. Indian government’s strategic resolve has won wars with Pakistan who had American weapons. It has tenacious hold on Kashmir in spite of local malignant separatists and international pressure.

Mr Parmar should know that India’s government has exalted India into computer age, Nuke and space club. It has excess foreign exchange to offer help to world bank. In prevalent global recession-India achieved 8% growth. India is exporting high technology.

Post independence, Indian government has progressed from being pharianon aligned-to an indispensable friend of America and Russia, without becoming poodle to any. When in Britain, one must radiate best wishes towards those who govern YOUR motherland India.

The Chhatri (AV June 19) on the Brighton Downs, unveiled by the then Prince of Wales in February 1921 is a worthy and magnificent tribute to the bravery and the sacrifices of the Indian soldiers in World War 1. The only writing on the monument is the inscription: “To the memory of all the Indian soldiers who gave their lives for their King-Emperor in the Great War, this monument erected on the site of the funeral pyre where Hindus and Sikhs who died at hospital in Brighton passed through the fire., is in grateful admiration and brotherly affection dedicated.” There is no mention of individuals concerned with this construction. And rightfully so. War memorials everywhere strictly honour the glorious dead, except the one on Constitution Hill in London.

These World War Memorial Gates actually have the names of the patron, the chair, the committee and the donors prominently placed at eye level with unconcealed ego and distasteful showiness. The message it conveys is 'the soldiers are dead, long live the Memorial Committee.' You would have to look hard to find the names of the war heroes, high up on the ceiling of the domes. Turning the head up to read the names of the Vcs is most uncomfortable and after the third or fourth name, effort and interest becomes wearisome. It is only then that one realises what the Greek tragic dramatist Euripides meant in 426 BC he said: “When the public sets a war memorial up, do those who really sweated get the credit? Oh no: Some general wangles the prestige.”

Pilgrimage to the Brighton Chhatri leaves you feeling proud and full of admiration for the soldiers. Visiting the London Memorial Gates leaves you mortified that the names of the gallant soldiers are used for such insensitive selfupgrading of members of the committee.

Ramesh Jhalla By email tion claim from the American citizens.

The CEO of the Union Carbide and other senior ranking officials have never been extradited who live in the lap of luxury in America. BP disaster is insignificant compared to loss of life and the suffering caused by an American company.

Then there is Torrey Canyon that polluted Cornish coastline and Piper Alpha Rig that exploded in North Sea with the loss of 167 lives. Yet the British government stayed silent, unlike Obama’s outburst that is damaging BP and ultimately the British as well as American people who jointly hold some 80% of the shares.

Unfortunately David Cameroon is no better than Tony Blair when dealing with USA. I find it difficult to understand the lack of patriotism and common sense on the part of British politicians who behave as if they are the subordinate of the Americans and Britain an American colony.

How we wish Hillary Clinton, a polished and sophisticated politician had won the Presidential election, as Obama is big on words, on rhetoric but inexperienced and clearly out of his depth to handle this crisis.

Kusoom Vadgama Finchley Road, London

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A.M.A. Pira By email

Lack lustre performance

Over the years I have been a avid watcher of BBC one's Apprentice shows. This year was no different as I was hooked to the junior Apprentice version of the show! I think youngsters like Arjun are a testament to the hard work of first generations that came to the UK and are also great role models for the youth of today. I wish arjun all the success for the future and look forward to reading his interview in next weeks AV. Chandra Uppal By email

Dinesh Sheth By email

Arjun wins Apprentice show

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Zakir Naik is considered to be one of the renowned Islamic orators in India who has a photographic memory while quoting Quranic verses.

However two years ago Zakir Naik was involved in controversy in India for supporting Osama Bin Laden. It is also reported that he issued inflammatory remarks that precipitated fury among Shia Muslims the world over, when he termed the battle of Karbala-Iraq,” political” and invoked peace upon Yazid, who had ordered to kill Prophet Muhammad’s grand son Imam Husein and members of his family in the said battle, hence commemoration of Ashura day during Muharram all over the world by Shia Muslims. This was definitely not likely to subside soon as it’s adverse effects have been very divisive particularly in India.

According to the Indian media report he was to address several public gatherings in Uttar Pradesh, however after recognising the sensitivity of the issues and fear of break of law and order, all his programmes had to be cancelled by the UP government so as to stop catastrophic consequences in case of sectarian violence.

According to Asian Voice (5/6/2010) Zakir Naik has also made indecent and hate remarks towards Western women and U.S.A. Enough damage has been done in the past by few Muslim extremist preachers in this country. Therefore if he enters Britain I hope he will not address public meetings with venomous remarks and will refrain to incite hatred towards nonMuslims, otherwise he will surely add fuel to the fire for peace loving majority Muslims of this country.

I am not a football fan. I don’t see any merit in twenty grown up men chasing a ball and breaking their limbs in the process. But having recently visited south Africa and seen the various stadia first hand, I thought I owed it to the Rainbow Nation to watch the world cup which is hosted for the first time by an African Nation.

I am disappointed to see the lack lustre performance of such highly paid people who earn more in a week than other people do in three/four years! I am now inclined to stop wasting my time watching football and go back to my other pursuits of reading and writing.

Bhupendra M Gandhi By email

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(Off Coronet Street)

Cricket crazy Indians for the first time was seen so euphoric on Monday morning, as they expected a couple of Oscars. British Indians in the UK, Dharavi slums, the shanty township of Mumbai, a village in Uttar Pradesh and almost the entire Bollywood waited in expectation, glued to their TV sets. They burst into celebrations as one by one, their heroes, the actors of the British Indian film and the music maestro, A R Rahman bagged the top awards in the world of entertainment.

British actress Kate Winslett also won the Oscar after having missed it almost five times earlier.

‘Smile Pinki’, a short documentary on a cleft-lipped Indian girl in Uttar Pradesh directed

by American director Megan Mylan, won the Oscar for the Best Documentary (Short).

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Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

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UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

Kapil’s

BAME'S Dames: the name of the game

KHICHADI

by Kapil Dudakia - email: kapil@abplgroup.com Bougette 2010

L to R: Simon Woolley, founder and National Co-ordinator of OBV with the four newly elected Councillors, Judith Best, Pathumal Ali, Dr. Sheila D'Souza and Margaret McLennan

By Neha Parikh

joined and the fifteen women who were further Democracy is the repreinspired to stand for elecsentative system of govtions, four women actually ernment which calls for won seats in the 2010 active participation from council elections. These the people, as citizens, in triumph stories were present at the House of Commons, accepting accolades from Simon Woolley, founder and National Co-ordinator of OBV, L y n n e Featherstone, Minister for Equalities and Andrew Stunell, Minister for Race Equality.

The environment was electric and full of optimism. The newly a p p o i n t e d Councillors who had come out of the shadows of their mentors and taken Simon Woolley, the proud founder of real positions at OBV addressing the ladies attending important public the evening offices, inspired not only the esteemed politics and civic life. And and accomplished guest such representational syslist, but also the future tem gains pertinence and contenders and graduates weight when the nation in of the mentoring scheme. question is Britain. As one Cllr Dr. Sheila of the highly multi-culturD'Souza (Conservative, al and multi-racial Westminister), Cllr nations, it needs to be fairPathumal Ali (Liberal ly represented in the Democrat, Sutton), Cllr Government. And by fair Judith Best (Liberal we mean not just by the Democrat, Lambeth) and 'fair' but by the blacks, Cllr Margaret McLennan browns and every other (Labour, Brent), the four hue, in equivalence. proud winners, attributed This exact cause is all their success to the what the Operation Black novel scheme under Vote (OBV) and its BAME which they learnt the (Black and Minority work of councillors, their Ethnic) women stand and duties and shadowed fight for. This non-party them for four-six days political mission has been over a span of six months reaching newer heights and got involved with the each day, campaign by community of their reprecampaign, scheme by sentation, at grassroots. scheme, with constant supThe soiree was full of port from the Government. inspiring journeys of these One such scheme was women and to the the Councillor Shadowing absolute disappointment Scheme, whose success of a sexist, it was sans any OBV celebrated on 14th 'designer shoes and dressJune, 2010 at the House of es' talk. Young, minority Commons. The reception ethnic women of nascent held by OBV was in the descent into the political honour of these BAME world spoke of their expewomen who had partaken riences of councillor shadin this mentoring scheme. owing and about attendOf the sixty women who ing high profile meetings

with their mentors and their myriad lessons out of it. The slightly elder and political experienced ladies spoke of the undying spirit this field of work demanded. They told their younger and aspiring counterparts to not loose hope if confronted with failure at the first time and to keep going. The concerns, the advices and the emotions were so real, one could not help but feel one of them!

Present among the other prominent women was Diane Abbott, who inspired her sisters with a moving account of her fight and spoke of the multiple instances when people told her how “...someone like you cannot do it. You are not upto it...” and how she each time proved them wrong by not just achieving the so perceived impossible, but excelling at each such instance.

Featherstone in her witty address got each attendee thinking of the sorry state of representational democracy.

Highlighting the abysmal numbers of ethnic women in the politics she asked her BAME dames to keep going and involve more in the British politics at local and national level. Her anecdote of the perception of school children about the political leaders and House of Parliament nailed home the point that the British parliament was all male and pale! And that this needed change.

Finally, if Obama is the face of change in the US, Simon Woolley indeed is the change agent in the British politics. His promising ideas and successful schemes are the perfect platform for the sometimes passive and ever unassuming but capable black and ethnic women of our times, to enter politics with their experience, knowledge and skills.

Here here! To all women of all colour, wishing to enter the British politics!

A budget (from the old French word bougette, meaning a purse or little bag) is generally defined as a list of all planned expenses and revenues. We have probably come as far away as we can from the actual meaning of ‘Budget’.

Nowadays one is not too surprised to see equal measures of both fiction and non-fiction making up the Government budget.

So it seems we have gone from it meaning a ‘little bag’ to the bulky Red Box that the chancellor proudly exhibits as he makes his way from Number 11 to the Palace of Westminster. With the endless bad news of late, it seems budget leaks seem to be the flavour of the day and one wonders if there is anything new left to tell the nation? I suppose this year the purpose is not that you and I will face painful cuts, but the extent of their depth and the amount of ‘blooding’ that will take place over the coming years. How much of this is necessary will become an assessment of history, for it is clear that those who voted for one of the two parties in charge may not necessarily have voted for the medicine that is about to be prescribed.

There is a danger that a new government, albeit with a shallow mandate, may at such extreme times feel that it can do more or less what it likes and get away with anything it wants. I am not so sure of the logic that governs such a conclusion. The Prime Minister will have to be mindful that in his enthusiasm to be different, that he does not go too far and expose the country adversely to global market forces. Life as we know it has changed. Britain is no longer an island nation

protected by its waters.

The Tsunami of global events have their own unique way of wreaking havoc on any economy or country at will. Strategic alliances with the emerging giants might be the only way for some of these countries to survive and avoid a double dip recession.

Is India the saviour?

It was interesting to note that the Queen’s speech did have a specific reference to India and this has to be commended. Of course making such a reference is easy, however doing something solid about it and putting the rhetoric into practice is always a challenge, and worthy for us to monitor over the coming years.

Britain has a clear choice, in the 50’s and 60’s it decided not to play ball with India and history shows that it’s relationship with other so called partners in the area, namely Pakistan, have been disastrous for all of us. It has a second chance of making it good and by doing so, to create a positive partnership that can allow Britain to grow on the back of the dynamism that is currently rife in India.

It has a choice of the BRIC nations, Brazil, Russia, India and China.

With Brazil its relationship is still at an early stage, but worthy of due attention. With Russia we can never get over the fact that we were sworn enemies for such a long time, and so whilst deals are there to be made, whether one can have that level of trust remains questionable. China is a dictatorship and history shows that on every occasion Britain has sided with any nation that is a dictatorship, things have always gone wrong. So who is left? India of

course. Failure to take this opportunity on this occasion will certainly end in tears for all of us.

Britain must put India on its highest priority list. It has to be proactive, purposeful and begin to realign its foreign policy such that India is never undermined. Of all the countries in the world, Britain has a history that gives it a distinct advantage in forming a truly special relationship with India. By doing right by India now, will yield significant dividends for the country over the coming decades.

Maybe the newly appointed Tory peer, my friend Lord Popat might represent a fresh start and energy that can help galvanise a practical vision for a future with India.

Back to School We have seen the establishment of the first state funded Hindu school in Harrow. In the recent OFSTED inspection report it said, ‘The school's Hindu traditions support fully the ethos of a 21st century British primary school where academic excellence is as important as its religious aura.’ As an ex-ofsted inspector and having been in education for decades, to be honest I never thought the day would come when we would read in a formal inspection report such a statement. How times have changed.

I have also just learnt that the school will be hosting a Summer Fete on Saturday 10th July from 11am till 4pm.

Everyone is welcome to come and enjoy dramas, bouncy castles, games, candy floss, vege cafes, popcorn, holistic demonstrations, talent shows and much more. I think I better put that date in my diary and pray that we have a great sunny day to look forward to.

Cllr Veejay Patel honoured An event to celebrate and honour Cllr Veejay Patel, first Indian leader of Leicester City Council took place on Wednesday 2nd June 2010 and was organised by Piara Singh of the Blue Peter Club and Mr Vasant Bhakta (Mr B).

Over seventy guests were invited and included twenty-two city councillers as well as the Deputy Lord Mayor of Leicester Cllr Rob Wann and High Baliff of Leicester Cllr Abdul Osman.

L to R: Piara Singh , Cllr Veejay Patel and Vasant Bhakta (Mr B)

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

7

8

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

The 10th Annual Finance, Banking and Insurance (FBI 2010)Magazine by Asian Voice/Gujarat Samachar newsweeklies was launched amidst pomp and glory at the House of Commons by the Honourable Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle on June 10, 2010. Political heavyweights Peter Luff, Minister of Defence and Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP, Chairman of Home Affairs Select Committee made their presence felt amongst businessmen, Asian community leaders and various dignitaries. or an event of this stature, the venue could not have been more appropriate than the majestic Member's Dining Room at the House of Commons.

Inspite of the event being held each year at the same venue, the warm wooden walls, grand interiors and spectacular views of River Thames were enjoyed by

F

and readers of AV/GS for their continuous support over the last 39 years. He then introduced the host for the evening- one of the most recognisable faces in the crowd- Rt Hon Keith Vaz. It was a day of celebration for Mr Vaz as he had been just appointed as the Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee thereby

Mrs Jyotsnaben Shah, Managing Editor Gujarat Samachar Garlanding the Chief Guest Hon Lindsay Hoyle Deputy Speaker

all. The guests were welcomed

by CB Patel, Publisher and Editor of AV/GS and his staff.

Canapes and drinks made the rounds and were enjoyed by all.

The room was packed by 7pm when the proceedings of the evening began.

Alpesh Patel, Consultant Editor of Financial Voice and founder of global Asset Management company Praefinium Partners, thanked all the advertisers

L to R: Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP, Chief Guest Hon Lindsay Hoyle, Deputy Speaker House of Commons, Guest of Honour Peter Luff - Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, CB Patel - Publisher/Editor - Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar at the release of the Finance, Banking and Insurance event

has been bringing together Hindu, Sikh and Muslim communities together for 30 years. AV/GS are a wonderful avenue through which to address members of the Asian community” CB came on the dias congratulating Keith and

first engagement as the Deputy Speaker to the House of Commons. In 1980, at the age of twentytwo, Mr Hoyle was the youngest councillor in Chorley and one of the youngest nationwide.

After serving on many select committees, Mr

Guest of Honour - Hon Peter Luff MP Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology been garlanded by Kokila Patel Executive Editor of Gujarat Samachar

becoming the first person of Asian origin to be a chair of a House of Commons committee.

The recent general election had been a turning point as twenty-seven MPs, the highest number ever from ethnic minorities groups, were elected.

Mr Vaz was sure the number would go up by the next election in 2015. As a regular and much-loved columnist in Asian Voice, Mr Vaz said: “Asian Voice

recalled their two decade long association, since the beginning of Mr Vaz's political career. Keeping his speech brief but effective, CB wished everyone prosperity, a good life and urged them to be good citizens.

Asian Voice/Gujarat Samachar newspapers were honoured that Chief Guest Lindsay Hoyle chose the FBI event as his

L to R: Mr Atul Ingreji - Consultant, S & P Financial Management, Mr Navin J Thaker Partner, H W Fisher& Company, Chartered Accountants, Mrs Rekha Thaker - Loomis Cash Management Ltd, Mr Jaswant G Thaker - BSNL, Mr CB Patel

being wealth makers and job creators in UK. He said: “If it wasn't for the Asian community, from this recession we would have gone into depression.

It was very brave of them to buy Jaguar and pull Ford out of depression.

Investment from Asia is

Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP being Garlanded by Mrs Alka Shah Advertising Manager of ABPL

Hoyle was appointed as Deputy Speaker in June 2010. For the first time, a Deputy Speaker was chosen by a ballot rather than nominated.

The audience was delighted to know it was also Mr Hoyle's birthday on the same day! He was welcomed in the traditional Indian way by Mrs Jyotsna Shah, Managing Editor of Gujarat Samachar who garlanded him. He applauded the Asian community for

second to none.”

He then paid tribute to late Labour MP for South and East Cleveland Dr Ashok Kumar who died on March 15, 2010 as the 'great champion of the community.'

The Guest of Honour Peter Luff, recently appointed Minister of Defence Equipment, Support and Technology was particularly proud of UK's trade relations with Asia. He was garlanded on stage by Mrs Kokila Patel,

L to R: Charles Patel - Capitol News Group, Muslim Kanji & Mastafa Kanji - Cruxton Travel

Executive Editor Gujarat Samachar.

Mr Luff expressed his gratitude to the Asian community on behalf of the Parliament.

He said: “I have a passionate belief that Britain should have socio, economic, political and cultural relations with India as with USA. I intend to visit the Kolkatta defence base soon. Our condition would have been worse had it not been for your contribution.”

Mr Hoyle, Mr Luff along with Mr Vaz and CB, formally launched Finance, Banking and Insurance magazine. The copies were quickly picked up by all guests eager to read the various articles written by industry experts.

Finally L.George, Business Development Manager, Asian Voice gave a vote of thanks acknowledging ministers, guests, AV/GS staff and lastly and most importantly CB for inspiring everyone to push boundaries. George also announced the 2010 Asian Achievers Awards to be held on September 30, 2010 at Wembley Stadium.

While the formal proceedings had ended the event went on for another hour as guests mingled with one another. Many came to AV/GS staff members with words of appreciation for the event.

Vishal Patel of Prideview Properties said: “I just like to say that we thoroughly enjoyed your event at the House of Commons.

Tt is a very impressive venue to conduct a networking event and it was a pleasure to meet so many successful British Asians.

Congratulations on another successful event.”

Rajesh Patel from RJ Insurance was highly impressed with the organisation. Ian Sullivan from Spread Betting and CFD trading company Spread Co said: “It was a very enjoyable evening in stunning surroundings.”

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

Hon Lindsay Hoyle Deputy Speaker giving his speech

Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP Giving his speech

Master of ceremony Alpesh Patel

L to R: Mr Darshan Roy - Zoom Finance, Mr Alpesh Patel, Mr Vikram Mertia - Tata Communication, Mr Matt Ferguson - Kings College

L to R: C B Patel, Kamal Bhadressa- John Cumming Ross Accountant, Kevin Offer- Chown Dewhurst LLP, Deepika Desai- K J Desai & Co, Kaushik Desai- Chown Dewhurst LLP

Mr CB Patel addressing the Guest

9

L George, Business Development Manager ABPL Group giving the Vote of Thanks

L to R: Dilip Joshi MBE, Cllr Tony Ball - Basildon Council, Bala Mahendran - Chief Executive Basildon

L to R: Rakhi Samani of UK Lawers, Ruby and Rakesh Shah of Concept Vehicle Management and Vijay Parikh of Darlington Solicitors

From New India Assurance, L to R: Paren Patel, Vasantha Krishna, Ramakant Agrawal, Saba Ratnasabapathy L to R: Surendra Patel- ABPL, Piyush Gudka, Kiran Patel- Weston Kay Accountant, Udai Patel- Fab Homes, Nikhil Gor- ABPL

Prideview Property Ltd team, L to R:Chirag Patel, Shareen Patel, Nilesh Patel, Sonal Patel, Seema Patel, Payal Patel, Jesal Patel, Metali Patel & Priyen Patel

L to R: Suhrud Chimbalkar of Here and Now 365, Alka Shah - Advertising Manager ABPL, Rupa Kandhari Dental Practice - Perivale, Ashmeet Kandhari - Welch & Tidy Ltd Cash & Perivale, Mukesh Mamtora - Forum Insurance, Zeenal Lakhani - Millenium Cash and Carry Group, Rishi Lakhani - MD, Millenium Cash and Carry Group

10

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

Sonoo Malkani and Baldev Sharma ( Harrow Police & Community Consultative Group)

Mr. Dinesh Shonchhatra of Major Estate Ageants

L to R: Mr Dak Patel- London School of Accountance & Management, Harshad Kothari SAS Consultancy, Deepak Lalvani - Astaire Partners, Mr CB Patel, Kamalbhai Bhadressa of John Comming Roses

Jagdish Thacker, Krishna Gohil, Naimesh Gohil Shasonic Centre

L to R: Oliver Temple, Gold Investments Ltd & Mike Temple, Gold Investments Ltd

L to R: Rohit Pandya, Rushan Pandya, Bipin Pandya (Life Policy Reclaim), Shilpa Patel (Collective Legal Solutions) (5) Ramnik Hindocha (Sam Travel)

L to R: Kanji Jesani, Trustee - Swaminarayan Temple Willesden, Kishor Parmar- ABPL Prashant Maharshi - Barclays NRI

L to R: Mr Tushar Sangani of Adeza Systems and Mr Suresh Vagjiani of Sow & Reap

All from RJ Insurance L to R: Rajesh Patel, Heema Bhatt and Rakesh Patel

Cllr Ajay Maru from Harrow

Miss Shalini Bhargava - Anderson Ross Solicitors & Sarabjit Singh Gupta - Duncan Lewis Solicitors

Our hearty congratulations to ABPL Bharat and Rashmi Oza TEJUS (TTT MONEY CORP, LONDON, F.X. TRADING) NEEHIL (HINDUJA BANK LTD, GENEVA, GLOBAL BANKING)

www.westfieldcpd.co.uk Tel:+44 [O] 1625 548 100 / Fax:+44 [O] 1625 548 200 Email: westfieldtexuk@aol.com

6-b Hawthorn Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 1AA, England, U.K.

