AV 26th June 2021

FIRST & FOREMOST ASIAN WEEKLY IN EUROPE The best of both worlds SEE PAGE - 9

Ayodhya Ram temple trust buys land worth £19,309 for £250,000 3 months later

R

SEE PAGE - 26

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

26 JUN - 2 JUL 2021 - VOL 50 ISSUE 8

ASIAN WORKERS BETRAYED With the recent statements made by Baroness Dido Harding on vowing to send off foreigners from the NHS, is Britain headed towards another Windrush scandal?

Dramatic rise of stillbirths in Asian babies?

SEE PAGE - 8

Shefali Saxena Tuesday 22 June was commemorated as the third Windrush Day nationallya day when over 500 migrants from the Caribbean arrived by Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks in Essex in 1948. Legend has it, that many people who arrived in the UK on that day went on to experience racism and discrimination and often found it hard to get a proper home to live in, make friends with British people and deprived of citizenship rights.

Ironically and unfortunately, many years later, history seems to repeat itself.

Continued on page 6

Will the new vaccine law put care homes in trouble?

SEE PAGE - 15

Milkha Singh, the sporting legend, has moved to a better world SEE PAGE - 32

URGENTLY LOOKING FOR

FREEHOLD / LEASEHOLD VACANT COMMERCIAL UNITS IN LONDON FOR A BLUE-CHIP PIZZA TAKEAWAY

CALL ON 0204 516 5119

2 UK

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

with Keith Vaz

More countries restrict travel from the UK over Delta variant fears

Zaki Cooper Director and Co-Founder Zaki Cooper co-founded Integra, a strategic communications agency advising entrepreneurs, philanthropists and leaders in January 2021. Prior to that, he was Director of Philanthropy and Communications for Sir Lloyd Dorfman CBE and worked as an Assistant Press Secretary at Buckingham Palace with a focus on the Diamond Jubilee. He has also worked for former Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks and in a range of corporate environments.

He sat on the FCO Diplomatic Excellence Panel and is very involved in inter-faith, including as CoChair of the British Indian Jewish Association (his mother’s family came from the small Jewish community of Kolkata). He has delivered a TEDx talk, “One Earth: Many religions” and written widely, including coauthor of a book on cricket grounds, and numerous articles online and in newspapers. He has a BA from Leeds University and an M Phil from Cambridge University. He lives in northwest London with his wife Rachel and three children.

1

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

I am a Londoner born and bred and am very proud to be. I agree wholeheartedly with Samuel Johnson’s comment that “when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.” I think it’s the greatest city on earth and has a fantastic record in integrating newcomers. I always feel especially proud when I land back here after flying overseas.

What are your proudest achievements?

6

2

What is the best aspect about your current role?

I enjoy working for people who want to change the world. Our client base at Integra tend to be successful entrepreneurs who have a big vision and we help them achieve their business and philanthropic goals. Over time, I have been convinced that exceptional individuals can affect change, as much as, or more so than, big institutions.

And the worst?

Professionally it has to be working on the Diamond Jubilee. Through a lucky break, I was approached to go and work at Buckingham Palace on this special anniversary marking 60 years of the Queen’s reign. When someone called me up about it, “I thought they were joking.” It was an immense privilege to work there and play a small role in such fabulous national and international celebrations.

What inspires you?

Running a business with a number of highachieving and demanding clients has its challenges. The most tricky thing is when they all need your focused attention at the same time. I would compare it to being a parent when all the kids call out for you simultaneously! It’s tricky but you learn to get through it and have to rely on good people around you.

What are your long-term goals?

I am inspired by people who overcome adversity and show grit and resilience. A couple of role models have been my maternal grandmother, who was born in India. She lost her husband before she was 40 and raised 4 kids and became a fantastic family matriarch. One of my wife’s grandmothers was a young girl in France whose parents were killed in the Holocaust. She miraculously shepherded herself and her two younger brothers to safety.

What has been the biggest obstacle in your career?

After working for a series of incredible individuals and organisations, it took me a while to work out that actually, I enjoy running my own show. I think there is something in the comment of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus “All human beings are born entrepreneurs. Some get a chance to unleash that capacity. Some never got the chance, never knew that he or she has that capacity.”

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

I have worked for some inspiring individuals, people who have influenced thousands and thousands of lives for the better. The late and great Chief Rabbi, Lord Sacks, was a world-class orator and thinker. Working for the entrepreneur and philanthropist, Sir Lloyd Dorfman, has taught me a lot about discipline, persistence and commitment.

Number one, to be happy and healthy. If the last year has shown anything, it’s that we need to refocus on the important over the urgent. We have just launched the new business, Integra, at the start of this year so we’d like to grow our client base over time. I also see myself continuing my work building bridges between the faiths, especially the friendship between the Indian and the Jewish communities.

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

I would like to see the government do more to encourage philanthropy and giving. We are already a very generous nation – things like Comic Relief show that – but more could and should be done to encourage the very wealthy to give substantially.

There are things that could be done in the tax system, as well as recognising and celebrating philanthropy.

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

I have always been moved by the writings and speeches of Robert Kennedy. He was an important figure in American politics in the 1960s and his assassination in 1968 was a huge tragedy. When I did an internship in Washington DC in the late 1990s, I was fortunate enough to meet his younger brother, Ted Kennedy. Working in communications, I appreciate the power of words, and Robert Kennedy was a master craftsman.

3

4

5

7

8

9

10

FINANCIAL A SERVICES MORTGAGES Residential Buy to Let Remortgages

PROTECTION Life Insurance Critical Illness Income Protection

Please conta act:

Dinesh Shonchhatra S Mortgage Ad dviser

Call: 020 8424 C 4 8686 / 07956 810647 77 High Street, Wealdston ne, Harrow, HA3 5DQ mortgage@majorestate.co om ~ majorestate.com

Ireland is going to double its quarantine period for travellers from Britain to 10 days, who are not fully vaccinated, joining a growing list of countries imposing stricter travel rules on British arrivals due to concerns over the rapid spread of the Delta variant.

The announcement came after Boris delayed by a month the final stage of England’s exit from lockdown. Pakistan and Bangladesh had been added to the UK’s red list on 9 April, with India following a fortnight later, four days after a visit to the country during which Johnson hoped to announce a new trade deal was called off.

In fact, Britain was one of the first major western countries to severely restrict travel from India over Delta variant concerns. The French government announced a mandatory 10-day quarantine and test for all arrivals from India on 22 April, with Germany the following suit four days later.

Italy’s ban came on 25 April, prohibiting entry for travellers who have been in India in the past 14 days. The US did not tighten its restrictions until 4 May, after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) placed India at the highest level

on its risk scale, warning that even vaccinated travellers may get and spread variants.

Ireland’s transport minister, Eamon Ryan, said Dublin’s decision “reflects concern about the Delta variant, and to try to hold back the development of that variant here as much as we can and give us time to get vaccines out to give us cover against it”.

The move follows France’s recent decision to allow travellers from the UK who are fully vaccinated to enter the country with a negative test, but demand that those who do not have to quarantine for seven days.

Germany declared the UK a virus variant area of concern on 23 May, meaning only German citizens or residents and those with an urgent humanitarian reason, can enter the country.

Schoolboy who died 'should have been taken to hospital' Yasir Hussain, 10, from Ward End, was in goal attempting to save a ball when he hit his head on a wall or floor in the playground at Leigh Primary School in Washwood Heath on 12 November 2020.

He was later found to have a fractured skull and bleed on the brain and tragically died in Birmingham Children's Hospital five days later.

An inquest has now ruled the tragedy was an accidental death - but heard evidence that he should have been taken to hospital after the fall, instead of being allowed to go home.

Jason Wiles, a lead paramedic for emergency care from West Midlands Ambulance Service, investigated the case and found "red flags" over the handling of an emergency call where

clinical information should have been used to advise he went to the hospital.

A second emergency call was made by the school to ask where the ambulance was - but it was cancelled after Yasir's condition appeared to improve and his mum said she would take him home.

He later stopped talking, his eyes rolled back into his head and a 999 was made by his family on November 12. Paramedics arrived within three minutes and he was given oxygen and rushed to the hospital, where he was intubated and ventilated. Doctors said it was "impossible" to say if earlier intervention could have saved Yasir's life.

Woman with 90 grandchildren becomes Scotland’s only great-greatgreat-grandmother at 86 A family has become one of the only in the UK which stretches from oldest member Mary Marshall, 86, to their youngest member Nyla Ferguson,

who is just a couple of weeks old.

Mother-of-eight Mary - who was born four years before the start of World War Two has 90 grandchildren.

Mary has eight children who live in or around Edinburgh, Scotland. On 25 May 2021, Mary earned herself the title of Scotland's only great-great-great grandLabour had the worst byma with the birth of Nyla election result in the party's Ferguson. history, with 622 votes.

Mary, says, “She is forgivPrime Minister Boris en for not buying each and Johnson described the every member a birthday and result for his party as Christmas present as she'd "disappointing". spend half the year doing so.

Johnson attributed It's great to have such a big the defeat to local family. There's always someissues and insisted the one there looking out for government was you." focused on "uniting and According to Guinness levelling up within World Records, the most regions across the whole generations alive in a singlecountry". family have been seven.

Chesham and Amersham: Lib Dems overturn big Tory majority in by-election upset The Liberal Democrats have pulled off a stunning by-election victory, overturning a 16,000 majority in a seat that has always voted Conservative.

Leader Sir Ed Davey celebrated by claiming his party was now the "main threat" to the Tories in many areas.

The party's candidate Sarah Green won 8,028 votes from the Tories, with the Green Party in third place.

Sir Ed Davey

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

COMMENTS 3 26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

From clap to slap, the NHS saga On 22 June 1948, 500 or more Caribbean nationals arrived in the UK from the Empire Windrush in Tilbury, Essex.

The arrival of the Empire Windrush nearly 73 years ago marked an epoch-making moment in Britain's history and has come to represent the rich diversity of UK. 42 projects across the nation have been awarded funding to mark Windrush Day, dedicated to honouring, educating and inspiring future generations about the contribution of the Windrush pioneers – a day now firmly established in the national calendar.

Windrush Day that was started by then Prime Minister Theresa May in 2018, was an effort to end her hostile environment towards immigrants, though the recent announcement by Tory peer Baroness Dido Harding proves UK has not progressed a day from its hostile era of Enoch Powell. With all the laws and rights, deep inside, the country remains, broken, racist and divisive.

Yasmin Alibhai Brown in her very enlightening opinion piece wrote that the official tribute to the Windrush generation is sweet as well as acrid, for this same Mrs May created a hostile environment for old and new immigrants.

“Under her, the Home Office clandestinely and, it now appears, unlawfully, deprived Windrush generation British Caribbeans of their citizenship rights. Dozens were deported, many more lost their jobs or benefits, and some died before they got redress,” she added.

The Government compensation scheme is adding fuel to further misery. As of May, only 400 out of 2000 claims had resulted in a payment.

Baroness Dido Harding’s test and trace system plun-

dered thousands of taxpayers’ money, including that of tax paying foreigners, and failed miserably to protect the very thing it was designed to do.

Her wish to head NHS is a shame and failure of the government’s ability to hand the baton to the most deserving.

The first and second wave of Covid-19 that took thousands of lives, including that of NHS workers, many of whom were foreigners. Baroness Harding’s pledge to hand over NHS to British workers only, is a short of hanging a banner reading “Go Home, Foreigners” outside every hospital.

After a traumatic year due to Covid, an analysis by The Guardian, looking at staff in hospitals, GP surgeries, care homes and other settings found that 122 of the dead, or 61% of the total, were from an ethnic minority background.

Of those staff whose backgrounds could be identified, Asian workers accounted for 34% of the overall death toll, Black staff 24% and white workers 36%, while the rest were unknown. Running NHS England is not a cushy part-time job that could award her a medal or trophy for service.

Millions of lives depend on it. Bringing narrow political agenda or xenophobia in a job that is meant essentially to save lives is disrespectful if not disgraceful or crass.

As Ms Alibhai Brown rightly said, “The empire ended long ago, but Albion’s perfidies go on. Still, this day (Windrush) is meaningful to millions of us settlers. And to those native Britons who have been our allies, friends, lovers, kinfolk, mentors, and champions. We owe them.

The new, aggressive, white nationalists of Britain want their country back. We won’t let it happen, not ever.”

The age of ‘unleadership’ Prime Minister Boris Johnson is under severe pressure from Tory MPs as the leader, to change his planning reforms amid accusations over a shameful by-election defeat in Chesham and Amersham- a previously Tory constituency.

Backbench anger is reportedly building over the plans, with “legions of hostile comments” in WhatsApp groups after the Liberal Democrats grabbed the Tory stronghold of Chesham and Amersham last week. This came as a major shock to the Tory party, especially after polls showed Boris Johnson’s lead over Labour party, defying ‘political gravity’.

The loss of the Hartlepool by-election by Labour party in May, coupled with Liberal Democrat victory now, shows how politically volatile electoral politics has become in Britain.

The shift in these constituencies that were essentially heartland of Tory party is a major scandal for political ideologies in Britain. To add insult to injury, John Bercow, the colourful former speaker of Britain’s House of Commons, has left the Conservatives to join the Opposition Labour Party, launching a blistering attack on Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

In an interview with the Observer newspaper published on Sunday, the former MP said the Conservative Party under Johnson was “reactionary, populist, nationalistic and sometimes even xenophobic”.

Then comes Dominic Cummings and his fiery allegations.

The FT on Monday pointed out that Mr Cummings has said that the UK Chancellor was concerned the Prime Minister had “no plan” to tackle the surge in coronavirus infections last autumn- showing an existing division and hesitation in Mr Johnson’s leadership.

With Mr Johnson’s moving focus to new voters from the

previously known Labour zones in North of England, the ‘jilted’ and ‘betrayed’ old supporters are left with existential crises.

Winning polls by vaccination promises is now an old tactic. The impact of HS2 which goes right through the Amersham and Chesham constituency, threatening to disrupt normal suburban lives and livelihood seems to be the key reason for this failure. People fear that Tories will hand over the housing policies to construction industry which will never contribute to the struggling local governments, that have suffered severely due to budget cuts.

Boris Johnson wants to ‘build, build, build’ but he does not realise that property prices keep rising and it’s the first-time buyers who are hit. Labour has reportedly accused ministers of failing to protect the right of communities to object to planning applications after they instructed Tory MPs to abstain in a vote against the developers’ charter on Monday.

Though Labour’s problem in the 2019 election was considerably worse than that now facing the Conservatives, the party was strongly supported by young people, who will perhaps stay with the Labour in the future- The Conversation has pointed out.

But with Muslims moving away from supporting the party, the ‘Mother of all Democracies’ seem to be crawling towards a one-party system, despite Tory failures. A country without a strong Opposition isn’t a functioning democracy- as civilisations standing test of time would say.

When the BJP government took over, India saw a failing role of Opposition, under its weak leadership of Mr Gandhi. Is Britain moving in the same direction? A rhetoric question that time will perhaps answer.

The fight against Covid through Yoga June 21 is the International Day of Yoga, a day to celebrate this ancient practice that India gave to the world. The word ‘yoga’ derived from Sanskrit means to join or to unite, symbolising the union of the body and consciousness. Yoga can contribute in a holistic way to achieving an equilibrium between mind and body. Practising yoga will impact positive changes in our body.

With regular and consistent practice, we will increase our flexibility, improve our muscle strength and tone, have more energy, improve our cardio and circulatory health, experience better athletic performance and even protection from injury. It is not only an effective stress reliever but also a way to ease symptoms of anxiety. The breathing exercise can make us calm and put our mind at peace. Having a clear intention and clear goal is critical for our success whether in business or any other field.

Without intention, it’s easy to crumble when the going gets rough. Intention serves to inspire and focus us mentally and spiritually. Goals, on the other hand, help us apply the right physical effort to the task at hand. It can increase muscular flexibility and strength and is a proven treatment for back pain, knee pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other chronic pain conditions.

The idea of an International Day of Yoga was first proposed

by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly on 27 September 2014. On 11 December 2014, India's Permanent Representative introduced the draft resolution in the United Nations General Assembly.

The draft received broad support from 177 Member States who sponsored the text, which was adopted without a vote. When proposing 21 June as the date, Modi said that the date was the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere (shortest in

the southern hemisphere), having special significance in many parts of the world.

Yoga can help us in our fight against Covid. In the pandemic, the most used word was “immunity” which happens to be one of the benefits of yoga. A person has a good immune system when all the organs of the body are healthy and function properly. One quality which makes yoga stand ahead of other fitness forms is it works on the internal and vital organs of the human body. The asanas help to stretch the muscles around the chest to help improve the flexibility, blood circulation, and get rid of any stiffness so that we can breathe better and longer.

So, we are creating more room for the lungs to expand to breathe deeper. The next important organ which yoga helps is the digestive system. The digestive issues can impact the immunity big time. Yoga poses like twists and forward folds help to balance and strengthen the digestive system.

In the time of pandemic every individual has an important role to play. We have to scrupulously follow the rules set by the authorities to prevent its spread. The doctors and medicine alone won't be sufficient if we are careless in following the rules like wearing mask, keeping safe distance and hand washing and to avoid crowds. We should go out only if it is absolutely necessary and people with poor health should avoid contact with other people. Another important step is to go for vaccination. So long as there is no medicine available to fight Covid, the only option is vaccination. When the government is doing everything possible to prevent the spread of the disease, we should cooperate with the government. Let us join hands with them, so that we can come out victorious against this tiny virus.

The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound purpose larger than the self kind of understanding. — Plato, The Republic

Alpesh Patel

Pensions and Old Age Problems As the UK Chancellor mulls getting more tax revenue from pensioners, the ageing UK population has a lot on its plate.

When the time comes to retire, most people know they will have to rely on some sort of pension. However, over 60% of respondents in one survey I read, said they did not think their expectations for their future retirement would be met with the type of pension they were expecting.

This led 45% to feel 'discouraged' and 29% to feel 'very discouraged'. In fact, 28% said life after retirement would be around as challenging as when working full-time.

The report points to the fact that over 60% are now concerned about their ability to fund their own retirement.

Over a quarter (27%) have less than £10,000 in savings and 1 in 10 (10%) have nothing at all.

Many respondents expect to find it difficult to provide for themselves in retirement, with 60% believing that they will need to work hard all their life and 42% expecting never ending work.

The report also shows that low income levels in retirement is a concern for many.

Over 68% said they would worry if the state pension were cut, with 59% saying they would have to work even harder in their retirement. (Age UK) If you are older and more concerned about your pension, then you need to be aware that your average pension pot is not as large as it seems and if you're younger, you need to be thinking about saving more.

From the age of 60, your monthly spending power will continue to fall as you stop collecting your state pension. In addition, this is unlikely to be enough for you to live on for long either.

Let's say a single person aged 65 who has no other income will need an income of just £405 per month (£8,903 per year) in their final ten years of retirement to maintain their living standards in retirement. (Unrealistic in London).

But what about a more realistic scenario? Let's say we take a single person who is 65, they will have their £20,000£25,000 pension pot but they are also entitled to claim the basic state pension payment of £5,500 per year. This means that the total income they can expect is £6,500.

Even though this person has saved a pension pot and is also entitled to claim the basic state pension payment, their annual spending power of £6,500 will leave them with less than £3,000 left after paying off their housing costs (assuming they rent) and council tax. This means that they only have around £1,700 per month to live on. That would provide you with around £200 per month for food shopping.

This person is unlikely to be able to maintain their living standards on this small income, and if they are unlucky they might even run out of money by the time they are 80.

In order to afford housing costs, the basic state pension and any other essential bills such as council tax, this person needs £2,500 a month. If they continue to live in their current home and wait until the age of 85 before moving into a smaller property with lower council tax rates then they will only have around £1,000 left over each month for discretionary spending.

For most people living on this kind of income it simply isn't enough to cover many of your daily bills let alone keep you going for the rest of your life.

I could continue to list more average incomes, but what I hope to demonstrate is that for most people living on median income levels this will not be enough to minimise poverty in old age.

I have also been asked where all this money goes when it is paid into a pension plan. It goes to fund managers buying stocks. Recently, thankfully, stocks have risen sharply if your fund manager was good enough to buy US and not just UK stocks (most don't).

It's not that you have not saved enough, it's that the fund managers to whom your money goes to manage it have let you down - just ask Neil Woodford.

A glimmer of hope - whatever your age, save more, max your SIPP allowances, and learn to buy stocks yourself and cut out rubbish middlemen. Even the most snooty commentator won't criticise you for buying Microsoft. Of course the closer you are to retirement the more money should be in bonds or a bank account to avoid risk of market falls just before retirement.

Asian Voice is published by

Asian Business Publications Ltd Unit- 7, Karma Yoga House, 12 Hoxton Market, (Off Coronet Street) London N1 6HW. Tel: 020 7749 4080 • Fax: 020 7749 4081 Email: aveditorial@abplgroup.com Website: www.abplgroup.com

4 UK

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

Charusat Education & Healthcare Trust [UK] The first Annual General Meeting [AGM] of Charusat Education & Healthcare Trust (CEHT) UK took place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Marble Arch, London on Monday the 7th of June 2021.

The AGM was chaired by Shree Kiritbhai R Patel, the owner of DoubleTree By Hilton Hotel, and was attended by the Trustees namely Shree Dr Ambrishbhai J Patel and Kamlesh G Patel along with the Secretary Shree Indrabhai A Patel. The Chairman initiated the

meeting with the recital of Gayatri Mantra and welcomed all before presenting his report.It has been two years since the inception of the trust, but owing to the Covid pandemic associated restrictions and lockdown the trust had remained dormant. However, Shree Kiritbhai had a substantial donor in waiting who has donated £50,000 to Charusat University, Changa India.

The transaction was facilitated by CEHT UK. The Secretary, Shri Indrabhai, presented the certified

accounts, to year ending 30th April 2020. The income and expenditure accounts for the year ended 30th April 2021 were discussed and also approved for final preparations by KLSA Chartered Accountant. Owing to the covid restrictions the Chartered Accountants, KLSA, could not attend the AGM but had fully approved for it to go ahead, prior to the meeting. As proposed by Shri KG Patel and seconded

by Shri Dr Ambrishbhai J Patel, KLSA The Chartered

Accountants were reappointed as the accountants/auditors for the upcoming year 2021-22.The Board, bearing in mind the disruptions experienced to date and the scenario likely to pan out during these difficult covid times, decided to start charitable activities soon after normality returns. The Secretary, Shri Indra Patel, thanked all for attending the meeting and concluded the meeting at 12:30pm. The AGM was followed by the Tenth meeting of the Board of Directors.

BHF celebrates Bengali directors The biopic on legendary Bengali actor, poet and theatre artist Soumitra Chatterjee, ‘Abhijaan’, by Parambrata Chatterjee will make a European premiere on 26th June at Cine Lumiere as part of Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival (LIFF).

Parambrata shared the journey of making ‘Abhijaan’. He shared his experience of directing the biopic on the legendary artist and how every moment of making this movie will be a memory on its own.

Parambrata said he had embraced a long-cherished dream of capturing the thespian’s life in the form of a biopic. He also added that Indian cinema would have been incomplete without mentioning Soumitra Chatterjee’s name. The film seeks to explore the multifaceted personality of Soumitra Chatterjee, which was a challenging task, but Parambrata mentioned that the entire team pulled it off well.

He was speaking at the Think Tank webinar titled ‘Celebrating Today’s Bengali Directors’ organised by the Bengal Heritage Foundation (BHF) on 13th June in partnership with LIFF and Baithak UK. Parambrata was joined by Suman Mukhopadhyay (director of ‘Nazar Band’) and Suman Ghosh (director of ‘Searching for Happiness’).

This year BHF partnered with LIFF (London Indian Film Festival) for their 12th edition of the Film Festival.

The discussion was moder-

MORTGAGES • Residential • Buy to Let • Remortgages • Ltd Co Mortgages

ated by Suman Ghosh, Professor of Film Studies, Bath Spa University who picked up interesting questions for the conversations to flow. Each of the Directors took turns in unfolding a little, without giving the details out, about their upcoming movies.

They shared their thoughts on what led to the birth of the background stories, how they created the concept and brought each of the pieces together.

Suman Ghosh, director of ‘Searching for Happiness’ emphasised how this tender tale can be related by many people who are looking for joy in a complex world.

Suman Mukhopadhyay, director of ‘Nazarband’, spoke from Mumbai about his upcoming movie and its compelling tale of a woman’s life after she was released from prison. He explained how he was inspired by stories by Ashapurna Devi and that led him to visualise architecture with two interesting characters in the crowded streets of Kolkata. ‘Nazarband’ screens on 23rd June at BFI Southbank, London.

Cary Rajinder Sawhney,

INSURANCE • Life & Critical • Private Medical • Income Protection • Professional Indemnity • Public Liability

NO FEES CHARGED FROM THE CLIENT Sanjiv Nanavati, CeMAP, M.B.A Mortgage & Insurance Adviser

07970 265 748 sanjiv@srfsmortgages.co.uk

Harrow Business Centre, 429-433 Pinner Road, Harrow HA1 4HN SRFS Mortgages Ltd is authorised & regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (No. 839035) Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up your payments on any mortgage secured on it.

MBE (Executive & Programming Director of Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival), who was also present in the webinar spoke about LIFF 2021

and the various movies the festival has to offer with Covid guidelines in place.

Sangeeta Datta from Baithak was also present in the webinar as partners to speak about her long association with the festival and urged the diaspora to come to see the movies. Sambrita Das of Bengal Heritage Foundation noted, “Our aim is to ensure more and more people in the Bengali diaspora in the UK have access to such quality movies and can go the cinemas to watch.”

Faith Minister visits Gurdwara Sahib Faith Minister Lord Stephen Greenhalgh visited the Gurdwara Sahib in Leamington Spa last week, where he met members of the Gurdwara management committee and Jagtar Singh Gill of the Sikh Assembly.

He thanked them for how they have responded to the challenges of the pandemic and the work they have undertaken in the local community.

Faith Minister Lord Greenhalgh said: “Faith groups have played a crucial role in the fight against Covid-19. From holding services online to tackling loneliness and isolation, I want to thank religious leaders for their work to support their communities during this difficult year.

“At the Gurdwara Sahib in

Leamington Spa today I heard first-hand how the pandemic has impacted Sikh communities and how faith leaders have adapted to support people’s spiritual and mental wellbeing. Their work has been truly inspiring."

Bradford Council to celebrate Armed Forces Week Armed Forces Week is a chance for people to show their support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community: from currently serving troops to Service families, veterans, reservists and cadets.

On Monday, 21 June at 11 am Armed Forces Day flags were raised at a flagraising ceremony in City Park. It was a small ceremony led by The Dean of Bradford, the very reverend Dean Jerry Lepine and The Lord Mayor of Bradford Cllr Shabir Hussain.

To mark the end of Armed Forces Week and Armed Forces Day there will be a multi-faith service of remembrance on Saturday, 26 June. The service will include elements of the annual Drumhead Service

and the Bradford Pals’ service. It will be held at Bradford Cathedral and unfortunately, due to the recent announcement in the delay of the lifting of lockdown restrictions it will be invited guests only but it will be live-streamed on the Cathedral Bradford YouTube channel from 11 am on Saturday, 26 June.

City Hall Clock Tower and other buildings in the city centre will be lit up in red, white and blue from Monday, 21 June until Sunday, 27 June in honour of all our armed forces personnel.

Usually, the Council holds a special lunch at City Hall for veterans and invited guests, however, due to the coronavirus pandemic this has been cancelled and will not take place this year.

Islamic Relief Worldwide apologises after Covid breach Islamic Relief Worldwide has apologised after dozens of staff and volunteers, including its chief executive, broke Covid-19 rules last month. Waseem Ahmad, who was named chief executive of the charity in May, admitted that he was among around 30 people who gathered indoors to celebrate the holy festival of Eid. Under social distancing rules in place at the time, introduced to control the spread of the coronavirus, only six people from two different households were allowed to meet indoors.

Photos taken at the event, first published by the news website Birmingham Live, show Ahmad sharing a meal at the end of Ramadan with colleagues at the charity’s clothes recycling centre.

The pictures show that they are not observing social distancing.

An IRW spokesperson apologised for what they said was an “isolated inci-

Waseem Ahmad, chief executive of Islamic Relief Worldwide

dent”, and stressed that all attendees were tested before the event and none showed any symptoms of Covid-19.

The spokesperson said: “All staff at the meal had their temperature checked on arrival at the office and were asymptomatic. We regret that some did not sufficiently maintain the routine distancing of the working day during the celebration meal, and we will learn from this isolated incident to redouble our efforts in making sure all our activities are fully Covid-compliant.”

Brits will drive hundreds of miles further for UK holidays this summer UK motorists are planning to drive an average of 212 miles further for their UK holidays than they have in previous years, as staycations continue to boom.

A study conducted by Euro Car Parts found that a third (33%) of drivers will drive further this summer, due to the restrictions of international travel, and are also happy to spend more on their UK holidays than normal (30%).

Brits are also planning

to use this summer to explore more of the UK, with over a quarter (27%) saying they would be visiting different parts of the country more often than usual, and another 27% planning to go on multiple staycations.

In comparison, less than one in ten (8%) drivers said they’d be looking to stay close to home this summer, whilst just 11% of those surveyed are planning on visiting the same destinations

that they would normally.

The research revealed that drivers of green vehicles are the most likely to be planning to drive further for their holidays. Electric car motorists are the most willing to embark on longer distances for their getaway, with nearly two thirds (64%) saying they are happy to visit destinations further away than normal.

However, it is hybrid car owners who are planning to drive the greatest distances

for their getaway, at an average of 268 miles more than previous summers (JuneAugust).

Across the UK, Londoners are anticipating the longest drives, with nearly half (46%) stating that they are happy to drive further than usual for their summer break. Bristolians meanwhile are planning to travel the most, with 37% saying they would be venturing on more than one UK escape.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

5

6 UK

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

ASIAN WORKERS

institutionally racist. The interview also mentioned that in its ruling vindicating Karim, the employment tribunal said, “UK graduate [ethnic minority] doctors are 50 per cent more likely to get a sanction or warning than white doctors” No intention of insulting the ethnic community Coming to Baroness Harding’s defence, Lord Rami Ranger, CBE Lord Navnit Dholakia

BETRAYED Thousands of frontline workers who came to the UK from different countries and paid with their lives during the pandemic are now being threatened in a racist and irresponsible attack by Tory peer Baroness Dido Harding who has “vowed to end England’s reliance on foreign doctors and nurses if she becomes the next head of the NHS.” As per the House of Commons Library, 170,000 out of 1.3 million NHS staff say their nationality is not British, amounting to almost 14 per cent of the workforce.

