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Gold hunt in UP following seer’s dreams
Even as the archaeologists are digging under a 19th century fort in Uttar Pradesh to hunt for the hidden 1,000 tonnes of gold that a seer dreamt of, the saint has come up with yet another claim that even a bigger treasure is buried in the state. The seer, Shobhan Sarkar, made the claim after he dreamt of a bigger gold treasure of around 2,500 tonnes Continued on page 26
CHOGM: Prince Charles to represent Queen
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Cameron urged to take up case of missing persons with Lanka govt
The Prince of Wales Prince Charles will represent the Queen at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo during his visit to Indian Sub-continent next month. Ahead of the CHOGM, the Prince accompanied by Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, will visit India. As per Clarence House announcement the couple will travel to Dehradun, Delhi, Mumbai, Poona and Kochi. The Prince of Wales is set to travel India extensively. The visit is being seen as underlining UK Government’s commitment to cement rela-
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Pakistani girl kept sex slave for 9 years by Pensioner and wife
Ilyas Ashar
Prince Charles
tions with India. Prince Charles taking his Mother’s place at the CHOGM for first time would highlight his commitment to the Commonwealth. He will also celebrate 65th birthday in the island country on November 14 and on
David Cameron
the next day he will attend CHOGM. The 87-year-old Queen Mother is missing the CHOGM for the first time since 1973. The CHOGM at Colombo has been dogged by controversy. Canada’s Prime Minister has Continued on page 26
A deaf and mute girl was trafficked into Britain by a pensioner and his wife to act as a sex slave for the next nine years, when she was only ten years old. Forced to sleep in a basement, she was repeatedly raped by Ashar and forced to carry out over-demanding chores, including cook-
Tallat Ashar
ing, cleaning, sewing, washing and ironing. On Wednesday 16th October, after two trials spanning six months and a £4 million investigation Ashar and his wife Tallat, 67, who live on Cromwell Road in Salford, Manchester, finally faced prison. Continued on page 4
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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
Keith Vazwith MP
Keith Vaz MP
Dame Anne
- but I’ve never forgotten the people I worked with first at JCWI and who taught me so much. Vishnu Sharma’s calm wisdom developed over decades, Ann Dummett’s perceptive analysis of racism, Ian Martin’s leadership – all gave me models of what was important and how to tackle it.
Dame Anne Owers was appointed Chair of the IPCC in February 2012 for a five year term. Her role is part time and non-executive. Anne was HM Chief Inspector of Prisons from 2001 to 2010 with a remit that included inspections of prisons, immigration removal centres and police custody. Between 2010 and 2011 she chaired an independent review of the prison system in Northern Ireland. She is currently a non-executive director of the Criminal Cases Review Commission and holds a number of voluntary roles, mainly in the area of penal policy and activity. 1. Please tell me about your current position? I am currently Chair of the Independent Police Complaints Commission, and was previously Chief Inspector of Prisons 2. What are your proudest achievements? As the first person in my family to go to university, I’m very conscious of how much I owe them, and I hope they would be proud of what I’ve done
with that inheritance. 3. What inspires you? The people I meet – both those who have lived through painful or difficult experiences, and those who are committed to changing systems for the better.
children – but it was worth it, and I was very lucky to be given opportunities within the voluntary sector.
4. What has been the biggest obstacle in your career? Getting back into the job market at the age of 34 after spending time with my three small
5. Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date? There are so many, as I’ve worked with some great people
6. What is the best aspect about your current role? The fact that the IPCC’s work can make a real difference – for individuals, and to policing as a whole. 7. And the worst? When we fail to live up to the expectations, particularly of bereaved families – and when our work is misrepresented or misunderstood.
goals? To spend more time with my husband and six lovely grandchildren – but in the meantime, to develop and expand the IPCC, and the public’s trust in us. 9. If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change? I would invest more in the neglected area of mental health. Not only does this cause huge distress to individuals and families directly affected, but it also drives crime and criminalisation of the mentally ill, who too often end up in prisons or police stations because of a lack of proper care outside. That affects us all. 10. If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why? Leonardo da Vinci – both for the breadth of his knowledge, and also because he might be able to invent a wonderful machine for getting us off the island.
World Punjabi Organisation hosts Inspirational Annual Dinner
The luxurious Park Lane Hotel was host to the World Punjabi Organisation's Annual Dinner on Wednesday 16th October, where four World War Veterans from the Sikh regiment were presented with the Jewel of Punjab (Punjab Ratan) award. Britain’s Secretary of State for Community Welfare, Rt Hon Eric Pickles presented the coveted awards to 100year-old Samitter Singh, 93-year-old Gulzara Singh, 92-year-old Rajinder Singh Dutt and 89-year-old Mukhtiar Singh Rai, for their patriotism and dedicated service during the Second World War. A Charitable services award was presented to A P S Chawla, founder chairman of the Roko Cancer, for raising awareness of Breast Cancer. Also a cheque for £2,000 was presented to Gurpal S.Oppal who ran the London Marathon to raise funds for Bowel Cancer Charity. The Award ceremony was attended by many dignitaries including Lord Andrew Feldman, Chairman, Conservative Party, Lord Navnit
8. What are your long term
tributions of Sikhs particularly during the World War.” Mr Shailesh Vara, also in attendance, was welcomed as the First Conservative Gujarati Minister in Her Majesty’s government & was specially garlanded on the occasion. Son of a Gujarati carpenter, Shailesh said though the ethnic community from South Asia accounted for four per cent of the population, their contribution to the Exchequer was over ten per cent. He told the youths that “if you work hard you can achieve your dream in this country. Take it from me, a carpenters son who is now a gov-
called the British people this is our country, have your ambitions and I promise you, you will be able to achieve them.” Rt Hon Eric Pickles said: “You deserve a lot of credit, you're the people here who pay taxes, who give that commitment to Britain, set up businesses and that is what is making Britain great again. We need to understand that we are changing for the better, we are stronger because of the Punjabi population. We are stronger because of the Chief Guests Lord Feldman, Sec. Of State Rt Hon Eric Pickles , Minister Shailesh Vara, roots of the Punjab.” President WPO R S Baxi & committee members with the recipients of Punjab Ratan “We want to be friends Dholakia, Deputy Leader of sacrifices, patriotism extended an invitation to with India because of of Liberal Democrats in and dedication of the Sikh Rt Hon Eric Pickles to what India offers. It is a the House of Lords, Warriors and the British visit Punjab and especially new democracy, a fresh Minister Shailesh “our most Holiest exciting place. Vara, Judge Mota Shrine, Amritsar” on Whether it is going Singh, Lord Diljit his next visit to India. to be an Indian Rana, Lord Raj “We still remember Century or not, I Loomba and Lord with pride, the recent can guarantee that Indarjit Singh. visit of Prime we will be standing Speaking on the Minister David side by side with occasion, R S Baxi, Cameron to Amritsar, India in the coming President of WPO and we would love to decades” (European Division) see you visit there Lord Feldman “A lot more needs Lord Dholakia presenting cheque also,” he said. lauded the contributo be done to restore to Mr Gurpal Oppal with Minister Lord Dholakia tion of Sikhs to the Shailesh Vara the legacy of our falllauded the efforts of British economy, en heroes as we preBaxi in keeping the saying “the times Minister Shailesh Vara welcomed by Punjab community pare to commemorate in soldiers who fought are changing and the President Mr R S Baxi, Dr M S Duggal together and high- Senior V President , Dr M S lamba Gen Sec C o n s e r v a t i v e s 2014, 100 years since the together for a better and lighting their achieveoutbreak of the first world safer today.” believe in the family ments. He said “one war. ”The visit certainly On behalf of the values and hard work just ernment minster. We are can never forget the conbrought heroic memories Punjabi Community, Baxi as you do.” part of the community
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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
COMMENT
Getting rid of a white elephant
Air India was a Tata creation, and a successful one at that. The Government of India’s decision to nationalize it in the mid-1950s owed more to political ideology than economic sense. Simply because it was the national carrier it assumed the status of a sacred cow, with governments and legislators compelled to pour in billions of rupees (and dollars) to keep the airline afloat. For much of the time Air India was run with callous disregard for efficiency and best practice. Better late than never, wisdom has dawned at last and there appears to be a growing realization that Air India’s hopes for the future as a worthy and profitable airline is best achieved under private sector control. Increasing competition from players such as Etihad Airways, Singapore Airlines and AirAsia has clearly raised the game. Air India has recently registered a healthy profit of Rs 1,000 crore but this must be set against the huge losses incurred previously – the overall debt a continuing burden on the national exchequer. The first light to pierce the encircling gloom came with an honest interview to an international TV channel by Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh. Come the next general election, he said, and a new government, the best way forward for Air India had to be given serious consideration. Would it therefore not be prudent sell off the airline to a private buyer, say, the Tata Group, while Air India is in profit and is likely to fetch a good price? The Finance Ministry’s promise to provide $6.5 billion to Air India until 2021 must surely open to
revision given India’s large current account deficit. The second compelling reason for a change of course is that the government has other more urgent responsibilities to consider, such as the country’s abysmal healthcare, primary and secondary education systems. Government over-reach makes for poor governance. There is a great deal of talk these days about a public-private partnership in infrastructure, so why not begin with Air India? The private sector can take-over as the senior partner, and if circumstances warrant, the public sector can eventually surrender its back seat and concentrate time and money on areas of proven competence. Minister Ajit Singh, in his TV interview, put the case for privatization succinctly. His words were well calibrated: “This government has six months only. When I say it [Air India] should be privatized then that is something the next government will have to face.…In my view the government should not be in the service sector; especially not something like airlines where the competition is fierce, margins are very thin and the decisions have to be taken quickly.” Super patriots, like the Communist parties, who in 34 years of misrule, reduced West Bengal to a ruined hulk through mismanagement, cronyism etc, will shout loudest when the bullet is bitten and Air India is placed in private hands for restoration to permanent sound health, but their vacuous cries will carry no weight. Those parties with true concern for the public good should do the right thing by Air India and allow it free rein.
A few days back, noted lyricist Javed Akhtar termed BJP’s prime ministerial candidate as ‘Fascist’. He didn’t stop there but asked Muslims in India to vote for Congress on a national television channel. Same way Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh compared the Gujarat Chief minister with German dictator Adolf Hitler accusing Modi of following disgraced dictator to grab power. Well ahead of India’s upcoming general elections, Modi’s rivals are trying to downsize his increasing popularity across the country. But there are many who consider him as Hindu nationalist. Modi’s view on Muslim and Christian nationalist are being gradually endorsed by many not only in India but also in other countries too. Under his rule of over a decade in Gujarat, issues taken by Modi government including female feticide, inclusive growth, development and reduction of corruption have been acclaimed in various sections. Corporate world is looking at him to play a bigger role after 2014 general elections. An Indian industrialist was quoted in the Economics as saying that the industrialists in India are in a funk and it is waiting for NaMo (Narendra Modi) to make things in place. There are people who strongly believe that he can make the trains run on time. Modi who made a humble beginning from his father’s tea stall can become India’s Margaret Thatcher; such beliefs prevail in the minds of investors hailing from western world. Industries
look at him as a great reformer. Impressed with Modi’s development model in Gujarat, many of his detractors have literally started thinking otherwise. They are now prepared to overlook Modi’s past. Two most powerful Indian tycoons Ratan Tata and Mukesh Ambani laud Modi as visionary leader. It was Modi’s ‘Midas Touch’, which made the World’s cheapest car plant functioning in a record time, after the Nano car factory was in trouble at Singur in Eastern state Bengal. After Tata Motors, Ford also started their manufacturing facility in Gujarat. General Motors too has a factory in the state. His government’s reform on electricity is also acclaimed widely. Unlike most of the Indian states in the country, even smaller villages in Gujarat gets uninterrupted electricity round the clock. His various initiatives on public- private partnership models also get momentum. “Under Narendra Modi’s leadership Bhartiya Janata Party is certainly heading towards becoming the largest party in the Lok Sabha or Indian Parliament”, Financial Times London stated last week. Current Congress led UPA government is becoming aloof from corporate India. Marred with scams like Coalgate, 2G and others, the popularity graph of the Union government has literally gone down. In this messy situation, people engaged in various sectors believe that Modi is the man who can give clean and transparent administration.
The one thing India can do without is hypocrisy and pious clichés on what it would take to bring about a durable Indo-Pakistan peace. The Asia Society in New York is a watering hole where America’s great and good congregate for an evening’s rendering of comforting platitudes. The ventriloquist’s dummies speak their rehearsed lines and the organizers go home content and a good night’s sleep. The performer on this occasion was a Pakistani lawyer, Yasser Hamdani by name. In a contrived blame game he pointed a finger at Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and Manmohan Singh for the present impasse in relations between their two countries. This absurdist genuflection to objectivity will find few takers in India. Indian public opinion was none too pleased with Dr Singh’s decision to go ahead with his pre-arranged talks with Mr Sharif on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly summit of world leaders. He did so fairly reluctantly, if only to inform his Pakistani counterpart that no progress towards a new Indo-Pakistan relationship was possible until acts of cross-border terror-
ism had ceased. Mr Hamdani, with every appearance of living in cloud-cuckoo-land, came up with kindergarten anecdotes from Mohammed Ali Jinnah’s life, including his avowed hopes for IndoPakistani amity. Such cheap, insulting guff makes things worse, not better. Mr Hamdani seemed blissfully insensitive to the devastating impact on Indian opinion of Pakistansponsored terrorist attacks on Indian targets, amounting to a virtual state of undeclared war. The interview to the Hindu newspaper, Husain Haqqani, a former Pakistani ambassador to the US (now under a cloud in Islamabad) and author of a magisterial work, “Pakistan Between Mosque and Military,” spoke candidly of his country’s fragile politics, the continuing power of the military behind the scenes and its continuing paranoia about alleged Indian encirclement of Pakistan through Afghanistan. The French have a saying – The more things change, the more they remain the same. We would do well to take this Gallic wisdom to heart.
Is Modi on the way?
Let’s be done with hypocrisy
3 Live now. Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard, U.S.S. Enterprise
“Our London” Navin Shah
GLA Member for Brent and Harrow
Local Shops under threat The Coalition Government is seeking to introduce Planning Deregulation which will damage the planned approach to shaping our neighbourhoods. This may help property owners and developers, but my concern is with the consequences for economic growth to our communities. Consultation closed recently on plans to allow property owners to convert shops into flats almost overnight without requiring planning permission. If this goes ahead, then we are going to lose some of the local shops and parades that are at the very heart of our communities. I believe that small shops play a valuable role in our communities and define the places and people that those communities are all about. These are the places people need on a daily basis, and where neighbours run into one another and say hello. But if this government and supporters of radical moves to do away with a plan-led system have their way, many of these local shops will be driven out. The higher land values for residential use will put retail under huge pressure to be converted, or at least have their rents raised, thanks to hope value. These shops will be replaced by poor quality housing built without most requirements to meet stringent space standards and other local authority standards or provision of infrastructure. That’s why the London Assembly unanimously passed my motion calling on Mayor Boris Johnson to lobby government to reverse
its plans. Members of all four parties are united in their concerns that this proposal undermines the London Plan goal of creating “a city of diverse, strong, secure and accessible neighbourhoods.” London prides itself on its network of diverse local communities. We can’t afford to stand aside whilst this government experiments with them. Local people don’t want to lose their shops. But the government that trumps localism is more than happy to tear away any control from the people who will be most affected. In a deregulated system where councils can’t even protect the corner shop from developers, what does localism even mean? To sweeten the poison, government is portraying this as a way of tidying up high streets. Planning minister Nick Boles implied the policy would get rid of “thousands of empty and underused buildings” and replace them with much-needed housing. But in fact this is an untargeted policy. There’s no way to differentiate between empty and occupied premises. Thriving shops could be converted while empty ones continue to stand empty. We’ve already seen this happen with the recent introduction of similar permitted development rights allowing owners to convert offices into flats, with evidence showing a quarter of all requests to do so have been for offices that were occupied by employers providing jobs. The policy will only apply to small shops. Continued on page 6
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UK
Sikh community urged to register as organ donors
Sikhs from the Midlands and across the UK are being urged to join the NHS Organ Donor Register and inform their loved ones of their wishes. Members of the Asian community are more likely to need a transplant but will wait longer than the general population for a donor and they may not get the organ they need. Only around 2% of organ donors each year are Asian but the community makes up nearly a fifth of those who need a transplant. A series of TV programmes, Organ Donation – let’s make a difference, will air from next week (w/c 28 October), aiming to raise awareness and bust myths around organ donation. Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust’s organ donation committee joined forces with Sangat Television, the Sikh com-
munity TV channel with a studio in Birmingham, to produce the series. Supported by NHS Blood and Transplant, the organ donation organisation for the UK, five programmes have been made and will air on Sangat TV (Sky channel 847 and online at http://sangattelevision.o rg/). The first episode will be broadcast on Tuesday 29 October at 8.30pm. The following four episodes will be shown at the same time each week until the final programme airs on Tuesday 26 November. Dr John Bleasdale, clinical lead for organ donation at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, explained: “The hospital organ donation committee and Sangat TV wanted to raise awareness about the need for organ donors among the Sikh community. We believe organ donation fits with the Sikh faith and that there is a real need in
this community for more donors. If more people registered more lives could be saved and members of the community might not face waiting longer than others when they need a transplant.” Jude Martin, specialist nurse in organ donation with NHS Blood and Transplant who is based at City Hospital, Birmingham, looking after donors and their families, said: “Transplants save lives but without donation, there can be no transplantation. We need more people to donate to save even more lives.” You can watch the programmes on Tuesdays at 8.30pm on Sangat TV on SKY channel 847 or on the web at http://sangattelevision.o rg. Further information and details on how to become an organ donor can be found by visiting www.organdonation.nhs .uk or by telephoning 0300 123 23 23.
cellar. The trial heard that for up to nine years, the victim slept on a concrete floor in the cellar and was regularly hit for her work.
was sad and weak because I was working so hard. I had to clean all the time and that was it – that was my life. I’d cook and clean for hours.’ Lights in the cellar would be flicked on and off when her captors needed her. ‘The lady got angry because I was making too much noise, but I wouldn’t know I was making noise. I would be sitting in there crying for hours and hours, sitting alone.’ P e t e r Cadwallader, prosecuting at the first trial, said the girl was also forced to clean for friends and family of the Ashars. He said: ‘She was physically abused, she was sexually abused and she was exploited economically. She had nowhere to go. Who could she have turned to? She knew nothing else.’ Since her discovery, Salford council social services have taught her sign language. Sue Lightup, Director of Adult Services at Salford city council, said: "Watching her transform from a shy, withdrawn girl with no means to communicate to a strong woman who was able to give such compelling evidence using sign language is nothing short of remarkable."
Pakistani girl kept sex slave for 9 years by Pensioner and wife
Continued from page 1
Ilyas Ashar, 84 was found guilty of 13 charges of rape at Munshull Street Crown Court in Manchester, and his wife Tallat found guilty of two counts of trafficking a person into the UK for exploitation and four counts of furnishing false information to obtain benefits. The girl, who is now 20 years old and has five brothers and a sister living in Pakistan, remembers meeting the Ashars as a child and being forced to put her thumbprint on a document believed to be her passport. She arrived in the UK on June 24, 2000, under the pretence that she was 19 years old, despite being only 11 years old. She was initially given gifts such as bracelets before her situation became sour. She was asked to work and was made to pack football shirts and mobile phone covers to sell on market stalls before becoming the couple’s slave at their home in Eccles, Manchester. The Ashars illegally claimed housing benefit and income support using her name. They were arrested in June 2009 after police went to the house about a separate matter and found the girl in the
The brutal ordeal took the victim 49 days to relay the events during the trial, via video link in a private room – a record number of days for a victim of rape in the British judicial system. She had to have two interpreters who had to translate firstly in sign language and then in Urdu. They were also monitored by two other interpreters in the room while a language expert was sat in court. Their victim told Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester: ‘I
Loomba Foundation raises £150,000 at Prestigious Guildhall Banquet
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
The UN accredited, the Loomba Foundation, hosted its annual fundraising banquet at the prestigious Guildhall in London, which was attended by over 400 guests, including senior politicians, diplomats and business leaders. Acting High Commissioner for India, His Excellency Dr. Virandar Paul, Chief Guest and Deputy Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg MP, Guest of Honour were welcomed at the Guildhall by the Foundation’s President Mrs. Cherie Blair CBE QC, Trustee Lord Dholakia PC OBE DL and Lord Loomba CBE, Founder and Chairman Trustee of the Loomba Foundation Dr. Virandar Paul said, "the plight of widows and other women is a fact of life. We cannot and should not ignore it. They need our support. It is a global challenge and the whole society has to come together - Government, international institutions, business and social activists in tackling the issue." Speaking on the occasion, Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the Foundation has been doing a "superb work" in trying to provide solace to widows who have been facing "terrible discrimination". Describing Lord Loomba's efforts as "heroic", Clegg said, "It is a wonderful effort and he
Lord Dholakia, Cherie Blair (President), Lord and Lady Loomba
Lord Dholakia, Mrs Shamin Lalji (Trustee), Deputy PM Nick Clegg
has dedicated so much of his life for this cause". Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife, Cherie Blair, the President of the Foundation, said over 245 million widows and their 500 million children around the world suffers social injustice in silence. Over £150,000 were raised at the event for the empowerment of 3000 impoverished widows in India, who will each receive a sewing machine and training to make garments. The Foundation raised sufficient funds for 7.000 widows in last year, who will now be able to complete its project for
economic empowerment of 10,000 widows, which was launched by the charity in 2012. Lord Loomba CBE said “"The impact of this project would be that not only 10,000 widows will be economically empowered, but they will also educate about 30,000 children assuming that they have three children on average. They will further support 60,000 of their family members assuming there are around six family members in each household. Therefore, 100,000 people stand to benefit from this project," Lord Loomba said.
Kidnapped brother and sister reunited with mother
The mother of a two-yearold girl and her baby brother who were snatched from a hotel room on Friday, has been reunited with her children. Na'ilah Khan and her 10month-old brother Sulaimon were found at a guest house close to Derby town centre at around 7pm last night. The children's father Saleem Tahir, 40, and grandmother Denise Smith Sellars, 67, both from Nottingham, were arrested by officers from Staffordshire Police. Na'ilah and Sulaimon Khan were taken from the Quality Inn Hotel in Hanley, Staffordshire at around 5pm on Friday. Police launched an appeal for information on their whereabouts amid concerns for their safety. The youngsters had been staying at the hotel with their mother and maternal grandmother when they were taken. Hotel manager Patrick Fitzgerald said: 'The maternal grandma came
Na'ilah and Sulaimon Khan
Denise Smith Sellers
running downstairs and she was hysterical and distressed and we called the police immediately. When the mother realised what had happened she was distraught. It was quite shocking.’ Na'ilah and Sulaimon's mother said in a statement: 'Words cannot express how I felt when
Saleem Tahir
the police told me they had found my two babies. I have just been numb these last few days. It was like a part of me was missing. No mother should have to go through this ordeal. I would like to thank Staffordshire Police for their support, help and dedication in returning my children back to me.'