L to R: Mr CB Patel with Ken Popat of Finance House and Sanjay Thakrar of Brent and Harrow Trading Standards

Mr & Mrs Srinivasan - ARM Associates

0UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

Indian High Commissioner visits Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Committee in Hull considerable attention throughout the world.

He saw no reason why India should not be able to sustain its current growth rate.

In his view India’s internal security is closely tied up with uneven economic development, and should be tackled by means of various poverty relief programmes that the country has Indian High Commissioner Nalin Surie with Lord and Lady started during recent Parekh and Hull’s Gandhi Memorial Committee members years. While emphasising that the challenges Parekh introduced the between the two counwere formidable, he was High Commissioner, and tries, and urged the Indian convinced that in the next Mrs Nita Sodha proposed diaspora to play its role in decade or two, India a vote of thanks. consolidating them. should be well on its way The next day the High The audience of over a to achieving its goal of a hundred distinguished Commissioner visited the stable, just and peaceful academics, doctors and Gandhi statue donated by society. businessmen greatly Hull’s Indian community Mr Surie said he was enjoyed the High to the city five years ago. pleased that Mr David Commission’s brilliant lecIt is located in a neighCameron has made special ture. It was followed by bourhood that also celerelations with India one of half an hour of lively disbrates Nelson Mandela the top priorities of his cussion and a lovely dinand William Wilberforce, foreign policy. Mr Surie ner.

Dr Amulya and is a mandatory port of stressed close economic, Chaturvedi chaired the call for distinguished visipolitical and historic ties meeting, Lord Bhikhu tors to the city.

Under the auspices of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Committee of Hull, Mr Nalin Surie, the High Commissioner of India, delivered the 6th Gandhi Memorial Lecture on the theme of ‘India : A Decade Ahead’ on 29th May. Mr Surie argued that India faces internal and external challenges. The internal challenges include economic development and sustaining the growth rate of 8% to 9%, social development of its people and equitable growth, political stability of its institutions, and internal security threatened in recent years by the Maoist and other movements.

At the external level India faces the challenge of cross-border terrorism, maintaining peaceful relations with its neighbours, and promoting a multilateral and multipolar world.

Mr Surie observed that India’s economic development had rightly attracted

Lord Dholakia re-elected as Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader in the House of Lords tant questions for the parliamentary party to answer is where they want to be at the end of this period of coalition government, and what we need to do in order to get there. We

Lord Navnit Dholakia has been re-elected unopposed as the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats peers in the House of Lords.

Lord Dholakia said, “One of the most impor-

absolutely must ensure that we emerge from this coalition stronger and more confident, and with better electoral prospects than when we went into it.”

Following the forma-

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tion of the coalition government, the Liberal Democrat peers resolved to affirm the independent identity and integrity of the group, while also being committed to ensuring that the coalition government succeeds in its aims. They pledged to provide constructive criticism in order that the Government might be held to account.

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What a good tutor can do for you Last time I wrote about why parents might think about getting a tutor for their child. This week I will consider what you might expect to get from a good tutor.

In many schools, it is the high fliers and the children who need specialist support who get much of the teaching input available. The children in the middle, who need the occasional boost don’t always Pankaj Vekria get the attention that they need.

This does not mean that their teachers aren’t doing a good job but with class sizes of 15 to 30 and lessons lasting no more than 50 minutes on average, their time is spread thinly. As a result, a child might be viewed as lazy or uncooperative when there is actually an underlying problem that needs addressing and more often than not it is impractical to draw up a specific learning plan for every individual child.

A tutor however can provide this Individual Learning Plan and should couple it with incentives for your child using objectives which are unique to your child’s situation. There should be a clears focus on specific subject areas and assistance in helping your child to improve study skills and revision techniques.

If some vital subject matter or concept has been misunderstood leaving your child struggling, then just a few tutorials can solve the problem. The focused, individual attention can help a student to regain their enthusiasm and even to start enjoying a subject that they have previously dreaded.

A good tutor, like a good sports coach, will help a child to achieve his or her full potential, and their experience of a range of entrance exams will support your child in achieving good results. A good tutor will also provide you with feedback in respect of your child’s academic strengths and weaknesses which you will find invaluable when it comes to selecting a future school where he or she will be happy. It is far better for a child’s self esteem to be at or near to the top of a slightly less selective school than to flounder in the bottom of a school into which he or she has been squeezed through academic hot housing.

Tutoring should not be about getting pupils to perform above their comfort level. It should be about building confidence, developing skills and techniques, filling in gaps and making advances. Tutoring is about planning for an individual student’s needs, demystifying the exam process, reducing anxiety for both child and parents and instilling a sense of achievement. If you get these factors right, then it will make a huge difference to your child’s academic performance. And if you get it right from the very start then you will establish good habits that are self perpetuating and children can grow both emotionally and intellectually in a very short time. As long as the child can see the point of the support that they are receiving and finds tutorials worthwhile and effective – and as long as parents, can see results then everyone achieves something which is both beneficial and rewarding.

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6N+-&/" 9**+L T A&LKI 7 "+KKPQK *PL %HKI R08#OO Veteran GP turned NHS trust chairman, Dr Kailash Chand, has been awarded the Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in recognition of his services to the NHS. Dr Chand spent twenty-five years as a GP in Ashton-Under-Lyne, before becoming taking up his current post as chairman of NHS Tameside and Glossop.

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12

www.abplgroup.com

Dee Katwa

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

Midland Voice Contact: Dhiren on 07970 911 386 or dhiren.katwa@abplgroup.com

Big Brother is watching YOU said the local area had been “stigmatised as a terrorist ghetto”, has welcomed the switch-off but

no involvement in Project Champion and was never consulted by the police.

Salma Yaqoob, a member of the Respect party and councillor for “It’s outrageous,” said Sparkbrook, said: “I father-of-three Faisal raised my concern then: Akhtar, a businessman. is this really about spy“I’ve lived here for over ing?” She added: “The 30 years and we’re a terrorism aspect was cerclose-knit community.” tainly not emphasised in Another resident, John that meeting. In fact it Harding, said despite livwas me having to be poring in an almost nontrayed as the awkward white area he felt safe and said the cameras Angry: Coun Tanveer Not consulted: Angry: Coun Salma squad, or even paranoid, for even raising the issue Coun Alan Rudge Yaqoob Choudhry were “a waste of taxpayof whether this was really ers’ money” and “prothe Home remains unconvinced. about counter-terrorism. moted segregation, not Office’s Terrorism and At a heated city counThey were very much sayinclusion”.

Allied Matters Fund as cil meeting last Tuesday ing, ‘No, this is about Student Joginder part of Project Champion. embarrassed political burglary and crime.’”

Khehra, 23, said: “Our The cameras, which were leaders were forced to This week a petition area is one that never installed in April, are admit that they knew litwas presented to the city sleeps. Yes, it may be designed to record the council by local residents tle or nothing of the detail dodgy but you get this number plates of all vehicalling for the resignation of Project Champion. The everywhere,don’t you?” cles entering and leaving of the Chief Constable Birmingham Safer He added: “I can see the the area and flag up any Chris Sims. This sorry Partnership – an unelectpoint of these cameras wanted by police or under saga continues. ed and unaccountable but clearly they’ve caused suspicion – as well as According to a public quango bringing together tension and trepidation, those with out-of-date poll published earlier this the police, the council particularly to the most MoTs or unpaid fines. But month, 58 per cent of and elected representasocially vulnerable.” now, in a bid to reassure people associate Islam tives – added salt to the A total 216 cameras the public West Midlands with extremism; 50 per wound by saying that were erected in a ring of Police, Birmingham City cent associate Islam with councillors had sancsteel around the city, Council and the Safer tioned the plans, a claim terrorism; 69 per cent mainly in areas with a Birmingham Partnership the councillors fiercely believe that Islam encourhigh Muslim population, have announced that the deny. Most amazingly of ages the repression of among these Washwood cameras will not be all Alan Rudge, the city women. This YouGov poll Heath and Sparkbrook. switched on. Councillor council’s lead member on was commissioned by the They cost £3 million and Tanveer Choudhry (Lib Preventing Violent Exploring Islam have been funded from Dem, Springfield) who Extremism, says he had Foundation.

My native Sparkhill in Birmingham has once again hit national headlines. This time over the installation of spy cameras targeting potential terrorists. I gauged the mood and reaction of the local community.

Addressing an imbalance in job opportunities for all graduates Ethnic minority graduates are less successful in finding work after graduation compared to their white counterparts, new research shows.

To address this issue, one Midland university is introducing an innovative project, Enterprise.

Beginning in September, Enterprise will be piloted, and funded, by Birmingham University over nine months. It will aim to nurture and develop ten BME graduates through professional mentoring in readiness for a fiercely competitive marketplace.

The University has commissioned local entrepreneur Joel Graham-Blake of Cultiv8

Solutions to find and coach ten professionals from various sectors including public and private, each of whom will be assigned to a graduate.

The process will involve shadowing, workshops and presentations which will aim to instil confidence in graduates and equip them with the skill, knowledge, expertise and business acumen needed for economic survival.

University spokesman Ben Hill said: “The University is proud to be taking positive steps to address this issue.”

B i r m i n g h a m University has a total BME undergraduate pop-

Teach ‘em English first A think-thank claims that learning Latin would help primary-school children with their written and spoken English. Alternatively, we could try teaching them English.

Correction It was reported in this column (Jun 12) that South Birmingham College had spent £1.2 million on luxury toilets at its Hall Green campus. This spend was in fact for refurbishing the entire Hall Green site, which included the dilapidated toilets.

College spokesman Sam Webb said: “The College’s priority is its students and all expenditure is done with their benefit in mind.” I am happy to put this record straight.

ulation of just over 23 per cent. In addition, it has the highest proportion of full-time first degree BME students in the Russell Group – which represents

20 of the leading institutions in the country – outside London. The Schools with the highest intake of BME students are

Dentistry, with 81.5 per cent and 58 per cent in Electronic and Electrical Engineering. In 2009, its BME staff population was 15.5 per cent, with 83 per cent white.

According to latest figures available, for 2008/9, from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, there were a total 744,845 UK-domiciled undergraduates and 194,190 postgraduates in higher education institutions nationally; of which 126,270 and 30,785, respectively, were from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Justin inspires business leaders It was good to meet Sainsbury’s boss Justin King, pictured, in Birmingham last Friday. His “inspiring” presentation was entitled Making Sainsbury’s Great Again: The Story So Far. Around 100 delegates had convened at Aston Business School, including four nonwhite, one of them Vijith Randeniya, the UK’s highest-ranking Asian fire officer from West Midlands Fire Service. “Learn from the past, don’t live in it,” said Mr King who told his story in ten steps which included: Recruit the right people; leadership and followership; admit to mistakes and Think like number two.

The breakfast event was organised in aid of Birmingham Children’s Hospital. To find out more visit www.inaidof.org

News in Brief Firms support deficit reduction More than three-quarters of small businesses in the West Midlands support rapid moves to pay off the national debt, new research has found. In a survey carried out by the Forum of Private Business, 78 per cent of the region’s small businesses said reducing the deficit should be one of the government’s main priorities. By comparison, only 44 per cent said that introducing fairer taxes should be a priority and just 21 per cent called for public procurement to be made more accessible. Ethnic minority businesses are represented by some 47,000 companies in the West Midlands.

Rice ‘diabetes’ risk White rice raises the risk of diabetes while brown rice reduces it, a study has found. Switching from white to brown can lower the chances of developing the disease by 16 per cent, say experts.

Ethnic trade activist honoured It was only a matter of time before Mohammad Nazir, pictured, was bestowed with a Royal Honour. Better late than never, he may say. An OBE for services to Business, well-deserved on merit too. Oh, absolutely. All more reason now for spin surgeons Adrian and Fred to attach Mr Nazir’s photograph to almost every news release they pitch on behalf of the West Midlands Ethnic Minority Business Forum, of which Mr Nazir is currently Chairman. Congratulations Sir.

School opening Smiths Wood Sports College in Birmingham will officially open its new school on July 13. The £25 million centre in Smith’s Wood will be opened by Baroness Estelle Morris. The school has 1,089 pupils of which 7.5 per cent are from an ethnic minority background.

Free health day People affected by cancer are invited to a free information event at Birmingham City Football Club next Wednesday (Jun 30) from 10am onwards.

Patients, carers, health and social care professionals, staff and volunteers are encouraged to attend the event at St Andrew’s Stadium (B9 4RL). More than two million people in the UK are living with the disease.

Green skies Residents and businesses near Birmingham Airport can now use Google Earth to explore its environmental credentials. Birmingham is the first UK airport to launch the tool, which allows internet users to view flight paths, noise insulation schemes, air quality monitoring and other environmental programmes the airport offers. Users can download files from www.birminghamairport.co.uk

Jumbo hospital opens The first hospital to be built in Birmingham for 70 years opened its doors last week. The long-awaited £2.6 billion Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Edgbaston will employ 6,900 staff, treat 650,000 patients a year and will have 3,800 car parking spaces. Nearly half of the 5,000 rooms, 44 percent, are single and there are no mixed-sex wards. The “superhospital” will eventually replace the existing QE and Selly Oak hospitals.

ART & CULTURE

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

13

I am the man for the minute!

Priyal Sanghavi

By Spriha Srivastava

The Dancing Diva Ever since I was a little girl, I have had a strong fascination for music and dance. Even as a ten year old girl I enjoyed Birju Maharaj’s performance a lot. And this love for dance and music has not gone down. But I have noticed that in the present day world dancers are extremely versatile.

For them dance is maybe one part of their life, but the other part as a smart corporate banker is also important.

But that doesn’t mean they have neglected their dancing career in anyway.

Anybody who has seen Arunima Kumar perform will agree with me. A Sangeet Natak Akademi Yuva Puraskar awardee for the year 2008, Arunima is a young and bubbling Kuchipudi dancer who has carved a niche for herself in the list of leading and versatile dancers. But trust me; she is not just a talented Kuchipudi dancer.

Arunima has made a name for herself in the world of academics as well. She has been in London for not too long but has performed not only within this city but also around Europe. I am sure people wonder how she manages both these important aspects of her life so well.

I decided to find it from the lady herself.

After a beautiful performance at The Nehru Centre which ran houseful, Arunima now looks forward to many more such performances.

Here are some excerpts from a recent conversation with one of the most versatile young dancers that I have come across.

What attracted you to learn Kuchipudi?

It was my mother who initiated me into the art, and then I fell in love with the form and its energy How long have you been learning Kuchipudi for? Tell us about your guru?

I have been learning this dance for almost15 yrs now. Both my gurus are tremendous inspiration to me; they are my mentors and anchors in this tough but beautiful journey Describe one of our best performances?

One of the most memorable performances for me has been at Sydney opera house. It was indeed a dream come true. The next one is for Pandit Ravi Arunima Shankar and I am danc- Kumar ing to a tune composed live to achieve my by him. This is somedreams, so it works. Yes, thing I am really looking I have to work very hard, forward to. manage time and expectations, be much disciHow do you rate this plined and have support dance form among other of my family, my husdance forms in India? band. I believe if u have All dances not only faith in yourself, it will in India but internationwork. ally belong to one common thread - eternal What is your aim as bliss and one cannot rate a dancer? that. It is eternal.

As a dancer I have many aims. I wish to be Apart from dance one of the key exponents you have had a very hecof Kuchipudi and to tic academic career as make this as an internawell. How did you strike tional dance form. I also a balance between the want to establish an two? institution to teach students who will carry the legacy forward. I want to work with the youth in development projects through art.

Tell us in brief about our background?

I started dance at the age of seven under my first Guru Padma Bhushan S m t . Arunima Kumar Swapnasundari and then learnt from I love both aspects of Padmashri Guru Jaya my life- my art (dance, Rama Rao and teaching, acting etc), the Vanashree Rao. At the surreal world and my age of nine, I acted in the academics (corporate ballet Amrapali. life) - my real world. I like to dream and then

Do you think dance in India is getting adequate encouragement?

Yes it is encouraged but a lot more needs to be done to spread the beauty and awareness across international boundaries.

Finally, you have done a bit of acting also?

I have done modelling and commercials (aaj tak, microsoft, globus) music videos (with euphoria band) tv shows (yog yatra) cameo in Rajneeti

Let us know what you think.

Email Spriha at spriha@abplgroup.com

The entire country cheered on when a 17year-old Asian teenager won £25000. A junior version of one of the most popular reality shows on television, BBC Junior Apprentice saw Arjun Rajyagor win the grand finale. Although the Ilford Country High School is currently writing his A level exams, he speaks to Asian Voice about the show and being a celebrity.

How was it working with Lord Alan Sugar?

It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Lord Alan Sugar was always fair in his criticisms. In the fifth task, I honestly thought I was going home.

You need to be a tough person to do all those tasks and then face Lord Sugar in the boardroom along with Karen Brady and Nick Hewer who have been watching you during the tasks. It was all very intense.

Was the Junior version easier than the adult one?

No, there was no easy way out. The tasks were all as difficult as the ones on the adult counterpart. I gave it my all.

How are you dealing with the sudden fame and

Arjun Rajyagor with fellow contestant Tim Ankers during a task

adulation?

My parents are very proud of me. I am certainly the man for the minute!

I do get courted around by the juniors and have signed a couple of autographs. But it doesn't get to my head simply because I know what I went through to win. Also I am currently writing exams so I have no time.

Tell us a a bit more about your background My parents operate a convenience store at a post office. I am a fluent Gujarati speaker and love going for Navratri festival.

I am actively involved at the East London and Essex Brahm Samaj.

We hear that you run your own business

already.

I currently run a technical solution business from home. I fix computers, Xboxes and other electronics. I always had an interest in computers. I researched more into the field and found I could do most of the stuff. My parents are very supportive about it.

Where do you yourself ten years for now?

Engineering is a favourite career option among Indian community and I would like to pursue it as well. I should have finished university and have a Masters by then. I plan to open my own business. Lord Sugar is in charge of my trust fund, its an invaluable life-long relationship.

All-women tea party celebrates victorious Asian women MPs Priyal Sanghavi An all-women tea party was organised to celebrate the win of five Asian women candidates to the House of Commons. Priti Patel, Rushanara Ali, Shabana Mahmood, Valerie Vaz and Yasmin Qureshi were victorious in the recent general election.

While the others bowed out due to other commitments, Valerie Vaz was present.

The high-powered luncheon included Lady Mohini Kent Noon, Shami ChakrabartyDirector, Liberty, Gurinder Chadha, Nasreen Munni Kabir, Director Hyphen Films, Zerbanoo Gifford, Director Asha Centre, and other distinguished Asian women.

Journalist and author Shrabani Basu hosted the afternoon giving a short history of Asians in UK Parliament.“Earlier women had to fight to vote, then we had to fight to be voted. Finally we have not just one but five women from the Asian sub-continent- two from India, two from Pakistan and one from Bangladesh,” says Ms Basu.

Ms Vaz confessed that she wasn't sure if she would be elected since “it was so hard way. There hadn't been any Asian

Shrabani Basu, Valerie Vaz, Lady Mohini Kent Noon, Zerbanoo Gifford, Gurinder Chadha

woman in that region.”

She also spoke of her brother and fellow MP Keith Vaz. “Sometimes it is difficult to have a famous person in the family, you are expected to know everything. . I helped him campaign right in the beginning by doing the office photocopying for free.”

She then cited Indian women as her inspiration.

She said: “People say Indian women are kept back by their families but Indian women are much more progressive than us today. Women today are pushing boundaries of all levels.”

Zerbanoo Gifford who made history when she became the first non-white woman elected as councillor for the Liberals in 1982, was elated at the women MPs victory. She was reminiscent about her time in politics where she had to

face many brickbats.

“When I was up against the National Front, I had full-time bodyguards because there were death threats against my family.

In a selection meeting I was asked by politicians whether my husband knew I was there.”

Although no more a politician, Ms Gifford urged all women to join politics as it “teaches you about life and human beings and behave with dignity and respect.”

The guests exchanged news and views over sandwiches and pastries. Ms Basu then spoke of Noor Inayat Khan, a British spy during the Second World War, who inspite of her great service to the nation has no memorial to her. All the attendees signed a petition to have a memorial erected in her honour. If constructed, it will be the first for Asian women.