Furthermore, Baroness Harding will tell the NHS board that she would resign from the Conservative Party if she won the role and take an indefinite leave of absence from the House of Lords, two steps she has so far resisted.

When the Windrush generation arrived in the UK, most of them left behind burnt houses, little or no money and were desperately in need of work. Many had served in the British Army during WWII. The BBC reported, “It wasn't always easy for the new arrivals to get jobs. Some companies said they didn't want black people to work for them. Later, many of their children were bullied at school because of the colour of their skins. Some of them suffered racial attacks and in later years there were riots in cities across Britain.”

Sajid Javid, the then Home Secretary had announced that after a review of 11,800 cases - 18 members of the Windrush generation who could have been wrongfully removed or detained would get a formal apology from the government. He also said that anyone who had left the UK would also be helped to return. The then PM Theresa May went on to apologise to Caribbean leaders and had reassured them that no one from the Windrush generation will have to leave the UK, mentioning that the Windrush migrants were “part of us”.

This year, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said, “It’s

London Mayor Sadiq Khan

important that this Windrush Day we remember the enormous contribution the Windrush generation has made to all of our lives. They have helped to shape our city and our country, and this must never be forgotten or undervalued. Yet two years after the launch of the com-

pensation scheme, many of the Windrush generation and their families have still not received payment and are still struggling to access the advice and support they need. It’s vital that the Government does much more to make this process easier so that families can finally see justice.”

According to a report published

by The Times, Baroness Harding of Winscombe would challenge the “prevailing orthodoxy” in government, that it is better to import medical professionals from overseas and benefit from the investment of other countries because of the huge cost of training a doctor.

Social media saw protests from medical professionals and organisations after Harding’s comment.

Honorary Vice President of BMA Prof Kailash Chand, OBE tweeted: “Dear @MattHancock, Medical regulators are “institutionally racist” & view ethnic minority doctors as easy targets for disciplinary action for decades. The NHS is heavily reliant on doctors who have qualified overseas. Dido’s solution is to get rid of foreign doctors, what is yours?”

Keep Our NHS Public co-chairman Dr John Puntis told The Morning Star: “Not recognising the importance of the huge contribution made to the NHS by staff from other countries is no surprise given that she views the failed, privatised test and trace a success story. “We need leaders who are insightful, steeped in the experience of working within the NHS and have a public-sector ethos with a determination to fight for a fully funded public service based on its founding principles. It is difficult to think of a worse appointment than Baroness Harding.”

Good Morning Britain presenter Adil Ray defended foreigners on ITV and said, “In the 1950s and 60s Britain had no choice but to ask doctors in India and Pakistan to come to this country to save the NHS. They stood up in parliament and said the NHS would collapse if it wasn't for migrant doctors. Those migrant doctors have held up this country, have held up the NHS. They are British, and as soon as somebody comes to this country to work here they are then British.

This idea that we should talk about 'our own', who are our own?"

“Migrant NHS workers risked their lives to keep our country going during the pandemic and this is Dido Harding’s response?” said the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants in a post on social media. “We need better pay, conditions and respect for our NHS workers — regardless of where they were born — not xenophobic dogwhistling,” it added.

Renowned consultant urologist Omer Karim has told The Times that the General Medical Council is

Lord Rami Ranger, CBE

told Asian Voice, “I welcome Baroness Harding’s aim to make Britain self-sufficient in producing homegrown talent to fulfil jobs within the health sector. However, I feel it is an impossible task that will take at least decades to achieve.

Health personnel need to study at least 6 to 7 years for doctors and at least 3 to 4 years for nurses. Besides, educated British staff may look to work in Europe, America, Australia etc., for higher benefits.

“I don’t think her statement is aimed at insulting the BEM community. The community has been recognised for performing a remarkable service to the public during the pandemic. Many have unfortunately lost their lives, saving others. Every politician like to have lofty aims; whether they can fulfil them or not, only time will tell.

“The UK India partnership does not depend on just one issue. It depends on cooperation and collaboration on multiple topics such as defence, security, terrorism, trade, tourism, and cultural exchanges etc. The UK partnership is significant for both countries as both are liberal democracies with the rule of law at the heart of their governance.”

While Dr Ramesh Mehta, OBE, President of, British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin said

Dr Ramesh Mehta, OBE

that Baroness Harding is ethically right, he emphasised that NHS cannot survive without foreign doctors. “UK saves half a million pounds by importing ready-made doctors from developing countries,” he said. “Since Dido is applying for the top NHS job, it may be her political posturing. However, the NHS can’t survive without foreign doctors. She has certainly antagonised foreign-trained doctors in the NHS who provide sterling service and stood by the NHS during the Covid disaster, even risking their lives. We hope, the Baroness will resist from making rash statements” Retract unhelpful comments Lord Navnit Dholakia, OBE and Deputy Leader of the Lib Dems in the House of Lords said, “I deplore the comments about making NHS

less reliance on foreigners. This smacks of confused thinking about the contribution of foreign doctors and staff sustaining the National Health Service since it was first set up. Successive governments have relied on their contribution, and they were prominent in recruitment from Commonwealth countries. Nowhere this has been more obvious than the recent coronavirus crisis here. Many have paid for their lives despite the seriousness of the epidemic.

“The recent discussions about the Trade Agreement make it clear that suitably highly qualified people from the sub-continent will have priority to enter the United Kingdom. It is about time that we had an apology from Dido Harding.

Our country cannot make medical advancement without the help of foreign doctors and medical staff.

The soft xenophobia expressed in her comments will further put off doctors from providing their services and will be resented by our diverse community here. India has been very clear in that if you want to trade with us then ensure that our highly qualified people are suitably employed in the UK.” Preet Kaur Gill, MP for Edgbaston in Birmingham said,

Preet Kaur Gill, MP

"The latest comments from Baroness Harding are appalling. For decades, our NHS has been made up of hardworking doctors and nurses from all walks of life. It is these same workers that have courageously looked after us, as our country went through a deadly pandemic. To now turn round and say they aren't welcome is intolerable. The fact that it takes 10 years to train a GP and 14 to train a surgeon, suggests Baroness Harding is trying to create division. With the huge shortfall of doctors and nurses, the Government's focus must be on addressing this, not attacking those who were at the frontline of the pandemic and who lost their lives whilst protecting us.

“Over the last year, we saw what happened in the US with George Floyd. I'm proud that our country rose up and thousands of people across Britain protested the institutional racism that is present in the UK. This is another blatant example of that, and we can't stand by and allow it to happen.”

Cllr Krupesh Hirani AM, Labour and Co-operative Party London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow told Asian Voice, “Dido Harding’s comments are completely unacceptable and wholly disrespectful to our NHS workers

Cllr Krupesh Hirani

who have sacrificed so much for all of us, especially over the pandemic period. Ironically, Government decisions such as the extortionate rise in tuition fees and previous cuts to nursing bursaries have contributed to the NHS recruitment crisis. Dido Harding should retract the unhelpful comments and the Government should distance itself from these comments immediately.”

In a statement, BMA leader Dr Chaand Nagpaul said, “The BMA strongly believes that the nation’s public health medicine service should be truly public, [and] completely independent of political influence. It must be able to operate with full transparency to advise the government, inform the public and do its work, which is so vital to the health of the nation.”

Meanwhile, Labour has called for the appointment process of the new chief executive of NHS England to be transparent, based on merit, and without undue political influence. In a letter sent to Cabinet Secretary Simon Case on 19 June, Labour’s shadow health minister Jonathan Ashworth also called for the process to be “free from the cronyism that has existed over the past year.”

Official figures show that 14% of NHS staff are non-British, with a large proportion of workers arriving from Ireland, India and the Philippines. According to workpermit.com, a retired nurse and President of All Pakistan Nurses Association APNA-U, Zeba Arif, said: “On behalf of overseas nurses who have contributed selflessly to the National Health Service, especially throughout the pandemic, I believe Baroness Harding’s statements of intent are not only crass but downright disgraceful and deeply disrespectful. She appears to be inhabiting a parallel universe and seems sublimely unaware of the sacrifices ‘foreign’ healthcare professionals have made just to be employed! To begin with, they (and their families) have to pay an immigration health surcharge of £470 per person per year,” she added.

“

In the 1950s and 60s Britain had no choice but to ask doctors in India and Pakistan to come to this country to save the NHS. They stood up in parliament and said the NHS would collapse if it wasn't for migrant doctors. Those migrant doctors have held up this country, have held up the NHS. - Good Morning Britain presenter Adil Ray on ITV

”

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

7

8 UK

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

Rejection

Rohit Vadhwana Have you ever tried pulling your hair out because of this word – rejected? We all face rejection in our lives, and it may not be only once or twice but many times.

Rejection can be in any field – a love affair, society, job application, promotion, or any other field. The word rejection creates a chill in the body, giving goosebumps to the person. It creates a fear of failure in mind and the person once rejected is always hesitant to take initiative. But as the Japanese proverb says, ‘fall down seven times, stand up eight,’ one should not accept defeat by rejection.

There are a number of examples where the most successful people have been rejected several times in their initial days. The most well-known among them is the author of the Harry Potter series J K Rowling, who was rejected by twelve different publishers before being accepted. And once published, as they say, the rest is the history.

There is hardly anyone who has not faced failure or rejection in life. And if not, it is easy to assume that the person has never tried anything. Not wrong to say that rejection is an essential part of effort, initiative. What kinds of rejections do we see in real life?

There might be rejection in job interviews or the process of selection. Many would know that the millennial Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan was rejected by All India Radio because of his heavy voice. And later, the same voice became his most celebrated identity.

Rejection in relationships is also very common. It may not happen that whoever we love would love us back. They might have their own preferences or choices. Sometimes the girl/boy you love might be already married and therefore cannot accept your proposal. Sometimes the person may not like you at all. This rejection happens and there is nothing wrong with it.

Rejection in society due to class differences or any other reason may also turn out to be a cause of sadness in many people. A club membership application may be returned with a stamp of rejection. One may not receive the invitation to a particular event or even after trying, some members of the society may not accept you as one of them.

It is important to know that different people react differently to rejection.

Studies have shown that quite a few types of reactions may emanate from rejection.

Criteria for particular acceptance is one of the reasons why sometimes we get rejected. If the rules are well set, there is no point is feeling dejected on such rejections. It may also be due to a lack of required qualifications for any particular job or position. For example, the scientists club may not accept a man of literature and an artist club will have no place for a politician. Somehow, Stephen King’s first novel Carrie, which later on inspired four movies, was rejected thirty times.

It is also possible that sometimes people do not have an understanding of particular skills or characteristics and therefore a very talented person has to face rejection. Who else than Vincent Van Gogh be a better example who has created his own unique style painting

but could sell only one painting throughout his life. And see the popularity and cult he has created posthumously. The misery he might have to live in due to the non-recognition of his talent is imaginable.

But the most devastating is rejection due to personal biases. When jealously or personal vendetta becomes a reason for rejection, it is most heart-breaking. Not giving promotion to the most deserving candidate in a company because the boss doesn’t like her face. Steve Jobs was ousted from the company he founded himself because of such reasons and it will remain in corporate history.

Now the question is who reacts to the rejection in what way. Different react differently and that is for various reasons, including for one’s own nature or social circumstances. You will find people who go into depression if rejected.

They cannot rationalize that it is part of the process and life is much more than one incident of failure. But that depression is dangerous for the person as well as family. It may sometimes even lead to suicide.

A few take the rejection in a positive way and analyze reasons for the same.

They certainly are the most motivated people who keep trying to improve their abilities and skills. But not everyone can be in that category. It is also doubtful if one can always be self-motivated and handle rejection again and again. It is strange when a person does not even acknowledge the rejection and keeps doing what he has been doing. It can be for the reason of self-confidence or simply because one does not care what others think of him. No wonder sometimes such people prove to be the game-changer.

It is very common that some people react with anger and a revengeful attitude towards rejection. They may also consider the person or system responsible for their rejection and try to harm them. Many criminals have a history of rejection and it may be in social relationships or business circles. They need to be counselled and cared for.

It will be very useful if people are given training in their initial years of lives on how to handle rejection constructively and innovatively. Those who can sit down calmly and analyze reasons for any of their rejection most objectively can learn to handle it in an optimistic way. But it cannot happen without training. Let’s say one engineer’s proposal has been rejected by a company and he works on it to find out the problem and solution of it. Maybe he will create a machine that will change our lives forever. His innovation can reduce human efforts and bring revolution to society.

There must be hundreds of examples in the renaissance time when a lot of engineering evolution had happened.

But it is correct to say that there cannot be a universal solution to handle any rejection. There cannot be a template that can be applied in every situation.

Therefore, it has to be decided on a caseto-case basis and would certainly differ from individual to individual. But ingredient for the recipe of handling rejection is positivity and optimism without which it will be disastrous. Undeterred and indefatigable attitudes can certainly lead a person to the greatest success. Albert Einstein didn’t speak till four and couldn’t read till seven. He was expelled from the school and was also rejected in Zurich Polytechnic School. But these rejections did not affect his desire to do what he was destined to do. And the rest of the story is all about his success.

In case, you have got rejection in any field, no worries. These words are common and do not assess your ability and skill in any manner. Just be constructive, improve wherever required, and keep trying. It doesn’t mean the end.

(Expressed opinions are personal)

DRAMATIC RISE OF STILLBIRTHS IN ASIAN BABIES? Shefali Saxena The pandemic has not only played with our lives or affected our mental health, but it has also laid bare inequalities and disadvantages faced by communities, otherwise ignored.

While the pandemic babies are no more than a miracle, new data has revealed that Black and Asian babies have higher stillbirth and infant mortality rates than their white counterparts.

Stillbirth is defined as the absence of no signs of life in a baby delivered after 24 weeks of ingestion. Miscarriage is similar, but it happens in less than 24 weeks. 24 weeks is considered a period of viability, beyond which a baby can survive independently inside the uterus.

The disparities have been revealed after the Office of National Statistics (ONS) published stillbirth and infant mortality data by ethnicity for the first time. According to figures released for the period 2007 to 2019, Black babies have the highest rate of stillbirths, followed by Asian babies. There were 7.1 stillbirths per 1,000 live births among black babies born in 2019, while among Asian babies, there were 5.1 stillbirths per 1,000 live births. Among white babies, there were three stillbirths per 1,000 live births in 2019.

Data from the ONS showed that infant mortality rates are particularly high in the northwest of England and the West Midlands, where there is a substantial ethnic population, with social deprivation identified as a key factor.

Since the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, studies from around the world have also reported a disturbing trend that depicts a significant rise in the proportion of pregnancies ending in stillbirths. According to research scientists, “pregnant women have received less care than they need because of lockdown restrictions and disruptions to health care” in many countries.

This could have led to complications resulting in stillbirths.

Clea Harmer, Chief Executive at Sands (Stillbirth and neonatal death charity), said, “The most recent ONS statistics have confirmed that stillbirth rates remain highest for Black women and higher for South Asian and Asian women. We need urgent action to address this, and the government must set a target to reduce these clear inequalities in perinatal mortality.

“The good news is that for all ethnic groups the stillbirth rate is declining overall but we don’t yet know what the full impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been. Although health inequalities relating to stillbirth had been gradually narrowing, we fear this trend may have reversed during the pandemic.

“Switching much of maternity care online because of Covid-19 may be disadvantaging some women from ethnic minority groups and we are concerned that issues of access to services have left many feeling unsure about, or delaying, raising any concerns about their pregnancy. At a time when inequalities in perinatal mortality and bereavement support have been highlighted

by Covid-19, it is crucial to find ways to address these.”

Menstrual health in Covid-19 London based GP Dr Rupa Joshi explained the impact of the pandemic on menstrual and reproductive health. She said, “In general practice, we have seen many patients having issues with the menstrual cycle. In general, stress can cause it. Missing cycles, prolonged periods, and heavy bleeding can also be attributed to financial adversities and sometimes the pressure of living with multigenerational households. We have been seeing many families who have been trying to conceive babies but having difficulty due to the Covid pandemic.” According to Dr Joshi, her sense is that many couples feel that this isn’t the right timing to bring babies into the world particularly with the uncertainty of finances, work, furlough etc.

“However, I would like to reassure families that medical care has continued as normal. In our practice, we have been able to see anti-natal patients in covid safe environments at different times, including our acute care patients. The same can be said for our postnatal checks and baby immunizations. Maternity care in hospitals has also continued as business as usual.

Dr Parijat Bhattacharjee

Dr Rupa Joshi

“There has not been any reduction in normal anti-natal care such as ultrasound scans and blood tests, midwife and GP care,” Dr Joshi added.

Stillbirth and its glitches Heena had a stillborn baby almost 10 years ago when she was 38 weeks pregnant. Speaking to Asian Voice, she shared her story and her assessment of what could have been done differently to save the pregnancy. She said that she got the scans, prenatal care, and blood tests. She said, “Because I lost my baby right at the end, what I thought was labour was me losing the baby. I went for a regular check-up.”

When asked what needs to be taken care of to avoid such unfortunate cases, Heena said, “If the baby is not moving then you should go with your gut instinct and flag it. You usually get limited scans which I don't think is enough to know what's happening inside. I haven't been given a reason why I lost my baby, but it was a placenta eruption. Why it happened, there's no reasoning. Especially first-time mothers are not confident, stress levels are different. That has a direct impact on the baby, there needs to be a more personalised approach to pregnancy or care.” According to Heena, one shouldn’t blame or point a finger at the NHS for stillbirths. “It is not related to NHS.” What does the data say?

According to Harrow based Obstetriciangynaecologist, Dr Parijat Bhattacharjee, unfortunately, the numbers on stillbirths have remained consistent and constant since 2000, which is roughly between 4 to 5 per 1000 lifebirths. The government strategy is to reduce the rates to half by 2025, half as compared to 2010. He cited an increase in maternal age and high BMI or obesity has been associated with stillbirths.

Probable causes and preventive measures Explaining further, he said, “One reason why it cannot be entirely prevented is that in more than 50 per cent of stillbirths, no cause can be found. Among the causes that can be found, however, the most common reasons are probably a small gestational age that means the foetus is not growing well, mostly because the placenta is not functioning well. Sometimes there could be underlying conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, but in many cases, no specific cause may be found.

“The general causes we look for when, unfortunately, a stillbirth happens, are done by performing tests on the mother, the baby, sometimes on the father, the placental cord, and membranes. Occasionally, there may be structural congenital issues in the baby which could be evident on inspection, sometimes xrays and modern tests could give more detailed information. There could be chromosomal and genetic abnormalities.”

How is the NHS helping?

Dr Parijat mentioned, “Customised growth charts are being suggested and being implemented across the NHS hospitals. Apart from this, from the patient's point of view, keeping an eye on the movement of the baby is vital and for any change in the movement or reduction in movement, one needs to contact the midwife or hospital immediately. The second common issue associated with stillbirth is smoking. The third association is an increase in BMI. Optimising weight is vital. Particularly diabetes and high blood pressure.

A post-mortem is a more comprehensive test on the baby and sometimes a full postmortem is not feasible, either because the parents do not want it or it is not possible. There are other conditions, particularly the tendency to form blood clots which is called Thrombophilia. Thyroid, PCOS, diabetes, thrombosis, immunological conditions, and malefactors may also contribute to miscarriages or stillbirth.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

UK

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

9

26 June - 2 July 2021

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS Shefali Saxena

I

smail was 15 when he decided to pursue engineering as a career.

“Coming from my culture and background (Pakistan), it was very much about going to university and getting a degree. However, a degree and apprenticeship have combined benefits,” Ismail told Asian Voice. He is currently an Engineering Degree apprentice at BAE Systems.

BAE Systems provides some of the world’s most advanced, technology-led defence, aerospace and security solutions, and employs a skilled workforce of some 89,600 people in more than 40 countries. Working with customers and local partners, the company develops, engineers, manufactures, and support products and systems to deliver military capability, protect national security and people, and keep critical information and infrastructure secure.

There are more than 50 types of apprenticeship programmes on offer at BAE Systems, which will reopen for applications on 1st November 2021.

Apprenticeship programmes aren’t just for school or college leavers; almost 10% of BAE Systems’ apprentices are over 25, and for those facing uncertainty in the current climate, they provide a wide range of opportunities to retrain. They have doubled the type of apprenticeship programmes they offer to more than 50 in recent years, including options to study up to degree and master’s levels.

Opportunities are available in a variety of diverse roles, including accountancy, human resources, electronic systems design, software development, joinery and mechanical fitting.

When asked why he decided to pursue this apprenticeship programme at BAE Systems, Ismail told Asian Voice, “When I was completing my A-Levels, thinking about what to do next, I saw the government’s website where you can find all the degree apprenticeships. That’s where I found BAE Systems and decided to apply. Some of the things to be aware of is to make very clear in your application why you have a passion for engineering, why it is the right apprenticeship for

you, why it will help the company and how you can benefit from each other and contribute to continuous success.”

Ismail further emphasised that candidates should prepare for any interview as much as possible including researching the apprenticeship, the company and qualifications they will gain.

“Making themselves understood as clearly as possible so that they are able to convince the interviewer that they are the right candidate is key,” Ismail told the newsweekly.

Explaining the advantage of pursuing an engineering degree alongside an apprenticeship, Ismail said, “I’ll get a degree and have gained important knowledge from university, whilst receiving the benefits of an apprenticeship, which is all about learning on the job. This also means I’m getting a salary alongside my education.

That might be a deciding factor for a lot of future apprentices and candidates. For me, it’s the best of both worlds and it worked out very well.”

The pre-requisite and curriculum

Do candidates need a prior background in science to pursue this apprenticeship? Ismail said, “No, but my experience was in A-Level subjects including Maths, Physics, and Design & Technology.

They are relevant to engineering.”

Throwing more light on the Aerospace apprenticeship that Ismail is currently undertaking

at BAE Systems, he explained in detail what it encompasses. Ismail said, “The apprenticeship is five years long. The first six months were full-time studying, consisting of university degree studies. The qualifications gained during this time are level 2 or level 3 diplomas and the degree for the first three years is called a foundation degree.”

Ismail further elaborated that the apprenticeship is about learning practical skills. He said, “During the first three years of the apprenticeship, I undertook six placements. Each placement covered a different area of the Air business. For example, one could be in design, one could be supporting the customer and one could be working on the aircraft hands-on.

“All apprentices then have a choice to make as to where they want to spend their last two years and in which part they would like to specialise. That’s where we kick start our career from.”

That’s when Ismail decided to stay in a systems engineering role.

He further added, “The nature of the work suits my style and type of engineering.

to ask the right questions so that I can deliver.”

While he emphasised the importance of clarity and articulation, Ismail also said, “I understand what my responsibilities are and what I need to deliver, because I contribute to the bigger picture of delivering to our customers.”

According to Ismail, processing information, asking the right questions, being eager to understand, consistent learning, and being curious about what other people are doing helps to build a solid understanding of the project. “It’s up to me as to how I make the most out of my apprenticeship,” he said.

The assets of an apprenticeship

The benefits of apprenticeships

We asked Ismail to explain his role to our readers in layman’s terms so that they can understand more about BAE Systems and make good use of his experience.

In his current position, he supports BAE Systems’ export customer contracts by developing and maintaining the aerospace products that are delivered to them.

“We ensure the functionality and performance of the product is exactly what the customer wants.

That whole element of ensuring we meet their expectations is completed by various phases of the product life cycle. That includes understanding the customer’s requirements and understanding our supply chain.

It’s about documenting the design so that engineers who are making the product are following the correct process – the ultimate goal is delivering high-quality products that meet our customers’ requirements,” Ismail explained.

It is imperative to note that this kind of apprenticeship requires a certain level of discipline and approach.

Ismail seconds this. He said, “The type of discipline and attitude I have, or an apprentice should have, is to take in everything that they are being exposed to. When I started the role, I understood that there’s a contract and there’s an export customer. My job as an apprentice is to understand exactly what the customer wants and try to break it down as much as possible and try

The post-Covid era is potentially going to be all about skill-based employment that comes from specialised training. In that context, we asked Ismail about how he thinks an apprenticeship with BAE Systems helps in meeting his aspirations. He said, “I think the skills that I’ve learnt during this apprenticeship gives me a solid foundation for my career.”

“Given the uncertainties that we are living with, I am confident that the apprenticeship has given me a good starting point for my career.”

A study published by BAE Systems suggests that young people identify continuous learning, a good salary and stability as key priorities. Engineering, technology and digital are among the top industries which young people believe hold the best long-term career opportunities, in light of the pandemic. Almost two thirds (63%) of young people have or would consider an apprenticeship.

Will the industry change in the post-Covid era for apprentices like Ismail?

He said, “The pandemic has definitely opened new doors and new ways of working. However, the nature of my role will mean that having the ability to collaborate with my colleagues is still very important. One of the most valuable parts of an apprenticeship is learning from your colleagues who have years of experience so it’s important to be able to build those relationships”.

10 READERS' VOICE

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

Preventing a surge in violent crime as lockdown measures ease As lockdown measures continue to ease this summer, we must avoid a return to the levels of violent crime we saw before the pandemic.

The Mayor and the Met Police have been working hard towards this. In the last five years, over a billion pounds has been invested by City Hall into policing and boosting officer numbers.

In recent months, we have seen Sadiq Khan pledge millions in funding for early intervention and custody programmes to divert young Londoners away from violence and the clutches of gangs.

But we need to stay one step ahead of the ruthless organised crime groups who are exploiting vulnerable Londoners and children as young as nine years old through county lines drug activity.

Schemes led by the Mayor’s Violence Reduction Unit, which has been taking a public health approach to violent crime since 2018, have been making a positive and tangible impact.

We now need the Government to reverse the huge cuts they have made to the Met Police and youth services over the last decade, and this must be in the form of a multi-year funding deal. Without that, they risk leaving London on the back foot, and with support services unable to provide the long-term support victims and young people require.

This is also a golden opportunity for the Home Office to renew their Serious Violence Strategy, so it has a closer focus on the poverty and inequality which underpins knife and gun crime.

Krupesh Hirani AM London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow

Ramdev's controversial remarks on Allopathic medicines Yoga guru Ramdev’s recent remarks about allopathic medicines in general have caused a controversy both in India and abroad. It is undeniable that allopathic medicines have helped to save millions of lives which would otherwise have been lost to various diseases and health conditions, both Covid related viruses and other health conditions/diseases.

However, Ramdev also has a pertinent point which is being drowned out and that point is that, whilst allopathic medicine tends to treat the symptoms of a disease, Ayurvedic medicine tends to treat the underlying causes of the diseases.

In this respect it is like the traditional Chinese medicine.

This important difference in approach should not be overlooked in this debate.

There is room for both Ayurvedic and Allopathic medicines to co-exist and be available to people who need it and can benefit from it. Big pharma industry globally is generally opposed to traditional medicine as it affects their bottom line!

Dinesh Rai

Honest Gujarati Shah family

KHICHADI Kapil’s

Why is EU subservient to China?

When Donald Trump lost presidency to Jo Bidden, we thought America’s tough stand against China initiated by President Trump will somehow be compromised, as new president projects softer and more conciliatory policy towards the rest of the world.

Although new president maintained his tough staunch towards Russia everyone expected, but to every one’s surprise, he did not let China off the hook and acknowledged that China is the real threat rather than Russia.

Unfortunately, EU, especially Germany and France gave a muted support to American President, as they are more interested in vast and ever-expanding Chinese consumer market, Germany being the only nation who regularly could muster favourable balance of payment advantage with China. German upmarket cars like BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and few more are ever popular with Chinese consumers and easily available vehicles that has made Germany China’s number one trade partner.

Perhaps trade advantage and increasing Chinese worldwide influence has mesmerised Germany in turning a blind eye to the atrocities mitted out to Chinese minority Muslims and suppression of whatever limited freedom people of Hong Kong enjoyed since handover of the British colony to China.

West has surprisingly failed to understand Chinese intention to dominate the world, economically and militarily with the biggest and most modern naval force, uniquely designed two hulled aircraft carriers and some two million strong armies ever ready to go into battle. But China believes in diplomacy, bribe and covert diplomacy rather than using force.

But China is ever ready to use force if it thinks that West is indifferent and will get away with murder. China’s bullying of India and Vietnam, once a close Chinese ally are the prime example with turning the vast and mineral rich South China Sea into Chinese coastal waters by building illegal islands in shallow waters without a murmur from the West. Ignore China at your peril!

Bhupendra M. Gandhi

Social Media giants rule the world “Social Media Giants Rule the World” by Kapil Dudakia (in AV 12-18 June 2021) shows the power they have gained over years, and they can influence the way they want depending on the political ideology of their owners.

These platforms are systematically being used to propagate the ideology which suits some sections of people. They have become like uncontrollable monsters who can ban the account the democratically elected ex-president of the US. It is understood that restricting damaging activities are necessary but to completely ban the account is a bit too much.

Kapil has rightly mentioned that these platforms are being actively used by the forces for anti-India and antHindu propaganda. They have got “toolkits” to spread inflammatory messages quickly to the targeted audience to influence their behaviour and actions.

Most of the countries do not have adequate safeguards against these platforms. It is time to regulate how social media are spreading false messages without proper verification and authenticity of the source. Sometimes in the BBC we see the fact-checked and they confirm that a particular image/photograph is not the recent one but has been used from another incident/episode without any relevance to the present circumstances but just to spread hatred in society.

If the laws are stringent enough without any ambiguity and with adequate safety & security of all the stakeholders, they can be controlled. Needless to add, the political will to implement the laws with a fast action plan is a must.

What a good feel factor, Asian Voice’s story about Shah family honesty in New York, Massachusetts. What strong, heart-warming, honesty of the family by returning one million dollar winning lottery ticket back to the rightful purchaser. I am sure this is a very rare piece of positive news and agree how humbling yet heartening to see the treasure of caring Shah family upbringing, courage, and honesty.

It would have been a strong temptation to keep the ticket for oneself. But to overcome negative attitude and resist the comfort zone easy money is a direct reflection to have been true to oneself to follow strong family cultural, religious beliefs.

This takes me to compare this family with a recent BBC series called The Syndicate where the shopkeeper conned the poor young girls out of their rightful winnings of nearly 23 million pounds. What a dishonesty, greed, and sinful desire to acquire by stealing and running away to the life of luxury plus gambling.

What a contrast, a real honest life story and a television story which highlights that there is a lot of dishonesty around in many forms and disguises. Opportunities, possibilities would have been a life changing transformation for this Shah family, but it seems their life mirrors on strong well-developed values, ethics, and cultural, religious boundaries. The fact that they consulted their parents in India and took all the trouble to find this lady was affirmation of been manifested for bold beliefs, faith, and honesty.

The family must be satisfied, happy, with their action and a godly deed. May they be blessed with success, and well-deserved happiness? Just wonder what anyone else would have done in this situation.

