Asian Voice 29th June 2013

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VOL 42. ISSUE 9

Rare Jain text declared world heritage document Shantinatha Charitra - a text written in Sanskrit, that describes the life and times of Shantinatha, the 16th Jain Tirthankara, has been included in the most prestigious list of the world's greatest documents by Unesco.

Unesco's world heritage body included the Indian entry in the Memory of the World Register 2013 and said "the story is of lasting value to humankind."

The manuscript talks about peace, non-violence and brotherhood and was composed and written in the late 14th century. It contains 10 images of scenes from the life of Shantinatha in the style of Jain paintings from Gujarat.

Continued on page 26

Nelson Mandela critically ill

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Report on page 23

80p

29th June to 5th July 2013

Migrant bond

proposal denounced Indian business groups, professionals and would be tourists backlash against 'discrimination'

Uttarakhand floods: death toll may be in thousands

PM David Cameron

The David Cameron government has been constantly whinging about immigration since the election in May 2010. The Prime Minister on June 10, 2013 said the “mass, controlled” influx of the recent years has changed the communities “in a way people did not feel comfortable with”.

This statement obviously undermines the important contributions made by the immigrants,

Theresa May

especially that of Indian origin to this country's economy, strengthening the cross country financial ties. Government's perennial complaint and harassment through random change of rules makes the community feel constantly unappreciated and dejected. As a result, Indian businesses have accused Britain of 'discriminating' against them.

Continued on page 26

At least 880 bodies have so far been recovered and over 73,000 people have been evacuated after a cloudburst devastated Uttarakhand, especially the area around the Kedarnath temple. But unofficial sources say the toll may be in thousands.

In its report to the Union home ministry, the Uttarakhand State Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre has said that casualties in the affected areas may run into thousands with about 90 'dharamashalas' (rest houses for pilgrims) swept away in the flash floods and landslides. However, the toll has been kept at 880.

Rescue operations resume in Uttarakhand

Helicopter rescue operations to evacuate around 9,000 stranded people picked up pace after rain and fog delayed the mission in calamity-hit Uttarakhand where the death toll mounted to 880 with 127 more bodies recovered from Kedarnath.

Fresh incidents of landslips were also reported from Tehri district in which a woman and a child were killed. Foggy and overcast conditions in Dehradun had delayed take off by choppers at Sahasradhara helipad and Continued on page 25

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th June 2013

Keith Vazwith MP

Keith Vaz MP

Laxmi Tendulkar Dhaul

obstacle in your career?

I haven’t had an obstacle which was insurmountable

Laxmi is a Post-Graduate in Biochemistry from the University of Mumbai. As an author she has penned titles across genres spanning spiritual and temporal sections. Her published works include 'The Sufi Shrine of Ajmer', 'The Dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya', 'Guide to the Gentleman Chef', and 'Chimi’s Dream'. She resides in Mumbai and is currently involved in producing animation films to create environmental awareness amongst school children. Her latest book publishes this week in the UK, called ‘In the shadow of freedom’, a novel set against the backdrop of Hitler’s Germany and Gandhi’s India.

1) Please tell us about your new book?

The book ‘In the shadow of freedom’ is the story of my parents starting from the early thirties. It talks about my father’s stay in Germany, his studying and his working as a journalist in Berlin, and his marriage with the filmmaker Thea von Harbou, divorced wife of the renowned Fritz Lang. Hitler's entry to power put an end to this, and on Thea von Harbou's advice, my father returned to India where he became involved in Gandhi's campaign of non-cooperation with the British. With Thea's consent, he soon married my mother Indumati Gunaji, a Gandhian activist.

Caught up in the whirlwind of Gandhi's activism, both my parents spent several years in Indian prisons. Only after their release in 1945 were they able to come together, thereby complying with a condition that Gandhi had put on their mar-

riage, that they remain apart for several years and do not have children until India got independence from the British.

2) What inspires you to write?

The very unique story of my parent’s life in ‘Hitler’s Berlin and Gandhi’s India’ was my inspiration to write this book. I have wanted to write this book for a very long time but it was only after the demise of my Mother in 2006 that I realised that I was running out of time as very few of the people who lived through the story, like my uncles and aunts and family friends were no longer alive.

3) What are your proudest achievements?

The books I have written, my initiative Prithvi media which makes films to sensitize children about environmental awareness in education, my 3 children and so many other small things.

I don’t think I have a ‘career’ in the traditional sense of the word. I wear many hats and each of them represents a career. One of the hats is to support my husband in his various initiatives in the power and energy sector in India through conferences, setting up our own power station and power trading. Another hat is my writing. I have written books on two of the Chisti Sufi Dargahs in India and have started my own animation studio for creating children’s films!

4) What has been the biggest

Lawrence's father demands judicial inquiry into police spying A former undercover police officer was allegedly ordered to infiltrate the Stephen Lawrence campaign in 1993, a British daily and channel revelations have claimed.

Peter Francis told the Guardian and Channel 4's Dispatches programme that he allegedly posed as an anti-racism campaigner in a hunt for "disinformation" to use against those criticising the police.

The aim was to smear the dead teenager's family, he said.

Scotland Yard refused to confirm or deny the account. But a spokesman said the Metropolitan Police shared the Lawrence family's concerns. Stephen's mother Doreen said the revelation had topped everything she had heard since her son's murder, and she is shocked and angry.

The Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has said he would support a public inquiry. But Mr Howe added that the process could be lengthy and inconclusive.

Hogan-Howe on

Stephen Lawrence

Tuesday morning said that if the allegations were proved true, it would be unacceptable.

On Monday, Theresa May told MPs the claims would be considered by the investigation into alleged police corruption in the original Lawrence inquiry, carried out by Mark Ellison QC, and the inquiry into the undercover operations of the Special Demonstration Squad in London in the 1980s and 1990s led by Derbyshire's chief constable, Mick Creedon, under the oversight of the IPCC. Stephen’s Father Neville Lawrence, however, said that May's reaction was completely unsatisfactory.

In a statement issued from his home in Jamaica, he

said: "I understand that the home secretary has announced that she will extend the inquiries of Mark Ellison QC and Operation Herne. I would like to make it clear that I find this completely unsatisfactory.

"I am convinced that nothing short of a judge-led public inquiry will suffice and I have no confidence that the measures announced today will get to the bottom of this matter."

Prime Minister David Cameron speaking at 10 Downing Street, Mr Cameron said: "Let's be clear, these are absolutely dreadful allegations and we can only think of the Lawrence family, who have suffered so much already from the loss of their son.

"And to suffer again, to hear that, potentially, the police that were meant to be helping them were actually undermining them."

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper told the Guardian: "These are shocking and appalling allegations and we need to know the full truth of what happened.”

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

My husband has always supported and encouraged me in everything that I have done till now and through him I have learnt that it is always possible to learn to venture forth and do new things even if no one else has attempted them before. My Mother influenced and encouraged me to write from an early age. My Father has influenced me through going for an education in science, which has given a very practical approach to whatever I do.

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

That I can juxtapose between being a writer, a business woman and a doting grand mother!

7) And the worst?

That I have to constantly travel

to be able to be everywhere at the appropriate time.

8) What are your long term goals?

I have learnt that today is the most important thing and my long term goal is to make every ‘today’ worthwhile.

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

If I was a Prime Minister in India I don’t know where I would start! India faces so many problems today, like the natural calamity of the floods in Uttrakhand due to flooding! Is Global warming his fault? No I don’t think so and I don’t know how fast we can move to rectify the widespread ecological damage already made. Our relationships with our ‘big’ neighbours – China and Pakistan is not something that can change in a day. The political mess and rampant corruption that one sees in the media each day. I am not qualified to make a comment on such huge complexities.

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

Ask me which living figure I would like to be marooned with and I could mention half a dozen. Historical figure, I can’t think of anyone who would be sensitive to today’s world of internet connectivity and other amazing developments that have become part of today’s integral life.

Boat race protester appeal against court decision Boat race protestor, Trenton Oldfield who has been married to British Indian Deepa Naik, has been ordered to leave Britain by the Home office, despite having lived in the UK for more than 10 years.

He was found guilty of disrupting last year's Oxford v/s Cambridge University boat race on river Thames by swimming into the path of the crews.

The Home Office informed the 37-yearold who is expecting a baby this week, that his continued presence in Britain would not be "conducive to the public good".

Oldfield, who served two months in Wormwood Scrubs, told the Guardian newspaper that he had appealed against the decision, as it breaches article 8 of the European convention on human rights, guaranteeing the right to family life. He emphasised that his protest was peaceful and non-violent.

Oldfield's wife Deepa who was out of Britain during the protest, had no clue of his plan.

Oldfield told the court that his protest, which halted the event for 25 minutes, was designed to highlight

Trenton with wife Deepa

elitism in British society. Before setting out, he even wrote a blog stating his rationale clearly and making clear that his was not an act of terrorism.

Among those who are supporting Oldfield is his appeal, Bangladeshi origin MP, Rushanara Ali told Guardian, "He has served his sentence and now his right to family life is being undermined," she said. "I don't condone what he did, but it seems disproportionate to say that someone whose offence was to disrupt the Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race is a threat to our security, whose presence is not conducive to the public good." Supporters have also claimed a pattern of victimisation.

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Comment

Indian cricket has reached for the stars India’s new band of cricketing brothers has done the country proud. Team India travelled to England for the 50 over ODI Champions Trophy and surmounted every challenge on and off the cricket field to emerge undefeated in all five matches of the tournament and the two practice games that were its prelude. Nature played its part in a stern and unforgiving ordeal: freezing rain, grey skies and only intermittan sunshine.The pulsating final at Birmingham’s Edgbaston ground was reduced to 20 overs per side because of the inclement weather; here cricket was not simply a test of skill but of character as well.

Commentators and scribers were all agreed that the India had played the best cricket chartacterized by high quality batting, good allround bowling, and superb ground fielding and catching. Up until the final the Indians had brushed aside their opponents with consummate ease. The redoubtable opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Shiker Dhawan (batsman-of-the-series with two centuries, a half-century and two other useful scores, with the highest aggregate of runs at an exalted average of 91 plus) created a firm platform for their colleagues to build on and consolidate. Dinesh Kartik and Virat Kohli did all that was asked for in the middle order.

The pacemen, Bhuvanesh Kumar, Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma bowled well in tandem; each had his high moments, but it was spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja that made the telling difference. Jadeja’s left arm spin, superb ground fielding and catching together with explosive batting at the death surely portends the rise of a true star, if not a

megastsar. And above all, there was Mahindra Singh Dhoni, cool and collected as captain, shrewd in his decisions, brilliant in his wicketkeeping, a luminous and dignified presence on the field and wise in his observations off it when answering questions, equiably and taking interviews in his stride.

He was justly proud of his team, particularly the way they had withstood extreme pressure when, for a time, the game seemed lost. Two consecutive magic balls from Ishant Sharma removed the dangerous Ravi Bopara and Eoin Morgan, whose 50-run partnership had brought England within sight of victory – 110 for 4 and only 130 runs for victory, the Indian total having closed at a modest 129 for 7 - but 110 for 4 turned to 110 for 6, and India were back in the hunt, their two spinners tightening their stranglehold on the remaining English batsmen, who either froze or panicked and went to their doom like lambs to the slaughter. India, in contrast, held their nerve, a triumph, no doubt, of mind over matter. In the end, traumatized England were adrift by 5 runs at 124 for 8.

After the match Dhoni spoke of his side’s self-belief, with players willing to take responsibility, for as he told them, the result was in their hands and not in God’s.

Trevor Penny, India’s South African fielding coach praised the side’s appetite for training and fitness, a new culture, Dhoni commented. He also complimented the Indian cricket board for investing its funds wisely in the country’s cricket infrastructure.

A final word of thanks to coach Duncan Fletcher for bringing India up to speed. India in England, like Caesar, came,saw and conquered.

Afghanistan-Pakistan: Confusion worse confounded US-led Western policy on the Middle East and its Afghan-Pakistan extension bumbles along with clichés and shibboleths of assurance, a leaking, drifting ship on the high seas without compass or captain but with a talk show host in US President Barack Obama. As ever, Mr Obama offered his local and global audiences the solace of glib eloquence embroidered with finely spun words. He and his European placemen, pocket Napoleon Francoise Hollande and imitation Churchill David Cameron advocate Western intervention on behalf of the Syrian opposition, jihadis and cannibals given to feasting on the corpses of their regime opponents. Among their numbers were are a sprinkling of moderates, who will also be devoured at the appropriate time. Understanding the sectarian fault-lines of the region is clearly a political bridge too far for the US and its limp Nato allies. The descent into chaos is set to continue. Further afield in Afghanistan- Pakistan the crisis of state and society deepens. The US decision to open a dialogue with the Afghan Taliban including, possibly, the notorious Haqqani terrorist network, responsible for the attack on the Indian embassy a few years back and cloned to Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence. Qatar is where the Taliban plans to open an office. The entire exercise has raised the hackles of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, understandably so, since he wasn’t privy to it.

He has suspended talks on security with Washington.

Was the Taliban presence in Qatar simply to be an office or a camouflaged embassy? The US and NATOled forces are in the final stages of their promised departure from Afghanistan. Which leads us to another pressing question: are the US and UK (and the rest of NATO) willing to humour their regional client Pakistan by acceding to Islamabad’s long held claim

to reservation rights and privileges in Afghanistan, reducing any Kabul government to a Pakistani footstool. The Afghan authorities have bristled at the subterfuge; they have long complained of Pakistan’s terrorist proxies in their country, of incessant Pakistani meddling and much else, without bending ears in Washington, London or Brussels. where Pakistan has lien as a valuable asset.

In Pakistan it is business as usual. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has raised defence spending by a hefty 15 per cent and doled out a special grant to the country’s shadowy Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).Not to be outdone Mr Sharif’s brother Shahbaz Sharif, Chief Minister of Pakistan’s richest, largest and most populous province, Punjab, has made a grant of Rs 61 million in the provincial budgetary allocation to the jihadi Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the parent body of Lashkar-e-Taiba, which perpetrated the Mumbai terror attack of 26/11/2008.

Nawaz Sharif may have trouble balancing Pakistan’s books or reducing its severe power outages – he will surely go cap in hand to the International Monetary Fund for a bailout package – but his 4.5 million-dollar Louis Moinet Meteroris wrist watch (made from pieces of meteorite), worth more than any al Qaeda or Taliban ransom demand, tells of a lifestyle to which Pakistan’s rulers are now accustomed. In the Meanwhile, in the northern Pakistani territory of Gilgit, 10 foreign tourists, belonging to a mountaineering expedition, were shot dead by terrorists disguised as soldiers, after the hotel in which the visitors were staying was stormed.

“Plus ca change, plus le meme chose” - which interpreted, reads: The more things change, the more they remain the same.

Management that is Disaster Mismanagement

Mother Nature can be awesome in its destructive power, whether it be in the United States, Canada, Eastern and Central Europe or India. The Monsoon floods devastating Uttarkhand in the Himalayan foothills have led to heavy loss of life and property, particularly in environs of Kedarnath, a popular site for pilgrims. The cascading waters of swollen rivers have washed away houses and people and left thousands stranded. Up to a point any government would struggle is such circumstances. But good disaster management takes into account the worst case scenario and prepares damage limitation measures accordingly. More: it draws up plans to minimize the loss of life. On each of these counts, the government in Delhi and the State government in Dehradun have fallen short of acceptable standards. Disaster management has been reduced to a bureaucratic buzzword. There has been little coordination in the relief effort as competing agencies thrashed around with little sense of direction. Not until the Army, Air Force and Navy put their combined weight and discipline into the business of rescuing the helpless did the word relief become flesh. India’s Armed Forces stand above politics. They place themselves at the

serice of the country whenever the call comes. On this occasion the call was humanitarian, the saving of lives and the alleviation of distress. They have responded magnificently and are the nation’s pride.

Meanwhile, over 1000 men, wonen and children have perished. There are surely lessons to be learned from the calamity. Disaster Management entails the acceptance of the worst case scenario and putting in place measures that take into account a variety of possible situations that would need tackling. Practice drills, including interdepartment coordination and well callibrated respionsibilities have to be set out in detail in position pairs, that are clearly understood by all participants.

Glib pie-in-the-sky talk with tall promises and little effective action will not do. If Disaster Management is not be reduced to a bureacratic buzzword and an Oriental hyperbole, it must be seen to be properr management and not the dreadful mismanmagement India is accustomed to see and experience.

Government and governance ought to move hand in hand if the expections of the country’s citizens are to be fulfilled. It is part of a charter of rights and responsibilities.

3

Hold fast to dreams, For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird, That cannot fly -Langston Hughes (1902 -1967)

Caste, Death, Honour and The Argumentative Indian Death came to holy places – those of the highest, Brahmin, and the poorest and lowest castes were treated equally and without discrimination by god’s law of nature with these floods.

The Indian Army have done an honourable job in trying to rescue the victims of the floods in India. They are the pride of the nation.

As with the Gujarat earthquake a decade ago, Sewa, and so many UK organisations have started raising funds.

Last Sunday, over 500 of us did a charity run raising funds for widows and orphans in India organised

by Lord Loomba. Yet all the while, all day long, I read emails from a few, but circulating among all the major heads of all the major Hindu Organisations in the UK, about how Indian members of the House of Lords are essentially useless and ‘self-elevating’.

Never have I seen so much anger, as there is on the issue of caste-discrimination legislation. Not anger on corruption, not on dying children, on inadequate nutrition for children, on the rape of women in Delhi.

But on caste, there is co-ordination, and god help you if you disagree with those who don’t want anticaste discrimination legislation – you will be called names, you will be considered a traitor to your Dharma. You could, like Baroness Flather, have helped erect the Memorial Gates to honour Indian and Commonwealth soldiers in the two World Wars – it won’t matter – you will be addressed ‘Flather’ and a Hindu-hater if you favour anti-caste discrimination legislation.

Your achievements as the first Indian Peer, let alone woman Peer, the funds you raise will matter nothing at all. Not your age – turning 80. Your former profession, teacher.

Nothing. You are a Hindu

hating scumbag to these emailers.

And who will come to their defence? My Dharma did not teach me to behave like this to elderly ladies. I must be a different kind of Hindu. She is my sister. So call me a scumbag Hindu too if you wish. You only degrade yourself. As do those who watch silently on.

I remind those who attack Indian Peers the words spoken of Gandhiji at his funeral, killed by a Hindu for not being Hindu enough, ‘The object of this massive tribute died as he had always lived - a private man without wealth, without property, without official title or office. Mahatma Gandhi was not a commander of great armies nor ruler of vast lands. He could boast no scientific achievements or artistic gift. Yet men, governments and dignitaries from all over the world have joined hands today to pay homage to this little brown man in the loincloth who led his country to freedom. Pope Pius, the Archbishop of Canterbury, President Truman, Chiang Kai-shek, The Foreign Minister of Russia, the President of France... are among the millions here and abroad who have lamented his passing. In the words of General George C. Marshall, the American Secretary of State, "Mahatma Gandhi had become the spokesman for the conscience of mankind, a man who made humility and simple truth more powerful than empires."

And Albert Einstein added, "Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth."

Don’t attack your own.

Titles are platforms for taking money from the rich to give to the poor – as we do in the Loomba Trust for widows and orphans. Of which there are so many more now because of these floods.

ASIAN VOICE is published by Asian Business Publications Ltd Karma Yoga House, 12 Hoxton Market, (Off Coronet Street) London N1 6HW. Tel: 020 7749 4080 Fax: 020 7749 4081 Email: aveditorial@abplgroup.com www: abplgroup.com © Asian Business Publications

Midlands Voice

4

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Air India to launch BirminghamDelhi flights using 787 Dreamliner Martyn Lloyd, Commercial Director of Birmingham Airport, explained, “This is fantastic news for our region and we’re delighted that Air India has recognised the strong demand that lies in our catchment and will be operating the new Dreamliner aircraft on the route. “There’s been significant support from the City, and indeed the region, for a direct service to India and we’re pleased to see that direct flights are now available on a brand new aircraft which will give passengers a fantastic experience. We also Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar thank everyone have been campaigning for the direct involved who has flights to Ahmedabad on behalf of worked tirelessly to readers and supporters. 9000+ peti- make this happen, tions from different organisations all particularly our over the UK have been collected by Brand Ambassador the newsweeklies and will be handed for Asian Markets, over to the Chief Minister of Gujarat Uday Dholakia.� or the appointed Minister on Sunday Uday Dholakia

by Mr Manoj Ladwa, a well known Birmingham Airport’s lawyer and Chairman of the Labour Brand Ambassador Community Engagement Forum for Asian Markets, added: “I am repeatedly told by the Midlands Air India currently serves Indian community that they 49 domestic destinations and want direct connectivity from 26 international destinations their region to India to in 19 countries across Asia, enhance trade and to reach Europe and North America.

Birmingham Airport and Air India are delighted to announce that from 1st August 2013, flights between Birmingham Airport and Delhi will operate four times weekly, using the new Boeing 787-800 ‘Dreamliner’ aircraft.

Flights will operate each Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, arriving from Delhi into Birmingham at 1900 and departing to Delhi from Birmingham at 2130.

The 256 seat B787-800 series aircraft has a split cabin, consisting of 18 business class and 238 economy seats.

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In Brief Dr Patel joins National Pharmacy Board

Uday Dholakia

family members easily, so this news will be greatly welcomed by business and leisure travellers. It will enhance trade, academic links and inward investment opportunities for the wider Midlands region. “I congratulate the Airport team for their determination to secure the route and reaching this deal with Air India; they have never lost sight of the local need for the service. It is particularly great news that the brand new Dreamliner will be operated

on the route and we urge agents and independent travellers to use the BirminghamDelhi service going forward.�

Birmingham Airport is the UK’s third largest airport outside London, and the UK’s seventh largest overall, handling some nine million passengers a year. Birmingham currently serves 143 direct scheduled & charter routes and offers an additional 279 possible connections worldwide. This gives passengers a choice of 422 direct or onestop flights.

BCABA: Bridging the gap between Black Country and India Dhiren Katwa To succeed in British society is no longer based on class, colour or creed but on merit, Lord Karan Bilimoria told a gathering at the Black Country Asian Business Association (BCABA) Awards last Friday.

In his motivational keynote address to around 500 guests, Lord Bilimoria, CEO of Cobra Beer, shared his inspiring story and said, in a nutshell, where there’s a will, there’s always a way. On ending his speech with a famous quote from Mahatma Gandhi, the 51year-old peer won rapturous applause.

Sat with Lord

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Congratulations to Dr Mahendra Gulabbhai Patel, (pictured) on being elected to the English Pharmacy Board, following the recent elections.

Dr Patel from Wakefield, said: “I am thrilled to have been elected and pledge my full support and commitment to the vision and mission of the Board.� Dr Patel is determined to add further value to the pharmaceutical sector in the UK by bringing his expertise to the forefront in helping to shape professional policy and lead practice within the new NHS landscape.

In addition he is committed to enhancing pharmacy engagement nationally with people from diverse, particularly south Asian communities to helping to improve health and reduce health inequalities. Dr Patel, one of UK’s eminent and multi-talented pharmacists, is encouraging readers to contact him with their suggestions, ideas, comments on ways of making the sector even more valuable.

Ramanbhai Barber MBE commissioned as Deputy Lieutenant Mr. Ramanbhai Barber MBE, has been commissioned as a new Deputy Lieutenant of Leicestershire at a special ceremony on 10 June 103

Sanghera Brothers, winners of Regeneration Award, with Tommy Sandhu, Ninder Johal and Cllr Adrian Andrew, deputy leader, Walsall Council.

Bilimoria on the top table were BCABA’s Chair Ninder Johal, former West

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Midlands MEP Neena Gill, Pat McFadden MP, West Bromwich Albion FC’s marketing director Adrian Wright and West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner Bob Jones.

Mr Johal, in his unique and powerful presentation, said the region had much to be proud of.

He cited shining examples of business, health, education, transport and regeneration in the region and thanked the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership, or LEP, for its support, in particular for Asian businesses.

Mr Johal is on the Board of the Black Country LEP, the only member from an ethnic minority background; and one of 10 men, of a total 11 members.

The nine winners – each was invited on stage along with a representative from the category sponsor – were: (Business StartUp) Autobase Citroen; (Young Entrepreneur) Wasim Ashraf, Cloverford Textiles; (Community Excellence) Punjabi Wolves; (International Trade) Brit Health Care;

(Innovation & Enterprise) Zeel Solutions; (Business Person of the Year) Kavi Jundu; (Business of the Year) Diamond Box; (Regeneration) TCH Hire. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Jindy Khera, the sexagenarian managing director of KTC Foods.

The round-table event, now in its 12th year, was held at Wolverhampton Racecourse and featured a three-course meal, entertainment by Back to Back dancers, Britain’s only Asian toastmaster Raaj Shamji and music by Amarun Johal. In addition, a raffle helped raise over £9,000 on the night for the Motor Neurone Disease Association. BCABA is a member of the National Asian Business Association, or NABA, which was launched earlier this year by Business Secretary Vince Cable. BCABA, in partnership with UK Trade & Investment and Wolverhampton City Council, will later this year be taking a delegation on a trade mission to India. To find out more visit www.bcaba.co.uk

Mr Barber (pictured with Lady Gretton), was commissioned under oath, in honour of his services to the community of Leicestershire, by the LordLieutenant of Leicestershire, Lady Gretton at a ceremony on Monday 10 June 2013 at Beaumanor Hall Leicestershire.

The Lord-Lieutenant is the official representative of Her Majesty The Queen for the County and City of Leicester. The office of Lord-Lieutenant, through the appointment of Deputy Lieutenants, represents the diverse communities of Leicester and Leicestershire.

Deputy Lieutenants undertake a wide range of duties and engagements including representing the Lord-Lieutenant and participating in Citizenship Ceremonies, attending remembrance services and the County Service, Parades, Royal Visits, and helping to assess local organisations nominated for awards and honours.

Ramanbhai was awarded the MBE in 2010 for his services to the community.

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Spriha Srivastava

Dreamliner a Maharaja experience indeed Travelling to India has always been a wonderful experience, especially when flying Air India.