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
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UK
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
Here Comes Trouble As I See It
Recent visit of George Osborne to China has aroused many questions among people of Britain. It sounds welcome news as cash-rich China is all set to invest billions of pounds in nuclear power station. Besides power stations, Chinese may pump in money in high speed rail lines, wind farms and a new sewer network for London. The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is putting huge money into a business district at Manchester airport, which is expected to generate thousands of jobs over one and half decade. The Chinese property developers have inked deals to develop London’s South Bank, while a Chinese insurance company has bought the capital’s Lloyd’s building. The picture is not as rosy as it is being portrayed. The announcement for Hinkley Point is likely to be that, we Britons are to guarantee for 35 years to pay nearly twice the current price of electricity to a consortium of the French Government and Communist Chinese rulers. The price rise is looming on pensioners and employers and at the same time sending dividends to other governments. Naturally every thing comes at a cost! Nuclear energy is the most sensitive area. Strong debate is already on whether Britain should retain its nuclear weaponry or not. But what happens, if China has control of nuclear energy? Though I am in Britain for the last five decades, I clearly recall independent India’s ambition to have India-China cooperation. In the midst of the famous slogan Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai (Indian and Chinese are brothers), suddenly out of the blue the Chinese troops entered Indian territory in 1962 and marched 200 km inside up to Tezpur in Arunachal Pradesh. Despite India's commitment to co-existence and peace, China still controls a large portion of Indian soil. Britain needs to be careful in the context of Indian experience. US bankers have already criticized ChinaUK developments. This cooperation will have to cope with China’s controls on the mainland capital account and currency. Another important aspect of Tibetan plateau should also be considered. Nearly 100 monks and nuns have burnt themselves to death since 2009 in protest against Chinese occupation. According to some, Osborne took a risk that no other country would take. UK needs to be extra careful after clearing the way for China to control nuclear power stations. In a world where everything has a price, our value as a nation seems to be plummeting. The huge investment of Chinese companies may result in high rates of dividends. Who will pay it? Ultimately the end users - consumers, this fact has to be considered. Britain must be shrewd enough
about what is being given away to Chinese. The important issue for me is not electricity supply but the technology. The sad aspect of the whole story is the nuclear plants are not being built by Britons, designed by Britishers after UK scientists pioneered the technology. What will happen to 150 firms that make nuclear components if China takes control of power stations? For any country, energy and infrastructure are related to security. Whether this angle has been scrutinized thoroughly? Is giving control of strategic assets to outsiders would make sense? Looking to the safety aspect, the US government denied the French, a controlling interest in a nuclear power station. We need to understand that China doesn't have respect for intellectual property rights. The experience of Siemens and Kawsaki are eye opener. China signed the companies to build six trains to modernize railways. After that, China made at least 50 similar trains on its own and the companies are now complaining that their technology was used to build the new trains. There are a plethora of such examples. Now what are the alternates? Some people came with an idea to install smaller reactors to cut down the cost of the plants. Though it would take more time to match 1600-megawatt of Hinkley but at the same time some electricity can be availed along the way of installation process. Britain has acquired distinction of a small country playing very important role on international stage for freedom and peace. Remember it was Britain, which abolished the slavery. It was this small country, which withstood the onslaught of Hitler during the World War II. If Britain would not have been able to stand up to German axis power, what would be the shape of the world today? For nearly one hundred years, USA and UK have worked in close co-operation and with all its limitations the coordination has played an important role as international policeman. We don’t live in perfect and predictable world. In less than 35 years, communist China has become hugely rich, following modalities of the Capitalists. China is, by all accounts, almost ready if not totally ready to challenge USA, in Asia Pacific region especially. Chinese hand on British nuclear energy could be of great concern to the policy makers of USA. In this economic environment, the defense budget is under severe pressure. Britain is putting less emphasis on conventional weapon. The nuclear arm is a very sensitive subject, even a remote scope of a potentially unfriendly nation requires careful consideration. - CB
Mali: The backbone of today's Contemporary Art Form
Mali, an edgy and wellestablished conceptual artist, has increasingly become known as the backbone of today's Contemporary Art form. Coming to the UK in 1962, he has built up a reputation of being an exceptional conceptual artist. In 2004, his work was sold at Christies. His entry is in Who is Who in Art, published by Hilmartin Manor Press UK and Dictionary of Indian Art and Artists published by Pratima Sheth, India. He gives seminars at various colleges, schools and community centres. Mali is also an
avid collector of art, as well as coordinating shows for other artists. For more than two decades, he has been working around the subject of the Book and has participated in 151 group shows along with 28 solo shows. An artwork which is of particular interest is one entitled 'Puja 2004'. An interesting structural piece, Mali said: “Puja is one of the popular girl's names in Indian society. When we go to the temple, there is a special ceremony there which is a form of prayer. We use a circular plate, lights, flowers, san-
dalwood, rice, red and black pigment and coconut incense sticks. It is taken around to the people who are attending the ceremony in the temple. I have often used flowers in my work as a symbol of Mali. The form is a flower. I used garden furniture to show the circular form of Puja.” Mali's works were displayed at an inspiring exhibition that was launched at the Sunbury Embroidery Gallery in Thames Street. The gold medal-winning gallery displayed works by textile designer Ewa Morawski and conceptual artist Mali.
Spriha Srivastava
Sai walk from London to Leicester (SHITAL) introduced this Religion and charity are historic event to all Baba’s two things that are worshippers in the United extremely personal to people. Many a times people Kingdom earlier this undertake activities to month. Entitled ‘Walk for raise funds for a specific Sai, London to Leicester’ cause they believe in. the idea of this walk was These may include to promote Baba’s mesmarathons, charity balls sage of religious harmony etc. However, religious & tolerance. marches are as old as reliAbsolutely amazing gions itself. There are varand an extremely brave ious reasons for the motiattempt by these men, vation, but all their objecwhose age ranges between tive is same, ‘reaching 21 and 58 years. Every their desired destination from the point of origin’. What is interesting to know is the process of reaching, the desire for marching & their source of inspiration. A recent religious walk took place from London to Leicester in order to pay tribute to Shri Shirdi Sai Baba. A group of 10 walkers started from SHITAL’s temple in Wembley on 9th October 2013 & reached Baba’s temple in Leicester on Shri Shirdi Sai Baba 13th October 2013 morning by 11 am. individual/walker has “We believe that no unbelievable stories to other temple has done share and at the same time all of them unanimously anything like this before in agree that it is something this country. The group you have to experience & has covered absolutely 97 miles in 5 days, in fact 89 cannot be expressed in in the first four days and 8 words how unique, miles on the last day,” the blessed and happy they temple authorities said. feel. Shirdi Sai Baba has The challenges were become a household name many. They faced wind, recently for the majority of cold, rain, pain, blisters those originated from and a lot more. But none Indian subcontinent. His of these could deter their teachings attracted milattempt to carry on the lions and almost all those entire walk. Carrying the experienced Baba in one saffron flag and a portrait way or the other. It is a of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba the walk turned out to be common practice in India extremely successful. that his devotees walk to Their entire journey Shirdi in Maharashtra was extremely challenging from all parts of the counand tiring but they still try. The walk from Mumbai to Shirdi is reached their destination extremely popular. While in time. following the protocol of “The journey began on Shri Sai Baba Sansthan 9th October in Wembley Trust, Shirdi, in the day to temple at 9.45 am and day worship in its temples after walking for 24 miles in Wembley & Leicester, they reached Luton at Shirdi Sai Baba Temple 7.30 pm and rested that Association of London night. On 10th morning
they marched for 23 miles and reached Milton Keynes. From Bletchley to Milton Keynes they were followed by BBC Radio 3 County and even interviewed by Roberto Perrone. Next day they walked for another 18 miles to reach Northampton and rested. The fourth day they marched for 24 miles and got dropped to a hotel in Wigston. Next day they were dropped at where they left and walked for 8 miles to reach the Shirdi Sai Baba temple in Leicester,” the authorities said. All through their journey a vehicle was following them with all the supplies and assisted them during their breaks with food, drinks, first aid etc. The idea was to reach on October 13th that happened to be Dussera, a festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil. And they proved that by overcoming all challenges and reaching their destination. According to the temple authorities, the funds raised by this event will be used to improve the infrastructure of SHITAL and also to open more temples. This event will also set precedence for more such future events and will inspire more and more devotees to undertake this in order to promote the message. Shirdi Sai Baba, was an Indian guru, yogi, and fakir who is regarded by his devotees as a saint. He remains a very popular saint, especially in India, and is worshiped by people around the world. He had no love for perishable things and his sole concern was self-realization. He taught a moral code of love, forgiveness, helping others, charity, contentment, inner peace, and devotion to God and guru. He gave no distinction based on religion or caste.
Let us know what you think. Email Spriha at aveditorial@abplgroup.com
Local Shops under threat
Continued from page 3
Local authorities will be able to deny change of use where this will have an economic impact on the town centre (though they’ve been warned to use this only sparingly). The problem is that these restrictions will only protect the big town centres – the corner shops, local parades,
and neighbourhood centres will be indiscriminately targeted for conversion. The result will be fewer jobs in the neighbourhood. It will mean not being able to stroll down to your corner shop for a pint of milk. It will mean not having a local parade of shops with a dry cleaner or a hairdresser. Popping to the shop could become, for many of us, a
thing of the past. That’s not right for our economy, for sustainability, or for our communities. In fact, it’s not right full stop. Government needs to do the right thing and abandon this proposal. Londoners need help from Mayor Johnson who must strongly lobby against yet more ill-conceived planning deregulation.
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RfO urges Leaders to Embrace and Embed Diversity in the Workplace
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
Women Empowered Evening inspires Women and Men
Dhiren Katwa
There is a desperate need for more visible role models from ethnic minority communities in British society, Adrian Joseph, Chair of Race for Opportunity (RfO), told guests in his welcome address. Speaking at the annual RfO Awards Dinner at Hilton Park Lane Hotel last Tuesday, Mr Joseph encouraged guests to review and refresh their Diversity strategies to reflect, and to celebrate the fast changing population trend. “Without wise leadership a nation is in trouble, “ said Mr Joseph. He also praised the Youth Advisory Panel describing their work as “exceptional”. Guests included Pinky Lilani, founder of Asian Women of Achievement Awards, Ravi Chand CBE from the Home Office, Paul Leinster, CEO at the Environment Agency, Mohan Gharial from GlaxoSmithKline, Dr Kathlyn Wilson from University of Bedfordshire Business School. Other organisations represented included Shell International, Sky, Transport for London, Google, HSBC Bank and HM Revenue & Customs. Currently only 1 in 16 of FTSE board members are from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) background, 1 in 8 employers in the UK are from BAME groups and 1 in 4 of young people in the UK are BAME. The consumer spending power of Britain’s BAME communities is more than £300 billion per annum and research shows that diverse teams improve decision making and
Adrian Joseph
that the average return on equity is 66% higher if the Board is diverse. So organisations such as Severn Trent Water, HS2 Limited, Worcestershire LEP, Herefordshire Council, to list a few which are just at the tip of the iceberg – still have a lot more work to do. The round table event, hosted by radio and TV presenter Diane Louise Jordan, also featured a panel discussion chaired by Stephen Howard, CEO, Business in the Community. Participants included Janet Hogben from EDF Energy, Adrian Joseph and Antonio Simoes, Head of HSBC UK Bank & RBWM Europe. The event also saw the launch of a new mentoring portal on RfO’s website, to support young people into work and accelerate BAME progression. The Champion Award went to Paul Cleal from PriceWaterhouseCooper s for his role in establishing PwC’s Multicultural Business Network. Transport for London scooped the Collaboration and Partnership Award. The Developing Talent Award was notched up by the Crown Prosecution Service for its Developing the
Sandra Kerr OBE
BAME Talent Pipeline programmes. EDF Energy won the Employee Network Award, while Homes for Haringey were named winners of the Public Sector Future Workforce Award. The Private Sector Future Workforce Award went to Rare for its Articles Programme. Teach First won the Recruiting Diverse Talent Award and the Tr a n s p a r e n c y, Monitoring and Action Award went to the Home Office for E m p l o y m e n t Monitoring. Sandra Kerr OBE, National Campaign Director at RfO, said: “Dynamic and effective leadership is key to create real, sustainable change for BAME people in UK organisations. Companies’ tone, culture and priorities are set from the top, so it’s essential for senior business leaders to engage in developing a diverse and inclusive workforce. “ RfO is the race equality in the workplace campaign from Business in the Community, one of the Prince’s Charities, a group of not-for-profit organisations of which The prince of Wales is President. To find out more visit www.bitc.org.uk
City Academic receives Higher Doctorate Professor Ashwani Gupta, a distinguished university professor at the University of Maryland, USA, has been presented with an honourary Higher Doctorate by Chancellor of Southampton University, in recognition of his contribution to the engineering field. Professor Gupta graduated from the University of Southampton in 1971. He gained his MSc degree from the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and he subsequently moved to the University of Sheffield and completed his PhD in 1973. He then stayed on
as a Research Fellow and Independent Research worker at Sheffield University until 1977, when he became a member of research staff at Energy Laboratory and Chemical Engineering department in MIT. He was instrumental in undertaking major research programs at MIT and in 1983 he moved to the University of Maryland as a faculty member and to serve as Director of the Combustion Laboratory. He has authored over 550 technical papers, three books, nine edited books, 10 book chapters
and delivered over 100 plenary and keynote lectures at international conferences and organizations. His brother, Bhagwan Gupta, 73, of Derby, said: "We are very proud of him."
The relevant topic of entrepreneurship was revisited by Women Empowered at their event sponsored by Deepak Kuntawalla of DVK on a Wednesday evening in Baker Street. Mr Kuntawalla an entrepreneur himself shared his journey and expressed his reasons for supporting the initiative as well as how women played a vital role in his organisation. Reena Ranger and Mona Remtulla founders of the social initiative explained that more and more women and men are looking to start their own enterprises for a variety of reasons which may include, child care costs and flexibility, aspiration or a change of direction. Speakers for this event were Shashi Gossain Founder and Managing Director of Pharmaclinx Ltd, Shavata Singh Founder of Shavata Brow Studios and Hiro Harjani
- Chairman of Aftershock London. Shashi Gossain explained that due to an industry decline in pharmacy she decided to diversify, she needed to be different and her niche was defined by many of the women who came to see her. There was a gap in the market and she decided fill it! She spoke candidly about venturing into new markets, how although there was an economic downturn in the UK and many other countries, her business thrived in Dubai. New markets meant new challenges. Cultural differences between men and women meant that she had to be sensitive and she persevered and it paid off. Shavata Singh of Shavata Brow Studio, she joked that she had plucked her way to the top! She emphasises her immigrant origin, humble
background and the strong work ethic she inherited from her parents. This was part of her story, the other factors of hard work, passion, commitment and luck had led her to where she was today. She urged the women to be brave in business. Mona Remtulla took time to explain that Women Empowered was all inclusive and urged men to attend to create a meaningful dialogue, she went on to say that “we always take a male perspective so that we can understand if the challenges faced are the same for men and women and to create a balanced discussion and promote better understanding”. Women Empowered will be holding their next event on Thursday February 6th and more information will be available on www.womenempowered.co.uk.
launched his first show back in 1993 and the exhibition is now in it's 20th successful year! As the Asian Community was growing he grasped the gap in the market like a true entrepreneur and created an exhibition that would house a multitude of suppliers under one roof and from small beginnings, AWE has grown to be the biggest and most successful event in the wedding industry. Yogesh was a very committed, passionate and a driven individual. He had a very practical approach to business, and enjoyed interacting with people. He had built
a vast network of people he interacted with socially and in business. Yogesh was well known in Asian media and had worked with lots of young Asian businesses. He personally took it upon himself to drive the image of the Asian market and raised the standard of Asian fashion on the UK’s catwalks. Yogesh was an avid badminton & golf player and had a great affinity with the outdoors. A giant personality who was always jovial, caring, passionate and shared a warm everlasting smile. As they say 'the show must go on!', Nilu Kanani, Managing Director AWE will pay tribute to Yogesh's legacy and continue its growing success for years to come and would like to thank all those who have supported AWE and look forward to the continued support of new and existing exhibitors, visitors and Asian media.
Yogesh Chandubhai Kanani: remembering a giant personality with an everlasting smile Yogesh Chandubhai Kanani, aged 47 years, born 27th October 1965 expired 7th October 2013, born in Junagdh, Gujarat (India), settled in South London and finally at his current residence in Ealing. Son of Late Chandubhai Kanani (Former President of Lohana Community South London) and Late Shantaben Chandubhai Kanani. Brother Alpeshbhai Kanani and Sister Pritiben Badiani. On Monday 7th October Yogesh went to for his weekly badminton session and while playing he collapsed, after which the emergency services were unable to revive him. This was a very sudden departure and he leaves behind his beloved wife Nilu Kanani. Yogesh Kanani was the founder and Managing Director of the Asian Wedding Exhibition (AWE), the pioneer of Asian Bridal Shows in the UK. He
UK
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
Leading Lights
Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor
An Indian Innovating among the World’s Young Thought Leaders 23-year old Florent D’ Souza is a TEDx-preneur and leads Doha non-profit, volunteer-run TEDx conferences. He is a Digital Producer with the Qatar Foundation, a former World Innovation Summit for Education Learners’ Voice delegate and a youth leader in his local Mangalorean community. He graduated in Communication Studies from Northwestern University in Qatar. At school, Florent supported children’s education in rural Bihar through the Kainat Foundation. Through this experience, he met the then Indian President, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. I met with Florent at the recent Rhodes Youth Time Forum, an exciting three - day event. He told me, “I am an avid supporter of the work Youth Time does. The young leaders behind Youth Time – Julia Kinash, Petra Matijakovic, and Pavel Kamynin are great, and are building a
Florent D’ Souza
high-level forum for international young achievers to communicate and win awards for in-country social projects. I congratulate them on the great job they’re doing. I hope to strengthen my relationship with Youth Time and the members of the organizations who attended the Rhodes Youth Forum. I see more collaborative
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projects with them. My first experience with Youth Time was via the World Innovation Summit for Education at the India Youth Forum. I was then invited to participate at the Rhodes Youth Forum in 2012. My relationship with Youth Time grew and by the following year, they had seen my work, and invited me again to the Rhodes Youth Forum – this time as the host of the plenary sessions and as a moderator.” At the Qatar Foundation, Florent’s job means that he is responsible for its social media strategy. Previously, he led web and online projects for The Doha Debates, a show on BBC World News.
In Doha, Florent attended a Central Board of Secondary Education affiliated Indian school then moved to the American system for college. “Having grown up in Qatar, coming from India, studying in an Indian school, moving to an American college, and studying in America has created a complex worldview for me. The amalgamation of these has taught me the importance of thinking critically, acting proactively, leading with integrity, and speaking passionately.” He added, “The vast Indian diaspora is very vibrant and active, the United Kingdom and Qatar being no exception. Young Indian leaders are making quite an impact in their communities - young Indians in the UK are involved in their community, making it a better place to live, and so making the world a better place to live in.” Florent studied Media Industries and Technology (Communication Studies) at the Northwestern University in Qatar. “Northwestern’s home campus is based out of Evanston, Illinois and is one of the top media and journalism schools. Northwestern was one of the most important periods of my life. It taught me about work, life, and
everything in between. Northwestern opened doors for me”. The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) is an annual conference that invites leaders, scholars, policymakers, academics etc to Doha to discuss matters related to education, globally. WISE selects some thirty learners from around the world, to interact with these leaders and spend the year sharing their experiences with other
My first experience with Youth Time was via the World Innovation Summit for Education at the India Youth Forum youth from around the world. Florent was one of them. “The program truly let me explore how my work could impact my community,” he explained. Florent was invited to The Youth Assembly at the United Nations as a part of the WISE Learners’ Voice Initiative delegation and found it an “amazing experience.” Florent was also selected to take part in the famous LeaderShape Institute. “I’ve been to quite a few leadership retreats. The LeaderShape Institute’s annual session at Qatar
Foundation was influential in shaping my character and personality as a leader and as a person. LeaderShape teaches you to lead with integrity. Students at QF apply for the one-week retreat, they get selected and QF funds the week,” he explained adding, “unlocking human potential has been a personal motto for me and plays a key role in my leadership style.” T E D x Yo u t h @ D o h a and TEDxEducationCity are the organizations Florent represents at many conferences. TEDxYD and TEDxEC are licensed TEDx events under TED. “I am one of the cofounders of both TEDxEducationCity and TEDxYouth@Doha and play a leadership and curatorial role in the event’s ideation, planning and execution. Lately, I have been supporting TEDxGarage as well, in a consulting capacity. In this way, I consider myself a TEDx-preneur in Doha – spreading and sharing the TED ways in our community. TED stands for T e c h n o l o g y , Entertainment, Design and the x means ‘independently organized’." Florent goes to India once or twice a year, mostly to Mangalore. He wants to pursue a Masters and PhD, and invest in digital businesses.
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True caste
Pleasing the minorities
Be aware of asset stripping
Happily, Asian Voice provides platform to debate on scholastic/intelligent subjects and like minded readers. Caste is a profound subject with no limit, about which many wrong ideas prevail. My comments, here, must be read in conjunction with my letter in A.V. dated 28th September 2013. There is no such word as Caste in any ancient Vedic, Hindu/Sanatan Dharma scriptures. The correct word is Varna which is related to karma and therefore one can change to any varna. This is equated with the word Jaati, which is hereditary unchangeable. The issue is misrepresented because the word caste muddles flexible varna with unchangeable/hereditary Jaati. Secondly, caste system is not sole monopoly and exclusive creation of Hinduism or any religion that originated in India. Egyptians, Greeks and Romans had priests guarding spiritual heritage, slaves performing menial jobs, rulers/warriors etc. Purusha Sukta attributes various varnas as per karmas to body of Vishnushows ample reverence and interdependence of all parts for a healthy body of the purusha, denoting the holistic approach to society. The noble purpose of Varnashram dharma was for evolution of all sections of society to level of Brahmins. Thus a person can achieve perfection in any varna/ evolve into another varna.
In India state elections are taking place next month and general election next year. The present UPA Government is involved in many scandals and the latest one is the allocation of coal permit to industries. In order to divert attention the government is promoting the digging of lands near a temple in U.P since a sadhu dreamt more than 2000 tons of gold is buried underground and hundreds of people are employed in the work. India is not known for gold mining. Now the government wants to introduce the Communal Violence Bill in order to please its minority Muslims. India was divided on the basis of religion to give voice to Hindus free from Islamic and British rule. This is not the case. India does not believe in the one nation theory. India is the only nonMuslim country where sharia law is introduced and this means that they are governed by Islamic law and controlled by Mullahs. Indian court has no say in their matters. Muslim children can marry at the age of 14, go to Islamic schools and have no contact with other religious groups. Muslims live in their own areas and the government wants to blame majority Hindus for all communal violence. Most of the terrorists activities and communal violence were carried by Muslims and thousands of Hindus were killed. Separate development zones are created for Muslims only where they are in majority in U.P. In a secular country there is no need for minister for minorities and are they going to have Minister for protecting majority interests? Muzzafarnagar violence was started by Muslims and they killed two Hindus. The present ruling Samajwadi Party (S.P) government is blaming Hindus instead of Muslims. The communal violence is nothing to do religion and it was a fight between two groups of people Jats. After SP came to power in U.P there were more than 154 communal incidents had taken place in two years and most of them were started by Muslims. In one case Muslims refused to allow Hindu idol to pass through Muslim area as if no Hindus are allowed. Hindus are fed-up with UPA government hammering about Muslim identity and denying majority Hindus their rights in their own country. The communal violence bill is a disaster for Hindus and they will be victims in their own country.
When cost in nursing care home is averaging £750 a week, it is but natural to look at loop-holes that may allow a person to exclude, to shelter their most precious assets, namely their homes from council care calculation. But it is a minefield no one should enter without expert legal advice. With Council finances in permanent decline, due to constrain on government subsidy, cap on rates rise, local authorities are employing legal inspectors to rifle through claimants’ finances, targeting those who may have transferred their homes, stocks, shares and such other assets to their children’s names, to avoid paying care fees. Although two years may be the norm for Councils to go back in checking one’s financial records, there is no time limit in suspicious cases and children may be forced to transfer back the property or its equivalent market value if sold, thus putting children in difficult position, causing family tension and even rift. If assets exceed inheritance tax threshold, then it can be justified in genuine cases but it is a minefield that may give sleepless nights and undue worries when one may be in declining health and in need of normal, peaceful existence. So be warned, be prepared and stay on the right side of the law. After all one’s health is as important as one’s finances and Council is willing to help in genuine cases.
Ramesh Jhalla By email
Importance of dialogue
Bhupendra M Gandhi By email
90# on your telephone
I was very pleased to read in the Asian Voice that Punjab Government will be distributing free bicycles to girls students of classes of 11 and 12.It is a step towards the right direction for motivating the girl students for higher education. Such a Scheme should also be extended to all the students both male and females whose parents fall below the poverty limits.Other states to Follow as well. I hope the officials distributing the cycles will be the honest ones and will be contributing in creation of honest India.
To be frank with you, what a hypocrisy – there is allegedly a rise in racism against British doctors, and yet to save money British patients are sent to countries like India and Mexico. It is a shame that no matter how much you contribute to Great Britain, just because of your colour, you will be considered as foreigners and from time to time, one’s loyalty is questioned.