On Father’s Day, my wife Bhavna and I, from 10am-1pm Canadian time watched the Pitruvandana event organised by Asian Voice, for three hours. After having a quick breakfast and the first time in our life we watched any programme on Father’s Day. I lost my father Late Raojibhai Patel in December 1959 and at that time I was only 17 years old. My siblings and I hardly spent 7 years with our father as he lived alone in East Africa, while we lived in India for education purposes.

While watching the virtual Pitruvandana - a tribute to all fathers, first time in my life, I felt closer to my father. I also paid tribute to Stephen Emmanuel, boss and partner of my late father, when he worked as an accountant and financial advisor in his company. Mr Emmanuel was very close to my father and considered him as his family member due my father’s honesty and integrity. I was in touch with Mr. Emmanuel from Canada until three years back, when he died in Dar-es-Salam. Thank you everyone who organised this fantastic virtual Pituvandana.

Jatish Shah Northampton

Suresh and Bhavna Patel Markham,Canada

Hitesh Hingu London

Father’s Day

Follow me on Twitter: @kk_OEG

Are Muslims fleeing Labour?

Kapil Dudakia Recently leaders of Muslim organisations have been discussing, openly, the flight of the Muslim vote away from Labour.

This was news to me, as I am sure it must be news to you as well. I did not believe a word of this fake outrage since the evidence shows the very opposite.

Chart: Voting at the 2017 general election by religious affiliation Source: http://www.brin.ac.uk/religious-affiliation-and-party-choice-at-the-2017-general-election The chart above suggests what most of us might have concluded, that most of the Muslim vote does indeed go to the Labour Party. There is no evidence to suggest that it was any different in 2019 election.

So why are leading Muslim commentators and organisations suddenly claiming that Muslims are fleeing the Labour Party?

To understand this new and disingenuous narrative, we need to look at several different strands that have become more pronounced over the past few years.

In 2010 when Ed Miliband was the leader of Labour, there was a concerted effort to secure and expand on the Muslim vote. We witnessed at that time many in Labour who felt empowered to speak out negatively against Israel and India. Indeed, we even had the spectacle of leading Labour MPs actively seeking to get a visa ban imposed on the then Chief Minister of Gujarat.

Labour Party conferences became engrossed in attacking Israel on the Palestinian issue, and India on Kashmir. It became clear to many of us that the tail of the Muslim vote bank was beginning to wag the Labour dog. MEND (Muslim Engagement and Development UK) claim that Muslim voters make up some 10% or more of voters in 83 parliamentary seats (13% of constituencies). We can see why Labour was so keen to appease this demographic.

Miliband lost that election and in came Jeremy Corbyn. The very man who was seeking a ban on PM Modi. Labour went into overdrive and the politics of the far left was given a massive impetus. Given Corbyn’s background in supporting some shady Islamic groups, it was no surprise that Muslims within the party were given a free for all. To basically do whatever they wanted which eventually led to Labour adopting an anti-India position on Kashmir.

This was the golden era for the Muslim community. The years of dedicated support to the party was finally beginning to pay off. More and more of their community were being elevated into positions of power and influence. They were now affecting actual policy that met their requirements. Namely for the Party to be openly anti-Israel and anti-India. But the enlightened British voters rejected Labour. They saw the party to be anti-Semitic, anti-nation, anti-Police, anti-business and lacking in any credibility in managing the economy. Corbyn and Labour lost in 2019 on a massive scale.

In comes Keir Starmer, a man who is stuck between a rock and hard place. He has made a few minor adjustments to row Labour away from anti-Semitic tendencies and being lukewarm on Kashmir. The Muslim community are fearful that under Starmer they will lose much of their influence.

Therefore, this new fake narrative of Muslims fleeing Labour is but a pre-emptive strike. It’s to show Starmer that if he goes too far, they will act against him.

Starmer must have read my column of 12th May, titled: ‘Saving LABOUR: The Bells Toll’, in which I give him the blueprint to save Labour. It will be interesting to see if Starmer saves Labour, or will he be subservient and follow the politics of appeasement?

The truth: Muslims are not fleeing Labour, since they have nowhere else to go!

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

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

UK 11

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

Brexit: Help or hindrance?

In an analysis about how Brexit has transformed the UK, Matthew Lynn wrote in The Telegraph, “It is amazing how time flies when you are having fun. It may seem like only yesterday that the UK voted by a narrow margin to leave the European Union. In fact, it was five years ago on Wednesday.”

“As we now know, the predictions of Project Fear turned out to be wildly overblown,” he further wrote.

Among the many consequences, one is the shortage of labour and staff in the UK. Financial Times reported, “The company that owns the UK’s biggest cannabis production site for use in pharmaceuticals has called for changes to immigration policy following labour shortages after it was excluded from a visa scheme for farmworkers.”

“British Sugar’s operation, which supplies the US company Jazz Pharmaceuticals with ingredients for licensed anti-epilepsy drugs, is one of many farming businesses that has shut out of the seasonal workers’ scheme because they are not growing food,” the report said.

Lynn also mentioned in The Telegraph that “there can be no question that leaving the EU was a major turning point for the British economy. It will play out over two decades, at least. But five years since the votes were cast, the big trends are clearly visible.”

In the latest news, the UK has secured its first major post-Brexit trade deal, with Australia, hailed as a "new dawn" by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Under the plans, the government said: "iconic British products" (like cars, Scotch whisky and confectionery) will be cheaper to sell in the tariff-free agreement.

Trade Secretary Liz Truss said the deal was "important in itself but it’s also a gateway to the wider Pacific area". She added: "No hormone-injected beef will be allowed into Britain, we’re not changing that rule at all."

Nimisha from Nims Fruit Crisps told Asian Voice, “We have suffered greatly already with our food on

the move products. This means the suffering will continue, unfortunately.”

Addressing the labour shortage, she said her business hasn’t suffered. “No actually which is surprising in a way because food production is normally staffed by overseas workers but given the pandemic, we have lots of applicants for every job we advertise. Having said that, not many necessarily have the skill set we need and we know that some of the people we hire will not remain in our employ long term once the economy picks up and they are able to find a job in their field. As an example, we have chefs, office works, automotive engineers, supermarket workers all applying for jobs,” she told the newsweekly.

How has Brexit affected her? Nimisha said, “Export has all but halted due to the increased costs, documentation, logistics problems. Import for fruit and veg (when not in season in the UK) has suffered delays and increased costs. Import of machines, parts etc has increased in costs and delivery times are ridiculously long.

“On the plus side, other businesses are suffering the same fate in trying to import so we are experiencing a surge in orders for ingredients from UK food manufacturers. The losses on food to go are being mitigated by this increased demand and it is becoming a category of product that we are producing more and more.” With labour shortage, speculations are it’s leading the way to rising wages. Can businesses afford that, given the situation? Is the government helping in any way? Nimisha said, “Yes, wages are increasing.

Businesses have no choice in a way and it will impact profitability. The government has introduced the Kickstarter and apprentice schemes but all these have huge waiting times to get off the ground. We have asked for 3 applicants – we will have to wait and see the calibre of candidates we are offered and whether the time spent training them is a help or a hindrance.”

Manhunt launched after girl almost snatched on way to school A girl was targeted on Waltham stow’s North Countess Road at 8.30 am on last Wednesday. She was wearing a school uniform whilst targeted by a man, who got out of the passenger seat of a car.

He attempted to drag her into the vehicle, but she broke free and ran to Waltham stow Academy.

The suspect was described as medium build, Asian, 6ft tall and aged around 20 with dark blue jeans, a grey t-shirt and black trainers in a white Kia with muddy tyres.

She was not physically injured

during the incident.

Detective Superintendent Jodie Tuff commented: “Thankfully no one was injured in this incident but I fully understand how much anxiety this will cause. I want to assure our community that investigating this incident is a priority; officers have been out making enquiries and gathering evidence.”

“I would ask anyone with information to contact us and call 999 if you see anything suspicious or contact police via 101 or @MetCC on Twitter, quoting CAD 1851/16JUN.”

World's biggest house move The 545-acre former airfield in Wroughton already houses the museum's larger objects, when not on display. The remaining objects stored in London are being moved to a purpose-built warehouse in Wiltshire the size of two football pitches.

Alex Fullerlove, from the museum, said: "It's the world's biggest house move; we have two years of unpacking ahead. We started in May and we've moved around 20,000 objects into the building already.”

The Science Museum Group looks after some 7.3 million objects. Until now the 300,000 objects not required for display were stored along with artefacts

from the Victoria and Albert Museum and The British Museum in Blythe House in London.

However, in 2015 the government announced it was selling the building and asked the museums to find a new home for their collections.

The new building boasts 18.6miles of shelving, which will be used to display collections of bicycles, telescopes, iron lungs and prosthetic limbs. In the next couple of years, larger pieces such as cars, fire engines, buses, carriages and submersibles will be moved there too.

The new facility is due to open for public tours, school and research visits from early 2024.

12 MEDIA WATCH

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

26Jun - 2 Jul 2021

SCRUTATOR’S MP couple deploys 4 guards, 6 dogs to protect two mango trees A couple in Madhya Pradesh has deployed four guards and six dogs to prevent the theft of two mango trees. The couple Rani and Sankalp Parihar planted two mango saplings years ago. However, they had no idea that two mango saplings would develop and bore into unusual ruby-coloured mangoes, the Japanese Miyazaki.

Miyazaki mangoes are said to be one of the most expensive breeds of mangoes in the world. Miyazaki mangoes were sold at Rs 270,000 per kilogram in the international market last year. According to the couple, last year, some thieves broke into their orchards and stole the mangoes after it became locally known that they have started growing this rare fruit. Consequently, the couple deployed four guards and six dogs to protect the rare trees and seven mangoes. Elaborating on how they started growing this rare variety of mango, Parihar said, he was on his way to Chennai to buy some saplings when he met a man on a train, who offered him what later turned out to be Miyazaki. “He offered these saplings to me and asked to take care of these plants like our babies. We planted in the orchard without knowing what variety of mangoes it will produce." His wife Rani said many people have shown interest to buy the mangoes.

She said a Mumbai-based jeweller is ready to pay Rs 21,000 for a mango. However, the couple has decided not to sell the mangoes to anyone yet, and instead they would grow them. The mangoes are grown in Japan's Miyazaki city. The mango is over 350 grams in weight and has a 15% or higher sugar content. These mangoes are rich in antioxidants and contain beta-carotene and folic acid, which is great for people that need help with tired eyes. (Agency) Parents charter flights, take detours to drop children to US If some US-bound college students are struggling for visas, parents of some others are doing everything to see off their youngsters on campus, even if it means spending a month overseas or travelling half way around the world. The US suspended entry by non-immigrants who had been in India within the previous 14 days. College students eager to enter or return to the US have been exempted. “A builder, whose little one will be part of the College of Southern California this August, has determined to take a chartered flight to Dubai and after spending a fortnight there, the household will enter the US to drop the scholar at his college,” stated an overseas counsellor.

Some parents who’ve companies in Dubai are staying put there and heading to the US from there. The development of dropping off their youngsters may be very common, particularly among the many parents of the 1000’s of undergraduate teenagers who head out yearly. There was a number of heartburn when the US Consulate’s India workplace clarified that even those holding US visas couldn’t journey with their youngsters. And inventive journey plans emerged. If some are chartering flights, the budgetconscious may fly to international locations which might be permitting Indians in and are concurrently on the accepted checklist for the US. Some parents from the UK will route their journey to the US by way of Egypt. Some are planning to fly to Russia and from there to America. (The Times of India) Boatman rescues baby floating in a box on river Ganga

government schemes, including a house, for the boatman who rescued her. The local authorities are getting the details of the boatman to assess his eligibility for government benefits. Divisional commissioner Deepak Agrawal said, “After the CM’s announcement, Ghazipur district magistrate MP Singh arrived at the hospital to check on the girl. Her health is being monitored as a precautionary measure. Singh also sent a team of officials to collect the details of the boatman to ensure follow-up action.” (Agency) Terror unleashed by cops Resham Singh, 41, served in the Army for 18 years, retired as a Naik with an “exemplary” record and was felicitated for his role in a 2004 Poonch operation that claimed six militants. On May 3, while he was on his way to Lakhimpur Kheri for a funeral, he was stopped at a checkpost in Pilibhit by cops and asked for papers. An altercation ensued, the escalation of which ended with Singh being tortured for hours. A month on, Singh faces an FIR along with his 82-year-old mother, who was also allegedly hit with batons that day.

Eight cops against whom action has been taken could also face attempt to murder charges, a senior police officer said. Two sub inspectors among them have already been suspended. “They thrashed me, slapped my sisters for intervening and charged at my elderly mother with batons,” Singh said. “My turban fell on the road, but not allowed to pick it up. They took me away. Sub inspector Ram Naresh who was inebriated tortured me inside the police station, inserted a baton in my rectum and thrashed me for over three hours with belts and batons.” It has been a month, but he can barely sit, sleep or move around. Two bystanders who shot a video had their phones snatched and were later named in the FIR along with Singh.

(Agency) Pet dog undergoes bariatric operation

The Uttar Pradesh government will take care of the 21-day-old baby girl found in a wooden box floating on river Ganga in Ghazipur district. The baby has been kept in a special neonatal care unit of the government women’s hospital in Ghazipur and is to be sent to a shelter home. CM Yogi Adityanath, who took note of the recovery of the baby girl, announced that the government would bear the cost of her nurturing and also provide the benefits of

The 50kg 7-year-old Indie cross breed Deepika, pet to a family in Pune, underwent weight-reduction surgery recently. According to doctors, the

laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy was the first such operation done on an animal in India. Over the last few years, Yasmin Daruwala, the owner, noticed that Deepika had put on weight, had difficulty in walking, could barely stand and panted excessively. Further, she had been diagnosed with a host of ailments such as liver, kidney, cardiac and high BP besides cataract, thyroid and hernia, said Dr Narendra Pardeshi, veterinary laparoscopic surgeon from Pune. Thanks to the surgery, she is now 45kg. For three years, Pardeshi had tried many weightloss diets, but none worked. Operating on her was risky because of her multiple health problems. But it seemed like the only option. So, Pardeshi started training himself for the surgery. He got in touch with Dr Shashank Shah, a noted bariatric surgeon in Pune, and further trained under him for six months. In fact, Shah assisted Pardeshi in Deepika’s surgery.

One-third of the pet's stomach was successfully stapled in a two-hour-long procedure. Deepika has lost 5kg and is now slowly going back to her sprightly self. (The Times of India) India offers jobs for Nepali women in military police

In a first, the Indian Army has opened vacancies for Nepali women in Military Police. The announcement comes at a time when there are calls to abrogate the recruitment of Nepali youths in the armed forces. The Army has said that it wants to continue recruiting the youths.

The Indian embassy in Kathmandu asked eligible women to submit their applications online. The announcement has also given relaxation to those children whose parent died during service in the Indian Army. As per the announcement those who have passed class 10, are aged between 16 to 21 years and height above 152 cm can apply. The deadline for submitting the application is July. Those who fulfil the parameters will go for further selection process in Ambala, Lucknow, Jabalpur, Pune, Belgaum and Shillong. (Agency)

Notice issued to IAS officer for venting anguish After nine transfers in 54 months, IAS officer Lokesh Kumar Jangid of the 2014batch expressed his anguish at the ‘system’ in a messaging group of Madhya Pradesh IAS Officers’ Association. He was promptly removed from the group and has been served a show-cause notice by the government over a charge not related to this issue. Last week, the general administration department sent a showcause notice to the 35-year-old officer for allegedly recording a telephone call from principal secretary, GAD, regarding his transfer and making it public. “It amounts to breach of trust and privacy and is a violation of Civil Services Rules,” says the notice. In his posts Jangid alleged corruption and suggested he was repeatedly transferred for being honest.

“While those who mint money get transfer from field to field. And those with impeccable integrity get thrown to secretariat on transfer,” Jangid posted.

(Agency) Taj Mahal, other monuments reopen The Taj Mahal and other centrally protected monuments, which were closed two months ago in the wake of the second Covid-19 wave, have been reopened on June 16, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) said.

Visitors will be able to book entry tickets online and no offline booking facility will be available, an ASI official said. With the second wave of Covid-19 making its presence felt, the government had ordered closure of all centrally protected monuments and museums, including Taj Mahal, Red Fort and Ajanta Caves, on April 15. The monuments were closed for more than 100 days as part of the nationwide lockdown last year. As many as 3,691 centrally protected monuments and archaeological sites maintained by the ASI were closed for visitors on March 17 last year. They were allowed to reopen from July 6, with the number of visitors being curtailed. Even as most other monuments were thrown open, the Taj Mahal remained closed till late September as it came under a “containment zone.” Even as it reopened, the number of visitors was capped at 5,000 a day while that of other popular monuments was capped between 1,000 and 1,500. (Agency)

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

UK

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

13

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

in brief in brief LABOUR TO INVESTIGATE ‘VILE’ ISLAMOPHOBIC REMARKS After an anonymous quote in the Mail, the Labour Muslim Network said ‘this is a patently vile, Islamophobic briefing. This racism needs to be challenged urgently and publicly by the Labour leadership and the party as a whole.’ The individual reportedly linked the party losing support from Muslim voters with leader Sir Keir Starmer’s efforts to combat anti-Semitism. The ‘senior Labour official’ reportedly said: ‘We’re haemorrhaging votes among Muslim voters and the reason for that is what Keir has been doing on antisemitism. He challenged Corbyn on it, and there’s been a backlash among certain sections of the community.’

MORRISONS BRINGS BACK GLASS MILK BOTTLES TO REDUCE PLASTIC WASTE Glass milk bottles and the clinking of their delivery is to make a welcome return as Morrisons, is launching a trial to sell pints of milk in glass bottles in an attempt to promote a greener environment. It said that a glass-bottle pint would cost 90p, compared with the 50p pints of semiskimmed milk sold in plastic bottles. They will be delivered directly by local dairy farms to seven shops in Kent and four around Sheffield. Morrisons said that customers could return the bottles, which will then be sanitized and reused for ten years or more. This measure could remove 40,000 plastic bottles a year from circulation, reducing emissions of carbon dioxide. “We want to help our customers live their lives with less plastic,” Natasha Cook, Morrison’ packaging manager, said.

BRITAIN TO BAKE IN THREE-DAY AZORES HEATWAVE AS THE UK SAYS GOODBYE TO RAIN Netweather’s temperature charts show at the start of July, the mercury in most parts of the UK will rise to as high as 27C (80.6F) as a new warm front sweeps in from the Azores. Netweather’s charts, based on GFS model data, turn dark red on July 1 and show the high pressure coming in from France and covering the UK. The charts show the trend starts immediately on July 1st at the height of the day at 3 pm when the mercury could reach as high as 25C (77F) in southeast England. Other parts of England will see temperatures range between 16C (60.8F) and 21C (69.8F) whilst Scotland and Wales will see more modest ranges of between 14 and 18C (57.2-64.4F).

A similar pattern also emerges across southern and eastern England with high pressure drifting in boosting temperatures to 24C (75.2F).

MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS More than a quarter of young people struggling with mental health concerns do not seek help because they do not want to inconvenience anyone, polling by two charities has found. The survey of 16 to 24to year-olds by YoungMinds and the Children’s Society also found that 55 per cent had visited the GP about mental health at some point. When asked what might prevent them from seeking help, 28 per cent said they did not want to cause any inconvenience.

End of blood donation restriction cheered by Gay and Bisexual community As the Pride Month comes to a close, the community demands a stop in perceiving the world with a post-colonial hangover Rupali Shinde The years 2020 and 2021 have been a rollercoaster for each one, thanks to Covid. Amidst all this destruction, and heart shattering events, the LGBTQ community got a reason to cheer. In most parts of the UK, healthy people irrespective of their gender or sexual orientation are now eligible to donate blood.

The only criteria is that they should have same sexual partner for at least three months.

Along with blood, these healthy individuals will be able to donate plasma and platelets, as well, as per the new NHS guidelines.

As the community celebrates pride month, this has come as a big breakthrough especially as in many countries, people who identify as male and have male identifying sexual partners are barred from donating blood. Many organisations are still fighting so that blood donation will be allowed in other countries. One such organisation is Freedom to Donate, where four friends got together and have been working for this cause for the past six years now. One of the founder members of Freedom to Donate, Ethan Spibey, set up the campaign group after he was turned away from donating blood. He had gone to 'repay' the donor whose donations had saved his grandfather's life during an operation. Finally, Ethan donated blood on the day rules changed.

“We have been working with the For the Assessment of Individualised Risk (FAIR) working group on this for the past couple of years, so we know how much work has gone into making it happen - we were delighted that the change finally came into effect this month as it was announced last December.

The key thing to remember is that giving blood is completely selfless and altruistic. But around 1 in 4 of us will need a blood transfusion at some point in our lives, even if it is not us individually it is likely a close relative will, so we encourage everyone who is able to donate blood to do so,” said Dan, who is one of the founder members of Freedom to Donate.

Dan added that the day rules were changed, they received lot of enquiries with regards to blood donation. And he was quite humbled to see how many people were waiting for this change. (Those who wish to donate blood can register themselves at https://www.blood.co.uk/).

In India and many parts, such blood donation still remains banned. “Banning LGBTQ from donating blood is a form of discrimination. Gender and sexuality should not

Celebrate Pride Month with LGBTQIA indie films The London Indian Film Festival is celebrating Pride Month with LGBTQIA indie films. Its popular annual short film programme showcases new filmmaking talent returns featuring jaw-dropping dramas and quirky comedy. Screenings are followed by a live panel discussion led by the Gay Indian Network London. And over on BFI Player you can watch a Best of Too Desi Too Queer featuring favourites over the last few years. Sumptuously dressed men, dancing girls and transvestites galavanting around a mirrored palace, with Indian Gay icon actress Madhubala at its heart, Mughal-e-Azam is a firm favourite with the LGBTQIA+ community so LIFF is putting on a very special screening. You can come dressed inspired by Prince Salim, or Anarkali and enjoy the glamorous photo ops that Ciné Lumieré has to offer. Legendary Lesbian activist Pratibha Parmar is presenting six documentaries on British Asian arts and culture including a rare early interview with award-winning Gay photographer Sunil Gupta. Screenings are split over two days. More information can be found on www.londonindianfilmfestival.co.uk.

be a factor in choosing who can donate blood. Assuming LGBTQ people automatically have blood that is potentially unsafe is problematic,” said Ash Mukherjee who is hailed as the Best Indian dancer in Great Britain and the only representative of temple dance.

“People generally don’t come out when they are not in a queer safe space. Lockdown would have made it for some young LGBTQ people to stay confined in a space that is unsafe for them. Not being able to come out and live your true self and be who you are is a

form of abuse in my opinion and significant violation of a basic human right,” Ash added.

Many also don’t feel safe to come out or accept their identity, as they fear society, especially the Asian community will ostracise them. Many undergo conversion therapy, and many remain silent over their sexual orientation. Ash feels that parent plays an important role when a young person is battling with his/her sexual orientation.

“LGBTQIA has always existed in civilisation whether they like it or not. Not accepting us is akin to a tree not accepting one of its own branches. It comes from a place of denial, ignorance, and arrogance. Educate yourself, stop perceiving the world with a post-colonial hangover. You may have a young queer person at home. Your first and foremost duty as a caregiver is the emotional and physical safety of your child. Do not be that parent that your own child cannot confide to. Make sure that they feel loved and accepted no matter what. Otherwise, you will have failed them as a parent,” he added.

Why is June celebrated as a Pride Month?

In order to commemorate the Stonewall Riots which occurred at the end of June 1969 in USA, the month of June is chosen for LGBT ride. The Stonewall riots was a series of violent demonstrations by members of the Gay community in the US against a police raid on June 28, 1969, at the stonewall Inn in the New York city.

First gay parade was held on June 27 and 28, 1970 in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco to commemo-

rate the first anniversary of the stonewall riots.

The first flag made its debut in 1978 at the San Francisco pride parade. The original LGBT flag was hand dyed and had 8 symbolic colours, later two colours were dropped. In early days, marches were often referred as gay liberation and freedom in their names, however, with the cultural changes in 1980s and 1990s, these words were replaced with gay pride.

14 WOMEN’S VOICE

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

The Wellness Asset

help them tap into the full potential of their wellness offering. Sonal has worked with major hotels across the world enabling them to attract a more discerning guest, build a loyal and committed customer base, attract and retain quality talent and increase profitability, without breaking the budget. In a Q&A with Asian Voice, she spoke about her book The Wellness Asset, businesses and challenges of being a woman.

- Tell our readers a bit about your book.

Why should they read it?

I wrote this book to show hoteliers, even the sceptical ones, that wellness does indeed make business sense. And no matter how urban or midscale your property is, incorporating wellness into it in a meaningful and coherent way will yield substantial dividends.

- What kind of research and personal observations went into attempting such a timely and truly relevant book?

During my research, I met some truly inspirational hoteliers. 50 passionate men and women who are leading the way, seeing wellness as a core part of hospitality.

They understand that today’s guests want experiences that are fulfilling, memorable, shareable.

These hoteliers have a vision that stretches far beyond short-term profitability.

- How easy or difficult is it to make Asians understand and bring about a shift in mindset that wellness is an asset?

In my experience, hoteliers in Asia know

Q

by: Shefali Saxena Sonal Uberoi is a global wellness expert and founder of Spa Balance, a boutique consultancy working specifically with hotels to help them tap into the full potential of their wellness offering. Sonal has worked with major hotels across the world enabling them to attract a more discerning guest, build a loyal and committed customer base, attract and retain quality talent and increase profitability, without breaking the budget. In a Q&A with Asian Voice, she spoke about her book The Wellness Asset, businesses and challenges of being a woman Sonal Uberoi is a global wellness expert and founder of Spa Balance, a boutique consultancy working specifically with hotels to

Relationships, expectations, love and connections between fathers and sons Hosted and developed by Dr Deepa Narayan, a former Senior Advisor at the World Bank, one of Foreign Policy Magazine’s 100 most influential global speakers, and author of the groundbreaking book Chup, the podcast ‘What’s in a man?’ is a research-in-progress series that breaks open the barriers about what it means to be a man in India today.

For episode 6, ‘Fathers and Sons‘ Dr Narayan explores the relationships, expec-

tations, love, and connections between fathers and sons. The episode delves into how fathers exercise their power and how they practice love. Through conversations with over 250 young boys and men from middle and upper-class families, the podcast examines this relationship whilst reconfirming the view that fathers are a boy’s first hero. Fathers are more comfortable exerting power over their boys than showing love. To help decode men’s relationships with their fathers, she turns in this episode to Dr Harish Shetty, a leading psychiatrist in India, and Dr Ashish Roy, a psychoanalyst at Ambedkar University in Delhi.

“Over and over, what emerges is the universal longing for love from their fathers-- to be accepted and cherished through the ups and downs of life, failures, disappointments, and all the struggles.“ Dr Deep Narayan The podcast addresses Dr Narayan’s view that gender equality will never be achieved without including men in the equation and follows her research for Chup which addressed issues around women in India and the inequalities they faced.

Q

Q

that wellness is something they need to offer but struggle to define their wellness offering in a way that makes them stand out from the competition and also makes them money without a sizable capital outlay and no return on investment.

- What are the challenges of being a woman in our society for you, who is brilliantly informed and sound-minded about businesses, finance and the creative aspects of communication, considering women in our community still yearn to have a voice?

Being from an Asian background, I appreciate the challenges women face.

However, increasingly companies recognise the value of an inclusive culture. We’re seeing female powerhouses taking on Csuite roles.

I’ve been blessed with a family where boys and girls were given the same opportunities. I started work with this mindset.

- What according to you is the key takeaway from the pandemic for all businesses, especially the health, lifestyle and wellness sector?

There is incredible power at the intersection of tourism and wellness. We’ve travelled for millennia to heal, regenerate and explore new territories. Hotels are a great place to facilitate this exploration and for people to disconnect, re-connect and live meaningful experiences. This intersection can profoundly and positively impact people.

Q

Q

The Red Thread Bina Briggs is a seasoned HR consultant who arrived in the UK as a refugee from Uganda in 1972. Bina’s mother, Indira, was the inspiration for ‘The Red Thread’. It shares her thoughts, entwined with those of Bina and her sister, and of some of the women whom she has admired. The book spans from the early 20th Century to the present day, providing the reader with an abundance of inspiring stories of overcoming adversity and female tenacity.

Bina offers unparalleled insight into the Asian community. The title ‘Red Thread’ also symbolises the Rakhi, a red thread from the Hindu Religious tradition given from a sister to a brother through the festival of Rakshabandhan for protection, with the brother, in turn, giving the sister a gift.

In modern times, Rakhi is

now tied to the woman’s hand and also anyone you wish to protect. The red thread symbolises a sacred bond, commitment and support for one another, but to Bina Briggs it is also the red thread of fate when people who are destined to meet are tied together with an invisible thread, which may stretch or tangle but will never break.

Throughout her new book ‘The Red Thread’ Bina shares a series of stories of life lessons, love, strength and determination to encourage readers that no matter where they are in life, they will come through the other side. She reminds readers to never despair because there is always a way if they have faith, have a vision to which they are totally committed and believe in themselves and their God, universe or whoever it is that

Bina Briggs

they believe in. By trusting the process it always works out for the better.

The Red Thread is an ideal read for those feeling stuck and lacking motivation or self-confidence. Each chapter title is a positive affirmation to motivate the reader, encouraging them they are loveable, stronger than they think, that life is for the living and they must take the first step to change their life. Dr Amir Khan has also endorsed the book commenting "A beautifully written book spanning continents, decades and cultures."

Author of "The Doctor Will See You Now" and TV celebrity

UK’s first Black Asian and Minority Ethnic Travellers Survey Women in Travel CIC’s Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Programme and the University of Surrey’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management have partnered to launch the first-ever survey of UK BAME travellers.

This research project, which is being supported by Black Travel Creators, will through surveys, focus groups and indepth interviews aim to provide much-needed insights into the travel patterns, influences, circumstances and other factors influencing the decision making of UK BAME travellers. The survey is now live and Women in Travel is urging people from BAME communities to participate.

Speaking about this groundbreaking initiative,

Women in Travel’s Executive Director, JamieLee Abtar, said: "The UK travel market has traditionally been treated as a homogenous group, with little allowance for cultural, ethnic and other differences.

Additionally, stereotypical beliefs about Black and other BAME communities travelling to familiar destinations, or rarely exploring new places, has, to date, resulted in little interest in these groups from the travel and tourism sector.

By collating reliable data on UK black and other BAME travellers, I hope that in turn we can inform the wider travel industry and change and correct perceptions, whilst empowering BAME travellers

at the same time.

“There is a growing Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic middle class in the UK, who are mostly young, tech-savvy, and keen explorers of new destinations and tourism experiences. There are huge opportunities for travel brands, destinations and tourism marketers to target this group of travellers.”

in brief HELP FROM PREGNANT WOMEN IN FIVE ASIAN LANGUAGES The BBC Asian Network is helping the South Asian community to understand what science says in five languages: Gujarati, Punjabi, Sylheti, Tamil and Urdu.