The experience is truly maharaja style and the experience is always to the smallest detail.

However this time the experience was even better with the 787-

matically different from those on other commercial jetliners.

Electrochromatic window shades—not physical shades—allow passengers to dim the windows and still see the passing terrain. The overhead bins on the 787 are the largest in the

more pleasant experience for passengers. The 787 features technologies to improve the sound experience. For example, the serrated chevrons on the engines lower noise both inside and outside the cabin, making the airplane quieter for passengers, ground crews and

Dreamliner that took me from London to New Delhi.

The Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a luxury aircraft that has a wide cabin of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner provides a spacious environment for passengers. In economy class, the 787’s aisles typically are 21 inches (55 cm) wide. That’s more than 2 inches (6 cm) wider than in typical twin-aisle airplanes. In business class, the 25inch (65-cm) aisles will allow passengers to move easily past serving carts. he best part about the aircraft is the windows which are the largest of any airplane flying today (18.5 by 11 in; 47 by 28 cm). Passengers in any seat on the airplane enjoy a view to the horizon, which connects them to the flying experience. The architecture of the 787 welcomes passengers on board, helping them leave behind the annoyances of getting to and through the airport. The tall, dramatically lit entryway overhead creates a sense of the sky, reinforcing the fact that passengers have arrived in a new space.

The sky-like ceiling treatment continues throughout the cabin.

In a nine-abreast economy seating arrangement, the wide fuselage provides the room for wide economy passenger seats (17 inches between arm rests) And also offers comfort similar to that of a 747 economy-class cabin.

The window shades aboard the 787 are dra-

industry.

Boeing designed the 787’s bins around the variety of roll-aboard bags that passengers typically carry.

As a result, the bins are large enough that every passenger has the room to stow a bag above.

Another great thing about the Dreamliner is while passengers cruise in the 787 at close to 43,000 feet (13,100 m), the cabin altitude feels like 6,000 feet (1,830 m).

That’s is approximately 2,000 feet (600 m) lower than aboard most commercial jetliners flying today.

Today’s airplanes have very clean air, thanks to the same technology used in hospital operating rooms. The 787 has even better air quality due to an innovative purification method known as gaseous filtration. Research has shown that contaminants cause many of the symptoms that often are associated with low humidity. Air purification removes those gaseous contaminants and reduces symptoms such as throat irritation. The gaseous filtration system on the 787 cleans the cabin air by removing contaminants, including offensive odors.

The 787 cabin is climate-controlled, with higher humidity than in other commercial jetliners to help reduce the symptoms of dryness.

Airplanes sometimes experience turbulence.

Systems aboard the 787 are designed to smooth out the ride in moderate turbulence, providing a

communities.

The Cabin crew were extremely welcoming and ensured that the passengers had a great time. My own experience was great with food and beverage too. When my choice of food wasn’t available during lunch time, the steward ensured I got a special meal during dinner time.

I was also super impressed by on-board entertainment in the flight. There are a range of films, TV serials and so on for passengers to have a comfortable time during their journey.

Air India launched its dreamliner aircraft in London at the Montcalm Hotel earlier this month. Also present at the event was Shri Ajit Singh, the Minister for Civil Aviation, Government of India and top officials from Air India, as well as UK VIPs, politicians and dignitaries.

Rohit Nandhan, Chairman & Managing Director, Air India explains: ‘‘Due to the growing passenger demand for our flagship aircraft and the route, we are proud to bring the state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner to the United Kingdom, offering passengers the opportunity to experience this revolutionary aircraft and the best service in the sky firsthand.”

All in all, the Dreamliner experience was indeed a Maharaja one and I am glad I am flying back to India in a Dreamliner as well.

Let us know what you think.

Email Spriha at aveditorial@abplgroup.com

The Chief Bhopal Gas Disaster Suspects Remain Untried

By Rani Singh 21-year old Safreen Khan bursts into tears while she is describing the conditions left by the infamous 1984 Bhopal Union Carbide factory gas leak.

The disaster has caused the deaths of 25,000 to date, and left a legacy of water contamination causing misery to thousands.

“When I used to carry my school bag, I got breathless just walking from school to home.” She says softly. She also gets the sensation of foreign bodies in her eye and extreme irritation. But she does not get free medical treatment. Safreen Khan was born and raised in the water affected bustees, and is the founder of the Children against Dow Mr Satinath Saranghi Carbide group.

Safreen Khan Safreen lives in the still absconding from crimstudy conducted by us in Gutpa colony, about two 2003 published in the inal justice in India where and half kilometres from Journal of American it is wanted on the charge the factory. 15 studies Medical Associations of culpable homicide: “It have proved that the showed that children of is imminent that the ground water up to three parents exposed to the Bhopal District Court will kilometres from the factoissue a summons against toxic gases in 1984, comry is contaminated with Dow Chemical in the pared to children of unexcancer and birth defectongoing criminal case and posed parents, are shorter, causing chemicals and ask it to show cause why it thinner, lighter, have chemicals that cause damwon’t make its wholly smaller heads and suffer a age to the liver, the kidowned subsidiary Union myriad of other serious neys, the skin and the Carbide appear in court to physical and mental probbrain. Safreen’s parents answer charges of lems.” were exposed to the toxic manslaughter and other Union Carbide and its gas in the 1984 Bhopal serious offences.” Mr current owner, Dow Gas Disaster, although Satinath Saranghi is a Chemical Company needs others in her neighbourmanaging trustee of the to be called to account, hood were not affected by Sambhavna Trust Clinic in says Mr Saranghi. He the gas but have been describes them as “legally Bhopal and one of the drinking this contaminatresponsible for the envifounders of the Bhopal ed water for more than 20 ronmental contamination Group for Information years. So there is now a and ongoing health proband Action (BGIA). He disproportionate number lems of those exposed to asks why the Madhya of children with birth Pradesh government or toxic gases as well as defects and diseases and the central Indian governthose exposed to contamicancers there. While there ment is not conducting a nated ground water.” is provision for free medstudy.

BGIA continues to ical care for some gas Satinath Saranghi says fight the various unreaffected people, there is that “the Indian governsolved legal cases surnone for people affected ment, since it has the best rounding the Bhopal by ground water contamiinstitution, needs to study Disaster including nation. A January 2013 the long term health the criminal case that has study showed that the impact of chronic exponever been answered by ground water contaminasure, and there have to be Union Carbide or its ersttion is spreading. while CEO, The people living Warren Anderson, “Children of parents exposed to closest to the factowho remain fugithe toxic gases in 1984, ry are some of the tives from Indian poorest in the area. justice to this day. compared to children of The Sambhavna Mr Saranghi Trust is the only unexposed parents, are shorter, added that under organisation in thinner, lighter, have smaller the US Freedom India to have conof Information ducted studies there heads and suffer a myriad of Act, BGIA’s in Bhopal, and American supother serious physical and believes that in porters found letmental problems.” some clusters as ters from business many as every third and chemical house has a child with funds for medical surveilindustry associations and birth defects – many havlance; to count how many former US Secretary of ing brain damage, which State Colin Powell “saying children with birth defects means that they cannot that sending Anderson to are being born, and there look after themselves. But India to face the ongoing has to be a systematic prosome of the children's partrial in the criminal case gramme for providing ents have to go out workwould lower the morale of rehabilitation and care to ing meaning there is at US investors in India.” the children. All this has times no care for these To find out more, or to be funded by Dow very sick, disabled chilto make a donation to the Chemicals, because they dren.

Bhopal Medical Appeal, have to accept legal Mr. Saranghi points please responsibility for taking out that Union Carbide is visit: www.bhopal.org care of the children. A

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th June 2013

7

IJA launches book on late Nawab of Pataudi in presence of Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore and Soha Ali Khan The Indian Journalists’ Association (IJA) launched a new book on the late Nawab of Pataudi, Mansur Ali Khan, at the Lord’s Cricket Ground on Friday, June 21, 2013.

The book 'Pataudi: Nawab of Cricket' took place in the presence of veteran actress Sharmila Tagore, who has written a moving account about her late husband in the book – 'Pataudi: Nawab of Cricket' – edited by Suresh Menon, comprising of 22 fantastic essays.

IJA also released their annual handbook on this occasion, which was attributed to the late Pataudi this year called 'Tribute to Tiger' edited by former IJA president Ashis Ray. This 16 pages book contains a collection of memories from Tiger’s friends, including commentator and former Australian Test cricketer Richie Benaud, commentator Asif Iqbal, cricketer Frank Tyson and Erapalli Prasanna.

Present is also a piece by Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan on his father, which said that Pataudi's flamboyant leadership style gave India the much needed confidence on the cricket field.

"It was a privilege to have him as a father. I will not talk about his international career except to say he made India proud. We were a young and developing country badly in need of confidence; and at least on the cricket field he gave this to us. He played against and

book, which is a collection of articles by former cricketers and people close to Tiger Pataudi, who passed away in September 2011.

"This is one of the family's humble efforts and we will continue to do something to keep in touch with Tiger. It is a deeply moving experience for us," added the veteran actress, who has also written a foreword for the book edited by sports writer Suresh Menon.

Chapters are made up of a mix of reminisces by cricketers, some contemporaries of Tiger and others just admirers of his game, such as Ian Chappell, Bishan Bedi, Vijay Merchant and Sunil Gavaskar and Rahul Dravid.

There are a few other more personal accounts by Sharmila Tagore with daughters Soha and Tiger Pataudi’s Saba Ali Khan daughters Soha brother, sister and I travelled the and Saba Ali Khan as world, making films and speechwell as journalists es, giving and receiving awards, Rajdeep Sardesai and M caught up in hectic schedules, J Akbar. you could always count on him Amongst speeches (Pataudi) to be at home by the made during the launch, telephone, solid and dependable the most touching was as a rock," summing up the emothat of daughter Soha's. tion of dependability that bound She read out an extract Soha with her father.

Commonwealth Secretariat Kamlesh Sharma from the book sayingwith wife Babli Sharma "While my mother, Photo courtesy: www.ukasiaonline.com

were unable to attend the launch event at Lord's, mother Sharmila Tagore and sisters Soha and Saba Ali Khan were joined by former cricketer Farokh Engineer and Maharana Arvind Singh of Mewar among others from the MCC for the event.

"When Tiger left us there was such spontaneous outpouring of affection and grief and that’s when the idea of this book came about. I welcomed the idea because I needed something to do and what better than to remember Tiger and learn so much more about him," said Sharmila in reference to the

Maharana Arvind Singh of Mewar launching the book ‘Pataudi: Nawab of Cricket’

sometimes beat the best in the world," Saif wrote in the handbook.

"He had a kind of genuine confidence that was way beyond the superficial. He never ever lost his cool, and never raised his voice in anger. He shone in every phase of his full and colourful life. I only wish he could have enjoyed his 70s more and taught me a little more about this world in which we live!" Saif added in his tribute.

While Saif and wife Kareena

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Memorial service held for Gurkiren Kaur Loyal A memorial service was held for British born Gurkiren Kaur Loyal from Birmingham who died in an Indian clinic in April. Loyal fell ill on a family holiday in Punjab and was being treated for dehydration at a clinic in Khanna when staff reportedly gave her a mystery injection.

The eight-year-old's parents claim that her organs were then allegedly removed during a postmortem to cover up the actual cause of death.

Gurkiren's mother, Amrit Kaur Loyal, has been campaigning ever since to have the organs returned to the UK. The vigil in the schoolgirl's memory took place at Centenary Square in central Birmingham and her family requested people to bring their own candles and wear an item of either red or pink clothing, which were Gurkiren's favourite

Parents with Gurkiren Kaur Loyal's photo

colours.

UK pathologists have been unable to carry out their own post-mortem tests on her body because of the missing organs.

Two months have passed since her death, yet her family say they have not been given any idea about how she died

and have dismissed the hospital's claim that she was suffering from a brain infection.

Parents Amrit Loyal and Santokh Singh, recently also arranged a meeting with UK Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire in a bid to ramp up pressure on the Indian authorities.

Students may still not be too late to apply UCAS the organisation responsible for managing applications to higher education in the UK, in a written statement has announced that it’s still not too late to apply to University this year.

Although the ‘on time’ deadline passed in January, applicants could still be made an offer before clearing if they apply by 23:59 on Sunday 30 June this year.

While universities and colleges are not obliged to consider anyone at this stage, admissions officers still want to hear from you if you are considering becoming a fresher this year.

Applications received

after this date go into Clearing automatically.

So this is the last chance to make a full set of choices and have them sent on to the institutions.

Andrea Robertson, Director of Relationship Management, UCAS said: “If you missed the January deadline but are still keen to find a course, there is time to be made an offer if you apply now.

“Although there are no guarantees at this stage, a strong application will be treated seriously if the university or college has places available.

“Even though this will be a late application, it’s still vital to do the correct research, make careful

choices and write a strong personal statement.

“Remember that you will be spending at least three years studying and the decision must be the right one for you.”

To research courses visit the new UCAS website and use the course search tool.

UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, is the UK's shared admissions service for higher education.

The charity manages applications from over 650,000 applicants each year for full-time undergraduate courses at over 300 institutions across the UK.

Ghosh's 'River of Smoke' long-listed for the Warwick Prize for writing Amitav Ghosh's novel 'River of Smoke', a poignant story of a wealthy Parsi opium merchant from Bombay, currently known as Mumbai and his estranged halfChinese son, is among the 12 titles long-listed for the Warwick Prize for Writing.

The list of nominees sees novelists and poets pitted against non-fiction

authors. Each stands to win a coveted prize amount of £25,000.

The biennial prize that is run by the University of Warwick, is unique as an international, cross-disciplinary award open to substantial pieces of writing in the English language, in any genre or form. A shortlist of six titles will be announced in August

Amitav Ghosh

and the winner will be revealed in late September.

As I See It

Lets look back and learn Dear readers, Several readers have responded with information as well as inquiries in a very short period following my column, last week.

This illustrates, if ever a proof was needed, that most of us are keen to know our “history” to enable us to create more dignified and durable presence.

The involvement of Indians in Kenya, as well as Uganda and Tanzania in both the struggle of emancipation of the black Africans and pivotal role played by Indians and other South Asians in the development of East Africa as well as other neighboring countries is very exciting and inspiring story.

Zareena Patel, has been doing enormous work in collecting and collating of our participation in economic and political life of Kenya and East Africa. She wrote a book: “Unquiet; The life and times of Makhan Singh”. The book was published by Awaaz magazine in 2006 and was reviewed by Mwangi Githahu.

One can contact Awaaz magazine at (PO Box 32843 00600) Nairobi, Telephone: 0722 344 900, 0733 741085, Alternative email: Zand graphics (at) gmail.com Doctor Atul K Shah (atul@diverseethics.com) and Mr. Ramnik Shah (mailto.rkds47@hotmail.com) have also provided valuable information and I am grateful to them.

There is an interesting anecdote, which I would like to share with my readers, Mr. Makhan Singh was detained first in India and then in Kenya's Northern Frontier district for a total of 15 years. They offered to release him on condition that he left Kenya forever, but Mahhan Singh would not hear of it.

Once, when his lawyers appealing for his release and in order to elicit a favorable response in their petition, termed him as the “misguided man”. Makhan Singh objected strongly and retorted that it was not him, but the colonialist who were misguided. His advocate CB Madan, later Chief Justice of Kenya, said in his eulogy that it was kind of him not to call his lawyer “misguided.”

I could not go on further in this piece due to restraint of space. But I would briefly like to mention a huge project imitated by Dr Kusoom Vadgama. She is Chairman “Britian's Heritage Trust.” The Trust has embarked on a series of programmes to mark the 400th anniversary of Sir Thomas Roe accepting the invitation to become England's first ambassador to Moghul India in 1614, in the reign of King James I. In 1614, a young Indian was brought to England by the Chaplain of the East India Company (earlier arrivals are not officially recorded). Having been taught English, Latin and Christianity, he was baptised in the City of London with the blessing of the Archbishop of Canterbury the name “Peter”, chosen personally by King James I. I believe “Peter” was from Bengal and his original name was Prabhudas. Dr Kusoom Vadgama and her colleagues will bring out lot more detailed information over the next year.

The Indo-British heritage Trust is planning a nationwide series of events and exhibitions to television programmes and publications.

(Next week , f or the heroic role of the In dian Hig h Commission er Appa Saheb Pant).

- CB

Fraudster posing as a lawyer jailed for 8 and a half years A fraudster who posed as a lawyer and offered 'expert' legal advice to criminals has been jailed and told to pay back £1.3million that he stole from the taxpayer.

The Daily Mail reported that despite of having no legal qualifications or accreditation, Mohammed Khatana, pictured, had set up a cowboy consultancy firm offering guidance to crooks that faced having cash and assets seized by police under proceeds of crime laws.

The 51-year-old father who used his own daughter to act as a front for his scam - then charged vastly inflated fees for his 'services' which he claimed from the taxpayer-funded legal aid scheme, the newspaper further reported.

Last September Khatana, of Brierfield, near Burnley was jailed for eight and a half years after he admitted 15 charges of

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fraud. He has now been given six months to pay the money back or face another six years in prison.

Preston Crown Court was told how the former property dealer - who drove a Mercedes and lived in a five bedroom house on a private estate in rural Lancashire advertised his services via a website and in prison newspapers. He would visit clients in jail, discuss their needs, then go away and procure the necessary services for the criminals from solicitors' firms.

Khatana would then double the genuine firm's quoted price, submit a legal aid claim to the Legal Services Commission, and pocket the difference himself.

Mohammed Khatana was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to 15 counts of fraud.

Mahria Khatana, who admitted four counts of fraud, was given a 12month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work.

Mohammed Khatana has previously served time in jail for his part in smuggling amphetamine 'pillmaking' machines into Britain from China during the 1990s. In a later scam he was jailed for four years in December 2004 and ordered to pay back almost £500,000.

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th June 2013

Leading Lights

Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

Nish Kumar; An Interesting Addition to British Asian Comedy Nish Kumar ‘s comedy gags were considered to be in DAVE TV’s list of top 10 funniest jokes of the Edinburgh Fringe 2012. Leicester Comedy Festival 2013 nominated his performance as “The Best Show.”

In 2013, his second show, called “Nish Kumar is a comedian” will be seen at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival’s Underbelly.

Among its themes are identity, what causes offence “and what happens when someone on the Internet steals your face!”

Underling what is going into this year’s show, Nish told us that the writing for the performance came from an idea about his “ethnically ambiguous face.

People seem to have all sorts of problems figuring out where I am from.

That's the starting point for the show this year....”

Nish Kumar Back in 2010, Nish’s double act, ‘The favourite role models as arate to him. “They Gentlemen of Leisure’ Louis CK, Richard Pryor, refuse to consider it as completed a successful Chris Rock, Stewart Lee ‘work,’ rather an extensell-out run at the and Woody Allen. sion of the more frivoEdinburgh Festival.

He adds, however, lous elements of my perFollowing the acclaim, “Sachin Tendulkar sonality. the show returned in inspires me to pursue my Often, comedians feel 2011 along with Nish’s dream of being a test impelled to make gags own stand up show cricketer, despite the fact when answering interwhich he hosted and feathat I am an awful crickview questions, and Nish tured in alongside variKumar is no different. eter.” ous other comics: Daniel When we asked him When we asked him Simonsen, Josh about what makes him about his ambitions, he Widdicombe, James different, Nish rather replied, “I would like to Acaster and Dan continue performing incongruously told us, “I Atkinson. stand up around the can name every postwar Last year not only country for as long as British Prime Minister saw ‘The Gentlemen of possible. Also I would along with the years they Leisure’ write and pereventually like to own a spent in office from memform a site-specific tour Batmobile.” ory.” of the British Museum Reviews of his work Comedians are mostly but also found Nish takrun thus; busy at night doing stand ing up hosting roles for ‘Massively charming up. Nish agrees, though two lecture series; PLEB and very witty.... a he says that if he is not Talks and ‘Fat Tuesday’, delightful talent’ TIME doing stand up in the dubbed 'One of London's OUT ‘Impressive evenings, he sits in front Best Comedy Nights' by and accomplished’ SCO of the television watchTime Out. SMAN ‘Superb….

In spring 2012 delivered with such Nish cites some of his Nish was the series g l o r i o u s warm up for ‘Dave’s abandon’ LIST ‘A favourite role models as One Night Stand’ warm, likable presplaying to capacity Louis CK, Richard Pryor, ence…. Kumar picks theatres such as the out his own weakHackney and Chris Rock, Stewart Lee nesses and holds Shepherd’s Bush them up to highly and Woody Allen Empire. entertaining public Asian Voice r i d i c u l e . ’ asked Nish what led him ing old Simpsons GUARDIAN to comedy, to which he episodes.

Nish’s show, “Nish replied; At the moment, he is Kumar is a Comedian,” “Well, I have tried mainly writing and will play at the various other jobs and rewriting bits of the Edinburgh Fringe was awful at them. I Edinburgh show, interFestival’s Underbelly think it's purely a process Bristo Square - Clover spersed with periods of elimination that led Room between 3rd to watching The me to comedy.”

25th August 2013, with Apprentice. Next month, His family, Nish tells, previews from July 31st he starts rehearsals for a us considers his work to to Auguest 2nd. The perplay called "Wardens" be closely linked to his formances will start at which he is also in during character rather than 8.10pm. the Edinburgh Fringe. part of a profession sepNish cites some of his

9

Vaz vowed by new ketchup range launched by Leicester lad Leicester East MP, Keith Vaz, has given the thumbs up to a new range of lipsmacking ketchups designed and produced by local lad Nirmal Gosai, which have recently gone on sale at Asda.

Gosai, aged 26, who has no formal training as a chef, designed the spicy ketchups after watching chefs experimenting with ingredients to make curries in his father’s restaurant Sharmilee on Leicester’s world famous Golden Mile.

The Urban Flavour Factory range of ketchups were snapped up by the supermarket chain after passing a number of taste and quality checks and are being sold at stores across the Midlands.

There are currently three ketchups in the range, Jalapeno, Chipotle and Habanero, with a fourth extra-hot Naga Jolokia sauce in the pipeline for spice lovers.

The company intends to market the sauces to other supermarket retailers and wholesalers in the coming months.

Nirmal Gosai, Founder of the Urban Flavour Factory, said: “I am so pleased that Asda have decided to sell my products in their stores.

I have been around the kitchen and chefs for as long as I can remember, yet didn’t ever consider it as a career. I really hope that people will enjoy my product as much as I enjoyed making it.”

Leicester East MP, Keith Vaz said: “I am really proud of Nirmal for getting his product on sale in one of the largest super-

market chains in the country. He is a credit to Leicester. I have known his family and the Sharmilee, a Golden Mile institution, since Nirmal was a baby, I have taken the ketchups home and my children love them.

Things can only get bigger and better for Nirmal and I want to wish him every success.”

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India vs Gibraltar

Gibraltar tourist hotspot

Secular India

India Wins Again

Raj Patel has wrongly judged India on scales of tourism. Tiny countries depend on tourism business; beg to tourists. I favour tourists and tourism, but dark underbelly of drink, drugs, porn, sex, paedophilia, marriage/talaak tourism, looting of India’s relics etc, are no secret, against which India has no effective laws.

Thus tourism can be malignant for India if encouraged on grand scale as done by tiny countries.

India’s image is 100 feet tall in comparison to neighbours and on all round international arena. India imports foreign know how to fly into nuclear and space clubs. India’s entrepreneurial migrants perform brilliantly and fill coffers of host countries. Parsees taking over JLR in UK Mittals buying and resuscitating international steel industry, Hindujas/Paul Swaraj of UK, Ambani’s wealth etc are grand image builders; therefore India need not beg for tourists. Medical tourism is image booster too. India is the only country to boast Free treatment for heart and eyes illnesses, and FREE meals at religious resorts.

Yoga is irrefutable Indian identity.

Image of India is enhanced when it has not begged for international aid during earthquakes of Latour and Kutch and lately during Uttarakhand flood disaster.

Indians dazzled by foreign glitter must educate themselves about really magnificent image of India, instead of relying slum dog image created by western media. Indians must develop muscles and nerves of steel, self confidence / patriotism. NRIs must realize that whole world is looking up to India to survive depression, whereas tourist dependent countries have gone bankrupt.

I read Raj Patel’s piece India V’s Gibraltar with interest. Although I agree with most of his comments, I feel blaming Dr Bhagwati is erroneous, as he is a mere messenger. Blame lies fairly and squarely at the door of Congress government in Delhi with puppet Dr Singh at the helm!

Gibraltar sits at the entrance to Mediterranean, gateway to historic and popular holiday destinations, such as Greece, Italy, Turkey and Tunisia. Most visitors to Gibraltar are day trippers, mainly from cruise liners who spend less than half a day while most tourists’ stay in India is two weeks.

I was such a day tripper to Gibraltar just last week. I was amazed at the friendly reception bestowed upon us, not even our passports checked. It is duty free enclave, heaven for thrifty shoppers with real bargains. Their slogan is “Honest is the best policy.”

This is in sharp contrast with near bankrupt Spain with 26% unemployment. Our excursion to white-washed villages and Flamenco Dancing School in Spain was cancelled at the last minute due to Spanish intransigent and harassment at the border-crossing. This is routine occurrence putting thousands of jobs in Spain at risk.

It is time our lame-duck British government take firm action, closing down the border. This would stop thousands of Spaniards who cross the border daily to work in Gibraltar who in turn could pressurise Spanish government to behave in a civilized and dignified manner befitting EU nation.

Many congratulations to the Men In Blue; they have done it again. And what a breath-taking thriller that was in Edgbaston. It made every single fan hold on to their sits tight right until the last bal.

First of all it was a great game as fearless India (fearless because of the way they played each game) was taking on dangerous England(dangerous because its the host and it is in form). Anyways games apart, I would like to mention couple of things I noticed after the tournament.

Captain Cool MS Dhoni held the Champions Trophy for very little time. He let others hold on to the trophy and celebrate the win. Even in the group photo with the trophy, Dhoni is spotted standing on the left side almost on the edge of the group.

And secondly was the little speech from the star batsman who is seen promoting his moustache. He said he wanted to dedicate his award and the trophy to the people in back home who have lost their lives and suffered in the recent floods. Quite touching that was.