It has come to light that recently many people are being plagued and pestered by ‘phone calls, e-mails and texts at any odd times from people trying to sell their goods and services or companies asking you to participate in their surveys. Many of these cold calls are in relation to misssold PPIs and have the habit of taking you by surprise at inopportune moments while you are having dinner or are in company or watching your favorite TV programmes. It has recently been reported that no less than 32 million people have received such calls. That is, a staggering 98% of people have been plagued with them. I have also received phone calls, which when I answer them, music is being played. Trying to find out who phoned me by ringing the 1471 number, I am taken aback to find out that the call was made from my own number! I now understand from friends and acquaintances that they have received telephone calls from people identifying themselves as Service Technicians who would say that they were conducting a test on the telephone lines. These individuals will ask the recipients that in order for him to complete the test, the owner should touch nine (9), zero (0), the hash key (#), and then hang up. But then by pushing 90#, you give the requesting individual full access to your telephone line, which enables them to place long distance calls billed to your home phone number.
Dharam Sahdev Ilford
Harish Shah By email
Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park
This innovative idea about a monthly meet has for me been an inspiring afternoon. I do not know of any Forum through which I could have heard and interact with likes of Mr.Jay Lakhani of Eton College ( I missed him since he disappeared from the T V Channel ) and Vice Chancellor of Saurashtra University Mr.Mahendra Padalia. His University’s work on Folk songs of Gujarat and his final remark that “our Bharat has a great future” was inspiring. It really increased my proverbial Indian blood by couple of pints. I look forward to the next session of “Samvaad”/Dialougue” Gulab Mistry By email
Free bicycles
Arun Vaidyanathan By email
Treated like foreigners
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Don’t forget that British Summer Time finishes on Saturday 26th October so all clocks need to go back an hour at 2am as the country reverts to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
Peeved pensioner
As I surge towards my 80th milestone, now little more than a couple of years away, I am increasingly conscious of the need to plan my outings with all the care and cunning of a military campaign, making sure there are public toilets wherever I go. We elderly folk seem to feel the need to empty our bladders all the time, and any attempt at enforced retention may surely result in a sudden and embarrassing deluge? Thank goodness this has never happened to me but it is obviously advisable not to take any chances. To add to our misery, toilets at mainline railway stations charge around 30p for the privilege of relieving ourselves, not very convenient when a frantic search of one’s pockets produces nothing but a £10 note! By far the worst experience is to spot an urgently needed public toilet and hurry towards it only to encounter a notice saying it’s “CLOSED”. Rudy Otter By Email
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Kidnapped Twin Girls Singer attracts thousands reunited with wealthy to support good causes parents in Kenya
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
Twin daughters of a British woman who were kidnapped in Kenya two weeks ago have been reunited with their parents after being rescued by police. The 14-year-olds were on the way to their £16,000-a-year school in Nairobi when they were seized by abductors disguised as police officers. They were taken to a house on the western edge of the capital, where police later found children's drawings that read 'home please' and 'I wanna go home'. The kidnappers made a number of ransom
demands that started at $1million (£630,000), but dropped to around $200,000 (£125,000) after negotiations, friends of the family said. Four of the suspects were arrested when they were lured to a meeting in the city centre on the pretence that that would be paid the ransom. The couple had enlisted the help from former British soldiers from a Nairobi-based security firm, but a spokesman for the British High Commission said 'the UK was not involved' in the case. On Monday, officers
from the Kenyan Flying Squad and the Special Crimes Prevention Unit were led to the safe house in Ngong, where the girls were found in good health. Their parents, Tinu Mahajan and his wife Kiran, who own a chain of 11 hotels across eastern Africa, told of their relief that their daughters were safe. Mr Mahajan told The Times: 'If you are a parent, you will understand how it feels to have your children returned. We are just spending a lot of time together.' He said the police 'did an excellent job'.
Chart topping British Asian singer Navin Kundra has been attracting thousands of youngsters to support various charities. Navin said that he felt giving to charity wasn't a priority for many youngsters and that they should become more involved in charitable work from an early age. “Many think of charity as only giving money, but that's a flippant misconception” said Navin whilst in Brent over the weekend at a nursing home supporting new charity 'Wishful Smiles' for Sewa Day. He explained, “Charity is much more than just giving some spare change. Give a little of your time and you'll see the difference you make immediately. Over the last three years, the award-winning entertainer has helped raise thousands of pounds for various charities and is an Ambassador for The British Asian Trust, Silver Star and Wishful Smiles. Navin also recently met with Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan at the Houses of Parliament in support of Silver Star, for which the actor is international patron. As an artist, Navin has
Navin Kundra with Amitabh Bachchan
already amassed six number one singles with hits likes 'Shudaayi' and 'Tere Liye'. He has helped raise £10,000 for the British Asian Trust by breaking a Guinness World Record with his music and picked up the Entertainer of the Year Award in the Houses of Parliament this year. He
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was also nominated at the 2013 Asian Achievers Awards for the 'Excellence in Art, Media and Culture Award' and is now gearing up to release his forthcoming single 'Pa Na Na' on November 7th. Visit www.NavinOnline.com for more information.
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MEDIA WATCH
There is nothing quite like the furies of Nature. Earthquakes often destroy entire cities and towns and leave whole communities in shock, from which recovery is painfully slow. Cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons wreak similar havoc. Houses are reduced to rubble, trees uprooted, electricity pylons flattened, roads and bridges washed away as flood waters from swollen rivers surge through the land consuming man and best along the way.
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
relieve the pressure of worshippers? Put it down to administrative complacency and neglect.
TCS surge
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Ltd India, India’s largest software services provider, beat market predictions by posting a 36 per cent rise in second quarter fiscal (July-September), thanks to robust volumes growth and rupee depreciation. Profits rose to Rs 4,633 crore from the first quarter (AprilJune) Rs 3,434 crore. Revenue in the second quarter fiscal rose 34.3 percent to Rs 20, 977 from Rs 15,621 crore. The strong earnings bode well for India’s
brunt of Phalin’s force, hence the state government’s measures to meet such a disaster saved countless lives. Chief Minister Navin Patnaik and his administration deserve high praise for their foresight. The Union government in Delhi did its bit, the Air Force and Army were on standby and well prepared to aid stranded communities. The
Villagers affected by the Cyclone Phailin return to their villages at Chhatrapur in Odisha
Odisha and Andhra Pradesh the fatalities, at the latest counting, number 44 – a miracle of sorts, surely. The following report from the Telegraph’s Basant Kumar Mohanty (October 16) explains why. “As the monster storm neared, the people went to school. Children, parents and grandparents trooped to the safety of schools built under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), the universal education scheme that has emerged as the unsung savior of more than half of the seven lakh (700,000) people evacuated hours before Cyclone Phailin. By the time it had made landfall, they had all been guided to the safety of some 2,000 schools constructed under the central-sponsored SSA scheme over the past 13 years. Under the SSA, aimed at universal elementary education, all school buildings are concrete structured with toilets, drinking water facilities and kitchen sheds.”
Lessons learned
There was general agreement that the lessons of 1999 had been learned. Odisha bore the
Meteorological Office did sterling work in tracking the cyclone from its inception and issuing the desired warnings on its progress. This was made possible by the satellites far up in the sky, designed and put into orbit by the India Space Research Organization (ISRO). When politicians, administrators, scientists and engineers work in harmony the effects are mostly salutary. That said, the cleaning up operation will take months to complete, so the Odisha government’s disaster appeal to the centre for Rs 1,500 crore has been met with an immediate grant of Rs 250 crore.
Unlearned lesson
A lesson not learned involved the stampede by Hindu pilgrims across a narrow bridge in the Madhya Pradesh district of Datar, near the site of a temple, which resulted in 60-plus avoidable deaths. There was a similar tragedy there in 2010. Why wasn’t the necessary crowd control measures put in place or, better still, the bridge in question broadened or the construction of a second bridge undertaken to
icantly higher profits based on infrastructure projects, and Infosys performance robust, the IT sector is clearly on a roll. “Indian IT may be close to achieving the breakthrough it has chased for almost a decade,” said a Mint editorial (October 18).
Bajaj Auto, HDFC profits rise
Odisha, Andhra Pradesh following Cyclone Phailin
Cyclone Phailin, which struck Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh has done its worst. The desolate scenes are familiar. Around a million people are homeless. A similar cyclone in 1999 claimed 10,000 lives. Hurricane Katrina, which laid the US city of New Orleans low a few years later, left 1,800 men, women and children dead. This time round in
Guard of Honour at Moscow for Manmohan Singh (Report and comment next week)
Tata CEO MD N.Chandrasekaran
$108 billion IT sector. Growth in the September quarter was broad-based, led by life sciences, media, energy and utilities, banking, financial services and insurance. TCS, CEO and Managing Director N. Chandrasekaran said the company continued to see “a robust demand pipeline across markets.” (Mint October 16). He said TCS strength lay in the company’s diversified portfolio and a footprint across key geographies, hence its ability to clinch deals that were also evenly distributed (Telegraph October 16).
Global outlook encouraging
Mr Chandrasekaran said the current global environment was good for the IT sector, “primarily because everyone is redefining the future. Many businesses are re-thinking from a from a digital context and there are plenty of opportunities.” (Hindu October 16) . The Tata Group assets have been valued at $70 billion, and its present expansion into civil aviation etc should take this figure to $100 billion, the first Indian company to do so, come the day.
Mindtree earnings up
Mindtree Ltd has been among the outstanding IT performers this fiscal. The company’s revenue growth rates match those of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the leader in India’s IT sector. On a year-on-year basis Mindtree’s revenue grew by 15.6 per cent in dollar terms and net profit rose by 61,2 per cent. The company’s employer base has rising by 18.9 per cent year-onyear. The demand environ, said a seniot company source, is far more positive now and that clients are increasing discretionary spending. With HCL Technologies also posting signif-
Bajaj Auto Ltd’s earnings for the September quarter have beaten market expectations with a yearon-year rise, thanks largely to a 23.5 per cent expansion in exports. Meanwhile, the Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC), the second-largest lender in property, has posted a 27.1 per cent growth in profit for the second quarter fiscal ( Hindu October 16). Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia told the Times of India (October 18) that the “economy has bottomed out and will now move up.” The Sensex rose to a three-year high at the weekend, a mere 30 points from its best ever 2010 performance.
Swiss to drop secrecy
The Swiss government’s signature to an international agreement will allow India and other countries to access information pertaining to tax evasion and track illicit money of their citizens. Switzerland has agreed to exchange information on the subject if required. The signatories to this pact include the Organization for Economic Development (OECD) and 58 nations, of whom India is one. Three years previously, India and Switzerland had signed a separate bilateral accord under which the Swiss government would provide India with information on Indians holdings in Swiss bank accounts. All the Indian government was required to do was provide the name of the account holder or his/her Swiss bank account number (Hindustan Times October 16).
India, Finland pact on ethanol
India and Finland have signed an agreement to produce indigenous ethanol and promote the use of clean technologies for its production as a means to cut down their oil imports and reduce the oil import bill. India’s Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) and
Finland’s clean technology firm Chempolis are to set up a pilot project for the production of ethanol, bio-chemicals and biocoal from biomass residues. The agreement was signed in New Delhi by Finnish Minister for European Affairs Alexander Stubb and India’s Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Panabaka Lakshmi. ONGC Chairman Sudhir Vasudeva said after the signing: “A feasibility study will soon be carried out to assess the quantity of feed-stock that is required.” Finnish Minister Stubbs said: “The project will utilize wheat straw which is now being burnt.” Chempolis President Pasi Rousu said the project would cost Rs 300 crore and was expected to be commissioned in 18-24 months (Hindu October 16).
India benefits from remittances
World Bank economist Dilip Ratha first began tracking remittances a decade ago when the calculation was in millions of dollars. Now, as his detailed study shows, it has skyrocketed to billions. He has shown that remittances are three times greater than the world’s combined foreign aid. In an interview with Times of India’s US Correspondent Chidanand Rajghatta, Mr Ratha affirmed that there was no decline in the trend, and that India was its principal beneficiary, having pulled away from rival China. Mr Ratha said: “Remittances for India in 2013 are projected to be in the region of $71 billion and even that is a conservative estimate.….the weakening of the rupee will spur remittances to a degree.” Comes his surprising postscript: “Increasingly migration to the Gulf is not from Kerala bur Bihar, Punjab.” (October 6)
Software and cardiology
Using a computational tool that allows aerospace engineers to design aircraft, technologists at Infosys have created a 3D model of the human heart. This has opened up immense possibilities for cardiologists treating cardiac malfunctions, and for biomedical scientists to create new devices for coping with heart problems. The 3D model which won laurels at an international product design competition, has been designed by Dattatraya Parle and Anirudha Ambulgekar. More power to their elbow.
UK
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
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Doctor 'followed patient to car and sexually assaulted her' The Politics of Empowerment – Young & Old
I recently watched two movies which reminded me of the best poetical advice for young and old. I’ll be privileged to speak at the City Hindu Network Diwali Dinner on Friday at the House of Lords, hosted by Lord Popat. CHN was of course ably established by the vision of Dhruv Patel. I won’t have time to make a long speech so here are the words I would have liked to have said – they came from a journalist and were made into a song by the director of the ‘Great Gatsby’ movie. Not much you may think to do with Hinduism – but very relevant. ‘Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday. Do one thing every day that scares you. Sing. Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours. Don't
waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself. Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young. Respect your elders. Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.” And what of advice to the old? The latest Bond movie recounted these words by Lord Tennyson and this is my advice for empowering the older Hindus within the City Hindu Network. “We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are--One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
A surgeon followed a patient to her car and sexually assaulted her at Leatherhead Hospital, a court has been told. Dr Puthur Damodaran denies touching the woman, aged in her mid20s, in a sexual way. The 41-year-old's trial started at Guildford Crown Court on Monday. The orthopaedic surgeon, of Tanyard Way, Horley, had seen the patient at the hospital during an appointment in July last
year, jurors heard. As he assessed the patient's back, a watching nurse noted that "she had not seen a doctor or registrar go as low as this defendant" in an examination and a "couple of movements concerned her", prosecutor Ruby Selva said. But the appointment did not leave the complainant suspicious of Dr Damodaran's motives, and on leaving the hospital she was distressed only at
A Ukrainian student has pleaded guilty to trying to incite a race war on Britain's streets by launching a terrorist campaign in which he stabbed a Muslim grandfather to death and exploded bombs near mosques in an attempt to murder and maim worshippers. Pavlo Lapshyn, 25, admitted to police that he hated anyone who was not white and that he wanted to carry out a series of violent attacks to convulse community relations. His campaign started in April 2013, just five days after his arrival from Ukraine, where he had won a prize to gain work
experience in Britain. When the PhD student was arrested in July, hours before it was feared he could strike again, police found three partially assembled bombs in his Birmingham flat. His campaign caused alarm at the top levels of the British government, with the domestic security service MI5 joining the police-led hunt. On Monday,
Laphshyn pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey in London to the murder and staging the bomb attacks, after confessing to them during police interviews. He will be sentenced on Friday. The student stabbed Mohammed Saleem, 82, to death in Birmingham as he walked a few hundred yards from a mosque to his home.
A man tried to falsely claim Viagra by adding it to his medical prescriptions, a court heard. Mahfooz Ulhaq added the drug to two prescriptions which he handed over at pharmacies to dispense. But both attempts failed after staff noticed the additions and checked the fraudulent prescriptions with his doctor. Neil Hollett, prosecuting, said Ulhaq tried to obtain the drugs from the City Hospital's outpa-
tients' pharmacy and from the Boots pharmacy. On the second occasion, Ulhaq dropped off a prescription and said he would collect it the following day. Mr Hollett said: "When a member of staff came to dispense it, they found something not quite right.” The court heard Ulhaq went in the next day and was refused his prescription and the prescribing doctor confirmed it had been altered.
Ulhaq was arrested and told police he had written on both prescriptions but claimed he had no intention of getting the Viagra. He said he had lost another prescription and had written on those ones to remember what had been on it. He who stood in court with the use of a crutch, was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for a year. He was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £80 victim surcharge.
Surgeon Puthur Damodaran
another apparent failure to properly diagnose and address her back problem, she told police in an interview played to the court. The trial continues.
Student pleads guilty to attacks on Midlands mosques
Mohammed Saleem
Pavlo Lapshyn
Man forged prescriptions in attempt to get Viagra
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UK
Shishukunj London Culturally Inspires
On Saturday 28th September, Shishukunj London was proud to host an awareness event at its headquarters in Edgware. More than 120 high profile members of the Indian community were in attendance to learn about the vision for their centre that will enhance Shishukunj’s existing activities whilst also serving the wider community. Following a minute’s silence to commemorate those that had lost their lives in the recent terrorist attack in Kenya, the event began with Rambapa lighting the divo and blessing the gathering. Krishnaben Shah (a 32 year old volunteer) then introduced the event by explaining why Shishukunj is so important to the community. Her family was personally affected by the atrocities in Nairobi and she explained how Shishukunj seeks to instil morals and values in youngsters to ensure that they become productive, decent members of society.
C.B. Patel congratulates Devangbhai Shah on an excellent speech in Gujarati
A Shishukunj volunteer explains the development plans to some guests
Gujarati for 7 minutes. He eloquently explained how the sports, cultural and spiritual activities that are
Shishukunj is a registered charity that has run weekly activities for children in the UK aged 5-18 for over 35 years. They seek to develop youngsters into decent citizens rich in positive morals and values that can make a lasting impact on society. They are presently seeking to raise £850,000 to dramatically improve their facilities in Edgware. Their vision for the new centre will better serve their existing children and enable them to support the wider community. A key highlight was the presentation by 16 year old Devangbhai Shah, a youngster who was born in the UK, but blew the audience away by speaking entirely in
planned for the centre will be of benefit to youngsters like himself. Bharatbhai Dhanani, who is a governor of the organisation, made a clear appeal at the end, stating
that Shishukunj's young volunteers are experts in developing children but lack the skills and experience to raise funds to support our aims. If the wider community could help Shishukunj to achieve its vision then the community in turn would benefit from the excellent work of the charity. These sentiments were then echoed by some inspirational words from C.B. Patel and Kanti Nagda. The evening concluded with some fabulous bhajans that were presented by an exceptionally talented group of youngsters who were aged 10 – 18.
Find your Feet: Helping people to help themselves
One in eight people around the world suffer from hunger because they don’t have enough to eat all year round. The majority of these people live in very remote areas of Asia and Africa without the means or opportunity to speak out and change things for the better. Find Your Feet is a small international development organisation based in London, who enable poor rural families in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Nepal and northern India to grow enough food so they don’t have to go hungry, to strengthen their voice so they can speak out against injustice and to earn enough money so they can find their feet. Different from other charities, it does not focus on giving money. Instead, it believes people can find solutions themselves if given some encouragement and can be lead to stand on their own two feet. The charity recently held a Drinks reception at Tower 42, London, where some key members and trustees of the charity
were present, including Savitri Sharma, Find Your Feet country director from India and Chakalipa Kanyenda, Find Your Feet country director from Malawi. The event was a real success with over 55 guests attending, many of whom were new to Find Your Feet and helped to raise over £7,500 in pledges of which £2,500 was matched by the Joel Joffe Charitable Trust, making it a total of £10,000 raised for vulner-
able women and families who suffer from poverty The charity was founded in 1960 by the journalist Carol Martin, in response to the plight of Eastern European refugees after the Hungarian uprising. She was particularly concerned that families were suffering from hunger and malnutrition and was motivated to do something about it. From that moment, the charity has evolved from being an
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
Report reveals vast contributions Hindu community makes to British Economy The House of Commons was host to the launch of an influential report prepared by the Economic Policy Group (EPG) last week, which revealed that the Hindu Forum of Britain adds up to a startling £5.4m value to the British Economy as a result of its activities in 2011. The Hindu Forum of Britain (HFB) is the largest umbrella body for Hindus in Britain, with 284 member organisations from around the country, and it is the first port of call for the central government and the most reported Hindu organisation in the Britain media. In attendance at the launch was a select few noteworthy individuals including Alok Sharma MP, Seema Malhotra MP, Doctor Harriet Crabtree OBE, Director of Interfaith network and members of the HFB including Arjan Vekaria, President, Madhava Turumella, Vice President and S w a m i n a t h a n Vaidyanathan , Secretary General as well as a number of other committee members. According to the report, a first-of-its-kind study for any religious or spiritual organisation in the world, the HFB generated a base case of £2.2m of value, increasing up to £5.4m in certain scenarios. The study critically appraised the activities carried out by the HFB and used this information to conduct a social impact analysis. This kind of analysis is organisation that provides humanitarian aid to one that supports long-term rural development projects. They have also shifted their geographical focus from Europe to Asia and Africa where they believe the need is greatest. Their vision: “We believe in social justice: a world in which everyone has the right to build a future free from hunger and poverty.” Their mission: “To mobilise local knowledge, skills and resources so more poor, rural families can find sustainable solutions to hunger, poverty and discrimination.” Their values: “We are committed to supporting the poorest members of society to achieve their full potential. Our approach is based on six core values: Justice, E m p o w e r m e n t , Partnership, Learning, Accountability, Equality. By 2014 they aim to reach 80,000 vulnerable people in India, Nepal, Malawi and Zimbabwe.
common in the charity and social enterprise sector, but has never been done before for religious or spiritual organisations. Furthermore, the report provides recommendations on how to increase the HFB’s capacity to its full potential. Despite being the largest umbrella body for British Hindus, the report found HFB has struggled to keep up with the increasing demands placed upon it in recent years. It found that the annual voluntary income for faith-based charities on a per capita basis was £30 per Hindu, but £78 per Muslim, and £788 per Jewish person. In other words, Hindus give far less to Hinduismbased charities than Muslims and Jews do to their own faith charities. The report recommended the HFB to establish an available funding model which engages all of its key stakeholders, to focus limited resources on the activities which add the most value, and improve some internal processes and marketing strategy. Speaking at the launch, the host, Alok Sharma, MP said “I know that the Forum represents a whole bunch of organizations across the UK and it is engaged in very good work. What I'm particularly pleased about is part of that work is also about building relationships across other religions and other communities and also
that sitting in this room, there are representatives of various friends or groups supporting this. This report demonstrates that there is a really strong desire for Hindus to work together, contribute and, of course, a strong opportunity to do a lot more.” Seema Malhotra MP also praised the report and said: 'I thank the HFB for this report, which I think has been a really important and very good initiative, a step forward in informing the community in Britain, not just the Hindu community in isolation and not just thinking about the potential of the contribution that the Hindu community make in different ways but assessing how much, and thinking of the Hindu community as part of an Interfaith community in Britain, how they could make a greater impact, not only economic but social too. I think the Hindu community is also forward thinking in the way that it is working in Britain and I have no doubt that this is going to be a very beautiful report.” Arjan Vekaria, President of the HFB, said: “HFB believes in accountability and we regularly report and evaluate our impact. Going further, long term planning, measuring and greater communication will help enhance the level of transparency and respectability of the organisation.”
Feltham and Heston MP promoted in Ed Miliband’s reshuffle
Local MP Seema Malhotra has been promoted in Ed Miliband’s reshuffle to the Labour Whips Office. Ms Malhotra said: “I am honoured to be working with Labour’s frontbench team as part of the Labour Whips Office. My new role offers me an exciting opportunity to conSeema Malhotra MP and tinue to raise local Opposition Chief Whip, Rt Hon issues in Parliament Rosie Winterton MP and fight for our lies and businesses. She community on key issues thoroughly deserves her like the cost of living and promotion.” support for small busiBefore her election to nesses, as well as playing a the Labour Whips Office, key role in the Ms Malhotra was Parliamentary Labour Parliamentary Private Party in the run up to the Secretary to Rt Hon General Election.” Yvette Cooper MP, The Leader of the Minister for Women and Labour Party, Rt Hon Ed Equalities, and a Member Miliband MP, said: of the Justice Select “Seema has made a big Committee. Seema is also impact since her election Chair of the Parliamentary to Parliament and works Labour Party Business incredibly hard for Group. Feltham and Heston fami-
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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
Sridevi Does it for Social Cause
Abhishek, Ash to co-host event with Sharon Stone
bhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya will be co-hosting a fund raising event for A AIDS Research amfAR India, at its inau-
W
ay back in 1982, ace director Balu Mahendra roped in Sridevi to act as an autistic child-woman, and the film remains one of the classic creations of Kollywood. We are talking about 'Moondram Pirai', which was later remade in Hindi and was released as 'Sadma', the following year. Now, after three decades, Sridevi has teamed up with the director's son, Shanky for a documentary, aimed at social awareness in the USA. Interestingly, the documentary also has Hollywood big names contributing their part towards a common social cause. A feed on this documentary suggests that the beautiful actress' cousin Maheshwari of Tollywood fame has styled up the veteran for the upcoming film.
gural fund raising event in Mumbai. The icing on the cake is that the event will be hosted by Hollywood hottie and amfAR's Global Fundraising Chairperson Sharon Stone. Talking about this, Sharon Stone said that they are grateful and humbled to be welcomed by the Indian community and share knowledge that's provided by the Indian government.