It is helping in articulating and answering questions like: Does the vaccine have any effects on fertility for both men and women?

Here, the doctors have answered some commonly asked questions about pregnancy and the Covid vaccine. This initiative is supporting pregnant women as the Covid vaccine is being rolled out to younger age groups. It also answers questions based on what you should do if you're expecting a baby, breastfeeding or trying to have a baby.

FIRST FEMALE SOUTH ASIAN WRITER TO TACKLE MARVEL'S PREMIER MUSLIM SUPERHERO Samira Ahmed is the first female South Asian writer to tackle Marvel's premier Muslim superhero in a comic series. She plays Kamala Khan, the Muslim American superhero known as Ms Marvel, is already a big part of author Samira Ahmed's life. The author told Entertainment Weekly that her “group chat with her South Asian cousins routinely employs the acronym WWMMD: What would Ms Marvel do?”

"A lot of it will be about food because we can all relate to Kamala on that level," Ahmed told EW. Ms Marvel comics have only been written by Muslim writers so far - first Wilson, and then Saladin Ahmed starting in 2019. But Samira Ahmed will be the first South Asian female writer to write a Ms Marvel series, and so feels a particular connection to what Kamala represents. "For kids of colour, Muslim kids, there was literally zero representation when I was growing up," Ahmed said.

WHY ARE WOMEN MORE PRONE TO LONG COVID? While men over 50 tend to suffer the most acute symptoms of coronavirus, women who get long Covid outnumber men by as much as four to one, The Guardian reported. In Sweden, Karolinska Institute researcher Dr Petter Brodin, who leads the long Covid arm of the Covid Human Genetic Effort global consortium, suspects that the overall proportion of female long Covid patients may be even higher, potentially 7080%. Dr Melissa Heightman, who runs the UCLH post-Covid care clinic in north London, said, “Around 66% of our patients have been women. A lot of them were in full-time jobs, have young children, and now more than a quarter of them are completely unable to work because they’re so unwell.

Economically, it’s a bit of a catastrophe.”

But despite this, there have been relatively few attempts to drill down into why this is the case. Instead, because these conditions predominantly affect women, they have more often been dismissed as being psychological in origin. Over the years, both ME/CFS and chronic Lyme disease have been ridiculed by sectors of the medical community as forms of hypochondria.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

UK

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

15

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

Will the new vaccine law put care homes in trouble?

Shefali Saxena Under a new law, everyone working in care homes has to be fully vaccinated to protect residents. The new legislation means from October – subject to parliamentary approval and a subsequent 16 week grace period - anyone working in a CQC-registered care home in England for residents requiring nursing or personal care must have two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine unless they have a medical exemption.

It will apply to all workers employed directly by the care home or care home provider (on a full-time or part-time basis), those employed by an agency and deployed by the care home, and volunteers deployed in the care home. Those coming into care homes to do other work, for example, healthcare workers, tradespeople, hairdressers and beauticians, and CQC inspectors will also have to follow the new regulations unless they have a medical exemption.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock said: “Vaccines save lives and while staff and residents in care homes have been prioritised and the majority are now vaccinated we need to do everything we can to keep reducing the risk.

“Through our consultation, we have listened to the experiences and concerns of providers and people living and working in care homes to help shape our approach.

“We have a responsibility to do all we can to safeguard those receiving care including in the NHS and so will be consulting further on whether to extend to other health and social care workers.

“This is the right thing to do and a vitally important step to continue protecting care homes now and in the future. I’d urge anyone working in care homes to get their jab as soon as possible.”

Trouble for employers Reacting to this development, Samir Moftah of Manak Solicitors told Asian Voice, “It is not a surprise that Mr Hancock Samir Moftah seeks to make vaccina-

tions compulsory for care home staff. They appear to be successful with a relatively high uptake by the general public. Vaccinations will be seen as critical to both the safety of patients and staff. If the proposals are brought into law, employers will face the administrative burden of maintaining and updating records of compliance. If this is not carried out, CQC action is likely to follow.

This will be a significant challenge for the sector, which is already facing recruitment difficulties as well as burnout of staff in a notoriously difficult role. Should employees not wish to be vaccinated and there are no alternative roles within the organisation, it is likely to lead to dismissal and a rise in Tribunal claims being brought. Employers will rightly be concerned as to a rise in claims for unfair dismissal which will include elements of human rights law and the Equality Act. An employer may even bring a Judicial review application to challenge any change in the law. It will be interesting to see how Courts tackle these complex points of law and how decisions affect care in the sector.”

Meanwhile, there will be exceptions for visiting family and friends, under 18s, emergency services and people undertaking urgent maintenance work. The Social Care Working Group of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) advises an uptake rate for one dose of 80% in staff and 90% in residents in each individual care home setting is needed to provide a minimum level of protection against outbreaks of

Issas finally cleared to take control of Asda The last hurdle for the Issa brothers to gain control of Asda was cleared when the competition watchdog accepted their concessions.

The brothers and TDR Capital completed the £6.8billion takeover of Britain’s third-largest supermarket in February but were legally unable to control the grocer, attend board meetings or make strategic decisions after the Competition and Markets Authority issued an order that the company must remain separate while it reviewed the

deal. The regulator had concerns that the deal would lead to higher petrol prices after the new Asda owners revealed that they would be financing the takeover with the transfer of its petrol stations to EG Group, the Issas’ forecourts empire.

The Issas and TDR

Capital, have offered to sell 27 Asda forecourts and the authority accepted the remedy. The owners now have to find a buyer for the petrol stations, which the CMA must approve for the deal to be finally cleared.

Roger Burnley, Asda’s chief executive, said the confirmation meant Asda “can now embark on the next stage of our journey under new ownership”.

Burnley is leaving the group and a search to find his successor is under way.

Hancock's pandemic claims “did not stack up” Former government aide Dominic Cumming has repeatedly accused Hancock of making false claims about his involvement in high-level decisions around the government's response to coronavirus.

Earlier this week Cummings also released a batch of private WhatsApp

messages that appeared to show Johnson describe Hancock as "fucking hopeless" when it came to testing and procuring personal protective equipment at the start of the crisis.

Cummings’ central claim is that Hancock lied to Boris about the fact Covid patients were being sent into care homes

untested. However, none of the WhatsApp messages or information released this week shows a moment, text message, or record of dialogue, where this could be proven.

The government has said it has full faith in the health secretary and Hancock denied that he is “hopeless”.

Covid-19.

While the majority of care home workers have now been vaccinated, only 65% of older care homes in England are currently meeting the minimum level of staff uptake for one dose needed to reduce the risk of outbreaks in these high-risk care settings – falling to 44% of care homes in London.

More than 1.2 million social care workers, (78%) in England have now taken up the vaccination an important step in protecting themselves, their loved ones, and the people they care for from becoming seriously ill or dying from Covid-19.

What’s imperative to note, is that taking the vaccine is also a choice.

New law hard to reconcile with Speaking to Asian Voice, Sandip Patel, Managing Partner Aliant Law said, “New laws for the compulsory Covid vaccination of care home workers will be hard to reconcile with existing laws and regulations. On the one hand, care homes have a number of legal obligations that they owe to their residents, staff and visitors. However, the new laws raise a number of employment law considerations which will result in legal challenges for claims of unfair dismissal under the Employment Rights Act 1996. Besides concerns about employment law, there are data protection concerns. Other pieces of legislation that will be impacted are the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and existing CQC regulations, as well as section 60 of the Equality Act, which makes it generally unlawful for a job applicant to be asked about vaccination at all.”

Welcoming the new legislation Elizabeth Johnson, Legal Director and Alex Huston, Solicitor of Axiom DWFM told the newsweekly, “The government has reduced the risk of employment claims from care home staff in England by mandating Covid-19 vaccinations (*subject to certain exemptions). Previously care home employers needed to tread cautiously to avoid discrimination claims in an already overstretched staffing sector. By making it a legal requirement for frontline staff such as these to be fully vaccinated, the position becomes clearer for employers that they must redeploy or potentially consider dismissal for “some other substantial reason” for nonexempt staff. Employers still need to ensure a full and fair procedure in any dismissal situation and should now consider how to manage refusals and issue new vaccination policies. We will be advising our employer clients as to good practise in what could be the first of many sectors.”

Mahesh Patel, Chief Executive Minister Group said, "The care home sector has arguably been impacted more than any other during the pandemic. We've all seen the devastating impact that covid has had on our residents, staff, and families of both. If there is an opportunity to mitigate the effects of the virus and try to get back to some sort of normality then there's no doubt we should all take it. Vaccination is vital to safeguarding our residents and staff. I've had mine because I feel it’s important that I demonstrate my commitment to protecting everyone I encounter in my daily life, and I would hope that all of my staff follow me by having their jabs. If they don't, then I'm afraid we have to consider whether the risk to residents and their colleagues is simply too great and ask whether they are capable of doing their job effectively. "

16 INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

Remembering Milkha Singh on International Day of Yoga

Ruchi Ghanashyam Mrs. Ruchi Ghanashyam is the former High Commissioner of India to the UK. With a career in Indian Foreign Service for over 38 years, she has been posted in many countries including South Africa, Ghana, before arriving in the UK. She was only the second woman High Commissioner to the UK since India’s independence and during her tenure, she witnessed a number of significant developments in the UK-India relations.

Last week on Friday, 18 June, India’s track and field legend, Milkha Singh lost his final battle with Covid-19. He died in Chandigarh of complications due to coronavirus disease at the age of 91, after a month-long battle.

A statement issued by the hospital said that "Legendary Indian Sprinter Shri Milkha Singh ji was admitted in the ICU of Covid Hospital of PGIMER on 3rd June 2021 and was treated for Covid there till 13th June when after putting up a valiant battle with Covid, Milkha Singh Ji tested negative. However, due to postCovid complications, he was shifted out of Covid Hospital to a medical ICU”. His condition had turned critical on Friday evening as he developed complications, including fever and dropping of oxygen saturation level. "But despite best of the efforts by the medical team, Milkha Singh ji could not be retrieved from his critical condition and after a brave fight, he left for his heavenly abode at 11.30 pm on 18th June 2021 here at PGIMER," the statement added.

He had tested negative for the virus earlier and was shifted to the general ICU in another block of the hospital.

Prime Minister Modi

expressed ‘anguish’ at his passing away.

In a double tragedy, his death came almost a week after his wife Nirmal Kaur, former national volleyball captain, also died after fighting Covid-19 for 3 weeks.

Milkha Singh was a former army man and won several laurels for the country in track and field events across the globe. He won four gold medals for India in the Asian Games, winning the 200 metres and 400-metre races in the 1958 Tokyo Asiad, then won gold medals in the 400 metres and 4x400 metre relay races in the 1962 Jakarta Asiad. A wellknown success was winning the historic 400m gold at the Commonwealth Games in Cardiff. Milkha Singh ran in the outermost lane at Cardiff Arms Park as over 70,000 fans watched. He beat the then world record holder, Malcom Spence of South Africa. He received the medal from Queen Elizabeth.

Milkha Singh came close to an Olympic medal. He was unlucky to have missed out as he finished a close fourth in the 400-metre final at the 1960 Rome Olympics, but never dwelt in anger at that one moment when he fatefully looked back that cost him the precious time.

Milkha Singh was India's first sporting superstar. He impressed Pakistan’s General Ayub Khan so much that he gave him the famous title of “Flying Sikh”. Milkha Singh saw much hardship in his life. He suffered the pain of partition.

Losing his parents and two brothers in the riots, He reached Ferozepur in a military truck following a journey from Multan aboard a train that was soaked in blood. He found his talent after joining the Army, where he first received training.

His firm will, determination and hard work made him a legend on track and a trailblazer in his field. The story of his life has been recorded in a beautiful Bollywood film ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’.

Pakistan’s Abdul Khaliq was Milkha Singh’s arch-rival, often beating him to the ribbon. Milkha Singh thought of him as ‘his shadow’ that sometimes walked ahead, falling back at other times, but ‘twinned forever’, with each inspiring the other to greater achievements. It was when he flew past Abdul Khaliq at a race in Lahore, that he got the sobriquet of the “Flying Sikh”. In a moving tribute in The Indian Express, Abdul Khaliq’s son recalled that his father was given the title of “Flying Bird of Asia” by the then Indian Prime Minister who was Chief Guest during the 1954 Asian Games in Manila, as he watched him win the 100m title.

Milkha Singh was an ardent Yoga practitioner and performed regular exercise and yoga for over 30 years. He celebrated the 6th International Day of Yoga, at the age of 90 by performing various asanas at his home last year. In his message last year, Milkha Singh asked the youngsters to give time to keep their body fit by doing yoga regularly.

This year, on International Yoga Day, let us imbibe his message.

The first-ever online Pranayama Summit There has never before been a space where so many pranayama wisdom keepers and cutting edge scientists steeped in lineaged practice have come together.

This summit is being held keeping in mind people who want to connect with consciousness, yoga students and teachers of all levels, people who are eager to discover and experience more vitality and freedom, people who find their pranayama practice stagnant and are looking for freshness, those looking to open themselves to a new expe-

rience of yoga, beyond the physical and those wanting to connect with authentic practices of yoga unadulterated by whitewashing, capitalism and hierarchy. Some of the eminent names who are a part of this summit are Sreedevi Bringi, Swami Saradananda, Shantala Sriramaiah, Dr Shamini Jain, Dr Shirley Telles, Dr Anuradha Choudry, Srivatsa Ramaswami, Dr Sundar Balasubramaniam, Tripi Raikwar, Dr Manjunath Gururaj, Sudhir Tiwari and Dr Kavitha Chinnaiyan.

7th International Day of Yoga 2021 celebration by High Commission 21st June every year is celebrated as the International Day of Yoga (IDY) all over the world. More and more people are practising yoga as they see numerous benefits of yoga in their lives in terms of overall wellbeing. The World Health Organisation also recognises yoga as a valuable tool to increase physical activity and decrease non-communicable diseases.

Sania Mirza

Sri Sri Ravishankar

In view of the current Covid restrictions, the High Commission celebrated IDY 2021 in a virtual mode, followed by a series of events in the coming week. Details of the programme being organised by the High Commission together with The Nehru Centre are given below which you would like to disseminate to your members: On 21 June, the virtual celebration of the 7th International Day of Yoga by the High Commission included a film on yoga featuring messages from Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji, High Commissioner HE Gaitri I Kumar and a video message of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi.

An International Webinar on Yoga as part of the celebration included speakers like Prof. H.R. Nagendra, Chancellor, S-VYASA University, Dr Tanjuja Nesari, Director, AIIA, Delhi, Dr Raghu Ram, Eminent Yoga Expert from S-VYASA, Dr Antonietta Rozzi, President, Sarva Yoga International, Italy, Swami Nemiji from Shrimad Ramchanda Mission Dharampur (SRMD) Ms Allesendra - a Yoga Teacher from the UK and Ms Sarah Tomlinson-Yoga Teacher from the UK. A lecture cum discussion by Swami Purnachaitanyaji from Art of Living was followed by a discussion with the Director, TNC (Shri Amish Tripathi).

On June 23rd and June 24th, two lecture cum demonstrations on Yoga by Mirabelle D’Cunha, a wellknown yoga expert from the United Kingdom were livestreamed from TNC. On June 26, a Yoga event in association with the Shrimad Rajchandra Mission in the UK will be livestreamed from TNC/HCI Platform at 1400 hours.

All the programmes are being/will be streamed live via High Commission’s social media platforms i.e.

Facebook (www. facebook .com / India InUK/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/ hci_ london?lang=en) and YouTube.

Besides, High Commission made arrangements to display Yoga promotion videos on a digital screen at iconic locations of London – High Street Kensington, Leicester Sq. Screen, Screen @ Meridian Steps & Digibridge Wandsworth in London; Birmingham Central & Edinburgh Southern Gateway to play on 21 June 2021.

Bringing the globe together on IDY Besides the governments and their integrated cultural efforts and activities across the globe on International Day of Yoga, various charities and organisations also did their bit to mark the day. iGlobal listed a couple of them.

Isha Foundation offered a variety of free live online sessions: Yoga & Meditation Sessions with Isha Yoga Teachers. A programme aimed at eliminating anxiety, enhance the joy and relieve physical pain. Also, learn how to prepare two delicious & healthy dishes! Yoga Veera Sessions: Sharing Yogic Tools: 750+ Isha Volunteers across Europe came

together to offer 350+ free yoga sessions for peace, health & joy. A selfless pledge to share tools of inner wellbeing designed by Sadhguru.

The All-Party Parliamentary group

– Indian traditional Sciences virtually celebrated by holding several Zoom seminars on June 21 from 10 am onwards.

Deega Yoga created an Asian Record of performing 12 Surya Namaskar in 12 minutes. 108 children performed Syun Salutation from five different time zones.

A yoga teacher of Swindon Hindu temple, Sri Lokendra Sharma, attempted 108 Sun Salutations on IDY. He said: "No fun in doing it alone, so I started workshop from 1st June to

practice Sun Salutations. People of different age groups, gender and background joined me daily for the last 3 weeks. What seemed impossible when we started, seem

in striking distance. Most of us are more confident to be able to do 108 Sun Salutation on IDY. The group includes female aged 80 as well."

Raja Yoga - a ‘yoga of the mind’ On 19 June, ahead of International Day of Yoga, BK Shivani talked about India’s ancient Raja Yoga - a ‘yoga of the mind’ - and its special relevance for the world right now at a free online event dedicated to the UN International Day of Yoga on Saturday.

Dimps Sanghani, Mrs England Universe and Mrs Universe Charity Women, interviewed BK Shivani on the theme Call of the Time - A Still Mind.

Organised by Brahma Kumaris (UK), the event was broadcast on YouTube in Hindi, with English translation on Zoom.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY

17

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

PM Modi launches M-Yoga app on International Day of Yoga On the occasion of the International Day of Yoga 2021, the world will be getting the MYoga app, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Monday in his address to the nation. The app will introduce videos on the common yoga protocol to scores of people across the world, he said, adding that the app will be made available in different languages, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO). “The world will get the M-Yoga app, it will make videos on yoga training based on common protocol available in many languages,” said Prime Minister Modi.

The seventh International Yoga Day was celebrated across the world on 21 June 2021.

This is the second consecutive year that the celebrations are being held digitally due to Covid-19. The theme this year is “Yoga for wellness.” Highlighting the M-Yoga app, PM Modi said that it will “use the knowledge of the past with the technology of today.”

PM Modi highlighted the importance of

good for physical as well as mental health, it also brings oneself in touch with inner strength and protects from all sorts of negativities. The Prime Minister said “The shift from silos to union is Yoga. A proven way to experience a realisation of oneness is Yoga.”

Quoting Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, PM said, "The meaning of our self is not to be found in its separateness from God and others, but in the ceaseless realisation of yoga, of union.”

The Prime Minister said that the mantra of ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam’ which India has followed since ages, is now finding global

International Day of Yoga 2021 celebrations at Times Square, New York

practising yoga during the coronavirus acceptance. “We need to continue moving disease (Covid-19) pandemic, as he addressed on the collective journey of yoga as it has the lead event of Yoga Day 2021. He also solutions for everyone. It is important that prayed for the health and well-being of yoga reaches to every person while keeping people around the world. PM Modi said that intact its foundation and core. Yoga acharyas even medical science lays emphasis on the healing process, besides medical treatment, and yoga can help in it.

“When I talk to frontline warriors and doctors, they tell me that they have made Yoga a shield for protection against the virus. They have used Yoga not just for International Day of Yoga 2021 celebrations at Embassy of India, Tokyo safeguarding themselves, but also patients,” said PM and all of us should contribute in this task of Modi. On December 11, 2014, the United taking yoga to everyone, the Prime Minister Nations General Assembly had declared June said.

21 as ‘International Day of Yoga’, months President Ram Nath Kovind also held a after PM Modi had proposed the idea. private yoga session at the presidential PM Modi said yoga helped people around palace and several members of Modi's the world muster confidence in the battle cabinet held similar events across the against the pandemic and the ancient Indian country. Kovind said yoga was a "unique gift discipline proved a source of strength during this difficult time.

“It was easy for countries to forget Yoga Day during the pandemic as it is not intrinsic to their culture but, instead, enthusiasm for yoga has increased globally. Yoga helped people to muster confidence and strength to fight with the pandemic world over,” the PM said in his address. He wished for the health of every country, society and individual, International Day of Yoga 2021 celebrations at saying, “Let’s hope that we will be united and High Commission of India, Islamabad will strengthen each other.”

The Prime Minister said experts are stressing the importance of breathing of India to humanity". Defence forces have exercises like pranayama and anulom-vilom. also posted photos and videos of troops Quoting the great Tamil saint Thiruvalluvar, marking the day. the Prime Minister said, “Yoga goes to the Officials and ministers also urged root cause of disease and is instrumental in people to take to yoga but advised them to healing. It is a matter of great satisfaction avoid big gatherings as the the country is that globally, research is being conducted in just coming out from a deadly a second the healing properties of Yoga.” wave. The ancient tradition which was The Prime Minister said yoga is not only once the preserve of gurus has now become

a worldwide phenomenon.

Every year, practitioners all over the world bring out their mats on 21 June to show their love for yoga.

Yoga in Pakistan In a country where Islamic right wingers very often call the shots, Haider, 47, has quietly International Day of Yoga 2021 celebrations at succeeded in attracting Consulate General of India, Phuentsholing tens of thousands to yoga, Solstice Event was attended by more than achieving a feat that once seemed near 3,000 people. impossible. On June 21, when the world The International Yoga day is celebrated the second International Day of commemorated with much enthusiasm Yoga, Haider did yogic asanas along with and fanfare at Times Square every year. As his 20,000 yoga students across Pakistan the city opened up following the Covid-19 but minus media publicity. pandemic, people turned out in huge While others around the world got numbers for the day-long celebration that plenty of publicity, Haider’s success went included yoga, meditation and exercise unnoticed. “We are also practising in yoga sessions by renowned yoga practitioners. in a nice way in Pakistan but without With Yoga mats spread out keeping in beating the drums,” the modest Haider said. If Haider is to be believed, Pakistanis celebrated the International Yoga Day in almost all major towns and cities, including Islamabad.

Born in Pakistani Punjab, Haider is emphatic - in contrast to what many Muslims think - that yoga Run up to International Day of Yoga 2021 at has nothing to do with the Embassy of India, Copenhagen Hindu religion and should be accepted by people of all faiths. mind social distancing guidelines, people Muslims, he suggests, should do at least from various walks of life and nationalities five minutes of meditation - a key performed Yoga asanas and exercises in the component of yoga - after every “’Fajar middle of Times Square, surrounded by its Nimaz” or early morning prayer. “Yoga distinctive giant and towering LED screens helps to gain mental stability, peace, as people and tourists stopped to look and balanced living. Moreover, it teaches us participate in the commemoration. discipline which is vital in Islam and all "While we celebrate Yoga in various religions.” What does he say about critics parts of the world, celebrating yoga here in who link yoga with religion? “Agar ache Times Square is very special, very unique. cheez be burey hathoon mai aajaye, tho More importantly, yoga is a universal idea woh cheez be kharab hoti hai (Even if bad and universal thought, a universal action. people touch good things, the good too And what better place than Times Square become bad),” is his stock reply. to celebrate a universal thought. This is the “Yoga belongs to humanity in the form of a pure science and is not the sole entity of India,” he said, speaking in Urdu.

“While Indian Hindus and Muslims fight over its origin and practice, our clubs have people from all sects of Muslims, Christians and Hindus International Day of Yoga 2021 celebrations at Embassy of India, Beijing who have made it a part of their life to reap its health benefits,” Haider said.

Among the over 50 yoga clubs in crossroads of the world," India's Consul Pakistan, Haider oversees the major ones General Randhir Jaiswal said in his address in Islamabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi. Even to the Yoga Day celebrations here. some Islamic clerics come to the centres to Jaiswal, joined by Deputy Consul learn and practise yoga and meditation. “I General Shatrughna Sinha and senior have top clerics of officials from the Consulate, as well as (Islamabad) as my members of the Indian diaspora, also students. They are happy participated in the yoga sessions about it and they conducted during the commemoration. encourage others to join.”

Leading Yoga instructor Ruchika Lal led a Over 3,000 people Yoga, Pranayama and Meditation session perform Yoga at iconic during the day.

Times Square In the run-up to the International Yoga Over 3,000 people Day celebrations on June 21, the Consulate spread their mats at the General in New York, in partnership with iconic Times Square and Friends of Yoga, had organised several performed Yoga asanas virtual and in-person yoga events and keeping in mind social sessions throughout the month across New distancing guidelines to celebrate the York and neighboring states such as New International Yoga Day as the city opens up Jersey and Pennsylvania. following the Covid-19 pandemic. The Day of Yoga was also celebrated in New Consulate General of India, New York in Jersey at the Liberty State Park with the partnership with Times Square Alliance Statue of Liberty in the background. This hosted the 7th International Day of Yoga was a community led event anchored by celebrations on Sunday at the popular city the Federation of Indian Associations destination, known as the crossroads of the where renowned yoga instructor Thara world. The day-long celebration themed as Natalie led the yoga session.

18 UK

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

Charities welcome apologies by MPs for rape victims Charities have welcomed apologies by MPs who regret and are “deeply ashamed” that thousands of rape victims and survivors have been failed on the government’s watch, as they pledged an overhaul of the criminal justice system. But the charities also urged that plans to reform rape prosecutions in England and Wales lack urgency.

A report in The Guardian said, “A long-awaited government review into a precipitous decline in rape prosecutions promises sweeping reform of how cases are handled in England and Wales, including

targets for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and police to increase the number of prosecutions, and plans to shift the focus of investigations from the victim’s credibility to the perpetrator.”

A pilot allowing victims to pre-record their evidence and cross-examination, to spare them the trauma of attending court, is being extended from three to six courts and if successful will be rolled out nationally.

Reports suggest that the police and the CPS have been ordered to work together to

increase the number of rape cases making it to court and return prosecutions to 2016 levels before the end of this parliament.

In a joint statement, Evaw, the Centre for Women’s Justice, Imkaan and Rape Crisis said the review proposed pilots and consultations that may not see results for years, instead of taking urgent action. They added that not enough work had been done to support minority groups and their access to justice.

The report does not directly mention the impact of austerity

or cuts, despite the fact that since 2010 the CPS has faced a 25% budget cut and a 30% reduction in staff, while police forces in England and Wales lost 21,732 officers between March 2010 and March 2018 (15% of their total number).

Meanwhile, Labour MP Sara has said that sex offenders could have “danger” warnings stamped on their driving licence and passport record to stop them working with children.

She said that the DVLA and the passport office should mark the files of Britain’s 100,000 registered sex offenders.

Dr Hasmukh Shah BEM honoured by Visiting Professorship Dr Hasmukh Shah BEM is a leading GP from South Wales and Secretary of British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO ), Wales has been honoured with Visiting Professorship by the University of South Wales, the UK for his long-standing Medical contribution to Primary Care, Medical Education & Leadership at Wales & National level.

In June 2018, Dr Shah received the British Empire Medal (BEM) from the Queen on her Birthday Honour’s list.

In September 2018, Dr Shah received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Asian Voice. He was also presented with an NHS 70 badge for his long-standing service to the NHS at 10, Downing Street by the then Prime Minister Theresa May. Dr Shah was invited by Welsh Government to join First Minister’s BAME Covid-19 Advisory Group and Risk Assessment Subgroup from April 2020 to April 2021. Dr Shah along with other colleagues provided leadership and support to

the Welsh Government in formulating the All Wales Covid-19 Risk Assessment Tool and Race Equality Action Plan. He organised & took part in Covid Vaccine webinars and also took part in Welsh Government Video to promote vaccine uptake in BAME communities.

Dr Shah is a trustee of Sanatan Dharma Mandal and Community Centre, Cardiff,

Vale for Africa, Calon Hearts and Race Council Cymru Charities. He also chairs the Megafocus group (minor ethnic association for ophthalmic care) Dr Shah was awarded Visiting Fellowship by the University of South Wales in 2017 for his long-standing medical professional work, education and charitable work to the people of Wales.

Axiom DWFM merger creates 150-strong full-service law firm Axiom Stone Solicitors and DWFM Beckman joined forces earlier this month to become Axiom DWFM, creating a fullservice law firm with international reach to further support and service their existing and expanding client base.

The merger creates a combined team of almost 150 people, including 19 partners, located across their several offices in London and Birmingham.

The merger strengthens their already well-established offerings, providing clients with access to comprehensive legal advice across a wide range of

sectors, including Real Estate, Dispute Resolution, Insolvency, Family, Employment, Corporate and Commercial and Private Client & Wealth. As well as Immigration, Personal Injury and Corporate Protection advice.

Axiom DWFM builds on its antecedent’s established reputation as a leading firm in multiple practice areas in the Legal 500, creating a more comprehensive offering. The firm will also have a strong international reach, benefitting from its membership of the International Practice Group, a

World Music Day 21 June is observed as World Music Day across 120 countries.

This day came into being after Maurice Fleuret and Jack Lange first recognised it in 1982.

This day is also known as Fête de la Musique. The day aims at celebrating the wonder-

Avimanyu Sengupta

ful world of music and the musicians who are a part of it.

Speaking to Asian Voice, Avimanyu Sengupta said, "I paid

homage to maestro Pandit Ravishankar recreating the theme music composed by him for the award-winning Bengali film ‘Pather Panchali’ directed

by Satyajit Ray on my Sitar."

The Sangeet Foundation UK celebrated World Music Day with 'The Sentinel Show' that had guests like the eminent violinist Sunita Bhuyan and the founder of Sangeet Foundation UK, Jayanta Ray. This session was conducted at 3:30 pm UK and 8 pm India time. Sunday, 20 June. The Show explored music as a complementary therapy to physical & mental health conditions. We also heard how music creates better leaders, along with their scintillating performances.

global association of independent lawyers, accountants and tax advisers. In this regard, it boasts particular expertise through its India and China desks.

The merged company’s Chairman, Jonathan Metliss, said: “This merger combines the respective strengths of Axiom Stone and DWFM Beckman, providing our client base with increased expertise and international reach. This will be of significant benefit to both our clients and our enlarged team of expert lawyers.”

Senior Partner Tony Mead

said: “DWFM Beckman is pleased to be merging with Axiom Stone. Our complementary practices will ensure that the firm is able to move forward into this next chapter, confident that our offering is stronger than ever.”

Managing Partner Pragnesh Modhwadia said: “Axiom Stone is delighted to be joining forces with DWFM Beckman. Our combined business offers the exciting prospect of an increasingly high-quality service for existing and future clients. This merger means we will all move forward, stronger together.”