Well done Team India. And good luck for the tri-series in West Indies.

Ramesh Jhalla Via Email

We are Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or Communist if one is born in that particular family. We are brought up with that religion’s believes, dogmas, rituals etc. Every religious monk has his own type of uniform varying from crimson to saffron to black to white with a head gear, branded symbol on the forehead and a necklace of beads. Some take vow of chastity, poverty etc. This is done in the name of God- unknowable, unfathomable and beyond petty human minds. Each religion proclaim that their God is superior than the other. In the name of religion we have killed many since centuries. The religious leaders have not got any courage to stop this mayhem- as they are busy in their dogmas, rituals etc. REligious mind does not need to have any believes, dogmas, rituals, mantras, prayers, temples etc. It does not seek God. For her/him mind and the thought are same. To enter the realm of God, one has to fill darkness with light, glasses of minds have to be cleaned by abandoning self centred activities, pursuits of selfish pleasures etc.

I was not surprised to read the views of my friend Dr Naginbhai Patel.

Vulnerable and educated illiterates will be taken advantage by the circus of saffron robed monks, providing religious entertainment with a hand in our pock-

In India Parliamentary election is going to take place next year and some political parties are joining hands with so called secular forces in India. The Congress party condemn BJP as a communal party and at the same time joined hands with Muslim League to form government in the state (Kerala) level and in the central government.

In Europe France is a secular state, where religion is kept out of politics. All citizens are treated in the same way irrespective of race and colour and there is no special treatment for a particular race or religion. All of them go to the same school and educational institution. There is a standard code of dress code for all the citizens. Majority of Indians especially in the South do not know that 150 Million Indian Muslims are governed by Sharia law.

In secular state all are treated in the same way and there is no separate school for Muslims( Madrasas), or Christian schools aided by the state. India spends cores of rupees to Muslims for Haji pilgrimage or Christians to visit Jerusalem.

These privilege is not given to majority Hindu pilgrims in India.

The Indian constitution states no discrimination on the basis of religion and still Indian government has created Muslim zones where Muslims are in majority and allocate funds. Jobs and admissions in schools and colleges are reserved for Muslims and Christians which go against the constitution. Even in ministerial posts, the government operates Muslim and Christian quotas and most of the top posts are given to minority religious groups. Then how can we say India is secular state?

Table manners include no mobiles at mealtimes Alan Hall (Letters, June 21) asks for a solution to the curse of the mobile phone at the dining table. Even before the advent of the mobile phone, I made one firm rule for my household: no phone calls to be received or made during mealtimes.

With the proliferation of mobile phones and one’s own offspring, I came under increasing pressure from family and friends to relax the rule. But it was the one rule I hung on to doggedly and today my children, who now have young families of their own, have finally come to appreciate the therapeutic qualities of a meal taken in the warmth of relatives and friends without annoying unrelated interruptions.

Amazingly, they have also discovered that the heavens don’t collapse if their emails and messages remain unattended for an hour.

Haroun Rashid London SW3 (Courtesy The Daily Telegraph)

Bhupendra M. Gadhi Via Email

Religious mind

Arun Vaidyanathan Via Email

Muslim state It is disturbing to note news in the media that Muslims are on rise and Christians are shrinking in Britain. It is a wishful thinking but their sincere endeavour to make UK a Muslim state, is perhaps becoming a reality.

At this rate one day there is going to be a civil war between the Christians and Muslims and we will end up being a third world country, with Muslims forming a government here.!!!

Asian Food Last Friday afternoon I called my GP and l asked her to send me to RFH as I was very poorly The treatment at the hospital has improved tremendously. Even though it was weekend, various tests were done promptly and there was full coverage of doctors and consultants both on Saturday and Sunday.

Thus my clinical treatment and management has been excellent.

However the so called Asian vegetarian food is included here under the banner of Asian Halal. The meals I am served are frozen and expire on 18 May 2014, They are full of preservatives, tasteless and with zero nutritional value.

I ask readers to campaign for better hospital food for British Asians. This has been the case for ten years.

Nagindas Khajuria Via Email

Shrinking value

ets, while our needy population in India struggle for the next meal. This sort of entertainment was witnessed for many years in my younger years in the village of Karamsad. I am an octogenarian at present.

I am disappointed to find that spicy Indian snacks like chevda and others have crumbled from a peak of 500 grams for 99p to a mere 250g now for 99p.

Soon no doubt we shall find ourselves buying empty packs at 99p a pack!

If readers know of any Indian snacks manufacturers offering real value for money, I would be delighted to have details.

Dr Rasikbhai Patel London

Rudy Otter Via Email

Dr K R N Moorthy London

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National Hindu Students Forum (UK)

Overseas students say immigration cap makes them feel less welcome in UK

By Yajur Hasmukh Shah, Campus Coordinator

June Committee’s Day As we begin another year at the National Hindu Students’ Forum (NHSF) (UK), it provides us the perfect opportunity to reflect and re-energise the work we do. Just over 21 years ago, NHSF (UK) joined the movement to preserve Hindu Dharma in the UK. Since then, thanks to the incredible efforts made by all NHSF (UK) committee members, we have come a long way in achieving this vision.

Upon this understanding, it is clear that our greatest resources are the people that make up NHSF (UK). Therefore, the first national event of our calendar year was one which focused solely on the development of NHSF (UK) committee

members; June Committees’ Day (JCD).

This year’s JCD was hosted by Birmingham City University. allowed Workshops attendees to develop their skills within their roles whether that is one of a President, Treasurer, Learning Coordinator etc. Additional workshops also allowed committee members to develop a broad range of skills in “Turning Potentiality into Actuality” and a popular topic from last year, “Keeping Hinduism Hip”.

It was also an opportunity for one of NHSF (UK)’s advisory board members, Sunilji Pala, to give his views on what it means to be a part of NHSF (UK). During

Sunilji’s key note speech, it was made clear to all attendees how important NHSF (UK) is for the wider Hindu Samaj in providing the platform for Hindu youth to engage with their dharma and continue to carry the baton of our ancient philosophies to the next generation of university students. Being able to inspire the next generation of Hindu youth will ensure the traditions of our forefathers will forever be as strong as it can be and ensure our youth are well rounded spiritual beings.

It is incredibly important to us that our development goes beyond that of a NHSF (UK) university society, but extends to zonal and national

11

development. Therefore, JCD facilitated an opportunity for all NHSF (UK) committee members to pick the brains of their chapter buddy, zonal team coordinators and national committee members in order to open those all-important communication channels within NHSF (UK) for the year ahead.

The road ahead for NHSF (UK) university society committee members will be at times difficult, occasionally frustrating but ultimately worthwhile as these Hindu students have a burning desire to serve their Samaj. NHSF (UK) would like to thank all attendees and workshop facilitators who participated in JCD 2013.

More than half of overseas students (52%) say the Government’s immigration cap makes them feel less welcome in the UK, according to research released on Monday.

The University and College Union (UCU) said the poll of 500 students (fieldwork for this research for Regent’s College was conducted by YouthSight between 13 and 15 May 2013. The sample consisted of 510 interviews with International students studying at 105 UK higher education institutions) added to concerns that Government efforts to sound tough on immigration to a domestic audience was having a detrimental impact around the world.

The research found that overseas students are happy with their course (83%) and said UK higher education is highly respected around the

Change Makers

world (94%). More than four-fifths of overseas students are happy with the quality of teaching (81%) and the level of support from teachers (82%).

UCU president, Simon Renton, said: “The government either does not realise the damage its rhetoric on immigration is doing to our standing on the global stage, or it doesn’t care.

“We have built up a reputation for excellence and welcoming the brightest brains from across the world to our universities.

The government needs to be really careful it does not undo all that hard work by trying to talk tough on immigration to a domestic audience.

“Including overseas students in the immigration cap was a mistake and this research is a real insight into the damage that decision has done to UK PLC.”

OUT NOW

Sai School sends the highest number of mosquito nets to developing countries

After her inspiring talk, every class from Reception to Year 10 wanted to support this cause and 2 Saturdays were dedicated for every class to participate in a range of fundraising activities which the pupils selected themselves. From Cake sales, fashion show, quiz competi-

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tions and sports, every pupil made huge efforts to raise the funds. The 2 photos are activities from the Lower School (5 years to 7 years old) which comprises of Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classes.

Despite competition against lots of other mainstream Schools, Sai School managed to raise the highest amount of funds reaching a maximum of £1600.

Tony Blair sent a video message to Sai School congratulating and thanking all the pupils, their teachers and their parents for coming top of the Table. See the Tony Blair's message on You Tube Link § Health, Poverty, Action Award (2012) awarded to Sai School for sending the highest number of mosquito nets to the developing world. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuI 5KQpxqz8 .

If you are interested in registering a child between the ages of 5 to 15 years at the free Saturday School from September 2013, please attend the Open Day on Saturday 29th June or Saturday 6th July or contact Tejal Patel on info@saischool.com Please visit www.saischool.com for more details.

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In April 2012, Harsha Sharma an Ambassador working with the Tony Blair Faith Foundation and Health Poverty Action came along to Sai School and gave an inspiring assembly talk to Sai School pupils about the death rate of children in developing countries due to Malaria.

Harsha was going round many Schools encouraging pupils to participate in fundraising activities as every 60 seconds a child dies from malaria, a treatable and preventable disease and she said children in the UK can help change this By raising money to buy 12 lifesaving malaria bed nets, at just £10 each, children can take a direct role in saving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable people.

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Media Watch

The 17 year-old Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Janata Dal (JDU) cohabitation in Bihar was dissolved amid much bickering. The sticking point for the JDU Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was the elevation of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s as BJP’s campaign manager for India’s 2014 general election. Rumours of an impending divorce were confirmed when Mr Nitish Kumar formalized the divorce, leaving each partner to go its separate way. This is the first major split in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the principal coalition rival to the governing Congress Party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was forced to seek a vote of confidence in the State Assembly, which he did successfully Mr Nitish Kumar with the support of Congress Party legislators. So what now in the country’s political alignments? The next few weeks and months should reveal the emerging patterns in national partnerships come the polls.

Mr Modi is clearly an iconic figure among the BJP faithful, but India being the sum of its parts, he will have to convince a broad spectrum of the Indian electorate that in his party’s Hindutva vision lies India’s future (Times of India, Hindu, Hindustan Times et al June 17-20).

Mamata Banerjee’s lunatic charges West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, loquacious, repellant and increasingly unhinged, has charged the Congress Party, the Communist Party (Marxist), the BJP and the Maoists of involvement in a grand conspiracy to assassinate her. Speaking at a rally of her Trinamool Congress in the

acies everywhere. Her underclass Trinamool Congress ruffians are now her principal support base. Those who voted for her and her party in the 2011 State elections, which swept away the ruling Communist-led Left Front in a tsunami of revulsion and discontent, are deeply disillusioned by her egotistic antics. Her tawdry administration of self-serving courtiers is an object of popular scorn and contempt (Telegraph, Hindu, Times of India June 9-22)

Financial crisis When the US Federal Reserve sneezes the rest of the world, including India, catches cold. Being Uncle Sam’s pensioners carries a multitude of risks. European recessions, economic slowdowns elsewhere have been the direct consequence of the Wall Street crash of September 2008.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke’s roadmap for the Bardhawan district, the beleaUS economy, which includes a guered Chief Minister would do decrease in the country’s quantiwell to consult a shrink before tative easing, sent stock markets she topples over the brink. The across the world into a steep growing incidence of rapes and slide. India’s Sensex tumbled by molestations of women in the 524.41 points and the value of Barasat area, coupled with her the rupee, almost 60 to the US appalling attitude and uncouth dollar, reached a new low. behavior towards women protesters concerned about the spiIndia not in raling crime rate in the affected parlous state area and in the State as a whole , provoked a monster demonThe government’s principal stration by Kolkata’s civil socieEconomic Adviser, Dr ty of writers, poets, cinema Raghuram Rajan, at a press artistes and ordinary citizens at briefing in New Delhi, told corthe weekend. respondents that India’s economic prospects were solid in Waning support the medium term. He said the markets were “overshooting” as The ground from under Ms the US programme did not Banerjee’s feet is slipping, a sure imply the unloading of US bonds sign of her declining support. on the market.

Paranoid and hysterical to a “We have a range of instrufault, Ms Banerjee sees conspirments. We can call on them as

www.abplgroup.com - asian Voice 29th June 2013

and when needed….The Ministry of Finance, Reserve Bank of India and the Securities and Exchange Board of India are watching developments closely and will take action appropriately. We should not let ourselves be led by the market into directions we do not want to go. The rupee is not in a shambles. We should not be pessimistic. ….We do not like volatility. We will take action when warranted,” he said. “All options are open to us to stem the rupee’s slide. We have to be very careful in thinking through actions.” The rupee staged a recovery of sorts at the weekend, while currencies elsewhere stabilized.

The market is clearly no deity. It is often the plaything of financial speculators and hedge fund managers out to make a fast buck. Period (Hindu June 21,22)

Opportunity for restructuring Infosys, the IT giant has begun the process of restructuring on the back of disappointing profit margins brought on by dipping sales. N.R. Narayan Murthy, the company’s founder has returned to the helm from retirement, and has co-opted his son – a Harvard University Ph.d in computer sciences – to partner him in putting Infosys back on track.

Tata Motors is also initiating a strategic overhaul to meet the challenge of declining sales.

Addressing the media in Pune, Karl Slym, Managing Director, Tata Motors, said: “We are at an inflexion point for our passenger vehicles business. The industry has been facing challenging times with flat growth last year.

We do not expect any major change this year. Our goal is to move to a strong podium finish in the passenger vehicle market.”

Tata Motors has announced eight new simultaneous launches across five brands (Hindu June 20)

Mercedes a hit in Kochi Surprise it must be: India’s strongest market for luxury brand cars such as Mercedes Benz, BMW, Audi, and Jaguar Land Rover is Kochi in Kerala, which is growing at an annual 40 per cent. Rising value of spices and rubber along with remittance surges from Gulfbased Keralites, which constitute 22 per cent of the State’s GDP, constitute the force that has made possible this astonishing reality.

“Kerala has been a key market for us and it has grown nearly four times in the last four years,” said Eberhard Kern, Managing Director and CEO at Mercedes Benz India.

(Economic Ti8mes June 15)

Sanand

auto hub worthy of mention as the next best thing to the Sriperumbudur-Oragadam belt in Tamil Nadu, which accounts for 40 per cent of India’s automobile production. Sanand has attracted investments from heavyweights like Tata Motors, Ford India and Maruti Suzuki.

Since land acquisition presents few problems here, with road connections to ports in place and government support readily available, Sanand symbolizes Gujarat’s (and India’s) future.

Skills’ shortage addressed However, the shortage of skilled labour is a bind. Ford India is transferring part of its workforce from Tamil Nadu, Pune and Gurgaon to Sanand for the opening of its new plant in 2014.

But things are looking up. Ford has begun hiring managers and technicians from Industrial Training Institutes and diploma colleges in Gujarat.

Non-automobile companies, too, have been flocking to Sanand. They include Hitachi’s Indian unit Hi-Rel Power Electronics, Colgate Palmolive et al. Tata Motors left Singur in hostile West Bengal for a welcoming Sanand. Singur is now derelict; Sanand grows and prospers.

Firming up India’s defence capabilities Former Indian president and missile scientist APJ Abdul Kalam has called on India’s military engineers to master the technologies of cyber security.

Addressing newly qualified engineering graduates at the Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering (MCEME) convocation in Hyderabad, Dr Kalam said that cyber attacks could cripple the Indian economy. The growth of internet technology and cloudbased systems had created room for cyber espionage and warfare.

Answering a question during an interactive session, he said 50

per cent of India’s defence requirements were sourced from indigenous technology, but he expected this figure to rise to 75 per cent over the next decade.

(Hindu June 21)

Russia, Japan India’s firmest partners Rajeev Sharma, in Freepost (June 16), argued that Russia and Japan were the only two countries with whom India had no ideological or strategic differences. India’s other ties with powers such as the US, UK, France, Germany and Israel, while good, were constrained by realpolitik.

Japanese technological and economic investments, he wrote, could transform India into an economic powerhouse. True.

Nevertheless, Japan’s freedom of action in defence cooperation is constrained by Tokyo’s post-war security treaty with the United States. Russia is free of such constraints; also, its geostrategic location straddling the Eurasian heartland puts Moscow in pole position with India. The IndoRussian time-tested strategic partnership spans six fruitful decades. Seventy per cent of India’s weapons imports are from Russia, with Israel in second place.

Russo-Japanese facilitator Mr Sharma sees India as a possible facilitator between Russia and Japan. It may be so already.

The strongly pro-Indian Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was in Moscow recently to discuss a post-war peace treaty based on a mutually acceptable settlement of the Kurile territorial dispute - a development that would be seminally beneficial for both parties. Siberia’s natural wealth has long had an allure for Japanese industry. With confrontationist China as a neighbour, an economic alignment with Russia makes admirable sense. A win-win situation for both parties, surely.

Sanand, Gujarat’s emergent auto hub Once a sleepy semi-rural outback, Sanand, in Gujarat, is now a bustling industrial conurbation. Located within easy reach of the State’s largest city and former capital, Ahmedabad, Sanand is fast turning into an

Uttarkhan floods and rescue effort - See comment page 3

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th June 2013

In Loving Memory...

Vishaal and Chiraag Parmar of Southall, London, wish to thank all invited guests who attended a remembrance event to mark the death anniversary of their father Ravindra Mulji Pragji Parmar. The bhajans event last Saturday at the Hindu Temple in Slough was led

by Damjibhai Bharakhda and team of Gopal Bhajan Mandal.

Annual Guru Purnimaa Bhajans Fans of traditional Gujarati devotional songs, bhajans, will descend in Luton next month for the annual Guru Purnimaa festival. The popular twoday event will, as ever, be led by bhajans maestro Pragjibhai Ladva and Vishnu Bhagwan Bhajan Mandal.

The round-the-clock event from 6pm onwardson Saturday 20th July at the Hindu Temple (LU4 8EB) will showcase an ever increasing pool of

unisex talent, each distinct in their vocals and ability to play a range of Indian instruments. There will also be raas-garba, or folk dance, and refreshments.

The Ladvas are a unique family who have managed to retain the true identity of traditional Gujarati bhajans. This said, there appears to be a shift towards modern beats at these events which, according to Kabir, Pragjibhai’s grandson, encourages younger fans and caters to demand. As part of this changing trend, an exclusive bhajans bible, Satyanaam, in English was released last year, compiled by Pragjibhai and Kabir.

Pragjibhai’s gifted talent, which has radiated across his family, was further inspired by his acquaintance and longstanding friendship with Hirjibapa, who was revered as a messenger of God. Father-of-six

Hirjibapa, who is still worshipped by many across the globe, is said to have planted the seed of Sanatan Dharma, or the roots of Hinduism, across East Africa.

My family also had the pleasure of welcoming Hirjibapa to our home in Birmingham in 1975, before my time. Also very close to Hirjibapa was Damjibhai Devji Pattni of Nairobi, whose son Chhotubhai now carries the baton.

Similarly, Masribhai Pankhania’s sons Sureshbhai and Vinodbhai and their families are continuing his legacy. Also, Maganbhai Bhimjiani, aka Ram Bapa, who earlier this month celebrated his 93rd birthday.

Free event. All welcome. Anyone wishing to donate any food items,flowers, cash should contact Pravinbhai Shah at the temple on 01582 663414.

Mumbai resident Emaan Shah found in Scotland Emaan Shah, on her two week vacation went missing under mysterious circumstances from London's Oxford Street on 10th June 2013. She was found safe in Perthshire in Scotland on last Thursday.

It is unclear how Miss Shah ended up in

Scotland, where London met police described her appearance to be completely out of character.

But there were no signs of being kidnapped.

It appears that she had travelled to Scotland all by herself.

Emaan got separated from her parents while

they were shopping on Oxford Street, one of the city's busiest shopping districts in London. On realising her absence, the Shah family rushed to look for Emaan at the Mariott Hotel in Marble Arch where they were staying. There were no signs of her there so the police had handed out leaflets at the Regent's Park Mosque after they were told Emaan is very religious.

Tackling Homelessness & Challenging Decisions The latest national statistics on statutory homelessness were released by the government on 6th June 2013 which shows that during the financial year of 2012/13, 53,540 households were accepted by local authorities as

By Erol Izzet being owed, what is known as the main homelessness duty. This is a 6% increase from 50,290 in 2011/12.

Acceptance of this duty means that the local authority must ensure that suitable accommodation is made available to you.

Between 1 January and 31 March 2013, local housing authorities made 28,270 decisions on applications (by eligible households) for housing assistance, under the homelessness legislation of the Housing Act 1996. From this, 47% were accepted as being owed a main homelessness duty; 27% were found not to be homeless; 18% were found to be homeless but not in priority need and 8% were found to be intentionally homeless and in priority need.

The decisions made by councils can make a significant difference between a homeless person being offered a home or being told the council has no duty to re-house them. It is Duncan Lewis’ experience that unfortunately the quality of this application consideration and decision making can often be inadequate, leading to injustice and a denial of entitlement.

At Legal 500 Law Firm Duncan Lewis our experienced team of Housing Lawyers can help individuals to robustly challenge these unfavourable decisions reached by Councils. We are aware that underneath the statistics we are representing vulnerable individuals & families whom are often at the receiving

end of various bad practices by housing officers who themselves are under administrative pressure to avoid taking applications. Applicants seeking immediate homelessness assistance from the council are often instructed that they must complete a specific form or bring a particular document in support or risk being turned away with a re-scheduled appointment the following week or thereafter despite no provision of interim accommodation being made. These actions and decisions which deny homeless applicants interim accommodation, in circumstances where they are lawfully entitled, or attempts by the Council to avoid or delay consideration of a homeless application are routinely challenged by Duncan Lewis in the High Court by way of judicial review whereby we seek an order from the court to compel the council to take a particular action and to act fairly and promptly.

At Duncan Lewis we are very concerned that the current difficult economic climate and budget pressures that councils no doubt face will continue to foster widespread administrative bad practices & poor decision making causing greater injustice to vulnerable homeless applicants. If you have received an adverse decision relating to your homelessness application please note that you will have 21 days from the date of notification to request a review of that decision. It is vitally important that you seek legal advice & assistance as promptly as you can.

Legal 500/Chambers UK Leading Law Firm Duncan Lewis has a highly specialised Housing Law Department that specialises in Homelessness matters and is able to provide free legal aid advice & assistance to assist in such mattes to all those that are entitled to it.

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Businessman jailed for 9 years A respected businessman who lured a teenage student to his car and raped her has been jailed for nine years, as reported by the Lancashire Evening

13

Standard.

Javeed Patel, 33, brutally attacked the woman, who was too drunk to defend herself.

During the trial, Patel,

of Garrison road, Fulwood, told the jury he had been driving around on October 6, looking for “spiritual guidance”.

It was later suggested he was looking for a prostitute.

Patel denied two counts of rape, telling the jury at Preston Crown Court he had consensual sex with the teenager.

However the jury disregarded his account and convicted him.

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th June 2013

Loomba Foundation organises 5K Charity Run to mark International Widows Day

Dr Karan Singh, Lord Raj Loomba and Mrs Cherie Blair Team Asian Voice (L-R): Kruti Patel, Tanveer Mann, Rupanjana Dutta, Reon David George, George, Rovin George, Ajay Kumar, Ragini Nayak, Kamal Rao, CB Patel and Akshay Desai

Bappi Lahiri with his wife Chitrani

England kabaddi captain tackles global politics Crunching rugby-like tackles and fast-paced tactical action is what Vishal Ladwa is used to as Captain of the England kabaddi team. But since 24th till the 28th of June, Vishal would trade his kabaddi jersey for a suit and tie as the national athlete would step into his role as UK’s Deputy Prime Minister for the Y8 Summit.

Organised by the Youth Diplomatic Service, the global summit has broughtt together some of the brightest young minds in the world to discuss the most serious challenges the world faces and raise the concerns of the youth.

Vishal said, “It’s an absolute honour to be chosen for this position.

It’s no light responsibility being the host delegation and steering the Summit but we have an amazing team that have been working extremely hard over the last four months.

“I genuinely believe that we can make a difference; both to the individuals participating and to policy debates more broadly.”

As the 2013 G8 Summit came to a close at Loch Erne, Northern Ireland, the UK's Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs, the Rt Hon William

The first International Widows Day 5K Charity Run took place on Sunday 23rd June 2013 at Hyde Park to help support widows and their dependents and further the valuable work of the Loomba Foundation, a United Nations charity partner.

International Widows Day is a global day of action, launched by the Loomba Foundation, that aims to raise awareness of the plight of widows and their children around the world. Mrs. Cherie Blair CBE, who has supported the charity as its President for over 15 years, was at the start line to launch the runners and hand out medals as they reached the finish.

Other highlights included an exclusive live performance of Justice for Widows, a new song by the legendary Bollywood composer and musician Mr. Bappi Lahiri.

Over 500 supporters from all across the UK participated in the first Loomba 5k Charity Run/Walk in Hyde Park. Team Asian Voice also participated at the event and were gifted with a medal after completion.

VIPs to attend included Dr Karan Singh (member of the Indian’s Upper House of Parliament) and well known singer Mr Bappi Lahiri.

The Loomba Foundation was established in 1997 by Lord Raj Loomba CBE in memory of his mother, Shrimata Pushpa Wati Loomba, who became a widow at the age of 37 in Punjab, India, and devoted her life to ensuring that her seven children received a proper education.

Lord Loomba’s Foundation is supported in the UK by a host of prominent individuals and organisa-

tions including Prime Minister David Cameron, Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg MP (Patron) and Sir Richard Branson (Patron-in-Chief).

The 5k charity run/walk, was followed on Monday 24th June by an International Widows Conference in the House of Lords, chaired by Lord Loomba CBE. This event was held in association with UN Women, whose acting Head, Ms Lakshmi Puri, addressed the conference. DFID Minister, Baroness Northover, participated on behalf of the British Government. Other participants included Cherie Blair CBE, Dr Karan Singh, Bianca Jagger, Lord Dholakia, Harjiv Singh, Balbir Singh Kakar, Meera Gandhi, and many other dignitaries. Sir Richard Branson sent a video message expressing his admiration for the work of The Loomba Foundation.