After Sunny Leone, it's Shanti Dyanamite from UK
ritish Playboy star Shanti Dyanamite, who will be B seen flaunting her sexy toned
figure in an upcoming Bollywood film, says she fell in love with Bollywood while growing up in India. The 21year-old adult star is of Indian descent from Britain. Shanti, who does adult chat shows for a UK television, began her career as a teenager, starting as a glamour model on the popular Hotel Voyeur, a Britain-based topless show. Her mother is a Punjabi and her father is a Greek and they got divorced when she was very young. Her mother brought her up single-handedly.
Dream girl Hema Malini turns 65
ollywood’s ever-beautiful Hema Malini turned 65 B last week. Hemaji brings in
her birthday with just the family. "That's the way I like it. This year it's Esha, Ahana and my two sons-in-law. Dharamji is shooting in Chandigarh. But he said he'd try to be here in Mumbai in time for my birthday. And yes, there are my dance pupils. They will also be here for my birthday. They are also part of my extended family. It's a small family. But a happy family."
'Khiladi' sequel on but without Akshay Kumar
P
roducer Ratan Jain says he is planning to make a sequel to 1992 superhit film 'Khiladi' with a newcomer. Directed by Abbas-Mustan, the 1992 hit movie starred Akshay Kumar in the lead role and it also featured Ayesha Jhulka and Deepak Tijori, among others. "I don't know about remake, but we are planning to make a sequel to 'Khiladi'. It's in a very early stage, we are still scripting," added the filmmaker. Jain, who had worked with Akshay in 'Dhadkan' as well, plans to rope in a new face for the movie. "Most probably we will cast a new comer for the sequel," he said when asked about the cast.
Hrithik, Priyanka talk to Asian Voice about ‘Krrish 3’
Rani Singh
Working with Vijay is exciting – Kajal
K
ajal Agarwal has stormed the hearts of youngsters thanks her naughty charm and perfect figure. Kajal's next outing would be “AAA” paired with Karthi and Vijay's “Jilla.” In Rajesh’s “AAA,” she would be called Chitra Devi Priya and has had a ball on the sets and literally used to die laughing on the sets everyday. She understood all the Tamil dialogues written by director in order to fully appreciate the comedy and feels that Santhanam and Karthi are equally crazy. In “Jilla,” she would be having an action-oriented role and is excited about pairing with Vijay again after the blockbuster Thuppakki in 2012.
Salman to launch six new faces in 2014
Salman Khan is all set to launch six newcomers in 2014. According to reports, Salman is going to start the remake of Subhash Ghai's 1984 blockbuster 'Hero' next year. 'Hero' will introduce Aditya Pancholi's son Sooraj Pancholi and Suniel Shetty's daughter Athiya Shetty in Bollywood. Salman is also launching Katrina Kaif's sister Isabel in English film 'Dr Cabbie'. The actor is also providing a launchpad to Sana Khan and Southern actress Daisy Shah in 'Jai Ho', which will be directed by his brother Sohail Khan. If rumours are to be believed then Salman can also give a chance to his bodyguard Shera's son Tiger in one of his forthcoming films.
Priyanka Chopra, Rani Singh and Hrithik Roshan
slipped disc, he told me, before the movie commenced production. “I had a tough time before the film o there I was, sitting right next to started, but I was doing a superhero Priyanka Chopra and Hrithik film. When you’re so closely associatRoshan, stars of the superhero science ed with the essence of a superhero fiction film “Krrish 3” launching this you start asking yourself the right week. They were relaxed, fun and questions. The questions I asked laughingly interrupted each other as they answered my questions. They myself at that time were not, “what do also courteously cleared the set to I need?” I didn’t ask myself, “why is have our photo taken a few times. this happening?” I asked myself, The film is the third in the series “What do I need to do to get past and is directed by Hrithik’s father, this? What do I need to do to get back Rakesh Roshan. into shape? What do I need to do to rise above this? I got the right Hrithik plays the hero and answers because I asked the right Priyanka his wife. Now that the series questions and that came from associis successful, with an animated ating with a superhero, Krrish, and movie, “Kid Krrish,” what were the that taught me a lot of things. It chances, I asked Hrithik, for the hero to cross international boundaries like taught me to keep in mind that all of Superman? us have a superhero When you’re so closely in times of despair, in “Anything is possible, but that’s not associated with the essence times of struggle, in something I can initimes where the pain tiate. All I can do is of a superhero you start is unbearable. You give my best to the just need to ask the asking yourself the right right questions and work I do, and then let the film take its you’ll get through questions course; which audiit.” ences it breaks into, which markets.” Then Hrithik held up his right hand to show me the special bracelet He told me that his kids love the anitied round his wrist. “That’s why I mated movie. wear the symbol of Krrish on my right “We can explore all aspects; hand; to remind myself that I can comics, merchandise. This film has always be one whenever I want to.” already broken new ground –you never know you might see the next So, I asked the gorgeous actor, finally, Avengers series with Krrish! to tell me if he found the answers he I asked Priyanka how she felt was looking for. about the action on set. “I was a frus“When you ask the right questions trated action girl because they weren’t you find your resources. We all have letting me do any so I would do it off the resources around us, we’re just set. I think it’s high time we had a not aware of them. When you ask the [super] heroine.” right questions your mind starts to light up. You start using your imagi“And who better to play it than nation. If you look at your problems Priyanka Chopra?” added Hrithik. this close it’s going to hide away all Priyanka has successfully broken the other things that are there in your America with her music; she has recorded with Will.i.am and Pitbull. life which you are not aware of. So how is she merging music with actWhen you ask the right questions, ing? you start to look and your brain lights “It’s balancing two careers –havup. And then you can see the multiing a lack of sleep, and not too much tude of resources that exist around time to myself. But it’s a decision I’ve you that you were not aware of and taken and an extension of myself and then you start using them. And that I’m tremendously enjoying it. There was my answer. I just found out and I will come a time when I need to drop used my imagination and found all the things I had to use to put myself and say I need to sleep.” (“I don’t back together again. think that’s ever gonna happen!” commented Priyanka’s hero. “Krrish 3” releases on 1st Hrithik had suffered a double November 2013.
17
Elli Avram too hot to handle!
wedish Greek actress, Ellie Avram who is all set to debut opposite S Manish Paul in the upcoming movie
“Mickey Virus,” has reportedly been banned from colleges in Chandigarh for being too hot! Born Elisabet Avramidou, the actress has become a sensation among the college boys who've been putting up posters of the actress across their hostel rooms. Fed up with the parade of pictures of the Mickey Virus actress, the college authorities have banned their students from possessing or putting up her posters. With her peaches and cream complexion, svelte figure and looks that entice every man's imagi-
S
Ajith rides bike from Pune to Chennai T
hala Ajith was on a road trip again and this time, he rode his bike from Pune to Chennai! He seems to be continuing his road safety campaign and this time around, the actor, it seems, wanted to explore the traffic culture in the country via his bike trip. A source close to the actor says, "After wrapping up a small patch work for “Arrambam,” Ajith drove his bike from Mumbai to Pune, to shoot for “Veeram.” With the help of a road map, he rode more than 1,300 km for about 19 hours in his bike with all the necessary safety gear. This road trip is to continue the road safety campaign and also to get to know more about the traffic culture in India. He has always wanted to discover that."
Shah Rukh ignores Salman
As Karan Johar's “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” completes 15 years, what's evident is the change in the equation between the two actors who once shared the screen space in this iconic movie. While a lot has been said about the patch-up between the two warring Khans Salman and Shah Rukh recently, it looks like all is still not well between the two. Shah Rukh took on to the micro-blogging site to thank his team in the movie on completing 15 years, but quite conveniently missed out mentioning Salman's name. "KKHH 15yrs of lov and friendship. Thanx Kajol, Rani, Karan and Tom Uncle for believing in ur son,” wrote SRK. Well, whether SRK forgot to mention Sallu's name or chose to ignore him is a well-kept secret.
Getting married to Suzanne was my destiny: Hrithik The real super-hero of Bollywood, Hrithik Roshan spoke quite candidly about his prized possession his wife Suzanne Khan on the recent episode of Star Plus' Star Verdict with Anupama Chopra. Providing a glimpse on his private life, Hrithik said, "It was love at first sight for me. I fell in love with Suzanne when I saw her at a traffic signal. I knew right then and there that she is going to be my soul-mate. Getting married to her was my destiny." Contrary to rumors hint that there is crack in their paradise, Hrithik was beaming with love all the time.
nation, Elli has been tickling the fancy of her male fans in India. Elli is currently the spiciest contestant in Bigg Boss7. Considering her popularity she is most likely to be in the house when her movie “Mickey Virus” hits theatres on 25th October. A still from the trailer of the movie, showing her holding a gun in a bright yellow saree, tantalising the viewers, has already gone viral.
UK
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
MUSIC
Tanveer Mann
NEW SINGLE BY RAGHAV 'WOOHOO' OUT NOW
If you have any particular topics you would like covered on my page, please let me know.
www.punjabeeblonde.wordpress.com tanveer.mann@abplgroup.com
TECH
Canadian pop star Raghav has returned to the music scene with eagerly anticipated new release 'Woohoo'. One of the most recognised names in the international Asian pop market, singer-songwriter Raghav teamed up with American hit maker Jim Beanz, a collaboration which has been hugely successful given that his last single ‘Fire’ spent over 20 weeks in Canada’s Billboard Hot 100 chart, generating sales which achieved Gold certification as well as a nomination for “Single Of The Year” at the Canadian Radio Music Awards.
Jim Beanz is known for his work with US super producer Timbaland, earning writing and production credits with some of the world’s biggest pop stars such as Rihanna, Shakira and Demi Lovato. Raghav’s latest release ‘Woohoo’ is an instantly catchy pop record which is set to become another club and radio hit to add to his most recent chart success. On his latest single, Raghav says: “It’s a fun
song, something to get your feet tapping and keep you singing along. It’s been great working with Jim Beanz, we’ve created a lot of magic in the studio over the last few months and there’s definitely a strong creative chemistry with him. ‘Fire’ was a huge hit for us in the Canadian market and now we’re looking to repeat it with ‘Woohoo’ in Canada and across other territories. I hope you all enjoy it and watch out for even more music coming real soon.” Raghav’s brand new single ‘Woohoo’ is out to buy in the UK now on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/woohoo-single/id722276247
Did you know..?
11% of people are left handed
Word of the Week:
Expurgate - means To Edit out Rude, Incorrect, Offensive, Useless, or Otherwise Undesirable Information To cleanse; to purge.
CAREERS
Companies encouraged to increase apprenticeships and internship opportunities As unemployment figures are expected to be more positive this month, the Financial and Legal Skills Partnership (FLSP) is calling on companies to fuel growth driven by vocational training. Official figures out this week have shown Liz Field a substantial fall in unemployment. But as Britain’s economy looks for ways of creating marked growth, companies in Greater London are being urged to recognise the benefits that can be created by apprenticeships and paid internships. Liz Field, CEO of Financial & Legal Skills Partnership, said, “The service sector is a key growth area for the UK economy and so there are some fantastic opportunities, particularly for SMEs in Greater London, to invest in their future. If every company took just one apprentice or intern, it would instantly address the youth unemployment level, which is still unacceptably high. It would also help companies to adequately plan for growth in a recovering economy, buoyed by talented young people with sights set on success.” FLSP has consistently voiced its commitment to vocational training and development and has created tools to support companies that wish to enhance their skills. For those who have graduated but are still struggling to secure full time employment, FLSP has also developed the Graduate Foundation College (GFC). The GFC gives initial training to graduates before a three month internship at a financial advisory firm. FLSP has also developed an SME toolkit to support smaller com-
15
NEW APP ALERT: In-Car Cleverness Scrambling to find the nearest petrol station or car parking space when you are in a rush is a feeling which most people are familiar with. Vehicle-tobusiness technology provider, In-Car Cleverness, boasts it has solved your problems with the launch of its intuitive smartphone App to complement its onboard telematics device for company cars and vans. The feature-rich App delivers new ‘on the road’ functionality for the driver, including locationbased services ‘Nearest Fuel’ and ‘Local Parking’. Both services provide ranking by distance from current position, as well as cost. ‘Journey Logger’ allows the driver to allocate each trip to either business or personal usage remotely. Importantly, this data is then fed automatically into the central administrative function, allowing for accurate and time-saving HMRC compliance. With an estimated 100,000* cars and vans stolen every year, the new In-Car Cleverness App provides new levels of vehicle security. By enabling the Valet Mode on the App, the driver will be automatically alerted by text and email should the vehicle move beyond a 100m perimeter of its location or exceed 25mph. In mirroring the online dashboard, drivers will also have visibility of their driving style (speeding, acceleration, braking etc), vehicle health check monitoring and speeding events. Developers at In-Car Cleverness will continue to add new features to the user experience in the coming months. The first of these will be improved analysis of Driving Risk, which will overlay driving behaviours with road ratings. The App will, initially, be launched on Apple (iOS7) with an Android version due for release later in the year.
panies to develop their own skills. Both are part of its Hidden Powerhouse project with part investment from the UKCES. Liz concluded, “It is refreshing to see that firms are beginning to realise that taking on apprentices or paid interns isn’t a practice reserved for other sectors or companies of a particular size. The reality is that there are According to a survey organized by the thousands of smaller online gift-service Prezzybox.com, firms in the industry, where 886 people were quizzed on their many of which could chocolate eating habits, an benefit from welcoming astounding 78.5% of workers employees through admitted stealing chocolate from vocational routes. We the communal work fridge, 71.7% are working with of women eat a family sized employers within the chocolate bar on their own at finance and legal sectors least twice per year and 83.1% of to ensure that the right women have bought chocolate as level of awareness of a gift for a friend - but eaten it vocational training is before they could give their friend present. We have a host it! of trained individuals Furthermore, Liverpool came who are eager to take up out as the top city where the most placements with large chocolate is eaten per year – 14kg and small employers worth! When it comes to alike, so we implore Valentines day, men spend £36 organisations to contact per year on chocolate (this us. The continued includes valentines!) whilst growth of the economy women spend £57 per year on is based on the readichocolate. On choice of choconess of companies to late, men eat 41% more dark recruit from the widest chocolate than women and possible talent pool.” women eat 54% more white
FOOD National Chocolate Week reveals Amazing chocolate habits!
chocolate then men. According to the report, it seems women are definitely sweeter than men!
16
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
Sridevi Does it for Social Cause
Abhishek, Ash to co-host event with Sharon Stone
bhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya will be co-hosting a fund raising event for A AIDS Research amfAR India, at its inau-
W
ay back in 1982, ace director Balu Mahendra roped in Sridevi to act as an autistic child-woman, and the film remains one of the classic creations of Kollywood. We are talking about 'Moondram Pirai', which was later remade in Hindi and was released as 'Sadma', the following year. Now, after three decades, Sridevi has teamed up with the director's son, Shanky for a documentary, aimed at social awareness in the USA. Interestingly, the documentary also has Hollywood big names contributing their part towards a common social cause. A feed on this documentary suggests that the beautiful actress' cousin Maheshwari of Tollywood fame has styled up the veteran for the upcoming film.
gural fund raising event in Mumbai. The icing on the cake is that the event will be hosted by Hollywood hottie and amfAR's Global Fundraising Chairperson Sharon Stone. Talking about this, Sharon Stone said that they are grateful and humbled to be welcomed by the Indian community and share knowledge that's provided by the Indian government.
After Sunny Leone, it's Shanti Dyanamite from UK
ritish Playboy star Shanti Dyanamite, who will be B seen flaunting her sexy toned
figure in an upcoming Bollywood film, says she fell in love with Bollywood while growing up in India. The 21year-old adult star is of Indian descent from Britain. Shanti, who does adult chat shows for a UK television, began her career as a teenager, starting as a glamour model on the popular Hotel Voyeur, a Britain-based topless show. Her mother is a Punjabi and her father is a Greek and they got divorced when she was very young. Her mother brought her up single-handedly.
Dream girl Hema Malini turns 65
ollywood’s ever-beautiful Hema Malini turned 65 B last week. Hemaji brings in
her birthday with just the family. "That's the way I like it. This year it's Esha, Ahana and my two sons-in-law. Dharamji is shooting in Chandigarh. But he said he'd try to be here in Mumbai in time for my birthday. And yes, there are my dance pupils. They will also be here for my birthday. They are also part of my extended family. It's a small family. But a happy family."
'Khiladi' sequel on but without Akshay Kumar
P
roducer Ratan Jain says he is planning to make a sequel to 1992 superhit film 'Khiladi' with a newcomer. Directed by Abbas-Mustan, the 1992 hit movie starred Akshay Kumar in the lead role and it also featured Ayesha Jhulka and Deepak Tijori, among others. "I don't know about remake, but we are planning to make a sequel to 'Khiladi'. It's in a very early stage, we are still scripting," added the filmmaker. Jain, who had worked with Akshay in 'Dhadkan' as well, plans to rope in a new face for the movie. "Most probably we will cast a new comer for the sequel," he said when asked about the cast.
Hrithik, Priyanka talk to Asian Voice about ‘Krrish 3’
Rani Singh
Working with Vijay is exciting – Kajal
K
ajal Agarwal has stormed the hearts of youngsters thanks her naughty charm and perfect figure. Kajal's next outing would be “AAA” paired with Karthi and Vijay's “Jilla.” In Rajesh’s “AAA,” she would be called Chitra Devi Priya and has had a ball on the sets and literally used to die laughing on the sets everyday. She understood all the Tamil dialogues written by director in order to fully appreciate the comedy and feels that Santhanam and Karthi are equally crazy. In “Jilla,” she would be having an action-oriented role and is excited about pairing with Vijay again after the blockbuster Thuppakki in 2012.
Salman to launch six new faces in 2014
Salman Khan is all set to launch six newcomers in 2014. According to reports, Salman is going to start the remake of Subhash Ghai's 1984 blockbuster 'Hero' next year. 'Hero' will introduce Aditya Pancholi's son Sooraj Pancholi and Suniel Shetty's daughter Athiya Shetty in Bollywood. Salman is also launching Katrina Kaif's sister Isabel in English film 'Dr Cabbie'. The actor is also providing a launchpad to Sana Khan and Southern actress Daisy Shah in 'Jai Ho', which will be directed by his brother Sohail Khan. If rumours are to be believed then Salman can also give a chance to his bodyguard Shera's son Tiger in one of his forthcoming films.
Priyanka Chopra, Rani Singh and Hrithik Roshan
slipped disc, he told me, before the movie commenced production. “I had a tough time before the film o there I was, sitting right next to started, but I was doing a superhero Priyanka Chopra and Hrithik film. When you’re so closely associatRoshan, stars of the superhero science ed with the essence of a superhero fiction film “Krrish 3” launching this you start asking yourself the right week. They were relaxed, fun and questions. The questions I asked laughingly interrupted each other as they answered my questions. They myself at that time were not, “what do also courteously cleared the set to I need?” I didn’t ask myself, “why is have our photo taken a few times. this happening?” I asked myself, The film is the third in the series “What do I need to do to get past and is directed by Hrithik’s father, this? What do I need to do to get back Rakesh Roshan. into shape? What do I need to do to rise above this? I got the right Hrithik plays the hero and answers because I asked the right Priyanka his wife. Now that the series questions and that came from associis successful, with an animated ating with a superhero, Krrish, and movie, “Kid Krrish,” what were the that taught me a lot of things. It chances, I asked Hrithik, for the hero to cross international boundaries like taught me to keep in mind that all of Superman? us have a superhero When you’re so closely in times of despair, in “Anything is possible, but that’s not associated with the essence times of struggle, in something I can initimes where the pain tiate. All I can do is of a superhero you start is unbearable. You give my best to the just need to ask the asking yourself the right right questions and work I do, and then let the film take its you’ll get through questions course; which audiit.” ences it breaks into, which markets.” Then Hrithik held up his right hand to show me the special bracelet He told me that his kids love the anitied round his wrist. “That’s why I mated movie. wear the symbol of Krrish on my right “We can explore all aspects; hand; to remind myself that I can comics, merchandise. This film has always be one whenever I want to.” already broken new ground –you never know you might see the next So, I asked the gorgeous actor, finally, Avengers series with Krrish! to tell me if he found the answers he I asked Priyanka how she felt was looking for. about the action on set. “I was a frus“When you ask the right questions trated action girl because they weren’t you find your resources. We all have letting me do any so I would do it off the resources around us, we’re just set. I think it’s high time we had a not aware of them. When you ask the [super] heroine.” right questions your mind starts to light up. You start using your imagi“And who better to play it than nation. If you look at your problems Priyanka Chopra?” added Hrithik. this close it’s going to hide away all Priyanka has successfully broken the other things that are there in your America with her music; she has recorded with Will.i.am and Pitbull. life which you are not aware of. So how is she merging music with actWhen you ask the right questions, ing? you start to look and your brain lights “It’s balancing two careers –havup. And then you can see the multiing a lack of sleep, and not too much tude of resources that exist around time to myself. But it’s a decision I’ve you that you were not aware of and taken and an extension of myself and then you start using them. And that I’m tremendously enjoying it. There was my answer. I just found out and I will come a time when I need to drop used my imagination and found all the things I had to use to put myself and say I need to sleep.” (“I don’t back together again. think that’s ever gonna happen!” commented Priyanka’s hero. “Krrish 3” releases on 1st Hrithik had suffered a double November 2013.
17
Elli Avram too hot to handle!
wedish Greek actress, Ellie Avram who is all set to debut opposite S Manish Paul in the upcoming movie
“Mickey Virus,” has reportedly been banned from colleges in Chandigarh for being too hot! Born Elisabet Avramidou, the actress has become a sensation among the college boys who've been putting up posters of the actress across their hostel rooms. Fed up with the parade of pictures of the Mickey Virus actress, the college authorities have banned their students from possessing or putting up her posters. With her peaches and cream complexion, svelte figure and looks that entice every man's imagi-
S
Ajith rides bike from Pune to Chennai T
hala Ajith was on a road trip again and this time, he rode his bike from Pune to Chennai! He seems to be continuing his road safety campaign and this time around, the actor, it seems, wanted to explore the traffic culture in the country via his bike trip. A source close to the actor says, "After wrapping up a small patch work for “Arrambam,” Ajith drove his bike from Mumbai to Pune, to shoot for “Veeram.” With the help of a road map, he rode more than 1,300 km for about 19 hours in his bike with all the necessary safety gear. This road trip is to continue the road safety campaign and also to get to know more about the traffic culture in India. He has always wanted to discover that."
Shah Rukh ignores Salman
As Karan Johar's “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” completes 15 years, what's evident is the change in the equation between the two actors who once shared the screen space in this iconic movie. While a lot has been said about the patch-up between the two warring Khans Salman and Shah Rukh recently, it looks like all is still not well between the two. Shah Rukh took on to the micro-blogging site to thank his team in the movie on completing 15 years, but quite conveniently missed out mentioning Salman's name. "KKHH 15yrs of lov and friendship. Thanx Kajol, Rani, Karan and Tom Uncle for believing in ur son,” wrote SRK. Well, whether SRK forgot to mention Sallu's name or chose to ignore him is a well-kept secret.
Getting married to Suzanne was my destiny: Hrithik The real super-hero of Bollywood, Hrithik Roshan spoke quite candidly about his prized possession his wife Suzanne Khan on the recent episode of Star Plus' Star Verdict with Anupama Chopra. Providing a glimpse on his private life, Hrithik said, "It was love at first sight for me. I fell in love with Suzanne when I saw her at a traffic signal. I knew right then and there that she is going to be my soul-mate. Getting married to her was my destiny." Contrary to rumors hint that there is crack in their paradise, Hrithik was beaming with love all the time.
nation, Elli has been tickling the fancy of her male fans in India. Elli is currently the spiciest contestant in Bigg Boss7. Considering her popularity she is most likely to be in the house when her movie “Mickey Virus” hits theatres on 25th October. A still from the trailer of the movie, showing her holding a gun in a bright yellow saree, tantalising the viewers, has already gone viral.