Covid has sparked a child obesity crisis.

Kids will be weighed for the first time since the pandemic began - with measurements resuming in September. Experts believe that homeschooling, less exercise and increased snacking caused by lockdowns has caused weight gain.

In England, one in three kids leaving primary school were overweight while one in five were obese. Obesity rates in children aged four and five increased from 9.7 per cent in 2018-19 to 9.9 per cent the following year. For kids in year six, the rate was 20.2 per cent in 2018-19 and climbed to 21 per cent in 2019-20.

Johnson launched his own health kick after admitting he struggled with his weight when he caught Covid last year.

4,000 women report period irregularities after jab The vaccines watchdog is “closely monitoring” reports from almost 4,000 women who suffered period problems after having their jab.

Britons were warned that they might get a sore arm, feel tired, achy or sick, or develop a headache, but period irregularities are not mentioned on the list of side effects.

Official data shows that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) received 2,734 reports of period problems linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine, 1,158 related to the Pfizer jab, and 66 linked to the Moderna vaccine up to May 17.

in brief in brief HITMAN ADMITS KILLING LAW STUDENT Zamir Raja, 33, allegedly fired a bullet from a car, hitting Aya Hachem, 19, as she shopped for groceries in Blackburn. The shooting was the result of a feud between owners of two tyre companies, Preston crown court was told. Hachem, an aspiring solicitor, was not the intended target and happened to be “in the wrong place at the wrong time”. Prosecutors claim a rivalry had emerged between Feroz Suleman, of RI Tyres, and Pacach Khan, of Quick- shine Tyres, after the latter expanded its business and began selling tyres having previously only washed cars. The plan was hatched to kill Khan, the jury heard. Raja, one of eight people in the dock accused of murder, initially denied any involvement in the killing. He changed his plea and admitted manslaughter but will continue to stand trial as the prosecution seek a murder conviction. The trial continues.

HAVING DINNER DELIVERED ADDS 44% TO THE BILL Ordering takeaways via Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats apps is up to 44 per cent more expensive than going to the restaurant and collecting the order, according to which researchers looked at the costs of ordering meals for between two to four people, both directly and on the apps. They found that ordering via the apps was 23 per cent (£7.14) more expensive on average. Orders on Deliveroo were the most expensive overall, costing an average of 31 per cent (£9.91) more per order. Uber Eats orders cost an extra 25 per cent (£7.93), while Just Eat orders were 7 per cent (£1.56) more expensive. Restaurants often increase the price to cover the fees that the apps charge them. Which said the apps charged between 15 per cent and 35 per cent. The research found that customers frequently had problems with orders and discovered there was no easy way to complain.

Common issues were late arrival, cold food and missing items.

4.4M PENALTY TICKETS ISSUED IN A YEAR Private parking companies issued 4.4 million penalty tickets in a year despite car use falling during the pandemic. Averages of 12,000 tickets were handed out every day during the 2020-21 financial year, according to an analysis of government data by the RAC Foundation. Coronavirus restrictions led to the number of car journeys falling to as low as 22 per cent of normal levels. The 4.4 million tickets issued were down from 8.4 million during the previous 12 months.

COUNCILS HANDED POWER TO FINE MOTORISTS £70 FOR TRAFFIC OFFENCES Motorists will face £70 fines for a range of common traffic offences by December as councils are given new powers to punish errant driving. For the first time, drivers outside London will face fines such as stopping in yellow box junctions, driving the wrong way on a one-way street and performing banned turns. Critics fear that cash strapped councils could use the new rules as a way to raise revenue. The Department for Transport confirmed that the powers must be publicised in advance with guidelines to ensure that motorists are not unfairly targeted.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

UK - FINANCE

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

19

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

Dear Financial Voice Reader, Alpesh Patel Why Doesn't The Stock Market Crash?

Since my very first show on Bloomberg TV some 20 years ago, I’ve seen, been through and commentated on a few market crashes. Indeed, I as I broadcast through the day, finishing with my own one hour show co-presented with the now BBC’s Sally Bundock, we would be well aware people’s savings, pensions and retirements depended on the stocks we were speaking of.

Experts have been calling a stock market crash for some time. Even as the markets bounced back after the Covid slump, persistent metrics implied it was overvalued.

However, so far, these predictions have failed to materialise, leaving investors with several questions about whether the market will crash, go through a correction, or just keep on rising.

Warren Buffet Indicator The Buffet Indicator, which compares the market cap to the GDP, is at 133% globally. This number is a record high and well above its readings during both the financial crisis and the dot-com boom.

Buffet's beloved market gauge suggests that any reading over 100% indicates that the global market is overvalued compared to the world economy. However, the picture is a bit more complex this time around.

Low bond yields and interest rates have reduced the places for capital to earn returns. Throw the potential growth and earnings of tech stocks on top, and it may be that the pandemic has artificially inflated these levels because of how it hit GDP. In other words, as the economy powers back on, GDP should rise and reduce the Buffet indicator.

What Else Does the Data Say? Of course, the Buffet Indicator isn't the only metric that is bearing bad news. The S&P 500 has a record priceto-sales ratio. Additionally, it's also posting a record margin debt. These figures have led some analysts to believe the market could shed over 50% of its value in a crash.

Some of the other metrics that are causing some concern for analysts are current and pre-covid price-toearnings ratios.

The current S&P 500 P/E stands at 44.85. The number is staggeringly high but inflated by the Covid economy.

However, some analysts note that pre-Covid, the number was at its highest since the 2009 financial crisis.

Additionally, CAPE and Adjusted CAPE (Shiller PE ratio) suggests an earnings adjustment closer to $120 and an overall S&P 500 value of 2620. The index has been hovering around 4200 in June 2021.

Market Volatility, Meme Stocks and Bitcoin The stock market has been significantly volatile throughout 2021. Biden's fiscal policy announcements, the Fed's comments on interest rates, and unemployment figures have caused the unpredictable movement.

However, some of the more extreme movements have been in meme stocks and cryptocurrency.

Meme stocks are a modern, social media-driven phenomenon. Traders on Reddit, TikTok, and Twitter have selected stocks like AMC, Blackberry, and GameStop and manipulated the prices through financial trading apps like Robinhood.

For some investors, shorting these volatile stocks looks like an attractive option. The boom and bust pattern has seen AMC Entertainment prices rise for weeks and then crash suddenly with a $10 billion sell-off.

Indeed, billionaire investor Thomas Peterffy, cofounder of Interactive Brokers, has cautioned against shorting these stocks. Peterrffy believes investors should be cautious.

After falling 70% in January, many of these meme stocks are on the rise again. Experts suggest that timing these meteoric rises before they fall back on their fundamentals is a risky game.

Additionally, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have continued their volatility throughout 2021. After an incredible rise during the end of 2020, Bitcoin sat at about $30,000 per coin. In April, the price had more than doubled. Shortly after, it had crashed down to $38,000.

Some blamed regulations in China; others blamed Elon Musk tweets. For others, Bitcoin's lack of liquidity makes it extremely sensitive, and they suggest the fall was about fears over inflation.

Conclusion The stock markets' resurgent momentum since late 2020 and early 2021 can't last forever. However, a slow down in price increases won't necessarily mean a crash, or a correction is due just yet.

Equity markets still look strong. At the start of the year, expert forecasts and price targets suggested a gradual, if unspectacular, rise. We're still in a bull market, which means there are plenty of opportunities for investors to achieve returns. I’ve created a campaign to teach people for free how to invest better – see www.campaignforamillion.com

Labour seeks furlough scheme for vulnerable industries According to an analysis by the Labour party, industries most affected by the UK's delayed reopening will need to find almost £50mn to cover wages once the government's furlough scheme is cut back on July 1. Hospitality, culture and arts businesses will need to cover the higher cost of keeping workers on the scheme even though they are forced by government regulations to limit the number of customers they serve over the next month or are forced to remain shut.

Labour said the figures, which are based on official data, showed that the chancellor Rishi Sunak should delay the tapering of the furlough scheme until the government could safely lift restrictions on gatherings and social distancing. Event organisers and nightclub owners have complained that they could be forced out of business by the cuts in subsidy, despite making huge efforts over the past 16 months to save money.

The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) backed a letter, earlier this month, written by

Manchester’s night-time economy adviser Sacha Lord to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, that said the four-week extension of the Covid-19 “roadmap” should be matched by an extension of government support. Lord said the hospitality sector expected to lose £3bn in total over the course of the four-week delay, following an £87bn loss over the past year. According to the NTIA, 54 per cent of businesses had ordered extra stock, 73 per cent had called in staff, many of them from the furlough scheme, and 60 per cent had sold tickets for events.

Shadow business secretary Ed Miliband said, “A month’s delay may seem like a short time, but for businesses legally closed from trading or those hanging on by their fingertips from going under and relying on the summer season, the delay is another blow. That businesses unable to reopen are being sent huge bills defies logic. Unless ministers take action, we risk pushing more firms over the edge.”

He added businesses had “done right

by our country” during this crisis, but ministers had “repeatedly failed to grasp the simple principle that public health restrictions must be matched by fair economic measures.” The level of subsidy offered by the government to retain workers on employer payrolls will fall from 90 per cent to 80 per cent on July 1. However, to qualify for the scheme, employers must maintain pay at 90 per cent of a worker's salary up to a cap of £2,500 a month.

Labour said the hospitality industry had 14 per cent of its workforce on furlough, accounting for 269,477 people, while the arts, entertainment and recreation sectors had 21 per cent of workers on furlough, or 115,734 people.

The party said, “That means businesses will have to contribute 34% towards their monthly business rates irrespective of their trading status. The average night club will have to pay £718 in July, the average bar will have to pay £500, the average restaurant will have to pay £598, and the average theatre will have to pay £1,048.”

House asking prices in Britain hit record high Latest figures shared by property listings website Rightmove reveal house asking prices have hit record levels across all regions of Great Britain. The average price of properties coming to market rose by 0.8 per cent month on month in June to a third consecutive record of £336,073. This is the highest June increase in the evaluator's index since 2015.

Meanwhile, the huge increase in sales as compared with the prepandemic period appears to have waned. The number of sales agreed in May was 17 per cent ahead of the same point in 2019, after sales in April were up by 45 per cent compared with two years earlier.

Rightmove's director of property data, Tim Bannister said there were “early signs of a slowing in the frenetic pace” of house sales. However, this was

partly down to high prices coupled with the number of houses on sale hitting an all-time low. Bannister said, “ Record low interest rates and stamp duty tax reliefs have helped many to afford higher prices, satisfying their pent-up desires for a new home fit for a new era. Some of that demand has now been met, and the phasing out of stamp duty reliefs has also taken away some of the urgency to move, though our high traffic and search data indicate that there is still strong buyer demand.”

UK to begin talks to join AsiaPacific free trade pact Britain will start negotiations to join a free trade area which could grant businesses access to "some of the biggest economies of the present and future", the government has said.

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is made up of 11 nations, including Australia, Canada and Japan. Membership would reduce tariffs on exports such as cars and whisky. The trade area covers a market of around 500 million people.

New Zealand, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam are also founder members of the trade agreement, which was established in 2018. The UK applied to join the bloc in January following Brexit.

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said the trade area was the "part of the world where Britain's greatest opportunities lie".

Being granted membership would be a "glittering post-Brexit prize that I want us to seize", she said. She said membership would help "farmers, makers and innovators sell to some of the biggest economies of the present and future, but without ceding control over our laws, borders or money".

However, there has already been

a political backlash against the UK's recently agreed free trade deal with Australia. UK farmers say imports from Australia could undercut them on price and undermine welfare standards. The UK is the first nonfounding country to apply to join the CPTPP and would be its second biggest economy after Japan, if negotiations succeed.

The free trade agreement aims to reduce trade tariffs - a form of border tax - between member countries and includes a promise to eliminate or reduce 95% of charges on traded goods. Liz Truss will start the (virtual) talks to join the 11strong trans-Pacific trading club. But it is more about strategy than scale.

With deals already in place with eight of the CPTPP members, joining may add as little as 0.1% to the size of the UK economy, and it's not clear yet what the UK will have to concede to get the deal, nor how quickly it will happen.

Bank of England's chief economist Andy Haldane said that Britain's housing market was “on fire” because of the government’s stamp duty tax breaks as well as increased demand from richer households with more savings after lockdowns. There also seems to be demand for more space since the coronavirus began.

Rightmove's data is based on asking prices of houses on its platform. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which is based on completed purchases, shows lower average house prices but paints a similar picture. ONS data showed house prices peaked at £256,000 in March 2021 but with strong price increases across the four nations of the UK. Its measure of the average UK house price dipped to £251,000 in April but that was still £20,000 higher than in April 2020.

Taxes on pension contributions likely to be hiked If media reports are to be believed, taxes on pension contributions could increase this autumn as the Treasury seeks to raise money to pay for the surge in public spending during the pandemic. Downing Street has, however, repeatedly dismissed the possibility of scrapping the “triple lock” system, which could see pensions rise by up to six per cent next year. A report by The Daily Telegraph suggests Treasury officials are contemplating plans to change the way pension contributions are taxed.

One proposal is to slash the pensions lifetime allowance from £1,073,100 to around £800,000. Pension savings above the allowance are taxed at 55 per cent if taken out as a lump sum or 25 per cent if paid in any other way. Another plan involves reducing the level of pension tax relief available to higher-rate taxpayers from 40 per cent to 20 per cent. Yet another proposal involves new taxes on employer pension contributions.

The pension tax reform could be included in Chancellor Rishi Sunak's next autumn statement due in November, according to “well-placed source”. Meanwhile, Sunak and other senior ministers are reportedly looking to push Prime Minister Boris Johnson to change his style of leadership. Reports suggest the cabinet wants the Prime Minister to involve them in key decisions rather than seeking out a close group.

20 FINANCE & REAL ESTATE

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

Govt seeks details of Indians' funds in Swiss banks The finance ministry asserted that Indian customer deposits in Swiss banks have fallen since 2019, but said it is seeking details from Swiss authorities on the relevant facts along with their view on possible reasons for changes in the funds parked by individuals and entities in 2020. In a statement, the ministry said the deposits have halved but did not give numbers. uoting data from Switzerland’s central bank, a report said that funds parked

by Indian individuals and firms in Swiss banks, including through India-based branches and other financial institutions, jumped to a 13year high of 2.55 billion Swiss francs (over £2.07 billion) in

2020 on a sharp surge in holdings via securities and similar instruments, though customer deposits fell.

In its statement, the ministry said the figures “do not indicate the quantum of much debated alleged black money held by Indians in Switzerland. Further, these statistics do not include the money that Indians, NRIs or others might have in Swiss

banks in the names of thirdcountry entities.”

The ministry noted that customer deposits have actually fallen from the end of 2019. The funds held through fiduciaries have also more than halved from 2019end. “The biggest increase is in ‘Other amounts due from customers’. These are in form of bonds, securities and various other financial instruments,” the ministry added.

It also listed out the reasons that could have led to the increase in deposits, including rising business

transactions by Indian companies, rise in deposits owing to the business of Swiss bank branches located in India and increase in inter-bank transactions between Swiss and Indian banks.

Besides, capital increase for a subsidiary of a Swiss company in India and increase in the liabilities connected with the outstanding derivative financial instruments could be the other potential reasons for this jump in deposits, the ministry explained. “The Swiss Authorities have been requested to provide the relevant facts along with their view on possible reasons for increase/decrease….,” the ministry added.

Banks to sell off Mallya’s properties worth £564 mn to recover dues A special PMLA court has, in two separate orders passed within the last 10 days, allowed the restoration of properties of fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya to a consortium of 17 banks that had provided him loans. The consortium, led

by State Bank of India, can now sell off these properties that have a combined value of £564.65 million and recover some of their dues.

The bank consortium had approached the PMLA

(Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court asking for the release of the properties attached by the Enforcement Directorate.

The ED raised no objections, but Mallya’s legal team did, and so did the lawyers of other companies that have an interest in these properties.

Mallya’s lawyers challenged the jurisdiction of the PMLA court. They argued that the liquor baron had only given a per-

guarantee sonal while taking the loans and that didn’t connect him to the offence of money laundering. But the court rejected the claim and accepted SBI’s plea that it suffered huge losses. “It is material to note Vijay Mallya that the claimants these PSU banks cannot are public sector banks, and have any personal or private these banks are dealing interest in making the with public money,” the claims against Mallya. court said, adding that

Nadella elevated as Microsoft chairman Satya Nadella has been elevated as chairman of Microsoft, a recognition of how dramatically he has transformed the world’s largest software maker as chief executive over the past seven years. He will continue to also hold the CEO position. This makes it the first time since 2000, when co-founder Bill Gates stepped down as CEO, that the same person is holding both positions, demonstrating the company’s confidence in Nadella’s ability to take it into the future.

In February 2014, when Nadella was appointed CEO, Microsoft’s flagship Windows business was weakening, and the company was struggling with its failures in the mobile phone and internet search markets.

Nadella, who grew up in Hyderabad and joined Microsoft in the US in1992, refocused the company around cloud computing and artificial intelligence, and instilled a greater sense of ownership among employees - moves that paid off handsomely. The company’s share price has risen nearly 600% since 2014. And since the fourth quarter of 2018, Microsoft has frequently been the most valued publicly listed company

work at Microsoft. The board credits Nadella for his tremendous progress driving cultural change across the organisation,” it said.

When Perception Is Reality

Suresh Vagjiani, Sow & Reap Properties Ltd

We just received a valuation report only for a portion of a building we purchased about a year ago. The block was purchased for £1.2M, and consisted of 6 flats and a commercial unit. The valuation came back at £1.5M, for the flats alone; valuing them at £250K a piece.

The reason for valuating a portion of the building and not the whole is twofold. One is this portion of the building will be an investment, generating a steady stream of cash flow for the long term. Two, there will be no commercial element to it. Therefore, a long term finance product suits this segment of the investment. The part left over, includes the ground floor commercial, the air rights, and the rear of the building, all ripe for development. The ground floor, has planning already; the rear and the uppers will be hopefully getting permission shortly; we would be looking to add a further 6-8 flats. When this occurs, we will be applying for a development loan to carry out the works, this will be more expensive than the investment portion, and therefore its best to separate the two.

The valued portion of the property consists of six twobedroom flats, recently refurbished, albeit a little small at about 480 sq. ft. each, though within the council guidelines.

The valuation describes them as one bedrooms, ignoring the open plan kitchen with lounge area, and instead assuming one of the bedrooms to be a lounge. The rental is listed as £1,000pm per property.

We have an issue with this valuation. We cannot change the square footage of the properties, that is fixed.

The properties in our eyes are two bedrooms, and in the eyes of the valuer they are one bedders. Therefore, who is correct in this situation? I would suggest that we try to look at the issue impartially, and let the market decide.

The role of a valuer is simply to gauge how the market would view the properties, and more importantly, how much they would pay for them.

And the market has spoken! Two of the flats have rental offers and are in the process of being agreed, as 2 bedrooms, and with a rental of £1,400pm.

This is 40% higher than the valuer has assumed.

Should the valuation of the individual units increase by 40%? If so, it would value them at £2.1M, but valuations aren’t calculated like this. However, if it is producing 40% more rental, the value of the underlying asset should have an enhanced valuation.

Valuing a property based purely on the square footage is a common rule of thumb way to value properties in Central London. However, this says nothing about the views, ceiling heights, and direction of the properties etc., and therefore, needs to be assessed with this context.

Rest assured, we will be going back to the valuer once both the tenancies have been signed and sealed.

Paytm to raise £1.2 bn via new shares under IPO plan Satya Nadella

in the world, with Apple the only other contender for that spot.

On Nadella’s appointment as chairman, Microsoft said in a statement, “In this role, Nadella will lead the work to set the agenda for the board, leveraging his deep understanding of the business to elevate the right strategic opportunities and identify key risks and mitigation approaches for the board’s review.”

Nadella, 53, succeeds John Thompson, a former CEO of Symantec who took over as chairman when Gates stepped down from that post in 2014. In December, in a filing to the US stock market regulator SEC, the board heaped praise on Nadella for the

way he navigated the company through the pandemic, and the manner in which he had transformed the company’s culture. “During fiscal year 2020, Microsoft increased revenue by 14% year over year, while facing unprecedented constraints due to Covid-19 in the second half of the year. Under Mr Nadella’s leadership during 2020, many of Microsoft’s products achieved significant growth…,” it said.

The board, the filing said, had asked Nadella to create additional focus on the culture of the organisation for fiscal year 2020 and is very pleased with the results that were achieved.

“Based on poll data, 95% of employees feel proud to

One97 Communications, the parent company of Paytm, has said that it will sell new shares worth £1.2 billion under its proposed initial public offering (IPO).

The issue will also have a secondary component where existing shareholders will decide on the number of shares to be tendered.

Announcing an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on July 12 for approving the IPO, the company has sought shareholders’ approval on a resolution that seeks to declassify founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma as a promoter as it is a professionally managed company.

The EGM notice has been sent to employees of the organisation who are also shareholders. This is the first time that Paytm has confirmed the size of its primary fund raise. The company had earlier writ-

ten to employees seeking their interest to participate by offering their shares as part of the ‘offer for sale’ (OFS) component in the IPO. The EGM notice contains several other resolutions pertaining to the listing, additions to articles of association and an amendment to the Employee Stock Option Scheme. It said that the board had in its meeting held on June 14, 2021 approved the IPO, subject to the approval of the members of the company. It also said that no change in control of the company or its management is intended or expected pursuant to the offer.

The equity shares are proposed to be listed on the BSE, the NSE and any other stock exchange as determined by the board. The company has decided to hold an offline EGM, which

will take place at Mayur Vihar in New Delhi where most of its shareholders are based. Last week, One97 Communications finalised the bankers for its proposed IPO. The company is understood to have taken on board JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, ICICI Securities and Goldman Sachs to lead the issue, which is likely to be the largest IPO in the financial sector. With the investment bankers in place, the draft red herring prospectus is set to be filed in July 2021.

According to a Bloomberg report, Paytm is aiming at a valuation of $2530 billion. There have been other reports estimating the value at around $20 billion as against the earlier one of $15 billion during a fund raise in 2019. Among non-banks, Bajaj Finserv has a valuation of over £19 billion.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

WORLD 21

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

in brief 5 AFGHAN POLIO VACCINATORS KILLED Unidentified gunmen shot dead at least five polio vaccinators and injured several others in separate attacks in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Nangarhar, bordering Pakistan’s volatile tribal districts, reports said. The targeted attacks took place in the city of Jalalabad, the provincial capital. Authorities said the attacks occurred on the second day of a four-day national campaign to administer polio drops to children under five years of age. Provincial police spokesperson Farid Khan blamed Taliban for the killings.

Taliban denied it had carried out the attacks.

STEEP RISE IN AFGHAN COVID CASES The Covid-19 pandemic is spiralling out of control in Afghanistan, with cases rising 2,400% in the past month, hospitals filling up and medical resources quickly running out, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. Authorities registered 2,313 cases and a record 101 virus deaths in the last 24 hours. Experts have said low testing means those official figures are probably a dramatic undercount.

TOP PAK CLERIC ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT Pakistani journalists and activists are questioning the silence of the clergy and religious parties over a recent sexual assault of a student by a prominent cleric inside a religious school in Lahore, a video of which has gone viral online. Mufti Aziz-ur-Rehman, who is in his 70s and has been charged with sexually abusing a student, can be seen in the video forcing himself on the boy inside the Jamia Manzoor-ul-Islamia seminary.

Rehman is a member of a prominent religious political party, Jamiat Ulema-iIslam-Fazl, and was at the forefront in photos and videos leading anti-blasphemy rallies held in recent months to denounce publication of cartoons in France depicting the Prophet. Police have registered a case against him on the complaint of a victim, who appeared to be in his early 20s. In the complaint, the student said that the cleric had been abusing him for several years.

BIG TECH CRITIC IS NOW US FTC CHAIR A 32-year-old Pakistani-American legal expert and big tech critic has been sworn in as the chair of the US Federal Trade Commission, becoming the youngest person ever to head the top independent agency.

The selection of Lina Khan is seen as signalling a tough stance toward tech giants Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple. The Senate voted across party lines, 69-28, to confirm Khan as a commissioner. The agency investigates antitrust violations, deceptive trade practices and data privacy lapses in Silicon Valley and throughout corporate America.

SUU KYI FACES SEDITION CHARGE The trial of Myanmar’s deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi entered its second day, with the prosecution presenting arguments that she incited public disorder and flouted coronavirus restrictions, part of a package of charges the ruling junta is seen as using to discredit her. The session was to cover a sedition charge brought against Suu Kyi, along with a second count of violating Covid-19 curbs. The sedition charge, which is sometimes described as incitement, calls for up to two years’ jail for anyone found guilty of causing fear or alarm against the state or public tranquility.

Pak clothing brand apologises after sharing morphed picture of Hindu God ISLAMABAD: Pakistani womenswear brand, Generation, had mocked Hinduism by putting up a morphed image of a Hindu deity in their office. In its post, Hindu Samata said, “This famous Pakistani brand put up a disrespectful poster mocking a Hindu deity in their office.

Pakistan has blasphemy laws that only apply to non-Muslims.

Hindus can be imprisoned under false charges for saying anything about Islam/Muslims.

This page is using their large following to encourage marginalisation of minorities.”

Generation had morphed the image of the Hindu deity and replaced the ‘astras’ with laptop and other items. The des-

ecration of the Hindu Goddess by a brand, founded by a Pakistani husband-wife duo named Saad and Nosheen Rahman, did not go unnoticed.

Hindu rights activist points out the dual standards of the Pakistani justice system. Hindu rights activist Kapil Dev took

notice of the matter and tweeted, “Just learned from a friend that @GENERATION_PK posted morphed image of a Hindu goddess on its Instagram handle, later issued an apology.

Clothing brand tenders apology Following the outrage on social media, Generation tendered an apology. In a statement, the brand said, “A few days ago a grave oversight occurred at the Generation HQ. An ignorant and insensitive image became public that was hurtful to our patrons, especially for those that represent the white in our flag

(referring to minorities).”

It further added, “We are so so sorry! We pledge to strive to be better, to make better and more informed choices. We also pledge to conduct regular sensitivity workshops at the HQ to learn more about the people we share our country with. We hope you can forgive us, and that we can grow to be more sensitive and mindful as a community.”

Kapil Dev took to Twitter to respond to the apology note. He said, “This apology is insufficient. We have spoken to the lawyers and considering legal action against the brand. You cannot get away with a mere apology.”

Pak won't allow CIA to use bases in its soil: Imran ISLAMABAD: Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan said the country will not allow the CIA to use bases on its soil for crossborder counter-terrorism missions following the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan. “There is no way we are going to allow any bases, any sort of action from Pakistani territory into Afghanistan,” Imran said in an interview.

“Pakistan will not allow the CIA or US special forces to base themselves inside this country ever again.”

Despite an uneasy relationship with Pakistan, the US had conducted hundreds of drone strikes and cross-border counter-terrorism operations from Pakistani soil since 2004.

For nearly a decade, Pakistani authorities had denied allowing the CIA to use its bases.

In 2013, however, exPresident Pervez Musharraf admitted giving permission to the CIA to launch drone attacks from bases in his country, breaking the official policy of blanket denial of involvement. Despite rumours and claims by some leaders that opposition Pakistan’s military leadership has tacitly agreed to allow the CIA to base itself in the country again for counter-terrorism operations and intelligence gathering on Afghanistan, observers believe that it would be political suicide for Khan to embrace the presence of the CIA or special forces on his country’s soil.

CIA director William Burns did not meet with Imran when he made an unannounced visit to Islamabad last month to meet Army chief Gen Qamar Javed

Bajwa and ISI head Lt Gen Faiz Hamid.

Burns's secret visit was aimed at exploring the possibility of counterterrorism cooperation between the two sides.

Earlier this month,White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan Imran Khan had claimed that the US had "constructive discussions" with Pakistan about ensuring that Afghanistan would never again become a base from which terrorist groups would attack it. He declined to go into specifics. Gen Mark Milley, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, had testified that the risk of attack on the US would only increase if the Afghanistan government collapsed and the country saw a

7 Pak lawmakers barred from House over ruckus ISLAMABAD: Pakistan national assembly speaker Asad Qaiser barred seven lawmakers from both sides for creating ruckus and behaving in an “unparliamentary” and “inappropriate manner” a day earlier in the House as chaos in the lower house continued for the third straight day forcing leader of the opposition Shehbaz Sharif to cut his budget speech short yet again.

The decision to ban legislators came after the House turned into a fish market as the parliamentarians from both the treasury and opposition squabbled with each other using foul language and threw budget copies during the speech by Shehbaz, the PML-N president. The National Assembly proceedings were suspended thrice after the lawmakers from the government side, led by some ministers who had come directly to the House after attending the weekly cabinet meeting, refused to listen to Qaiser’s instructions to stay quiet and kept on sloganeering and desk-thumping.

The speaker in a tweet said that the members who disrupted the session during Shehbaz’s speech had been barred from entering the House due to their “unparliamentary” and “inappropriate” behaviour. Earlier in the day, Qaiser met Prime Minister Imran Khan during which the country's political situation and ruckus came under discussion. The speaker said that the PM was informed about the incident, adding that those who had

violated the sanctity of the House would be punished.

Sources said before the meeting between the prime minister and the speaker, an inquiry meeting was also held in the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Qaiser, in which the National Assembly deputy speaker and secretary participated. The meeting reviewed the footage and evidence against those who resorted to disorder in the House. A committee headed by the NA speaker completed the inquiry and decided that members who used vulgar language would not be allowed to attend the session. Meanwhile, the National Assembly proceedings in the next day were also adjourned minutes after they started as chaos continued in the house for the third straight day forcing Shehbaz to cut his budget speech short yet again. Shehbaz tried to finish his speech in the presence of sergeants but the treasury members did not allow him to do so as they resorted to sloganeering.

As soon as the proceedings started, the speaker condemned the unruly behaviour witnessed during Tuesdays’ proceedings and called for a temporary adjournment so that a 12-member parliamentary reconciliation committee could meet. However, tensions between the government and the opposition escalated during this period.

Separate consultative meetings were held in the speaker's chamber and the opposition lobbies. A government delegation met the opposition leader but to no avail.

civil war.

Defense secretary Lloyd Austin had told the congress this week that it would take terror groups like al-Qaeda and IS possibly two years to develop the capability to strike the US homeland. Last month, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had said that getting Pakistan on board the peace process in his country would be the pivotal factor to restoration of stability.

Bangladesh outpaces India on per capita income DHAKA: When Bangladesh emerged as an independent country in 1971, it was arguably the poorest country in the world or close to it. Today, the country is growing rapidly and ranks ahead of its big neighbour India. Planning Minister of Bangladesh MA Mannan informed the country's cabinet that the per capita income of Bangladesh has now increased from $2,064 to $2,227.