14

MEDIA WATCH

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

Scrutator’s YaleGlobal online (June 2) published a substantial (and arresting) analysis by Neeta Lal of “India's Medical Tourism Industry,” which anticipates new opportunities of growth in the aftermath of the financial meltdown in the West, and the problem of affordable healthcare for middle income groups there, particularly in the United States. Ms Lal sets the scene and context: “Almost a decade after it was originally envisioned as a major phenomenon, medical tourism in India is beginning to take-off.....two studies say health tourism is projected to be the next big thing after India's IT outsourcing boom. A 2009 report by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII)McKinsey forecasts that, medical tourism will generate $2.4 billion during 2009-12 for India by attracting 1.1 million health tourists, up from 150,000 in 2002....the consultancy firm Deloitte estimates the country's business will grow at a robust clip of 27 per cent each year....Leading Indian medical experts ascribe this exponential growth to demand....says Dr Alok Roy of Fortis Hospital, one of the leading service providers in the medical tourism sector, 'patients are compelled to look at costeffective destinations for medical treatments. And what could be better if they combine that with sightseeing at scenic locations?' ”

Healthcare range The essence of attractive healthcare is its quality over a range of disciplines. India has a reputation for world-class expertise in cardiac care, cosmetic surgery, joint replacements, neurological and orthopaedic treatments and dentistry. “The capacity in super specialty segment in Indian hos-

geted was 300 kilometres. He said he had observed the success of mass planting in Israel's Negev desert and wanted to replicate the exercise in India. In Israel, such reforestation had caused heavy rainfall in arid zones, he told newsmen.

“The objective of the planting is to build an environmentfriendly and healthy Rajasthan

Indian corporate Apollo hospitals

pitals is expanding fast and – unlike the US and UK – there is no waiting period for local or overseas patients,” says Dr Roy. Infrastructure spending on healthcare has surged, especially in the private sector, where state-of-the-art technology is much in evidence.

Top Indian corporate hospitals such as Apollo, Fortis, Wockhardt, Max and Manipal provide quality healthcare. A large number of new specialty hospitals and integrated upcoming health cities in the metropolitan areas, explains Neeta Lal, are “adding further heft” to India's medical tourism choices.

Long may this continue.

Emulating Israel A Times of India report (June 5) relates how an Indian diamond merchant, Kishore Khimawat by name, had planted some 175,000 neem saplings in a district bordering Rajasthan's Thar desert. He is clearly determined to promote the greening of the state. The area he initially tar-

by raising oxygen levels and maintaining the eco-balance.

This will go hand in hand with development,” he explained.

Mr Khimawat has a staff of 40, a JCB machine, a few water tankers, tractor trolleys and tube wells for watering his plants, a nursery to prepare saplings and also a factory to manufacture tree guards.

“We first prepare neem saplings in our nursery and then plant them after three years in pits dug three months in advance. My staff take care of the plants and ensure their survival and proper growth,” he said. Mr Khimawat is also involved in water conservation projects.

Colombian Tata The following item appeared on Slate online, a financial website, in early April. The writer, Daniel Gross, described the imprint of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the Tata Group's IT arm, in Bogota, the capital city of the Latin American state of

Colombia. Mr Gross, accompanying a party of visiting journalists, had flown in to attend the World Economic Forum Latin America in Cartagena. He was “simply amazed by the irony, scope, and complexity of globalization.”

The Tata presence “struck me as a great example of south-

said Cairn India managing director Rahul Dhir.

Akash with IAF The Akash 25-30 kilometre surface-to-air missile system has been accepted by the Indian Air Force for its frontline aircraft.

The Army version has also been

wealth-generation opportunity, in addition to the creation of more jobs as a home-grown tactical missile system is finally getting on top in place of French, Russian and Israeli systems.

This will give DRDO the muchneeded lift and Indian industry the know-how to manufacture complicated weapon systems,” said the official. DAC's massive, combined order is a shot in the arm for DRDO.

Tejas tests near end

The Akash 25-30 kilometre surface-to-air missile system

south trade - trade within the developing world. Here are Colombian workers, providing services to local and multinational companies, working collaboratively with with colleagues in Montevideo; Uruguay; and Chennai, India; and reporting to a manager in Buenos Aires, Argentina, who in turn makes a monthly trek to India to meet his superiors. In Colombia, business is conducted entirely in Spanish.

But Tata's national language is English....What's driving the growth of TCS? 'ADM' (Application, development and maintenance),” he answers.

TCS specialises in installing complex software systems in large institutions and then making sure they function properly.

In Colombia, TCS helps companies such as Dell and Oracle service their clients.

Says Gonzalo Rodriguez, general manager of Colombia's TCS office: “As of today we have presence in the banking industry, telecommunications, airlines and government. We provide Colombia with 700 resources – 300 in Colombia and about 400 elsewhere, like Montevideo and Chennai,”he said.

This is human capital at work. No oil spillages here, only spillages of talent.

Rajasthan oil flows An IANS (Indo-Asian News Service) report (June 12) told how Cairn India crude from its Mangala fields in Rajasthan was passing through the world's largest heated and insulated pipeline to private refineries from the delivery point in Salaya. Cairn and India's stateowned Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) operate a joint 70/30 venture. Current production of 60,000 barrels per day is expected to grow to a daily 125,000 barrels by the end of the year. ONGC director Sudhir Vasudeva described the pipeline as a “technological marvel.”

“It has taken us 24 months to link this key piece of infrastructure from Rajasthan to the refineries which will allow for significant production growth,”

cleared for induction by India's Defence Acquisition Council (DAC). Akash was developed by the country's Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and its performance in trials has exceeded expectations, just as they did recently with Arjun, India's main battle tank.

Aviation Week (June 9) reported that Hyderabad-based Bharat Dynamics Ltd had been selected as the system integrator and nodal production agency for the Akash Army variant.

Bangalore-based Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) is to be the IAF's system integrator. “We have decided to split the IAF and Army orders between BEL and BDL to encourage competition within Indian industry and also to increase the synergy between the work centres,” said a senior official.

The DAC, which met with Defence Minister A.K. Antony in the chair, approved orders for 3-D Surveillance-cumAcquisition Radars, independent of the missiles, for all three services. In addition the Army has placed orders for WeaponLocating Radar.

“In the next 7-8 years, close to 100 Indian industries will benefit from these projects. The project support for these services' systems will be there for 25

Cairn oil rig in Rajasthan

years. This is a big boost to Indian industry with so much money being pumped into the Indian economy. It is a great

India's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas has come through another series of critical tests at Nagpur and is now in sight of attaining Initial Operational Clearance. All Tejas tests should be completed by the end of the year, after which the warplane will be ready for induction into the Indian Air Force (IAF). It will be a red letter when that happens, as this is the country's first high-tech warplane, Indian from concept and design through to production. The latest Tejas trials were conducted in extreme temperatures of 45C plus. Trials in the freezing cold and heights of Ladakh were successfully conducted last winter.

These trials are a guarantee that the plane's armament suite, avionics and sensors function in all conditions.

Naval power The Wall Street Journal (June 9) published a fascinating feature on the Indian Navy's entry into Pacific waters, and India's growing strategic cooperation with South Korea and Japan. The writer, Walter Ladwig, is a doctoral candidate at Merton College, Oxford, and clearly knows his subject.

He referred to a “flotilla of Indian warships on a monthlong deployment to the Pacific that included visits to Australia, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam. Such an event may be surprising to some, because India is rarely considered a major Asia-Pacific power”.

However, over the past 18 years New Delhi has made a concerted effort to direct its foreign, economic and military policies eastward....India is set to ink a free trade agreement with the 10 member Association of Southeast Asian N a t i o n s (ASEAN)...These economic linkages are leading to military cooperation with countries such as Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia. Those governments see India as the, in the words of Singaporean MinisterMentor Lee Kuan Yew, “a useful balance to China's heft.”

India already possesses the world's fifth largest navy and Asia's only operational aircraft carrier. Two more carriers are expected to join service in the next couple of years, as are significant numbers of destroyers and frigates.

Preparing for war is a sure bet to maintaining the peace.

15

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

Alpesh Patel Consultant Editor Financial Voice Dear Asian Voice Reader, Okay, I write this whilst listening to the Emergency Budget. This is my blow by blow take on it: we are reminded that credibility of sovereign debt in the international market of vital importance. The Chancellor is right the questions asked about the banks should not be asked about the country. I also think the markets look upon the Office of Budgetary Responsibility as credible.

Moreover, I and I think the markets agree with slashing spending that Labour committed to in the closing days of their administration. The State takes half our national income and therefore ‘crowds out’ private enterprise – traditional economics states that as the State takes more, the less opportunity for the private economy. A clear distinction between Labour and Tories. The latter want a smaller State.

The OBR ensures figures are accurate, avoids temptation of fudging the figures. It’s a bit like having an auditor. The Tories expect the structural budget to be balanced in five years – ie will not increase after 5 years – that’s a long time. But the markets will see the plan promising not the duration.

Interestingly the Tories give the forecasts from the independent OBR – not the Government. Why didn’t someone do this before? Instead of having partisan politicians spewing their own figures massaged from the Treasury.

The Chancellor states there is no distinction between going for growth and cutting debt. Debt will not be used to fuel growth. Moreover interest rates can remain lower for longer when budget cuts are in place. So how to cut the deficit? Lower spending is key says the Chancellor. Again this fits with Tory views of lower tax.

Inflation target remains the same – which is good news – but let’s see. It would be very good for the country if that’s the case. The danger is the Tories do the good economic work, only to cause pain that results in them losing the election.

Capital spending will not be cut – as long as generate economic returns and will privatise certain assets. Again very Tory and quite right too. Thank goodness no more major capital spending cuts as we must invest for the future. I think the markets will like that.

Public sector pay freeze, except for the ones on lowest wages ie £21k. Again that’s good news – indeed very Labour – pay rises for them. Will Hutton working out fairer salaries – now wasn’t he New Labour!? Good move – bring in those passionate about fairness.

Welfare: the largest bill in Government. Too many people who refuse to work. Lots of benefit cuts eg maternity benefits cuts and parents expected to look for work once youngest child. No choice. Attempts to be fair. Disability allowance to be medically tested – fair enough. Housing benefit costs need cutting because more is spent on that than on the police and universities.

Bank levy – ouch. Markets will have to assess that.

The levy is supposed to assist longer term stability.

Markets may view this as short term pain but long term gain. Plan for lower corporation tax – very Tory and much needed and for lower employer’s NI. Overall – I like it!

USA Green Cards

Start a New Life in America

Bilateral trade between UK – India on a downslide

Returns on FDI in India highest globally, says R N Prasad After a record surge of US$ 12.5 billion in the previous year, the bilateral trade between UK and India saw a downslide in 2009-10 according to R N Prasad, the new Deputy High Commissioner of India in UK said on Monday.

Speaking at Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre (OIFC) Investment and

Interactive meet at Bombay Brasserie in London, he said the picture of bilateral trade is no longer rosy.

UK’s share in trade with India is declining.

A reduction of UK’s FDI in India is one of the factors in the slowdown.

He further said that as India is projected to grow at 9 per cent per annum

for next 2 to 3 decades, the return on FDI in India was among the highest in the world.

The country is expected to invest upto half a trillion US dollors in next five years for infrastructure development projects and 30 per cent of that investment would be from private sources.

Unemployment rate still rising in UK Jobless allowance claims though have gone down Even as the economy in UK is witnessing a fragile recovery, the unemployment figures are a cause of concern. For the period of three months to April this year, the total number of people unemployed was at 2.47 mn, a rate of 7.9%. Of more concern is the num-

ber of people without a job for more than 12 months.

85,000 were added to the count, which stood at 772,000. It is highest in 13 years. 23,000 more people turned jobless in the April quarter.

However, the number of people claiming jobless

allowance stood at 1.48 million, down by 30,900.

Since March 2009, it is for the first time that the claimant count has gone below 1.5 million.

In comparision, the unemployment rate in the OECD area was 8.7% in April.

Only Tata vehicles for CWG guests in Delhi All class of vehicles, part sponsorship wins the deal for Tata Motors Commonwealth games guests in New Delhi will travel in only in Tata vehicles, be it athletes and officials or VVIP guests. The organising committee of the Commonwealth Games announced last week about a deal with Tata Motors for the purpose. Tata Motors will be providing close to 2,000 cars, jeeps and trucks for the event. These vehicles are meant for movement of VIPs, international delegates and families of the athletes.

According to the organising committee of

the Commonwealth Games, orders have been placed with Tata Motors for nearly 1,800 cars during the games and some more cars, jeeps and trucks for the Queen Baton Relay that would commence its nationwide run from June 25.

As per the details of the deal, while the CWG committee will foot half the bill for the vehicles – nearly Rs. 100 million, Tata Motors will share a matching amount through sponsorship during the Commonwealth games.

Maruti were the other contenders for the deal, but they lost on two counts – Maruti has only cars and passenger vehicles in their portfolio and their offer was only for outright sale of the vehicles.

Tata Motors, on the other hand, will provide the vehicles as a service.

Regulations of the CWG Federations have been adhered in the deal for transportation requirements. Some of the vehicles will be equipped with GPS and other security gadgets too.

The one day meet was jointly organised by OIFC, CII and the High Commission of India.

Among the prominent UK Indians present at the meet included Lord Karan Bilimoria, Dr. Mohan Kaul, Director-General of the Commonwealth Business Council, UK and Lord Rana.

Alcatel Lucent eyes India for a single location services HQ

India is likely to attract global major in telecom equipment major Alcatel Lucent for housing their global headquarters for services, the company has indicated. Currently, they have the facility scattered at different locations globally.

The company is present in India for two decades now. They have two mega services contracts for managed services with Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications.

If Alcatel Lucent decides for having a single location for their services headquarters globally to be set up in India, the process could be spread over next three years with an investment outlay of around half-a-billion dollars.

Pakistan, UAE businesses of RBS sold off Indian retail, commercial business next target, HSBC is the likely buyer

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) last week struck deals to sell off their operations in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.

Faysal Bank Ltd. has agreed to take over the Pakistan operations, while Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank of Bahrain will to take over the UAE operations.

Meanwhile, other reports suggest that the UK based bank is in talks to sell off the Indian business to HSBC. It may be recalled that RBS and HSBC have earlier discussed the deal for Indian

operations, but Indian regulator had not approved the proposed takeover.

The retails banking business in UAE will be sold for a consideration of US$ 100 million.

This deal is subject to regulatory approval. Abu Dhabi bank will benefit specially from the credit card business, catapulting it into the top three banks in that field in the UAE. Faysal Bank, the entity that will takeover the Pakistan operations, also has majority stake held by Isthmaar Bank BSC of Bahrain. The deals are a

part of plans to divest overseas assets of RBS. The UK based bank also has significant presence in India with operations in banking, assest management and microfinance sectors.

Australia and New Zealand Banking group bought RBS assets in Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam in August last year.

Talks for Indian unit sell off Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc., partly nationalised after the economic meltdown has accelerated efforts to sell

off overseas businesses and assets. After finalising deals for Pakistan and UAE assets, RBS is again in the process of divesting the Indian operations, people in knowledge of the developments have said.

RBS has also agreed to sell off their Argentina and Kazakhstan units. Local media reports in UK also said Spanish entity Banco Santander has emerged as a front runner for takeover of more than 300 branches of RBS in UK. The Spanish bank is believed to have offered £1.7 bn for the takeover.

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finAnciAL voice

16

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

Specialists in Education Law Maria Fernandes maria@abplgroup.com

A shopping list of problems Administrative Reviews v Appeals When the Points Based System was introduced, appeals were replaced by Administrative reviews which are handled by an officers who did not make the original decision. This system was waved through by the last Government despite the fact that the success rate in appeals was high at around 40%. The evidence so far suggests that the system is merely a rubber stamping of decisions made and no real attempt to address the reasons and the arguments outlined. May be its time to consider bringing back appeals.

Communication Staff at both in country and abroad live in ivory towers. They very rarely reply to communications and when they do by email it is often by an out of office reply which is then never followed through. Recently Mumbai have responded to email requests by completely removing their email details!!

The world has changed with the overhaul of communications. The fees for applications keep increasing every year yet the UKBA are oblivious to the changes around them. It is about time they realise that we are in the 21st century. If there is a will to improve communication it can be done. In certain parts of the organisation this has happened already.

Delays Applications often take months

(and years) to be considered and when a reply is received it requires a response usually within a matter of days.

The most notorious area where delays are unacceptable is when an appeal is allowed yet takes months to implement with the applicant going from pillar to post to get the decision implemented. The targets set are usually from receipt of decisions. In posts abroad it can take months for the decision to be received.

Wrong decisions easily corrected There are applicants who qualified for leave before the new Points based System came into force. They should be considered under the old rules.

However where they are not the only remedy is by appeal which can take several months. Justice delayed is justice denied and this is classic case where applicants have a choice of either waiting for an appeal or making a fresh application with a further fee. Those who have to apply for visas will know how expensive the process is. There should be a system for mistakes such as this to be corrected quickly and without a further fee. Why should an applicant have to pay twice for someone else’s mistake.

Maria Fernandes is a principal of Fernandes Vaz solicitors who specialise in immigration and nationality law. She has substantial experience of immigration and is an accredited member of the Immigration Law Panel.

Virendra Rastogi ordered to pay £30 mn compensation A Southwark Crown Court last week ordered former RBG Resources Plc chairman Virendra Rastogi to pay £30 million as compensation to the victims of his fraud.

Rastogi is serving a nineand-a-half-year jail sentence for a trans-Atlantic fraud.

His brother Narendra Rastogi is also in prison, sentenced by a US court for his part in the fraud. He is serving a 7 year sentence pronounced in 2008.

The 42 year old businessman of Indian origin defrauded JPMorgan Chase & Co. and other banks into lending more than £1 billion to his company RBG Resources, also known as Allied Deals Plc. He got the loans backed by worthless assets. The company used the loans used to gamble on the

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metal exchange, for personal gain or to pay back other loans, the U.K. Serious Fraud Office said in a statement.

RBG Resources owed more than $420 million when it went into liquidation in 2002, the SFO said. The ex-chairman gained more than 1 billion pounds from the fraud. He used the money to buy a flat in London’s Mayfair neighborhood, now worth £ 5 mn. The order strips Rastogi of the last of his assets, the office said.

“The defendant is a very intelligent and able

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man” who, for much of his adult life, “has had absolutely no regard for truth or honesty,” Judge James Wadsworth said in his order, according to the SFO. “The defendant accepts that the whole of his business success was based on deceit.”

Antony Brown, Rastogi’s lawyer, said his client “absolutely does not have £ 30 mn” and is considering whether to appeal the order. ‘£ One Billion’ “Our client has had to account for £ one billion, and the judge has decided that 30 million remains unaccounted for,” Brown said. “We need to spend a little time considering it.”

The defendant accepted that the whole of his business success was based on deceit, the judge had observed.

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Are you a student at University or College? Do you know your rights as a student? Did you know that as soon as you enrol on a course with a further or higher education institution you have a legally binding contract with it?

Thousands of students every year find themselves in difficult predicaments with their course provider.

Year on year we are instructed by students who are at different stages in their academic career, who wish to be assisted and represented at internal hearings relating to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, discipline, staff complaints and exclusions. In medical, nursing and social work courses, some students face fitness to practice panel hearings.

The procedures can sometimes be daunting, confusing or unclear.

We have the skills and the knowledge to help you restore your status as a student.

As solicitors specialised in this area of the law, we are able to interpret procedures of the university and assist you in fighting your corner in trying to achieve the best outcome for you. We are experts at assisting you with the interpretation of procedures, representing you on paper and in person, assisting with panel hearings, collating evidence, presenting your case in the strongest possible terms and guiding you generally through the process.

We have enjoyed a

95% success rate in achieving positive outcomes for students against universities. We have achieved reinstatement after withdrawal from a course, overturned allegations of cheating or plagiarism, and achieved consideration of mitigating circumstances to enable the student to continue on their chosen course.

If you are not happy with any decision made by an internal appeal procedure, we are able to advise you on the merits of your case, what evidence you may require to prepare your complaint to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA), assist you in drafting your complaint and advising on the public law grounds in any decision made against you which should be put to the OIA. We also have access to specialist barristers who are able to comment on the more complex complaints. In the event that the OIA does not find your complaint justified, we have the specialist knowledge to advise you on the merits of bringing a judicial review claim against the OIA or a breach of contract claim against the University.

PhD students have entered their research degrees in the hope that they will receive adequate supervision, access to all the materials required to complete the research, guidance on writing up and a fair and impartial viva voce examination once the thesis has been submitted. Sometimes,

3 Bolt Court, Fleet Street, London EC4A 3DQ T: 0207 353 6881 F: 0207 353 6882 E:website@matchsolicitors.com www.matchsolicitors.com

Anil Ambani gets into business news channel 18% stake in Bloomberg – UTV bought After a ceasefire with brother Mukesh, Anil Ambani is again on the move. Last week, he sealed a deal to buy 18% stake in Bloomberg-UTV, a business news channel.

The value of the deal was however not disclosed.

He is already holding some stake other news channels like Network 18 group (15%) and TV Today (10%). All these holdings are through Reliance Capital Ltd. (RCL), a non-banking finance company of the ADAG. Bloomberg UTV is a strategic partnership

Anil Ambani

between Bloomberg LP, a global player in business information, and the founder of UTV Software

Communications, Ronnie Screwvala.

Post restructuring, Bloomberg will own 15% of Bloomberg UTV and the balance 67% is controlled by the UTV Software and its founder.

UTV Software owns 11% in the news channel and the rest 56% is owned by Screwvala personally.

RCL operates in the financial sectors, with businesses like mutual funds, life and general insurances, retail and corporate lending. This is also an investment arm of the group.

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matters do not quite go according to plan. Some students find that they are having significant supervision issues. Their supervisors may not be responding, or may be suggesting something outside the scope of the thesis. The supervisor may be on sabbatical or may not provide enough feedback to enable the student to continue with the research. There may have been a Review Panel meeting at which the supervisor did not adequately represent the student's research.