18
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
Financial Voice Dear Financial Voice Reader,
This week is an unusual one for currency traders as the Non-Farm Payrolls report is scheduled for Tuesday. That might sound weird to seasoned traders' ears but due to the government shutdown in the US for the past weeks the Non Farm Payroll report for September is scheduled to be released out on a Tuesday rather on the first Friday of each month and given the current state of the market the report could be a significant one. Investors are very keen to see how the labor market is progressing in the US but we as analysts must keep in mind a very important factor that characterizes this release. Let me explain. Expectations are that the US economy added 180K jobs in September and the market's reaction to the release will be based on whether the actual figure will beat or miss these expectations. Should the release beat expectations and more people were added in the workforce we expect a Dollar rally but we think that this rally will be shortlived. This is due to the fact that the next report that is bound to come in only 2.5 weeks time will most certainly show a drawdown in workforce, attributed to the recent shutdown in US government sectors. So investors are most likely bound to remain skeptical towards a better than expected printing of the NFP figures and any potential pro-Dollar rally must be approached with reserve. On the other hand however, should figures miss expectations then we could witness a strong Dollar sell-off as investors will assess that this drawdown in workforce will be followed almost certainly by another one in the coming report a few weeks down the road. Given the fact that major currency pairs like the Euro and the Cable have settled in a range-bound move in expectation for the release we feel that either scenario will drive them out of these ranges and offer trading opportunities. Over here in Europe, the Euro has received a moderate lift against the US Dollar but this should be attributed to the weakness the US currency has demonstrated during recent sessions. There is a host of economic data scheduled for release this week and there is a shared tone of optimism among analysts that we could see some improvement in Euro-zone economics and growth. The ZEW survey has already offered some signs of investor confidence and during this week several PMI reports and the German IFO survey could offer more uplift to the Single currency. If the expected US payrolls report comes lower than expected and the PMI reports surprise to the upside then the Euro could reach for a new high for 2013. At the same time, in the UK the latest Bank of England meeting's minutes are set for release and the Q3 GDP is also expected at the end of the week and we will keep an eye on these important events. We are very interested to see how the BoE members feel about the recent deterioration in UK economics as we've seen some weakness in UK prospects this month after 3 consecutive months of impressive printings in UK figures. In the long run however, we remain confidently bullish against the British Pound and we treat any retracements as buying opportunities.
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Indian economy will pick up by year-end, says RBI chief
India's economy will pick up by year-end thanks to the start-up of billions of dollars worth of stalled resource projects and a good monsoon season that will bolster agricultural production, the Reserve Bank of India's chief said. The Reserve Bank of India is due to review monetary policy on October 29, with a rising pace of inflation bolstering odds for another central bank interest rate hike even as the economy stumbles through its worst crisis since 1991. "The correct question is: are you going to raise rates or not? The answer is: I'm not going to tell you," Raghuram Rajan told an academic audience at Harvard Business School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He later said that he believed India's economic growth would start to pick
up in the fourth quarter after a commission gave the green light to scores of resource projects that had been put on hold during a sweeping government review of transparency and environmental policy. He said about half of the $115 billion worth of stalled projects had been cleared. "The effects of that clearance will show up toward the end of the year. So growth will start picking up because these large
projects will start coming back on stream," he said. He did not give a forecast for fourth-quarter growth. "The second piece of good news is the monsoon has been very good ... with a bountiful harvest, and with the associated activities like animal husbandry, poultry, also picking up, you can see a lot more value in the rural areas, which will help sentiment and growth," he said. India's economic growth has slowed sharply in recent years from around 8 per cent per year between 2002 and 2012 to about 5 per cent in 201213, while its current account deficit has ballooned and inflation has risen. Worries over the rising pace of inflation had already led Rajan to surprise markets last month with an interest rate hike
of 25 basis points. Rajan said that investors were quick to blame structural dysfunction for India's economic troubles, but that the issues were more likely to do with the unwinding of stimulus in the wake of the global financial crisis, policy reviews stalling projects, and a spike-up in Indian demand for gold. "There's a lot that is going on to fix these medium-term problems," he said. "If you are an outsider looking at India, learn to filter out both the irrational exuberance and the excessive pessimism. We're subject to both. You will become manic-depressive if you follow our moods." He added that the question of using interest rates to address inflation was more complicated in India than in the United States.
After the Top Track 250 league table of Britain's booming mid-market private companies was published in the Sunday Times last week, there is no denying the contribution that Asians have made, with their high profits and top line sales growth businesses, to the British economy. In addition, companies which were advised by Grant Thornton to divest and refocus also have done significantly well. Waymade Healthcare, a Basildon-based pharmaceuticals distributor, is a clear example. Founders Vijay, 63 and Bhikhu Patel, 66, cre-
tries that generate more than £110m in revenues. In October last year they agreed to sell the venture to private equity firm Cinven in a deal that valued the company at £ 3 6 7 m . Vijay and Bhikhu Patel Cinven then merged it with one of its ated a new business in existing firms, Mercury 2002 called Amdipharm Pharma. to buy essential prescripVijay Patel, Chairman tion drugs from multinaof Amdipharm, has said: tional pharmaceutical “Bhikhu and I have firms. The brothers built a enjoyed enormously portfolio of more than 50 building the Amdipharm products from 80 coun-
business and growing it into the international player it is today. We firmly believe that now is the perfect time to take the business to the next level, making the business more scalable, through a combination with Mercury. We have been impressed by the Cinven team's sector expertise and their vision to grow the overall business. As such we are delighted to partner with them going forward." By holding a significant minority stake in the combined company and working with Cinven, Amdipharm can evolve into a more substantial business.
Indian industry leaders have come out strongly against the CBI move to lodge an FIR against Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla for alleged irregularities in the allocation of a coal block, terming it as “deplorable” and “unfortunate.” Rallying behind Birla, one of them described the incident as an “insult to the entire business community,” while another said it would affect business confidence. What has shocked India Inc is that even leaders, who are known to be upright and scrupulous, conscientiously sticking to
said. Going by the facts mentioned by Hindalco when it clarified on the coal block allocation, Godrej said, “the company (Aditya Birla Group company, Hindalco) has only 15% stake in the coal block. Just because it is a coal block reserved for a PSU, it does not mean some allocation cannot be made.’’ Godrej hopes that the CBI would quickly reverse its action. “K M Birla is an epitome of virtuousness,’’ said Kishore Biyani, founder, Future Group. “It is very unfortunate. To go and meet somebody is not a crime. Kumar is a clean man,” said G P Goenka,
chairman, Duncan Goenka Group. Ramesh Chauhan, chairman, Bisleri International, said Birla could not possibly have done something shady. CBI mulls option of closing case Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s strong defence of the allocation of the Talabira II coal block to Hindalco has created uncertainty about the fate of the CBI’s investigation into the matter. Sources in the agency acknowledged that with Manmohan owning up the controversial allocation, they were in a bind.
Raghuram Rajan
Smart businessmen Vijay and Bhikhu Patel make strategic decision
Indian industry biggies rally behind Kumar Birla
Kumar Mangalam
norms and procedures, are being implicated without substantial evidence being made public. “The FIR against Kumar Mangalam Birla is deplorable,’’ Adi Godrej, chairman, Godrej Group,
FINANCIAL VOICE
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
To be in the present or predict the future?
Suresh Vagjiani
Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company
19
There are two ways to source a good property investment, one to buy cheap Below Market Value property, the other is to foresee the trend and buy at market value. To purchase property BMV in strong locations is not easy, in other parts of the country you can get them wholesale. Emails come in almost daily where agents are offering 25% to even 40% BMV properties. The word BMV has become a fad especially among property network groups, where everyone comes to find the secret to getting BMV properties without putting any money down into the deal. The trouble is the underlying asset is where you usually make the bulk of your money. So even if you're buying Below Market Value there is very little to say the prices will not be even lower the following year. B u y in g i n a s t ro n g l o c a t io n , re d u c e s t h i s r is k . H o we v e r i n a s t r o n g l o c a t io n t h e re ar e n o t ma n y d i s t re ss e d se l l e rs ; a n d t h e se l l e rs t e n d t o b e m o r e sa v vy an d k n o w t h e pr i c e s an d w h at t h e m ar k e t s a re d o i n g . The difference between the two is which part of time you concentrate on. The first way concentrates fully on price in the present only, this is where most people’s attention lies. The second way is to forecast the future, and see where the trend will be going. The first has security in that when you purchase you can resell straight away and make money. However this does not mean strictly speaking the price cannot fall from the date of purchase onwards, it does mean you will have a cushion from the fall in prices. In the second way you do not have this cushion but if you predict correctly, the market price will rise almost week on week. So then which is the more powerful? Being able to read the future or seeing here and now only? It is a question of numbers: how much discount are you getting straight away vs how much will it increase in the future and over what period of time. I was told an interesting story at a corporate event, the person speaking to me told me about how his family had amassed a strong commercial portfolio worth £330m, they then had an offer from a well known public business man for £310m. They declined the offer, this was in 2007, before the credit crunch. You can predict what happened next, the value of the portfolio dropped to £150m. They spent the next few years digging themselves out of quite a deep hole by negotiating with the banks. At the same event I was introduced to a Jewish property person, who was I would estimate about 60ish in age. He focused around the Central London area and was well versed with the players there and clearly knew the local market. He had been through three recessions. However I was informed he surreptitiously sold his entire portfolio before each one hit. How did he know, whilst the first one got caught? Currently we are in the beginning of a sharp spike in property prices. Mortgage lending has reached a five year high of £49.3bn this has been driven by new house purchases. According to the CML (council of mortgage lenders) this is the highest level of gross lending since the middle of the financial crises. This is an uplift of 32%
since a year ago in 2012. This figure combines both new home purchases as well as remortgages. T h e se f i g u re s p ro b ab l y d o n o t m e as u r e t h e f o r e i g n m o n e y w h i c h h a s b e e n l o an e d f ro m o f f s h o re e n t i t i e s p u r c h as i n g p ro pe r t y, o r mo n e y w h ic h h a s b e e n c r o ss g u a ra n t e e d wi t h o ve r s e as a ss e t s . What drove the property prices down in 2007 was not that the demand for property went down, this was still there, it was the lack of credit available; and this is what will lead to an increase in prices currently. What has fuelled this growth in lending in part has been the government initiative for new homes. This will be expanded to its second phase which will be launched this month and be fully operational in the New Year. This will serve to further fuel lending and price rises. The second phase will allow buyers to purchase all kinds of property and not just new builds. The mortgage guarantee scheme is designed to help first time buyers and home movers move up the housing ladder. The scheme will allow borrowers to purchase property up to £600,000 with only 5% deposit. The 15% will be guaranteed by the government. This scheme will only be open until Jan 2017. P ro p e rt y p ri c e s in C e n t r al L o n d o n h av e n o t s u f f e r e d m u c h d u e t o t h e c re d it c r u n c h a s h e r e m u c h o f t h e m o n e y f u e l i n g t h e m a rk e t c o m e s i n f r o m o v e rs e as i n v e s t o rs , a s a f l i g h t t o s a f e t y. W h i l st t h e e c o n o m i e s m ay b e g ro w i n g t h e y d o n o t h a v e a s t ab l e po l i t i c a l o r l e g a l s ys t e m . T h i s t o g e t h e r wi t h t h e s i t u at io n i n t h e wo r l d e c o n o m ie s h a s m e a n t f o r e i g n i n ve s t o r s a re pa rk i n g t h e i r f u n d s i n t h e s af e t y o f Lo n d o n pr o pe rt y m ar k e t .
The Real Deal
Bayswater, London, W2 Purchase Price: £575,000
This scheme will open parts of London to first time buyers, which formerly had barriers. Our experience on the ground reflects this high level of lending, in a recent mortgage application it took two weeks to get the surveyor out. Normally we would expect to see a survey within 2-3 days of an application being submitted. This is for a property we advertised some time back in St Johns Wood. It’s an ex local authority property consisting of three bedrooms on the top floor, with a long lease and low service charge. It has been purchased at £575k. With a little refurb this property is expected to be valued at £700k, our client has kept this as a long term purchase, with a fixed mortgage rate of 3.69%. Everyone always looks back at the property market and regret...if only they had bought a decade ago they could have retired. Looking at the past will not make you any money. The future will.
l A bright and well proportioned two double bed room apartment l First floor flat l Two lifts with porter l Close to Whiteleys shopping center and Hyde Park l Currently priced at £809 per sq ft and we estimate it will go up to £1,500 per sq ft in a couple of years due to regeneration Call us now to reserve!
0207 993 0103
We provide a turnkey solution. Contact us now:
Specialists in
Central London Property Sourcing
info@sowandreap.co.uk
www.sowandreap.co.uk
55 Bryanston Street, Marble Arch Tower, London, W1H 7AA
Follow us online:
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Tips of the Week l To generate good profits in property you need to be able to pick the right property, in the right location and at the right price. And all this requires the right LOCAL knowledge.
l Investing in bricks and mortar means the investment is real, hence it cannot simply disappear, like non tangible investments such as stocks and shares.
20
FINANCIAL VOICE
The anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International has admonished Chinese companies for their opaque business practices while praising Indian firms' relatively high standards, in a survey of emerging markets. China got the lowest rating of the BRICS economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), whose companies made up three quarters of the total sample in the survey of 100 of the fastestgrowing multinationals in 16 emerging economies. Marked on how transparently they present measures to combat corruption, how they report on their organisations and how they disclose data like revenue, expenditure and taxes, three quarters of the companies scored less than five out of 10. "As emerging market companies expand their influence they should seize
the opportunity to play a bigger role stopping corruption internationally," said Huguette Labelle, head of the Berlin-based independent pressure group. Widespread shortcomings included the failure of about 60 per cent of all the companies surveyed to disclose information about their political contributions. "Results show that companies from China lag behind in every dimension with an overall score of 20 per cent," Transparency said in the report.
"Considering their growing influence in markets around the world, this poor performance is of concern." Eight of the 10 worstperforming companies were Chinese, such as state-owned Chery Automobile Co Ltd, which along with Mexico's privately-owned consumer goods group Mabe scored zero points. Transparency said Indian firms perform best in the BRICS with a result of 54 per cent and several occupy the top positions in the overall index, attribut-
ing this to laws in India about how multinationals must report on subsidiaries. Top of the class overall came India's Tata Communications Ltd, which also topped the anticorruption programmes category with 92 per cent, followed by three more Tata companies. Emirates Airline, which is state-owned, came first in the category for organisational transparency, followed by Johnson Electric Holdings Ltd of China and Malaysian state energy company Petronas. Eleven companies scored zero and nine of them incorporated in China. In a sub-index ranking just the BRICS nations, which the watchdog said account for 20 per cent of global economic output and 15 per cent of world trade, the companies from first-placed India were followed by South Africa, Russia, Brazil, then China.
India’s finance minister P Chidambaram told heads of large state-owned companies that the government would not accept less dividend that what it received during the last financial year. "Dividend payments by PSUs will not be less than last year's. In no case will we accept dividend less than last year's," he told reporters after meeting heads of blue-chip PSUs such as Oil and Natural Gas Corp, Indian Oil, GAIL India, Steel Authority of India, NTPC and Coal India. The government is seeking to keep its fiscal deficit within the budgetary target of 4.8% of GDP. Higher dividend from PSUs would make up part of the shortfall from disinvestment and lower receipts in other heads of
accounts due to slowing economic growth. The ministry, according to officials, is hopeful of meeting the dividend receipt target in the current fiscal and has not sought any special dividend. However, they said the situation would be reviewed in January. The government received Rs. 554.43 billion as dividend and profit in the last fiscal. The target in the current financial year is Rs 738.66 billion. Chidambaram also discussed capital expansion plans of the PSUs with the objective of promoting investment and growth. "Most of the PSUs will achieve their capex plan. Some half-a-dozen may not. We will revisit those cases in January," the minister said.
Vodafone Group has told the Indian government that it plans to invest more than $ 2 billion in the country, a victory for a policy change designed to boost foreign interest and thin out the crowd of a dozen players in the mobile phone market. The investment plan by Britain's Vodafone follows the removal in August of a cap on foreign firms investing in telecoms companies which the government believes can spur consolidation in an industry executives have long believed ripe for it. India's mobile phone market is the world's second-biggest after China by number of customers. But phone carriers in the country operate on waferthin margins and cut-
throat competition that have hampered infrastructure investments needed to develop services. "I do believe that the market is too crowded," India’s telecommunications minister Kapil Sibal said. "We want, of course, a consolidation of the market and I think with the 100% FDI that consolidation will take place," he added, referring to FDI. Earlier foreign firms were restricted to holding no more than 74% of telecoms firms in direct ownership. Sibal said Vodafone had indicated to him that it would invest more in its local unit following the rule change. "Vodafone is bringing in more than a couple of billion dollars," Sibal said.
Government, who also delivered a witty and inspiring speech. Rami was picked by judges out of several regional winners because of the combination of his high ethical standards, consideration for the welfare of the company’s staff and focus on customer satisfaction setting him apart from the rest. The achievement was made even more impressive given that the competition was amongst the best in Britain. After receiving the award, Rami thanked From left: Mr Lawrence Tomlinson, Chairman of the LNT Group, Dr. Rami Ranger MBE Chairman, Sun Mark Ltd, winner the judges, his wife Renu and staff. He also IOD’s Director of the Year 2012. Rt. Hon. Michael Portillo, paid tribute to the former Defence Secretary British sense of tolerCaptains of industry. The Michael Portillo, former ance and fair play where prestigious award was Defence Secretary in the an ordinary immigrant presented by. Rt. Hon. C o n s e r v a t i v e like him could realise his
ambitions and become an asset for his family and adopted country and also achieve such high accolades. He further said that it is a great honour for anyone to be nominated by such a prestigious panel of judges when the criteria for this award is very high. He was humbled to win the award in competition with his fellow Directors some of whom manage businesses with revenues of over £2 billion. Rami's company, Sun Mark Ltd, has also won the most coveted British Business Award from Her Majesty the Queen, The Queens Award for Enterprise in International Trade, for an unprecedented 5 consecutive years and in the process has made British
business history. No other British company has received this accolade. Sun Mark Ltd has connected Britain through trade to 110 counties and exports Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) products with staggering results and sustains thousands of British jobs with its export activities. The company’s sales and profits continue to grow despite the global downturn. The company has been added to the Sunday Time’s Profit Track – 100 for the past three years running as being amongst the top 100 most profitable companies in Britain. The company is also featured in Sunday Time’s Top Track 250.
maria@abplgroup.com
Trust me: The Highly Trusted Colleges
Maria Fernandes
“Highly trusted” conjures up an image of an institution which is fair and reasonable. The UKBA have designated colleges to be highly trusted and this encourages students to believe that the college will act in their best interests. This is far from the actualité to coin a French term. The definition of "Highly Trusted Sponsor" in the immigration regulations are “a sponsor which is recorded as being "Highly Trusted" on the register of licensed sponsors maintained by the United Kingdom Border Agency.” This register changes all the time. The essential thing to remember for the student is that a college is deemed to be highly trusted if it adheres to the UKBA rules which are set. Once they obtain their status as highly trusted, colleges market it aggressively. Interestingly enough the users of the system, the students, are never consulted as their views are not considered important. There is no system to prevent sponsors from taking advantage of students. The advantage may not be criminal behaviour or exploitation but it can nevertheless be behaviour which would be unacceptable if a local student suffered this fate. Colleges are very happy to offer overseas students courses, take their fees. If, for some reason, the student cannot take up the course colleges forfeit the full fees which can run into thousands of pounds. Colleges
Corruption watchdog praises Tata group for transparency
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
simply cannot justify retaining fee. It is possible for colleges to deduct administration fees but they appear to go much further. If this happened to a suspect college or two it would be understandable. However the evidence suggests that the problem is widespread and covers those colleges which pride themselves for their academic prowess. Students are often in a difficult position. They have parted with hard earned cash and are fobbed off by seemingly powerful human resources departments that are well organised and, one suspects, well used to dealing with such issues. After all for the colleges concerned, where they have taken a hefty chunk of money from a student and do not have to teach them, this is a win-win situation for them. And where does the UKBA come into this? They have given these licences a name and by doing so have sent a message to students that the college will act in their best interests when there is no guarantee that this will be the case, even among the older institutions who are all out to get as much funding as they can. There is no system of making sure that the system is working from both sides of the fence. Overseas students are often abroad and unable to fight on a level playing field. Students need to be more aware of this does not absolve the UKBA of their responsibility.
Chidambaram seeks higher dividend from PSUs
Vodafone plans to invest $ 2 bn in India
Dr Rami Ranger MBE wins Director of the Year Award 2013
Dr. Rami Ranger MBE, FRSA, Managing Director of Sun Mark Ltd, appears to be on a winning streak after he won the prestigious Institute of Directors (IOD) “Director of the Year 2013 Large Company” for the UK at a glittering awards ceremony at The Grange Hotel, St. Paul’s, London on 11th October 2013. This comes after his recent success when he was named as the IOD Director of the Year for a Large Company for London and South East region earlier this year. The Directors from N. Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England were competing for this top award. The dinner was attended by over 350 fellow Directors and
FINANCIAL VOICE
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
21
Foreign Exchange
Paresh Davdra is the Dealing Director of RationalFX, Currency Specialists.
US Averts Financial Default The US dollar suffered losses in the week commencing 14th October despite the US Congress raising the debt ceiling and thus averting a financial default. The deal will allow borrowing to rise only until 7th February, with full federal government funding provided until 15th January. There are talks scheduled in mid-December for a longer term deal. Whilst the immediate concern has been relieved, the deal that has been agreed has been viewed as a temporary solution. Stock markets and the US dollar weakened off as a result as the market view is we would expect more conflict when talks resume in December. The impact of the shutdown on US GDP is also being digested by the market. According to rating agency S&P, about 0.6% has been shed off 4th quarter growth figures, equating to losing US$24bn from the economy. This will of course give the Federal Reserve less of a reason to taper quantitative easing, perhaps pushing it back further from recent forecasts of tapering
to occur in December. The pound was boosted in the week commencing 14th October as positive data continues to underpin strength in the pound. UK retail sales for the month of September rose more than expected to 0.6%, suggesting strong consumer demand which should aid growth for the UK economy. Job market figures showed that the number of unemployed people in September fell by 41,700. Although the unemployment rate remains at 7.7%, the
figure should provide some encouraging reading for the state of the UK economy as well as giving a good gauge as to when interest rates could rise. The euro had a fairly lacklustre performance following mixed ZEW survey on economic sentiment figures from Germany and the euro zone as a collective. German economic sentiment rose to the highest since April 2010 but euro zone economic sentiment fell shy of expectations. Euro zone inflation remained at 1% year on year.
China's GDP grew in the three months to September to 7.8% from a year earlier, helping trading partners such as the Australian and New Zealand dollars extend their recent gains versus the pound. Continued conflict within South Africa's mining sector caused the rand to weaken further against the pound. The pound approached year-highs against the Japanese yen following poor Japanese industrial production data. In the United States, after the shutdown held back some key data from government departments, there is a flood of data expected in the week commencing 21st October, top of the bill being non-farm payrolls. Also due out in the US are existing home sales, import and export price figures, October jobless claims and PMI Manufacturing and durable goods orders on. Data from the UK is set to reveal that economic growth has increased for the third quarter to 0.8% which should continue to support the pound’s strength that has been apparent over the last six months.
Weekly Currencies
As of Tuesday 22nd October 2013 @ 2.30pm GBP - INR = 99.29
USD - INR = 61.36 EUR - INR = 84.27 GBP - USD = 1.62 GBP - EUR = 1.18
EUR - USD = 1.37 GBP - AED = 5.94
GBP - CAD = 1.67
GBP - NZD = 1.90
GBP - AUD = 1.67
GBP - ZAR = 15.82
GBP - HUF = 345.40
www.rationalfx.com
Information provided by RationalFX. None of the information on this page constitutes, nor should be construed as financial advice. The exchange rates used are the commercial foreign exchange rates provided by RationalFX. For a live quote or to find out more about how RationalFX can help you, call us on 0207 220 8181.
22
PAKISTAN-BANGLADESH-SRI LANKA
In Focus
Suicide bomber kills Pak minister
Peshawar: A suicide bomb attack in northwestern Pakistan killed at least eight people, including a provincial law minister, and injured 28 others. The attack occurred when law minister Israrullah Gandapur was exchanging Eid greetings with people at his residence in Kullachi town of Dera Ismail Khan, bordering the country’s volatile tribal regions. According to police officials, the attacker first killed the guard at the house and then blew himself up inside the guest room of the minister’s residence.
Beauty queen found murdered in Pakistan
Islamabad: A model and beauty queen from Singapore who went missing in Pakistan has been found dead in a ditch on the edge of Islamabad, police said. Fehmina Chaudhry, 27, a Singapore-based model originally from the Pakistani port city of Karachi, went missing while visiting Islamabad to buy property, police said. Police arrested a real estate who admitted that he had murdered the model and dumped her body in a stream at the outskirts of the city.