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Vishal Ladwa

Hague MP, gave his resounding support to the Y8 Summit.

Hague said, “I am delighted that more than 200 young people from around the world are gathering here in London to attend this Y8 Summit. I am particularly pleased that this Summit takes place during the UK’s Presidency of the G8, and that it comes shortly after the historic G8 Summit in Northern Ireland.

“Deciding how to tackle the world’s most challenging issues is not something that Governments can or should do alone.

Diplomacy can achieve a great deal as this year’s long awaited agreement

Lockton recently launched a new Private Clients practice; an elite service providing a comprehensive, strategic solution to the insurance needs of individuals and families owning a complex portfolio of fixed and mobile assets.

Insurance can be complex and is often put to the bottom of the 'to do' pile. However, when considered as a core part of wealth protection and preservation, the need to get it right becomes critical and needn't be time consuming.

Some of the key benefits from having this team manage your personal insurances are: • They deliver a complete end-to-end service that is highly personal, flexible and strategic in approach; • They don’t think in terms of traditional insurance products, but take a more intelligent approach on an International Arms Trade Treaty has shown.

To make sure that continues, it is imperative that the next generation of political leaders make their voices heard.”

Vishal is no stranger to

Dr Anand Kumar, Laura Gray, Kishore Gohil - Lockton, Neela Chauhan Chartered Accountant, Rachel Gilliam, Head of Private Clients - Lockton , Sangeet Tatem - Solicitor, Ken Wigley, Kishore Parmar - Advertising Manager, Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar

to understanding and mitigating risks, understanding your interests and finding smarter, bespoke ways to manage the insurance exposures;

• Their approach is highly entrepreneurial, delivering value by looking beyond the obvious; • Their aim is to deliver programmes which pro-

making his voice heard on the kabaddi pitch but on this occasion he used it it in a much more diplomatic manner as he now hopes to tackle world issues rather than individuals.

After intense weeklong negotiations all delegations presented a collective view in a final communiqué which the UK delegation will soon present to No.10 Downing Street.

tect and preserve wealth, provide exceptional value and move insurance from the 'to do' pile to the 'done' pile with minimal impact on you.

Whilst Vishal will be resuming his consultancy work after the Summit, we may be seeing a lot more of him leading the England kabaddi team at international matches and maybe even in a political sphere.

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th June 2013

15

Award for Achievement in Community Services awaits nominations from you Members of the public are invited to participate in this 'People's Awards' by nominating their choice of candidates Asian Achievers Awards welcome individuals who are responsible for bringing the Asian community to the centre of British life. Exceptional achievements of individuals that are truly inspirational.

In particular, British Asians have travelled a long way since their settlement years in Britain, working hard and making a number of sacrifices to integrate along with providing the younger generation with role models. The younger generations have also strived enormously to reach another level of success, that their predecessors, may have left unachieved.

Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar (Asian Business Publications Ltd) play their part in recording the community's consistent efforts to maintain and enhance its position within the British society.

ABPL recognises that individuals from various fields for the commitment to the society through the Asian Achievers Awards (AAA) since last 12 years.

The AAA is now in its 13th year and by an impressive array of high net worth individuals, individuals, industry captains,

Rajesh Agrawal, Chairman, Rational FX, Cllr Navin Shah AM with Kishan Devani, winner of Achievement in Community Service category

high- level decision makers, Parliamentarians, community leaders and senior professionals.

There are various types of awards worldwide, but Asian Achievers Awards is rather uncommon.

Instead of few individuals deciding who the award winner is, a truly independent panel of judges are given total freedom to select a shortlist and the winner in each category. Not only the

subscribers and the readers of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar but also the wider community is invited to nominate in various categories of the award, as its publicised through radio, television internet and various events. Every year we receive a record number of nominations and the calibre of the candidates are very impressive.

Asian Achievers Award categories comprise: Achievement

in Media and Arts and Culture; Award for Entertainment, Business Person of the Year; Woman of the Year; Young Entrepreneur of the year; Uniformed and Civil Services; International Personality of the Year; Lifetime Achievement Award, Sports Personality of the Year; Professional of the Year and Achievement in Community Service.

This year the theme of the award is Woman.

H o w e v e r, one of the key category of this awards is the Achievement in Community Service.

There is a strong cultural aspect to British Asians, which makes them more inclined to carry out work that benefits the community. Community service is an integral and functional aspect of British life and our awards gives those who have worked actively for the community, recognition.

Last year this category had nominations like Chelliah Yogamoorthy, Asif

Iqbal, Param Singh, Kishen Devani. Winners and shortlisted candidates from previous years included, Ranjan D Manek OBE, Cllr Filly Maravala, Darshan lal Kalhan, Maneck A Dalal OBE, Sanjay Jagatia, Major Tikendra Dal Dewan, Fauzia and Nooruddin, Aftab, Kamkeshben Patel and Anjum Anwar.

S p e a k i n g about his achievement last year, winner Kishen Devani, lecturer, speaker and teacher and the Head of Religious Studies at an independent school in the UK stated: 'It was immense pleasure and honour to be awarded with the Asian Achievers Gold Award in Community Service.

I owe this award to the entire community who took their time out to nominate and support me. I would like to thank the ABPL Group who organise the Asian Achievers annually; CB Patel ji is truly a visionary personality to set up awards 12 years ago”.

Please tick the appropriate category Achievement in Media, Arts and Culture ................................

Someone who has made a mark in media including print and broadcast media; cinema, art and culture.

Achievement in Community Service............................................

NOMINATION FORM The prestigious Asian Achievers Awards is hosted every year by UK’s leading news weeklies Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar to honour British Asians par excellence. If there is someone you know who has broken boundaries and deserves recognition for their unique contribution to the community and the nation then please nominate them for one of the awards listed below. Make sure that you fill in this application form and send it on or before 12th July, 2013 by post, fax or email to Mr. L George, Tel: 020 7749 4013, Fax 020 7749 4081, Email: aaa@abplgroup.com. If you are sending it by post the address is Mr. L George, ABPL Group, Karma Yoga House, 12 Hoxton Market, London N1 6HW.

Name of the Person you are Nominating: _______________________________________ Contact Details of the Nominee (Tel & email):____________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Present Occupation of the Nominee: ____________________________________________ Please attach the Nominees's CV which includes the following information (Please do not exceed a limit of 1000 words) (1) Personal background (2) (3) (4) (5) are

Most important career achievements till date.

Nominee's contribution to the community and nation.

Future Plans, ambitions and visions.

Any notable obstacles in the Nominee's career that has helped him/her to reach where they today.

Summary-

(Please include a summary in not more than 150 words why the nominee is worthy of win-

ning the particular award in a separate sheet)

Nominators name and contact details: __________________________________________ Nominators current Occupation/Company: ______________________________________ Tel/Mobile: __________________________________________________________________ Email:_______________________________________________________________________ NOMINATION AND SELECTION PROCESS: This is a unique event where readers nominate and an independent panel of judges comprising of eminent personalities selects the winner. Judges’ decision is final. ABPL Group will not entertain any dialogue with members of the public regarding the judging process. In order to ensure a high degree of transparency and fairness, the management and members of the staff of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar will play no role in the nomination or judging process. You may use an additional sheet if the space provided is insufficient. The winners will be announced at the AAA Awards ceremony on 6th September, 2013. Asian Voice, Gujarat Samachar will publish the names of the short listed candidates and winners after the event. The winners names will also appear in our e-edition www.abplgroup.com You can nominate yourself if you wish to. Nominations and entries must follow the prescribed format. All nomination forms must reach our offices on or before 12th July, 2013

In recognition for an individuals service to community.

Sports Personality of the Year ......................................................

Awarded for excellence in sports.

Uniformed and Civil Services ........................................................

For outstanding achievements in uniformed and civil services or contribution to the community through any of the above services.

Professional of the Year ..................................................................

Professionals in the field of medicine, law, education, banking, finance and others, who have scaled the heights of their chosen profession.

Young Entrepreneur of the Year ..................................................

Awarded to an young entrepreneur (less than 35 years) with a proven track record of operating a successful business enterprise.

Business Person of the Year ..........................................................

Awarded to a business person who is a success in every sense of the word and can demonstrate a genuine passion for social issues.

Woman of the Year ............................................................................

The award will recognise and honour a woman who has made a significant mark in any chosen field.

International Personality of the Year ........................................

Awarded to those who have acclaimed popularity internationally for his/her contribution in any particular sector and is recognised for their timeless philanthropic activities.

Lifetime Achievement Award ........................................................

To honour those individuals, who during their lifetime, have made immense contributions in any given field. This remarkable individual can be marked as an example for the younger generation.

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th June 2013

Will Ranbir be able to break his own record?

With Ranbir Kapoor's “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani” managing to cross the Rs 100 crore mark within a matter of one week and still going strong, the writing is clear on the wall. He is clearly the youngest superstar around and while he takes big steps towards finding an elite slot amongst the Top-5, it is his next release “Besharam” which should turn out to be the deciding factor. "The film arrives four months from now and it would be an acid test for Ranbir. The stakes have really gone up for him and if he scores a biggie there as well, it would not just mark a hat trick of huge successes after “Barfi!” and “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani,” but also challenge the five superstars, all of whom are on the other side of 40," says a senior filmmaker.

Kiran Rao to take online votes for movie release

Kiran Rao is using a democratic approach to promote her new venture, “Ship Of Theseus.” Like the campaign in the USA during the release of “Paranormal Activity” (2009), Kiran is asking fans to vote for their cities if they want the film to be released there.

While the film will have its theatrical release in five cities, the rest of India will have to cast their ballot. “We feel that there are a good number of people who live outside big cities, who are also keen to watch the film. The makers will run an online voting campaign where viewers will be able to request for the movie to be released in their cities. And the film will be released in the places that log the highest number of votes.

Salman Khan to perform at Chicago after 7 years Get ready for an unforgettable night of mesmerizing performances

by Salman Khan who'll be performing in Chicago after 7 long years, along with Katrina Kaif, Ranveer Singh, Sonakshi Sinha and Prabhu Deva. The show will be choreographed by Prabhu Deva himself. The 1st celebration of its kind worldwide, 100 Years of Indian Cinema Concert and Awards will be held at the Sears Center Arena, Hoffman Estates at Chicago from August 30 - September 1, 2013. The event will also showcase performances by Bollywood actors Katrina Kaif, Ranveer Singh and other leading Bollywood celebrities.

I was a prostitute, says ‘Aashiqui 2’ writer

“Aashiqui 2” writer Shagufta Rafique has admitted that she was a prostitute before.

“People generally hide their past because they want to be accepted by society. I've seen the most respectable men behave so badly with women who are not their wives and sisters.

Ninety per cent of the men look at women as commodities. Why would I seek the approval of such a society,” asks Shagufta. Shagufta's experience within the film industry has been no better. “I've been called by producers only to check out what a whore looks like. They weren't interested in the writer, only the whore.

My mentor Mahesh Bhatt Saab is the only one who had no curiosity about or problem with my past. But now the attitude of the industry has changed. Once you are successful no one cares where you come from.”

Tamannah spills the beans on the AjithSiva project At the press meet hosted by Filmfare, actress Tamannah revealed the much anticipated title of the Ajith‘Siruthai’ Siva project.

It is believed that the film would be called ‘Vinayagam Brothers.’

Ajith plays a rural character and the film brings Tamannah back to Tamil cinema after a hiatus. Santhanam, Vidharth, Suza Kumar, Vidyullekha Raman and Appu Kutty have signed up to do the supporting roles. Vidharth and a few other young actors play Ajith’s brothers in the film and we believe that the title represents them. The first schedule of the film happened at Rajahmundry and has been wrapped up successfully. The team along with Ajith and Tamannah will fly to Europe soon, to shoot a couple of songs.

Desi look for Mallika Sherawat in ‘The Dirty Politics’

Mallika Sherawat dons a desi look in her upcoming film “The Dirty Politics.”

She was last seen on the silver screen in “Kismat Love Paisa Dilli” (2012) opposite Vivek Oberoi. The film earned only around Rs 20 million on the opening weekend. The actress is now set to conquer the 70mm canvas with her ambitious project.

The self-appointed queen of modernism in India (in reference to her recent Variety interview) Mallika Sherawat plays a village damsel in the upcoming film. The Dirty Politics is reportedly based on the life of nurse Bhanwari Devi, who had gone missing from Jodhpur and was killed in 2011.

Sama wants somet smalle

Samantha is among those ines who has a steady base among the youth an her future moves are eage ly expected by her fans. recently expressed a desir a part of more smaller film exciting scripts and not bigger commercial ente that she keeps doing reg Telugu. As of now, she ha ticket Tamil films in ha would be released next y which is the Suriya - Ling and the other might be Murugadoss biggie. The n of younger directors in Tamil cinema might be excited by Samantha's new wish to encourage exciting scripts on smaller budgets.

What’s cooking between Uday and Nargis?

B-town might be quite but twitter is ablaze with the naughty tales of YRF scion Uday Chopra and Rockstar actress Nargis Fakri. While Uday’s initial tweets were quite general, but it seems like the actor is in mood to take the love with his rumoured girlfriend to another level and impress her to the fullest. Uday failed to hide his emotions and he tweeted, “@NargisFakri Nargis did you know we are related.

Your future sons' father is my fathers' son (sic)." The actor went too overboard with his feelings for Fakri but now it seems that his lady love didn’t like it and the two seem to have a tiff.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th June 2013

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e herofan nd er. She re to be ms with just the ertainers, gularly in as two big and which year, one of gusamy film the Vijay new lot n

YRF’s ‘Band Baaja Baaraat’ in Tamil!

Yash Raj Films is making its entry into the South by the remake of Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma starrer “Band Baaja Baaraat.” The film will be remade in Tamil and Telugu. Starring the wellknown Nani along with debutant Vaani Kapoor (who will also be seen in YRF's next film, “Shuddh Desi Romance”) in lead roles, the film will be Directed by Gokul Krishna and produced by Aditya Chopra. According to sources, the untitled film went on floor end May and has completed its first schedule in Chennai. The shoot moves to Hyderabad and Mysore for the next schedule starting early July. Incidentally, this is the first of many new ventures to come from YRF in regional content.

Priyanka Chopra's new song Exotic leaked Priyanka Chopra's second single, Exotic, from her album In My City has leaked online, but the actress is not complaining. "Okay! So my new single Exotic has been leaked! I should be angry, but I'm actually quite relieved and happy to share it with you all," tweeted the 30-year-old. American rapper and songwriter Pitbull has collaborated with the Bollywood actress for her second number, which is catchy and, a few Hindi lyrics add a bit of a 'desi' flavour to it as well.

Priyanka, who recently lost her father, says the "official version is out any minute now.... wait for it." "And as always, let me know what you guys think," added the national award winning actress, who made her international singing debut with the song "In my city" in 2012.

17

In true Olympic spirit, athlete Milkha Singh, aka ‘The Flying Sikh’ is set to achieve new feats once again when his incredible life story is given the silver screen treatment in Viacom18 Motion Pictures’ film “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag,” releasing on 12th July 2013. Milkha's life is a portrait of professional triumph over personal tragedy. The film attempts to understand a catastrophic loss that was deemed a sure victory and explores through the darkness of disgrace Milkha Singh’s redemption and catharsis that came when he confronted his past. The story winds through the plagues of a bloody civil war where Milkha's family were brutally killed during the India-Pakistan partition resulting in a lost childhood, homelessness, a life of petty crime, right through to victories hard won and easily lost.

The film draws an intricate image of human trials, setbacks and fate leveraged against the sheer power of will as Milkha illustrates that true victory lies in racing with one’s troubles and not in running away from them. The film stars Farhan Akhtar as Milkha and is joined by Sonam Kapoor.

The film is directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. The story is penned by Prasoon Joshi and the soundtrack is by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy. The film is set for worldwide release on 12th July 2013.

Punjabi comedy ‘Jatt & Juliet 2’ set for release on 28th June Bollywood star Akshay Kumar credits the film industry for all the name, fame, accolades, adulation, lifestyle and luxury that he has garnered in over two decades. Ever since he started with “Saugandh” in 1991, he has never looked back and the career graph of the 45-year-old has always spiraled up.

"This is my bread and butter. This is where I started... I am very thankful to the industry. It means a lot to me. In fact, it means everything to me," Akshay said. Tagged as "one of the most profitable actors", he delivered mega hits like “Housefull 2” and “Rowdy Rathore” last year, with both the films entering the Rs100-crore club.

There is a lot of talk about the quality of content in films, but box office numbers are important for survival, he said. "It is important for you to survive.

The box office does matter, no matter what everyone says," he said.

Following the worldwide success of Punjabi film “Jatt & Juliet,” Anurag Singh, the master of comedies, is coming out with its sequel - Jatt & Juliet 2. It will hit the cinemas on 28th June and will be presented by Tip Top Entertainment. After the unprecedented success of Jatt & Juliet for a Punjabi film, the industry’s most adored screen-couple, Diljit Dosanjh and Neeru Bajwa, reunite to create movie magic as they go head to head once again, this time on the unsuspecting shores of Canada.

Supporting them on screen is a motley crew of loveable misfits and mad characters played by Rana Jung Bahadaur, Jaswinder Bhalla, Amrit Bhilla, Devinder Dillon, Julia Fox, Brad Harder, Jacob Insley and Hitesh Jogia.

Jatt is a happy-go-lucky chap, equally mischievous and adorable, while Juliet is a nononsense, modern day Punjabi lass. Sparks fly when their paths cross once more en route to Canada as they clash due to their conflicting outlooks on life. But as fate continues to bring them together, their enmity slowly turns into friendship, only for them to realise its true meaning when they get separated. Will fate grant them one more chance to prove their love for each other or will their egos continue to keep them locked at loggerheads?

Film industry means everything to me: Akshay

18

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th June 2013

Financial Voice Dear Financial Voice Reader,

One of my companies is using British brainpower to create within our British company trading algorithms. I stress the point British because one argument I have made to investors into Britain is that such intellectual property is more valuable than if held by other countries.

We have after all in financial services the world’s largest algorithm based hedge fund in the UK and also research centres at Oxford University supported by that same hedge fund.

As I write I have returned from Belfast, arguing exactly this case to Indian investors about doing their Research and Development in the UK and creating such intellectual property from here – like Jaguar Landrover does. And it made a £1 billion profit in just one year from its British outfit. A good tidy simple goal to set myself too then with our trading algorithms in our British company!

Many people, if not most, find the markets confusing.

Share prices often go down after good news and go up after bad company news. Some people often think the markets ‘are out to get them’. They complain that as soon as they buy a stock, its share price drops. Other complain that whatever they read in the papers does not translate into expected share price moves.

Little wonder private investors often seek alternative methods for evaluating their investment decisions. In particular I enjoy speaking about understanding the stock market using price charts. Many people don’t know that huge funds don’t ever use the media or a company’s accounts, or meet a company’s management, but instead simply look at a historic price chart of how a stock is moving in order to calculate whether it is worth investing. This is actually my favourite way of investing.

Thanks to software and websites this is quite easy to do.

Many investors don’t see the benefit of this being to remove personal emotional investing. You see in reading a price chart and following rules of interpretation you should, the theory goes, be more objective. And being objective is critical to good investing. You should also be able to examine more companies than if you were reading all their annual reports and investment magazines.

One of the critical and most important parts of investing is keeping it efficient, and this is also where price charts come in. For instance did you know, even while a share price is rising you can anticipate it is going to turn direction by how slowly it rises? All these things help the investor make decisions more objectively and quickly and evaluate their existing positions more quickly without having to get second opinions or pray their stock is mentioned by someone on TV. Being your own analyst is therefore vital and that is why I enjoy teaching the subject. I believe people should not only read what ‘experts’ say but learn how to do it themselves. That’s why in 2004 when I created some investing software based on how I select stocks I was not surprised when the company that created the software told me the stock picks from the software have produced an average 18.5% per annum return since 2004.

That’s not bad given the stock market is up about 1% per annum on average since then.

And it too was invented in Britain. Not quite as well known as Jaguar Land Rover!

Rupee may lose further ground, say analysts As the rupee hovered near the 60-mark against the dollar, analysts are predicting a weaker Indian currency in the months ahead.

The only exception seemed to be ratings agency Crisil, which on Monday said the rupee is likely to climb back to around 56 against the greenback by Marchend on the back of a spurt in capital inflows and improvement on the current account deficit front.

But Standard Chartered lowered the rupee forecast for the year-end to 60.5 against the dollar from 53 on the back of continued strength in US currency, among other factors. Credit Suisse’s Ray Farris has predicted that the rupee could trade around 61.50 to a dol-

lar in three-four months and may even hit 62.

Others suggested that people should begin to adjust to a new normal. “It is stock-taking time for importers and foreign currency borrowers to monitor damage from shift of new normal for USD/INR spot from 44 to 58-63,” said Moses Harding, executive V-P and head of trading at IndusInd Bank.

The market is betting that the rupee will trade lower. In the offshore nondeliverable forwards, the one-month contract was at 60.14, while the threemonth was at 60.84. In the local currency futures market, the most-traded near month contracts closed 59.79 to a dollar.

Exclusive

Q & A with Mr Punit Garg Rani Singh We met the Mr Punit Garg, the 48 year old President & CEO, Reliance Globalcom & Enterprise Business at his office in West London.

He answered our questions freely.

Q. What has been the result of your cricket sponsorship?

A. Sponsorship results are good because of three things; the Reliance products & services , Gujarat Samachar being very popular, and third, cricket. A tournament, and especially the ICC Champion Trophy, 2013 attracts a lot of attention.

Q. Tell us about the twin responses to Reliance and cricket?

A. In general, with the Reliance brand, among our customers who have strong roots in India swear by our brand for trust, growth and profitability. In India, concerning (our association with) cricket, cricket is like a religion,

it’s the number one sport.

So any association between cricket and business stays in the mind of customers. Over the past five or six years, through our association with the ICC as we are their Global Partners across all events till 2015. I would say that the Indian team have become Champions in all formats – ODIs, Twenty20, Under 19; this relationship has been fruitful for both India & Reliance Communication.

Q. What is your brand recognition in the UK? A. We focus on webbased users but in the UK only 30-40% of British Asian consumers use webbased services or do internet or online buying. With the penetration of smart phones over the coming months and years perhaps that ratio will change and net-friendly subscribers with change to 60-70%.

They tend to benefit with that because we don’t use a middle man. We don’t usually use shops and

Punit Garg

dealers to offer our services in UK or anywhere in the world, we [deal] directly from the Company and it is a direct sales channel and that can only be benefitted if you are net friendly.

Q. What do you say about brands which provide cheaper offerings?

A. What’s important is quality. With companies that have not done well, fly by night operators; • you can never be sure of quality, • you have to read their terms & conditions very carefully. When guys buy prepaid cards they have no way to complain

to those companies and get their money back.

With larger brands such as Reliance they like to make everything transparent for customers. If you have bought and you are not satisfied you can go back. You are paying for what you are using.

• With other brands you have to use their phones as well. You have to calculate the monthly charges you are paying them, so you have to calculate not the 1p per call but your monthly outflow for the whole package.

Q. Will you be campaigning on Global calling in the UK? A. The ICC association was a good platform to bring users closer to Reliance. Going ahead, we love sports & entertainment hence we would like to position [ourselves] along with those packages so we are much closer to users and as other promotions come up we may use them as the response has been overwhelming this time.

Cobra’s consistent quality honoured by Monde Selection

Cobra Beer has been awarded gold medals for its entire portfolio by the Monde Selection World Quality Awards. In addition, ‘grand gold’ medal has been awarded to King Cobra.

In recognition of consistent excellence, Cobra (Bottle 66cl), Cobra (Keg 50L) and Cobra Zero (Bottle 33cl) were all presented with International High Quality Trophies, which are granted to brands that have received gold medals for three consecutive years. Cobra is the first Indian beer brand in the UK to achieve this honour.

On achieving the awards, Lord Bilimoria, Founder and Chairman of the Cobra Beer Partnership, said: “I’m delighted that Monde Selection has bestowed

Lord Bilimoria is joined by Simon Cox, Managing Director at Molson Coors UK & Ireland

these honours upon us and I would like to offer my congratulations to Cobra’s brewing team.

These awards are no mean feat as, over the years, even some reputed beers have been unable to obtain gold awards. The quality

of our products, and their continued success, is a matter of great pride for all of us at Cobra Beer and these latest triumphs are cause for real celebration.”

Monde Selection’s mission is to test consumer goods from all over the

world and decorate the best with an internationally renowned quality award.

The bronze, silver, gold or grand gold quality label can be compared to the quality stars of a hotel or those of the Michelin Guide. It is one of the most prominent awards in the world for a beer to attain.

The awards are approved by an independent jury, comprising of top professionals, from Michelin starred chefs and members of the French Culinary Academy to sommeliers and distinguished academics.

Every beer entered into the contest is fully analysed and tested with scores provided according to taste, clarity, head and further criteria, with a view to rewarding products of exceptional quality.

UK Trade body in Midlands offers permanent exhibition space to CII In a bid to promote SME exchanges between India and UK, the Leicestershire Asian Business Association (LABA) announced permanent space for CII at its trade centre in midlands, for showcasing products and technology by the CII member companies, interested in finding business partners in the Midlands.

The announcement comes soon after the Confederation of Indian Industry’s annual CEOs

delegation to UK, led by S Gopalakrishna, President CII and Executive Vice Chairman Infosys, visited UK on a three day bilateral trade and investment promotion agenda.

Growth of SME’s is key to the economic development of both India and UK and discussions to support SMEs on both sides were key to all discussions held during the visit.

In the last three years, CII has taken a number of SME delegations to the

UK with each one of them travelling to midlands, the house of manufacturing industries in the UK, with the objectives of finding business partners and technology and R&D in advanced manufacturing.

The announcement made by Uday Dholakia, Chairman LABA is a step in right direction and comes at a time when governments in both countries are also working closely to take business partnerships and economic partnerships

between India and UK to the next level.

Uday Dholakia is also the President of recently launched National Asian Business Association, an umbrella organization for all Asian Business networks in the UK, supported by the UK government.