Whatever issues may arise as part of your research degree, we are able to assist. A large proportion of our client base relates to PhD students and the various issues that they come across during their time as students. We have successfully argued a return to the degree following termination, challenged inadequate supervision, had review panels remake their decision, asked the university to appoint supervisors and sometimes obtained compensation for the way in which the student may have been treated by the university and the consequences to the student as a result of the actions of the university. If you need help with your education, call us now.

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FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

17

Property Focus Suresh Vagjiani Managing Director of Sow & Reap, a Property Investment & Financing company.

The Big Squeeze

Everyone knows the government will be squeezing the population in the form of taxes.

What many are failing to acknowledge the rises which will take place with the interest rates, as time goes on the base rate will increase. Thus reducing the income generated by property.

Many investors are in the unique position of gaining a good income during this period of low interest rates.

As time goes on the rates will increase several times. Lenders will

begin to incorporate any expected future rises into their fixed rates so it will become like six of one and half a dozen of the other.

To combat this take advantage of some of our exclusive deals. The tracker rates offer a lower rate but can be used to benefit from profits from current rentals. The fixed rate deals will protect against long term interest rate fluctuations Call Sow And Reap today for a quote.

Below is a table of some of our best BTL deals.

To hold is gold The new coalition government this week will be announcing the new rates of taxation which will be used to fund the hole created by the credit crunch. Much has been written in the press regarding how unfair a hike in Capital Gains Tax (CGT) will be and the adverse effect it will have on the fragile housing market which is in the stages of healing.

In all this speculation one point has been missed, which is CGT is only payable on the sale of a property. If you never sell the property you will never pay the CGT. But you exclaim you have to sell at some time. My question is why? You have an asset which is producing an income and growing in value, so why would you sell this? Most people will say to enjoy the growth in the property value.

Well what if you can have your cake and eat it? Rather than selling the property it can be remortgaged and 75% of the value taken out even in the current market and moreover 75% loan to value products have always been around. So the options are: you sell the property, take 100% of the value, pay 40% tax on the gain (assuming the proposed rate will be 40%) or keep hold of the property which is rising in value medium to long term and still extract 75% of the value. Not really a challenge to see what decision most would make. Of course you will find sectors in the market that will need to sell irrespective of the tax rates i.e. repossession, sales on the back of divorces, probate etc.

My opinion is that CGT increase will stagnate the market. Investors simply will not sell. The supply of properties on the market will decrease and hence the price will increase further. When the CGT was dropped to 18% it didn’t cause a rush of buyers into the property market, so why should the reverse be true? No doubt sales always in the pipeline will be expedited depending on when the new regime will be implemented. But over all the effect will be to stagnate the supply of homes on the market.

Higher value properties are often purchased in SPV, special purpose vehicles.

This means instead of selling a property they are selling a company. This avoids stamp duty for the buyer and the capital gains for the seller, which would have been applied ordinarily to the sale and purchase of a property.

Here is a brief look at the history of CGT in the UK: 1965 – Capital Gains tax of 30% was

introduced by the Chancellor, James Callaghan, to prevent people avoiding income tax by switching their income into capital. A threshold of £9,500 was set.

1982 – With inflation shooting up to 21% during the early 1980s, the chancellor Geoffrey Howe, introduced indexation. This allowed people to omit the benefit of inflation when calculating how much tax to pay on profits.

1988 – Income tax was lowered from 60% to 40% for high-rate taxpayers and from 30% to 25% for basic rate payers.

CGT rates followed suit, with these dual rates introduced. The threshold lowered to £5,000.

1997 – Kenneth Clarke was chancellor. In his last tax year the CGT threshold, which had been rising slowly over time, hit £6,500.

1998 – Gordon Brown replaced indexation with taper relief in his first budget.

This meant, the longer you held the asset, the lower the rate of tax you paid on it.

For example, if you had owned an asset for 10 years, the rate fell from 40% to 24%.

2002 – The threshold was slowly rising. In 2002 it hit £7,700.

2008 – Alistair Darling scrapped the dual rate of CGT in his first budget and introduced a single rate of 18%. He scrapped taper relief.

2009 – For the first time, the threshold went over £10,000, exempting the first £10,100 of any profit from tax.

2010 – The Liberal Democrats promised in their manifesto that they will "tax capital gains at the same rates as income, so that all the money you make is taxed in the same way". This implied the 18% would be increased to 20%, 40% and 50% depending on your tax bracket. The Conservative Manifesto does not mention any changes to Capital Gains Tax.

n Mortgages n Commercial Finance n Property Sourcing n Gujarat Properties - Sale & Resale T: 0207 706 0187 F: 0203 014 8484

E: info@sowandreap.co.uk W: www.sowandreap.co.uk

31 Southwick Street, Paddington, W2 1JQ Registered in England No. 05083823

18

fInAncIAL voice

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

The ‘U’ in British Airways There is no ‘i’ in team. A simple and apt statement.

However, the letter of contention for British Airways is not ‘i’, but rather ‘u’ (for Unite). In many ways the conflict at BA symbolises the state of the country. Difficult times which require tough decisions. Herein lays the challenge for a leader.

Making a difficult decision is only half the task, the remainder is to inspire others to adopt the changes and to bear the consequences.

Willie Walsh may want to take a leaf out of the book of his rival Sir Richard Branson. In 2007, faced with strike action over pay by Virgin cabin crew (guess which Union represented them?), Branson personally wrote a letter to all of the cabin crew staff. He talked about the Company’s proud heritage, its progress and its limitations. Most important of all, he attributed the Airlines success to one thing – teamwork. He stated, “Virgin Atlantic has survived against (larger rival airlines)…thanks largely to the attitude and hard work of its staff - by everyone working well together…”

Anil Mehta

For Mr Walsh, two quotes come to mind, the first – “A ruler should be slow to punish and swift to reward”. (Ovid). Taking away strikers travel benefits may have been a shrewd negotiating tactic, but Walsh risks further alienating his staff.

Being a good leader requires many skills, but foremost is the realisation that their role is about leading without dictating; inspiring without restricting; and motivating without coercing. It is about creating a culture, an environment in which people enjoy working, wherein they can flourish and wherein they feel they are rewarded for their efforts.

The second quote “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of chal-

LIC denied permission for a subsidiary in Singapore

lenge and controversy.”

(Martin Luther King, Jr.) There are times when every leader has to draw a line in the sand and say, ‘I can come no further’.

What they should not do is build a wall and say to their people, ‘You cannot come back’.

Branson’s rallying cry was, “We all want to resolve this situation and give the best pay increase that the business can afford. The best way to achieve this is by keeping all of our planes flying and delivering what we do best - making sure that all of our passengers leave with a smile.” The ‘U’ Branson wanted for Virgin, stood for ‘Us’.

Amit Patel Amit Patel has over 15 years experience in the field of Personal Development and Human Resource Management.

He has delivered speeches on People Management and Development throughout Europe, North America, and Asia. Amit provides consultancy services to business' and individuals on a range of issues from team building to personal development.

You can contact Amit by email at amitpatelmail@gmail.com

Cambridge honour for Ratan Tata

India’s state owned life insurance major, Life Insurance Corporation of India was recently denied permission for setting up a subsidiary in Singapore.

LIC had initiated the process of seeking approval to set up a subsidiary and sell life insurance policies there.

Already having a representative office in Singapore.

Singapore authorities said that a credit rating for the parent unit is a must for doing business there.

Ratan Tata, the Chairman of Indian industrial house and also owner of British companies JLR and Corus was honoured by the University of Cambridge with an honorary degree of Doctor of Law. At a congregation held on Monday and presided over by Duke of Edinburgh and Chancellor of the university, Prince Philip, Ratan Tata and seven others were conferred with the honorary doctorates.

Hinduja Global Solutions (HGSL), a BPO company of the Hinduja group announced on Monday the acquisition of Careline Services, a UK based company in the business of providing contact services.

The aim is the acquisition is to expand the reach of Hinduja Global Solutions into the European market.

HGSL, the company

with its headquarters in Chennai, India said in a statement that the acquisition of Careline will become a launch pad for the company’s entry into the UK and Europe market. They aim to cross-sell their global delivery model to the European clients of Careline. The value of the deal was not disclosed.

For HGSL, it is the first

The other recipients of the honorary degree include George John Mitchall, lawyer (Doctor of Law), Dame Louise Napier Johnson, DBE, FRS (Doctor of Science), Sir Andrew John Wiles, KBE, MA Ph.D. FRS (Doctor of Science), Geoffrey William Hill, (Doctor of Letters), Richard Sennett (Doctor of Letters), Sir Harrison Birtwistle, (Doctor of Music), Dame Evelyn Elizabeth Ann Glennie (Doctor of Music).

Hinduja’s BPO arm HGSL acquires Careline Services in UK

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HGSL currently has more than 80 clients with revenues of US$ 193 million in 2009. The employee strength of the company is 1,000 and has three delivery centres in UK.

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Alpesh Patel’s Political Sketchbook: The Budget – control to coincide cycles for power The youngest Chancellor for over 100 years – but I believe a masterly performance.

Even though VAT up to 20%. When he said that, the shouts from the opposition benches meant he had to be reminded when the speaker interjected - a very nice touch – it almost felt like a school debate – without meaning to patronise the Chancellor.

Since this was post election it was not a bribe budget – but the other type of budget – one of strictness. If as a chancellor you can align the election (political) cycle with economic or business cycle then you can afford to bribe before the election and takeaway after it. Sadly for Labour they did not coincide in 2010 for them. For the Tories they were able to stay in power for a long period from the 80s because the cycles co-incided.

The problem for the Chancellor will be that with the global economy more responsible than ever for UK cycles and an Office of Budget

involvement in Greece.

Again Germany is Greece’s OBR. Another problem the Tories will face in staying in power will be that the pain will be remembered for a long time.

Take Clarke – in 1997 he gave away lots but the pain of his previous budgets meant he was out. So what does it mean for the Tories. Of course too early to tell, but don’t assume doing good for the country means the country thanks you for it.

Moreover, don’t forget on this budget our debts continue to rise until the end of this Parliament – it takes time to reverse a tanker.

In other words you could have the worst of both worlds. People see you as causing pain, and to the extent debts increase you may be actually alleviating pain, but you’re not seen as doing that. So again you’re in a tough thankless situation.

The unfortunate thing could be, this is the best election Labour have ever lost from their perspective potentially.

Insurance, pension via ULIPs set to be more attractive Irda asked to make changes while clearing ULIP products The ministry of finance in government of India has finally intervened in the battle over control for ULIP products. An ordinance was issued, making it clear that ULIPs would be considered as Insurance products and shall continue to

be under the IRDA. The attempt by security market regulator SEBI has been neutralised with the ordinance. The ministry has, at the same time asked the IRDA to ensure that ULIP products have better life cover, various charges

levied on the clients have to capped, a minimum guaranteed income for pension products among others.

It means those who go for Insurance or Pension via ULIPs will have better returns or rewards and relief on various charges.

Jhagadia gets a Rs. 570 mn Lanxess plant Germany based speciality chemicals major, Lanxess is expanding their operations with a new plant being set up at Jhagadia in South Gujarat to manufacture engineering plastics.

The Lanxess already has atleast two other units in India, in Mumbai and Madhya Pradesh.

Construction for the Jhagadia unit will start soon and the unit is expected to be commissioned in 2012. It will have an installed capacity of 20,000 metric tons per annum of compounding for engineering plastics.

To be set up with an investment of more than

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Responsibility – control to coincide cycles is out of his hands. Sooner or later your luck runs out.

You see electoral victories for a while could be predicted by interest rates, before that it was based on class. But both models have broken down in their predictive value. What will be important going forward is to avoid bribery to keep the economy consistently performing well. The problem with bribery is it leads to boom and bust and then you lose control of the economy as you try to control the economic cycle.

It is far better to have a system where policy is decided by politicians but independent overseers decide whether or not implementation is fiscally prudent. And that is the system we seem to be adopting in the UK with OBR. To me the OBR is a bit like the IMF and you recall their involvement in the UK economy in 1979 – it did help in that it ensured independent stringency.

Or look at the Germans

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10 million Euro, the Jhagadia unit will produce Durethan and Pocan. The group has also announced expansion of their hightech plastics unit in Wuxi in China.

Electronics, Electrical and Automobile industries are the major consumers of the products.

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FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

19

Foreign Exchange Sponsored by

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For any further information call 020 7220 8181 or e-mail info@rationalfx.com

The Most Important Budget for 30 Years The emergency budget, presented by George Osborne on Tuesday 22nd of June, has been designed to reduce the public sector spending racked-up by the previous government, surmounting to a mind boggling national budget deficit of £175 Billion: a Sovereign debt that has been allowed to accrue during the thirteen year reign of the last government.

Gordon Brown had control of the nation’s purse strings for the majority of the Labour term, both as Chancellor of the Exchequer and Prime Minister.

At the height of Mr. Brown’s reign in July 2002, his promise of ‘no boom and bust’ still fresh in the political and economic agenda, national debt stood at 29.2% of GDP – arguably, a time when the roof should have been fixed while the sun was shining. That is to say that a more prudent approach to public spending should have been adopted during the times of prosperity.

By April 2010 the National Debt stood at 61.7% of GDP. A combination of wars in the Middle East, the lack of prudence during the boom times, and of course the ‘Credit Crunch’, a world wide recession leading to bank bail outs and reviews of the whole financial system.

The present coalition government has a five-year plan for economic recovery and the imminent budget is widely expected to herald the most radical fiscal policies for over thirty years. The question facing the nation is: will these spending cuts put the economy further on the road to recovery or plunge us into the much dreaded ‘double dip’ recession?

The recently published Markit PMI reflects that the private sector employment has returned to fragile growth for a third successive month in May. This surely shows that the private sector is feeling more confi-

dent in the sustainability of the UK economic outlook, but the underlying fears are still apparent.

With the government cuts pending and the boost seen from restocking inventories now waning, growth in the UK manufacturing sector has been assisted in part from the weaker pound.

The looming Spanish and Greek debt crisis has hit the Euro Zone, our biggest trading partners, and helped to strengthen the pound against the Euro.

Any ‘double dip’ recession in the Euro Zone would inevitably have a devastating knock-on effect in the UK.

With the ONS reporting public sector Net UK Debt, expressed as a percentage of GDP, at 62.2% at the end of May 2010, compared with 55.4% in May 2009, Net Debt has risen from 774 Billion to 903 Billion respectively over this period.

The present coalition government clearly thinks that the potential consequences of this colossal debt could result in a fate rivalling that of Greece, Spain and Ireland.

This deficit needs to be brought swiftly under control; appeasing the influential and highly revered bond markets, and enabling the UK to finance debt at lower levels, whilst retaining its coveted triple A status.

These proposed measures to cut the deficit will enable interest rates to remain at historically low levels in the short to medium term, helping to boost the money supply, keep spending power in people’s pockets, as well as increasing private sector demand and household consumption.

As the theory goes, this should balance out the severity of government spending cuts, potentially putting the economy on the sure footing that the country requires for a private sector led recovery.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 22nd June 2010 @ 2pm GBP - INR = 68.38 USD - INR = 46.21 EUR - INR = 56.72 GBP - USD = 148.17 GBP - EUR = 120.49 EUR - USD = 122.91 GBP - AED = 5.44 GBP - CAD = 1.50 GBP - NZD = 2.08 GBP - AUD = 1.68 GBP - ZAR = 11.125 GBP - HUF = 336.37

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

20

garammasala

Asian Voice Saturday 26th June 2010

London premiere of ‘Raavan’ a gala event Entire Bachchan family, SRK walk the red carpet

‘7am Arivu’ to start in Chennai

Suriya has put the super success of ‘Singam’ behind and is ready for Murugadoss film. The first schedule of ‘7am Arivu’ was to happen in China and the unit was gearing to shoot the first song featuring Suriya and Shruthi Haasan in China.

But now some additional

dates given by Suriya to Ram Gopal Varma for ‘Raththa Charithiram’ have changed the plan a bit. Ram Gopal Varma wanted to re-shoot some sequences and so Suriya had given additional 15 days to RGV. As the availability of Suriya was delayed for the China schedule, Murugadoss has decided to make the first schedule happen in Chennai and the China trip has been postponed to second schedule.

According to new plan the first shot will be canned in Chennai. The first schedule in Chennai will involve only Suriya.

Sunaina is Malarkodi

members of ‘Vamsam’ call Malarkodi. This is how the crew For the actress has totally Sunaina on the sets of the film. belle character she is playge villa transferred herself into the of ‘Pasanga’ fame. ing in the movie directed by Pandiraj changed for the role. All have I way “I am surprised by the cting the best from every credits go to Pandiraj, who is extra “The entire Tamil Nadu ing: add ss, one of us,” says the actre film is released.” would call me Malarkodi once the On his costar Arulnidhi, Sunaina says, “He is not like a fresher. He is dedicated and very frien dly.

We have become g o o d friends in a very short span of time. I am enjoying each and every moment working for Vamsam.”

Recalling her working in Telugu films, the actress says, “It was Hyderabad where I started my acting career. I have acted in two Tollywood movies too.

When I was waiting for break, right a Kollywood changed my career graph.”

Sneha issues warning Sneha is irked about gossips on her that appeared in a section of the media. “I have no other option than taking legal action if this trend continues,” says the actress, issuing a warning to those spreading rumours.

“Actresses are not sex workers. It is not fair to write gossips on them just because they are into acting profession.

We too have a family and those spreading rumours should understand the pain we undergo because of their acts,” she says.

“I would no more take things easy,” the ‘smiling beauty says and adds: “I would sure take legal action if this trend continues. I am open to criticism, but not to such cheap acts which agonises me a lot.”

Changing the topic, the actress says, “This is my 10th

The Red Carpet was rolled out to welcome Indian cinema royalty and off-screen couple, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, as they brought the height of glamour to London’s cultural hotspot, BFI, Southbank, London SE1 on Wednesday 16th June 2010 at the World Premiere of ‘Raavan’, a darkly intense film that invites audiences into a new world order. The stars were honoured by a fanfare of cheers from the multitudes of fans and media that had gathered for the momentous event.

India’s most celebrated couple were joined at the actionpacked premiere by fellow cast and crew members including the undisputed superstar of South Indian cinema, Vikram, and India’s most acclaimed director, Mani Ratnam. Fellow celebrities, VIP’s and dignitaries who attended the event included: Indian cinema’s most revered actor Amitabh Bachchan and wife Jaya Bachchan; fellow A-list international star, Shah Rukh Khan; Mayor of London's Director for Transport Policy Kulveer

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan giving autographs to fans at BFI, Southbank as the Bachchan Family attended the premiere of Raavan

Ranger; film director Gurinder Chadha; actors, Laila Rouass and Sadie Pickering; and musician Rishi Rich.

Following the excitement and action on the Red Carpet, the stars and leading crew members of the film took centre stage before the full house, to welcome guests and introduce the film. The glitzy event was followed by an after-party at exclusive eaterie and celebrity haunt, Oxo Tower Wharf,

Waterloo, indulging guests with a bespoke menu of cocktails and canapés.

Drenched with atmosphere, emotion and gripping tension, ‘Raavan’ is a darkly intense, cinematic masterpiece that will draw audiences into the innermost depths of the human psyche to test their beliefs, convictions and emotions. The film wowed guests and audiences at the star-studded premiere, who left the venue spellbound.

I will never say no to Mani Ratnam Priyal Sanghavi Bollywood heartthrob Abhishek Bachchan has been up since 5 am juggling interviews and quality time with wife Aishwarya Rai, who is also his co-star in ‘Raavan’. He speaks to Asian Voice on the eve of Raavan's world premiere in London.

How has it been working on Raavan?

It is a most physical film Mani and I have made together.

The experience gained is more amplified. As a character he is larger than life. Very unpredictable. Very different from guru. Thats the trend with Mani. He likes to do something he hasn't done before.

How important is Mani Ratnam to an actor?

Actors would give a body part to work with Mani Ratnam.

I am damn lucky to have three films with him. He is outstanding. You are always excited when he comes to you. He is a dear family friend and very close and special to both Aishwarya and me. Whether it is a film or not, being around him is a lot of fun. I don't read Mani's script, he tells me what to do and I do it. He sent me a message asking if I am ready for another one.

Then we got around to the script and I was blown away by the character. I will not ask Mani for a script and I will never say no to him.

Can you identify with Beera?

Absolutely nothing. I believe as actors we lend a small part of ourself to every role. He is the first character I could not contribute to because he is so different to anyone I know. I have never encountered someone as wild and volatile like him. He had to be fabricated from thin air. You had to go out there and jump into the deep end and ride with him. It was very liberating because there is no framework you can characterise him in. In Guru, I knew what Gurukant Desai could do and couldn't do.

Beera can do anything. You just go with it.

How has it been working with your wife?

It is exactly the same in the first film we did together. We have always been comfortable as co-stars. Great level of understanding and that remains till today.

Do you have a particular memorable moment from Raavan?

The entire film is memorable. It is not alright to have just one moment, if it is going to be that way then you shouldn't do the film.

Vikram plays Beera in the Tamil version of the film. Did you two exchange notes?

Vikram and I had complete different interpretations of the character inspite of the same scene, you will see the differ-

ence.

Do you feel you have grown as an actor?

I better have grown as an actor. I would be hopeless at my job if I hadn't. The day you stop growing creatively you should stop working. You become very complacent about your work and thats the death of your creativity. And process of learning is endless.

Which character that you have played, is closest to the real Abhishek Bachchan?