Bangladesh's per capita income is now $280 higher than India’s per capita income which is $1,947.

“Our per capita income stands at $2,227 in the fiscal year 2020-21, but the previous fiscal year's per capita income was $2,064. So, the growth rate is 9%,” said Bangladesh's Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam while briefing reporters.

One of the most densely populated countries in the world, Bangladesh has been battling poverty and under-development for almost five decades. In 2007, the per capita income of Bangladesh was half of that of India. Bangladesh will overtake India in per capita GDP once again in 2025 if IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook is to be believed.

The Bangladeshi government is understandably happy and proud of this accomplishment.

Once dubbed as a “bottomless basket” by former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger, Bangladesh is now among the most vibrant economies in the world with great prospects.

According to several analysts, at present, Dhaka ranks ahead of its neighbours in terms of development. The country displays a stable civilian government and has benefited from good relations with India, its big neighbour. Bangladesh matches or bests India on many fiscal, economic and social indicators. Foreign aid is less than 2% of its GDP; it’s no longer Kissinger’s ‘basket case’.

22 WORLD

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

African nations declare days of mourning to honour Kenneth Kaunda LUSAKA: Leaders across Africa have paid tribute to Zambia’s founding president, Kenneth Kaunda, who died last week at the age of 97, declaring several days of mourning in their respective countries. While in power, Kaunda hosted many of the movements fighting for independence or Black equality in other countries around the continent, standing up to white minority rule in countries such as Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).

President Hage Geingob of Namibia said Africa lost “a giant of a man”. “Kaunda was a generous, affable, and a resolute leader who freed our region from colonialism.”

In appreciation of his contribution to their various struggles, some African countries announced varying periods of mourning and lowered their national flags to half-mast. South Africa will mourn for 10 days, while

Kenneth Kaunda

Namibia and Botswana, Tanzania will pay their respects for seven days, their presidents announced. Zimbabwe will mourn over three days.

Father of African independence South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa described Kaunda as a “rightfully revered father of African independence and unity. Under his leadership, Zambia provided refuge, care and support to liberation fighters who had been forced to flee the countries of their birth,” Ramaphosa said. “He stood alongside the people of

South Africa at the time of our greatest need and was unwavering in his desire for the achievement of our freedom.

We will never be able to repay the debt of gratitude,” Ramaphosa added.

Kaunda had provided logistical help to a number of African liberation movements, including the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) and the breakaway Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) of Southern Rhodesia and the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa. The ANC’s Radio Freedom was allowed to broadcast from Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, and it was under Kaunda’s protection that the ANC waged an armed struggle, then a diplomatic one against apartheid.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame said in a tweet Kaunda’s “commitment to Africa’s liberation will never be forgotten. His leadership on the

continent and legacy of PanAfricanism will live on for generations to come,” he said.

Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine said Kaunda was one of Africa’s “few surviving independence heroes”. Kaunda ruled Zambia for 27 years, taking the helm after the country gained independence from Britain in October 1964.

Funeral plans are still to be announced, but his native country is observing 21 days of national mourning, with flags flying at half-mast and all entertainment banned. In retirement, Kaunda became a respected voice of experience on the continent, from mediating in conflicts to his anti-AIDS campaign after the disease had killed one of his own sons. “He was brave, compassionate and tireless in confronting HIV-related stigma and discrimination,” said UNAIDS executive director, Winnie Byanyima.

Uganda goes into total lockdown as Covid cases rise KAMPALA: Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni tightened restrictions in the country following a worrying rise in Covid-19 infections and deaths.

On a day when the country recorded 42 Covid-related deaths and 1,000 new infections, the Ugandan leader vowed to “stop the joke” of the public violating the public health guidelines, known locally as the Standard Operating Procedures [SOP].

He stopped the movement of public and private transport vehicles.

Only security, emergency and other essential service providers, including the police, firefighters and the military have been exempted.

The new move tightened

restrictions imposed a week ago, when cross-district travel was banned, schools closed and other public gatherings restricted yet the deaths continued to rise.

At the Mulago National Referral Hospital in the capital Kampala, a ‘technical fault’ last week cut off oxygen supply to Covid-19 patients at the facility, leading to the death of several patients. The new highest death toll would arrive two days later when the country reported 42 deaths, raising the number of those killed by the virus to more than 400.

“When I hear these people who have died…I am getting telephone calls from all over the place…they are telling me so and so is dying…and yet we told you

from March last year, this joke must stop,” President Museveni said in his address to the nation. The country had been operating under a tight set of restrictions, including a curfew that starts at 9 pm to 5 am, compulsory wearing of masks and social distance in public places.

The Ugandan leader lampooned schools and other learning institutions which he accused of sitting on evidence of possible infections in schools.

He had said the same thing last week when he ordered schools closed. They will remain shut for the next 42 days. “It is observed that some sections of the public

are not adhering to the curfew hours.

As such, curfew throughout the country is pulled back to 7 pm to 5.30 am,” he said.

The new move means Uganda, initially seen as winning the war on Covid-19 and reporting fewer cases compared to neighbouring Kenya, is now paying after its citizens dropped their guard.

Five-year-old girl stuck in India reunited with mother in Australia

Indian-origin Justice first person of colour to be nominated to Canada SC

Sydney: A five-year-old girl who was stuck in India for 18 months while her parents were in Australia has finally been reunited with her mother. Johannah was visiting her grandparents in India when the pandemic struck and Australia's borders were closed. The little girl flew into Sydney last week, and is now in quarantine with her mother, Drisya.

"Oh my god, it was so exciting, it's not something that can be described in words," Drisya said. Drisya and Johannah's father, Dilin, had been trying desperately to bring their young daughter to Sydney, however cancelled flights and rules on unaccompanied minors prevented their reunion. Through a Facebook support group dedicated to Australians stuck in India, they were introduced to a couple - Linda and Joby - who were planning to move to Sydney themselves, and offered to accompany Johannah on the flight. "We got to know Linda over some weeks, and we trusted them," Drisya said, adding, "They both took care of my child, it was so nice of them, we would like to express our gratitude to them." Linda and Joby also accompanied a second child on the Qatar flight, who was about the same age as Johannah. Drisya and Dilin are not the only parents to turn to other families for help - Australian media has reported on a number of parents relying on people who have agreed to act as the child's guardian during the flight.

Drisya, who had found it hard to sleep during the ordeal and often cried through the night, said the relief was enormous. "I could see how much my child missed me, she was just clinging onto me - even now she doesn't leave me.

It's been a long wait." Only one parent is allowed to join unaccompanied children in quarantine, so Johannah will see her father when the 14-day isolation is finished.

Toronto: Canadian Prime Committee on Justice and Minister Justin Trudeau has Human Rights to discuss nominated Indian-origin the selection process and Justice Mahmud Jamal to the reasons for the the Supreme Court of nomination.

In a Canada, becoming the first questionnaire submitted as person of colour to be Mahmud Jamal part of his application to named to the apex court of the Supreme Court, Jamal the country. Trudeau announced said: “I was raised at school as a Jamal’s nomination to replace the Christian, reciting the Lord’s Prayer retiring Rosalie Silberman Abella, the and absorbing the values of the first refugee and first Jewish woman to Church of England, and at home as a sit on the top court.

Muslim, memorising Arabic prayers Justice Jamal, who is in his midfrom the Quran and living as part of fifties, had a distinguished career as a the Ismaili community.” litigator with a deep commitment to Justice Jamal was born in Kenya to pro bono work prior to his a family originally from India. The appointment to the Court of Appeal for family moved two years later to Ontario in 2019, the Prime Minister’s Britain. In 1981, Jamal’s family moved office said. He appeared in 35 appeals to Canada, settling in Edmonton before the Supreme Court of Canada where he completed high school, CTV on civil, constitutional, criminal, and News said. He received a Bachelor of regulatory issues. He also taught Arts from the University of Toronto, constitutional law at McGill University Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Civil and administrative law at Osgoode Law degrees from the Faculty of Law, Hall Law School, it said.

McGill University, and a Master of The Minister of Justice and Laws from Yale Law School, which he Attorney General of Canada and the attended on a Fulbright Scholarship.

Chairperson of the Independent He served as a law clerk to Justice Advisory Board for Supreme Court of Melvin Rothman of the Quebec Court Canada Judicial Appointments will of Appeal and Justice Charles soon appear before a special hearing of Gonthier of the Supreme Court of the House of Commons Standing Canada.

in brief CHINA MEDIA MOCKS US DONATION OF 80 VAX VIALS Chinese media mocked the US for calling attention to its donation of 80 vials of Covid vaccines to Trinidad and Tobago. “Would this be selected for the Worst Public Relations Award of the Year?” the official Xinhua news agency said in an article on WeChat, which compiled more than 10 mocking tweets under a US embassy Twitter statement announcing the donation. The US Embassy in Port of Spain tweeted that its donation to Trinidad and Tobago includes 80 vials of the Pfizer vaccine. Typically, a vial contains five or six doses. “Little was given, but much was spoken on it,” Xinhua said. In May, China gave 100,000 doses of Sinopharm’s vaccine to Trinidad and Tobago.

CALL TO REINSTATE MARATHON BOMBER’S DEATH SENTENCE The US justice department has urged the Supreme Court to reinstate the death sentence of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, convicted in the deadly 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, despite President Joe Biden’s stated opposition to capital punishment. The department in a 48-page brief argued that a lower court wrongly overturned Tsarnaev’s death sentence and ordered a new trial to determine what sentence he deserved for carrying out with his older brother the attack that killed three people and wounded over 260. “The jury carefully considered each of respondent’s crimes and determined that capital punishment was warranted for the horrors that he personally inflicted,” acting solicitor general Elizabeth Prelogar said.

White House spokesperson said the justice department “has independence regarding such decisions.”

HK PRO-DEMOCRACY PAPER’S EDITORS HELD Hong Kong police used a sweeping national security law to arrest five editors and executives of a pro-democracy newspaper on charges of colluding with foreign powers - the first time the legislation has been used against the press in yet another sign of an intensifying crackdown by Chinese authorities in the city. Police said they had evidence that more than 30 articles published by Apple Daily played a “crucial part” in what they called a conspiracy with foreign countries to impose sanctions against China and Hong Kong. Apple Daily said that the move left it “speechless” but vowed to continue its reporting. Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai is currently serving a 20month prison sentence for role in unauthorised protests in 2019.

MAN WHO KILLED, ATE HIS MUM GETS 15 YEARS IN JAIL A 28-year-old Spanish man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after he killed his mother and ate her remains. He also fed some to his dog. Alberto Sánchez Gómez was arrested in 2019 after police found body parts hidden in containers around his mother’s home - some in plastic containers. He will serve a further five months for desecrating a corpse. The court rejected his arguments that he was experiencing a psychotic episode at the time of the killing. Sanchez has also been ordered to pay his brother 60,000 ($73,000, £52,000) in compensation. It is after a friend of victim Maria Gomez raised concerns about her welfare that police arrived at their home in eastern Madrid in 2019. During the trial, the court heard that Sánchez, then aged 26, had strangled his mother during a dispute.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

INDIA 23

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

Farooq, Mehbooba to attend PM Modi's allparty meet on Kashmir Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting on June 24 with the political leaders of Jammu and Kashmir is about the delimitation exercise, which has started in the new Union Territory ahead of the assembly elections, sources said, brushing off speculation about a restoration of statehood. Though the government has promised that statehood will be restored to Jammu and Kashmir at an appropriate time, that time has not come yet. The Kashmir leaders, meanwhile, have accepted the invition and will be attending the meeting.

The meeting is an attempt by the Centre to seek political validation of the administrative exercise which started in the first week of June, they said. The sources also conceded that while the issue of restoring statehood can be discussed, any such step will require sanction of parliament. There is also no question of restoring the special status which was granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution,

political parties from Jammu and Kashmir including Mehbooba Mufti's People's Democratic Party and the National Conference - have been invited for the meeting on June 24, which will take place in Delhi. This will be the Prime Minister's first interaction with Farooq Abdullah & Mehbooba Mufti all the political parthey added. ties of Jammu and Kashmir since For now, the Centre is ready to August 2019. begin the assembly election proIn the meeting, the Prime cess for which the delimitation Minister is likely to urge political exercise has to be completed first. leaders to take part in the delimitaThe delimitation involves redrawtion exercise so that this can be ing the boundaries of assembly done through consensus, the and Lok Sabha constituencies in a sources said. This will also send state or Union Territory. The message to the international comDelimitation Commission munity that the government's formed last year and headed by exercise has wider political support Justice (Retired) Ranjana Prakash and sanction.

Desai - has already written to all Jammu and Kashmir was the District Commissioners, seekplaced under Central rule after the ing basic information.

BJP ended its alliance with Fourteen leaders from eight Mehbooba Mufti in June 2018.

There has been no political process since. In August 2019, the Centre ended the special status of Jammu and Kashmir granted under the Constitution and bifurcated it into two Union territories.

Mehbooba, Farooq, Tarigami say yes to PM’s invite In a significant development, the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) leaders announced that they have accepted the invitation of the Prime Minister for the June 4 meeting.

The three leaders of the PAGD, Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, and Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami will attend the meeting.

All these leaders have been invited to the meeting.

“The invitation has come from the Prime Minister and we are going to participate in the meeting. We are hopeful that we will present our stand before the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister,” Farooq Abdullah said after the PAGD meeting here.

Flanked by Mehbooba Mufti, Tarigami, and other leaders of the

PAGD, Farooq said, “After the meeting with the Prime Minister will be over in Delhi, we will be talking to the press about it, here and in Delhi also.” “We will be telling you what we said in the meeting and how they responded.”

“There is no change in our stand and it will continue to remain the same. We have not changed our stand,” Farooq said. He said the invitation has come separately to all leaders and all be attending the meeting. “There is no agenda from their side and we can talk about any issue,” he said.

Tarigami said they will be taking the concerns and hopes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh before the Prime Minister.

“Since there is no agenda of the meeting and we will repeat the stance of the PAGD before the big leaders of the country. We are going with a petition from the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We will be stating that guarantees which were given to us by the constitution of India should be given back to us,” Tarigami said.

International Widows’ Day celebrated India abstains from voting with Loomba Foundation’s initiative on UN’s Myanmar resolution International Widows' Day is an initiative of the Loomba Foundation, launched at the House of Lords in London on 26 May 2005. Following the launch, the Loomba Foundation led a fiveyear global campaign for UN recognition, which resulted in a unanimous decision to mark 23 June as International Widows' Day as an annual global day. Armed conflicts, displacement and migration, and the Covid-19 pandemic leave tens of thousands more to the list. With more and more women becoming widows, their needs have to be brought to the forefront.

The seeds of the Loomba Foundation's global campaign to eradicate discrimination against widows can be traced to more than half a century ago in Dhilwan, Punjab of India, when a wealthy businessman, Jagiri Lal Loomba,

succumbed to the still widespread scourge of tuberculosis. The date was 23 June 1954. This was a tragedy for Jagiri’s wife Pushpa Wati and the seven children– but for their ten-year old son Raj, what happened next was a shock that was to stay with him for the rest of his life. On the day of his father’s death, his grandmother ordered the young widow to remove her bangles, jewellery and bindi – the sign of a married woman – and henceforth to wear only white clothes. From a happy, fulfilled wife, his mother was instantly transformed into a desolate widow.

Years later, when Raj married Veena Chaudhry, he was enraged when the priest asked his mother to sit away from the altar lest, as a widow, she brought bad luck to the young couple. Raj said, “a mother who gave me birth, a mother who

brought me up, who educated me and always wished well for me – how could she bring me bad luck?

“My mother would not have been able to send us to college or give us nutritious food and good clothes to wear.”

The images and the state of poor widows and their children I had seen in my younger days all came rushing back to me.” Raj realised that if he had been the son of a poor widow, he would never have been able to build a major fashion company in London. In 1997, five years after Raj Loomba’s mother passed away, Raj and his wife Veena established the Shrimati Pushpa Wati Loomba Trust – as The Loomba Foundation was initially known in the UK – to care for widows and their children, and to change the culture that discriminates against them.

India joined China and Russia in abstaining from a vote on a UNGA resolution seeking to delegitimise the Myanmar military junta and to prevent flow of arms into the country.

Justifying its decision to abstain, the government said the resolution, which was adopted with119 votes in favour, was introduced hastily and without enough consultations with Myanmar’s neighbours and regional countries.

India said the resolution, described by many as the strongest condemnation of Myanmar’s military commanders since the coup, didn’t reflect its views and that it didn’t believe the resolution was going to aid the joint efforts towards strengthening the democratic process. “This resolution was tabled in the UN General Assembly without adequate consultations with neighbours and regional countries. This is not only unhelpful but may also prove counter-productive to the efforts of the Asean to find a solution to the current situation in Myanmar,” India’s permanent representative to the UN, TS Tirumurti, said.

India’s neighbours like Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan were also among the 36 countries to abstain. In the explanation of the vote in the General Assembly hall, Tirumurti said as Myanmar’s immediate neighbour and close friend of its people, India is cognisant of the “serious impact of political instability” and the potential of its spillover beyond Myanmar’s borders. India has been calling for greater engagement with the objective of peacefully resolving all issues. “We already have such an ongoing initiative under the aegis of Asean. It is important that we extend support to the Asean efforts,” Tirumurti said.

Mindful of Myanmar’s ties with China and its own security interests in the northeast, India has walked the diplomatic tightrope on Myanmar since the military coup earlier this year. “During the discussions on this resolution, we had engaged in a spirit of finding a constructive and pragmatic way forward and had accordingly shared our suggestions to those Arvind Kumar Sharma who piloted this resolution,” he said.

“However, we find that our views president but there are already 16 have not been reflected in the draft vice presidents in BJP’s UP unit.” being considered for adoption today.

“Sharma’s early voluntary We would like to reiterate that a conretirement came as a bit of a sur- sultative and constructive approach prise to many but now his role in involving the neighbouring countries organisation will give a strong and the region remains important as message in Purvanchal,” a second the international community strives source said. for the peaceful resolution of the issue,” Tirumurti said.

PM Modi's trusted aide A K Sharma is vice president of BJP unit in Uttar Pradesh Former IAS officer and MLC Arvind Kumar Sharma, a close confidant of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was appointed Uttar Pradesh BJP vice president.

His appointment comes months ahead of the assembly elections to be held in the state next year.

Soon after the appointment, Sharma thanked the central and state BJP leadership.

“I will continue to serve the society, state and the country under the guidance of my seniors and with the support of worker friends in the party,” he tweeted.

Sharma has worked with PM Modi for over two decades. He was posted as a secretary in the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) when he took voluntary retire-

ment from the services in January this year and joined the BJP. Later, he was appointed as a member of the legislative council (MLC) in the state.

For weeks, there had been speculation that Sharma might be accommodated in Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s cabinet ahead of the 2022 elections. However, with his elevation to the party’s vice president post, all such speculations have been put to rest. BJP leaders said that with his appointment as the state unit vice president, Sharma will now focus on Purvanchal.

“Now Sharma will focus more on Purvanchal. The way he worked in Varanasi since midApril and managed to bring the Covid situation under control in

the district is being talked about in overall eastern UP. Although he is new to politics but his management skills are undoubtedly excellent. We will use his experience in our organisation,” a BJP official said.

A source in the BJP said, “This decision is good for Sharma. In the tussle between Yogi and the Centre, Yogi has won finally because, at last, Sharma will not get the Cabinet berth which the party’s central leadership wannted. Yogi proves that he is a boss of the state government.

Sharma has been appointed as vice

24 INDIA

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

SOUTH INDIA

Andhra sets record with vaccinating over 1.3 mn people in a day HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh has set a new record by administering over 1.3 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines till 8 pm on Sunday. A total of 13,45,004 vaccine doses were administered to people across the state in a special drive that ended at at 9 pm. In the process, the state also crossed the 10 million mark in vaccinating people with the first dose.

"At 8 pm, over 1.3 million vaccinations have been completed across the state which is almost 50 per cent of the national vaccination drive. It is a remarkable achievement to show that our medical team and other staff can take up over 1 million vaccinations a day if

government of India maintains the supply," the state government said in a statement.

"Special compliments to district collectors Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur for making all out efforts in vaccinating more than 100,000 doses today in their districts," it said. The number reached 11,85,000 at 5 pm, tweeted Arogya Andhra, the official Covid response handle of the state government.

The special vaccination drive was undertaken by the state health department on the orders of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Previously, the state created a record by

administering over 600,000 vaccines in a day. Officials said the credit goes to the network of volunteers and h e a l t h c a r e providers who made this possible, with the understanding that vaccination is the only way to stop Covid-19.

The state reported 5,646 fresh Covid cases, while 7,772 recovered and another 50 died of virus in the 24 hours. The vaccination drive, with focus on people over 45 years and mothers with children under

five years, began at 6 am in more than 2,000 locations in all 13 districts of the state. The two Godavari districts, East and West, topped the list with and 108,000 111,000 vaccinations on Sunday.

PUNJAB

Amid infighting in Punjab Cong, Capt to meet party panel NEW DELHI: Amid escalated infighting in the Punjab Congress, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has arrived in Delhi and is scheduled to meet the party panel. The panel is headed by Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Harish Rawat and JP Aggarwal are its members.

The meeting gains significance after disgruntled leader Navjot Singh Sidhu once again opened front against the Chief Minister. Sidhu has reportedly said that he is not a 'show piece' to be used in elections. The Congress panel has been authorised to resolve the issue without alienating any of the factions in the state.

The Congress panel constituted to resolve factionalism in the Punjab unit submitted its report to party interim President Sonia Gandhi on June 10. Sources said the panel has not recommended the removal of the Chief Minister

Amarinder Singh

and Captain Amarinder Singh is likely to lead the party in the next elections. Instead, a slew of reforms have been suggested in the party state unit.

While the fate of Navjot Singh Sidhu is still not clear, sources said the panel wants his rehabilitation in the Punjab Cabinet. Amarinder is averse to Sidhu being elevated to the post of Deputy CM, but is ready to accommodate him in the

Cabinet, sources said. The panel had met all the stakeholders in the party, including Amarinder and Sidhu.

Meanwhile, Congress old guard and GenNext in Punjab appear to have joined hands to oppose any attempt by the leadership to grant Sidhu a preeminent organisational post ahead of others, with many wondering if it may influence the nature of rejig that the party

is contemplating to bring coherence in the volatile state unit. Rajya Sabha MP and old timer Partap Singh Bajwa’s accommodating words at a press conference for his arch foe, chief minister Amarinder Singh, and his view that Sidhu should need to sweat some more to achieve his “colonel to general” ambition appears to reflect more than a personal opinion. Many view that he was also articulating the stance of younger Congressmen who are opposed to Sidhu getting a big lift because of his rebellion, mirroring the view of CM Singh against whom the mercurial leader unsheathed his sword. The bone of contention is the presidency of the state unit that Sidhu is eyeing. A senior leader claimed that Sidhu can be deputy chief minister or can be given the other sought after post of the chairman of the campaign committee, but nobody is backing him for the top organisational post.

WEST BENGAL

Mamata challenges Suvendu's Nandigram win KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee moved the Calcutta high court challenging her narrow loss in the Nandigram seat to her p r o t é g é -t ur n e d -a d v e r sa r y Suvendu Adhikari. This was Banerjee’s first electoral loss in 32 years. According to Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders aware of the development, Banerjee’s petition alleged that the votes were not counted properly.

Adhikari, who switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party last year, won the seat by 1,956 votes and went on to become the Leader of Opposition in the Bengal assembly.

The development came on a day West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankar met Union home minister Amit Shah, President Ram Nath Kovind and Congress Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Choudhury in Delhi. Dhankhar and Shah met for an hour, days after the governor clashed with

Mamata Banerjee & Suvendu Adhikari

Banerjee over post-poll violence in Bengal.

The CM said allegations of post-poll clashes were a political gimmick and added that she had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi three times to recall the governor.

Controversy about the Nandigram election had broken out on the day it went to the polls, April 1. On the day of voting, Banerjee, who was

wheelchair bound at the time because of an ankle injury, levelled charges of booth rigging and refused to leave a polling station for two hours.

When the election results were declared on May 2, the Trinamool Congress sought a recount when the results were announced but the Election Commission didn’t allow it.

Days later, Mamata claimed that the returning officer who

turned down the request for a recount was threatened, a charge the BJP promptly dismissed, insisting that the chief minister wasn’t able to “accept the reality”.

The defeat in Nandigram was a blow to Mamata, who led her party to a landslide victory in West Bengal assembly elections with 213 of the 292 seats - her party’s third straight win. Mamata, who represented Bhawanipore in the last assembly, announced her decision to contest from Nandigram a month before the eight phase elections began.

The high-profile seat, where a land agitation in 2007 propelled TMC to power in the state, elected Adhikari in 2016 when he was with the TMC. TMC Rajya Sabha member Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said there was “no way she (Mamata) could lose” from Nandigram. Adhikari did not comment on the development.

in brief STALIN MEETS SONIA, RAHUL IN DELHI Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi at her residence, where Rahul Gandhi was also present. The Congress is DMK's junior partner in their alliance in Tamil Nadu. This is the first meeting between Stalin and Sonia Gandhi after the DMK-Congress alliance was elected to power in the recently-concluded assembly elections in the state. The leaders are learnt to have discussed the new government's schemes and policies in the state, where the Congress is a junior partner. "Sonia Gandhi and I had the pleasure of meeting Stalin and Smt. Durgavathy Stalin," Rahul said on Twitter.

"We will keep working with the DMK to build a strong and prosperous state for the Tamil people," he said. Stalin had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier.

YEDIYURAPPA TO CONTINUE AS KARNATAKA CM BJP’s Karnataka in-charge Arun Singh during his three-day visit to the state warned of action against those who violate party discipline amid rumours of replacing Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa. Arun Singh, who earlier ruled out a change in leadership, implicitly said during the Karnataka BJP core committee meeting that Yediyurappa shall continue as the CM. “Leadership in Karnataka won’t change. It is known that two or three people are damaging the party by speaking against the BJP’s interests. If they remain adamant on their stance despite discussion, action will be initiated against them,” Singh said after the core committee meeting. In a gesture signifying that everything was in his favour, Yediyurappa was seen emerging with a victory sign from the core committee meeting.

PUNJAB EKTA PARTY MERGES WITH CONG Former Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Sukhpal Singh Khaira merged his Punjab Ekta Party with the Congress, saying joining the Aam Aadmi Party in 2015 was a “mistake.”

“AAP is a one man show. There is nothing in AAP beyond Arvind Kejriwal,” Khaira said after meeting former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi at the latter’s 12 Tuglaq Lane residence. Also present were Punjab MLAs Jagdev Singh and Piramal Singh. They joined in the presence of AICC general secretary Harish Rawat and Congress media in charge Randeep Surjewala. Attacking AAP, Khaira said it was an undemocratic party with no system of internal reviews. “Arvind Kejriwal is into a habit of scoring self goals every few months. We appeal to the NRIs who stand disillusioned with Kejriwal should also join and support the Congress in large numbers.”

BJP URGES SPEAKER TO DISQUALIFY MUKUL ROY BJP legislative wing submitted a letter to West Bengal assembly Speaker’s office, urging disqualification of Krishnanagar Uttar MLA Mukul Roy, who re-joined Trinamool Congress after winning the assembly polls on a saffron party ticket. BJP MLA Manoj Tigga submitted leader of opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari’s letter to the Speaker’s office. Speaker Biman Banerjee, however, said he was yet to receive it. Under the antidefection law, the speaker will examine the application and summon the alleged defector before taking a decision. Bengal BJP leaders also cited a recent SC order relating to the Manipur assembly in which the apex court gave a four-week time frame to the Speaker to arrive at a decision on defection.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

INDIA 25

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

Speculation over cabinet expansion as PM Modi meets ministers, BJP chief Over the past week, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been holding in-person meetings with Union ministers apparently to take stock of the work done by the government in the last two years and to discuss various issues. Modi met Union ministers, including Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari, along with BJP president JP Nadda, sources said.

Both Union ministers and Union ministers of state are meeting the prime minister in different groups. The meeting attended by Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda and Minister of State V Muraleedharan, besides others, is the fifth in the series and perhaps the last, a source said. Sources said

Narendra Modi

that BJP chief Nadda was present most of the meetings which were held at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, the official residence of the prime minister.

Modi had met Union Home

Minister Amit Shah along with Nadda and Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Jitender Singh.

Political observers and party insiders feel that this could be an exercise before an expected Cabinet

expansion and reshuffle, but there has been no official word yet.

The sources said that all these meetings of the prime minister with Union ministers have lasted for nearly five hours. Besides the work done by the ministries, Modi also discussed various important and relevant issues with them, they said, adding that the meetings were called after the second wave of Covid cases.

Cabinet ministers or ministers of state of agriculture, rural development, animal husbandry and fishing, tribal affairs, urban development, culture, statistics and programme implementation, civil aviation, railways, food and consumer affairs, jal shakti, petroleum, steel, external affairs and environment

were among those who were called for the meetings, the sources said.

These meetings with the Union ministers were preceded by meetings between Modi and presidents of various wings of the BJP and party general secretaries. Nadda and BJP general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh were present at the meetings with the party office-bearers. Though there has been no official word on Cabinet expansion or reshuffle, but speculation over the issue has been doing the rounds for many days. The Cabinet meeting, which is chaired by the prime minister, is usually held once a week and that of the council of ministers once a month.

The cabinet meeting is being held virtually every Wednesday.

You aren’t above Indian law, Can't give Rs 400,000 to have to follow it: Parliamentary Covid victims, Centre tells SC panel tells Twitter The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology grilled two Twitter India representatives last week.

The committee chaired by Congress party's Shashi Tharoor had summoned Twitter over concerns of safeguarding people's rights on the social media platform. The meeting was held at a time when Twitter and the Centre are at loggerheads over the new IT rules.

While most social media platforms have complied with the rules, Twitter is yet to do so.

Sources privy to the meeting said the committee was unanimous in asking Twitter to comply with the new IT rules framed by the central government. MPs across party line told the social media giant that it must follow Indian laws. It is learnt that when committee members asked Twitter whether its company rules are more important than the laws framed by the government, Twitter representatives reportedly gave a "vague response" saying "Twitter rules are equally

important for them".

Earlier this month, the Centre issued a notice to Twitter giving it one last chance to "immediately" comply with the new IT rules and warned that failure to adhere to the norms will lead to the platform losing exemption from liability under the IT Act. Responding to the questions, the officials said Twitter would provide written response and that they aren't the competing authority. To this, they were asked who then was the competent authority to answer questions posed by the parliamentary panel.

On non-compliance with the government's interim guidelines, Twitter said it is working on the issue.

However, sources said, the two officials could not give a specific date by when the

compliance will be ensured.