The Confederation of Indian Industry has welcomed LABA’s offer saying it reiterates strong partnerships that CII and its member companies have with the midlands in UK.

finAnciAl Voice

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th June 2013

19

No Happiness For The Doubting Thomas

Suresh Vagjiani Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

Time to time we come across clients who have had their money disappear in other property investment schemes. Recently I had one who had invested in an office scheme in Manchester where they were required to put 10% deposit down, the rest would be funded by way of a loan.

This was deposited in 2007 pre credit crunch times and the office never got built, the money was never returned. Our client had purchased two units with a deposit of £20,000 with the idea that the rest of the money will be funded and there will be a rent role of £8,000. Not only this he encouraged another member of his family to invest in the same development.

The scheme was being sold via adverts in The Evening Standard.

When they went to book the scheme they were told many Asians from the Harrow area had booked units, some as many as six units in one go.

This client is an accountant currently winding down his practice, he looked like an accountant too and his surname is Shah. Oddly enough most Mr Shahs I know seem to be accountants.

So as he had had his fingers bu rn t in this specu lat ive sche me , naturall y when he came t o see us he had so me con cerns. He views all pro perty investment s with cau t io n.

This is not the first time we have come across this scenario. We have had clients who have had 600 properties in Margate where the properties had £800k loans on them but were worth less than £400k. The family still wanted to invest in property but were concerned where and how they should do this.

When you look at the UK property market as a whole there is only one place which jumps out at you, that’s central London and when looking at central London it is difficult to find deals in this patch, hence the decision to enter the market with us.

Another client had nursing homes around the UK and had properties all around the UK, all outside of London. These were those cheap and cheerful properties with no money down, high yields, rented out to housing associations etc if you get the picture. These are sold by property groups to those want to be investors who have no money to invest.

They are encouraged to use their credit cards to pay for the fees attached to the purchase of these properties.

Sometimes these companies even encourage you to pay for tuition which apparently teaches you to purchase property with no money down using borrowed funds, with the promise of making all of the money back plus more. Perhaps I'm missing something, but in my experience it's hard enough to grab a deal when it's straight forward, let alone when trying to convince the seller and the agent to do the deal using an unfamiliar method. The other point is if the property cannot be sold in the usual manner, perhaps you will have the same issue when trying to resell it again in the future.

One client who came to us didn’t know us as a firm, he came through a recommendation who also didn’t know us too well. Again he was very paranoid in investing in a property in Hampstead we had recently introduced him to for £790k, even to the point of checking out the solicitor's bank details and asking the receptionist at the lawyer's office if she knew me. Of course she said no!

So he promptly called me up and asked why she did not know me!

I said, quite annoyed of course, "she doesn’t know me as I don’t deal with her, speak to the partner of the firm." Finally he was appeased and then proceeded with the transfer. Even after the transfer and the exchange he still wanted to see the property and ask further questions.

What is it they say regarding the doubting Thomas? No happiness in this life nor the next?

There are some distinctions when operating through a firm such as us. Firstly the property you are purchasing already exists. This means it cannot be compared to a postdated cheque type investment where build may or may not occur sometime in the future; this variable does not exist in these investments.

Then of course there are the multiple exit routes, the importance of the three Rs we have covered previously: Remortgaging, Renting and reselling; these three are your exit routes. And there are three of them not just one. This is important as with the best will in the world sometimes things do not quite go to plan, and these are your insurance policies.

With an off plan office investment scheme you have not one but zero exit routes, you cannot exit until the office has been built. Currently the investors in the above described situation have employed a legal firm to try and recover their deposits.

Many off plan residential property purchasers have also been stung, not realising when they exchange with their 10% deposit if the value of the investment drops the loss is not only their 10%. Many are under the illusion they can simply walk away from the investment. Not so, you are obliged to complete the purchase at the original contract price, irrespective of how much the investment is worth. This has been tested in the courts. And actually, if the investors had made a profit would they have expected the developer to benefit? So why when it comes to making a loss do they expect the developer to bear the brunt?

The other main attraction of London is not simply the level of demand but the diversity of the demand. For example, when the government capped the rentals paid many said this will result in an excess supply of ex- council properties on the market as the reason for holding them has disappeared. However, the prices of these properties have not come down but have only been increasing in value.

Even though the dominating demand was from council tenants when this has disappeared other sectors such as students and sharers quickly filled the void. A real life example is a two-bed room property which we sourced for a client in Feb 2012 for £315,000, it is currently worth £390,000. Prices for these properties are still on the increase, irrespective of the government cap on rents.

Going back to my accountant client, he wanted to invest somewhere safe and somewhere where the returns are still strong. This is in preparation of his coming retirement. Some of his funds were tied up in a ‘high’ yielding investment of 3%; seeing the need to make his funds work harder for him than what his bank was offering and wishing to avoid a repeat of his previous experience he approached us. Our advice to him was to join in with other investors, so his investment is being traded; the idea of this is to increase his cash lump sum. After which if he wishes, he has the option to purchase a high yielding investment and enjoy the return, if he requires a monthly income at that point.

To simply purchase a property with a small amount of capital and sit back down is not the best way forward. It may even be a good way, but not the best way.

W hat he did n’t appreciate was the pace t hese prope rties mo ve at; before he c ould arrange to see the property we had promptl y sold it fo r £850k within a few we eks of e xchang e. Now he is a be lie ver. No lo nger a man of dou bt and suspicio n.

The Real Deal Paddington, London, W2 Purchase Price: £215,000 l Large studio flat on the first floor l Lift l Only 1% stamp duty l We expect the real value to be £275k l Good capital growth Call us now to reserve!!

We provide a turnkey solution. Contact us now:

Specialists in Central London Property Sourcing

0207 993 0103 info@sowandreap.co.uk

www.sowandreap.co.uk

55 Bryanston Street, Marble Arch Tower, London, W1H 7AA Follow us online:

Sowandreapuk

SowandReapProperties

Tips of the Week l Always remember the first mantra of property investment - Location, Location, Location; this is what drives the price of a property. l Before purchasing from auctions, do full due diligence about the seller and the property. Many traders are now using auctions as a dumping ground for properties they cannot sell.

20

UK

Maria Fernandes

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th June 2013

maria@abplgroup.com

Families and Visitors

everal months after the new rules on family S migration have come in,

MPs have finally had a debate on the impact of the changes.

The Minister has explained that the family rules were brought in not only to reduce numbers but for 3 other reasons: prevention of abuse, to aid integration and to reduce the burden on taxpayers.

When challenged to provide statistics on those who have claimed benefit or been a burden on taxpayers, the Minister indicated that he did not have these statistics. There was a suggestion that many marriages were not genuine, hence the need for the changes.

So does increasing the income threshold make marriages genuine by the wave of a magic wand? Many MPs echoed concerns that the rules were rigid, inflexible and plainly wrong. There are regional variations and the impact of the rules is to deprive British Citizens, adults, elderly dependants and children from qualifying. The point that was made was that the best interest of children, which is a legal requirement, is not being observed. This matter will finally be resolved by the courts soon as no parliamentary process has the necessary motivation to bring about change.

Two important points were made. The first was that there is an inadequate parliamentary process in relation to immigration and this means that it does not get the scrutiny it requires.

The second is that the opposition were silent on what they would do about changing the policy. This

means more of the same whichever party comes in.

The system is such that EU nationals can bring in their spouses without the need to prove any particular level of income but British citizens are penalised in their own country. Is this fair?

And so to the latest proposed change of the introduction of a bond system for visitors of £3000 where they are a borderline case. It is an old recycled policy that was considered some years ago and rejected as unworkable. This is to prevent abuse (a word used to describe any change), and to prevent applicants overstaying or working. It is system that is operated in Australia successfully. The first thing to note is that Australia has a system to check the entry and departure of every person that enters their borders. There is no such system here.

Passports are still, several years later, not checked and recorded when leaving the country despite the fact that much is made of the issue of illegal immigration (and abuse).

Secondly, there is no system to check whether a person who has entered works or not so how will this be policed? And what will the cost be for administering the system? Isn’t it far better to concentrate on spending the money on effective checks for all those leaving the UK? Maria Fernandes has been in practice exclusively in immigration for the past 28 years. Fernandes Vaz is based at 87 Wembley Hill Road Wembley in Wembley and can be contacted by telephone on 02087330123, by email on info@fernandesvaz.com.

Unemployment hits record high in Euro zone Unemployment in the Euro zone continued its relentless march higher in April, according to official data, hitting yet another record amid a prolonged recession and the absence of a coordinated response by policy makers.

The jobless rate for the 17 countries that use the common currency rose to 12.2 per cent, from 12.1 per cent a month earlier, with 19.4 million people out of work, according to Eurostat, the European Union statistics agency.

Some analysts said the number of people without jobs could hit 20 million by the end of the year.

Despite the rise, most analysts do not expect the European Central Bank to

cut interest rates or take other action to stimulate growth when its policymaking council meets in the coming week. Separate data from Eurostat showed that inflation in the Euro zone rose to 1.4 per cent from 1.2 per cent, which could prompt the central bank to wait for clearer signs that there is no risk of higher prices.

Analysts said the continued rise in youth unemployment was particularly alarming. Nearly a quarter of job-seekers under age 25 were unemployed across the zone. Youth joblessness reached 62.5 per cent in Greece and 56.4 per cent in Spain in April, Eurostat said, threatening to become a long-term drag on growth.

Indian blue chips a big hit on London Stock Exchange After Singapore's success with trading India's benchmark stock index Nifty, London is emerging as another key offshore destination to trade India's blue-chip stocks. Trading in global depository receipt (GDR), the certificate of ownership of underlying shares, of Reliance Industries (RIL), Larsen & Toubro (L&T), State Bank of India (SBI), Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) and Axis Bank has seen substantial action on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). The GDR volumes in London exceeded the cash market volumes of the BSE on 66 occasions during 20102013, said LSE officials.

Trading experts and financial regulations' analyst say such a shift in India's equity trading to offshore market speaks volumes of better infrastructure, ease of connectivity and lower cost structure of

foreign trading venues and has an effect of hollowing India's financial system.

Domestic stockbrokers also blame it on thrust on derivative and lack of policy initiatives to revive the sagging cash market volumes.

"The LSE has a captive pool of institutional investors and traders beyond the P-note (participatory notes) holders who trade in high-value Indian paper regularly," said Ibukun Adebayo, head, international primary markets, LSE. On a daily average, the LSE saw its market share in trading RIL counter rise to 18% from 13% at the start of 2013. For SBI, the market share rose to 14% from 5%. For L&T, the same rose to 16% from 8% and for M&M the market share of LSE was between 9% and 12%. The market share is calculated based on the combined trade in the cash segment of the

National Stock Exchange (NSE), BSE and LSE. The volumes on LSE are significant given the fact that only 3-4% of floating stock is available as GDR, which are independently settled.

According to data from London stockbrokers, institutional players including Credit Suisse First Boston, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, Sberbank, Renaissance Capital, Barclays, Jefferies International and ING Bank NV are the top 10 traders for Indian GDR. Brokers say LSE's new technology and high frequency trading, too, played a role in increasing volumes. "Ease of connectivity and trading cost structure are the key reasons for LSE gaining ground in GDR trading," said Hirander Misra, Londonbased trading technology expert. "Technology, clear-

ing and settlement in Europe are way better than in India, where regulations and processes are promonopoly." Misra says if India's policy deters competition, it will come from overseas markets.

Derivative trading in NSE's key index Nifty shifted to Singapore due to regulatory and tax uncertainties and now lack of policy push for cash market volumes has rendered the BSE vulnerable to compete against GDR trading on LSE. "In the short run, onshore Indian finance will suffer from one setback after another," said Ajay Shah, professor, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy. "There are problems rooted in domestic policy. India-linked finance will happen offshore while regulators squabble over minor inconsequential domestic system riddled with ethics problem."

Manmohan's speed clearance plan kicks off Under attack for its poor project implementation track record, the Indian government plans to remove environmental and coalrelated hurdles for large projects on a weekly basis.

Starting this week, the Project Monitoring Group (PMG) constituted recently by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, will take up projects that have been stuck, once a week with the developer, environment and forest ministry (MoEF) official and representative from the power, port or road ministry. They will sit across the table to find a solution to get the project moving.

After Singh's diktat,

Manmohan Singh

each infrastructure ministry as well as MoEF have been asked to nominate a senior official, who will deal with pending investments. If officials are unable to decide on a project, the matter will be referred to the Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI), headed by the Prime Minister. "The idea

is to speed up clearances as you can't expect CCI to take every decision," said an officer working to speed up project implementation.

The finance ministry has estimated that 215 projects worth at least Rs 7,000 billion, for which bank funding has been made available, are held up with the largest chunk hit by environment and forest clearances, followed by the absence of coal supplies. Periodic meetings with home, defence and railways ministries are also planned to remove other roadblocks.

The focus on removing the bottlenecks is part of the

government's drive to get investment moving and step up the pace of economic growth, which is hovering around the 5% mark. A pick up in investment will create jobs and revive demand, a key reason behind the economic slowdown. In addition, higher availability of power and better road and port connectivity will help local industry more competitive in international markets. In the nineties, when the government started opening up, the Foreign Investment Promotion Board used to meet on a weekly basis to clear proposals by overseas investors and send a message that India is open for business.

Small business confidence in London reaches 3-year high Confidence among small businesses in London rose to its highest level in three years according to the latest London Small Business Index from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). The London Small Business Index – the FSB’s measure of confidence – reached 24 points in the second quarter; 15 points higher than at the start of 2013.

Financial services firms report the highest confidence levels, possibly reflecting the recent peak of the FTSE 100. And despite recent output contractions in the manufacturing sector, small manufacturers are more optimistic about their prospects, suggesting that conditions in the sector are improving.

With house prices rising steadily in 2013, the report also shows that real estate firms confidence

levels are improving. This could improve further in the coming months with the ‘Help to Buy’ scheme announced at the Budget.

The Chancellor is due to deliver the Spending Review later in June and the FSB believes that he must use this opportunity to build upon these positive figures with initiatives for growth to keep confidence levels high for both businesses and their customers. Most notably, the FSB in London believes that we can ill afford to heavily reduce spending on our road, tube and bus network as it could lead to fare hikes.

Following another quarter’s results which show five in 10 London firms that applied for finance were refused, the FSB wants to see the Spending Review set a clear plan for the Business Bank to improve competi-

tion in the banking sector and to help advise small firms on alternative finance providers.

However, the report shows clearly that while Funding for Lending isn’t getting finance to more businesses the rates offered are becoming lower.

Other key findings from the report show: More firms expect turnover to increase in the coming three months and more firms expect to grow their business in the coming year.

A larger number of firms expect to increase staffing levels in the coming three months, which should be further helped by the Enterprise Allowance announcement made at the Budget and due to come into force next year.

London small businesses continue to lead the field in terms of exports, despite slow world trade growth, and export growth

is expected to pick up further in the coming three months.

Retail businesses remain least confident, highlighting again why the FSB’s Keep Trade Local campaign is so important.

Steve Warwick, London Regional Chairman, Federation of Small Businesses, said: “After five consecutive quarters of year-on-year growth, confidence is moving in the right direction. Small firms want to export and expect turnover levels to increase.

This is all good news, but we must not be complacent. The Chancellor must use the Spending Review to build on this optimism.

While there are positive signs, inflation and not being able to access finance will affect how quickly, and how much, small firms can grow and create jobs.”

finAnciAl voice

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th June 2013

21

Foreign Exchange Paresh Davdra is the Dealing Director of RationalFX, Currency Specialists.

Quantitative easing to be tampered down in the US Despite the US dollar falling to a new four month low against the pound last week, Wednesday was always going to be braced for Fed Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s announcement so any data from earlier in the day or indeed earlier in the week, took a back seat. Global markets had been pre-occupied with the Fed’s stance on the US quantitative easing (QE) program simply due to the fact that the flow of ‘cheap’ money in the markets has allowed substantial growth in both emerging and established markets.

Bernanke finally stated that QE would be tapered down towards the end of 2013.

Immediately the US dollar gained over 2 cents on the pound and 1.5 cents against the euro. The reaction to the announcement has already seen the Japanese yen weaken significantly losing over 3.5% against dollar. This represents another big swing in global investor sentiment and risk appetite.

With regards to Bernanke’s comments on the reduction of QE in the US, a recent Bloomberg survey of 54 economists suggests that the Fed will

start tapering QE in September with an end to QE by June 2014; as long as the job market continues to show signs of improvement and economic growth remains on schedule.

Fundamental data from the US last week showed the number of people filing for jobless claims increased by 18,000 to 354,000, Markit manufacturing PMI fell below an expected 52.5 coming in at 52.2. Better news was revealed from existing home sales which showed an improvement to 5.18 million from 4.97 million and from the Philadelphia Fed manufacturing survey which showed an improved figure of 12.5.

In the coming week, the US will once again come into focus with a report set to reveal that consumer spending rose to its highest in three months led by a growing demand in automobiles.

Durable goods orders and recovery in house prices in the US are also set to improve adding to the Fed’s case for tapering QE. The UK has mixed data last week as public sector net borrowing rose less than expected from £6.623bn to £10.535bn, adding to sentiment that the

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 25th June 2013 @ 5.30pm GBP - INR = 92.02 USD - INR = 59.66 EUR - INR = 78.03 GBP - USD = 1.54 GBP - EUR = 1.18 EUR - USD = 1.31 GBP - AED = 5.66 GBP - CAD = 1.62 GBP - NZD = 1.99

Fed Reserve Chairman Mr Ben Bernanke

economic recovery in the UK remains on track. Inflation rose in May to 2.7% up from a seven month low of 2.4% in April.

However producer price inflation failed to live up to expectations coming in at 1.2% in May instead of a rise of 1.5%.

The Indian rupee slumped to a record low on Thursday as the country's record high current account deficit is exacerbating its vulnerability in an emerging market rout. The U.S. Federal

Reserve's signal of a rollback in its monetary stimulus has raised fears that it may signal the end of cheap money, critical to funding India's current account deficit that hit a record high of 6.7 percent of gross domestic product in October-December.

The Reserve Bank of India reportedly intervened on Friday to prevent further falls in the rupee was seen on Friday with the pound losing 1.10% against the rupee.

GBP - AUD = 1.67 GBP - ZAR = 15.54 GBP - HUF = 349.98

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 Death for 10 banned Islamist militants in Bangladesh

Dhaka: Ten militants of a banned Bangladeshi Islamist outfit Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were sentenced to death by a fast-track court here after they were found guilty of involvement in a deadly suicide bombing in 2005 that claimed eight lives. “The convicts will be hanged to death,” Judge Mohammad Motahar Hossain of Dhaka’s Speedy Trial Tribunal said while announcing the verdict in a crowded courtroom. The verdict was announced in the presence of the militants who appeared in court under heavy security.

38 Taliban militants killed in Afghanistan

Kabul: Thirty-eight Taliban militants were killed in separate military operations launched in Afghanistan since Saturday, the Afghanistan government said. The joint security operations were carried out by Afghan National Police (ANP), army and the NATO-led coalition forces in the provinces of Nangarhar, Parwan, Kandahar, Zabul, Uruzgan, Wardak, Logar, Ghazni and Helmand, Xinhua reported. "As a result, 38 armed Taliban were killed, four wounded and six others were arrested," the interior ministry said in a statement. The Taliban did not comment over the deaths immediately.

21 killed in Pakistan blast

Islamabad: At least 21 people, including a provincial lawmaker, were killed and over 40 wounded when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives at a funeral procession at Shergarh in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The killed included Imran Khan Mohmand, a member of provincial assembly. He had joined Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party after winning a provincial assembly seat as an independent candidate in the last month's election. The bomber entered the funeral by foot.

Taliban gunmen attack Kabul presidential palace

Kabul: Taliban gunmen launched a suicide attack near the presidential palace and CIA offices in Kabul after using fake security passes to get into the fortified diplomatic zone and killing three checkpoint guards.

Attackers jumped out of a vehicle at a roundabout near the Salam Khana (Welcome Home) gate of the presidential palace and opened fire on guards and the former Ariana hotel nearby, which has been used as a CIA base for more than a decade. The fighters never approached the palace's inner area of homes and offices, which lies behind walls that are dozens of metres thick in places.

Christian women forced to parade naked in Pakistan

Islamabad: Pakistan's Christian women were attacked and paraded naked by a mob with the support of the ruling party.

The revelation was made by a press released issued by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC). According to the Daily Times, three Christian women, Arshad Bibi, Sajida Bibi and Sauriya Bibi, the daughterin-laws of Sadiq Masih, were brutally beaten and then paraded naked by armed men hired by Muhammad Munir, the son of Abdul Rasheed, a landlord who has the support of the ruling party, the PML-N. The incident occurred on the night of June 3 when the male members of the family were attending to their jobs.

Taliban kill 9 foreign climbers in Pakistan

Islamabad: Unknown gunmen disguised as security officials killed nine adventure tourists - five Ukrainians, three Chinese and one Russian - along with a guide at a mountaineering base camp in Pakistan's northern Gilgit-Baltistan province. The attack took place at the base camp of snow-capped Nanga Parbat, the world's ninth highest peak, in Bunar Nala area of Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan. Officials said the climbers were part of an expedition to scale the 8,126m high Nanga Parbat.

www.abplgroup.com - asian Voice 29th June 2013

Musharraf charged in Bhutto killing case

Islamabad: Compounding his legal woes, Pakistani investigators included ex-military ruler Pervez Musharraf in the list of main accused who conspired to assassinate former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007.

The Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) submitted a chargesheet against 69-yearold Musharraf including him in the list of main accused in the case in the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi.

The FIA presented a fourpoint chargesheet against Musharraf in the ATC, accusing him of hatching a conspiracy to assassinate Bhutto.

The 54-year-old Bhutto was assassinated in a suicide attack outside Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007, after she addressed an election cam-

Pervez Musharraf

paign rally.

The chargesheet submitted contained the statements of four witnesses, including an American journalist Marc Siegel, as well as Bhutto's own statement.

FIA officials said that the chargesheet has been prepared on the basis of Marc Siegel's statement, who had claimed that Musharraf called and threatened her

when he was sitting with Benazir Bhutto.

Siegel, who served as lobbyist for Bhutto in the US, had also stated that she had told him that Musharraf would be responsible for any harm to her. He had earlier stated that he was with Bhutto in London when Musharraf had denied the allegations.

Mush to face trial for treason: Nawaz Sharif Pakistan's new government said it would put Musharraf on trial for treason, charges punishable by death or life imprisonment.

Musharraf has been under house arrest at his villa on the edge of Islamabad since April 19. He is fighting a series of cases dating back to his 1999-2008 rule, which began when he seized power

from then prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who returned to office this month after winning landmark elections.

"Musharraf's actions came under the purview of high treason," Nawaz Sharif told parliament. "He should face trial... and will have to answer for his guilt before the court," he added.

The attorney general delivered the same statement on behalf of the government in the Supreme Court, where a treason trial can be initiated only by the state. Pakistan's highest court has for months been hearing a petition from lawyers demanding that Musharraf be tried for treason for subverting the Constitution by imposing emergency rule and sacking judges in 2007.

Lankan govt appoints Pakistan defends aid to India's mass grave probe panel most wanted Hafiz Saeed Colombo: Sri Lankan President M a h i n d a Rajapaksa has appointed a threemember panel to probe the mass grave found in the central district of Matale, his office said.

Retired judges SI Imam, Bandula Atapattu and Dhammika Kitulegoda man the panel under Imam's chair.

They will commence their work soon and are expected to make a report within a six month period, officials said.

A mass grave of over 150 skeletal remains was discovered in the central town of Matale in November last year.

This surfaced during the digging of the ground to build a new structure for the Matale hospital.

Marxist JVP or the Peoples Liberation Front claimed the victims were their members as a result of the government crackdown on a rebellion during 1987-

90. Forensic reports had confirmed that the grave could not be older than 1986 and not newer than 1990.

The crackdown on the JVP rebellion ended during the early part of 1990.

The JVP led a public outcry for an independent probe alleging that the main opposition UNP then in government was responsible for the murder of their cadres. They accused the current government of trying to cover up as most of the UNP members then are now part of the ruling coalition. President Mahinda Rajapaksa in April promised the appointment of the panel.

Lahore: The government of Pakistan's Punjab province has justified its allocation of over Rs 61 million to the largest centre of the Jamaatud-Dawah, saying the funds are needed to continue the services being provided to people by the facility.

A spokesman of the Punjab government said it had taken "administrative control of the welfare institutions being run by (the JuD) in compliance with Security Council resolutions of the United Nations".

"There were two purposes behind taking control of these institutions: one, no one from the (JuD) could continue its activities, and two, to ensure that local people might not be deprived of the facilities like dispensary, hospital and schools etc," the spokesman said in a statement.

The spokesman further said the Punjab government had appointed an official as an administrator to "ensure the provision of basic facili-

Afghan president Karzai ‘willing’ to join peace talks

Kabul/Islamabad: An Afghan spokesman says President Hamid Karzai is willing to join peace talks with the Taliban if the US follows through with promises he says were made

by Secretary of State John Kerry in a phone call.

The planned talks were thrown into disarray when Karzai canceled a planned delegation to the newly opened Taliban office in Qatar because he said the US broke commitments that the office would not be seen as an embassy or government-in-exile.

Spokesman Fayeq Wahidi says Kerry promised that the Taliban flag and a nameplate with their former regime's name would be removed and said the US would issue a formal letter supporting the Afghan government.

Wahidi says "we would see no problem in entering into talks with the Taliban in

Qatar'' once that happens.

Taliban offer to free US soldier: The Afghan Taliban are ready to free a US soldier held captive since 2009 in exchange for five of their senior operatives imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay as a conciliatory gesture, a senior spokesman for the group said.

The offer follows official opening of a Taliban political office in Doha, the capital of the Gulf state of Qatar. The only known American soldier held captive from the Afghan war is US Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl of Hailey, Idaho. He disappeared from his base in southeastern Afghanistan on June 30, 2009, and is believed held in Pakistan.