You presume I know who the real Abhishek Bachchan is. We play different characters and get lost somewhere. The wonderful thing is that the film you are currently working on, you become that person. Raj from Kuch na Kaho comes the closest.

How does it feel that now that the movie is finally out?

I am very excited. I always am this way because you work hard on your films. Finally its up for judgement. Fair amount of nerves but excited to see it.

Is Raavan a crossover film?

I have never understood the word crossover. Crossover to where? Indian films are so unique that the world is waking up to them. It would be tragic to change anything.

You just make a film and leave it to the audience. You cant chase a particular audience because that compromises on integrity.

‘Raavan’ faces Sri Lanka wrath

year in cinema. I am currently doing a crucial role in Prashanth starrer ‘Ponnan Sankar’ which has dialogues by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

Besides, I am playing the lead role in ‘Bhavani IPS’ and Sarath Kumar’s Vidiyal.”

A cinema hall planning to screen Raavanan was torched in Colombo, Sri Lanka, amidst protests against the film owing to its star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and director Mani Ratnam’s decision to stay away from the IIFA awards held in Sri Lanka.

An unidentified group in Eastern Sri Lanka has called on theatre owners in the country to boycott Tamil movies and the bilingual film, starring Abhishek Bachchan in the Hindi version

and Vikram in Tamil, is the first victim.

The group had sent handbills to cinema owners, saying that the boycott of the IIFA event by Indian artistes had brought disrepute to Sri Lanka and therefore retaliation was just and appropriate. On Thursday, a day before the release of Raavanan, Shanthi cinema in Eastern Batticaloa, which was planning to screen the much-hyped film, was torched.

The hall’s manager Kandasamy Murugesu said that three people came to his theatre on Monday and told him he should not screen films from Tamil Nadu. “I informed the Kattankudi police and three days later there was an arson attack,” a daily quoted him as saying. The manager said he would not bow to this threat, would continue to screen films produced in Tamil Nadu, and asked for police protection.

bollykats

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

21

Koena Mitra gets her sixth tattoo Mr. Singh Mrs. Mehta

Koena Mitra has gone in for one more tattoo on her body and this one's on her neckline. She already has five tattoos. The impulsive actress assures us this isn't the last she gets inked.

She says, "There's a special meaning to the Japanese text I have got inked. When I was born, my parents hadn't decided on a name. For two days, the only identification I had was a white hospital wristband with the bed number and date and time

of birth.

My grand-dad

who

came to see me, felt bad when he saw the band and he wrote 'God's beautiful child' on it. And that is what my new tattoo says too." The actress adds that she still has the band with her.

Koyna adds that her mom isn't happy about her tattoo fixation, but when she asked her maa for a suggestion, she was the one who came up with the idea to get 'god's beautiful child' tattooed in Japanese on her neck.

She got the tattoo made at Hakim Alim's salon, and it took 15 minutes, "It was done in no time and wasn't painful at all. The waist band inking that I got done took me close to seven hours, so this was a breeze."

When asked if she would consider getting her lover's name inked like Saif did? She laughed, "Never! That's something I am very clear about. I wouldn't even get my own name inked."

belongs to a powerful Nepalese political family, was one of the best-known actresses in India in the

1990s. She has turned to film production in Nepal after a lull in her Bollywood career.

In 1999, Koirala was named a UN goodwill ambassador for her work to promote women's rights and her campaign to prevent trafficking of Nepalese girls.

The actress' grandfather, B P Koirala, was prime minister of Nepal in the late 1950s, while two of her grand uncles were also prime ministers of the Himalayan nation.

Manisha weds Nepalese businessman

A romantic flick with some difference, Mr. Singh Mrs. Mehta is set in London and the leading lady of the film is also a British Indian who has made her debut in Bollywood very recently. She has one release to her credit.

Aruna Shields has hogged limelight for her decision to pose complete nude before the camera in this film.

Mr Singh Mrs Mehta is the story of Ashwin and Neera who find their spouses are having an affair.

Drawn together by shame and anger, they find comfort in their growing friendship even as they resolve not to be like their unfaithful mates.

The decision of Indian censors to allow all her bold, nude scenes in the film without a single cut appears to be perhaps even more than bold than Aruna’s decision to pose completely nude before the cameras.

Further, it is a debut film for Pravesh Bhardwaj as a director. He shares the credit for the story with Ashwin Mehta and Neera Singh.

The musician for the film, Ustad Shujaat Hussain Khan has earned a nomination for Grammy Award.

The cast of the film includes Prashant Narayan, Aruna Shields, Naved Aslam and Lucy Hassan.

Amitabh Verma has penned the lyrics.

Popular Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala married Nepalese businessman Samrat Dahal in a traditional ceremony on Friday attended by family members and close friends.

The wedding rituals, spread over three days, were conducted by Hindu temple priests at a forest resort just outside Katmandu, Nepal's capital, Sridhar Pokharel, an official at the wedding venue, said.

The elaborate nuptial celebrations, which began

on Friday, was concluded with a reception on Sunday in Katmandu.

Koirala, 40, who

Kiran Rao ropes in Gustavo Santaolalla for ‘Dhobi Ghat’ Aamir Khan’s wife Kiran Rao wants to take no chances with her directorial debut ‘Dhobi Ghat’, for she has roped in two-time Oscar winning Argentine

‘Brokeback Mountain’.

Kiran was keen to work with him and when she narrated the film to him, he was keen to visit Mumbai since the city plays a character in the film. Gustavo also wanted

to be in Mumbai to witness the first showers as there is a special song about rains in Mumbai.

From morning till evening, Kiran has been taking him all over Mumbai to visit certain locations and

Gustavo is certainly enjoying Mumbai food. Gustavo is a director who works very rarely with anyone and Kiran is extremely delighted when he gave a go-ahead for ‘Dhobi Ghat’.”

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musician Gustavo Santaolalla for her project.

It is believed that Santaolalla will handle the background score and the soundtrack of ‘Dhobi Ghat’.

He is known for his music in films like ‘Brokeback Mountain’, ‘Babel’, ‘Motorcycle Diaries’ and ‘Amores Perros’. He has won two Oscars, for ‘Babel’ and

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Shakira may soon make Bollywood debut Columbian pop sensation, Shakira, who made waves recently with her FIFA World Cup song 'Waka Waka', may soon make a debut in Bollywood. The 33-year-old star is in talks with Bollywood music composers SalimSulaiman to sing in a yetto-be-titled film.

Shakira may follow in the footsteps of Australian pop star Kylie Minogue who sang for Oscar-winner A R Rahman in Akshay Kumar starrer 'Blue' last year. SalimSulaiman, who collaborated with South African singers in Shakira's World Cup song 'Waka Waka', are

in touch with her and says that 'Hips Don't Lie' singer is very willing.

"We are in talks with her management. She seems to be really willing to collaborate and we are hoping a positive response

soon," Salim Merchant said. And if everything goes right Salim-Suleman will be recording with Shakira in a month's time.

The song would be a Cabaret number with Latin influence in it.

The film will be helmed by Prakash Chadha who last directed Himesh Reshammiya's 'Aap Ka Suroor'. It will mark the acting debut of entrepreneur Sachin Joshi who is also the producer of the film.

Shakira, would be the latest foreign import after Mexican star Barbara Mori seen with Hrithik Roshan in 'Kites'.

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InDIA

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

Delhi to have a direct Air India flight to Melbourne

In divine light

AI, Victoria State signed deal on Tuesday; flight from 01 November Air India will have its first direct flight to Australia between New Delhi and Melbourne from 01 November, 2010.

Victoria Premier John Brumby, Industry and Trade minister Jacinta Allan signed the deal on Tuesday, 22nd June in Melbourne. This New Delhi – Melbourne will be a daily flight. Air India officials in Mumbai said CMD Arvind Jadhav had discussed the modalities with Australian aviation authorities during his just-concluded visit to the country.

The officials also said the air line has plans to start a flight to San Francisco in USA. A decision for that will be taken soon.

Brumby said the

NID director to get honorary degree in UK The director of National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, Pradyumna Vyas has been invited by University for the Creative Arts (UCA), UK, to present him with an honorary master of arts in recognition of his contribution to design education and promotion. He will be presented with the award at UCA Farnham's graduation ceremony on June 29 at Guildford Cathedral in UK. Paul Coyle, pro vice-chancellor and executive dean at the UCA, said, "Vyas is a well-respected designer who cares deeply about higher education."

Indian flag carrier will also set up a regional headquarters in the Victorian capital. "Victoria and India share common interests in cricket, international education, film and trade," Brumby said.

"With a growing Indian community living here in Victoria we are also seeing more relatives and friends visit Victoria which is great for local jobs and the economy as tourism grows."

Allan said “Melbourne is Australia's major around-the-clock, curfewfree international airport,

accommodating international carriers at about half the operating cost incurred at Sydney.”

Plans for expanding international network “A final decision on the San Francisco is also expected shortly,” Air India officials added.

Before Air India, private carrier Jet Airways had launched a service to San Francisco via Shanghai in June 2008.

But within six months, the airline withdrew the flight after the route was found economically unviable.

Air India is also considering several other routes to expand its international network. These include more flights to Africa and West Asia, they added.

Beer, wine would be available at Delhi restaurants To make Delhi more tourist friendly, you may be able to order wine or beer with your meal at your favourite joint. Delhi government is in the process of issuing licences to eateries allowing the serving of softer alcoholic drinks. There were a lot of requests from eateries which want to serve beer and wine. So the government has decided to create a separate category under which, if a restaurant meets the other conditions like a MCD trade licence, fire clearance and separate toilets for men and women, it can get a L-4d licence for serving these drinks.

This is a part of making the city more tourist-

friendly ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

There will be extra demand for beer, etc which we hope to meet through this. Football junkies though will rue the fact that the move did not come in time for the FIFA World Cup that is currently in progress in South Africa. Meanwhile, the government is planning to write to the Centre asking for it to expedite the clearance of the Delhi Excise Act which has been pending the Centre's approval for a long time now. L -4d licences, was not possible for roadside eateries starting to sell beer as there are ample safeguards in place.

Punjab also suffering from alcohol contamination in ground water After uranium and chemicals as well as pesticides residues in the ground water, Punjab has also discovered alcohol contamination in ground water.

Four major distilleries operating in the state have been found to be discharging untreated effluents directly into the soil around their site. This has resulted in excessive levels of the booze in the ground water in the area.

But, for residents, it’s not all joy. An unbearable stench of rot hangs heavily in the air as you drive from Chandigarh to Dera Bassi, where one of the distilleries is located. A team of Punjab legislators has found that nearly 30-km area around the four distilleries has become ‘highly polluted and contains huge amounts of alcohol’.

Sukhwinder Kaur, a resident of Dera Bassi, where one of the distilleries is located says, “The smell of liqour, when it is

fermented, hangs in the air all the time. When you drink water it is not just yellow in colour but smells of liquor. May be we are all on a high all the time and so have stopped feeling it.’’

Punjab is known for men with an unsatiable thirst for liquor. The state earns maximum revenue, more than from any other product including foodgrain, from liquor sales.

Expectedly, the state has the highest rate of liver failures and is probably the poorest equipped to deal with the medical crisis.

Virsa Singh Valtoha, an Akali MLA who is part of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha’s Pollution Control Committee (PCC), said that the situation is alarming as it is detrimental to people’s health. ‘‘This is very serious. We are looking into the norms that are being flouted by various distillieries that is causing

such serious health hazard to people living in the vicinity.’’

The report of the committee has not yet been tabled, said Valtoha, and as of now is confidential.

The main culprits are four distilleries in Dera Bassi, Pathankot, Hamira and Gurdaspur areas. These units have been defaulting perpetually by discharging untreated effluents in water channels and soil, causing not just air pollution but destruction of aquatic life as well.

Since these distilleries find use of coal expensive, they use rice husk and later scatter the ash all along roads and vacant areas, which is the prime reason for the unbearable stench. Beer distilling and bottling plants discharge waste in streams and ponds which seeps into the ground. At many places, the waste after production of alcohol is discharged into rivers.

By Rajen Vakil

Vyasa and Ganapati: synchronisation personified After compiling the Vedas, Vyasa visualized a great work of poetry but was in a quandary of how to write it down for perusal by generations to come. Lord Brahma appeared before him.

Seeing the lord, Vyasa bowed down with folded hands and said, “O lord, I have created this great work of poetry. It contains the deepest mysteries of the Vedas; it has the knowledge of the Upanishads and the lessons of history and the puranas. It reveals the mysteries of time and the secrets of death. I have included all the principles of astrology, geography, and astronomy.”

Vyasa added “There is knowledge of law, medicine, education, politics, and charity – the complete science of spirituality together with knowledge of the soul and the spirit. It describes all the holy places, forests, mountains, rivers and cities. It is a complete treatise on the art of warfare, politics, and the duties and functions of a king. O lord this will be the book of books containing all the knowledge available to man. But I need a scribe who will write as fast as I dictate, please help me find one worthy of this great task.”

To this, Brahma answered “You are the greatest of rishis and have complete knowledge of the relationship between consciousness and truth. Just as family life is the highest form of spiritual living, your poetical composition will be the greatest poem ever written. In the stream of time which flows from this moment – both into the future and the past, nothing will ever surpass what you have written. Please meditate on Ganesha and he will take the task of being your scribe.”

Vyas meditated upon Ganesha who appeared before him. He worshipped him and gave him an elevated seat. He then requested, “O lord of the ganas (primal energies), I have conceived in my mind the greatest of poems; please be my scribe and write it down as I dictate.” Ganesha said “If while writing my pen does not stop, I agree to perform this task.” To this Vyasa replied, “And you will not write down anything you have not understood.” Ganesha agreed and they were ready for the task.

While reciting the hundred thousand slokas of the Mahabharata, Vyasa put in eight thousand eight hundred slokas that are very difficult to unravel. Even Ganesha had to pause to understand their meanings. In these short pauses, Vyasa would compose the next series of slokas and would get time for a breather. It is said that these eight thousand eight hundred slokas of the Mahabharata contain the deepest mysteries of Dharma, Artha, Kama

has been able to communicate with the cosmic or divine mind. In yoga there is the marriage of the lower mind with the higher mind. This can only happen when all our animal passions or ganas are under control. When this happens, the logical mind and the intuitive mind merge into it one another. When we have calmed and controlled our lower animal nature, we become Ganapati or lord of the passions. As he is the god of good fortune, to such a yogi only good

and Moksha. Vyasa himself says that in these slokas he has tried to open people’s eyes and free them from the darkness they live in.

Let us now try to see the symbology in this story. Some higher knowledge is being revealed to the great sage Vyasa; this knowledge is flowing into him from some higher dimension of time and space. If this knowledge is not written down immediately, it would be lost forever. We can compare it to seeing a dream early in the morning but if we do not write it down immediately then we forget it. Dreams come from a much lower dimension then the one Vyasa is talking about. So, the vision which Vyasa is seeing and the writing of Ganesha must happen nearly at the same time.

The word ‘Ganapati’ comes from the root gana meaning to count. Of that he is the pati or lord.

Gana also means our passions which have come from the animal world and he is the lord of these passions. We have two brains – the logical brain that counts and reasons, and the creative brain from which flows music, poetry, and creativity. The creative brain also acts as a modem and can receive higher knowledge from the cosmic mind. Many scientific discoveries have come as flashes from our creative brain when that scientist

fortune flows. Thus, the birth of the Mahabharata is from the marriage of the lower with the higher.

Man has a thinking centre and thoughts are put into action through the moving centre. When the yogi goes beyond thought into the realm of intuitive intelligence, he gets many flashes of deep mysteries but the problem comes when he tries to express them in words; this can only come by synchronising the intuiting with the moving. For the lower mind to express the truth as clearly as is seen by the higher mind, it must first understand this truth.

Many people understand very deeply but find it very difficult to bring the light they have experienced into normal everyday living or to express their understanding in words. In a computer, we have a modem which downloads coded files. But we can only understand them when they appear on the screen. The modem is the higher mind or Vyasa and the screen is our logical mind or Ganesha who is able to decode the higher and make it available for the benefit of mankind.

This beautiful story about Vyasa and Ganapati depicts the beautiful synchronisation of the thinking and the moving centre.

(Edited by Chintu Gandhi. Illustration by Siddharth Ramanuj.)

The author can be reached by emailing 3srb@live.com

23

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

Arjun Singh denies hand in Anderson let-off Senior Congress leader Arjun Singh, who is in the eye of a storm over the issue of safe passage given to the then UCC chairman Warren Anderson in the wake of the Bhopal gas tragedy, has sought to lob the ball in the Centre's court and the party declined to join issue. "I have no locus standi on this issue," Singh, who was then the chief minister of Madhya

Pradesh when the Bhopal gas tragedy occurred was quoted as saying .

Congress, which has so far been targeting Arjun Singh, however, declined to comment on his remarks.

Singh has also indicated that his autobiography, on which he is working, will have details.

BJP, JD (U) appear keen to continue alliance in Bihar After more than a week of tug-of-war, BJP leaders held a series of meetings in capital New Delhi on Tuesday to decide on whether to keep the alliance with JD (U) going or snap it. The issue was undecided till late in the night, though signals from both the parties indicated that both were keen to continue.

During the day, there were contradicting reports about the fate of the BJP – JD (U) alliance. One report said JD (U) secured a deal with conditions that Narendra Modi and Varun Gandhi will be kept off electioneering in the state as it is about to go to polls.

Officially, BJP said there were no such demand from the JD (U) and no question of the party agreeing for the same.

The two parties fought the 2005 elections together and won 135 (JD (U) – 81, BJP – 54) seats of the total 243 in Bihar. The Lalu Prasad lead alliance has got 78 seats (RJD – 56, LJP – 12 and Congress 10).

File photo of Narendra Modi with Nitiesh Kumar

Troubleshooting is very much on the agenda.

After all, the partnership with Nitish's JD(U) has brought them to power in Bihar, and allowed them to share credit with Nitish for making a marked difference in a state often referred to as India's heart of darkness.

Senior members of the BJP, sources say, will push for a truce.

All except one, perhaps. Narendra Modi, the Gujarat Chief Minister, has become the crucial point of the conflict. And

he wants his party to send Nitish a strong message, preferably one that includes some sort of defense for him, as Nitish rails home the point that Modi cannot campaign in Bihar because his non-secular image will alienate Muslim voters.

So the troubleshooting the BJP has to engage in at its meeting is multi-barreled. It has to soothe Modi and Bihar leaders who feel Nitish is dismissive of them; it has to calculate the risk of ending the alliance with Nitish so

Cow urine based cancer drug gets US patent

An anti-cancer drug extracted from cow urine and developed by an affiliate organization of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has got a US patent for the third time for its anti-genotoxicity properties, a senior official has said.

The drug developed by RSS-backed Go Vigyan Anusandhan Kendra had earlier got the US patent as a bio-enhancer with antibiotics and anti-cancer drugs.

The research for the

drug brand named 'Kamdhenu Ark' was carried out jointly by the Anusandhan Kendra and National Environmental Engineer Research Institute (NEERI), Acting Director of NEERI Tapan Chakraborty said.

The research found that Re-distilled Cow Urine Distillate (RCUD) was useful for protecting and repairing DNA from oxidative damage, Chakraborty and Sunil Mansinghka of Kendra told reporters yes-

terday.

Oxidative DNA damage is a leading cause of ageing, cancer and other diseases.

RCUD works against genotoxicity, a harmful action on a cell's genetic material, they said, adding research has strengthened the efficacy of 'Kamdhenu Ark' as an anti-cancer drug.

The research was carried out on three patients, two of them having throat and uterus cancer, Mansinghka said.

German experts to help Assam with Brahmaputra floods solution An anti-cancer drug extracted from cow urine and developed by an affiliate organization of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has got a US patent for the third time for its anti-genotoxicity properties, a senior official has said.

The drug developed by RSS-backed Go Vigyan Anusandhan Kendra had earlier got the US patent as a bio-enhancer with antibiotics and anti-cancer drugs.

The research for the drug brand named 'Kamdhenu Ark' was carried out jointly by the Anusandhan Kendra and National Environmental Engineer Research Institute (NEERI), Acting Director of NEERI Tapan Chakraborty said.

The research found that Re-distilled Cow Urine Distillate (RCUD) was useful for protecting and repairing DNA from oxidative damage, Chakraborty and Sunil Mansinghka of

Kendra told reporters yesterday.

Oxidative DNA damage is a leading cause of ageing, cancer and other diseases. RCUD works against genotoxicity, a harmful action on a cell's genetic material, they said, adding research has strengthened the efficacy of 'Kamdhenu Ark' as an anticancer drug. The research was carried out on three patients, two of them having throat and uterus cancer, Mansinghka said.

close to the Bihar elections; and it has to find a way to end the current hostility without letting it appear as if Nitish calls all the shots. (Pics: NitishModi standoff in Bihar) Those different dimensions were all carefully built into the statement of BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain, hours ahead of the party meeting. "The relation between BJP and JD(U) is very old and we want to continue this relationship." Followed quickly with the warning, "The BJP will not compromise on self-respect."

The JD(U) seemed more than willing to meet to meet the BJP half-way.

President Sharad Yadav said, "An individual does not decide, a party decides. The party has decided that they want to stay with the coalition.

Something happened on 12th June that created a rift, and both parties are making efforts to make amends."

New law for industrial disasters on the anvil The Government of India has started working on a new law to ensure payment of adequate and timely compensation to the victims of industrial accidents like the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy.

According to law ministry officials, the proposed legislation would be on the lines of the Law of Torts in Britain and the United States which allows advocates to share about onethird of the compensation amount instead of charging professional fees.