During the meeting, Twitter was also quizzed about the criteria based on which it tags tweets as "manipulated media".

Answering this question, Twitter said it is an intermediary, and "whatever we think is not good for society, we tag them". "We have a policy. We have equal respect for the law of land."

Recently, Twitter had tagged certain tweets by BJP leaders, including party spokesperson Sambit Patra, as "manipulated media" after the BJP alleged that the Congress was using a "toolkit" to defame India.

Following the meeting, Twitter issued a statement saying it is prepared to work with the parliamentary panel on the "important work" of safeguarding citizen's rights. Earlier this week, Twitter India Managing Director Manish Maheshwari was booked by the UP Police and asked to join a probe in connection with the case involving an assault on a Muslim man and posts about it on Twitter.

Families of Covid victims cannot be paid compensation as it applies to natural disasters only, the government told the Supreme Court, adding that states cannot afford to pay Rs 400,000 to every victim. In a 183-page affidavit filed last week, the centre also added that if they pay compensation for Covid, then denying it for other diseases would be "unfair".

The centre added that the deadly disease has caused more than 385,000 deaths - which is likely to increase - and states, reeling under severe financial strain, cannot pay everyone. The government's response comes after the Supreme Court asked it to inform its policy on Covid compensation and death certificates after a plea asked for Rs 400,000 for victims.

Explaining that the Disaster Management Law states that compensation applies only to natural disasters like earthquake or floods, the government said that due to the pandemic's massive scale it would not be appropriate to apply it to Covid. The centre in its affidavit also

said due to increased health expenses and low tax revenue, states cannot afford to pay compensation for millions of Covid victims.

"Utilisation of scarce resources for giving ex-gratia, may have unfortunate consequences of affecting the pandemic response and health expenditure in other aspects and hence cause more damage than good," the centre added in its affidavit. States like Madhya Pradesh have already announced a compensation of Rs 100,000 due to Covid deaths. Delhi too declared that if a Covid death was due to oxygen shortage during the second wave, the families will be compensated with Rs 500,000.

The government also reminded the top court of its earlier judgment to keep away from executive policies and said the judiciary cannot decide on behalf of the centre. "It is well settled through numerous judgments of the Supreme Court that this is a matter which should be performed by the authority, to whom it has been entrusted and not one where the court will substitute its own judgment for the decision to be taken by the executive," the goverment said.

The affidavit also said that "Covid death" will be mentioned in death certificates of every victim. Doctors who fail to certify Covid deaths will be penalised, the government said.

Assam proposes two-child norm to avail of govt schemes After barring those with more than two children from government jobs and from contesting local elections, the Assam government proposes to extend its two-child policy for availing benefits under specific schemes funded by the state. “We will slowly implement population norms for government schemes… There are some schemes for which we cannot impose the two-child norm, like availing free admission in schools and colleges, or for houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana; everyone will get that,” Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said at a press conference.

“But, in the case of some schemes, say if a scheme like a

Himanta Biswa Sarma

Chief Minister Awas Yojana is launched in the future for the middle-class, then the two-child norm will be enforced. Similarly, population norms will gradually be put in place in the case of some chosen schemes,” he said.

According to a report, Sarma also criticised the Opposition for targeting the size of his parents’ family.

Sarma belongs to a family of five brothers. “There is no point in talking about what our parents did or other people did in the 1970s.

The Opposition is saying these strange things and pushing us back to the 70s,” he said.

Earlier this month, Sarma had faced criticism for his comment that “numerous social ills in Assam” could be overcome if the

“immigrant Muslim community adopts decent family planning norms. For their poverty to end, Muslim women need to be educated, population needs to be controlled. I appeal to them to work together with us. We are there for all of you, to support women’s education and reduce poverty. But poverty will never be reduced unless you control your population,” he had said.

Sarma said AIUDF MP Badruddin Ajmal met him and expressed satisfaction at the importance being given to women’s education. A population policy is already in place in Assam.

In 2019, the previous BJP government had decided that those with

more than two children would not be eligible for government jobs from January 2021. This was a follow-up to a resolution passed by the Assembly in 2017 on the Population and Women Empowerment Policy of Assam.

This policy listed two key norms for government employment linked to population growth: Only candidates with two children or less will be eligible for government jobs; government servants shall strictly follow the two-child norm to serve as role models for society. Also, according to the Assam Panchayat (Amendment) Act, 2018, those contesting panchayat polls cannot have more than two children.

26 INDIA

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

Ayodhya Ram temple trust buys land worth £19,309 for £250,000 3 months later It’s a prime property of 890 sq meters, a piece of land where the grand Ram temple complex will soon come up. Until February this year, it belonged to a mahant, Devendra Prasadacharya. On February 20, one Deep Narayan bought the land – gata number 135 – from the mahant for £19,309 Narayan is the nephew of Rishikesh Upadhyaya, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader who is the mayor of Ayodhya. Three months later, on May 11, Narayan sold the property to the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust, set up by the Narendra Modi government to oversee the temple’s construction, for £250,000.

All this while, the property’s circle rate – the minimum amount of sale decided by local authorities – remained Rs 35,60,000.

The records locate the property at Kot Ramchandra, Haveli Awadh, under Sadar tehsil in Ayodhya. According to the property map in the records it’s adjacent to the so-called Ram While the Janmabhoomi. transaction certificate states that Narayan purchased land from

Prasadacharya on February 20, 2021, a digital summary of the transaction erroneously puts it on February 22, 2021. , Narayan bought the land at Rs 2,247 per sq metre from Prasadacharya and sold it at Rs 28,090 per sq metre to the temple trust. The circle rate in Kot Ramchandra is Rs 4,000 per sq metre.

Anil Mishra, a trust member, is listed as a legal witness for the transaction on May 11, when the trust, documents show, paid Narayan £250,000 through RTGS. Narayan’s February 20 purchase names Ved Narayan Pandey and

Pawan Tiwari as witnesses. The day Narayan bought the 890 sq metre property from Prasadacharya, he also sold another piece of land – gata number 36M – in Kot Ramchandra to the temple trust for £100,000. This parcel, which covers 676.86 sq metres, was sold at a rate of Rs 14,774 per sq metre.

At a circle rate of Rs 4,000 per sq metre, this property – 500 metres from the temple complex – is valued at Rs 27,08,000. Mishra was once again the legal witness to this purchase.

The temple trust’s shopping

spree in Ayodhya is at least partly financed by millions of Indians who donated money for the construction of the temple during a “collection drive” by the Sangh Parivar in early 2020. The details emerge at a time when the trust faces allegations of fraud and corruption by the Aam Aadmi Party and the Samajwadi Party over the purchase of 1.2 hectares of land in Bagbijaisi village for £1.85 million from Sultan Ansari and Ravi Mohan Tiwari, who had bought it for £200,000 from Harish and Kusum Pathak minutes before on March 18, 2021.

The circle rate valued this property at £580,000.

Tiwari is the brother-in-law of Sitla Pathak, who is the father-inlaw of Upadhyaya’s son. On March 18, the temple trust also directly bought 1.03 hectares of land at Bagbijaisi from the Pathaks for £800,000.

The land purchase in Kot Ramachandra follows the pattern of the deal at Bagbijaisi. The sellers Harish Pathak and – Prasadacharya – sold land to a relative of mayor Upadhyaya –

Ravi Mohan Tiwari and Deep Narayan, respectively – at a price below the circle rate. The relatives in turn sold it at an inflated rate to the temple trust.

After controversy erupted over the Bagbijaisi land deal, the temple trust claimed that Tiwari and his associate Sultan Ansari had bought the land for only £200,000 because of an earlier agreement between Tiwari, Ansari and Harish Pathak. Mayor Upadhyaya neither denied nor confirmed his familial relation to Deep Narayan. “I do not need to clarify. All of Ayodhya is related to me,” he said. “These allegations are politically motivated because the state elections are around the corner.”

Asked about Narayan’s sale and purchase of gata number 135, Upadhyaya said only Narayan and the temple trust would be able to comment on the deals. “The transactions are clean,” the mayor claimed. “A mountain is being created out of a molehill.” The temple trust’s general secretary, Champat Rai, and trustee Anil Mishra did not respond to multiple calls for comment.

AIIMS chief warns of third wave Choksi booked for destruction of if appropriate steps not taken evidence in CBI's fresh charge sheet Amid reports of widespread violations of Covid norms in certain parts of India, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria warned that the third wave of the pandemic can hit India in the next six to eight weeks if Covid-appropriate behaviour is not followed.

Though many epidemiologists have already indicated that a third wave is inevitable, they had said that it is likely to hit the country in SeptemberOctober.

“If Covid-appropriate behaviour is not followed, the third wave can happen in six to eight weeks. We need to work aggressively to prevent another large wave till vaccination kicks in,” Guleria was quoted as saying.

“However, a national-level lockdown cannot be a solution (to rein in the pandemic) keeping economic activity in mind,” he further said, adding that there is a need for stricter surveillance and areaspecific lockdowns in case of a significant surge.

Guleria’s statement came a day after the Delhi High Court took note of Covid norms being violated in markets in the national capital following the easing of restrictions and warned that the breach of protocol will only hasten the third wave. Taking note of certain photographs sent to one of the judges of the high court by an AIIMS doctor showing scant regard for Covid protocols by street vendors in markets, a vacation bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Asha Menon directed the Centre and the Delhi

Randeep Guleria

government to submit status reports about the situation. The third wave cannot be permitted at all, Delhi HC stated.

“We have paid a huge price in the second wave.

We don’t know if there is any household which has not suffered in the second wave, closely or remotely,” the bench had observed. The court had also asked authorities to take strict measures against violators, sensitise shopkeepers and hold meetings with markets and vendors associations in this regard.

The Centre earlier urged states to ensure the “extremely important” fivefold strategy of Covidappropriate behaviour, testtrack-treat, and vaccination was in place to prevent the spread of the disease. In a letter to all states and Union Territories (UTs), Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said that vaccination against Covid-19, in the present scenario, is critical to break the chain of transmission.

Therefore, all state and UT governments should step up the speed of vaccination to cover the maximum number of people in an expeditious manner, he said. Bhalla said while the opening up of activities after

decline in cases is essential, states and UTs must ensure the whole process is “carefully calibrated”. “However, easing of restrictions in some states have led to the resumption of crowding of people in markets etc., without adherence to the norms of Covid-appropriate behaviour,” he added.

Large-scale violation of Covid norms in public places have been reported from many parts of India ever since restrictions were relaxed.Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that the decision to reimpose restrictions was taken because various tourist places and markets have been witnessing huge crowds. After granting some major relaxations in Covid restrictions for Pune residents earlier this week, the municipal corporation later rolled back some of them, announcing that weekend lockdowns will stay for now and all nonessential shops will remain closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

Appealing to people not to drop their guard, Guleria also said that the moment a significant surge in cases is noted in a particular area and the positivity rate goes beyond 5 per cent, areaspecific lockdown and containment measures should be implemented. He, however, reiterated that till now, there is no evidence to suggest that children will be affected more in the next wave of the pandemic.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on June 10 filed a fresh charge sheet against diamantaire Mehul Choksi and 21 others in Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam in which the fugitive has been charged with destruction of evidence for the first time. The agency’s charge sheet claims Choksi, in connivance with officials of PNB, got 165 Letters of Undertaking (LOUs) and 58 FLCs (Foreign Letters of Credit) issued fraudulently in 2017 causing loss of $952 million to the bank and then indulged in a cover-up.

The supplementary charge sheet charges Choksi under sections 201 (destruction of evidence), and cheating, criminal conspiracy and prevention of corruption act. Officials familiar with developments said the latest charge sheet will be shared with authorities and court in Dominica to boost India’s deportation plea.

Apart from Choksi, 21 individuals and companies are named in the charge sheet, including retired deputy manager of PNB Gokulnath Shetty, single window operator Hanumant Karat, former managing director of Allahabad Bank Usha Ananthasubramaniam, former executive directors of PNB KV Brahmaji Rao and Sanjiv Sharan, former general manager of the bank Nehal Ahad, former vice president of Choksi’s Gitanjali Group Vipul Chitalia, and several companies.

The charge sheet says, “In December 2017, Mehul Choksi visited Hong Kong and met dummy directors of

Mehul Choksi

Hong Kong-based supplier entities (controlled by him) and told them that problems are going on in India related to his company – Gitanjali Group and that they might have to face Enforcement Directorate (ED) inquiries.”

“This shows that Mehul Choksi had prior knowledge about the impending criminal proceedings.

Hence, he fled the country on January 4, 2018, with dishonest intent, to evade the process of law”. Choksi also told his companies’ dummy directors in Hong Kong that they must apply

for Thailand visa as the operation in Hong Kong would be closed, the charge sheet adds. “He got them (dummy directors) shifted to Bangkok in February 2018, when fraud came to light, and persuaded them not to visit India to face investigating agencies.”

CBI has stated it is further investigating the bogus LOUs and FLCs issued in favour of Choksi’s companies in 2014, 2015 and 2016. It is suspected that total 347 bogus FLCs were issued between 2014 and 2016. The investigators, during raids in 2018, recovered records of fraudulent LOUs and FLCs transactions maintained in the Google drive by Vipul Chitalia at the behest of Mehul Chinubhai Choksi, which have been included in the charge sheet.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

HEALTH

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

27

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

Eczema flare ups in children during UK lockdown A new research by targeted skincare brand Gladskin has found that a third of children’s eczema cases have become worse since the pandemic started, with 37 per cent of parents saying stress and anxiety triggers their child's flare ups.

Approximately one in five children live with eczema in the UK. The condition not only affects a child's wellbeing, but also their social life, with almost two in five parents claiming their child faced judgment over their skin condition. Meanwhile, under half of these parents themselves feel judged over their child's eczema.

Clinical microbiologist Dr Bjorn Herpers says under-

standing of the skin microbiome is key. He says, “This new research by Gladskin is saddening. Eczema is a condition that so many children have to deal with, and I believe if we increase the nation's understanding of the skin microbiome it is made of billions of bacteria.”

They add, “However, 40% of people have the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus on their skin too - a known cause of eczema flareups in some people.

Treatment should target just this bacterium so the skin can restore the balance of bacteria of the skin microbiome.”

He has certain tips to help children suffering from

Best asanas for post-Covid recovery

the condition 1) Be mindful of what you put on their skin. Avoid harsh chemicals, soaps or lotions/creams. They disrupt the bacterial balance by killing the good and bad bacteria.

2) Create a skin care routine. A daily routine of cleansing the skin with a gentle face wash and without perfumes will help keep the bacteria in balance. Using skincare products that are based upon a scientific understanding of the skin's

microbiome is even better.

3) Find out what triggers you/your child's inflammatory skin condition and if it is worsened by Staphylococcus aureus.

4) If you are trying a new product, test it on a small, non-infected body part first.

Your skin microbiome is made up of trillions of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Good bacteria work together to defend against disease and other environmental threats in a healthy, well-functioning microbiome.

Want to lose weight?

Follow these tips by Dr Michael Mosley Dr Michael Mosley

In a recent article published in the Daily Express, Dr Michael Mosley has shared tips for those looking to shed a few pounds. He speaks about the benefits of eating the right carbohydrates and high protein foods for weight loss. His advice to losing weight is, try to eat healthy foods.

Replace processed foods with whole foods Dr Mosley explains that natural options can give good benefits. “Swap white pasta and white rice with lentils, beans, quinoa, wildrice, and buckwheat.

The complex carbohydrates

contain more fibre which supports the growth of friendly bacteria in your gut.

Try to avoid eating potatoes, and always choose multigrain or rye bread over white.” He is quoted in the article as saying. “Be careful when buying brown bread, as often the bread is just dyed brown and actually has more sugar than white bread.”

Consume foods high in protein This will help keep you full and also boost metabolism. “This means regularly eating foods such as oily fish, seafood, chicken,

red meat, eggs, tofu, beans, pulses, dairy and nuts. These foods have been shown to curb carbohydrate cravings and will help you to feel fuller for longer. Eating enough protein is important. You should also try to restrict your intake of processed meats such as sausages, bacon and salami.”

Reduce sugar intake Consuming processed treats or food high in sugar can cause serious health problems.

Dr Mosley warned Britons to “watch out” for hidden sugars as some foods contain more than expected. He says, “This includes completely cutting back on cakes, sweets, biscuits, crisps, fruit juices and soft drinks. These foods rapidly turn into sugar in your blood causing sugar spikes and weight gain. They

Mistakes Brits always make during a heatwave When the hot weather comes, the Brits feel the need to enjoy every single second of it.

Following are some of the mistakes Brits tend to make, and what they should be doing instead.

Not putting suncream Wear sunscreen. You should apply it throughout the day. Getting sunburnt just once every two years triples the risk of melanoma, a potentially deadly form of skin cancer. You should regularly and generously apply sun cream even when it’s cloudy – and remember to do your eyelids too. You should not leaving your skin vulnerable to sun damage by applying sun cream too thinly. In order to stay protected, the researchers suggested holidaymakers use 3ml of suncream on each arm, the face and the neck, plus 6ml to each leg, the front and the back of the body. You should then reapply at least three times per day.

All-day boozing The sun sends many of us straight to a beer garden or out for a picnic. And that’s okay. But the combination of sweating more

in the heat, and going to the toilet more, means you’re losing more fluid than you take in. This is a fast track to dehydration unless you replace that lost fluid by drinking water.

Drinking more water You are advised to drink around eight glasses of water per day, but you need to increase this quantity when it’s hot.

Dehydration is caused by not drinking enough water. The general advice for curbing dehydration is taking sips of water, little and often, and gradually building up the amount you drink.

Staying out in the sun all day Spending every single second of the day outside in a heatwave means your risk of ending up burnt, dehydrated, or with sunstroke are pretty high. Try to give yourself breaks from the heat – preferably between 11 am and 3 pm and walk or sit in the shade.

Thinking ‘less is more’ when getting dressed Avoid tiniest shorts and tight vest for a day. Instead, it’s best to go for light, loose-fitting cotton clothes. And don’t forget your hat.

are like the tip of the iceberg. You also need to watch out for hidden sugars, which lurk below the surface and sabotage weight loss.”

Also, a good diet works best paired with regular exercise. So, there you have it! Diet tips from the horse's mouth. Cut down on sugar, and consume healthy carbs.

It's as simple as that!

The world celebrated World Yoga Day on June 21 and the theme for this year was 'Yoga for Well-Being'. Countries are still reeling from the effects of a global pandemic, and at a time like this, mental and physical health is of prime importance. Yoga keeps your body and mind strong. In fact, it has even proved to be beneficial for those recovering from the virus.

Yoga is a way of holistic living that can be used to lead a happy, healthy life. To prosper physically and mentally, it is important to nourish your mind and body, and boost immunity. Thousands of people found shelter in yoga as they tried to cope with the stress and anxiety of being in isolation.

People recovering from Covid-19, continue to face challenges in resuming their normal routines. This is where yoga plays a crucial role. Certain asanas build immunity, relax the body and mind, and prompt faster healing. It also helps tackle mental exhaustion after the infection. Exercises like Marjaryasana (cat pose) and Bitilasana (cow pose) stretches the body and soothes the spine and stomach. Similarly, Anulom-Vilom helps reduce stress, and improves breathing and circulation.

Listed below a few highly effective asanas that will help you begin your yoga journey.

Bhramari Pranayama: It helps mitigate migraines, and improve concentration. It is known to instantly calm your mind and works best on people with issues related to blood pressure.

Matsyasana (fish pose): This posture encourages deep breathing and boosts the body’s energy level. It also clears the nasal pathways and soothes congestion, which is beneficial for recovery from Covid-19.

Kapotasana (pigeon pose): This asana strengthens back muscles and improves posture.

Bhujangasana (cobra pose): This asana stretches the chest, improves respiratory functions and reduces fatigue and stress. It also strengthens the spine, gluteal muscles, and shoulders and improves the flexibility of the back.

Advasana (reverse corpse pose): This asana aligns and strengthens the spine, and improves ventilation by reducing dorsal lung compression.

Microscopic metals found in Alzheimer patients' brains In a new development in the Alzheimer's world, scientists have found tiny deposits of elemental, uncharged iron, and copper in human brains. An international team of researchers discovered the microscopic metals in postmortem brain samples from two Alzheimer's patients.

Metal ions are essential components of many enzymes that catalyze chemical reactions in cells. These positive ions can strip the electrons from other molecules, oxidizing these molecules.

The deposits of copper and iron that the scientists identified in the brain tissue of people with Alzheimer's were however, in their elemental, uncharged form. These are highly reactive metal atoms that, under normal circumstances, would rapidly undergo oxidation to form more chemically stable ions.

Researchers found the metals within beta-amyloid plaques, which are the clumps of protein that are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Why is this important? The tiny deposits of elemental iron that the team found in the new study were magnetic, in theory, doctors could use them for diagnosis or as a marker of disease progression.

Scientists from Keele University and the University of Warwick in the UK and those at the University of Texas in the US collaborated for the study. The research has been published in the medical journal Science Advances. The team used exceptionally powerful X-rays from the UK's national synchrotron Diamond Light Source and the Advanced Light Source in California to image the brain

tissue.

Co-author Joanna Collingwood, Ph.D., says, “This is a fascinating and unexpected discovery, enabled by the sensitivity and precision of the synchrotron techniques we have used to study these human-brain-derived samples. We know that certain living systems can produce elemental forms of metals, so it will be important to discover if these arise from equivalent but previously undiscovered pathways in humans, or if the metallic forms arise as a direct consequence of disease.”

Co-author Neil Telling, Ph.D., professor of biomedical nanophysics at Keele University said, “It is entirely feasible that beta-amyloid prevents the elemental iron and copper from oxidizing.

These elemental phases are extremely reactive to oxygen, so for us to be capable of measuring them using X-ray microscopy must mean their oxidation state has been stabilized in some capacity.”

He added, “This line of research could ultimately lead to new treatments that target metals, as well as the amyloid proteins currently under consideration.

The existence of tiny magnetic iron particles within plaques could also help with diagnosis and to monitor disease progression, as they could, in principle. be detected by MRI scanners.”

To Our Readers

We are publishing these reports in good faith.

Before you try any of these remedies, please consult the doctor. We are not responsible for any adverse effects.- Editor

28

ART & CULTURE

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

respecting time schedules and allowing for the possibility of working with different people/spaces in the course of the day,” Ninad said.

He further added, “There is no shortcut to hard work. Go watch more theatre! Talk to the artists, tell them your thoughts, express your desire 'to be in the room' and spread the word for shows that are happening. It is not necessary that every show you watch has to be the best show known to man. Watch bad shows! It's so much fun to talk about it after. It does you a world of good as an artist.”

Two experiences that came to his mind are the teachings and classes with Kelly Hunter MBE and Ita O'Brian.

Kelly taught him the Shakespeare module and invited his class to join her Hunter Heartbeat Method shows with Flute Theatre. He said, “The work gave us so Shefali Saxena much more than what we put in and allowed us to develop significantly as Ninad Samaddar teaches theatre studies at thinking actors. Especially with Kelly, I was the Department of Performing arts, Theatre able to bring her to India; conduct several Studies and Music at Christ University workshops with leading theatre spaces and Bengaluru. He’s also an actor who pursued educational/research organisations and MA Acting from Drama take the work forward as her Centre London. Ninad is also India Coordinator.” the Indian Coordinator for Ita on the other hand Flute Theatre. taught Ninad the importance In an exclusive of choreography for intimate conversation with Asian Voice, scenes. Ninad said, “I think we he spoke about his time in the were the first batch at Drama UK, the future of arts and tips Centre to exercise these for aspiring students of acting. principles for our shows and “I had an incredible showcase which was such a experience studying arts in the unique experience for the UK. The main reason for this batch. I hope I'm able to bring was witnessing first-hand the her to India and show her advantages of having theatre work to the audience here as identified as a primary NINAD SAMADDAR well.” profession. The advantages of a Ninad further added, “I Union, equity pay for cast and envy the audience support that theatre gets crew allowing students and practitioners to in the UK. The general audience is excited partake in part-time jobs, thereby to watch shows and that's something largely

‘I envy the audience support that theatre gets in the UK’

missing across the demographic here. The norm of hanging out after watching a show, around a theatre space is so vibrant that it leads to the government confidently investing in the craft.”

In the post-pandemic world, he thinks it's going to be difficult but finding people who love the craft and aiming to work with them seems like a good way to go.

Commenting on the future of theatres, he quoted John Stienbeck and said, "The theatre is the only institution in the world which has been dying for four thousand years and has never succumbed. It requires tough and devoted people to keep it alive."

Dear young theatre enthusiasts, 1. Read plays. Don't read them alone. It's very boring.

2. Volunteer with youth theatre movements. Find the closest one near you.

3. Watch plays! The pandemic has opened up resources from across the globe making plays accessible to the general public.

4. 'Be in the room' Just because you aspire to be an actor or director doesn't mean you can only learn by being one. Volunteer as a rehearsal assistant to a production process. Observe the talent and work in front of you.

5. Ask questions! Just make sure the intent behind the question is curiosity and not to shame. Ask questions in the comment sections, ask questions after send emails and plays, participate in your classroom experiences. There are no silly questions ever.

British Asian music artists come together to raise awareness of organ donation British Asian music artists have recorded a new version of the song ‘Hero’ as part of an urgent call for members of the British South Asian community to pledge their support for organ donation and potentially save lives.

In June 2019, 1023 people from the Asian community were waiting for an organ transplant in the UK, making up 17% of the transplant waiting list. While between June 2019 and May 2020, 922 people from an Asian background received a deceased donor transplant, making up 14% of all recipients. Yet during the same period, only 71 organ donors came from an Asian background, just 3% of all donors.

The new music track is part of the initiative ‘Life beyond Death - Pass it on’ which was commissioned by three community organisations: Veerayatan UK, Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur UK and Shishukunj London.

The cover of Mariah Carey's iconic track performed by 16 talented British Asian artists, including Ambika Jois, Shivali Bhammer and Sonna Rele, has already received rave reviews. The song has been released with the hope of spreading awareness about

the NHS' organ donation campaign in the UK. The project was made possible thanks to funding from NHS Blood and Transplant’s Community Investment Scheme, which provides grants to organisations to raise awareness of blood and organ donation amongst Black and Asian communities.

The three community organisations are making an urgent call to the British South Asian community to open a dialogue about organ donation with their families and be proactive as despite the recent change in the law which has taken effect families will always be involved before organ donation goes ahead.

JalTarang -A melodic percussion Paromita Goswami is based in Kent with her family. She is working as HR Professional in Transport for London. Born and raised in Kolkata and is classically trained vocalist under the tutelage of Pdt Ajoy Chakroborty, Smt Chandana Chakraborty during her formative years and Smt Anubha Mukherjee.

“I curated my first digital maiden production JalTarang -A melodic percussion which was facilitated by Nehru Centre, London. This was highly acclaimed and well-received across the fraternity. The show was intended to reflect Indian musical,” she said.

JalTarang will be used for Goswami’s next production “Saaz” for online streaming on Facebook. Goswami told, “This time, I am planning to curate my second production Saaz -Symphony sets Her Free.

This will be a musical documentary where 78 female renowned vocalists across the globe (India, UK and USA) will perform accompanying one musical instrument or

reprised musical composition. The show will be based on a strong message of empowering Indian women. This will be premiered on 24th July and facilitated by ICCR, Netherland.” There are 8 female vocal artists who will partake in the programme. The show will have 7 keynote female speakers

who are exemplary role models of Indian Women Empowerment. Some of them are Dr Padmashree Shobhna Narayan - an internationally acclaimed Kathak dancer, Priya Dinesh -Regional Europe head of Times Group of India, Dr Nirmala Sharma - Director, ICCR Hague, Netherland, Toolika Rani - Ex Squadron Leader, the first woman from UP to climb Mount Everest. Ted speaker, Mountaineer and Asma Said Renowned Indian origin British chef.

There are a few more probable Keynote speakers on the list like First IPS woman officer Smt Kiran Bedi, Padmashree Kalpana Saroj.

Goswami added, “This is not a celebratory show but a project that will ingrain positivity, courage and encouragement amidst all the distress we are going through. It’s a non-commercial event and with the intention to positively reinforce the Indian women tribe.”

in brief 7TH EDITION OF THE BIRMINGHAM INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL The Birmingham Film Festival is live across the UK, and it’s gearing up for the opening night in the cinema next Friday 25 June. At the 7th edition of the Birmingham Indian Film Festival, you'll be able to see films in cinemas from 25th June till 4th July and selected films will be shown each day of the festival online at www.loveliffathome.com, available for 24 hours. A programme of exclusive interviews that have been prerecorded and can be watched worldwide at www.loveliffathome.com including Bollywood Director Karan Johar and actresses Shruti Hassan and Janhvi Kapoor.

WEMBLEY PARK’S POPULAR FREE OUTDOOR CINEMA From Thursday 29 July, Wembley Park’s popular free outdoor cinema, Summer on Screen, will return for five weeks in the Events Pad, across from the London Designer Outlet, on Wembley Park Boulevard. You can visit Summer on Screen for an exceptional outdoor cinematic experience of hand-picked films under the summer night sky, with a choice of socially distant deckchairs or beanbags for a comfortable experience. There’s a range of choices from 18 cinema gems including cult classics, magical musicals, and family favourites. Guests can see smash hits like the acclaimed play Hamilton, or for those in the sporting spirit, Bend it Like Beckham will show on the 17th August, when the Olympics fever will be in full swing. An array of Bollywood classics will also be shown, including Manmarziyaan on the opening night, as well as educational and popular documentaries from National Geographic which will be screened in the day. Best of all, screenings are completely free, so be sure to arrive early for pre-show entertainment, food, drink, and to secure seats.

When: Thursday 29 July-Sunday 5 September.

Where: Events Pad, Wembley Park Boulevard.

Price: Free.

THE 10 AVATARS OF VISHNU The 10 Avatars of Vishnu, written by Sunita Shah and beautifully illustrated by James Ballance is available to buy now from www.TheJaiJais.com. With their unique storytelling approach, engaging children and increasingly adults too, it is of little surprise perhaps that The Jai Jais has been overwhelmed with pre-orders for this new book. As a thank you gesture to their loyal followers, The Jai Jais placed 10 Golden Tickets inside pre-orders (the UK only) to allow lucky winners to win the rest of the books in their Legends Series, and are excited to see who the winners are. In 2021 they have released this, their 21st book.

Their portfolio now encompasses a range of products catered towards 0-12-year-olds from The Baby Jai Jais collection of books and books on festivals and Gods and Goddesses to artwork, puzzles and mindfulness materials such as yoga cards.

Sunita’s relentless pursuit of educating children earned her the Woman of Excellence Award in the Education category, in celebration of International Women’s Day 2021. It recognises her many achievements and her desire to strengthen the lives of families worldwide in the Jai Jais way.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

BOLLYWOOD 29

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

Vidya Balan “hugely flattered” after being compared to Kate Winslet Shefali Saxena

V

idya Balan shot Sherni before and during the pandemic.