6 killed as bomb hits Pak train
Quetta (Pakistan): A bomb hit a passenger train in Pakistan's restive southwest, killing at least six people and wounding more than 17 others, officials said. The device, apparently planted on the railway track, exploded when the train approached a station in Naseer Abad district of the insurgency hit southwestern Baluchistan province. "It was a bomb blast, the target was the passenger train. At least six people have been killed," Asad Gilani, provincial home secretary said, adding that more than 17 others were wounded in the blast.
US restarts security assistance to Pakistan
Washington: The United States has quietly restarted security assistance to Pakistan, US officials said, after freezing much of that aid during a period of strained relations beginning with the 2011 Navy SEAL raid that killed al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden. Relations between the two countries remain tense on key issues, including Pakistani opposition to US drone strikes and Washington's complaints about the ties of the Pakistani intelligence service to militant groups active in Afghanistan. But the bonds appear to be on the mend after a series of major setbacks in recent years, including the bin Laden raid; a NATO air strike that mistakenly killed Pakistani border guards; and a January 2011 incident in which a CIA contractor killed two men on the streets of Lahore.
Freed suspects rejoin terror groups in Pakistan
Islamabad: A majority of the nearly 2,000 suspected terrorists freed by Pakistani courts since 2007 have either joined terror groups or are involved in anti-state activities, a media report said. Of the 1,964 suspected terrorists released by the courts, 722 have rejoined terrorist groups while 1,197 are actively involved in anti-state activities, the Dawn reported. At least 12 of such acquitted terrorists have been killed - four of them in US drone attacks in the restive tribal areas and eight during the operations conducted by security forces, the paper reported quoting an official document.
Punjab Rangers official killed by Indian firing
Islamabad: Indian Army firing has reportedly claimed the life of a Punjab Rangers official at the Line of Control (LoC). The official has been identified as Asrar, the Express Tribune reports. The firing took place in Sialkot's Chaprar Sector, but stopped after retaliatory firing by the Pakistan Army, the report added. The incident comes few days after India had asked Pakistan to maintain the sanctity of the LoC for improvement in bilateral ties. There have been several occurrences of ceasefire violations since the August 6 incident, when five Indian soldiers were killed on the Poonch border.
US rejects Sharif's call to get involved on Kashmir
Washington: Even before Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif landed here for a four-day visit, the US rejected out of hand his call for Washington to get involved to resolve the Kashmir issue. "On Kashmir, our policy has not changed an iota," a senior administration official said in a background conference call reiterating US' oftstated stand that Kashmir issue was a bilateral one between the two South Asian neighbours. While it encouraged a dialogue between the two countries "the pace, scope, and character of India and Pakistan's dialogue on Kashmir is for those two countries to determine with each other," the official said. The official was responding to comments made earlier by Sharif in London on way to Washington that even though India does not want it, world powers should get involved to resolve the
Karachi: Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari may contest from a national assembly seat which has traditionally been the stronghold of the Bhutto family in hometown Larkana in Sindh province. Former president Asif Ali Zardari addressed a public rally in Naudero as part of Eid celebrations in which the highlight was Bilawal mixing freely with the people. Zardari also presided over a high-level meeting of his party members. "Discussions have been held on letting Bilawal who has turned 25 contest the byelections from NA-204 to get him elected as a member of the national assembly and allow him to make his first entry into politics," a senior PPP leader said. He said an announcement would only be made after a meeting of the PPP executive committee which had to give approval for the
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
Kashmir issue. The world powers should do so as India and Pakistan both were nuclear powers and the region was a nuclear flash point, he was quoted as saying. But the US official did expect "India to come up at some point" during Sharif's first meeting with US President Barack Obama nearly a month after Indian Prime Minister's Sept 27 summit with Obama at the White House. While the focus of the Obama-Sharif meeting would
be bilateral relationship, including energy, economy and extremism, in addition to Afghanistan, the official said, "We expect India to come up at some point." "We have been very encouraged by steps that both India and Pakistan have taken," he said "to resolve issues on the trade and energy side, in keeping with the "energy and economy theme" that Obama and Sharif would explore here. "Obviously (they are) very positive," he said referring to the steps taken since Sharif's meeting with Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the UN general assembly in New York just two days after a summit with Obama where he had called Pakistan as the epicentre of terrorism. Like India, US officials too expressed concern that terrorism emanating from inside Pakistan could derail on-going peace talks between India and Pakistan after Sharif was voted to power in
May this year. "Cleary we would be concerned about the terrorist groups that would derail that dialogue process," the official said. Meanwhile, meeting Sharif over dinner on Sunday night, Secretary of State John Kerry said "We're very anxious to have a series of highlevel, important discussions over the course of the next few days with Vice President (Joe Biden) and the President.� "We have a lot to talk about and the relationship with Pakistan could not be more important. On its own, a democracy that is working hard to get its economy moving and deal with insurgency and also important to the regional stability," he said. Sharif, who last visited Washington in 1999 during the Kargil war before he was overthrown in a coup by Gen Pervez Musharraf, will hold a series of meetings with the top US officials and lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
decision. "But in the meeting held in Naudero which was also participated by Zardari's sister and other senior members including chief minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, the feeling was (that) the time was right for Bilawal to make his entry into active politics," he said. He said in order to get Bilawal to contest for a seat in the national assembly, the party would have to give former Sindh law minister Ayaz Soomro, who had been elected from NA-204 constituency in the previous election, some responsibility in the Sindh Government. Addressing the party workers, Zardari said: "If Nawaz Sharif took positive steps, Pakistan People's Party will extend complete backing to them in the Senate." However, he added that some other course of action will be looked at in case the incumbent government failed to address the challenges.
Sheikh Hasina's proposal for an all-party government to oversee Bangladesh's next general election, opposition leader Khaleda Zia said her BNP party would not participate in the poll process without a non-party neutral caretaker administration. "If we go to the election (with Hasina remaining as the premier), BNP would be affected...you have lost credibility among the people," she told a convention of proopposition professionals amid tight security. Zia said her party would only go to election under a "non-party neutral government". BNP plans to stage a grand rally on October 25 to mount pressure on the Awami League-led government to accept its demand for polls under a non-party caretaker government. Bangladesh is scheduled to hold next general election anytime between October 25 and January 25, 2014. The constitution states
within 90 days of the end of the tenure of the parliament. The term of the current parliament will end on October 25 and polls must be held by January 25, 2014. Awami League had scrapped the caretaker system amending the constitution with its three fourths majority in parliament two years ago in line with a Supreme Court judgment. The opposition in subsequent months staged violent street protests leaving scores of people dead. The opposition said elections under the party government would not be fair. But Awami League insisted the caretaker system proved counter productive as it was abused and it failed to protect democracy. League said the system rather allowed installation of an army backed regime to rule the country for two years, proclaiming Emergency Rules during 2007-2008, sending Hasina, Zia and many leaders of their parties to jail.
Pakistani government nor the United States releases details about those killed. Amnesty said it had conducted a detailed investigation into two strikes in North Waziristan, yielding a report based on more than 60 interviews conducted by teams of researchers working independently of each other. "We were really shocked,
especially with the grandmother case. At first we thought, that can't be true there must be something more to this," said Mustafa Qadri, the Amnesty researcher who wrote the report. "People who are clearly no imminent threat to the US, are not fighting against the US, are being killed. The US has to come clean publicly with the justifications for these killings." London-based Amnesty said a drone strike in the village of Ghundi Kala in October 2012 killed Mamana Bibi, 68, the wife of a retired school principal, as she was gathering vegetables.
Civilian dead Her five grandchildren were wounded, including Safdar, 3, who fell off a roof and broke bones in his chest and shoulders. It was unclear why the Bibi was hit. The weather was clear, providing good visibility to drone operators, the report said. In the second incident, 18 men were killed in the village of Zowi Sidgi in July 2012. Residents described the dead as a woodcutter, vegetable seller and miners who had gathered in the shade at dusk to talk after a day's work. The youngest was 14. The first drone strike killed at least eight people in all, the report said. The second one killed more locals as they were trying to rescue the wounded.
Nawaz Sharif
Bilawal may contest from Bhutto Opposition to reject polls under Hasina: Khaleda family stronghold in Sindh that the election must be held Dhaka: Rejecting Premier
US drones killed 19 civilians in Pak last year
Islamabad: US drone strikes killed a Pakistani grandmother and 18 civilian labourers last year, Amnesty International said, shedding new light on a major source of tension in US-Pakistani relations. Islamabad publicly opposes drone attacks, saying they kill too many civilians in addition to their intended target - Islamist militants. The precise extent of human loss on the ground is unclear, however, because independent journalists and researchers have only limited access to the affected regions. Pakistan's North Waziristan is the area of the most intensive US drone campaign in the world. Many jihadi fighters have been eliminated, but neither the
Manmohan, Putin lash out at sponsors of terrorism
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
Moscow: In a strong signal to Pakistan on the need to stamp out terror launched from its soil and to desist from attempts to re-install an unreformed Taliban in Afghanistan, India and Russia said states abetting terrorism were as guilty as terrorist organizations. An exceptionally forthright joint statement issued after Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that “states that provide aid, abetment and shelter for such terrorist activities are themselves as guilty as the actual perpetrators of terrorism.” In a clear reference to Pakistan, it said states supporting terror “need to irreversibly shut down terrorist networks, organizations and infrastructure, and show tangible movement in investigating and bringing quickly to justice those responsible for acts of terrorism”. India and Russia also vehemently opposed a likely role for the Taliban following the US pullout from Afghanistan. A joint statement said “terrorist acts perpetrated under misleading slogans”
Vladimir Putin and Manmohan Singh
were aimed at undermining territorial integrity of India and Russia, a reference to secessionists who justify the use of terrorism by invoking the once-fashionable theme of selfdetermination. The statement is a much firmer and focused denunciation of support to terrorism than joint statements with other powers like the US or China in the past. “This is the strongest statement on terrorism in recent times that I can recall,” said an Indian diplomat. The tough references are a step up for India as well as for Russia which faces its own challenge of
terrorism and secessionism in Chechnya. The two leaders spoke of Mumbai attacks as acts of terror whose perpetrators must be brought to book, a significant reference given Pakistan’s foot dragging on acting against top leaders of Lashkar-eTaiba chief Hafiz Saeed even as the trial of those held so far progresses at a snail’s pace. Russia and India also made it clear that they would not brook Pakistan’s attempt to rehabilitate Taliban – unless the group agreed to abide by the Afghan constitution and gave up arms – as they asked for the extension of
CHANDARIA FAMILY ANNOUNCES WITH GREAT SADNESS THE PASSING AWAY OF THEIR PATRIARCH
RATILAL CHANDARIA
VISIONARY LEADER, INDUSTRIALIST, PHILANTHROPIST SOCIAL WORKER, CREATOR OF GUJARATI LEXICON
(24 OCTOBER 1922 - 13 OCTOBER 2013) PRAYER MEETING AT OSHWAL CENTRE, COOPERS LANE ROAD, NORTHAW, POTTERS BAR, HERTS. EN6 4DG BETWEEN 08.00PM TO 10.00PM ON FRIDAY 25 OCTOBER 2013 FONDLY REMEMBERED BY THE CHANDARIA FAMILY, RELATIONS AND FRIENDS Email: condolences@comcraft.com
sanctions on Taliban as the cornerstone of combating terrorism. With the Hamid Karzai government also not averse to a dialogue with Taliban, the statement does not outrightly rule accommodation with the Quetta Shura, but sources said Putin remains highly sceptical about the viability of engaging with Mullah Omar’s outfit or its offshoots. The engagement, said sources, comes against signs of Russia’s bold desire to play as a power than build a significant coalition against mainline western powers while being on the right side of history. Russia’s ability to build an effective coalition is significant in context of Afghanistan where Putin has indicated clearly etched red lines with regard to the US withdrawal, making it evident that he expects the Americans to leave behind a workable arrangement that does not fall to terrorism. The assertiveness should be welcome to India which has its own concerns about what might unfold in Afghanistan after the Americans pull out in 2014.
23 WORLD Kenyan soldiers looted mall during siege
Nairobi: Mourners from various races and religions - Christians, Muslims and Hindus among them grabbed handfuls of dirt and planted saplings at a memorial ceremony on Monday for the nearly 70 people killed at Nairobi’s Westgate Mall exactly one month ago. By design, no major political or religious leaders were invited, giving the crowd of 400 or so a family-only feel. But the actions of Kenya’s security forces weighed on family members who quietly seethed over allegations and newly released video images of Kenyan Defence Forces - KDF - soldiers looting the mall. In security camera videos, some soldiers appeared to loot a store during the four-day siege of the mall. Kenyan security forces were shown walking out of a store holding plastic bags heavy with unknown items. Others looked behind counters and lifted items. Forces have previously denied any wrongdoing. Mobile phones were ripped from displays, cash registers emptied, and even alcohol stocks plundered, according to reporters at the scene after the siege ended. Despite those lingering
images, the organizers tried to foster a “We Are One” feeling - a chant repeated by the crowd - in the wake of an attack that saw al-Qaida-linked terrorists spare some Muslims who could recall religious phrases, leaving behind non-Muslims to be killed. Vaishal Shah, whose friend was killed at the mall, said the wider Nairobi community needs to come together, and not just the 70 or so families who lost loved ones. “The whole KDF thing is messing people up,” said Shah, who noted that he was in Boston during the September 11, 2001 attacks in the US. Norwegian named as suspect A Norwegian citizen of Somali origin is suspected of being one of the attackers who stormed a Kenyan shopping mall last month. The 23-year-old was named as Hassan Abdi Dhuhulow is suspected of helping to plan and carry out the attack. Dhuhulow was born in Somalia, but he and his family moved to Norway as refugees in 1999, according to relatives from the Norwegian town of Larvik, some 135 km southwest of the capital Oslo.
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INDIA
South
Chennai man pays 3393,000 for BSNL number
The first public auction of BSNL landline numbers in Chennai saw some nail-biting moments, and when the auction ended a cab operator walked away with the number ‘20002000’ after paying Rs 3393,000. There were 16 people bidding for the number which was put up for electronic auction by the public sector telecom operator since September 30. Ten of them competed on the last day of the bid, and five stayed on till the last minute, together clocking 156 bids. Ravi Travels, a taxi operator from Kodambakkam with more than 2,000 cabs, bagged the number.
35 crew members of detained US ship arrested
In an early morning operation, all the 35 members on board the US ship Seaman Guard Ohio, a floating armoury, were arrested by Tamil Nadu police in Tuticorin. The arrested include 10 crew members and 25 security guards. As many as 31 assault rifles and more than 5,000 rounds of ammunition in the ship were confiscated. The crew comprise of two Ukrainians and eight Indians while the security guards included six British, 14 Estonians, one Ukrainian and four Indians.
Malala selected for Basavashree award
Infosys chairman NR Narayana Murthy and Malala Yousafzai, 16, Pakistani education activist, were selected for the 2013 Basavashree award, instituted by Sri Murugharajendra Brihan mutt, Chitradurga. The award carries a purse of Rs 500,000 and a memento. Murthy will be felicitated in January at Chitradurga while the exact date and venue to honour Malala is yet to be decided.
Punjab
3 cops arrested for custodial death
Police arrested three cops - two assistant sub-inspectors and a head constable - for their involvement in the custodial death of Ram Kumar alias Ramu, a dalit youth whose body was found near the rail track near Ambala railway station. Assistant sub-inspectors Satibir Hooda and Dalbir Singh and head constable Parkash Chand were produced in the court of chief judicial magistrate, who remanded them in police custody for a day. The director general of Haryana police entrusted the probe into the case to state crime branch. Police commissioner Rajbir Deswal said the probe has been transferred to ensure free and fair investigation.
Ragi honoured for transcribing Sikh holy book into Braille script The Punjabi University has awarded Bibi Jasbir Kaur Khalsa fellowship to Bhai Gurmej Singh, Hazoori Ragi of Darbar Sahib, for transcribing Sri Guru Granth Sahib into Braille script. Bhai Gurmej Singh, who himself is blind, had started transcription of the holy book into Braille script in 2000. It took him 12 years to accomplish the task. The transcribed version was produced in 18 volumes and had already been made available at five centres, including three blind home-cumschools.
US court begins hearing in case against Sonia
In a case filed against Congress president Sonia Gandhi during her visit to US in September, a US court has initiated hearing. Judge Brian M Cogan will hear the case. Sikhs For Justice legal adviser Gurpatwant Singh Panun, who filed the case, said they would submit an affidavit and video footage clarifying that the summons was served on Sonia through the staff of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center where the Congress leader was undergoing treatment in September.
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
International flights from Chennai get expensive
Flying abroad from Chennai is going to be more expensive from mid-November as departing passengers will have to pay Rs 750 as user development fee, though the new terminal is yet to have all facilities. Airports Authority of India (AAI) is planning to start levying user fee from passengers from November 15 as it hopes to shift all departures to the new international terminal by then. A senior AAI official said, "All airlines will shift their departures to the new building by mid next month. The fee is being levied because passengers will be using the new building for departures." However, fliers are not amused by the move because
the new building has bare minimum amenities. Business class passengers of international airlines are forced to take a long walk after checking in, to the old building to use lounges owned by airlines.
AAI installed a restaurant-cum-lounge in the new building after airlines insisted that they would not shift departures if a good quality facility was not available. Though AAI wanted airlines that operated wide body
planes to move departures on the first week of this month, most of them deferred the move. "It is not fair to levy user fee before installing restaurants, lounges and other amenities for passengers inside the new building," said Air Passengers Association of India (APAI) president D Sudhakara Reddy. The fee is being levied to recover Rs 28.62 billion, including 20.15 billion spent on the new terminals and an additional Rs 8.48 billion spent on other capital work like cargo development, parallel taxi track for the main runway, inline x-ray baggage and the second feeder connection from the state electricity board.
Bangalore is now the breast cancer capital of India. According to Population Based Cancer Registry (PBCR) report of 2013, the city tops the chart with 36.6 new cases for every 100,000 population having the disease. And doctors say it has much to do with lifestyle. The registry, compiled from 11 major cities across India, shows Pune recording the least number of breast cancer cases (23.3 of every 100,000) followed by Kollam with 25.8 cases. Thiruvananthapuram has the second highest incidence with 35.1 cases and Chennai follows with 32.6 cases. According to Dr K S Gopinath, senior consultant, HCG, Bangalore, the rapid rate of urbanization is to be blamed for rising breast can-
cer cases in the city. "Due to urbanization, the lifestyle of people has changed by 180 degrees and the effect is visible," says Dr Gopinath. "While the normal age of contracting breast cancer was anywhere between 45 and 55 years a decade ago, it has plunged to 35-45. We see girls as young as 18 years with breast cancer." "Breast cancer can also be termed a lifestyle disease," says Dr Jayanthi Thumsi, senior consultant, breast onco surgeon, BGS Global Hospital. "Late marriage, fewer children and declining trend of breastfeeding are some causative factors, and all these are related to urbanization. According to scientific studies, breastfeeding and pregnancy keep breast cancer at bay.”
While the DMK is keen on uniting the opposition against the ruling AIADMK in the December 4 by-election to the Yercaud Assembly constituency, its efforts have evoked lukewarm response, even from its erstwhile ally, the Congress. Sources say the Congress is upset that the DMK leader M Karunanidhi had written to the BJP leadership seeking support in the by-election. Karunanidhi has written to all political parties, including the Left and the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) led by actor Vijayakant. The Left parties have already rejected his proposal. Weighing options: Cong When reporters asked him about his party’s stand
on the by-election, TNCC president B S Gnandesikan said that no decision had been taken so far and the Congress was weighing various options. Meanwhile, the BJP’s core committee has decided to stay away from the contest, but has not indicated whether it would support any party in the by-poll. “The Lok Sabha polls are our priority and we don’t want to fritter away our energy on other issues,” said BJP’s state president Pon. Radhakrishnan. He said the question of extending support to other parties would be taken later. The Congress is also not in a mood to make any commitment now as it will bind the party in an alliance with the DMK.
depending on the size and location of the marriage venue. Sukhdev Singh Sidhu, president of Punjab Marriage Place Owners' Association, said since the permit from the excise department is mandatory to serve liquor, the officials asked the owners to deposit the VAT amount at the time of booking. "They resort to arm-twisting of consumers and force them to deposit the advance VAT even before the function. Due to huge advance VAT, most customers are preferring to cancel their bookings and we are losing them," he said.
Two girl cadets, Sarita and Nancy, of Air Squadron NCC, brought laurels for the unit and Ludhiana by successfully conquering a 17,000-ft Shitidhar peak in Himachal Pradesh on October 5. They won the laurels while competing for the NCC Girls M o u n t a i n e e r i n g Expedition, held in Himachal Pradesh from August 28 to October 11. The two cadets are BA-II year students of Arya College. Among 18 participants, only six girl cadets from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh were selected for the expedition. However, only Sarita and Nancy, from
Ludhiana, were able to complete the endeavour by reaching the top of the mountain. "It is the dream of every NCC cadet to undergo mountaineering expedition. I feel fortunate to be selected among the 18 NCC girl cadets from all over India. Being one of them is really a big achievement for me," said Nancy. Sarita said, "We underwent 20 days' rigorous training of rock climbing, rappling and river crossing with the help of rope. These experiences were out of the world experience for us." While sharing their aims both the girls said that their ultimate goal of their life is to join the Air Force.
Bangalore is India's breast cancer capital
Lukewarm response to DMK bid to unite opposition
No liquor at big fat Punjabi Two Ludhiana girls conquer weddings from Nov 1 17,000-feet Himalayan peak
No liquor will be served at the big fat weddings in Punjab from November 1. With the owners of banquet halls deciding not to serve liquor from November 1 unless the state government rolls back its revised advance value-added tax (VAT) rates, those who have planned their wedding next month and later have become jittery. Many of them have even started scouting for alternative venues in neighbouring Haryana. Although the proportion of increase in excise fees to get a permit to serve liquor in the banquet halls is not much as compared to increase in other taxes, owners accuse excise officials of using the permit to charge "exorbitant" taxes, based on their subject assessment of the venue. According to the latest order, the rate of advance payment of VAT can vary between Rs 20,000 and Rs 100,000 per function,
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
UGANDA
25
President honours leading Ugandan Asians EXCLUSIVE
Honoured: (Left to right) Kneeling, Dr Sudhir Ruparelia, Dr Vali Jamal; Mr Hemnabh Khatau, on behalf of his uncle Mr Mahendra Mehta, Lugazi Sugar; next to His Excellency on right, Dr Alex Coutinho, Goan Extraction. Photo: From President’s Facebook, courtesy Dr Vali Jamal
Dhiren Katwa
Eighteen Ugandan Asians have been named in the inaugural Presidential Honours List.
Among them, a veteran journalist, East Africa’s richest man, three former mayors and three academics. Recipients include those from Hindu, Sikh and Muslim backgrounds, a symbol of inclusion and of religious integrity, which has, as always, been one of the country’s greatest assets. The prestigious ceremony was hosted by Uganda’s President, His Excellency General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, as part of the nation’s 51st independence “Uhuru” anniversary. The event was held at Rukungiri District Stadium in the western Ugandan town of Rukungiri on Wednesday a fortnight ago. The awards were divided into three categories: Political, Academia and Services to the Community. Mention Uganda to anyone, anywhere and chances are they’ll quickly link it to Idi Amin. This just goes to show how powerful his name is, one which has been radiated globally. But now, over four decades on since he expelled the Asians, the position of this East African nation is very different. It has improved significantly, and continues to do so, socially and economically. Yet the foreign media, generally, are quick to pick up on negative stories, but slow on anything positive, if at all. Of course Uganda has its issues, but doesn’t every nation? Take for example these Presidential Awards. The chances are you won’t see even a snippet in any British main-
stream press. Sad, but true, isn’t it? Some may argue why the need to cover at all. Well, there’s a sizeable, incredibly prosperous Ugandan Asian community in Britain and surely they’d feel proud to see this story in their ‘home’ media. The irony is that they’ll probably find out anyway through their own networks but if any British mainstream media were smart enough to cover this, they would most certainly win the hearts and minds of at least a few loyal citizens, new subscribers too. Even our Chancellor George Osborne paid glowing tributes to leading British Ugandan Asians for their respective economic contributions at a reception he hosted in July this year at 11 Downing Street. Credit to politicians Ugandan born MP Shailesh Vara and Lord Dolar Popat for ensuring this once looked down upon community gains the recognition that it so deserves. Again, the British mainstream media chose not to cover this event.