In the absence of such a law, those affected by industrial accidents were reluctant to stake their claim to financial compensation by filing petitions and fighting legal cases, which normally took several years for adjudication, the officials acknowledged. The draft law was expected to be finalised within a couple of months and the relevant Bill would be moved in Parliament during the winter session beginning in November, they said.

Reacting to the trial

court verdict in the Bhopal gas leak case earlier this week, Law Minister M Veerappa Moily has acknowledged the need for fast-tracking such cases and indicated that the government was thinking of putting in place within six months a mechanism to speed up payment of compensation.

Under the tort law, pro-active lawyers, known as “ambulance chasers”, approach the victims, record their statements and file claims on their behalf. Once the compensation amount is awarded, such advocates are allowed to take a sizeable cut. This works to the advantage of both the legal system and the affected people. At present, victims of such disasters are wary of fighting court cases as it entails huge litigation costs, besides the inordinate delays the cases are subjected to by the industrial houses concerned by filing appeals in the higher judiciary against each and every order passed by trial courts.

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24

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

English writer Malgonkar passes away Renowned English writer and columnist Manohar Malgonkar died at his remote Barbosa House in Jagalbet village of Uttara Kannada district’s Joida taluka on Monday. He was 97.

Born in a family of landlords on July 12,

1913, at Jagalbet, he completed his education from Bombay University and joined Maratha Light Infantry. Then he joined the civil services and later politics.

He worked as an Army officer in Burma

Rs 15,000 mn package for Bhopal victims recommended Compensation for kin of dead Rs 1 mn, 0. 5 mn for permanently disabled A road map to address the legal, medical, humanitarian, environmental and other aspects of the Bhopal gas leak disaster was presented on Monday by the Group of Ministers (GoM) to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He has called a special Cabinet meeting to discuss the report. The GoM recommends a Rs 15,000-million package for the victims (Rs.13,200 million from the Centre and Rs 1,800 million from the Madhya Pradesh government), enhancing the compensation for the kin of the dead to Rs 1 million , for the permanently disabled to 0.5 million and for the temporarily disabled to Rs 100,000. It has also recommended that those stricken with cancer and other serious ailments be given Rs 200,000. However, previous handouts will be deducted from the amount payable.

Though the GoM kept

its eyes trained on trying to remedy 26 years of neglect through four days of deliberations, its members were equally concerned that the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's name should be kept out of the controversy surrounding the former Union Carbide chairman, Warren Anderson's exit from India.

Informed sources said “contemporary news reports” on the tragedy were cited in the GoM report to demonstrate that Rajiv Gandhi, who was away campaigning for the elections, was unaware of the assurance given to Mr Anderson that he would not be arrested if he came to India to inspect the disaster site.

Emerging from the final meeting, Home Minister P. Chidambaram, who heads the GoM, told journalists that “significant recommendations ….to bring relief to those people who had suffered as a result of

the ghastly tragedy” were made. The GoM would continue to supervise the government policy on the tragedy. “We will continue to address issues as and when they come up.”

Takeover of hospital In keeping with the new hands-on approach, the GoM recommended the takeover of the Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Centre (BMHRC) by the Department of Biotechnology and Mumbai's Tata Memorial Hospital (which deals exclusively with cancer patients).

The GoM feels it should take advantage of the fact that the BMHRC went to the Supreme Court some time ago, seeking either a larger corpus or else takeover by the Centre.

Simultaneously, it suggested that a full-fledged unit of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) be set up in Bhopal within 90 days.

The GoM recommended the floating of a global tender for companies to clear one million tonnes of toxic waste, to decontaminate and pull down the structure at the Union Carbide India Limited factory site. The waste will not be transported, but sealed in a concrete cavern underground. An Oversight Committee, consisting of experts, will be set up by the Centre to monitor the progress of the clean-up of the site.

Rs 3,000 mn for clean-up A sum of Rs 3,000 million required for the cleanup operation will be paid by the Centre, but it will continue to pursue the case against Dow Chemical in the Madhya Pradesh High Court in Jabalpur. The report also recommended fresh steps for extradition of Mr Anderson and the filing of a curative petition in the Supreme Court to secure enhanced punishment for the guilty.

Jethmalani, Paswan, Anand Sharma get Rajya Sabha berth A number of political, legal and business heavyweights made their way to the Rajya Sabha last week, having won elections on party nominations from five States where there was a contest for 18 seats.

Ram Jethmalani, top criminal lawyer, won as an independent supported by the BJP from Rajasthan.

Another successful independent was Vijay Mallya from Karnataka, who got the support of the Janata Dal (Secular) as well as the BJP; and there was M Venkaiah Naidu (BJP) from Karnataka.

Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma (Congress) was elected from Rajasthan. So also were senior Congress

leader Oscar Fernandes from Karnataka and senior BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy from Bihar. The former Union Minister, Ram Vilas Paswan (Lok Jan Shakti Party), won from Bihar with the support of the Rashtriya Janata Dal and some others.

Mr. Paswan had lost the 2009 Lok Sabha election from Hajipur and will now find himself in Parliament after more than a year.

The Congress, which has just 14 MLAs in politically fragmented Jharkhand, was able to get its candidate, Dhiraj Prasad Sahu, elected.

In Rajasthan, the former Union Minister and industrialist, Santosh Bagrodia,

supported by the Congress as an independent, was defeated in a closely-fought election. The three-member CPI (M) group abstained.

According to reports in Bihar, a few MLAs of the BJP, the RJD and the BSP defied their party lines and voted for candidates of their choice. On Thursday, the poll was held for five seats in Bihar, four each in Rajasthan and Karnataka, three in Orissa and two in Jharkhand.

Though the Election Commission announced the poll for 55 seats from 13 States, including 6 from Andhra Pradesh (announced separately), the election in most of the States was not held as the

candidates were declared elected unopposed.

Those who sailed through were Union Ministers Ambika Soni (Congress-Punjab) and Jairam Ramesh (CongressAndhra Pradesh), Gandhi family loyalist Satish Sharma (Congress-Uttar Pradesh), Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (BJP-Uttar Pradesh) and senior journalist Chandan Mitra (BJPMadhya Pradesh).

Candidates were elected unopposed in Uttar Pradesh (11 seats), Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra (6 each), Madhya Pradesh (3), Chhattisgarh and Punjab (two each) and Uttarakhand (1).

during World War II. Amid the wrenching stories of human drama he witnessed on the warfront, Malgonkar found his calling in literature — one of the early birds to take to English writing in pre-Independence India.

Husband forces wife into group sex, arrested In a shocking case of marital crime, a south Delhi businessman has been arrested on charges of allegedly forcing his wife to have group sex with his family members and a business partner. The victim alleged that she was subjected to the ordeal for four years.

"My husband indulged in unnatural sex. My brother-in-law was a lecherous man. They forced me to have group sex," alleged the victim.

"Both her brothers-inlaw, Kulbhushan Arora and Dharmendra Arora, have physically assaulted her.” said police.

Her husband's family had allegedly threatened to harm her nephew if she spoke out about it. The accused, Kuldeepak Arora, is an exporter and was

arrested from Delhi's IGI Airport.

Delhi Police say lookout notices will be issued soon against Arora's other family members who are absconding.

According to sources, the woman met Kuldeepak in 2003 in London after seeing a matrimonial advertisement by the Aroras. She got married to Kuldeepak in Surat in April 2004.

The woman hails from Surat in Gujarat and had filed an FIR in her hometown. The FIR has been lodged under sections 498A (subjecting a married woman to cruelty), 307 (attempt to murder), 376 (rape), 377 (unnatural offences), 506(2) (criminal intimidation) and 114 (abetment of any offence) and sections 3 and 7 of the Dowry Act.

Osborne goes for spending cuts Continued from page 1

the threshold to £10,000.

Those claiming the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) will face a new medical assessment from 2013.

Osborne said capital

Osborne says that from next year he will increase benefits, with the exception of pension and pension credits, in line with the lower CPI index of inflation, instead of the RPI index. This will save more than £6bn by the end of the parliament, he said. He said the budget's twin aims were to deal with the deficit and provide a platform for longer term recovery.

He said the measures aimed to protect children and pensioners and ensure that the richest bore the largest share of the burden. The increase in Income Tax threshold will be effective next April. It will help 880,000 people with the lowest incomes to get out of the tax net, while the long term goal of the coalition is to increase

gains tax (CGT) would remain at 18% for low and middle-income savers but from midnight taxpayers on higher rates will pay 28% – which falls short of the coalition's pledge to increase rates to a level similar or close to top income tax rates.

The 10% CGT rate for entrepreneurs which currently applies to the first £2m of qualifying gains will be extended to the first £5m.

first priority as sitting tenants.

The board, after compiling data on the properties, would work round to dispose them off. The 2009 report from the Auditor General showed that Shs1.9 billion and another Shs1.8 billion, paid out in compensation to Asians expelled in 1972, were not accounted for. It also showed 3,226 properties were unclaimed yet the board had declared only 136 properties in 2006.

The board was established in 1973 to manage all assets left behind by the

estimated 50,000 Asians who were expelled by former President Idi Amin.

Under the current government, the Asians could either repossess their property or be compensated provided they prove ownership.

Mr Tumusigire said other than the unaccounted billions unearthed by the Auditor General, the former board managers fraudulently sold land at Iganga Teacher's College, Buhinga Primary School in Kabarole and Entebbe Muslim land that the police and IGG are investigating.

Income tax personal allowance to rise by £1,000

3,220 properties left by Asians unaccounted in Uganda Continued from page 1 "All people in northern Uganda, of course, suffered personal and collective loss in some way," he said. "But we are looking (for) and registering those that were maimed or suffered some form of deformation from the war."

In February the government launched a $100 million rehabilitation programme to restore the region's economic and social infrastructure destroyed by the war, ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections in February next year.

So far, 5,000 people who are qualified for compensation have been recorded in the Acholi sub region, the epicentre of the LRA's brutalities. In total, he said, they expected an estimated 10,000 victims to qualify and payouts to begin by October.

The amount individuals will receive has yet to be agreed upon however.

Todwong did not say how much the government has set aside to finance the programme.

"You know it's not easy to determine how much you can compensate someone who has, for instance,

lost a lip or a hand but we're looking at those details," he said.

New orders on Asian properties The Departed Asians Property Custodian Board set up to manage assets left by Asians has been tasked to account for 3,226 remaining government properties, a report in one of the local newspapers in Uganda, Sunday Monitor said.

The board that had declared only 136 government properties in 2006 are to account for more than 3,220 properties after the Auditor General's

report unearthed more government properties.

Most of the recovered properties were not claimed and were not sold.

“We are still compiling statistics for all the properties as per the Cabinet directive since the inauguration of the new board management last year,” Mr Bernard Tumwesigire, the board’s executive secretary, told Sunday Monitor on Friday.

He said that people illegally occupying land that belonged to Asians should report to the board and formalise their stay because they will be given

25

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

Gandhi statue unveiled in Canadian museum Toronto: A life-size statue of Mahatma Gandhi was inaugurated last week in the Canadian Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg. Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba province, is about 1,500 km away from here. The local Indian-origin cardiologist Naranjan Dhalla of Friends of the

Canadian Museum of Human Rights had requested the Indian government to donate the statue to the museum in 2004. The 500-kg bronze statue was jointly unveiled by Indian high commissioner Shashshekhar Gavai, Dr Dhalla and Gail Asper of the museum.

Times Square bomber pleads guilty; warns of more attacks New York: Faisal Shahzad, the Pakistaniborn American citizen, defiantly pleaded guilty on Monday to attempting to set off a car bomb in New York's Times Square, saying that Islamist extremists would continue to attack the United States.

Faisal, 30, admitted travelling to Pakistan to receive bomb-making training from the Pakistani Taliban and receiving $12,000 from the group to carry out the failed plot on May 1.

Shahzad, who has a wife and two children liv-

Faisal Shahzad

ing in Pakistan, pleaded guilty to 10 charges, including attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted terror-

ism transcending national borders. He faces mandatory life in prison.

"I'm going to plead guilty 100 times over," Shahzad told the court.

Until the United States stops drone aircraft attacks and the occupation of "Muslim lands," Shahzad said "we will be attacking the United States and I plead guilty to that."

"One has to understand where I'm coming from," Shahzad said in a long speech frequently interrupted by US District Judge Miriam Goldman

Cedarbaum seeking clarification. "I consider myself a Mujahid, a Muslim-soldier."

He said his intention was to do "damage to the building, injure the people or kill the people."

The Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attempted bombing. But Shahzad said the militants did not tell him how or what to attack in the United States. "I got the cash, I worked on it, I made the bomb, and I drove it to Times Square," he said. Shahzad said he worked alone on the plot.

Kanishka probe blames Canadian govt, recommends ex-gratia payment We will respond positively to recommendations, says Prime Minister Stephen Harper Toronto: The final report into the 1985 Air India Kanishka bombing recommended ex-gratia payment to the families of 329 victims, mostly of Indian origin as it blamed the Canadian government for its failure to prevent the country's worst terrorist attack.

"A cascading series of errors contributed to our police and security forces" failing to stop the bombing, Justice John Major,

the head of the Kanishka bombing inquiry commission recommended last week, nearly 25 years after the tragedy. Canadian authorities should have known that Air India Flight 182 was a terrorism target, Major said. "The government needs to take responsibility to avoid further failure and to prevent a return to a culture of complacency," said Major in his 3,200 pages report.

It called for an inde-

pendent body to be created to recommend an appropriate ex- gratia payment and to oversee its distribution, though it offered little relief to the families of those who were killed in the tragedy.

"This was the largest mass-murder in Canadian history," said Major, adding the "finest tribute" that could be paid to the victims of the bombing is to create a rigorous aviation security system.

We will respond positively: Stephen Harper Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper assured family members of victims that the government would respond “positively” to the recommendations of Major and assured that compensation would be offered to all. Mr. Harper met the families of the victims, mostly of Indian-origin, hours after the report was made public.

Umesh Patel arrested in Zambia for assault Lusaka: Umesh Patel, a Gujarat-origin financier and managing director of Time Truck, has been arrested by Lusaka police for allegedly assaulting his former employee Abraham Chilanda.

Patel, who is one of the financiers to the Rupiah Banda led MMD, is alleged to have assaulted Chilanda in a bid to recover an outstanding loan from him.

Chilinda once worked for Patel's Time Truck as an

auto electrician.

"The information is that Abraham Chilanda obtained a loan of K4 million from Time Truck in 2007 and he was to pay back through monthly deductions of K 400,000" the source said. "But in May 2009, Abraham was fired without any benefits.

So this guy Abraham started doing private jobs.

And on the material day, he was doing a private job at Tata Transport, which is

just next to Time Truck in the Makeni area."

The police source said as Chilanda was busy doing some work at Tata Transport, he was approached by his former manager at Time Truck identified only as Chola.

Chola is reported to have said to Chilanda that he had taken the letter to him indicating the balance from his loan but Chilanda said the loan, as far as he was concerned, had been

cleared already.

The source said as Chilanda was reading the letter and explaining that he had cleared the loan, Umesh Patel appeared on the scene and asked if he was still refusing to pay the outstanding loan amount.

"Without cause, Patel gave Abraham three blows or punches on his mouth and he started to bleed heavily and he fell to the ground," the source said.

Pak father faces life term for honour killing in Canada Toronto: Just days after a Punjab man was jailed for life in honour killing of his daughter-in-law, a Pakistani father, along with his son, here too faces life behind bars for honour killing of his young girl for her refusal to wear the hijab.

In what was a first case of honour killing among Pakistanis in North America three yeas ago, 16-year-old Aqsa Parvez was strangulated by her father Muhammad Parvez, 57, in the family home in the Toronto sub-

urb of Mississauga in December 2007.

Appearing in a court, both Parvez and his son Waqas, 29, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder of Aqsa.

The duo, who were arrested after the sensational murder, admitted before the judge that they killed the grade-11 student by compressing her neck. After strangulating his daughter for bringing shame to his family by refusing to wear the hijab, Parvez had called police to confess his crime.

Vogue editor apologizes to upset Hindus Mumbai: Vogue India editor, who made Hindus upset by her reported remarks challenging Hindu gods, has apologized. Priya Tanna, editor of Vogue India, in a communiqué to Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, said: “The intent behind my quote was certainly not to upset anyone or hurt the sentiments or the followers of any religion. Being an Indian and a proud one at that, I do not take my religion, or anyone else’s, lightly, and would never mock it in any manner, either personally or professionally. If you have felt otherwise, please accept my apologies.” Hindus have earlier strongly objected to Tanna’s remarks about Hindu gods, in which she was quoted as saying “neither the rains nor the Hindu gods could stop the shoppers from coming” to Fashion’s Night Out.

Airline offloads US man for being ‘too fat’

London: An 181kg man on a flight to see his dying aunt was offloaded from the plane because he was too fat. Sandy Russell had just boarded the Air Transat plane from Gatwick to Toronto when a stewardess escorted him off.

The 32-year-old was told he would have to pay for two full-price tickets if he wanted to fly. Sandy could not see her dying aunt, as he did not have £928 for the fare. His aunt Judy died of bowel cancer in Canada two days after he was due to see her. “I was absolutely devastated,” Sandy said. Sandy was denied permission to travel because his 52-inch belly was overflowing into the next seat.

Circumcisions kill 20 boys in South Africa Pretoria: Twenty South African boys have died following botched circumcisions in the Eastern Cape Province.

"The deaths occurred over the past 12 days, with nine of them occurring over the past 24 hours," said a provincial health spokesperson. Some 60 boys have been rescued from 11 initiation schools which have since been closed. Circumcision is seen as a rite of passage into manhood in some South African communities. The practice is common among the Xhosa and Ndebele communities.

However, Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini wants it reintroduced among the Zulu people because of reports that medical circumcision can reduce the chances of getting HIV.

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26

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

Suu Kyi marks 65th birthday under house arrest Yangon: Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi marks her 65th birthday under house arrest as activists hold protests around the globe and world leaders call for the ruling junta to free her. The military regime has kept the Nobel Laureate in detention for almost 15 years and she has been barred from running in upcoming elections that critics have denounced as a sham aimed at

entrenching the generals' p ower. Even so, the woman known in Myanmar simply as "The Lady" remains the most powerful symbol of freedom in a country where the army rules with an iron fist. The opposition leader is expected to spend a quiet day at her lakeside mansion, where she lives with two female assistants, cut off from the outside world without telephone or Internet access.

Sikh group condemns profiling at US Congressional hearing Sikh Coalition testifies before United States Congress for the first time Washington: The Sikh Coalition testified before a US Congressional Committee last week to roundly condemn profiling of Sikhs in airports across the United States. The hearing before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties was entitled, “Racial Profiling and the Use of Suspect Classifications in Law Enforcement.”

“It is my humble submission today that the use by law enforcement of classifications based on race, national origin, religion, or ethnicity has severely undermined both

our liberty and our safety.

As the experience of the Sikh American community makes clear, the use of these classifications by law enforcement is invariably inaccurate, inevitably misused, and ultimately detrimental to the important work of our men and women in uniform. In short, we profile, we lose,” stated Amardeep Singh, Director of Programs for the Sikh Coalition, at the hearing.

Mr. Singh went on to explain that Sikhs travelling in the United States have been subjected to hundreds of thousands if not millions of secondary

searches after successfully passing through airport metal detectors.

Such searches are conducted in full public view, usually in a segregated glass box. The screening typically involves a public pat down of a Sikh’s turban (many do not know that they have the option of a private screening) and in some rare instances even its removal. Fellow airline passengers often view Sikhs being pulled aside for extra screening by officers, thereby undermining confidence in Sikh passengers.

Mr. Singh’s testimony highlighted the fact that Sikhs are subjected to

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these searches 100% of the time at some airports around the country.

Through surveys of Sikh community members, the Coalition believes that Sikhs are subjected to 100% secondary screening at Oakland International Airport; O’Hare International Airport; Dallas Forth/Worth Airport; and Sea Tac Airport. These searches occur despite official assertions from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that it does not engage in profiling.

Last week testimony also acknowledged that

while a broad array of law enforcement officials state the profiling is ineffective, profiling still occurs broadly.

“We are tired of hearing from law enforcement that profiling is ineffective while their officers engage in profiling every day. The doublespeak needs to end,” said Mr. Singh. “If law enforcement leaders are not able to implement their own anti-profiling policies, Congress should step in and outlaw profiling by enacting an ‘End Racial Profiling Act.’” Mr. Singh’s testimony made note that renowned law enforcement leaders

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2 Australian teenagers held for killing Indian Melbourne: Two Australian teenagers were arrested last week in connection with the murder of Indian accounting graduate Nitin Garg and sent to police custody till October. The boys who could not be named for legal reasons, were arrested in Yarraville, five months after Garg, 21, was stabbed on Jan 2 as he walked through Cruickshank Park in Melbourne's west on his way to a Yarraville Hungry Jack's outlet, where he worked part-time.

After the stabbing, Garg staggered to the fast food outlet, at the corner of Somerville and Geelong roads, and died later. The teenagers replied 'okay' after the magistrate outlined the schedule of dates for the case. They were remanded in custody to reappear in October, The Age reported.

Detective Inspector Bernie Edwards, of the Homicide Squad, said police did not believe race was a factor in the murder. 'Our inquiries, at this stage, we don't believe it was racially motivated,' he told reporters after the arrest. He said Garg's family in India had been informed about the arrest.

China defends nuke deal with Pakistan

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like New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly; former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff; and former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Michael Hayden; have all stated that profiling is ineffective. It also highlighted the experience of a Sikh Coalition Board Member who has been pulled aside for secondary screening more than 25 times this year alone.