There was a gap of about six- seven months after lockdown. What gave her the mental resilience to step out of home and take a risk? Vidya told Asian Voice, “I have to say that when I stepped out I wasn’t scared. At my expense, I knew that they would take great care of the people on set. The film would get made anyway. What was important was that everyone on set was safe and I knew that was being taken care of. It was like a time machine. I remember walking on the set and feeling ‘oh my god’, it really felt like robots because everyone looked alike, everyone was wearing masks and PPE. She agreed that it was a bit challenging for others.

Vidya gets to work with an outstanding supporting cast that comprises Sharad Saxena, Vijay Raaz, Bijendra Kala, Ila Arun and Neeraj Kabi among others. When asked how empowering it is to have that kind of support, she said, “I feel truly grateful for the love I have received as an actor all these years. I think it feels wonderful to be paired with such fantastic actors. Acting seems like child play. So we use to be bantering on set and we would shoot and come back from where we left off. So it was fabulous.”

She further added, “It’s so exciting when you work with actors like the kind I got to work with on 'Sherni'. I have to also tell you that it was wonderful to work with villagers who were nonactors and they surprised me with their ease in front of the camera. I thought they would probably stitch up or forget their lines. But not at all.

The mobile phone in that sense has made everyone camera friendly.”

Amit Masurkar who has directed 'Sherni', has previously delivered a critically acclaimed film like Newton (starring Rajkummar Rao). Does that experience help actors like Vidya in gathering more conviction about a project? Vidya said, “Your own experiences help. As you said when you have a director like Amit who is adept at dealing with non-actors. They found their way around this.

There were two people dedicated to training the

Father's Day post: Anushka shares pictures of her husband, father Anushka Sharma shared a set of pictures with her husband, cricketer Virat Kohli, and her father Col. (retd.) Ajay Kumar Sharma to mark Father's Day. Her series of pictures included an unseen photo from her pregnancy days, a picture of her with her father, and picture of her father and Virat together.

She captioned it, “The two most exemplary men. The two who 'get me'. Filled with bountiful of love and grace. The best father's a daughter can have #happyfathersday.”

Anushka and Virat embraced parenthood earlier this year, when they welcomed their first daughter, Vamika. While they have shared glimpses of the little one, they have decided to keep her identity under wraps for now. In an interview with Vogue India last year, Anushka had said, “We've thought about it a lot. We definitely do not want to

raise a child in the public eye – we don't plan on engaging our child in social media. I think it's a decision your child should be able to take. No kid should be made to be more special than the other.

It's hard enough for adults to deal with it. It's going to be difficult, but we intend to follow through.”

Anushka is currently in the UK, supporting Virat as his squad competes against New Zealand at the World Test Championship.

On the work front, she was last seen in 'Zero', which released in 2018. She has been producing content since then, including digital releases 'Bulbbul' and 'Paatal Lok'.

villagers in the lines. It was a well-worked out system. It definitely helps that Amit is someone who is comfortable in the space.”

Vidya’s performance in 'Sherni' reminds a lot of people of Kate Winslet from Mare of Easttown. Reacting to that comparison, Vidya said, “Thank you for that compliment. If something I’ve done reminds you of Kate Winslet, I’m really thankful. I’m hugely flattered. But I think this Vidya Vincent is an everyday woman. She’s not aggressive. She’s someone who seems passive but at the end of it, you realise she’s grown up. Despite what image and perception you have of her, we realise that we tend to box people so easily. So you feel she’s not a strong woman, but she’s strong, she’s a woman of integrity.”

“It is annoying to be underestimated. She has this desire to be taken seriously,” she added. Vidya plays the role of a forest department officer who navigates through misogyny, bureaucracy and life in general.

Vidya is perhaps the only female actor to have had two releases direct on OTT during the pandemic. Commenting on how she selects scripts, Vidya said, “I just choose scripts based on my instinctive reaction. When I begin to see myself in the character that’s being offered to me, then I know I can do it. But sometimes the most beautiful stories don’t inspire.

“I feel you have to adapt to the situation. I’m blessed that I’ve been able to have two releases in the pandemic, despite the fact that there isn’t much work happening right now. I feel very fortunate to have had two releases. I think the jitters are there, irrespective of the fact whether it’s the silver screen or OTT platform because finally, people are going to see you they are going to hopefully like you, I don’t want to consider otherwise.

But yes, it takes the pressure of box office off your shoulders undoubtedly and that’s a welcome change.”

“It’ll (OTT) earn you more and repeat audiences. You are no longer dependant on a telecast. You can watch it whenever.

There’s something for everyone. People who enjoy documentaries have access to documentaries. People who enjoy festivals had a very small audience. There’s a long and short format, and it depends on the genre of the kind of film you want to see. I definitely think it’s given people freedom, the freedom to choose and decide.”

When you watch a film at a theatre, you almost always watch it till the end. But with OTT, you have the luxury to close the window if you don’t like the first ten minutes. Does that put any kind of pressure or changes the approach towards movie editing?

Vidya said, “For me, the pace is very important because I am an impatient person, so if you don’t get me in the first ten minutes, you’ve lost me. Films that grab you in the first minute and film that take a few minutes or films that play. There’s an audience for every kind of film.

“Sherni is not a fast-paced thriller. It’s a very unusual film.

Generally, things seem to come to a standstill, it’s not like city life that has a buzz. If you try and intrude space unnatural, I don’t think you’ll be able to do justice to the content.”

Karan Johar launches

Yash Johar Foundation In memory of his father, filmmaker Karan Johar launched the Yash Johar Foundation. He said the aim of the foundation is to “improve the quality of life for people in the Indian entertainment industry.” He made the announcement on Instagram.

He wrote, “This has been a true labor of love... created in memory of my incredible father and to carry forward his legacy. I am proud to launch the Yash Johar Foundation, which has been set up with the aim to improve the quality of life for people in the Indian entertainment industry. While we have initiated the implementation of long-term sustainable plans that will enhance the lives of people and their families in the industry, we have also ensured that immediate solutions are being provided to help them deal with the effects of the on-going global pandemic.”

He also posted a video of himself talking about his father. He says, “My father, Yash Johar, loved everything about the movies, he just had to step on to a movie set, and he was a changed man. But his heart lay in the people who made up the industry – from the spot boys, to the cameramen, the editors to

the actors, they made up his world.”

He adds, “He was naturally a kind and empathetic person, who understood that being in the movie business was hard.

Which is why, it gives me great pleasure to announce the formation of the Foundation, for the people of the entertainment industry. The Foundation has three main pillars of support - financial well-being, health, and education and vocational training. Considering the current scenario and taking in account its effects and after effects of Covid-19 we have initiated YJF Covid response 2021 to address immediate needs like food, shelter and medicine for those within the entertainment industry who have been negatively impacted by the pandemic.”

On the work front, Karan’s last feature film was 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'. He also helmed a segment each in Netflix’s anthologies – 'Lust Stories' and 'Ghost Stories'. Next, he will be directing his magnum opus, 'Takht', starring Kareena Kapoor Khan, Vicky Kaushal, Alia Bhatt, Bhumi Pednekar, Janhvi Kapoor, Anil Kapoor and Ranveer Singh.

30 BOLLYWOOD

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

Priyanka joins

Victoria's Secret Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas has officially joined lingerie brand Victoria's Secret. Sharing the update on her social media accounts, she called it an incredible experience to be receiving such a positive response, adding it has fuelled her further. The iconic brand has dropped all its supermodels or “Angels”, with an aim to change its image. It announced that it has roped in celebrities and leaders like Priyanka, football star Megan Rapinoe, and five other women.

Priyanka took to Instagram to share the update. She wrote, “Representation matters. It's crucial for us to show EVERYONE all over the world that they matter and are seen! As a founding partner of #TheVSCollective and advisor to the business this is exactly what I intend to do. It's been so incredible to see your

reactions to yesterday’s announcement. It's fuelled me further and I am excited to bring about meaningful change at one of the world's most iconic brands. I'm so proud to be in the company of the Collective of incredible women that will helm this change.”

She added, “PS: thank you to my dream team for always thinking big with me. For going on the wild rides I want to embark upon. And for fighting the big fights! Love u and am especially proud of u on this one!” Priyanka also shared pictures showing her fans' reaction and it is heartwarming to say the least.

On the work front, Priyanka has a few movies in the pipeline. She will be seen in 'The Matrix 4', led by Keanu Reeves, 'Text For You', and a Bollywood movie. She also has the series 'Citadel' in the making.

An essential window into the toxic world of bureaucracy and misogyny 'Sherni' Review Rating: 3.5 stars Director: Amit Masurkar Cast: Vidya Balan, Vijay Raaz, Brijendra Kala, Sharad Saxena Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Shefali Saxena

Amitabh Bachchan remembers Milkha Singh Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan remembered late sports icon Milkha Singh by sharing the last page of his autobiography 'The Race of My Life' on Twitter. Taking to the microblogging website, Bachchan shared the contemplative page in which Singh had shared his thoughts about life.

The page reads, “My final words would be: life as a sportsperson is hard, and there will certainly be times when you might be tempted to quit or rake shortcuts - but remember there are no shortcuts to success. At such times you should try and derive inspiration from this Urdu couplet: “Mita de apni hasti ko agar koi martaba chahe, ki dana khak may mil kar gul-e-gulzar hota hai.” (Destroy your entire existence if you want to reach the zenith, Cos a seed has to become one with dust to sprout the blossom into a flower.)

Bachchan captioned the post, “The last page of Milkha Singh's book .. An inspiration for all.”

In an earlier tweet, Amitabh mourned the death of the Indian athlete. He wrote, “In grief .. Milkha Singh passes away .. the pride of India .. a great athlete .. a greater human

.. Waheguru di Mehr .. prayers.”

Singh passed away in Chandigarh, at the age of 91. He was in isolation at home after having tested positive for Covid-19. He is a four-time Asian Games gold-medalist and 1958 Commonwealth Games champion.

Called 'The Flying Sikh', he is to this date, the only Indian athlete to win gold in the Asian and Commonwealth Championship. Singh is survived by one son and three daughters.

Challenges of being a superstar, an old lesson from Shah Rukh Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is one of the biggest names in India and abroad. We recently revisited an old interview given by the actor, who talked about the toughest parts of being a successful actor. Shah Rukh said, “Getting up in the morning and finding out you are not completely bitten off.

There are some parts of you that are left.”

“You know, you can marry – marriage is easy, to sustain it is difficult. To have kids is easy. Takes a little bit of work in the evening, and in nine months, you have one. But to bring them up well is difficult,” Shah Rukh said. The actor goes on to say that he tries to get 89 hours in a day. “Everybody wants a part of you, and they pay you for it. And you say okay, why not, make hay while the sun is shining.”

Finally, he shares an important life lesson given to him by late Bollywood choreographer Saroj Khan.

She told him, “Kaam jab mile toh naa nahi kehna, kyuki jab nahi milta toh bohut dukh hota hai. (When you get work, never say no, because when you don't have work, it hurts a lot).”

Newton director Amit Masurkar’s latest release 'Sherni', stars Vidya Balan as an upright Forest Officer who strives for balance in a world of man-animal conflict while she also seeks her true calling in a hostile environment. Vidya plays the role of Vidya Vincent who navigates the bureaucratic toxicity and misogynistic remarks every day during her deputation.

The men in the film openly pass sexist remarks at Vidya, undermine her, snatch the mic from her when she’s about to speak, test her temper and shake her confidence while she tries to make some difficult and spontaneous decisions to save the tigers. When Vidya figures out mistakes, a man offers her orange barfi (sweets), when she presses further, he offers to bring pastries next time.

While Vidya initially wants to give up and resign, her husband places the excuse of the perks that a government job provides, while loosely slipping his own job insecurity into the picture.

'Sherni' is also about the imbalance of life and climate change activities that impact both animals and humans.

Vidya tries to understand the plight of the local villagers, figures out another source of income for men and women who cannot take their cattle to the forest while their lands are locked down due to the fear of attacks by tigers.

The men in the movie are some of the stalwarts of acting in the Hindi film industry. They match up to the understated energy of Vidya Balan who establishes that she’s not bigger than the movie, which most actors never dare to do.

Neeraj Kabi (the astonishingly corrupt idol), Brijendra Kala (the boss), Vijay Raaz (Vidya’s only companion and Zoology teacher who helps in taking DNA samples from animals), Sharad Saxena (the annoyingly misogynistic, narcissistic and corrupt officer), all help in weaving the loose ends of the movie together, to make it a must-watch for students, and unaware citizens, as to what actually happens in such reserves in the country.

'Sherni' satirically exposes the unsolicited intervention of politicians in matters of national importance only at their own convenience around elections. Director Amit Masurkar and writer Aastha Tiku do an excellent job at knitting imperative issues (corruption, bureaucratic issues, destruction of public property, illiteracy and terror) in this screenplay with finesse.

Vidya’s mother-in-law (Ila Arun) sees that she’s not wearing any jewellery and traditional Indian make-up accessories while going out to dinner, Vidya pauses, goes inside her room and puts on all the jewellery she can. Her husband (Mukul Chadda) who is dressed up like a teenage boy with socks and sandals along with half pants, has the audacity to say, “Wow so beautiful ya!”

At some point in the film, she chooses whiskey over mocktails and finally, one day, in an extremely cathartic scene, she sits on a cliff and tears roll down her face. She’s exhausted and heavily disgusted with the corruption and sexism around her. She does end up making a huge contribution towards the end in the forest. She inevitably reminds us of Kate Winslet from Mare of Easttown, which makes one ponder that the actor has completed over 16 years in the industry. There’s nothing left to prove.

Spoiler alert: The particular tigress who is the subject of the movie is finally shot dead by a corrupt Sharad Saxena. Soon after shooting her, he also makes sure she is hit by a tranquillizer dart so that people don’t realise that she was illegally shot. Symbolically, the same happens to women in our society, and to Vidya in this film.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

KOLLYWOOD

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

31

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

Tamannaah set to host MasterChef Telugu Southern superstar Tamannaah Bhatia is all set to host the first season of the Telugu version of popular cooking reality show MasterChef India. Her debut as a TV presenter, she is expected to begin shooting for the show next month. Passionate about cooking, Tamannaah said coming on board the show as a host was an exciting development.

She released a statement saying, “I can't wait to treat myself to all the exotic culinary delights on set. It's going to be extremely exciting and gratifying.” The show will be shot at film city in Bidadi, Karnataka, where a huge set is currently being set up.

MasterChef Telugu will have 26 episodes of

Rajinikanth heads to US for regular health check-up Veteran actor Rajinikanth has reportedly left for the US for a regular health check-up. He was spotted at the Chennai International airport over the weekend accompanied by wife Latha. Photos and videos of them have gone viral on social

media platforms. Media reports suggest Thalaivar has a general medical check-up on his agenda.

Both he and his wife are expected to spend the next few weeks in the country as he will undergo a few tests. He is expected to return to India on July 8.

On the work front, Rajinikanth has completed shooting of his upcoming film 'Annaatthe'. He shot non-stop for

35 days to complete his portions in the film which came to an abrupt halt in December 2020, when several crew members tested positive for the coronavirus.

Written and directed by Siva, 'Annaatthe' also stars Khushbu, Nayanthara, Keerthy Suresh, Jackie Shroff, Jagapathi Babu, Prakash Raj and Vela Ramamoorthy. It is slated to be released on November 4.

Parvathy claps back at online trolls Malayalam actor Parvathy Thiruvothu is not known for her subtlety. Known for her outspokenness, she has often been bait to online abuses and non-stop trolling by her detractors. However, none of that has fazed her yet. Parvathy recently took to her Instagram page with a funny lip-sync video making a comeback for online trolls.

“This is not the first time and it won’t be the last. Your emphatic hatred towards me and slithering joy over my being ripped apart in a public space shows more about your issues than who I am. We don’t have to agree on anything, but if you can’t hold a respectful space for debate, conversation and allow growth, you’re adding to cancel-culture,” she wrote in her latest post.

Asking those who take out time to attach her on social media to get a life, she says, “I am not here for it.

I hold space for myself and for others. I will never shy away from working hard to become a better version of

myself. While you trip on tearing someone down with your assumptions and analyses, make no mistake you're the only one falling.”

She recently made headlines for “liking” an apology posted by rapper Vedan on social media following sexual misconduct allegations. She later posted an apology for her “like”. She posted a statement that read, “I apologise sincerely to the survivors who have so bravely spoken up against the accused singer Vedan. I had liked his apology post with the thought that many men don't even acknowledge that they were at fault. I know clearly that it is not something to celebrate. I truly believe that it's of paramount importance that the survivors be respected as they go forth with the case.”

She added, “I removed my “like” as soon as I got to know that a few survivors said the apology was not a sincere one. I stand corrected. Whether to forgive and how to heal is always the right of the survivor and I'll only always stand by them.”

one hour each, and opening and closing episodes of 90 minutes each.

Sun TV Network has bagged the satellite rights for producing the regional versions of the show in Sun TV (Tamil), Gemini TV (Telugu), Udaya TV (Kannada), and Surya TV (Malayalam). Actors Vijay Sethupathi, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and Kichcha Sudeep will host the show's Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada versions respectively.

On the work front, Tamannaah will next be seen in Hindi film 'Bole Chudiyan', and in Telugu films 'Seetimaarr', 'Gurthunda Seethakalam' and 'Maestro'.

Karthik Subbaraj on 'Jagame Thandhiram': Wanted to create a global story Writer-director Karthik Subbaraj recently spoke in-depth about his latest crossover gangster drama film 'Jagame Thandhiram' featuring Tamil star Dhanush and Hollywood actor James Cosmo of 'Games of Thrones' fame. He said he aimed to reach out to the Indian and international audience.

Talking in an interview, Subbaraj said. “I felt I should make a film in New York with a known gangster face and a Tamil character from Madurai. It should be a global story. The initial idea was to do a cross country film bringing two worlds together. The aim was to make it enjoyable to Indian and international audiences.”

He added, “The entire gangster scene is totally different, they call it a family, it is called Cosa Nostra (Our Thing in Italian).

There are ItalianAmerican gangster families, Irish gangster families, etc. I am from Madurani and I had explored that world with Jigarthanda and I wanted to seamlessly merge both the worlds.”

The movie revolves around Suruli, played by Dhanush, a nomadic gangster who has to choose between good and evil in a war for what one can truly call home.

Known for his crime movies, Subbaraj said he never attempts to glorify the bad guys in his movies.

21.30 KAHU CHU SAMBHALO CHO

SATURDAY 26 JUN

TV Listing

11.00 KANCHAN ANE GANGA

14.00 RASOI SHOW

18.30 ABHILASHA - EK ASTITVANI 19.00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR

* Schedule is subject to change

MON 28 JUN FRI 2 JUL 2021 11.00 Kayado

14.00 RASOI SHOW

18.00 ABHILASHA - EK ASTITVANI 19.00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR

19.30 MANMILAP.COM

20.00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI 20.30 SHANI

21.00 PREM NI BHAVAI

21.30 KAHU CHU SAMBHALO CHO

SUNDAY 27 JUN

15.00 Veer Hamirji

19.30 MANMILAP.COM

18.00 RASOI SHOW

20.30 SHANI

22.00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI

20.00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI 21.00 PREM NI BHAVAI

19.00 BACK BENCHER

* Schedule is subject to change

MON 28 JUN FRI 2 JUL2021 8.30 BHARADWAJ BAHUEIN 15.00 RAMAYAN 16.00 SILSILA BADALTE RISHTON KA 16.30 RASOI SHOW-DESI FLAVOURS 17.30 CHHUTA CHHEDA 18.00 TUM KAUN PIYA 18.30 DIL KA RISHTA 19.00 BHAGYA KA LIKHA 20.00 DIL SE DIL TAK 20.30 BARRISTER BABU 21.00 EK SHRINGAAR SWABHIMAAN 21.30 SASURAL SIMAR KA 2

“Most of my protagonists are in grey shade because when they shift their focus to the good or bad side, you will be able to see the change and relate to it more. 'Jagame Thandhiram' is not glorifying evil. There is a reason for them (the characters) to do certain things and then the shift happens,” he said.

Produced by YNot Studios and Reliance Entertainment, the film also features Joju George, Aishwarya Lekshmi and Kalaiyarasan.

22.00 ISHQ MEIN MARJAWAN 3 SATURDAY 26 JUN 15.00 RAMAYAN 16.00 SILSILA BADALTE RISHTON KA 16.30 RASOI SHOW-DESI FLAVOURS 17.30 CHHUTA CHHEDA 18.00 KHATRA KHATRA KHATRA 19.00 BHAGYA KA LIKHA 20.00 DIL SE DIL TAK 20.30 BARRISTER BABU 21.00 EK SHRINGAAR SWABHIMAAN 21.30 SASURAL SIMAR KA 2 SUNDAY 27 JUN 16.00 SILSILA BADALTE RISHTON KA 16.30 RASOI SHOW-DESI FLAVOURS 17.30 DESI BEAT (SEASON 3) 18.00 KHATRA KHATRA KHATRA 19.00 BHAGYA KA LIKHA 20.00 DIL SE DIL TAK 20.30 DESI BEAT RESET 21.00 EK SHRINGAAR SWABHIMAAN 21.30 KHATRA KHATRA KHATRA

32

www.asian-voice.com

26 Jun - 2 Jul 2021

AsianVoiceNews AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Milkha Singh, the sporting legend, has moved to a better world

Milkha Singh

Legends never die! This is why Milkha Singh will always be alive in the memories of Indians and in all those budding athletes whom the ‘Flying Sikh’ inspired. The track, to him, was like an open book in which Milkha found the "meaning and purpose of life". And what a life he made for himself.

Before his 91-year-old body lost to Covid-19 on June 18 after fighting it for a month, Milkha won the kind of battles that not many would have survived, forget about living long enough to tell the world about them.

Milkha conquered the world of athletics with his grit, determination and resolve to rise from every setback like a phoenix.

Thanks to his performances across the

globe, Milkha dominated the field of sprinting for more than 10 years, scripting numerous records and winning multiple laurels for the country. His demise, it undoubtedly is the end of an era that saw none come even close to his achievements, let alone match them. A glimpse into the stupendous athletics career of Milkha Singh can be had from this mind boggling fact: his 400 metres Indian national record stood for 38 years and the 400m Asian record for 26 years. In 1960 in Rome, he came closest to winning an individual Olympic Games medal as an Indian, in 400m, eventually finishing fourth in a photo finish.

Interestingly, Milkha broke the existing world record of 45.9 sec in Rome. He finished fourth with a time of 45.6 seconds, as per a hand-held device, while an unofficial electronic timer at the games clocked him at 45.73 sec. This has been a point of contention, though.

The emergence of the ‘Flying Sikh' Milkha represented India at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, the 1960 Olympics

Sneh, Taniya snatch draw from the jaws of defeat Debutants Sneh Rana and Taniya Bhatia shared an unbeaten 108-run stand for the ninth wicket to secure a memorable draw for India in the one-off women's Test against England at Bristol County Ground on Saturday. If Deepti Sharma produced a dogged resistance with a 168-ball 54 in the top-order, Rana topscored with an unbeaten 80 off 154 balls and frustrated the England bowlers with two crucial partnerships down the order with Shikha Pandey and Bhatia (44 not out off 88) respectively.

The 27-year-old Rana, who had taken four wickets in the first innings with her off spin, had made a national comeback with this game. The two teams eventually decided to shake hands after 121.2 overs.

Forced to follow on after being dismissed for 231 in their first innings, India resumed the final day at 83 for one but lost talented Shafali Verma (63) early.

Sharma then joined hands with Punam Raut (39) and added 72 runs to take India to 171 for three at lunch.

But the visitors lost four quick wickets for 28 runs to stare down the barrel at one stage before Rana and Pandey batted for almost 17 overs to stem the rot as India took tea at 243 for 8 with 40 overs still remaining in the match. After the break, Rana continued in the same vein as she smashed 13 fours in her 154ball innings to take India's

lead across the 150-mark.

Earlier, India opener Shafali (63) Verma could add just eight more runs to her overnight score as she was caught by Katherine Brunt off Ecclestone in the 30th over. Smashed for a straight six in the first ball of the over, Ecclestone came back to dismiss Verma in the last delivery with Brunt taking a spectacular catch at longon. Sharma and Raut then showed great resilience as India took a lead of six runs with seven wickets in hand at lunch. However, a sudden lapse of concentration saw Sharma go for a reckless slog off Ecclestone in the 58th over only to drag the ball onto her leg-stump in what was the last ball before lunch.

Sharma played some good looking shots, which included a drive off Anya Shrubsole and a sweep shot.

Raut too had a few hits to the fence - one off Ecclestone across the cover region and the other being a back-foot punch through covers. Sharma reached her 50, taking a single off Natalie Sciver behind square

in the 55th over before being dismissed at the stroke of lunch.

England dealt two quick blows, dismissing skipper Mithali Raj (4) and Raut cheaply to leave India at 175 for five after lunch. While Raj completely misread a Ecclestone delivery only to see it clip the bails off, Raut, who was looking good till then, ended up giving a straight catch at square leg.

Pooja Vastrakar (12) then smashed three boundaries off Ecclestone in the 68th over before being cleaned up

by Heather Knight in the 71st over. Vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who had scored just 4 in the first innings, too couldn't last long in the middle as she got out playing a slog sweep to become the fourth victim of Ecclestone.

Pandey and Rana then hit eight boundaries between them before the former was caught behind off Nat Sciver's bowling in the 91st over. For England, Sophie Ecclestone (4/118) was the best bowler, while Sciver took a couple of wickets.

in Rome, and the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.

He was the first Indian athlete to claim a gold medal in the individual athletics category at the Commonwealth Games before the sprinter's record was broken in 2010. Milkha, who is regarded as one of the world's greatest athletes, defeated Pakistan sprinter Abdul Khaliq in a 200-Metres race to win a gold medal in Tokyo Asian Games.

Khaliq was the fastest man in Asia in 1958 and after Milkha defeated him, the Indian sprinter was given the title of "The Flying Sikh".

One of independent India's biggest sporting icons was a tormented man but refused to let that come in the way of accomplishments that were unheard of in his era. He saw his parents being butchered during partition, indulged in petty crimes to survive in the refugee camps of Delhi, went to jail for those, and failed three attempts at joining the Army. Milkha was born in Layalpur, in undivided India, and now in Pakistan. His love for athletics began after he enrolled himself with the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) of the Indian Army in Delhi. His talent blossomed while being with the Army. Fortunately for him, his officers

encouraged him, and that would have played a role in him winning the 200m and 400m races at a Services Athletics Meet in 1955.

His sporting achievements won him kudos from the Army, and the Indian government awarded him the Padma Shri in 1959. The same year, he was awarded the prestigious Helms Award. Milkha took premature retirement from the Army and took up the post of Deputy Director of Sports with the Punjab government. He got married to Nirmal Kaur, captain of the Indian volleyball team, in 1963.

The couple was blessed with three daughters and a son, golfer Jeev Milkha Singh. It was quite stunning that an athlete of Milkha's stature was offered the Arjuna award, instituted in 1961, only in 2001. He famously turned it down, saying the honour was not of the "stature of the services he rendered to the nation". In 2013, 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag,' a film on the legendary sprinter was made to showcase his incredible struggle from being an orphan to becoming one of the greatest athletes of all time. Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar essayed the role of 'The Flying Sikh' in the biographical drama.

India end day 5 at 64 for loss of two wickets Mohammed Shami’s artistry was on full display but New Zealand still managed to take a crucial 32-run lead after scoring 249 on the fifth day of the World Test Championship final against India on Tuesday.

More than the quantum of the first innings lead, New Zealand will gain psychological advantage as their seam attack can go for the kill on the final day to force a result. New Zealand showed more intent on keeping the scoreboard ticking with Kyle Jamieson (21) and Tim Southee (30) throwing their bats around for useful runs which certainly put the pressure back on India going into the final session of the day.

India lost openers Shubman Gill (8) and Rohit Sharma (30) in the final session but Cheteshwar Pujara (12*) and Virat Kohli (8*) ensured that no further damage was done as India ended their second innings on Day 5 of the WTC Final at 64/2, taking a marginal 32-run lead.

Earlier, India pacers led by Mohammed Shami (4/76) wrapped up New Zealand's first innings at 249. Skipper Kane Williamson (49) led the Kiwis from the front as they took a small 32-run lead. Along with Shami, Ishant Sharma (3/48), Ashwin

(2/28) and Ravindra Jadeja (1/20) also chipped in with wickets to restrict New Zealand. Jasprit Bumrah once again had an off day today as he ended the first innings wicketless. Post the tea break, Rohit and Gill got off to a steady start, adding 24 runs in 10.3 overs but then the latter was undone by a perfect delivery from Tim Southee.

Towards the fag end of day, Rohit misjudged an in-swinger from Southee to hand him his second wicket of the session.

With just one day remaining in the Test now (added reserve day), a draw seems the most likely scenario unless one of the either two teams suffer a dramatic collapse on the final day.

The tea break was called after the fall of last New Zealand wicket. Mohammed Shami (4/76), after a mesmerising morning spell, got a couple of more wickets in the post-lunch session. He dismissed Colin de Grandhomme with a delivery angled in and Jamieson with a bouncer. During the final half-an-hour, India’s senior-most player Ishant Sharma (3/48) denied half-century to a dogged skipper Kane Williamson (49) with a classic Test match dismissal - delivery rearing up and shaping out which was edged to Virat Kohli at third slip.

Kohli breaks Dhoni's captaincy record Virat Kohli on Saturday last went past his predecessor MS Dhoni's record of leading India in the most number of Test matches as he walked out for the toss in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final against New Zealand. Dhoni had captained India in 60 Test matches before announcing his retirement from the longest format of the game. Kohli, who was handed the reins for the final Test match against Australia on the 2014-15 tour, is leading India for the 61st time in Test cricket.

Under Kohli India has been the most consistent Test side over the past 5

Virat Kohli

years. He has led India to victory in all the 11 Test series at home since taking over and has won in West Indies, Sri Lanka and twice in Australia. While Dhoni won 27 Test matches as captain and lost 18 in his 60 in charge, Kohli is also India's most successful Test captain with 36 wins and 14 losses.

Kohli is also the longestserving Test captain for any Asian country with Sri Lanka's Arjuna Ranatunga and Pakistan's Misbah-ulHaq behind him as they captained their respective teams in 56 Test matches each. During the toss, Kohli said, "We would've probably bowled first as well. But runs on the board has been our strength. As you saw the makeup of our side, the balance is such that we prepare for any conditions.

We've been performing really well in Test cricket.

For us this is just a Test match we have to be professional in, have to follow our processes.