Honoured
Dr Sudhir Ruparelia The single largest private property owner in Uganda, Dr Ruparelia, 57, is dubbed the richest man in East Africa. Dr Ruparelia made his money t h r o u g h Uganda’s largest privately held conglomerate – Ruparelia Group of Companies which is into banking, insurance, hospitality, conventions, education and floriculture among other things. He is married to Jyotsna Ruparelia, maiden name Nagrecha, and they have three grown-up children. Next month will see their eldest daughter Meera tie the knot to
Ravi at a prestigious reception in London, followed by a traditional Hindu ceremony in Uganda in February. Dr Vali Jamal Dr Jamal is a well-known veteran journalist. Born in Mombasa, Kenya, Dr Jamal, who turns 73 next month, lived in U g a n d a between 1946 and 1972. He returned in 2005 and still lives there. Hailing from the Ismaili Muslim community, he has written for all the Ugandan newspapers, the Vancouver Sun and has authored various academic journals. In March, he will launch his much-awaited book of over 1,500 pages, Uganda Asians: Then and Now, Here and There, described by the President as “a national asset”. P I Patel Posthumous awardee PI Patel was the longest serving member of Kampala City Council from 1948 to 1971 and Mayor of Kampala the year Uganda became independent. As a leading business and community leader he served relentlessly for the betterment of people and the country. He was an inspirational figure among everyone who knew him. Professor Dharam Ghai Educated in Kenya and at the universities of Oxford (BA) and Yale (PhD) Professor Ghai taught economics at Makerere University, Uganda, and was Professor of Economics and Director, Institute for
Development Studies at the University of Nairobi. He was a senior economist on the World Bank-appointed Commission on International Development under the Chairmanship of Lester Pearson, former Prime Minister of Canada and Nobel Peace Prize recipient. He spent a year as Visiting Fellow at the Economic Growth Centre, Yale University. In 1973, he was appointed as Director of Research of the World Employment Programme of the International Labour Organisation. Sugraben Visram Posthumous awardee Sugraben was one of Uganda’s first female MPs. The wife of Haider Visram, a grandson of Allidina Visram, Sugraben is remembered, among many things, for having fought for the rights of women. Sugraben was born into an Ithnasheri family who later converted to Ismailism to facilitate her marriage to Haider. Her father, Mohamedali Jamal, had migrated from Pakistan to East Africa at the age of 12 and worked initially for Allidina, before setting out on his own in cotton and timber business. Sugraben’s mother, Kawkab Aha Mirza was of Iranian descent, born in Kampala, as was Sugraben herself in 1923. One of Uganda’s daily newspapers, New Vision, recently launched a supplement, IndiVision, which aims to be a voice of Ugandan Asians. I had the pleasure of a guided tour of the New Vision offices in Kampala and met the editorial team whose vision is this: A
Full List of Awardees
Political Sir Amar Nath Maini Mr Mahendra Mehta Mrs Sugraben Visram Mr Shafiq Arain Mr Gurdial Singh Mr BKS Verjee CBE Mr PI Patel Mr Anil Clerk Mr AG Mehta Academia 10. Prof. Dharam Ghai 11. Prof. Yash Tandon 12. Prof. Mahmood Mamdani 13. Dr Vali Jamal Services to the Community 14. Dr Mukhtar Ahmad 15. Dr Sudhir Ruparelia 16. Mr SS Gupta 17. Mr TS Chaudry 18. Dr Mustapha 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
globally respected African media powerhouse that advances society. Its Core Values: Honesty, Innovation, Fairness, Courage, Excellence, Zero Tolerance to Corruption and Social Responsibility. To mention just two of the younger Indians in Uganda who are influential in their own rights, and have chosen to serve the community silently are Rajiv Ruparelia and Mitul Jobanputra, both from the Lohana denomination of the Gujarati community, one of the most enterprising and prosperous of denominations. Earlier this month, at the launch of the Africa International Business Forum at the House of Lords, speakers spoke about how Africa was fast rising as a future superpower. “The next decade is Africa’s,” said one speaker. Watch this space... (Dhiren was invited to visit Uganda in August this year. During his three-day stay, he met some of the country’s movers and shakers. He described his visit as “fascinating” and “absolutely terrific”.)
INDIA Global Healthcare Modi blames Cong for Summit in plight of youth in India Gujarat
26
AV Correspondent Come winter and NRI season would start in India, especially in Gujarat and Punjab. Narendra Modi’s popularity graph among Indian Diaspora, especially in America is constantly soaring, despite US denied diplomatic visa to the Gujarat Chief Minister in 2005. On January 3, 2014, the Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) has invited Modi to inaugurate AAPI’s 8th annual Global Healthcare Summit (GHS). Apart from BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, former President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam will also attend the inaugural ceremony of the three day summit. Confirming the development, president of AAPI, Dr Jayesh Shah said that Modi and Kalam have consented to grace GHS opening ceremony. Shah said that the idea of organizing the event is to make a bridge between world renowned doctors and Indian doctors in various branches of medicine. “As many as 500 international delegates from America, Europe and other countries have confirmed to attend the event. Besides 1,500 doctors from across India are expected to attend the Global Summit to be held at Gujarat University Convention Hall in Ahmedabad,” said Shah. AAPI organized first global summit in Delhi. The Summit in Ahmedabad will be held in collaboration with the Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (GAPIO) and Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs & Ministry of Health.
AV Correspondent Accusing Congress for the current plight of the youth in India, BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi said that had Congress thought of youth two decades ago with concrete roadmap to utilize power of youth in nation building, the situation of young in the country might have been different. Speaking at the third convocation ceremony of Gandhinagar based Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Petroleum University (PDPU), the Gujarat Chief Minister said that if youth would have been involved in development process of the country, loss occurred in the past 60 years (under Congress rule) could have been avoided. “During the six years of Vajpayee government nearly 60 million youngsters got employment, while during the nine year rule of Congress led UPA government just 147 million young people employed. If the situation would continue further, youth of this country would not get place even on footpath,” he said. Some people are using youth to gain power but I want to empower them with various skills, he said. Though Gujarat is a small state, it has allocated Rs 8 billion for skill development in order to tackle the
issue of unemployment, while the Central government has allocated hardly Rs 10 billion for entire country for the same purpose, he said. “This only exposed the intention of the people at the helm.” Taking a dig on Central Government, Modi said that nearly 20,000 MW capacity power plants are short of fuel thanks to the rulers in Delhi, who are confused with lost ‘coal files’. Because of insufficient power generations, many states in the country are facing acute shortage of electricity, he said. “In one state justice was delayed due to electricity crisis. The legal department officially gave reason that in absence of electricity, courts could function hardly three hours in a week. Can we allow such people to decide our future?” he asked the audience, majority of them were below the age of 25. University culture in our country is more than 2,000 year old, Mod said adding, “There was a time when Takshshila, Nalanda and Vallabhi universities were known across the globe that too 1,800 years back. But 800 years of slavery ruined our heritage. But now we should work on making our universities more contemporary and open to new ideas.”
Continued from page 1 refused to attend in protest at Sri Lanka’s failure to improve its human rights record. Gambia will also be absent after announcing its intention to withdraw from the Commonwealth this month. Pressure is being mounted on David Cameron to demand an investigation into number of disappearance in Sri Lanka during his visit to Colombo for the Commonwealth gathering. The 5,676 cases of disappearances are the roots of controversy. The United Nations have also stated this is for the first time that such huge number of disappearances have been reported from any country apart from Iraq. Though Sri Lankan government has ordered investigation, but Asia
Division human rights head Brad Adams, said that an independent international inquiry was needed to dig out the truth. Some of the missing persons were also critics of Sri Lankan President Mahida Rajapaksa. Human Rights Watch had met Downing Street officials and urged the Prime Minister to make this demand at the Commonwealth summit. Amnesty International has also urged Cameron to raise the issue. Among those who disappeared was Prageeth Eknaligoda, a journalist, who was abducted two days before Rajapaksa's re-election in 2010. He had written an article entitled "Why we should not give another term to Rajapaksa". Neville de Silva, the Sri Lankan deputy high commissioner in London, said
the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had abducted people during the civil war and the government was doing its best to clear up outstanding cases. "Some of these people have actually been taken by the LTTE and recruited. They have been abducted on the way to school and the families don't know. Inevitably, blame falls on the government, but it's a very complicated issue," said de Silva. The 'Boycott CHOGM in Sri Lanka' drive has gained unequivocal support from various political parties, progressive movements and rights activists all over India. The people and political parties of Tamil Nadu are nearly unanimous in appealing Indian Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh to boycott CHOGM.
CHOGM: Prince Charles to represent Queen
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
Modi blasts Cong, kicks off UP leg of 2014 race
BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi launched his Uttar Pradesh campaign by blasting the Congress, while promising to boost growth and employment. But he steered clear of the Ram Mandir issue and professed his commitment to social harmony. Hitting out at the Congress first family, SP and BSP, he urged voters to overthrow the “tikdi” (trio) from the state. As a massive crowd braved a scorching sun applauding Modi and shouting slogans, a visibly confident Gujarat chief minister predicted that BJP was set to win the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Congress was at the helm for 60 years but the lot of the poor had not improved in the country, he said. “They (UPA) had promised that price rise would be controlled within 100 days of coming to power. Have they fulfilled the promise?” he asked, drawing a loud endorse-
ment from the crowd. “Neither have they been able to control prices, nor do they have the courage to tell people that they tried but could not control the skyrocketing prices,” Modi said, describing the Congress leadership as an arrogant one that did not understand poverty. Modi takes dig at ‘shahjaada’ Rahul over poverty “Neither the prime minister, Madam Soniaji and shahjaade, (the mocking expression he uses for Rahul Gandhi),” know about poverty, Modi said. “Those born with a golden spoon in their mouths don’t know what poverty is. They take a battery of camerapersons to discover what poverty is. And that is the reason why you get to hear wonderful statements like poverty is only a state of mind”, he said taking another swipe at Congress vice president. He contrasted that with his own impoverished formative years “I have lived poverty and felt
it. I know what being poor is and that’s why when they mock the poor it hurts. It rubs salt on the wounds”, said the PM aspirant who grew up hawking tea on railway platforms. For someone who is perceived to be close to business houses, invoking the past appeared to be meant to strike a chord in a city which, once an industrial hub, has become a graveyard of its manufacturing units. He did use the Hindutva theme of appeasement by slamming the “politics of vote bank”, singling out Akhilesh Yadav government’s effort to release alleged terror suspects belonging to the minority community. He accused his rivals of indulging in divisive politics, and claimed that he put the country and its Constitution above everything else, and did not believe in discriminating against any faith.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Monday evening issued notices to RJD chief Lalu Prasad and JD(U)'s Jagdish Sharma, disqualifying the two MPs from their membership of the lower House. The two MPs were sent the disqualification notice following their conviction in the 17-yearold Bihar fodder scam case by a Ranchi court. Earlier in the day, Congress's Rajya Sabha MP Rasheed Masood became the first MP to be disqualified after the Supreme Court stripped convicted lawmakers of the immunity they enjoyed with RS secretary general Shamsher K Sheriff issuing the disqualification notification.
The 66-year-old Masood was held guilty in a case of corruption and other offences in September. His conviction was the first after the Supreme Court struck down a provision in the electoral law that provided immunity to MPs and MLAs from immediate disqualification. The July 10 verdict of the apex court mandated immediate disqualification from parliament and state legislatures of lawmakers convicted for criminal offences punishable with a jail term of more than two years. Congress leader Rasheed Masood was Monday disqualified from the Rajya Sabha, following his conviction in a
corruption case. On Sept 30, a Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Court convicted Lalu Prasad, Jagdish Sharma and others in a case of fraudulent withdrawal of Rs.377 million from Chaibasa treasury in the then undivided Bihar during 1994-95 when Lalu Prasad was the chief minister. Special CBI Judge Pravas Kumar Singh sentenced Lalu Prasad to five years' imprisonment and slapped a Rs.2500,000 fine to him. The RJD chief is lodged in Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi, the Jharkhand capital where the special CBI court tried and convicted him.
Continued from page 1 buried in Adampur village in Fatehpur district. It is being learnt that Sarkar even wrote to the Fatehpur District Magistrate, Abhay Kumar, informing him about his dream. The hunt for the gold treasure at Unnao started when the seer had a dream in which a king told him about the hidden gold buried under the ruins at the fort of former King Raja Rao Ram Bux Singh in Unnao's Daudiakala village. The king along with Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi fought the British during the 1857 Mutiny and was
overthrown in the process. He went into hiding only to be captured in Varanasi after which he was sent to the gallows. Union Minister of State for Food Processing Charan Das Mahant met the seer after he learnt about his dream and the excavation work started by ASI and Geological Survey of India (GSI) soon after without any scientific evidence. The descendants of the former king came forward to stake their claim in the gold that the seer dreamt of. However, the government clarified its stand on the excavation and said that it is working
on the basis of evidence and not merely because the seer dreamt of it. Deputy Director PK Mishra had earlier said that the excavation work to hunt for the hidden gold started on the basis of findings of a GSI report that gold or silver may be hidden in the area. Working on facts, not seer's dream: Government Reacting to the news of ASI excavation work based on seer's dream, the Cultural Ministry said that the excavation started on the basis of a report by Geological Survey of India and not merely a seer's dream.
Disqualification notice issued to Lalu Prasad, Masood
Gold hunt in UP following seer’s dreams
INDIA
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BP plans huge investment China gives top billing to in Gujarat: Bob Dudley Manmohan Singh's visit
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
British multinational oil and gas company BP is all set to make huge investment in Gujarat. Apart from LNG regasification unit, the British company is also planning to establish Acetic Acid plant in Gujarat. Chief Executive of BP confirmed the development with Asian Voice during his visit to Gujarat’s capital Gandhinagar
By Mayuri Dave
BP, formerly known British Petroleum, is planning huge investment in Gujarat. Group Chief Executive and director of BP, Robert Warren Dudley, popularly known as Bob Dudley, said that his company has almost finalized two locations for investment in Gujarat. According to Dudley, his company is working with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to set up an Acetic Acid plant near Vadodara. The Chief Executive of the world’s fifth largest company also divulged that along with Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), BP has submitted a proposal for Gujarat State Petronet Corporation (GSPC)’s LNG terminal at Mundra. When asked abut the estimated investments for the BP’s future plans in Gujarat, Dudley smartly said that the projects are at the evaluation stage and investments would be hundreds of millions of pounds. “We’ve made a major oil and gas alliance with Reliance and we are working together to progress into developing India’s major domestic resources. Gujarat too features prominently in our plans in India like we have a joint venture with IOC. We are planning to set up one of the world’s largest acetic acid plant in Gujarat.” A graduate from Hinsdale Central High School in suburban Chicago and Chemical Engineer from the University of Illinois spoke frankly on the sidelines of the convocation ceremony of Pandeet Deendayal Upadhyay Petroleum University (PDPU). “Three and half decades back when I graduated, the world’s popula-
tion was just 4 billion and total energy consumption was six million tonnes of oil. Today our planet has 3 billion more people and its energy needs have doubled to exceed 12 billion tonnes of energy equivalent each year. People were concerned about plummeting resources of oil and gas, but new oil fields are being found and production continued. Now, people are talking about Shale gas revolution,” he said adding that latest statistical review of world energy indicates that oil and gas reserves are supposed to last 50 years at today’s production rate. However, demand for oil and gas is expected to just keep growing all around the world for decades and there will be a rise in global demand for energy of another 4 billion tonnes or another 35% from today to 2030, he stated. Talking about India, he said that India’s energy consumption is expected
to more than double over the next 20 years. So in order to continue growing, the country will need get access to all forms of energy – anything it can produce domestically coal, oil gas, nuclear, renewable, said Dudley adding that India and the world need more energy, they need secure energy and they need progressively cleaner energy. “So against such a context what are the priorities for the industry? First, technology, second, policy support, third, partnership and fourth and most importantly people.” Emphasizing the need for the suitable manpower in oil & gas industry, he said that industry is facing a huge shortage of highly skilled engineers, technologists, geologists and other skilled professionals. “There are opportunities in India, there are opportunities in Indian energy companies like ONGC and there are opportunities in international companies as well,” he added.
China on Monday said Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's threeday visit from Tuesday is of great importance for deepening strategic partnership amid expectations that the two sides would sign some key pacts, including one to prevent incursions along the LAC. "We attach great importance to the visit and are looking forward to it," China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing in Beijing. "It is of great importance to deepen ChinaIndia strategic partnership as the visit follows the visit of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to India in May." In a rare honour, Singh, who is arriving on Tuesday night after a visit to Russia, will be hosted by both Premier Li and President Xi Jinping on the same day. Among the pacts expected to be signed during the visit is the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA), the draft of which was cleared by the Indian cabinet. It is perceived as a major confidence-building measure by both countries, which had to grapple this year with a series of Chinese incursions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) that triggered serious tensions. A much awaited agreement on liberalising the visa regime was reportedly dropped as India's cabinet did not clear it because of reservations over Chinese visa procedures, like issuing stapled visas for residents of Arunachal Pradesh that led to two Indian archers missing a competition in Beijing. An agreement on establishing Chinese industrial parks in India, expected to bring in investment from China, too is unlikely to be signed as a Chinese team is still scouting sites in
in Kampala involved in the textiles business and, through his marriage to Hansaben in 1968, became associated with the Sangani family of
Mwanza, Tanzania. Kishorebhai had a long and close association with the Madhvani family, the largest industrial group in Uganda. He worked with Manubhai Madhvani and his sons Kamleshbhai and Shrai for 22 years before retiring in 2004. Kishorebhai was also involved in numerous community, charity and faith organisations. Together with his father, he helped establish the Pinner Sai Centre over 40 years ago. He was an active member of the Lions Club of Golders
Green and subsequently the Swiss Cottage Club and also the Free Masons. He won numerous prizes for playing in Snooker and Darts tournaments. Over 600 people participated in a prayer and condolence meeting in honour of Kishorebhai last Sunday. Apart from family and friends community leaders, including Shailesh Vara MP, Lord Popat of Harrow, Kamlesh and Shrai Madhvani, VH Patel, Ranjit Baxi and Dr Rami Ranger attended the function. During the prayer
Mukesh Ambani on Bob Dudley
R e l i a n c e Industries Limited (RIL) is one of the largest partners of BP in India. Chairman and managing Director of RIL, Mukesh Ambani was all praise of Bob’s leadership. He revealed that, Dudley learnt the virtue of speed quite early in life. As a youngster he was a swimming prodigy with one of the fastest backstrokes in America, he said adding that BP and India are now long standing partners and shown significant faith in India’s potential. “BP has been in India for the last 100 years through Castrol. So just like the Hindi film industry, BP also celebrates the 100 years in India this year. Today BP has material presence in India and employs around 8,000 people and is present in petrochemicals, in energy chain, in upstream oil and gas, Castrol to shipping and offshore function. Bob is the ‘Guru’ of petroleum industry globally. Bob runs one of the top 10 companies in the world,” said Ambani.
India. Agreements on promoting culture and people-to-people contacts are expected to be signed. Besides welcoming Singh at the Great Hall of the People overlooking the historic Tiananmen Square, Li will hold talks with him on a host of issues. Later, they will jointly address business leaders attending the second India-China CEO Forum being held on the sidelines of Singh’s visit. Ten top Indian industrialists, headed by Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group chief Anil Ambani, and prominent Chinese industrialists will be part of the business meet. The Forum's first meeting, aimed at framing a policy framework for bilateral trade and investment, was held during Li's visit to New Delhi in May. A banquet hosted in honour of Singh will be attended by Xi. Both leaders met for the first time on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in South Africa. While Li is seen as the point man for IndiaChina ties in the new leadership which took power this year, New Delhi is keen to interact with Xi, who has emerged as the most powerful leader in China as the
President, head of the Communist Party of China, (CPC) and chief of the military. Discussions between the two sides are expected to focus on India's concerns over China's plans to build a series of dams and existing structures, especially on the Brahmaputra in Tibet. India fears the dams will drastically cut water flows downstream. China argues they are run of the river projects that will not hold water. An important event in Singh's itinerary is his address on October 24 to future leaders of China at CPC's Central School, which produced almost all top leaders in recent years, including Xi and Li. The school provides ideological and policy orientation to party leaders and very few world leaders have addressed it in recent years. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua further said China and India are the world's two largest countries and important emerging markets. The bilateral relationship has assumed strategic significance and global implication. "We hope to strengthen political mutual trust, promote practical cooperation, deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries and enhance cooperation and coordination between the two countries on international and regional issues," she said. The people of both countries represent a third of the world's population and therefore "sound and steady development of our relationship not only serves our bilateral relationship but is also great significance to world peace", she said.
Well known figure Kishore Gadhia passes away
Kishore Gadhia, a wellknown figure in the Gujarati community and father of Jitesh and Ketan Gadhia passed away at the age of 69 last Thursday. Kishorebhai was born in 1944 in the village of Nageshri, India and migrated to Uganda in his early childhood, where he grew-up, worked in business and started his married life before arriving in UK in 1972 together with expelled Ugandan Asians. Kishorebhai was born into the Gadhia clan, a well known trading family
meeting, Kishorebhai’s eldest son Jitesh Gadhia spoke about his father’s character, his priorities and passions in life and his lasting legacy. Describing his father’s character, Jitesh said: “I can sum up his qualities and traits in a handful of phrases. He lived life on his own terms. He lived for the moment – some might even call him ‘carefree’. But he had a real zest for life. He loved making mischief and teasing people. And he could relate to people of all ages – young or old. Often he
was blunt but at the same time large hearted. He was a proud man with a soft corner”. Kishorebhai leaves behind his mother Gulabben, widow Hansaben, sons Jitesh and Ketan, daughters-inlaw Angeli and Neepa and grand-daughters Ishaa, Jiya and Priyana. Kishorebhai’s last rites and cremation will take place on Thursday 24 October 2013, at 10.15 am at the Breakspear Crematorium, Breakspear Road, Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 7SJ.
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TRAVEL - INDIA
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
Gujarat minister cautions against hasty marriage with overseas Indians
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''Craze for going foreign among youngsters through a marriage with Indians settled in foreign countries many times results into legal disputes and sad endings, so before deciding such marriages, one must properly inquire about his or her whereabouts,'' said Pradipsinh Jadeja, minister of state for law, justice and NRG Cell, Government of Gujarat, while addressing a seminar organised by Gujarat state NRG Foundation and NRG Cell of GCCI in Ahmedabad. While praising the efforts of NRG Centre for creating awareness among youngsters, he said that the government would also support such activity of holding such seminars in collages and other parts of the state. In his welcome address chairman, NRG Centre, GCCI K H Patel, said that there were about 25 million people of Indian origin settled abroad, among them Gujaratis constitute 25% and most of them prefer to marry from their homeland. NRG Center is trying to educate the parents of girls and boys about the pitfalls of such hurried marriages. Earlier a seminar for ladies was held which was well received. Patel appreciated the students for attending the seminar in large numbers and said that our efforts of creating awareness among student have succeeded. GCCI President Rakesh Shah said that NRG Center of GCCI is helping NRGs in many issues like investments, real estate purchase and local laws. We hope that someday this Centre will be helpful in providing useful information regarding marriages. N P Lavingiya, Jt.
Pradipsinh Jadeja addressing the seminar. Those sitting are: D. G. Chaudhari, K.H. Patel, N. P. Lavingiya, Anil Pratham, Rakesh Shah, Sanjeev Chhajer, Gopinath Amin and V.C. Trivedi
Secretary & Director, NRG Foundation, said, ''in many cases right information about kind of job and income level are exaggerated, so it ends into frustration and disputes. Proper care is required for gathering information about the other party. Such attitude can be a boon in the long run.'' Two experts, Gopinath Amin, a high court advocate, and Anilkumar Pratham, IGP, Women cell, Government of Gujarat, discussed various aspects of such marriage disputes and answered the queries raised by the audience. Amin said that domicile status, laws of the land and the concerned marriage Act under which the marriage has taken place, becomes more important in solving such issues legally. Pratham said that sometimes notices forwarded through CBI and Interpol was not responded due to the legal situation prevailing in the foreign countries. But right knowledge about the foreign land and laws prevailing there helps much in solving such disputes. Ruzan Khambhata of GCCI ladies wing gave useful insight about how women should use helpline in emergency situations. High court advocate
Meenaben Jagtap said that finally the confidence and courage of women becomes useful in solving all sorts of disputes and if the person does not have courage and confidence, no agency can be of much help. Four students of School of Social Sciences, Gujarat University - Beena Patel, Falguni Pandya, Ravjeetsinh Atwal and Hiral Ravia - also discussed various issues and precautions before deciding about marriages. Their opinions showed how the present day youngsters are becoming more and more aware about such sensitive issues. Dinesh Chaudhry, Manager NRGF and under secretary, Government of Gujarat, proposed a vote of thanks. There is a proverb in English that ' Get married in haste and repent at ease.'' This is more or less applies to all kind of marriages. But when it comes to decide about marriage with an unknown person, settled abroad, it requires extra precaution and enough information so that future agonies can be avoided. The initiative taken up by NRG Center should be replicated in many parts of the state, so disputes arising after marriage can be avoided.