The hearing included a broad array of experts and advocates who pointed out the flaws in using profiling as a law enforcement technique.

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Beijing: A day after the United States sought clarifications from China over its nuclear deal with Pakistan, Beijing has asserted that the sale of two nuclear reactors to Islamabad is completely according to international obligations.

“China and Pakistan have maintained cooperation in recent years in the civilian use of nuclear energy. This cooperation is in line with our respective international obligations and totally for peaceful purposes, and has International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards and supervision,” a newspaper quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang, as saying.

Earlier, US State Department spokesperson Philip Crowley had said that China must clarify that the deal has been approved by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) before moving on with the project.

“We’ve asked China to clarify the details of its sale of additional nuclear reactors to Pakistan,” Crowley said.

27

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

US not to chase terrorists into Pak, says Holbrooke Islamabad: The US will not violate Pakistan's sovereignty by chasing terrorists in Afghanistan across the border into this country, US special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke said on Sunday. "The US will not cross Pakistan's border," Holbrooke said, in an interview with a

private TV channel, Online news agency reported.

Holbrooke also asserted that peace is not possible in Afghanistan without the help of Pakistan. He also expressed willingness for talks with the Taliban, except Mullah Omar and Jalaluddin Haqqani.

Media criticises authorities for giving free hand to Hafiz Saeed Islamabad: Pakistan’s leading English newspaper Dawn has castigated the Pakistani authorities for giving a free hand to Hafiz Mohammad Saeed to indulge in political activities despite being the ameer of a banned organisation - Jamaatul Daawa (JuD).

In its hard hitting editorial last week, the newspaper said Hafiz Mohammad Saeed has every right to participate in a public rally because the Pakistani authorities, for whatever reason, have

failed to prove his involvement in illegal activities, including the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

Saeed enjoys a free

Lahore: The government of Pakistan's Punjab province provided Rs 827 million to Jamaat-udDawa and its allied institutions during the last fiscal year, according to official documents.

The supplementary budget for the past fiscal tabled in the Punjab Assembly for approval revealed that the PML-Nled provincial government made a grant of over Rs 790 million to the Markaze-Tayyaba, the JuD head-

quarters in Muridke near Lahore.

Another Rs 30 lakh was given as grants to schools run by the JuD in different districts of Punjab, according to the official documents.

Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, under a cloud for his links to banned groups like the Sipah-e-Sahaba, admitted that the money had been given to the JuD. He told a TV news channel that the money

Hafiz Saeed

hand so much that he and his supporters were part of a demonstration organised by religious parties in Lahore earlier. The Dawn editorial further stated that Hafiz Saeed has long been seen as an asset by sections of ‘the Pakistani establishment’ because his agenda is India-centric.

“Organisations such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the various incarnations of the Taliban are a product of Pakistan’s flawed policy of strategic depth, which sought to gain influence in Afghanistan through

proxy agents and carry out militant activities in Indian-held Kashmir. It was hoped that this approach would change with the realisation that the real enemy lies within, that we are fighting our own war to safeguard the social fabric of Pakistan.

But has the use of proxy agents stopped altogether? It is unlikely that someone like Hafiz Saeed could strut his stuff as publicly as he did in the rally without the acquiescence at least of the right quarters”, the editorial said.

was given to these institutions after the JuD was "banned" in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the Punjab government appointed an administrator for the organisation.

The purpose of giving these grants was to continue welfare services provided by JuD's schools, dispensaries and hospitals, Sanaullah said.

The UN Security Council declared the JuD a front for the banned

Lashker-e-Toiba shortly after the Mumbai attacks.

Despite claims by Pakistani leaders that the JuD has been "banned," no formal notification has been issued by the federal government to proscribe the organisation.

Meanwhile, a Punjab government spokesman has contended that the grants for the JuD had been given to the administrator for continuing welfare services.

Pak’s Punjab govt funded JuD after 26/11

American on mission to kill Bin Laden arrested Chitral (Pakistan): An American armed with a 40-inch sword, a pistol and night vision goggles for allegedly trying to sneak into Afghanistan to hunt and kill al-Qaida head Osama bin Laden was detained by Pakistan, police said last week.

Californian Gary Faulkner, 40, was caught in the Brumboret Valley near the Afghan border, Chitral police chief Jaffer Khan said. “He was roaming in a security zone in a suspicious manner. He had a dagger and night vision goggles with him.

He is being questioned,” he said.

Faulkner was also carrying a pistol and was hunting bin Laden because he suffered personal losses in the 9/11 attacks.

Combat choppers sought from US to take on al Qaeda Washington: Pakistan is asking the US for attack helicopters and other heavy weaponry worth USD 2.5 billion to take the fight against terror into the mountains of the country's North West Frontier Province, the lair of the senior al Qaeda leadership, a media report said last week.

"I have been ambassador here for two years, and all I have to show for it is eight second hand Mi-17 transport helicopters for a war that requires helicopters to root out al Qaeda and the Taliban," Pakistan's Ambassador to Washington Husain Haqqani told The Washington Times.

"Military operations would have been quicker and much easier to plan

and execute if we had the equipment. We have had tremendous attrition and a lot of loss of lives because of not having the right equipment."

Pakistan has a USD 2.5 billion wish list which includes new helicopter gunships, AH-1W and the Apache-64-D, armed helicopters such as the AH-6 and MD-530 Little Bird, and utility and cargo helicopters such as the UH-60 Black Hawk, the CH-47 D Chinook and the UH-1Y Huey.

Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said the US government is aware of its ally's military wish list.

"The Pakistani military's interest in additional lift is well-known, and we have tried to help meet their needs by providing several Mi-17s. We will continue to try to help them acquire the helicopters and other equipment they require to defeat the insurgents and terrorists in their midst," Morrell said.

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Pak troops ‘captured by the Taliban’ Islamabad: Taliban terrorists have captured dozens of Pakistani soldiers after attacking their checkpoints in a cross-border raid. Pakistani security sources confirm some troops are missing. The Taliban say it was holding up to 40 Pakistani troops after its raid in the Mohmand tribal area last week. Afghan officials said eight soldiers had been handed over to the Pakistani consulate in Jalalabad, but Pakistan's army said it had no knowledge of this. While attacks by the Taliban on border check posts are relatively routine, it is unusual for Pakistani soldiers to be held by the militants in Afghanistan. A Taliban spokesman said that it was in fact holding Pakistani troops on both sides of the border after the attack. It said 30 soldiers were being held in Afghanistan and 10 in Pakistan. The Taliban say it captured the soldiers after over-running the checkpoint.

Local officials in the Mohmand area confirmed that about 40 soldiers were unaccounted for.

Brit woman, children held captive freed after 8 months London: A British woman of Pakistani origin and her four children have been released eight months after they were held captive by the family members of her husband. Farzana Ahmed along with her children and brother Javed Siddique had travelled to Pakistan from Stockton-on-Tees, after strained relationship in her husband. Her husband was expected to join her to Pakistan. According to police officials involved in the case, Farzana's husband failed to follow her and she was kept locked inside the home of her husband's family in Mirpur in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Officials said during her captivity Farzana was treated like a 'slave', and forced to do tedious household work.

"She was miserable.

She was not allowed to leave the house or do the normal activities, so she wrote a secret letter to her brother in the UK for help," a senior police official Abdul Hamid was quoted as saying. "Now she is free. She is feeling better and is safe and just have to recover her documents and get her home," Hamid added. A spokesman for the British High Commission in Islamabad said that the commission was ready to help the lady if needed.

Taliban recruiting unemployed youth on Rs 20,000 monthly stipend

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Lahore: The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is recruiting young uneducated men in South Punjab by offering them a monthly stipend of 16, 000 to 20,000 rupees, senior advisor to Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Zulfiqar Khosa has said. While admitting that the Taliban was recruiting unemployed youth in the province to bolster its terror plans, Khosa denied the presence of any terror training camps in the region.

Interacting with media persons following attending the budget session of the Punjab Assembly, Khosa pointed out that the Taliban, which was rooted out of Punjab, is once again trying to establish its reign of terror in the province and has also joined hands with the Afghan and Kashmiri separatists.

"The Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) had banned them (the Taliban) during its first regime in the province in 1988 to 1990, but they are operational in the area once again," The Daily Times quoted Khosa, as saying.

28

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

This week on CB Live Kamal Rao, News Editor of Gujarat Samachar will speak to Swami Madhavpriya Dasji from the ChhrodiAhmedabad Gurukul about his work as well as that of Shri Swamirayan Gurukul Parivar UK (SSGP)

Sneh Joshi - 020 8518 5500

If you do not have a tv, go to www.tvunetworks.com and watch CB Live on TVU Player Channel 75203

To ask questions please call on: 020 8963 1001

For more information e-mail: cblive_matv@yahoo.co.uk

Don't miss !!!

Only on CB Live - MATV Sky 793 - Thursday 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Karnataka Doctor becomes Lambeth Mayor

Lambeth Mayor Dr Neeraj Patil

A doctor from Karnataka has been elected as Mayor of a London borough. Dr Neeraj Patil who was previously a Labour party councillor now serves as the Mayor of Lambeth.

“I am grateful to the residents of Lambeth and its Councillors for giving me this great opportunity to serve as their Mayor,” he says.

After completing his medical studies in Gulbarga Karnataka, Mr Patil worked as a specialist registrar in Accident and Emergency at St Thomas Hospital, London. In 2001, he was appointed Governor of King's College Hospital.

Mr Patil aims at rebuilding trust in politicians. “The past year has

been an unfortunate year for politics in general.

Trust in politicians has been at all times low. My theme for the coming year will be ‘restoring trust’.”

He will publish all his mayoral expenses online, for general public to see and judge if their money is well spent.

This year, Mr Patil believes is rather tough for local governments as well as politicians “to create efficiency savings without affecting the quality of service delivered by the Council.”

During his tenure as Mayor, Mr Patil will work for three charities- the Springfield Community Flat, the Sickle Cell society and College of Emergency Medicine.

Editor: CB Patel Associate Editor: Anne Hoose Senior News Editor: Dhiren Katwa Chief Financial Officer: Surendra Patel Tel: 020 7749 4093 - Mobile: 07875 229 220 Email: surendra.patel@abplgroup.com Accounts Executive: Akshay Desai Tel: 020 7749 4087 Email:accounts@abplgroup.com Advertising Managers: Alka Shah Tel: 020 7749 4002 - Mobile: 07944 151 893 Email: alka.shah@abplgroup.com Kishor Parmar Tel: 020 7749 4095 - Mobile: 07875 229 088 Email: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com Advertising Sales Executive: Rovin John Goerge - Email: rovin.george@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 - Mobile: 07875 229 219 Nikhil Gor - Email: nikhil.gor@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4009 - Mobile: 07875 229 200 Bina Naik - Email: bina.naik@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4011 - Mobile: 07875 229 100 Business Development Managers: Urja Patel - Email: urja.patel@abplgroup.com Liji George Tel: 020 7749 4013 - Email: george@abplgroup.com Design and Layout: Harish Dahya & Ajay Kumar Tel: 020 7749 4086 Email: graphics@abplgroup.com Customer Service: Saroj Patel Tel: 020 7749 4080 - Email: support@abplgroup.com (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd. 207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad Tel: +9179 2646 Fax: +9179 6061

It seems that the winds of change begin to gather momentum, with the lunar eclipse on the 26th, putting a strong focus on career and family matters. Besides spending more time tending to domestic affairs, the focus can be on cultivating and nourishing your inner foundations, so to speak.

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20

Coming Events l Mr Chandresh Niranjani, administrator of Santoshi Mata Mandir in Moviya, India and his wife Beena are on a UK tour and can be contacted for conducting prayers at home. Their dates are: July 15-25 – Southend-by-Sea, July 26-29 Cambridge, September 3Wellingborough, September 4-7 Rugby, September 8-12 Coventry, September 13-23 Birmingham. Contact 07598 717 710. l Hindu Lifestyle Seminar 2010 will be held to celebrate Shri Swaminarayan Gurukul Parivar's achievements. Sadguru Purani Shree Balkrishnadasji Swami from Ahmedabad Gurukul, India will be the special guest. Dinner included. On Saturday July 10 at 6pm.

Contact 020 8838 4900. l Imitation of Christ discourse by Swami Shivarupananda. On June 27 at 4.30 pm at Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre, Bourne End. Contact 01628 526 464. l Exhibition of Contemporary Paintings featuring artists Rekha Rao, Yusuf Arakkal, SG Vasudev, JMS Mani and many more. Curated Raji Narayan. On Monday June 21 at 6.15pm. Nehru Centre, South Audley Street, London W1K 1HF. l Indian Armies, Indian Art: Soldiers, collectors and artists 1780-1880 exhibition. Watercolours, mica paintings and intricate sculptures created by local artists and collected by British soldiers will illustrate the story of the British in India. The exhibition includes a series of remarkable paintings displayed together for the first time, commissioned by Colonel James Skinner, whose father was Scottish and his mother Rajput. Currently running. Open everyday from 10am to 5.30pm. l Contemporary Dance Form discussion by Hema Bharathy Palani, leading dancer of the Attakkalaru Reportory Company. Contemporary dance is a form of expression through movement that processes memory, experience and imagination. On Tuesday June 22 at 4pm. Nehru Centre, South Audley Street, London W1K 1HF .

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 The Lunar eclipse on the 26th highlights your solar 3rd and 9th houses of communication, travel and spiritual knowledge. it is a sobering influence and you need to be aware that you have to overcome certain hurdles before you achieve your goals. It signals a time of mixed emotions.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 The Lunar eclipse on the 26th falls in your financial axis of solar 2nd and 8th houses, highlighting wills, legacies, taxes and joint resources. You need to re-assess your future with this in mind. Do not get over-anxious if everything seems to be in slow motion - it is time to pull a few strings.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22 The Lunar eclipse falls in your solar 1st and 7th houses. The focus will be on yourself and your relationships. You will continue to be in a restless mood for some time to come. You are likely to experience some tension in close relationships.

Use tact and diplomacy to smooth and ruffled feathers.

The Lunar eclipse on the 26th falls in your solar 6th and 12th houses highlighting health matters, behindthe-scene activities and losses. This is a favourable time for getting away from usual routines and seeking a retreat for a few days. All the better if you are interested in alternative therapies.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23 The lunar eclipse falls in the solar axis of 5 and 11 in your chart, affecting your investments, frienships and romantic relationships.

Frienships need to be scrutinised carefully. Sometimes it is a good idea to stand back and get a more objective view of the pattern of your life.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23 The Lunar eclipse falls in your solar 4th and 10th houses, focusing on your home and work issues. You need to strike the right balance between the two, if you want peace and harmony. Work out where you can make changes in your career path so that you can spend quality time at home.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

Decision making will prove to be a bit of a bind because of your wavering mind - seek professional advice and then steam ahead. The Lunar eclipse falls in your solar 3rd and 9th houses, affecting travel and communications. You will also be in great demand socially, mixing with likeminded people.

Be careful with your expenditure as you have a tendency to be extravagant, especially as the Lunar eclipse on the 26th falls in your finacial axis. This is an excellent time for dealing with longterm money matters. You may find that you can enrich your lifestyle by simplifying your priorities.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

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The Lunar eclipse on the 26th focuses on your solar 1st and 7th houses. This can affect your standing in the community and any partnerships you may have. Focus on essentials and establish a solid foundation, so that you feel secure in every sense. Wait before going full steam ahead with grand actions and gestures.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19 There are subtle transformations taking shape in you life and a feeling of helpful influences in the background. There is much to suggest that you are in touch with those hidden forces which often seem to take a guiding hand in one's life. The Lunar eclipse on the 26th highlights your health issues and daily routine.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

A busy social calendar is likely to lead to a hectic time ahead, leading to new friendships and possibily even romantic liaisons.

Once you set your mind on a goal you stay the course no matter what obstacles you encounter. The Lunar eclipse on the 26th puts an emphasis on the above areas.

TImE

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010 3 ___ mortis 4 Editors’ marginal note 5 Benefits 6 Roman body armor 7 Splice film 8 Automobile pioneer 9 Wetter and mushier 10 Dweeb 11 Bear of stars 12 Formal dance 13 Stepped on it 21 Old you 22 Outback runners 26 Marina structure 27 Brown pigment 28 Air-safety agcy.

29 Labels 30 Pivot 31 Beseeched 32 Death rattle 33 Word of worrow 34 Moisture of mornings 36 Drag forcibly 38 Play Othello, for example 41 Fencer’s foil 42 Tell the tale 43 Metrical foot 44 Supernatural force 47 Comes clean 48 Bid 50 Cut corners 51 Gilpin and others 52 Mountain ridge 53 Protrudes 54 Jacob’s twin 55 Counterfeit 56 Unforeseen obstacle 57 Like a disptick 58 Perlman of ‘Cheers”

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32 Half a diameter 35 E.G. ___ 37 Out of the wind 38 Lawyers’ grp.

39 Chills and fever 40 D.H. ___ 43 Pleasantly diverted 45 Switchback curve 46 Of a benefactor 48 “___the fields we go...”

49 Unnaturally pale 50 Rejuvenation

Across 1 Golf course standards 5 The great unwashed 10 Bathroom fixtures 14 Final bio?

15 Isuzu model 16 Swaddle 17 Herb of wisdom?

18 Circular gasket 19 Wight or Man 20 F. ___ 23 Musical aptitude 24 ___ jacet 25 Little rascal

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center T. ___ Mil. branch Licorice flavoring Add more employees 62 Appropriate 63 Anklebone 64 Give off, as light 65 Litigant 66 Pharaoh’s land 67 Altar area Down 1 Chase group 2 Bananalike plant 53 59 60 61

Solution of Crossword-92

SPELLATHON - 93 Today’s Ratings: 05-average |06-good | 8-outstanding

How many words of four or more letters can you make from the letters shown in today’s puzzle? In making a word, each letter may be used once only.

Each word must contain the central letter. There A should be at least one L L seven-letter word.

Plurals, foreign words F and proper names are O O not allowed. British English Dictionary is Y used as reference.

J A B B E D

A L I O T O

Z A N T A C

S P C A

W A A C

E L B A

Q U E B R I S E N

Solution of Spellathon - 92 hood, hoot, hooted, tooth, TOOTHED

Z E S T L I K S I Z E T L P D E I W S T C E O R

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1 Solution of sudoku-92 5

HOW TO PLAY Each row, column and square 3x3 box is a sub-grid of 9 cells. Fill in the grid so that each subgrid contains the digits 1 to 9. Every puzzle has one solution.

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I have a machine which was four cog wheels in constant mesh. The largest cog has 102 teeth and the others have 60, 46 and 34 respectively. Howm any revolutions must the largest cog make before each of the cogs is back in its starting positions?

Solution of 92 : The official anwer is “Brainy & Binary”. Some other good suggestions include: “Smartness & Matress, Toned & Noted, Reserved & Reversed.

29

By Dr Anil Mehta

English Civil War II:

The return of the king

The execution of Charles I (1649) shocked Europe as well as most of his subjects. (He is still remembered as the royal martyr).

His death didn’t mean the end of the war; it provoked further conflict. Royalists Irish and Scots bitterly opposed the execution and the Scots crowned Charles’ son and heir, as Charles II. Cromwell acted promptly, ruthlessly crushing Irish rebellion first, and then the Scots in Dunbar, near Edinburgh and at Worcester forcing Charles II into exile. Worcester was the final decisive battle that ended almost decade of warfare. English Civil War was immensely costly in terms of life and property. Around 200,000 people were killed in fighting and thousands more perished in diseases such as plague and typhoid.

After the execution of

R E X N O X S E X

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Oliver Cromwell

Charles I, monarchy in England was abolished and it became a republic (Commonwealth of England) under Cromwell.

In 1653, Cromwell dissolved parliament and formed a Protectorate making himself Lord Protector and ruling by decree – a king in all but name until

WHATZIT? - 93 Find the familiar phrase, saying or name in this arrangement of letters.

Solution of - 92 : Double check

his death in 1658.

Cromwell had no military experience prior to the War but he proved a highly effective commander due to his steely King returns to London from exile determinaAnglican Church began. tion, strong leadership and There was more open politsheer common sense. His ical debate than ever legacy is disputed to this before. day. He was hero to some Charles II (King, 1660and a villain to others. His 85) was able, charming, regime though austere and easy-going, self-indulgent joyless and despite his bruand pleasure-loving tal campaign in Ireland, monarch. Unlike his father was not altogether a failhe was shrewd enough to ure. It provided more effiget parliament to support cient and impartial adminhis policies, but there was istration and reformed to be no return to the legal and electoral systems. absolute rule of the king.

People were for the first The full power of the time allowed free expresCrown could never be sion of thought and relirestored. Parliament was gious freedom. He allowed determined to retain its Jews to return to England rights to financial control (they were expelled from (taxes), consultation on England by King Edward I foreign policy, religious as in 1290). In Scotland no well as trade and domestic changes were imposed in affairs, and right to meet its religious practices, and every three years. so the republican regime, Charles showed interthough unpopular, went est in art, architecture and largely unopposed. The lateven scientific matters. He ter-day England came to supported revival of the see Cromwell the defender theatre banned during the of parliament’s rights commonwealth. His poliagainst the Crown. Hence cies resulted in steady his statue in front of the growth of British navy and Houses of Parliament faccommercial prosperity. ing St. Margaret Street.