In an interview Taliban spokesman Shaheen Suhail said that Bergdahl “is, as far as I know, in good condition.” Suhail did not elaborate on Bergdahl's current

whereabouts. Among the five prisoners the Taliban have consistently requested are Khairullah Khairkhwa, a former Taliban governor of Herat, and Mullah Mohammed Fazl, a former top Taliban military commander, both of whom have been held for more than a decade.

The prisoner exchange is the first item on the Taliban's agenda before even opening peace talks, said Suhail, who is a top Taliban figure and served as first secretary at the Afghan Embassy in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad before the Taliban government's ouster in 2001.

"First has to be the release of detainees,'' Suhail said when asked about Bergdahl.

"Yes. It would be an exchange. Then step by step, we want to build bridges of confidence to go forward.''

ties to the local people". The Punjab government has been making these arrangements for these institutions since the end of 2008, he said.

The PML-N government in Punjab announced a grantin-aid of Rs. 61.35 million for the administrator of the JuD's Markaz-e-Taiba at Muridkey in its budget for fiscal 2013-14.

Though the spokesman referred to the JuD as a "banned organisation", an Assistant Advocate General of the Punjab government told the Lahore High Court as far back as October 2009 that there was no notification to establish that the JuD was a banned group. A recent report in the Pakistani daily The News said that the entrance of the Markaz-eTaiba in Muridkey is still guarded by stick-wielding activists of the JuD. The sources said a few months ago, JuD chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed held a convention at Markaz-e-Taiba that was largely attended by JuD activists.

Afghan, Pak envoys clash at UN Security Council meet United Nations: Top diplomats from Afghanistan and Pakistan engaged in verbal sparring during a discussion on cross-border terrorism and presence of terrorist safe havens, at the UN Security Council. "The fact remains: so long as terrorist sanctuaries continue to exist in Pakistan's soil and some elements continue to use terrorism as an instrument of foreign policy, peace will not prevail, neither in Afghanistan, nor in the region," Afghan ambassador to the UN, Zahir Tanin, told the 15-member body during a special discussion on Afghanistan.

Pakistani ambassador to the UN, Masood Khan, later was sharper in his response. "I reject most emphatically ambassador Tanin's argument root, trunk and branch - that terrorist sanctuaries exist in Pakistan and some elements continue to use terrorism as an instrument of foreign policy," Khan said.

world

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th June 2013

5,000 Indian expats in Saudi Arabia get new jobs Dubai: Around 5,000 expatriate Indians in Saudi Arabia, affected by a new labour policy in the Gulf nation, have found new jobs, the Indian consul general in Jeddah said.

Consul General Faiz Ahmed Kidwai said the consulate's various proactive measures have helped these Indians rectify their residency status and get new jobs.

Indian expatriates were badly hit by the new Nitaqat or Saudisation policy that makes it mandatory for all Saudi companies to reserve 10 per cent of jobs for Saudi nationals.

The Saudi government had announced a grace period for expatriate workers to either rectify their residency status to get new sponsors and jobs or leave the country.

The grace period will expire July 3.

Kidwai said the consulate helped eligible Indians find employment by allowing potential employers interview suitable candidates within the consulate premises.

The job profiles ranged from labourers or blue collar workers to engineers.

23

Hindu prayer room sought at Frankfurt airport Nevada (USA): A “Hindu Prayer Room” was sought at Frankfurt airport (FRA) in Germany, which is one of the world’s ten largest airports. FRA already has Christian chapel as well as Jewish, Muslim, and Orthodox prayer rooms.

“The prayer and worship rooms at the airport let you escape all the hustle and bustle and find peace and quiet for praying or meditating”, FRA website says.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA), said that lot of Hindu passengers daily use FRA and it would be nice if they had a quiet facility at the airport where they could pray/meditate/worship and perform religious services.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, urged prime minister Volker Bouffier of the German state of Hesse (which is largest shareholder of FRA) and FRA executive board chairman Stefan Schulte to work in this direction as an issue of fairness and equality in customer service. He or other Hindu scholars would be glad to help, if asked, regarding the structure of “Hindu Prayer Room.”

Hindus would appreciate FRA if this “Hindu Prayer Room” had murtis (statues) of popular deities, copies of sacred

Rajan Zed

scriptures, a traditional bell and recorded devotional music; and once-amonth kirtan and arti sessions, Zed noted.

Prayer/worship to God was highly important in Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, and it would be great to have “Hindu Prayer Room” at FRA so that Hindu passengers did not miss their daily worship rituals/rites while travelling through FRA; which might include recitation of texts, repetition of mantras and dhayan (meditation), Zed added.

Prayer Rooms and Chapel at FRA are reportedly open around the clock. “On the first Wednesday of each month between 12 noon and 1:30 p.m., there is a midday concert in the interdenominational Christian chapel: sometimes choir sings, while other times a wind ensemble plays”, FRA website states.

Johannesburg: The family of critically ill antiapartheid icon Nelson Mandela gathered around his hospital bedside on Monday as millions in South Africa and across the world feared for the worst.

"Former president Mandela remains in a critical condition in hospital," South African President Jacob Zuma said in an address televised to the world and an anxious nation. "The doctors are doing everything possible to ensure his well being and comfort."

Mandela, the hero of black South Africans' battle for freedom during 27 years in apartheid jails, was rushed to hospital on June 8 with a recurring lung infection. Despite intensive treatment at Pretoria's Mediclinic Heart Hospital, the 94year-old's condition appears to have suddenly and dramatically deteriorated. Ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela - herself a figurehead of the anti-apartheid struggle and daughters Zindzi Mandela-Motlhajwa and Zenani Mandela-Dlamini were among those who flocked to the hospital on Monday.

Their visits, while common since Mandela was admitted 17 days ago,

come amid heightened fears for the former statesman's health. "All of us in the country should accept that Madiba is now old," Zuma said, using Mandela's clan name. "I think what we need to do as a country is to pray for him to be well and that the doctors do their work."

Zuma hailed the life of a man seen as the father of the nation and globally as a moral beacon that continues to shine long after he retired from public life.

Mandela was last seen in public in 2010 at the football World Cup finals in South Africa.

"He is the father of democracy and this is the man who fought and sacrificed his life," said Zuma, who spent 10 years in jail on Robben Island at the same time as Mandela.

Zuma visited Mandela on Sunday evening, when the Nobel Peace Prize winner was asleep. "(We) saw him and then we had a bit of dis-

cussion with the doctors and his wife Graca Machel," Zuma said.

Mandela, who became South Africa's first black president in 1994 after almost half a century of apartheid rule, is due to celebrate his 95th birthday on July 18. He has been hospitalised four times since December, mostly for the pulmonary condition that has plagued him for years. As the world looked on, South Africans resigned themselves to the inevitability of Mandela's decline.

"Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do but to pray for him and the doctors that are helping him," said Phathani Mbath outside the hospital, where flowers, cards and messages of support piled up.

In Soweto, the township where Mandela lived for more than a decade, James Nhlapo said South Africa must accept Mandela will not live forever. "There will soon come a time when all the medical help won't work.

We have to face that sad reality now," he said as he served customers in his grocery store.

In Mthatha, a rural town in the region where Mandela grew up, there was also a sense of anxious resignation.

24

IndIa

South Karnataka to jail gutka sellers Vendors selling gutka in Karnataka face arrest. The state government has decided to rope in police for effective implementation of its ban on gutka. Special committees have been formed at the district level to ensure effective enforcement of the ban.

M Madan Gopal, principal secretary to the department of health and family welfare said â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have had discussions with the home department and will soon issue an order. To levy a fine of Rs 1,000, imprisonment up to six months or both for those indulging in the sale of noxious food or drink.

Jumbos go on rampage in Bangalore, kill four

Rampaging wild elephants turned up at the doorstep of Bangalore creating panic among villages of Anekal taluk and leaving two men injured. On the loose for three days, the elephants had killed four persons in Kolar and Bangalore Rural districts. The elephants struck terror at Inventure Academy on Whitefield-Sarjapur Road and then at Huskur village off Electronics City amid frantic efforts by the forest officials to bring the animals under control.

MLA booked in land grabbing case

The Lokayukta registered a case against Serlingampally MLA M Bhikshapathy Yadav and Rangareddy district collector Vani Prasad after a complaint by activists in a land grabbing issue. According to complainant Thakur Rajkumar Singh, the Mahila Samakhya, an organization run by the MLA's aides encroached on a land measuring 140 square yards in Chandanagar, which was meant for a school playground.

Punjab Hemkunt Sahib Yatra unlikely to restart this year Vice-chairman of Shri Hemkunt Sahib Management Trust (SHSMT) and chairman of the minorities commission of Uttarakhand Narinder Jeet Singh Bindra said this while pointing out that it was difficult to restart the Yatra this year as rescue operations are still going on. Asked about the situation in Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib, he said level of the lake around the Gurudwara has risen and sand bag bunds have been erected to prevent inflow of water into the sanctum sanctorum. The building of Gurudwara Govind Dham is safe but muddy water has entered it.

Punjab Police officer booked for woman's suicide

Punjab Police have booked a senior police officer on charges of abetment of suicide of a 23-year-old woman. Victim leapt to her death from the sixth-floor flat of the police officer in Zirakpur town. Superintendent of Police Mohal Lal, 50, has been booked by the police for abetment to suicide of the victim, Loveleen, the daughter of a Punjab Police head constable who worked as Mohan Lal's subordinate. With investigations, serious charges of rape, abduction, destruction of evidence and illegal confinement could be added in the case against Mohan Lal.

Seven hurt as traditional, Cong-turned Akalis clash

Seven persons were injured as two SAD factions, one of them of the Congressturned Akalis, clashed after the filing of nominations for the July 3 panchayat elections. The incident occurred at Reshiana village Hospital. The trigger is learnt to have been a disagreement between the traditional Akalis and the new entrants (to the SAD) over the fielding of a candidate for the post of sarpanch. While the traditional wing wanted Jaswinder Pal Singh as the nominee, the new group was backing the candidature of Subeg Singh.

www.abplgroup.com - asian Voice 29th June 2013

After the big idli hit, Jayalalithaa offers veggies, mineral water Her promise to give away free mixer-grinders and televisions to poor families helped power her election as Chief Minister two years ago.

With national elections due in the next few months, Jayalalithaa's giving away a whole lot more. Including mineral water that's named after her. In February, she launched discounted canteens where breakfast idlis can be bought for just a rupee. She launched 31 outlets in Chennai that will sell vegetables at heavily-discounted rates.

Starting September 15, Amma Mineral Water will be available for Rs. 10 a litre; commercial brands are nearly fifty per cent more expensive.

Even the Railways, Ms Jayalalithaa says, sells at Rs. 15 a litre.

Officials say vegetables that are being purchased and distributed by the government at special shops will be nearly 50 percent cheaper than elsewhere because produce is being brought directly from farmers. "We eliminate middlemen who push prices up and so we pass on benefits

8 detained for British couple's abduction About three weeks after a British couple was abducted from the Chennai airport, eight persons involved in failed kidnap drama have detained under the National Security Act (NSA).

On May 29, the British citizens of Sri Lankan origin Thavaraja, 59, and his wife Jalaja, 55 - were kidnapped at knife point from Chennai airport where they had landed from London via Colombo.

The abductors had demanded a ransom of Rs 2.5 crore for their release.

The crisis came to an end on June 1, with the rescue of the couple and arrest of the entire gang which was on its way to Puducherry at the time of arrest. They were caught during an intense vehicle check. Those arrested in the case were Dharmalingam, Indra Antonysamy, Prabhu, Saravanan, Satheeshkumar, Vasanth, Mathiazahagan and Ilango.

Police said all the eight have been put on preventive detention under the NSA,

given the grave nature of their crime. Just as preventive detention under the Goondas Act, the duration of NSA detention too is for one year, during which the detenue is not eligible for release on bail. It is usually invoked to ensure that the arrested persons do not either attempt to or succeed in getting bail in a short period.

The only remedy available to persons kept under preventive detention is to disprove the grounds of detention before the statutory advisory board comprising former judges and bureaucrats, or to file a habeas corpus petition in the high court and highlighting loopholes as also the mechanical nature of their detention.

Jayalalithaa

to customers," one official told NDTV. On Day 1, the government's veggies were indeed good for you. Tomatoes,

beans and cabbage were nearly half the price at these airconditioned outlets. Onions and brinjal were also heavily discounted. (Read) Sales added upto five lakhs on Wednesday.

"Wow! Tomato, onion, capsicum, beans... whatever I buy is forty percent cheaper here," said a delighted entrepreneur, Kamalam Moorthy.

The state government has, so far, spent nearly Rs. 5,000 crore on its mixergrinder freebies. The state government showed a deficit of Rs. 22,938 crore last year.

Medical student kidnapped, gang-raped in Karnataka In a shocking incident late, a 22-year-old medical student was allegedly abducted and gang-raped by three people, including an auto driver, when she was on way to her flat from the college library in Manipal. "We have registered a criminal case against unidentified people under sections 366 and 376 (abduction and rape) read with 34 (common intent) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on a complaint by the victim earlier in the day to the local police stationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; said police.

A major educational centre, Manipal is 5 km from the famous Udupi temple town on the west coast of the state and about 410 km from Bangalore. "We have formed four teams to nab the accused and made some headway in the investigation on the basis of the information the victim gave in her complaint and after questioning one of the college security guards," Boralingaiah said.

The incident occurred when the victim, a fourth-

year student of the Kasturba Medical College, was waiting to hire an auto outside the Manipal University campus gate to return to her flat from the library around 11.30 p.m.

"The victim said in the complaint that she was abducted by the accused, driven to an isolated spot and gang-raped after midnight.

Though she managed to reach her flat later, she gave the complaint early Friday," Boralingaiah said.

The victim's family, who lives in the neighbouring state of Kerala, have been informed about the incident and told to rush to Manipal to take care of her, as she is recovering from injuries on her hands and neck.

"We have written to the state government to set up a police check-post at the university campus to prevent such crimes," the SP said, adding that the university was also asked to install CCTVs in and around the campus for the safety and security of its students.

Vital services go online from Ludhiana schools say no next year in Chandigarh to gender sensitization ing their scope and From 2014, city deliverables. This residents will be was done in a meetable to avail servicing attended by UT es like birth certifihome secretary Anil cate, bus pass, Kumar, secretary death certificate food and supply and senior citizen Satya Gopal, UT certificate, among K K Sharma others, from the comfort of finance secretary V K Singh, commissioner home. A high-level state apex municipal committee, chaired by UT Vivek Pratap Singh, UT DC adviser K K Sharma Mohammad Shayin and approved two flagship e-gov- other senior officials of the ernance projects - e-district administration.

The two projects will proand State Portal or State vide more than 100 public Service Delivery Gateway.

The department of infor- services to city residents in mation technology, the nodal electronic form. The projects, agency, will be responsible for expected to cost around Rs the implementation of these 120 million, will be funded two e-governance projects, under the National e-goverwhich are expected to nance plan of the Union govimprove the quality of life of ernment. The projects were by the residents of Chandigarh. With conceptualized procedures going electronic, department of information delivery time of these services technology earlier this year.

They were approved in prinwill be significantly reduced.

The UT department of ciple by the Union governinformation technology ment. Adviser to the UT designed the specifics of the administrator K K Sharma two projects and made said these will be implementdetailed presentations cover- ed expeditiously.

On account of increasing crimes against women like molestation, the Central Board of School Education (CBSE) has taken an initiative to introduce "gender sensitisation" as an elective subject for class XI and XII students. However, no school from Ludhiana, affiliated to CBSE, has considered opting for this course yet, though it is likely to contribute a lot in the upbringing of students.

This course was proposed a few weeks after the Delhi gang-rape case that generated the demand for rigorous training and sensitisation among men and women, and was designed to teach values and moral education to students especially boys. Meanwhile, city schools are giving preference to other subjects like legal studies, theater studies and fashion designing over this socially relevant topic.

The principal of GNP School, Sarabha Nagar, Mona Singh, said, "I was very keen to opt 'gender sen-

sitisation' as an elective subject but got late to apply for it. I feel it to be essential and compulsory for every student, including boys as we need to teach them to behave in properly. Initially, we used to put so many restrictions on girls. I feel this is the right age for students to be taught such things." a??Girls have always been taught many things. So many restrictions have been put on them with reference to their safety. But nobody says even a single word to any boy. Why don't they teach boys to be good, to behave sensibly?

Introduction of this subject would have been quite useful. Values and moral education is the need of the hour.

All schools of the city, rather nation, should introduce it in their schools," said Yashasvi Aneja, a student Class XI of BCM Sschool, Shastri Nagar.

It's good for students specially boys to be educated about gender sensitisation.

25 indiA India sets programme to tap your emails, phones India has launched a wideresearcher at New York-

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th June 2013

Oxfam India has initiated an immediate emergency relief response in the flood affected areas of Uttarakhand. Oxfam India is coordinating its efforts with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and through its partners in the affected areas.

Oxfam’s relief operations include providing water and sanitation, safety and protection of women and children.

Oxfam India is providing

humanitarian assistance in the form of non-food items such as fleece blankets as well as dry food rations to the flood affected and shelter-less. Tarpaulins, blankets - epi foam sheets, hygiene kits, solar lamps, hygiene kits and additional food aid for 1,500 households are being procured and being sent to Dehradun. Oxfam staff is now based with the partner in Dehradun and coordinating the relief programme.

Uttarakhand floods: death toll may be in thousands Continued from page 1 Jolly Grant Airport but air rescue operations resumed with improvement in the weather. Four choppers made sorties to Badrinath on Tuesday and evacuated 60 people, officials said.

Official sources that 127 more bodies were recovered since Monday from Kedarnath area. At least 15 bodies of flash-flood victims were found floating in Ganga in different districts of Uttar Pradesh including Muzaffarnagar, Bulandshahr and Bijnore, taking the toll in the tragedy to 880.

In Patna, Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde said that he had asked the Uttarakhand government not to allow any VIP to land in the flood-ravaged areas to avoid any disturbance to relief work. He said that situation was improving in Uttarakhand and relief work was going on at a faster pace. Many devotees have been evacuated from Kedarnath and Badrinath, he said adding 37 helicopters were ferrying stranded pilgrims to safety.

Amid fear of an epidemic, massive efforts were on to conduct the last rites of those killed in Kedarnath.

Truck loads of dry Deodar wood and ghee have been despatched to Kedarnath and the efforts are on to conduct mass ritual cremation of bodies strewn over the premises after their identification, post mortem and DNA preservation formalities, sources at the state police headquarters here said.

With the bodies already beginning to putrefy, the air is laden with a stench giving rise to fears of an epidemic outbreak in affected areas. The state government has asked DIG police headquarters Sanjay Gunjyal and DIG Garhwal range Amit Sinha to ensure that the cremation process, which could not begin on Monday due to rain, starts on Tuesday at Kedarnath which was the worst hit by the calamity.

A 42-member team of forensic experts and scientists had already left for Kedarnath on Monday to

conduct the post mortem of the bodies and preserve their DNA samples, police sources said.

Meanwhile, officials said that search and rescue operation in Kedarnath and surrounding areas was over for all practical purposes. No more survivors have been found and defence and paramilitary personnel are now wrapping up their mission. "No survivors remain in the jungles around Kedarnath.

They have all been brought out," Ravinath Raman, nodal officer of rescue operations in Rudraprayag district said in Guptkashi.

Donate generously: Manmohan: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urged people of the country to come to the aid of residents of Uttarakhand suffering due to the devastating floods. He appealed to people to generously donate to the Prime Minister's National Relief fund to help the flood-devastated people in the difficult time. "You are all aware that there has been extensive devastation due to cloud burst and floods in state of Uttarakhand.

Kedarnath yatra may take 2-3 years to start: The horrific devastation in Uttarakhand and the havoc in the holy town of Kedarnath will hit the tourism sector hard.

Uttarakhand government sources say that it may take two to three years to start the Kedarnath tour again.

The government officers said that the famous Kedarnath shrine has suffered severe damages as it was almost completely submerged by floods and mudslides. Many shops, houses and hotels around the shrine have been razed to the ground due to flash floods. Even the roads have been washed away.

"Call it a miracle but the Nandi statue and the other idols in the temple are intact," sources said.

Shankaracharya samadhi swept away: The eighth century samadhi of Adiguru Shankaracharya couldn't withstand the nature's fury. Two statues of Shankaracharya, a sphatik linga and a Hanuman statue were swept away.

Since Uttarakhand is also one of Oxfam India’s 7 focus states, beyond the short term relief operation, Oxfam India is committed to strengthen its long term program of support.

“This is one of the worst calamities to have struck Uttarakhand in recent times. The problems such a calamity leaves behind are complex and need interventions at many levels. Oxfam is responding to provide provisions to the stranded

people” says, Nisha Agrawal, CEO, Oxfam India.

For international donations to help those affected by the floods please visit: www.oxfamindia.org or http://www.oxfamindia.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1 &id=28 For more information please contact Kalyani Gandhi-Rhodes: Kgandhirhodes@oxfam.org.uk or Jonaid Jilani: Jjilani@oxfam.org.uk

Hit-and-run case: Salman faces retrial judge took into considera-

In a blow to superstar Salman Khan, a sessions court upheld a magistrate court order to enhance charges against him in the 11-year-old hit-and-run case. It is alleged that a drunk Khan had rammed his Land Cruiser into a pavement, killing one person and injuring four.

Sessions Judge U B Hejib rejected the actor’s revision application against the order. Khan will now be tried under the more serious IPC Section 304-II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), which attracts a maximum punishment of 10 years.

In a detailed order, the

tion the magistrate’s reasoning and observed, “Having considered the totality of evidence of all the witnesses, the learned magistrate dogmatically formed an opinion. He also came to the conclusion that he (Khan) deemed to have knowledge that he must not drive the vehicle in a drunken condition and at a high speed.”

On January 31 this year, Magistrate V S Patil had observed that though Khan did not intention, he had the knowledge that his act was likely to cause death. “Any person of common prudence would be deemed to have knowledge that he must not drive in a drunk condition and at such a high speed, and in the manner in which the accused was driving the vehicle,” the magistrate had said.

HLH saves life of children Vaishali was 22 years and from Gujarat. She had been born with a heart problem and her parents had been told that not much could be done for her. Vaishali was referred by the Satya Sai organisation to a hospital in Rajkot, where they offered Vaishali an operation.

On the day of surgery Vaishali was taken to the operating theatre and the surgeon felt that nothing he could do will cure her. Luckily for Vaishali, a senior member of the Satya Sai Organisation had worked with a charity before and thought that they may be able to help Vaishali. HEALING LITTLE HEARTS (HLH), a UK based charity that sends teams of doctors and nurses every 6 weeks to the HOLY FAMILY HOSPITAL in MUMBAI to perform heart surgery on patients who are born with heart problems.

A HLH surgeon Mr Premsundar carried out an operation on Vaishali’s heart in February 2013. He was able to correct her heart problem and gave her a clean bill of health to lead a normal life. Vaishali is among 60,000 children born with heart problems in India every year.

HLH also operated on Mr AR Rahman's daughter in May 2010 and was featured by the BBC in November 2011. In November 2102 the Nargis Dutt Charity Trust launched a collaboration with HLH to operate on these desperately ill and desperately poor children.

HLH has been operating since 2007 and has operated on nearly 300 children so far. But it is only a drop in the ocean with many thousands more lives to save with your help.

For more information please visit: www.healinglittlehearts.net.

ranging surveillance program that will give its security agencies and even income tax officials the ability to tap directly into e-mails and phone calls without oversight by courts or parliament, several sources said.

The expanded surveillance in the world's most populous democracy, which the government says will help safeguard national security, has alarmed privacy advocates at a time when allegations of massive US digital snooping beyond American shores has set off a global furor.

"If India doesn't want to look like an authoritarian regime, it needs to be transparent about who will be authorized to collect data, what data will be collected, how it will be used, and how the right to privacy will be protected," said Cynthia Wong, an Internet

based Human Rights Watch.

The Central Monitoring System (CMS) was announced in 2011 but there has been no public debate and the government has said little about how it will work or how it will ensure that the system is not abused.

The government started to quietly roll the system out state by state in April this year, according to government officials.

Eventually it will be able to target any of India's 900 million landline and mobile phone subscribers and 120 million Internet users.

"You can see terrorists getting caught, you see crimes being stopped. You need surveillance. This is to protect you and your country," said the official, who is directly involved in setting up the project. He did not want to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject.

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26

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Rare Jain text declared world heritage document

Continued from page 1

Unesco said the document is a universal message of friendship, global peace and unity with integrity. "It also describes historical facts and professes high moral and cultural values.

The Illustrations found in this manuscript are oldest specimens of miniature painting. These illustrations are beautifully drawn in multi-colour and are examples of a highly evolved style of painting.

As these illustrations are rarest of rare, their preservation and protection is necessary for humanity.

These are the best and oldest examples of miniature paintings while the story itself is of lasting value to humankind," Unesco added. India in its application to Unesco said the rare document is an example of the finest expression in the art of miniature paintings in manuscripts.

The ink used in the manuscript is gum lampblack and white paint made from mineral silver.

The manuscripts are owned by Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Institute of Indology. It was donated by late Muni Punyavijayji who had inherited it through family. The application said, "Such hereditary manuscripts are genuine especially if they belong to Jain monks...Muni Shri Punyavijayji was a Jain monk highly revered in his community and thus the authenticity of the manuscript is beyond doubt.

The paper and ink of the document are a proof of its authenticity".

"This is the oldest (1397 CE) example of Jain miniature painting available in a text," the application added.

The Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Institute of Indology has a rich collection of nearly 75,000 rare manuscripts, including a substantial number received as gifts for preservation and custody. Many of these manuscripts are written on palm leaf, birchbark (bhojpatra) and handmade paper. Some of the manuscripts are written in gold and silver inks and are full of multi-colour miniatures while some others are in black and white.

Vasco da Gama’s journal included in list of world's greatest documents: A hand written journal of Vasco da Gama's first voyage to India, dating back to 14971499 that describes how he led the first fleet around Africa to India, arriving in Calicut and starting a maritime route from Portugal to India, changing the course of history of humankind has been included in the most prestigious list of the world's greatest documents.

Unesco's world heritage body has decided to

include this journal - the only copy of the voyage of Vasco da Gama in the Memory of the World Register 2013.