Keshubhai’s meetings with ModiAdvani-Bhagwat create ripple in GPP
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AV Correspondent Divergence is surfacing within Keshubhai Patel’s political outfit Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) following Patel’s meetings with Modi-Advani duo and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. After quitting BJP, Patel along with former minister in Modi cabinet Gordhan Zadafia, former Gujarat Chief Minister Suresh Mehta and late union minister Kashiram Rana formed GPP in 2012, two months before Gujarat Assembly elections. Talking to this correspondent, a senior leader in GPP divulged that founder and president of our party (Keshubhai) is setting wrong precedence. On one hand he didn’t attend inaugural function of backward Rohit Community function sup-
Keshubhai Patel
ported by GPP on health ground and on the other hand he spent hours with the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and BJP veteran Advani at government Circuit House in Ahmedabad. Not only that, he attended a farewell function of three trustees of ‘Sadhana’, a Gujarati mouthpiece of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and met RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, he said adding that these
developments have sent wrong signals in the party. The GPP- supported event of Rohit community was finally inaugurated by Suresh Mehta and Zadafia presided the meeting, when Patel was busy attending Shri Somnath Trust along with Modi and Advani. Sources said that even Keshubhai’s soft stand in Gujarat Assembly’s monsoon session was criticized by his own party members. Modi’s meeting with Bhagwat at Gujarat RSS headquarters lasted for about 50 minutes, according to sources close to the event. In the backdrop of rumours on Patel’s reentry into Bhartiya Janata Party, RSS chief’s meeting with Modi as well as Keshubhai on the same day only pumped fresh air to the rumor.
HEALTH WATCH
Majority of Asians not aware of the risks of Type 2 diabetes
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
Only a quarter of people from South Asian backgrounds realise that Type 2 diabetes can lead to serious health complications such as amputation, heart attack, blindness and stroke, according to a new survey carried out by Diabetes UK, ahead of a major new advertising campaign to encourage people to have their risk assessed. Just 25 per cent of South Asian people who took part in the ICM Research survey were aware that people with Type 2 diabetes are more likely to go blind, while awareness that heart attacks (20 per cent); amputations (13 per cent); and stroke (10 per cent) are complications of Type 2 diabetes was even lower. The lack of awareness among people of South Asian background is particularly concerning because people from this community are up to six times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. People from this ethnic group are also more likely to die from coronary heart disease before the age of 75. Less than one in 20 (five per cent) of South Asian people knew that the condition increases risk of death. Funded by Diabetes UK’s National Charity
Partnership with Tesco, a £2 million advertising campaign, launched in September, will raise awareness of the risk factors – being overweight; having a waist of over 37 inches if you are a man or 31.5 for women (or 35 inches for South Asian men); having a close relative with diabetes; or being over 25 for South Asian people (or over 40 for the rest of the population). There are already 3.8 million people with diabetes in the UK and unless more is done to prevent Type 2 diabetes, which account for the vast majority of cases, this figure is projected to rise to 5 million by 2025. Diabetes UK has warned that this would be a public health disaster that would place a huge strain on the NHS. Jenne Patel, Diabetes
UK Equality and Diversity Manger, said: “The good news is that through small lifestyle changes, such as eating more fruit and vegetables and becoming more physically active, Type 2 diabetes does not have to be inevitable.” 43-year-old Raga was 42 when she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and admits that it was being overweight and living an extravagant lifestyle, due to running an international celebrity speaking agency with international frequent travel that led to her diagnosis. The moment she found out, she was frightened into making a change, particularly for her two teenage children. She started by taking baby steps by first taking responsibility and committing to making a change. She started ‘educating herself’ in whatever way was possible, reduced portion control, stopped drinking alcohol, joined a gym and actually used it every day no matter which part of the world she was, and mainly she walked everywhere. Slowly the weight started dropping off, and now she has lost 26 kilos (just over 4 stone) in 9 months and her diabetes is in remission and under control with healthy eating and
every organ in the human body. Each type of cancer is unique with its own causes, symptoms, and methods of treatment. Like with all groups of disease, some types of cancer are more common than others. In the Indian subcontinent, lung cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, oesophageal cancer, stomach cancer and oral cancer cases occur more commonly than other forms. How does cancer develop? The organs in our body are made up of cells. Cells divide and multiply as the body needs them. When these cells continue multiplying when the body doesn't need them, the result is a mass or growth, also called a tumor. These growths are considered either benign or malignant. Benign is considered non-cancerous and malignant tumours are cancerous and can often
invade nearby tissue and organs, spreading the disease. Cancer prevention Most people don't realise that cancer is preventable in many cases. Learning what causes cancer and what the risk factors are is the first step in cancer prevention. Many cancer risk factors can be avoided, thus reducing the likelihood of developing cancer. Of course, some cancer risks like genetics cannot be avoided. Smoking is the most significant cancer risk factor that we can reduce. It is responsible for not only lung cancer, but many other types of cancer. One of the best ways to prevent cancer is to quit smoking or never start. As soon as you quit, and it's never too late, your body reaps the benefits of being tobacco-free. Up to 85 per cent of cancers can be prevented by avoiding environmental risk factors like smoking, sun exposure, alcohol abuse and poor nutrition. Though age, race, gender and family history cannot be changed, knowing your personal cancer risk can help you devise a prevention strategy with regular screenings and healthy lifestyle choices.
Baroness Barbara Young
physical activity. “It was a huge shock to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes; I had no idea that I could be at risk! “The doctor told me I needed to lose weight. I realised I had to simply give it everything I had to make a change – life had given me a second chance, and I couldn’t waste it. I knew that losing weight was not just an exercise in working-out and diet. It meant I had to re-tune my thinking; get my family on my side; be more disciplined; work on my emotional side – lots;
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change my attitude towards working out; let go of all inhibitions and learn to be more happy.” The CEO of Diabetes UK, Baroness Barbara Young spoke to Asian Voice and said: “What is certainly clear is that when it comes to the South Asian community, awareness of the seriousness of Type 2 diabetes isn’t getting through, and this is alarming when you consider that South Asian people are up to six times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. But I don’t think this means the
South Asian community is particularly difficult to engage with; it’s just important that those working in health communicate with people on their terms.” “The campaign is supported by The Muslim Council of Britain, who we are working together with to raise awareness in the Muslim community, while we also do ongoing work with Neasden Temple and other places of worship across the country to offer health checks to the community there.” “We hope this campaign will be a great success because if we can encourage people to have their risk assessed then in the long term this could save lives, with people in the South Asian community being among those having the most to gain from this because they are among those at the highest risk. Just being South Asian and over 25 is a good reason to get your risk assessed, and even more so if you have any of the other risk factors, such as being overweight, having a large waist size or having a close relative with diabetes. To check your, simply do the online risk assessment – www.diabetes.org.uk/ris k or visiti your local pharmacy or GP."
Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School found that a molecule called FNDC5 and its cleavage product, irisin, are elevated by endurance exercise in the brain and increase BDNF expression. On the other hand, mice genetically altered to have low irisin levels
in the brain had reduced levels of BDNF. The team also found that raising levels of irisin in the circulation caused the molecule to cross the blood brain barrier, where it increased expression of BDNF and activated genes involved in cognition.
Cancer is preventable in many cases Exercise boosts brain health
Each year on 4th February, WHO supports International Union Against Cancer to promote ways to ease the global burden of cancer. Preventing cancer and raising quality of life for cancer patients are recurring themes. Cancer is a term that encompasses a complex group of more than 100 different types of cancerous diseases. The various types of cancers include AIDS related cancer, anal cancer, bladder cancer, bone cancer, brain cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, colon cancer, endometrial cancer, esophageal cancer, Ewing's Sarcoma, eye cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, gynaecologic cancer, head and neck cancer, kidney cancer, laryngeal cancer, leukemia, liver cancer, lung cancer, lymphoma, melanoma, mesothelioma, multiple myeloma, oral cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, rectal cancer, renal cell cancer, skin cancer, stomach cancer, testicular cancer, throat cancer, thyroid cancer, uterine cancer, vaginal cancer, vulvar cancer etc. From the types of cancers discovered so far it is obvious that cancer can affect just about
Early researches have shown that exercise is good for the brain, but now investigators have identified a molecule called irisin that is produced in the brain during endurance exercise and has neuroprotective effects. Researchers were able to artificially increase the levels of irisin in the blood to activate genes involved in learning and memory. While it's known that exercise can boost cognitive function and lessen symptoms of neurological diseases like depression, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease, the mechanisms underlying these effects are unclear. One important player is thought to be a growth factor named brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Through experiments conducted in mice, investigators led by Dr Bruce Spiegelman of the Dana-Farber
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UK
New India honoured with Golden Peacock Award
(L-R) Lt Gen J. S. Ahluwalia, Rt. Hon. Baroness Verma, Mr. G Sirnivasan, CMD, Mr. M. Vasantha Krishana and Milind Kangle, Group CEO
New India Assurance was honoured with the prestigious Golden Peacock Award for 'Excellence in Corporate Governance' at a glamorous function held at Hotel The Tower – A Guoman Hotel, London,, United Kingdom. The Rt. Hon. Baroness Verma, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for
Energy & Climate, Govt of United Kingdom, Lt Gen J. S. Ahluwalia, PVSM (Retd.), President, and Milind Kangle, Group CEO, Lycamobile, UK presented the award to Mr. G Sirnivasan, CMD, New India Assurance, Mumbai, India and sMr. M. Vasantha Krishana, CEO, New India Assurance.
Coming Events
l Saturday 26th October 2013 – How to be God: A Tour through the many Vedantas from 6.30pm – 9.00pm at Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre, Rothley Street, Leicester LE4 6LF. Contact: www.ochs.org.uk. l Sunday 27th October 2013 – Girikrama in the presence of Shri Yadunathji Mahoday from 1.30pm at Patidar Samaj Hall, 26B Tooting High St. l Sunday 27th October 2013 – Satsang for Raas Garba in presence of Shree Thakorji's Swaroop from 11am-2pm at Cannon Community Centre, 117 Wemborough Road, HA7 2DU. Contact 07828 208 181. l Wednesday 30th October 2013 – Hindustani Classical Melodies by Prof. Sugata Marjit from 6.30pm at 8, Audley Street, London, W1K 1HF. l Thursday 31st October 2013 – Celebration of Sardar Patel's Birth Anniversary and Diwali by National Association of Patidar Samaj from 7pm at Archbishop Lanfranc School, Croyden, CR9 3AS.
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
Rock On Music presents Tauseef Akhtar's Legacy of Ghazals Tour Rock On Music presents the renowned Ghazal singer Tauseef Akhtar’s, who plans to create waves in the world of music by continuing the Legacy of Ghazals left behind by the ’King of Ghazals’, Jagjit Singh on 10th of November 2013 at the Logan Hall, Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL Born into a family of musicians in India, Tauseef Akhtar was initiated into music very early in his childhood. At the age of 15 he recorded his first album (Aashiyan) as a music composer, and since then, has never looked back. He took his ‘taleem’ of vocal classical singing from the renowned late Pandit Govind Prasad ‘Jaipurwale’, comprehensively covering both the traditional and modern style of Ghazals. He went on to be taken under wings of Jagjit Singh from whom he learnt the nuances of vocal rendition particularly the inimitable style significant to, ‘Ghazal gayaki’, of Jagjit Singh, which laid more emphasis on the meaning of words and the melody evoked by them. He has recently released an inspired patriotic single ‘Yeh Hindustan Mera’ based on poetry by
The planet Mercury turns retrograde in your eighth house of joint resources, taxes, wills, legacies and alimony, creating confusion and complications for you during the next three weeks. Travel could also prove to be problematic, so make sure you have plenty of time to get where you need to go.
Your closest relationTAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 ships come under scruti-
ny as Mercury, the planet of communications goes retrograde in your seventh house of marriage and partnerships. There can be a lot of misunderstandings and confused signals. You'll need to listen carefully to what your partner is saying during the next three weeks. Tauseef Akhtar
Veer Sarvarkar that was digitally released on the Independence Day. Keen that the ghazal reaches out to as many people as possible, the singer hopes that the single will also push, the language Urdu into the limelight, so that that it no longer remains limited to the margins, as a language of a minority religion. Tauseef’s forthcoming tour on 10th November 2013, promises to revive the essence of Ghazals and create an enchanting evening, of soulful and touching renditions. Book your tickets now through your local ticket agent Videorama on 0208 907 0116 or call 07425176905. For more information, visit: www.rockonmusicuk.com
We are pleased to announce the winners of the exclusive soundtrack CD from Bollywood Icon Ranbir Kapoor's latest movie Besharam! Congratulations to: Rajni Patel from Southall Varsha Shah from Mitcham D.R. Radia from Ealing You will be receiving your gifts in the post.
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GEMINI May 22 - June 22
The next three weeks may bring confusion and misunderstandings at work and troubles with your health as Mercury turns retrograde in your sixth house. You'll need to pay more attention to detail and double check everything before finalising important matters. Close relationships need to be reassessed.
CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22
Mercury goes retrograde in your fifth house of romance for the next three weeks. This is a good time reflect and analyze current situations. Pressure begins to build as there will be a lot of demands in your daily work. Some of you will prefer to get away and seek solitude and avoid social events.
LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23
As Mercury turns retrograde in your fourth house, you need to watch out for extreme changes in peoples attitude and behaviour at home. Strong emotions may spill out with your loved ones, but it is alright to reveal your fears and insecurities sometimes. It's a cosmically testing time, so try not to tread on each other's toes.
VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23
Mercury turns retrograde in your third house of communication, making it difficult to express yourself clearly for the next three weeks. Misunderstandings and confusion could waste a lot of your time. This is also a good time to read into the unspoken rather than what is being said to make any sense.
LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23 You may need to take care as Mercury turns retrograde in your second house of finances. This is a good time to re-assess your money matters. In spite of that, all sorts of things could go wrong especially if people owe you money. Have patience as business matters move slowly or get delayed.
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SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22 Mercury turns retrograde in your sign for the next three weeks. Normally we expect matters to be dealt with smoothly, but not while the planet Mercury in your sign is moving backwards. Confusion and frustration reign, so put your plans on hold. Curb your expenditure as you will spend unnecessarily.
SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21 The retrograde movement of Mercury warns you not to overstretch your physical and mental energies. It would be a mistake always to blame the other person if your experience and expectations of love turn out to be disappointing. It is said that if you do not learn from past experience you will be condemned to repeat it until you do learn.
CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20 It's a lovely week for a clandestine romantic encounter, as Venus embraces your solar 12th house. Bear in mind that Mercury turns retrograde in your eleventh house of friends and associates as well. The next three weeks would serve you well if you spend more time listening than speaking. Mercury turns retrograde in your tenth house of career and status, slowing down your progress at work. It is important for you to be steadfast and focused as misunderstandings and confusion reign. Stay as organized as possible while Mercury, the planet of communications does its best to trip you up.
AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19
PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20
Mercury turns retrograde in your ninth house of travel and adventure, slowing down your pace for the next three weeks. Your mental focus could be anywhere other than your normal routine - find a way to break up the monotony. Don't be afraid to take on extra responsibilities as it could lead to better prospects.
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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 26th October 2013
Australia take 2-1 lead in ODI series
Australia have taken a 2-1 lead over India in the 7match ODI series that is currently under way. In the first ODI at the Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium in Pune Australia defeated India by 72 runs. The Aussies made 305 runs, but India failed to reach the target. In the 2nd ODI at Jaipur, India chased down the mammoth target of 360 and won the match. In the 3rd ODI at Mohali Australia won the match in the space of 6 balls. India lose 3rd ODI in the space of 6 balls A shocker was in store for captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and millions of Indian fans at the 3rd ODI at Mohali. The match that seemed to be in the bag till the 47th over was lost in the space of six balls. And, the culprit was Ishant Sharma. It was the 48th over of the Australian innings with James Faulkner at the crease that changed the course of the match. The first ball was full and wide, Faulkner smashed it over extra cover for a boundary. The second, a short one that sat up to be hit and the Aussie all-rounder clobbered it over for a six. Next a length ball which called for ‘please hit me’ and Faulkner duly deposited it over the ropes. Sanity came back for a solitary delivery, the fourth, where the two Aussies in the middle (Adam Voges and Faulkner) ran two. Back into six hitting mode, Faulkner swatted the fifth ball into the stands. If anybody thought that’s it, well, more was in store for the hapless Indian medium-pacer. The sixth, another rank long hop was smacked over the mid-wicket fence. Ishant conceded 30 runs of the over and it was all done and dusted for Team India. The Aussies snatched a four-wicket win as Faulkner deposited Vinay Kumar for another maxi-
James Faulkner in action
mum off the third delivery in the 50th over. Faulkner (unbeaten 64 off 29 balls) gave a stunning display of power hitting smashing 6 sixes in his whirlwind knock while Voges (unbeaten 76 off 88 balls) played the supporting role to perfection. Earlier, Indian team’s goto man Dhoni led from the front with a swashbuckling century. Unfazed, untroubled and always bearing a ‘monk’ like look on his face MSD turned another leaf in his glorious one-day career. He hit his ninth ODI ton, the first by an Indian at the PCA stadium, but most importantly bailed India out of troubled waters once again. When India was tottering at 154/6 by the end of the 32nd over, the most ardent fan of the team wouldn’t have thought that a 300 plus score will be posted. In fact, a score in excess of 250 was also highly unlikely. However, here was one man who was ice-cool, very well aware of his capabilities, biding his time for the final assault. And, what an assault it was? The final 10 overs produced a massive
101 runs as the Indian captain tore into the Aussie attack. Rohit, Virat, Dhawan pulverize Australia in 2nd ODI Virat Kohli scored the fastest century ever by an Indian, getting to the threefigure mark in just 52 balls, as the capabilities of a confident India was on a majestic display at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Rohit Sharma too got a century while Shikhar Dhawan missed his by five runs as the hosts, undaunted by a mammoth-like target of 360, won the second ODI against Australia quite comfortable by nine wickets to square the seven-match series 1-1. Ruthless, merciless, savage, brutal... you would fall short of adjectives to describe the Indian batting as Dhawan, Sharma and Kohli scripted this stunning win, more than making up for some mediocre bowling on a batting paradise. India reached the target in 43.3 overs, stamping their authority in a resounding manner. Sharma and Kohli shared an unconquered sec-
ond wicket partnership of 186 runs. These runs came in just 17.2 overs. Incidentally, this is the second highest successful run chase ever in the history of one-day internationals, only behind the amazing victory scripted by South Africa over Australia in 2006, overhauling 434. You need self-belief to chase a 360-run target. India had plenty of that as Dhawan and Sharma led the show with a 176-run first wicket partnership. Dhawan did enjoy his share of luck too. Sharma, though, did not need any luck. However, he had to overcome cramps for his unbeaten 141. Kohli made another statement of his talent, with a blinder of a 100 not out, which had seven sixes and eight boundaries. With the foundation having been laid for him, Kohli just launched into the onslaught as he would in a T20 game. The required run-rate was still close to 8 when Kohli walked in. Ten overs later, it was below six. That should tell you the supreme faith that he has in his ability. However, it was Sharma and Dhawan who did the ground work at a stage when Mitchell Johnson was hurling down the new ball at 150 kmph. Not only did they keep those thunderbolts away, but scored briskly too. Australia's mammoth score was made possible by two contrasting innings and three side shows, which exploited the shortcomings in India's bowling department. While Phil Hughes (83) teased runs out of the Indians, George Bailey (unbeaten 92) was a show of brute power. Aaron Finch, Shane Watson and Glen Maxwell provided the side shows, too scoring half-centuries, making it a rare instance when all the top five batsmen have score 50 or more in an ODI innings.
CSA sidelines Haroon Lorgat; India to tour South Africa
Putting an end to weeks of speculation, the BCCI gave its consent to India's tour of South Africa after Cricket South Africa withdrew its CEO Haroon Lorgat from not just its dealings with the Indian Board but also the ICC Chief Executives Committee pending an inquiry into his actions. "Following meetings in London over the past couple of days, CSA and the BCCI have announced that the South Africa cricket team will play against India in an upcoming home series comprising of two Test matches and three One Day International matches, the
Haroon Lorgat
specific dates and details of which will be announced in due course," the BCCI and Cricket South Africa (CSA) said in a joint statement. "In addition, both parties have also agreed to continue
with good faith discussions between their respective Presidents about the possibility of agreeing further bilateral arrangements in respect of the scheduled fixtures between the two teams, and taking into account any scheduling imbalances from previous years." The tour that had been in limbo ever since July after CSA unilaterally released its itinerary, a move which miffed the BCCI. The Indian board was also not too happy with Lorgat's appointment as CEO. The BCCI's uneasiness with Lorgat stemmed from
the somewhat frosty relationship that the BCCI shared with him during his stint as the ICC CEO due to their differences over a number of issues. Matters came to a head recently when CSA's former legal adviser David Becker, allegedly at the behest of Lorgat, accused BCCI president N Srinivasan of being manipulative. The BCCI-CSA statement said the ICC has now decided to investigate the matter, including Lorgat's reported role, even though Becker has maintained that the views expressed were completely his own.
Rooney, Gerrard send England for World Cup finals
Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard scored to send England to the World Cup finals with a 2-0 victory over Poland that gave them top spot in qualifying Group H on a thrilling and nervy night at Wembley. Rooney's 41st-minute breakthrough was brilliantly created and executed after a patient England build-up gathered pace when Leighton Baines crossed for the Manchester United striker, who nodded the ball down and wide of keeper Wojciech Szczesny. The match was played on a knife-edge as anything other than a win would have consigned England to a potentially difficult two-legged playoff tie, with group rivals Ukraine cruising to an easy win over San Marino. Midfielder Gerrard sparked English celebrations when he put the outcome beyond doubt in the 88th minute, cutting inside, bursting into the area and poking the ball past Szczesny. England, unbeaten in their qualifying campaign, finish top of the section with 22 points, with Ukraine, who go into the playoffs, second on 21. Manager Roy Hodgson, widely criticised after England's 0-0 draw in Ukraine in September, said he had a feeling of great satisfaction - and joked that Gerrard's late goal had taken "about 10 years" off his life.
A woman umpire in cricket from India
The new season of cricket has arrived & the young boys are already showing their capabilities to take themselves at the next level in cricket. Past two months have seen youngsters like Sanju Samson,Vijay Zol, Unmukt Chand and many others excelling themselves at the highest level of cricket. There is one more youngster who has made a debut on the cricket field not as a player but as an umpire. To be more precise she is the youngest woman umpire in India! Shubhda Bhosale, 22 was the only girl who successfully completed the level-1 umpiring course conducted by Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association in June this year. With this she has become only 3rd level-1 woman umpire in India. The other two are from Goa & Maharashtra but with significant age difference compared to Shubhda. Till 2009 Shubhda was a regular member in MPCA’s U-16 & U-19 womens’ team. After spending a time in a dressing room as a player Shubhda decided to change the stream & to pursue umpiring. She has already featured in few tournaments conducted by MPCA.
Ajit Agarkar calls it a day
Former Indian pacer Ajit Agarkar has announced his retirement from domestic cricket. The 35-year old had represented India in the international circuit and had played 191 ODIs and scored 1,269 runs with a highest score of 95 runs and had picked 288 wickets. He had also donned the Indian jersey in 26 test matches and had scored 571 runs meanwhile picking up 58 wickets. He had also played 110 First-Class matches for Mumbai scoring 3,336 runs and picking up 299 wickets. The Mumbaikar played his last domestic cricket match against Saurashtra earlier this year. The player was credited to be the fastest bowler to pick up 50 wickets, at the time of his international debut. He is also the third highest wicket taker for India.
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