Unfortunately, his reign After Cromwell’s was marred by disasters death, republicanism falsuch as the great plague tered and proved unpopuand the fire of London in lar. There was no worthwhich he joined others while successor or clear fight the flames. Known as system of government in the ‘Merry Monarch’, place. His son Richard Charles had many misruled briefly but ineffectresses with whom he had tively and in 1660, a newly many children, but left no elected parliament, in legitimate heir, and the order to prevent anarchy, throne went to his younger decided to recall 30-year brother James II. old Charles II from his So the Civil War ended exile in Europe to become in the restoration of the king. After years of austermonarchy but nothing ity many ordinary people would ever be the same were clearly ecstatic to see again. Politics, religion, the return of the king. Not and society, were all irrevoonly royalists but all except cably changed. In its entire die-hard republicans history England was withwarmly welcomed him. out the monarch for 11 Along with his return, years becoming a republic restoration of parliament, from 1649 to 1660.

House of Lords, and the

KAKURO - 93

Solution of KAKURO - 92 20 12

The numbers in the pink squares refer

Example to the sums of the digits

that you must fill into the empty spaces directly below or to the right of the pink square containing the number. For instance, in the given example, the 2 boxes below 12 must contain 2 digits that add upto 12, whereas for 20, the 3 boxes places horizontally next to it must add upto 20. No zeroes are used here, only the digits one through nine.

Note: A digit cannot appear more than once in any particular digit combination.

For instance in the example, we cannot have the combination of 8+4+8 for 20.

30

www.abplgroup.com

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

Any que stio

Treating insomnia naturally

Life style

ns wri te to mam ta@abplgroup.com

By Mamta Bhatia, Psychologist

Stop being harsh and Start to love who you are (Part 1)

Till a few years ago, lack of sleep was never treated like an abnormality or a disease but now it has found a new name in the name of insomnia and there are millions of people suffering from this disease across the globe Relaxation Techniques Relaxation techniques are one of the most effective ways to increase sleep time, fall asleep faster, and feel more rested in the morning. They require a minimum of 20 minutes before going to bed.

There are many different techniques:

Meditation. Learn how to elicit the relaxation response • Yoga combines deep breathing, medita-

Visualization involves imagining a relaxing scene. You can try it in bed before falling asleep. Involve all your senses. If you're imagining yourself on a tropical island, think of the way the warm breeze feels against your skin.

Imagine the sweet scent of the flowers, look at the water and listen the waves--you get the picture. The more vivid the visualization and the more senses you involve, the more effective it will be.

Relaxation Response - A mind and body technique based on the principles of Transcendental

tion, and stretching. A Harvard study found that daily yoga for eight w e e k s improved total sleep time, the time to fall asleep.

If you've never tried yoga before, not to worry. There are many gentle yoga styles to choose from.

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation is a promising natural remedy for sleep. If you've never tried a relaxation technique before, this

technique is easy to learn and simple to master.

Diet Cut out caffeine Caffeine can have a pronounced effect on sleep, causing insomnia and restlessness. In addition to coffee, tea, and soft drinks, look for hidden sources of caffeine such as chocolate, cough and cold medicine, and other over-the-counter medicine.

Avoid sweets Although sugar can give a burst of energy, it's short-lived and can cause uneven blood sugar levels. This can

The next few week’s articles are going to focus on how you can change your attitude towards yourself so that you can start to embrace life and who you are. When you realise you have more control then you think you can become proactive and self directed rather then negative and down on yourself. What you must understand is that if you are consumed, self deprecating and reactive, you limit your growth and any potential whatsoever for a brighter, happier life.

Take note of the points below so that you can get into the driving seat of your life and start to very quickly love and accept who you are.

Firstly, stop becoming how you feel. Do take notice of your feelings, but do not become them. How you feel is how you feel. It’ll pass soon. What you’re thinking is what you’re thinking. It’ll go too. Tell yourself that whatever you feel, you feel; whatever you think, you think.

Since you can’t stop yourself thinking, or pre-

vent emotions from arising in your mind, it makes no sense to be proud or ashamed of either. You didn’t cause them. Only your actions are directly under your control and you have a choice to turn things around to make them positive and encouraging for you.

My mother always says ‘whatever happens - happens for the best’. It sounds very simple, but when consumed in negative thoughts, this statement is like a bucket of water over a hot fire.

Secondly, quit creating a negative Bollywood drama in your mind. If you want to be happy step out of this bubble and start inferring the good from situations rather then the struggle.

Stop being a victim of other people’s actions.

Often, people tell themselves what others feel about them. Most of this inference is imagination.

You have the most limited understanding of what others feel about you. Usually they’re no better informed on the subject; and they care

about it far less than you think. You have no way of knowing factually what events and people really conclude and whatever you tell yourself often subjectively biased. So, seek reassurance in this, start loving who you are and remind yourself that you create the ‘episodes of your life’ so make it a good one.

Ultimately, you should respect yourself and your feelings; therefore taking responsibility is crucial if you are troubled by any such situation in your life. Think Spa is running another seminar on Saturday the 31st July in London.

Spaces are limited as workshops are always intimate. To secure your place contact mamta@thinkspalondon.com today.

Remember if you do as you have always done, you will get what you have always got! There is always a positive way forward and you are the only one that can help yourself and change your life and circumstances for the better. Good Luck!

Bittergourd Gojju disrupt sleep in the middle of the night as blood sugar levels fall.

Eat foods that help you sleep Tryptophan is an amino acid that is a precursor to serotonin, which is then converted to melatonin.

Carbohydrate snacks such whole grain crackers before bedtime may help to promote sleep.

Just be sure to stay away from sweets.

Eat magnesium-rich foods Magnesium is a natural sedative. Deficiency of magnesium can result in difficulty sleeping, constipation, muscle tremors or cramps, anxiety, irritability, and pain.

It has also been use for people with restless leg syndrome.

Foods rich in magnesium are legumes and seeds, dark leafy green vegetables, wheat bran, almonds, cashews, blackstrap molasses, brewer's yeast, and whole grains.

Ingredients • 2 medium sized bittergourds • 1 tsp mustard seeds • 1 sprig curry leaves • 1 onion, minced • 3-4 garlic cloves minced • 2 tsp red chilli powder • 1 tsp cumin powder • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder • 1 tsp dhania powder • 2 tsp sambhar powder • 2 tsp shredded coconut • 1 tsp methi(fenugreek) seeds, roasted and powdered • 2 tsps white sesame seeds, roasted and powdered • 2 tablespoon jagggery melted or 2 tsp sugar • Juice of a small ball of tamarind • A pinch of hing

• Salt to taste Method • Scrape the skin of the gourds till smooth and wash them.

• Cut lengthwise and remove the seeds.

• Cut them into large half-rounds.

• Smear salt on them and place a heavy weight on them.

• This method is used to reduce the bitterness of the vegetable.

• Set aside for 1/2 hr.

• Fry in 3 tsp oil till well browned.

• Drain and set aside.

• Heat about 3 tsp oil and add the mustard and curry leaves.

• When the mustard crackles, add the minced onion and garlic.

• Fry till done.

• Now add all the raw dry powders and fry for 2 minutes.

• Now add the shrdded coconut and keep frying for 2 more minutes.

• Add the fenugreek and sesame powders and mix well.

• Add the fried gourd, jaggery and tamarind.

• Add salt to taste and enough water to cover the vegetable.

• Bring to a boil and reduce heat.

• Cook till the gavy thickens and you get a gojju consistency.

• Remove from heat and add the hing.

• Mix well and serve like a chutney with plain rice/dosa/chapati.

Sport world

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

Pakistan beat B’desh in the last encounter Both the teams ousted from Asia Cup in Sri Lanka After losing to both Sri Lanka and India, Pakistan earned a consolation victory against Bangaldesh at Dambula. The Asia Cup is now poised to see a battle between India and Sri Lanka on Thursday for the title, the last round match between the two being played on Tuesday is reduced to just a ritual.

Bangladesh lost all their three matches.

On Monday, Pakistan registered an emphatic 139 run victory against Bangladesh.

Captain Shahid Afridi led from the front with a blazing century, helping Pakistan pile up 385 for 7. Bangladesh could reach only 246 for five. It was Pakistan’s highest ODI score.

Pakistan scored 120 runs from the last nine overs.

Bangladesh's batsmen, reeling from the carnage, focused on batting out fifty overs instead of taking a shot at the target.

Their approach ensured there was no interest left in the second half of the contest. Imrul Kayes was the Shahid Afridi broke the record for biggest culprit, most sixes in ODIs dawdling around without any intent Afridi completed his to score, while Tamim century in 53 balls. The Iqbal showed characterisattacking Pakistani alltic spunk in taking on rounder also got the Mohammad Asif. He had record of maximum ODI driven, flicked and pulled sixes – 272 against his him for fours before Asif name.

struck with a slow and short off-cutter. With Tamim's dismissal, Bangladesh's hopes of making anything out of the game receded. In an inexplicable display that underlined the rift between Bangladesh and the rest, Kayes and Junaid Siddique settled in to accumulate. Despite cutting out all risks against a spirited but tired attack, neither of them could reach three-figures.

Siddique eventually unfurled a few shots for the gallery, but no one was applauding. {Brief scores: Pakistan 385 for 7 (Afridi 124, Farhat 66) beat B’desh 246 for 5 (Siddique 97) by 139 runs}.

Basketball to get a major push in India IMG, Reliance sign a 30 year deal to promote the sport

Basketball Federation of India (BFI) has entered into a 30 year deal aimed to promote the sport in the country.

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), Indian corporate giant and IMG are the partners to help make the sport grow in India. The RIL – IMG joint venture has bagged the sponsorship, advertising, broadcasting, mer-

chandising, data and franchising rights. The terms of the deal however are kept under wraps.

IMG and Reliance have already formed a joint venture earlier this year, in March to develop sports in India. Under the deal, the company will advise BFI on managing school and college level basketball leagues. A pro-

fessional league at the national level may also come up at some point of time in future.

After the success of the cricket mega show IPL, sports has generated huge interest among potential sports investors in India.

“This is a giant step towards our stated vision of making basketball a much-watched and popu-

lar sport in the country,” BFI general secretary Harish Sharma said.

IMG and Reliance are not alone in the arena.

National Basketball Association in March announced a partnership to start a recreational league for 14- to 18-yearolds with another Indian conglomerate, Mahindra Group.

Serbia shock Germany, England awaits a win

Germany were shocked to a 0 – 1 defeat by Serbia, making their progress to the last 16 a nervy affair, as they have a must win game against Ghana on Wednesday to decide their fate. More problem is they will be playing with key striker Miroslav Klose. He earned the red card in the Serbian encounter, posing a problem for coach Joachim Loew.

Ghana are at the top of the group with four points, ahead of Germany, while Serbia has with three points.

The most likely choice as the team's lone forward is Cacau, who scored three goals in two friendly matches before the World Cup and was only edged out of the starting lineup

by Klose in South Africa.

He also came on and netted against Australia.

England, on the other hand have been held to draws in their two games and badly need a win. Now they face Slovenia on Wednesday, a game that will decide their fate in the World Cup 2010.

Spain beat Honduras Spain, another major contender Serbia's Milan Jovanovic (R) scores the opening goal past from among the Germany's goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (front) on Friday at Nelson European teams got Mandela Bay stadium in Port Elizabeth. their maiden victory Coach Vicente del two-pronged attack. He on Monday as they beat Bosque fielded a more scored both the goals, the Honduras 2 – 0. ambitious 4-4-2 formation first one in the 17th Earlier, Switzerland at Ellis Park, with minute, while the second had scored an upset win, Fernando Torres joining was in the sixth minute beating them 1 – 0 in the after the break. strike partner Villa in a opening game.

IPL’s Kings XI Punjab up for sale London PE firm ISIS is the likely buyer

In keeping with her word to her Bollywood fans, Preity Zinta is ready to declare her IPL innings over as soon as the umpire (BCCI) permits.

The Punjabi kudi had said she would be back to the tinsel town after IPL season III. Media reports in India suggest that Preity and her partners have all sought the permission of BCCI to sell almost the entire stake – 93% to ISIS, a London based private equity firm. The orig-

inal franchisees will retain the minority stake of 7%.

Other partners in the Kings XI Punjab are Preity’s ex boy-friend Ness Wadia, Gaurav and Mohit Burman, Karan Paul and Aditya Khanna.

Ness is the scion of the Wadia family that owns Bombay Dyeing and Go Air, two of India’s prominent companies in textile and airlines sector.

The Burman brothers own the well known Dabur group of compa-

nies, a prominent Ayurvedic products man-

ufacturer.

There is no information on the people behind the ISIS. According to sources, the entire 7 stake that is to be retained, will be retained by Priety Zinta as she is still interested to continue her association with the team.

It is understood that any deals will be only allowed by the BCCI only after the IPL and all the franchisees are cleared by the Income tax department.

31

Five Indians in Wimbledon Men’s doubles Harsh Mankad earns his first qualification in a grand slam With veterans Mahesh Bhupathi, Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna already in the main draw, India have five players playing in men’s doubles at Wimbledon this year. It is possibly an all time record number of players for India in doubles.

Harsh Mankad and Somdev Devvarman have qualified for the Wimbledon men’s doubles event. For Harsh Mankad, it is his first entry into the main draw of a grand slam. In company of his Serbian partner Ilija Bozoljac, Harsh for the Wimbledon doubles main draw with a 7-6(5), 6-4 win over Austrian Alexander Peya and Germany's Bjorn Phau in the second round of the qualifiers.

The 30 year old Harsh Mankad is the son of former Indian Test cricketer Ashok Mankad and former tennis national champion Nirupama Mankad.

Somdev Devvarman and his Philippines partner Treat Conrad Huey have also qualified for the main draw. In the singles qualifying rounds, Somdev and Prakash Amritraj lost.

Sania crashes out in first round Meanwhile, Sania Mirza crashed out in the first round of the women singles event on Monday as she slumped to a straight set defeat against Angelique Kerber of Germany. Sania, ranked 113th and a comeback after a three-month injury lay-off, lost 4-6, 1-6 to the 55th ranked Kerber in little more than an hour.

She has a chance to make amends for the opening round loss in the singles as she will compete in the doubles event of the grass court Grand Slam, partnering Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.

The Indo-Dane duo will be up against Anne Keothavong and Melanie South of Great Britain in the opening round.

At 72, the British Sikh athlete is still wining medals Jhalman Singh of Birmingham has also won the Parliamentary award in 2007 He is an active athlete for well over 50 years now.

And even at the age of 72, Jhalman Singh continues to win medals in the field. That’s not all. He has also contributed to the promotion of Punjabi culture in Britain. He was recognised for the same. Jhalman Singh was honoured with a Parliamentary award in 2007 at the House of Commons.

A retired Engineer, the British Punjabi recently won a silver medal in the long jump and a bronze in shot put at the annual event of the British Masters Athletic Federation in Leicester. Further, just a month ago, he won a gold medal in pentathlon in the 70-75 years age group at Oxford at the Masters event. A resident of Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, Jhalman is also reportedly training for yet another competition to be held in August. He has played for the Royal Sutton Coldfield Athletics Club. He started taking part in athletics events in 1952 and has bagged a huge number of medals since then. He was crowned the first Midlands Sikh Sports Personality of the Year in 2009.

Usman Khawaja joins OZ team to play against Pak Usman Khawaja, a Pakistan born cricketer playing in Australia has been selected by Cricket Australia to play against Pakistan in the forth coming test series to be played in England.

Usman was born in Islamabad. Later, as his family moved to Sydney, he has been brought up in Australia.

Usman will be the first Muslim Usman Khawaja cricketer to play for Australia. He was very much surprised when informed of his selection.

Today, the 23 year old has sworn his allegiance for Australia. He last visited Pakistan four years ago.

In England he will be on standby for the top four batsmen, but will mostly be there to gain experience for what could be a barrier-breaking career.

32

Asian Voice - Saturday 26th June 2010

South Africa beat France, both exit

Terry almost challenges Capello, apologises After the French rebellion, it was almost England.

John Terry almost challenged coach Fabio Capello in the hope that he had a lot of support from the players, but failed to garner any. Later, he apologised as Capello said emphatically that he is the boss.

Capello told John Terry he should show more respect. Sometimes when you speak you have to be careful. The players may think individually but I have to think about the team.

Terry said: "I went into Sunday's press conference with the intention of being honest. I was asked a question about Joe Cole and maybe I went too far.

But it was never my intention to upset the manager or the players and if I did upset anyone, I apologise."

Uruguay beat Mexico 1 – 0, both in last 16 France met the fate most anticipated – elimination from the next round of 16, as they lost to hosts South Africa on Tuesday. To make matters more tough, they were reduced to ten men team after Yoann Gourcuff was sent off for elbowing Macbeth Sibaya in the 25th minute. South Africa won 2 – 1, as Bongani Khumalo and Katlego Mphela scored for the hosts. Both the goals were scored in the first half, while Florent Malouda scored for France in the 70th minute to reduce the margin.

Captain Patrice Evra was dropped from the

France's striker Franck Ribery (R) gives a decisive ball to midfielder Florent Malouda on Tuesday at Free State Stadium in Mangaung/Bloemfontein.

Rustenberg. Yet in a reversal of the fortunes, both teams went into the last 16.

starting line up.

In the other game of the day, Uruguay beat Mexico 1 – 0 at

FIFA World cup - Points Table (As on 22 June) Team Group A Uruguay Mexico South Africa France Group B Argentina Korea Republic Greece Nigeria Group C Slovenia USA 2 England Algeria Group D Ghana Germany Serbia Australia

MP W

D

L

GF GA

Pts

3 3 3 3

2 1 1 0

1 1 1 1

0 1 1 2

4 3 3 1

0 2 5 4

7 4 4 1

2 2 2 2

2 1 1 0

0 0 0 0

0 1 1 2

5 3 2 1

1 4 3 3

6 3 3 0

2 0 2 2

1 2 0 0

1 0 2 1

0 3 0 1

3 3 1 0

2 2 1 1

4 2 1

2 2 2 2

1 1 1 0

1 0 0 1

0 1 1 1

2 4 1 1

1 1 1 5

4 3 3 1

Team Group E Netherlands Japan Denmark Cameroon Group F Paraguay Italy New Zealand Slovakia Group G Brazil Portugal Côte d'Ivoire Korea DPR Group H Chile Spain Switzerland Honduras

MP W

D

L

GF GA

Pts

2 2 2 2

2 1 1 0

0 0 0 0

0 1 1 2

3 1 2 1

0 1 3 3

6 3 3 0

2 2 2 2

1 0 0 0

1 2 2 1

0 0 0 1

3 2 2 1

1 2 2 3

4 2 2 1

2 2 2 2

2 1 0 0

0 1 1 0

0 0 1 2

5 7 1 1

2 0 3 9

6 4 1 0

2 2 2 2

2 1 1 0

0 0 0 0

0 1 1 2

2 2 1 0

0 1 1 3

6 3 3 0

Saina smashes her way to Singapore title She has done it yet again.

Yes, Saina Nehwal won her second Super Series badminton championship title on Sunday, beating a qualifier Tzu Ying Tai of Chinese Taipei 21 – 18, 21 – 15 in the finals of Singapore Open Super Series on Sunday evening.

In the process, Saina became the only Indian women player to have won two Super Series titles. She won her first one a year ago – the Indonesian Super Series.

Ranked no. 6, Saina also recently won the Indian Open Grand Prix at Chennai.

The victory for Saina had more significance as it was a unique gift she gave to her father, Harvir Singh on ‘Fathers day’.

Saina’s mentor and a

Saina Nehwal holds the winner's trophy at Singapore

former champion from India Pullela Gopi Chand said the Singapore win is also important as she overcame a more stiff challenge in the semi finals, beating Lu Lan, the world champion.

Kelan Patel, 5 other Brit Asian boys are Chelsea probables Chelsea, one of the prominent British Premier League Football clubs and reigning champions of the English Premier League (EPL) has picked six boys of Asian origin under their scheme ‘Search for an Asian Star’. One of the boys, Kelan Patel has his roots in Gujarat, as his parents hail from there.

As football clubs are finding it hard to unearth new talent, Chelsea took the first of its kind initiative to look for British boys of Asian Origin who could be the future football stars of the club and England as well.

The others to make it are Kai Bhullar (under 8),

Yusuf Ali (under 13 group), Ahsanullah Nawazi (under 12), Yan Dhanda (under 11) and Adam Aziz (under 9). The six were picked from more than 500 boys who attended selection trails. Boys of Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi origins were allowed to compete under the special scheme.

Chelsea’s Asian initiative is the only one of its kind in the UK. As the club’s website says, the talent contest is not just searching for tomorrow’s superstar, it is about breaking down barriers and giving Asian players the chance to reach their true potential.

…And now, the French Rebellion!!

Coach Raymond Domenech described his players’ refusal to train as 'unspeakably stupid.'

The French football players returned for training on Monday after an open rebellion a day earlier on Sunday. All players unanimously staged what can perhaps described an unparalleled rebellion against the team management for expelling Nicolas Anelka from the team.

Anelka insulted coach Raymond Domenech dur-

ing half time on Thursday in the match against Mexico. The team lost the game 2 – 0. The player was expelled by the French Football Federation.

Following this development, the remaining players boycotted the training session on Sunday. Team coach read a statement issued by the players to the media. It said they had

decided not to train to protest the expulsion of striker Nicolas Anelka.

Further, captain Patrice Evra and fitness coach Robert Duverne were also involved in a row on Sunday. That led to resignation of team director Jean-Louis Valentin.

President Nicholas Sarkozy had to intervene, as he asked the sports

minister Roselyne Bachelot to extend her stay in South Africa and talk to the players.

The president as well as FFF apologised to the country for the behaviour of the players. France is not likely to progress to the last 16, as even a victory against South Africa will not be enough for them to survive.