Although the journal is an anonymous work written by an eyewitness who accompanied the fleet and also took part in the expedition on land, Unesco said it provides testimony of the pioneer sea voyage to India, one of the defining moments that changed the course of history.

By the 15th century, this voyage was considered the first globalization process of the world. The journal also includes the first known list of Portuguese words and its correspondence into the Calicut language.

Interestingly, the application was submitted for inscription by Portugal.

Although not written in a literary style, the journal describes the mishaps and it success of the voyage.

Unesco says because its author was attentive and because he participated in the voyage himself, readers are allowed to understand and feel the context and the environment of the voyage, experiencing and imagining every step described. "For this, it can be considered a literary work that is exciting and a pleasure to read," it says.

Unesco says the narrative style used in the Journal, the different events related, the dangerous situations described, treasons, danger of death, diseases, contact with people on shore, the arrival to India, gifts, war equipment, animals, trees and plants, birds, hostages, titles and professions, food, musical and nautical instruments, precious stones, villages and difficult navigation situations constitute the uniqueness and irreplaceability of this manuscript as it allows future generations to get in touch with the context and situation of the voyage, at the time.

It describes the departure from Lisbon, the sailing difficulties encountered, the contact and sometimes the fights with people, the loss of vessels, all the difficulties, adventures of the voyage and the respective return to Portugal, leading the readers to a better understanding of the context of the successful and heroic, but at the same time risky and complex voyage of Vasco da Gama to India.

It also includes in the appendix a list of oriental kingdoms, including a short description of several of them; a list of goods that were of interest to Portuguese, and in some cases the reference to its value and a list of spice prices of Alexandria.

Unesco added "This manuscript is the only known contemporary copy

www.abplgroup.com - asian Voice 29th June 2013

Migrant bond proposal denounced Continued from page 1 The final blow came with Monday's announcement that visitors from countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Ghana will have to pay a bond of £3000 in addition to their visa fee after November.

The policy will only affect those entering the UK on 6 months visitor visa and may be extended to work and student visas later on.

The cash bond will not be applicable to those below the age of 18 and the payment will be refunded if the visitor returned home within the time period specified by their visa.

Home Secretary Theresa May has tried to justify this discriminative step as an assurance that Britain's immigration system remains more selective, bringing down net migration from the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands, while still welcoming the brightest and the best to Britain.

May in a statement said, "We're planning a pilot that focuses on overstayers and examines a couple of different ways of applying bonds. The pilot will apply to visitor visas, but if the scheme is successful we'd like to be able to apply it on an intelligence-led basis on any visa route and any country."

She added, "The pilot will be highly selective and focused on the highest risk applicants - we will not require all visitors from the selected pilot countries to pay a bond."

Keith Vaz

But the Liberal Democrats, especially Leader Nick Clegg said that although the principle of migrant bond has been agreed, the Lib Dems have not yet signed off details such as the value of bond or the countries involved.

This reflects the confusion and disparity within the Coalition government.

The Home Affairs Select Committee has called the move as extremely discriminatory and has now decided to question Ms May on July 16.

Chairman of the com-

mittee Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP demanded a full explanation and said, "The home secretary's plans for bonds for visitors from certain countries are unfair and discriminatory.

We will question the home secretary on the pilot when she appears before the Home Affairs Committee on the 16th July 2013."

According to Vaz, the move "flies in the face of Prime Minister David Cameron's intention to attract the brightest and best to Britain and sends out the wrong message to the countries concerned".

"The plans could potentially alienate already settled communities in the UK," he said.

The home office said that the bond will only apply to "high risk individuals" who are "most liable to stay back" after the expiry of their visa. But when asked for information on potential overstayers, they refused to divulge the profile of the typical "high risk individual".

Vaz said, "there are a number of holes in the home secretary's pilot. If this is to be workable she must have a proper consultation. She said she wants to deter over-stayers, yet with the mess that is E-Borders there is currently no way to monitor if people actually leave the country. The bond level of £3000 is completely unrealistic. If somebody was determined to work here illegally this could be earned back in a matter of months." A report by the Home Affairs Committee found that the already existing backlog of applications for visas will take 24 years to clear by the UK Border Agency.

Lord Navnit Dholakia, the Deputy Leader of the Lib Dem party in a Parliamentary debate raised the same question to Lord Taylor of Holbeach, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office. He asked “How do we ensure that there is no bias in the way decisions are taken, emphasising the problems

of the report of the first voyage of Vasco da Gama to India, whose journey apart from being one of the greatest pieces of European seamanship of that time, acted as a catalyst for a series of events that would change the world".

The application

revealed that the journal is a real testimony of how Vasco da Gama, in command of a fleet seeking to discover the sea route to India.

His pioneer sea voyage to India is one of the defining moments that changed the course of history.

Nick Clegg

that many families have faced when applying for a family visa?”

Indian business groups and would be tourists also responded with outrage to this pilot programme.

They have claimed that this decision runs the risk of diplomatic backlash especially after the promises made by Cameron during his recent visit to India.

Affluent Indians who have regular vacations in London, to escape India's intolerable summer, have

Lord Dholakia

bitterly resented this direct assumption that India is full of potential illegal immigrants, who are waiting to overstay their UK tourist visa.

India's middle class has always been a very interesting tourism market, as the Financial Times has reported. Figures have fluctuated but the numbers visiting UK from India has risen from 200,000 in 2003 to 340,000 in 2012.

Angry tweets from Indians have made point reference to Britain's two centuries of colonial rule over India and suggested that New Delhi impose a reciprocal programme for British visitors.

The Confederation of Indian Industry in a statement told Asian Voice, “The suggested changes are not only discriminatory they are also against the ‘special relationship’ publicised by the UK government. We share UK’s concern on illegal immigration but surely there are other more effective and nondiscriminatory ways to put a check on it.

The industry in India is disappointed by the way the immigration rules in UK have been repeatedly changing over the last few years. CII strongly feels that such blanket rules for visas will negatively affect not only businesses, especially small businesses, it will also further bring down the number of students going to UK for higher studies and affect the tourism inflow from India to UK. This will also not help the cause of early

conclusion of EU-India FTA, for which both the parties are committed.”

Mr Anwar Hasan, Co-

Anwar Hasan

Chair, CII India Business Forum UK and Director Tata Ltd said, “...While we understand the UK’s right to manage migration, we look with concern at this pilot, which has the potential to introduce a new and discriminatory element obstacle to contacts between India and the UK which both Governments have repeatedly said that they want to encourage.

We urge the British Government to act with great caution, and to ensure that no new measures affect the exchanges between our countries, particularly business and education, which are so strongly in our mutual interest. As in every other area of public policy, business needs fair rules of the game implemented with consistency.”

Executive Director of the HSMP (Highly Skilled Migrant Programme) forum, Amit Kapadia, told Asian Voice, “I find it very discriminatory that only nationals of African and Asian countries are being targeted. We are also concerned that the government may go ahead to apply the financial bond scheme for all kinds of visas at a later date.

“The government has already introduced income thresholds in July 2012 for immigrants who intend to sponsor their spouse or parent to the UK. It is well known that the people falling foul of these changes will be ethnic minorities, as they are the ones who are usually on lower incomes due to discrimination in employment opportunities. These new changes mean the bond money would make it even more difficult for immigrants to invite their family members to visit them in the UK on temporary basis. This government seems to be very persistent in making nonEuropean immigrants lives difficult in order to achieve their political goals.”

Hemant Lakhani passes away Hemant Lakhani passed away on 19th June 2013 at Springfield Medical Centre, Missouri, USA. He suffered from a massive heart attack. Hemant Lakhani was earlier found guilty and sentenced to long prison for 'alleged' terrorist activities. Prior to that he was living in London and was a businessman. Our deepest sympathies to his wife Kusum Lakhani and family.

uk / india

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 27th June 2013

an influential businessman of India

By Nayan Dave

G

autam Adani’s meteoric rise is legendary – from a small time trader to the chairman of the largest trading house in India. Born into a modest family with six siblings, Gautam Adani is regarded as one of the most influential businessmen in India.

Adani, a college dropout went to Mumbai in early 1980 with a dream to become diamond merchant. He left his hometown Ahmedabad to dabble in the diamond business. The young, ambitious Adani honed business skills observing the diamond trade and made his first million in the very first year that too around 25 years ago.

In 1988 he initiated a trading firm Adani Exports with a seed capital of a half million rupees in Ahmedabad. His firm used to export agriculture commodities, chemicals and plastic products. With Gautam Adani’s vision and business acumen, the business flourished and laid foundation of today’s US $ 8 billion Adani Group.

The Group has varied business interests ranging from energy to infrastructure and commodities. It has three listed companies – Adani Enterprise Ltd, Adani Power Ltd and Adani Port and Special Economic Zone Ltd. The flagship company, Adani Enterprises Ltd. has been rated amongst 50 top performing companies by the Forbes magazine. Gautam Adani was adjudged as 7th richest Indian by Forbes in October 2011 and 11th most influential Indian by India Today in April 2012.

Today Adani is largest importer and supplier of coal in India, the group is currently managing supply of over 40 million metric tonnes of coal in India. It has opted for working as mine developer and operator (MDO) on behalf of state utilities and has contracts for mining over 120 million metric tonne of coal under MDO. Adani

has also contracted for large coal reserves and is developing rail lines and ports in Australia as well as in Indonesia for movement of coal.

One of the chief reasons for Adani’s super success is his ability to dovetail and align his businesses with needs of the country. The perfect example is Gujarat’s port development and SEZ policy of the union government has been fully operationalised

by Adani in Mundra in Kutch district. Adani Port & SEZ Ltd operates ports and terminals at Mundra, Dahej and Hazira in Gujarat as well as Abbot Point in Australia.

Now, Adani is developing ports, jetties and terminals at Marmugao and Visakhapatnam in South India. The recent international foray includes acquisition of Abbot Port in Australia, which has capacity to handle 50 Million MT of cargo and can be expanded to handle 80 million MT of cargo.

Another instance of synergizing in-house competencies and country’s requirement is Adani’s foray into power generation and transmission.

The group is the largest importer and supplier of coal to power plants in the country. It has its own port for handling the same and is also a leading player in power business in India. All these coupled with government of India’s vision of power for all under public- private participation initiative was identified as an opportunity by Adani.

“The government is inviting private sector to contribute in the develop-

ment of the country. Due to this the energy and infrastructure markets have opened. We are seeing a huge opportunity for us. Our coal mining, cargo handling and power generation activities are projected to increase four to 10 fold over the next decade,” says Adani, chairman of Adani Group.

The group has invested in entire power value chain.

It has secured fuel supply by investing in coal mining in Indonesia. Investment in fuel logistics, specifically ships and coal terminal at Mundra ensured cost effective movement of fuel.

Adani Power is at various stages of implementing power generation projects amounting of over 18,500 MW comprising of 4,620 MW at Mundra (Gujarat), 3,300 MW at Tiroda (Maharashtra), 1,320 MW at Kawai (Rajasthan), 2,640 MW at Dahej (Gujarat), 1,320 MW at Chindwara (MP), 3,300 MW at Bhadreshwar (Gujarat) and 2,000 MW at Chendipada (Odissha).

Realty is another focus area. The group is implementing the biggest integrated township project in Ahmedabad spread over 60 acres. It also has plans for a private airport, water management and is also developing a special economic zone near Mundra port. To pull off his ambitious plans, Adani has realised the imperative of building a core team of professionals to assist the family. Today, the group is fast moving from being largely family run to being more professionally driven. All his businesses from power, port and oil and gas exploration to agriculture are manned by professionals.

When it comes to CSR, the group has never looked back. With the meteoric rise in business, Adani Foundation was established in May 1996. The Foundation supports efforts in the development of society, in areas of Rural Infrastructure, Livelihood activities, Education, and Community Health.

Terrorists will not succeed in their designs, Manmohan Singh says A day after the militant strike in Srinagar left eight soldiers dead, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the entire country is standing united against terrorists and they will not succeed in their designs. "I want to pay my tributes to the soldiers who laid down their lives while fighting the terrorists," Singh said in his speech after inaugurating 850 MW Rattle power project here along with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. The Prime Minister said the entire country is standing united against the terrorists. "The terrorists will not succeed in their designs."

Security is a pre-requisite for development, the Prime Minister said as he paid

tributes to the soldiers killed in militant strike, asserting such attacks would not deter efforts to bring normalcy in the state.

Gandhi also condoled the death of Army personnel in the militant attack.

"Our analysis is that the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir has shown considerable improvement. The terrorist-related violence in 2012 had shown a sharp decline and was the lowest in last two decades," the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister said the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation has taken five ITIs and plans to take two more for imparting training to the youth for working in power projects.

27

Jains and Roman Catholics discuss Ahimsa

London: Jains and Catholics discussed Ahimsa (non-violence) and its practice as a contribution for peace, during a visit by a senior member of the Catholic Church, to the Jain Derasar at the Oshwal Centre, near Potters Bar, recently.

The delegation from Rome was led by the French Cardinal JeanLouis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue.

The Cardinal is best known as the person who declared ‘Habemus Papam,’ when he introduced Pope Francis to the world from the Vatican balcony, in March this year.

Cardinal Tauran and seven other members of the party from The Holy See and the Catholic Church in England and Wales were taken on a tour of the exquisite Jain Derasar at Oshwal Centre where they witnessed an ‘aarti’ ceremony. Rex H. Shah, President of the Oshwal Association of the UK and Harshad Sanghrajka, Deputy Chairman of the Institute of Jainology were among those hosting the Cardinal.

Later, speaking on the theme of non- violence as a contribution for peace, Cardinal Tauran said, "The rise of religious fundamentalism and the increase in the instances of inter-religious tensions in different parts of the contemporary

Leaders of IOJ and Oshwal community with Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran and Jyotsnaben Shah, Consulting Editor, Asian Voice

world seem to make the sceptics of religions blame religion for all the ills affecting society. Let there be no doubt that religions are the cause of love, unity and peace and if any religion teaches the contrary, it is no religion at all.'

Nalini Balbir, Professor of Indology at the Sorbonne in Paris, spoke from the Jain perspective, stressing both the positive nature of Ahimsa in Jainism and its doctrine of aekantavada (pluralism), which promotes co-existence and reconciliation. She concluded that while the practice of Ahimsa by the individual can contribute to significant progress towards achieving world peace, it cannot provide a total solution because of factors of war such as expansionism by states and imposition of political systems or beliefs on others.

Professor Michael

Barnes, Reader and Senior Tutor in Inter-religious Relations at Heythrop College, University of London, acknowledged the centrality of Ahimsa to the Jain way of life. He also stressed each individual’s personal responsibility both to one another and the world. “In Christian terms whatever we have in this world comes from God as gift and is to be treated with reverence as a sign of God’s love for humankind. And perhaps the most important of gifts is peace – the source of Christian motivation to act responsibly.”

Those themes were discussed in more detail by six panelists; Prof Nalini Balbir, Dinesh Dodhia and Shruti Malde spoke on behalf of Jainism and Archbishop Kevin McDonald, Father Michael Barnes and Father Santiago Michael represented the Catholic point of view.

Modi wants to see J&K back on track

Madhopur (Pathankot): In a bid to counter inhouse critics and former allies who have accused him of divisive politics, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi sought to project himself as a consensus seeker saying he was committed to unifying hearts and minds.

Modi used a rally here that was also attended by Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal to promise, “Yeh wo samay hai ki hum dalon ko bhi jodenge aur dilon ko bhi (this is the time when we will join parties and hearts).”

The message, beamed in the presence of one of BJP's remaining major allies, was significant as it came a few days after party veteran L K Advani's pointed remarks in Delhi over the need to gain allies, a dig at Modi in the wake of Janata Dal (U) leader Nitish Kumar quitting the NDA. The rally was organized at a week's notice after JD(U) left after slamming BJP for its decision to name Modi as head of the party campaign committee and the Gujarat CM seemed to have kept this in mind in signalling that he is open allies and willing to build bridges.

Although Modi touched on issues close to the saffron core like resettlement of Kashmiri Hindus and a criticism of Jawharlal Nehru's legacy, his intention at this border town was to put forward a more conciliatory approach as he made a strong pitch for a developmentcentric agenda.

The saffron strongman chose to use the occasion to mark the “martyrdom” of BJP founder Syama Prasad Mookerji during a protest against Article 370 to urge Kashmiri youth to join the mainstream. “The youths in Kashmir valley want to be part of development. Guns can spill blood but will do no good to anyone's life,” he said.

He referred to reports about Kashmiri youth going to the “tuition city” of Kota to prepare for competitive examinations.

Modi was unsparing in his attack on Congress, saying Mookerji's slogan that “Do vidhan, do pradhan aur do nishan” will not do was relevant to the UPA regime as well. He said there were two heads of power in Delhi -- an obvious reference to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi -- a situation that needed to be

done away with.

He also hit out at the Congress, saying the falling rupee and the ruling party’s dipping credibility were in competition in a race to the bottom.

On Sangh Parivar's pet grievance against Nehru, Modi said, “There is an anti-national agenda in Jammu and Kashmir and this controversy is because of one man, Nehru.

Vajpayeeji and the BJP did everything to bring Kashmir closer to India.

And when Pakistan smelt a problem, they thrust upon us the 1999 Kargil war. We want to see India united from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. I want to see Kashmir back on track,” Modi lets CBI know political masters can change: Modi has set the cat among the caged parrots. Speaking at a function in Gandhinagar on Monday, he let the CBI know that its political masters could change quickly and that the top investigation agency should not become a tool in the hands of the Congress. Calling CBI the "Congress Bureau of Investigation", Modi accused it of "conspiring" against officers and ministers of the Gujarat government at the behest of its political masters.

28

travel & women

www.abplgroup.com - asian voice 29th June 2013

Purvi Apurva Shah he small village of Kila Raipur in Ludhiana plays host to the famous T ‘Rural Olympics’ held each year in the

month of February. Started by the philanthropist Inder Sing Grewal in the year 1933, farmers from the villages as well as regions located close to Raipur, come here to watch special breeds of bullocks, camels, dogs, mules and other animals competing in cut-throat competitions.

Cultural programmes and various festivities also are conducted.

Kila Raipur is a village in Dehlon tehsil in Ludhiana district of Punjab state. It is located 18 km towards south from district headquarters Ludhiana and 107 km from state capital Chandigarh.

This place is in the border of Ludhiana and Sangrur District.

The Kila Raipur Rural Olympics has

well connected by rail, road, and even air.

Ludhiana is three hours train journey, or 40 minutes flight, from Delhi.

Given the period of time when these games are organized, people in the rural areas are usually free. Nothing much has changed about the format of the games since seven decades ago when these were started. Over the years the games, which are organised annually, have become a favourite place for the politicians of all hues as it provides them a readymade platform. The so called ‘Rural Olympics’, if the actual time spent on the events is calculated, do not last for 24 hours even.

Today in almost 7,000 villages in Punjab in one decade or the other rural sports competitions are being held. Rural folk organise them. It is they who extend all hospitality to the competitors also. In

Rural Olympics at Kila Raipur

grown over six decades, to become a sports bonanza that attracts competitors from around the globe. Held for three days during February each year, over 4,000 sports men and woman participate in the festival. They're watched by around 1 million spectators.

Bullocks, camels, dogs, mules, and other animals competing in highly professional events must be seen to be believed! The adrenaline-pumping bullock cart race is the main attraction, with sponsored prize money worth millions of rupees. Other events that are big on entertainment include a dog race, horse dance, camel race, tractor race, and a tug-of-war. But the chance to see some really off-beat activities is the hugest drawcard - such as people lifting bicycles with their teeth, pulling cars with their teeth or ears, or riding a bicycle ringed with a burning tyre, and other daredevil stunts. The Rural Olympics really is a test of endurance, skill and strength!

The fun doesn't end at the end of the day. Each evening there's a cultural feast featuring top notch folk singers, Bhangra, and Gidha players. The program continues well past midnight on all three days of the festival.

How to Get There: The Kila Raipur Rural Olympics is held 15 km south of Ludhiana, in the Punjab. Kila Raipur is

fact these village sports have opened the floodgates of village development.

Some of the popular attractions of Ludhiana are Kila Raipur, Lodhi Fort, Maharaja Ranjit Singh War Museum and various more.

Tourist Places near Kila Raipur: Ludhiana- Nawanshehar- Sangrur – Fatehgarh Sahib and Moga.

Ludhiana is famous for its hosiery and woolen goods and products from Ludhiana are exported all over the world.

For its production of hosiery, Ludhiana is also known as the Manchester of India. It also boasts of the world famous Punjab Agricultural University, which organizes the Kisan Mela every Year. Ludhiana is situated on the Grand Trunk Road (NH1) that connects Delhi and Amritsar. Kila Raipur is hardly half an hour’s drive from Ludhiana city. Ludhiana is a historic city and has a vibrant cultural heritage.

Ludhiana is also the birth place of freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai, who was born at Jagroan, a small village in Ludhiana. The house where he stayed has been converted into a museum.

Jagroan has a library and a college established in memory of Lala Lajpat Rai. The history of Ludhiana dates back to the Lodhi dynasty.

worshipped for its architectural beauty AV Correspondent idi Bashir Mosque is located in the city of S Ahmedabad. Due to its

unique construction, the mosque is also called Jhulta Minar or Shaking Minarets. It is believed that the mosque was constructed by Sidi Bashir, a slave of Sultan Ahmed Shah. A conflicting story is that the mosque was built

by Malik Sarang, a noble in the court of Muhammed Begada, another Sultan of Gujarat. The mosque was completed in 1452. Jhulta Minar or Shaking Minarets are an enigma even for the best of architects and pioneering design engineers.

No one has ever succeeded in resolving the mystery behind the shaking structures.

There are two minarets in the mosque, each of which is three stories tall with carved balconies. A gentle shaking of either minaret results in the other minaret vibrating

after a few seconds, though the connecting passage between them remains free of vibration.

The actual reason of this is not yet known. This phenomenon was first observed in the 19th century by Monsier M. Williams, an English Sanskrit scholar. Though, the minarets are not in a healthy condition as it is believed that the British dismantled them to under-

stand the cause behind the shaking. They could not find the root cause but then it was not possible to restore it in its original condition.

Another mosque in Ahmedabad called the Raj Bibi mosque also had shaking minarets similar to the ones at the Sidi Bashir mosque. But the British dismantled one of the minarets in order to study the construction. The minaret could not be put back together. There is also one in Isfahan, Iran called Monar Jonban (shaking minarets) with almost the same properties.

The mosque is located opposite the Ahmedabad railway station and is one of the most popular tourist destinations of Ahmedabad. Entry to the shaking minaret was prohibited following an incident at Qutb Minar in Delhi, where a stampede resulted in many children being crushed.

Methi Matar Malai Ingredients: Green Peas 1 cup Fenugreek leaves (Methi) - 1 bunch Cream 1/2 cup Tomato - 1 (pureed) Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder a pinch Chilly powder 1/2 tsp (optional) Milk - if needed for gravy Butter - 1 tblsp Salt - to taste To grind: Onion – 1 Green Chilly – 1 Cashew nuts/ Almonds - 1 tblsp Poppy seeds(khus khus) 1 tblsp (optional) Curd - 1 tblsp Ginger - 1/2 " piece Cinnamon - 1/2 " stick Cloves - 3 Cardomon – 1 Method: Roast all the ingredients under "to grind" except curd. Make a paste of it with the curd and keep aside.. Remove

the methi leaves, discard the stem. Soak it in hot water for 5 minutes and drain it well.. Heat butter in a pan, add the cumin seeds. Add the chilly powder, turmeric powder, ground paste and the tomato puree and let it cook for 3-4 minutes.. Add the green peas (matar), fenugreek leaves(methi) and malai (cream). Add milk as needed to get the desired gravy consistency..

Boil for 5 minutes until the gravy thickens and the ingredients are cooked..

Garnish with some fresh cream and serve with any roti varieties.

Health benefit: Fenugreek could give

competition to Spinach as a rich source of vitamin K. Commonly spinach is the traditional answer to all your vitamin K needs but fenugreek has almost as much or more of this vital nutrient. It will fulfill your body's fibre requirements abundantly. It foster hair growth and is good for the general health and shine of hair.

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pplying chemicallaced 'mehndi' (henna) on the hands can cause serious side effects including skin infection, doctors said, cautioning girls and women against using it. Mehndi dermatitis cases are on the rise in the city, said Rohit Batra, dermatologist at Sir Gangaram Hospital here.

"We are getting 8 to 10 patients every day with serious side effects after applying mehndi on their hands," he added.

"With the arrival of the festive and wedding season, the number of patients has increased. In the nonfestive season, just one or two people come to us in a month with skin infection from mehndi. But after 'karwa chauth', it is on the rise," Batra says. He advised girls and women

not to use chemical-laced mehndi as it causes irritation and leaves scratch marks, which can have a life-long impact on the skin. He added that mehndi agents do not use plain henna but add harsh chemicals to make it darker.

Skin infections due to mehndi cause swelling, itching and redness. Batra said that as soon as people notice such symptoms, they should visit a doctor to avoid any serious consequences. "At the initial stages, mehndi can cause acute dermatitis if one does not see doctor immediately and the allergy can spread all over the body," Batra added.

Applying chemicallaced 'mehndi' (henna) on the hands can cause serious side effects including skin infection.. Synthetic mehndi can leave permanent marks on the skin, and can even cause cancer.

Turmeric compounds improve heart health as much as exercise

A chemical that naturally occurs in turmeric root appears to improve heart health as much as moderate aerobic exercise, according to a trio of studies conducted by researchers from the University of Tsukuba in Japan.

In recent decades, scientific studies have confirmed the potent antiinflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of the trio of turmeric chemicals known as "curcuminoids," which give the root its distinctive yellow-orange color. The three new studies all compared the effects of exercise and curcumin on heart health and postmenopausal women over an eight-week period.

In the first study, researchers assigned 32 women to either take a curcumin supplement, engage in moderate aerobic exercise training, or undergo no intervention at all. The researchers measured participants' vascular endothelial function - the responsiveness of the layer of cells that line the blood vessels, a key indicator of overall cardiovascular health - both at the beginning and end of the study. They found that while there was no improvement in the control group, endothelial function significantly increased in both the exercise and curcumin groups. Most surprisingly, the improvement

in the two experimental groups was identical.

The second study examined curcumin's effects on the responsiveness of arteries to changes in blood pressure ("arterial compliance"), another key measure of cardiovascular health. In this study, 32 women were randomly assigned to receive either a curcumin supplement or a placebo pill, or to undergo an exercise routine plus either a curcumin or placebo pill.

The researchers found no significant improvement in the control group, significant (and equivalent) improvements in both the exerciseonly and curcumin-only groups, and the greatest improvement among participants who exercised and also took the supplements.

In the final study, researchers examined the effects of exercise and curcumin on the rate of agerelated degeneration of the heart's left ventricle. The researchers once again found that both exercise and curcumin produced significant increases in heart health.

To Our Readers We are publishing these items in good faith, kindly consult your Doctor before you try to implement it. We do not hold any responsibility for its efficacy...

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Once you start your career however, this simplistic notion of hard work yielding good results becomes questionable.

There have been many instances where I’ve seen people that work the hardest failing. Not because they are incompetent or unprofessional but because they lack something fundamental. They are not personally effective and they don’t know how to be.

Why is being “personally effective” so important and what does it mean?

Becoming personally effective allows you to succeed in the workplace without working extensive hours and without compromising on your values.

Being personally effective is about being efficient in how you spend your time and being conscious of how you project yourself.

It requires taking time out to understand the unspoken rules of the environment you work in so you can get ahead. You wouldn’t make a chess move without thinking about your strategy - your career should be no different.

How can you become “personally effective”?

Depending on where you work and where you want to be in the future, your “rules” to becoming personally effective will vary. Over the course of my career, I have picked up some useful “rules” which have helped me along the way: Prioritise your work: distinguish between what work is necessary and what is not necessary. This distinction is very important; otherwise you will find yourself spending your time in doing work which does not hold any value. Once you have established what work is important for you, prioritise. List your work tasks every morning and arrange this list according to the importance assigned to it

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Working hard just isn’t enough... and the time by which it is supposed to be done.

Avoid getting distracted by emails and reactive requests which are less important. Pile these relatively quick but less important tasks and block out time in your diary to complete them later in the day.

Identify key stakeholders: consider who within your organisation has influence. This includes influence over promotion decisions, signing off proposals and key board decisions.

Consider those that have strong credibility, broad networks and those that are likely to be helpful. Also consider what roles you may want to do in the future and who you need to know now for access in the future.

Don’t seek a one way relationship - consider what you can offer these people in return (i.e. consider what priorities they have and think about how you could help them through new ideas or links). Try approaching these people in more informal environments initially, such as staff events, the tea point, crossing in lifts rather than sending cold emails.

Make yourself visible: ensure that people know who you are, especially the key influential people in your stakeholder list. Do things to stand out.

Organise cross team socials, plan knowledge exchange sessions, set up something in addition to your day job, e.g. a mentoring program, induction days for new joiners or a buddy system – think about the gaps are in your organisation. Get involved with other initiatives and networks – e.g women’s initiatives, diversity networks, and corporate social responsibility initiatives.

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to stand out from the rest.

Find a senior sponsor / mentor: identify someone senior to be your sponsor.

This is someone that can open doors for you, give you objective advice, support you and act as a sounding board for any ideas you may have. Be realistic in who you ask though. Approaching the Chief Executive or a Board member is not likely to work, unless you work in a small organisation. Asking a Senior Manager or a Director is more realistic.

Think carefully about how you will approach them.

Consider who within your network may already know this person and ask them to make an introduction. Or find an event where they be attending and approach them in a more informal way.

Manage your manager: upward management has become a more recent trend and is crucial. Think about out your manager’s working style. Consider if they are more formal or informal, do they prefer email communication or more casual chats, how is their day structured, what their working pattern is and when the best time to speak to them is. Value your manager’s time and when you speak to them – do not approach them with a list of your problems. Consider the solutions beforehand and reassure your manager that you have considered various options. Always put yourself in your manager’s place and consider what his or her priorities are. Your job is to make your manager look good.

So consider how you can do that through your work.

Project the right attitude: this sounds very simple but it easy to overlook.

Ensure that you look happy when you are at work. You are likely to become a more likeable person in the office if you

are generally perceived as a positive, happy person.

Avoid becoming the person that is always unhappy, always complaining about the organisation / senior management or the one that is always involved in office politics. How people perceive you is very important. Display a sense of competence and an ease by which you can get your work done. Even when you are having stressful moments and are unhappy, don’t convey this. Remain in control and project this in your behaviour (e.g. maintain a clear organised desk, avoid being consistently late for meetings and avoid constantly complaining about your workload).

Understand and embrace the culture: this doesn’t mean that you have to become a clone. Think about the culture within your organisation – i.e. how people communicate, how formal or informal relationships are, how sociable your colleagues are, how much banter is acceptable, and what hours people generally work. If there are elements of the organisation’s culture you don’t appreciate (e.g. regular out of office socials with colleagues) don’t go out of your way to shout that you may be different or you don’t like the culture. You can remain authentic and true to yourself whilst embracing the culture.

Finally, don’t forget the importance of doing your job well and delivering tangible results. Doing the above does not substitute being good at your job.

Doing good work should be done in parallel to the above.

Good luck!

Aekta Mahajan is a Senior Manager at the Cabinet Office; where she leads on a range of government priorities. She is also Vice Chair of the City Hindus Network.

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UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th June 2013

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20

Very important week ahead. Jupiter's entry in your solar house of home and family on the 25th of June begins a year-long transit of home improvement. The focus is on making your home life as Sun also moves there. Mercury also goes retrograde in that house. Ego confrontations with family members are possible now. Try your best to strengthen your relationship to your family and your home base.

Ashnarm Lambeth Asian Centre conducted a weeks holiday in Weymouth and Dorset County. The Executive Committee Members took 70 elderly Asians, enjoyed day

trips to various interesting places in a double decker 87 seater coach, arranged for vegetarian meals and entertainment during the week's stay at Weymouth.

The members also enjoyed boat trips, walks on islands, soaking the sun on beaches, shopping, visiting historic castles, museums and ride on steam trains.

Coming Events

The Hindu Vedas

By Dharam Sahdev A three days exhibition was held in VHP Hindu Temple, Ilford for the life Story of Swami Vivekanand and Hindu Culture from Friday 21st June to Sunday 23rd 2013.

MP Mike Gapes of Ilford South was present on Friday. The organisers deserved full support and were praised for their efforts. The exhibition reflected that Hinduism does not only teach to pray to God but the Vedas are examples of our rich heritage, education and culture.

l Sunday 30th June at 4.30 pm Jain Samaj Manchester, 25th Anniversary Celebrations JSE (Leicester) Dhwaja Darshan l Sunday 7th July at 5.45pm Jain Samaj Manchester, Contact: dipti_mehta13@hotmail.com; Tel:0161 491 2746 l 1st July Shiv Khatha 4 -7 pm River Ganga Project, Shree Krishna Temple Shree Gujarati Hindu Satsang Mandal, West Coventry CV1 4FB. Contact Narendrabhai (Priest) - 07949024919 l Children's Bhajan Programme presents Sunday, 7th July 2013 - From 1pm to 5.30pm. Prashad from 12.30pm to 2pm & 6.30pm to 8pm.

For further information please email to jalarambhajans@gmail.com l SCVP Jain school presents Samayik Programme, 28 June, 7:45, Kingsbury High School, NW99JR. l Rangilu Gujarat, Lok Geeta Sandhya, Raas Garba, dandiya with Fusion of Bollywood Music.

Performed by Divine International Group. Saturday 29th June, City Pavillion, Romford l Dr Kiran Bedi London Talk, 12 July, 6:30pm Venue: Kadwa Patidar Hall, Kenmore Avenue, Harrow, London, HA3 8LU l Sangam and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan hold dance/music classes upto Diploma. Starting 21st September on Monday evenings and Saturday mornings at Sangam, 210 Burnt Oak, Broadway, Edgware HA8 0AP. Contact: 020 8952 7062

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 Very important week ahead. Sun's movement and Jupiter's entry in your solar 3rd house of communications on the 25th of June begins a year-long transit in which doors open for you through new contacts and friendships, opportunities to learn and improve skills. Mercury's retrograde from June 26th to July 20th can stimulate the need for review of the ways you are communicating and getting around.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 Jupiter leaves your sign on the 25th of June, and this begins a new, year-long cycle in your solar 2nd house of abundance. Money matters can improve greatly, but you have to avoid over-indulgence in order for Jupiter's promise to materialize. Mercury's retrograde begins on the 26th of June. This means that review is necessary before moving forward, particularly when it comes to your finances.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22 Jupiter's entry into your sign shortly after the Sun begins its yearly transit of Cancer (with you until July 2014). This is a time of expansion and new beginnings. The urge to improve and grow is strong. You project confidence, optimism, and enthusiasm, and others receive you especially well. Mercury also goes retrograde in your sign from 26th June. This is a time to review the manner in which you come across to others.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23 Jupiter transits your solar 12th house for a whole year. For you, it's a cycle of regeneration and spirituality. You are building a very solid support system and focusing on emotional security and stability. Periods when you completely relax and retreat. With retrograde Mercury be as non-judgmental as you can, but do keep an eye out for deceptiveness and falseness in others.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23 Jupiter's movement into your solar eleventh house in the last week of June, where it will transit for a year, suggests that it's important and highly beneficial to make acquaintances and contacts. Mercury's retrograde begins at about the same time, however, and this suggest it's time to review your long-term goals and attitudes towards people you connect with and groups with which you associate.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

Mike Gapes MP, Ilford South, addressing the audience Editor: CB Patel Associate Editor: Rupanjana Dutta Tel: 020 7749 4098 - Email: rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com Senior News Editor: Dhiren Katwa Freelance Correspondent: Rudy Otter Chief Operating Officer: Liji George Tel: 020 7749 4013 Email: george@abplgroup.com Chief Financial Officer: Surendra Patel Tel: 020 7749 4093 Mobile: 07875 229 220 Email: surendra.patel@abplgroup.com Chief Accountant: Akshay Desai Tel: 020 7749 4087 Email:accounts@abplgroup.com Business Manager: Alka Shah Tel: 020 7749 4002 - Mobile: 07944 151 893 Email: alka.shah@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Kishor Parmar Tel: 020 7749 4095 - Mobile: 07875 229 088 Email: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com Business Development Managers: Rovin J George - Email: rovin.george@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 - Mobile: 07875 229 219 Nihir Shah - Email: nihir.shah@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4089 - Mobile: 07875 229 111 Urja Patel - Email: urja.patel@abplgroup.com Kalpesh Shah Tel: 07539 88 66 44 Email: kalpesh.shah@abplgroup.com Graphic Designers: Harish Dahya & Ajay Kumar Tel: 020 7749 4086 Email: graphics@abplgroup.com Customer Service: Ragini Nayak Tel: 020 7749 4080 - Email: support@abplgroup.com (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd. 207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad.

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Jupiter, the planet of expansion, begins a new oneyear cycle in the last week of June that brings opportunity and expansion into your professional life. Expanding professionally and developing your skills, will be a strong theme in the coming year. Mercury turns retrograde in the same sector of your chart, and this points to the need to rethink goals.

Jupiter moves into your SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22 solar ninth house, where it will transit for just over a year. You will have energy for adventure, learning, and travel. Your desire to expand your horizons and to reach out beyond your usual circles brings opportunity and reward. However, there can be some delays or complications during Mercury's retrograde from June 26th to July 20th, you may want to plan around this period.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

Jupiter's transit of your solar 8th house energizes your sector of transformation, sexuality, personal growth, joint resources and taxes. Intimate matters are especially important to you during this cycle. Mercury also goes retrograde, extra care should be exercised regarding any financial initiatives that involve shared resources as delays are very possible when it comes to receiving support.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20 Jupiter, the planet of expansion and good luck has just moved into you solar 7th house. The accent’s very much on relationships. The opening up of a more diverse social life is a point in favour of romantic attachments. Mercury also goes retrograde for about 3 weeks in your 7th house. Be as non-judgmental as you can with a partner.

Misunderstandings now can do some damageto your relationships.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

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

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20 Jupiter begins a year-long transit that points to an especially opportunistic period for romance and recreational pursuits. One day after Jupiter begins this cycle, Mercury turns retrograde, offering you the chance (or need) to review your goals in these areas of life, and this can be a blessing in disguise. Sun also illuminates this sector for a month helping you as much as possible.

Sport World

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th June 2013

Jadeja achieves career-best third position in ODI rankings

Ravindra Jadeja attained a career-best third spot in the ODI bowlers and allrounders' list a day after India lifted the ICC Champions Trophy that strengthen their position as the number one ranked team on the ODI Championship table in the latest rankings released on Monday.

India, having entered the tournament on 119 ratings points, have now moved to 123 thanks to their victories over South Africa, West Indies and Pakistan in the group stage, followed by wins over Sri Lanka in the semifinals and England in the final.

They have a lead of 10 ratings points over their nearest rival, England, who are currently on 113 points, level with third-placed Australia.

But Alastair Cook's side is ranked above Michael Clarke's team by a fraction of a point.

Jadeja's 12 scalps in the Champions Trophy made him the highest wicket taker and fetched him the Golden Ball trophy. His unbeaten 33 and two for 24 in the final against England on Sunday night also helped him earn the Man of

the Match. His efforts have made him climb to a career-best third in the latest ICC ODI player rankings for bowlers.

He has also climbed up three places to 52nd in the batting table.

Jadeja's combined effort with the bat and ball helped him move up a place to a best-ever third in the latest all-rounders' rankings.

Meanwhile, India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also made a

return to the top 10 in the bowlers' list, having jumped six places to ninth.

Others Indians to make upward movements are Bhuvneshwar Kumar in 49th (up by three) and Ishant Sharma in 51st (up by five) in the bowlers' list, which is still headed by West Indies' Sunil Narine. In the ICC ODI player rankings for batsmen, Virat Kohli has retained his third position.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan, who ended the tournament as the highest run-getter after scoring 363 runs, jumped 21 places to a career-best 29th.

Dhawan's efforts with the bat not only fetched him the Player of the tournament award but also earned him the Golden Bat trophy for scoring the most runs of the tournament.

However, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni slipped a position to be placed at 5th spot, while Suresh Raina and outof-favour opener Gautam Gambhir lost two and one places, respectively to be at 16th and 20th spots. The batting list continues to be headed by South Africa captain AB de Villiers.

Dhawan named player of Darren Lehmann replaces sacked 2013 Champions Trophy Mickey Arthur as Australia coach

India opener Shikhar Dhawan was named player of the ICC Champions Trophy after his run-fest in the premier 50-over tournament.

Dhawan showed tremendous consistency with the bat and ended the tournament with 363 runs from five matches, including two centuries and one half-century. He averaged a staggering 90.75 with the bat at a stunning strikerate of 101.39.

The stylish southpaw announced his arrival on the global stage when he

clubbed 12 fours and a six in his 94-ball 114 that helped India beat South Africa by 26 runs in the tournament opener in Cardiff.

The 26-year-old then hit an unbeaten 102 off 107 balls with 10 fours and a six in his team's eight-wicket victory over the West Indies. His successive centuries made him the first batsman in the history of the tournament to score backto-back centuries.

Jadeja wins golden ball, man of the match: Allrounder Ravindra Jadeja was declared the man of the match of the ICC Champions Trophy final against England, and was also given the ‘golden ball’ for picking the most number of wickets, 12, in the tournament.

Darren Lehmann was appointed as the new coach of the Australia cricket team on Monday after Mickey Arthur was sacked just 16 days before the first Ashes Test in England following several embarrassing on and off-field incidents.

"The timing is far from ideal but we didn't feel we could sit back and hope matters would change without addressing issues critical to a high-performing team culture," Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland told a news conference in Bristol. "It obviously isn't the type of change we want to make three weeks out from the Ashes commencing but we believe a change is needed. The status quo is not good enough, we need improved accountability and performance."

"This has been a difficult decision to make but one

that we feel is necessary," he said. Sutherland said they were looking to establish a "high-performing" team that was also consistent but recent results had not been good enough.

"To achieve that, we need all the parts moving in the right direction. Recent onfield results have been too inconsistent," he told reporters. "Discipline, consistency of behaviour and accountability for performance are all key ingredients that need to improve. And we see that the head coach is ultimately responsible for that. "The Cricket Australia board decided that Mickey Arthur should not continue as head coach of the Australian cricket team. "In taking this decision, the board accepted the recommendation to make an immediate change as being in the best interests of the team."

Dicky Rutnagur, cricket writer, passes away

Dicky Rutnagur, doyen of Indian cricket writers, passed away in London, aged 82, on June 20, 2013, after battling cancer for many years.

Dicky edited the Indian CricketField Annual for eight years, from the late 50s to the mid 60s with Pearson Surita as the associate editor and Anandji Dossa as the statistical editor.

He wrote for several periodicals like the Hindustan Times, The Mail, The Hindu and Sport and Pastime. He migrated to the UK in the mid-1960s and wrote extensively for The Daily Telegraph for almost 40 years. Dicky’s contribution to journalism was also recognised by the IJA which gave him a life time achievement award in September 2010. That same year he was extended the honour of being elected a life member of the Cricket Writers’ Club. The following spring English cricket writers held a lunch to celebrate his 80th birthday.

Dicky authored two books: Test Commentary (India v England 1976-77) and Khans Unlimited (History of squash in Pakistan).

Dicky covered an estimated 300 Test

Courtesy: Indian Journalists' Association

matches at grounds all over the world. He was recognised for the authority of his reporting, his accuracy and his fairness.

Lord’s, was his favourite ground.

“Lord’s, of course,” he had replied, when asked about the world’s most beautiful grounds. “My hair still stands on end when I go through the Grace Gate (the main gate at Lord’s) after all these years.

It is a privilege to go to Lord’s. I will wear my best clothes to go to Lord’s always, even for a county match.”

Rutnagur was born in Bombay on February 28, 1931, and attended St Xavier’s College, where he came under the influence of Rusi Modi, the former Test player, who told his impressionable protégé about the joys of cricket in England. In 1966, Dicky arrived in England, with an agreement to work every day during the summer covering county games for The Daily Telegraph and then disappear abroad for the winter for Test matches. Dicky wrote for many papers, including The Daily Telegraph for over four decades. He was also a well known broadcaster.

Dicky was very proud of his son Richard Sohrab Rutnagur who was educated at Westminster and then Oxford where he got a cricket blue by playing against Cambridge.

Our deepest condolences to Richard, other members of Dicky’s family and his countless friends throughout the cricketing world. In the world of cricket journalism, Dicky Rutnagur was truly a legend.

31

`10 mn each for Champions Trophy winners

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced monetary incentives for the members of the Indian cricket team, including the support staff, for winning the ICC Champions Trophy. Each player in the team will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 10 million while each support staff will be richer by Rs 3000,000, according to a BCCI release.

Injured Irfan Pathan to miss tri-nation series in West Indies

India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has been ruled out of the tri-nation series in West Indies, starting on 28th June due to a hamstring injury. The Board of Control for Cricket in India said that Mohammed Shami will join the team as replacement. Irfan has not had a prolonged run in the national squad due to injuries and bad form. He was part of India's Champions Trophy side but did not feature in any of the matches. His latest injury though will keep him away from the tournament in the Caribbeans which will also feature Sri Lanka as the third side.

Hosts West Indies play Sri Lanka in the opener while India's first match is on Sunday (30th June) against Dwyane Bravo's side.

Anand draws with Kramnik

Victory eluded India’s Viswanathan Anand yet again as the world champion played out a draw with Russian Vladimir Kramnik in the eighth and penultimate round of the Tal Memorial Chess Tournament here on Sunday. Looking to damage control after losing three games in one of the strongest tournaments ever, Anand did everything right and gave no chances to Kramnik, who is on an unfamiliar last spot in the tournament he has won before.

With just one round remaining, the draw did not help Anand's cause for a comeback but did not do further damage either.

Rafa Nadal’s Wimbledon nightmare continues

From green and pleasant land, Wimbledon's grasscourts must now resemble a minefield for Rafa Nadal who, for the second year in succession, suffered a shock defeat by a modest opponent playing the match of his life. A year after Czech Lukas Rosol ambushed the 12-times grand slam champion in the second round, Nadal came up against inspired Belgian Steve Darcis in the first and was soundly beaten 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (10-8), 64. At least against Rosol twice former champion Nadal went down fighting in five sets, but world No. 135 Darcis subdued arguably the sport's most ferocious competitor in routine fashion.

The 29-year-old from Liege, nicknamed The Shark, nailed an ace to send Nadal heading home to Mallorca with a first grand slam opening round defeat against his name.

Pietersen admits his mistakes

Kevin Pietersen admitted he'd made mistakes over the incident that saw him dropped by England on disciplinary grounds last season before he returned to the side.

Former England captain Pietersen returned to competitive cricket after three months out with a right knee problem by playing for Surrey in a four-day match away to Yorkshire. He marked the occasion by giving a radio interview to former England team-mate Darren Gough broadcast while he fielded at Headingley. It was at the Leeds ground, where having made a superb Test hundred against his native South Africa, Pietersen gave a press conference where he said "it's tough being me in this dressing room".

32

India won the ICC Champions Trophy in sensational fashion on Sunday, defeating England by five runs in a humdinger at Edgbaston.

Chasing 130, the home side although this was not apparent from the feeble support it had at the venue - needed 15 runs off R Ashwin in the last over, and six off the last delivery, but James Tredwell failed to get bat on ball.

Ravi Bopara and Eoin Morgan had added 64 runs for the fifth wicket to take England to the brink of victory but Ishant Sharma excised both batsman in the space of two balls to turn things on their head.

Lusty hitting: Infuriatingly persistent rain had reduced the game, somewhat farcically for the final of a global ODI tournament, to a 20-over contest. India, put in, had the lusty hitting of Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja to thank for its score after Bopara had broken the spine of the batting with three for 20.

In pursuit, England opened sluggishly. The top three are not exactly cut out for Twenty20, and when captain Alastair Cook edged behind for two, it portended hardship for the side.

Trott raced away early rather uncharacteristically but was stumped down the leg-side off Ashwin. Joe Root was then removed

by Ashwin, and Ian Bell was given out stumped rather controversially, as England struggled against India’s spinners.

The host lost 22 for three between the fifth and tenth over as the match seemed in India’s control.

Bopara and Morgan, however, set about knocking the runs off. They batted with caution at first but with 59 needed off the last six, they accelerated.

Clean sixes were struck off Ishant and Jadeja as the equation eased down to 20 from 16 balls. It was then that Ishant did his bit, removing Morgan and Bopara off successive deliveries.

England lost five wickets for three runs in eight balls in that period as India secured a remarkable triumph.

After much inspection, sopping and draining, the game eventually got underway at 4:20 p.m. local time,

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th June 2013

some six hours behind schedule.

India lost Rohit Sharma early, bowled by Stuart Broad before a downpour forced the players inside in the seventh over, for close to an hour. At the other end, Shikhar Dhawan had begun encouragingly, swiping James Tredwell to the deepmidwicket boundary.

First ball upon resumption, he cut Broad over third man for six, allaying fears that the break had disrupted concentration.

But at this stage, England introduced Bopara and he struck at once.

Dhawan drove his second delivery, a fine slower ball, straight to the fielder at extra cover. From 50 for one, India sank to 66 for five in under five overs. Dinesh Karthik wildly swept James Tredwell and was caught.

Bopara then removed Suresh Raina and Dhoni in the space of five balls.

Kohli and Jadeja, however, assumed responsibility, adding 47 vital runs for the sixth wicket. Kohli was forceful as ever, a lightning-drive through the covers off Bopara and a six over fine leg-off Broad veritable highlights. India looked in trouble after Kohli’s dismissal for 43 but Jadeja was on hand.

The Saurashtra all-rounder smashed his way around to a 25-ball33, as India, on a pitch that offered turn, ultimately felt in possession of a reasonable score.

Dhoni hails India's champion spirit: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni praised the mental resilience of his side after they beat England by just five runs in a thrilling Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston on Sunday. "It's important to be positive. I said let's look for a good start, that's something that's very critical, don't look at the result," explained Dhoni when asked what he told his team when they took the field in defence of a modest total. "The first and foremost thing was don't look up, God is not coming to save you, you have to fight it out," added the wicketkeeper-batsman, one of just three survivors along with Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina from the India team that beat Sri Lanka in a Mumbai final to win the 2011 World Cup.

British-Indians go euphoric

British-Indians celebrated with much fanfare India’s victory over England and lifting the ICC Champions Trophy. The cricket fans in London broke out into celebrations with gusto, savoring every bit of this long-awaited victory. Inspite of rain interruptions, the tempo did not reduce at all, in fact the rain-curtailed encounter resulted in revised fun, frolic and wild celebration after the nail-biting victory.

Getting euphoric and thrilled, cricket fans danced to the latest Hindi pop numbers and partied till late hours of Monday. It was time for claps, cheers and celebration all around London. People came out on roads playing bugle and flying the Indian flag up and high. Some of them even started banging Dhol-Nagara to heighten the tempo of the mood.

As soon as the last ball was bowled and India declared winners, British-Indians rushed out of their houses to share the jubilant mood. As many as 500 people have gathered at Mumbai Junction club and restaurant at Sudbery and more than 300 collected outside Regency club at Queensbury. Actually the party began right from morning where few clubs and restaurants had put up big screen and varied lunch was served.

Like at Panna’s restaurant at city Pavilion, people had a gala time enjoying lavish lunch and cricket at its best.

Cricket carnival compels closure of Leicester Road: On the day of match on Sunday, many Leicester folks had boarded the coach to reach at Edgbaston in Birmingham to watch the final match. Rain had halted the match many a times and people were worried about

the outcome of the match.

But it was a miracle when India clinched the ICC Champions Trophy in its last edition with a nerve-wracking five-run victory over hosts England. This 5 runs literally changed the mood of 5,000 people who were die-hard fans of Indian cricket.

Leicester police was watching the match and so right after the India victory,

stopped the traffic on both the sides of Belgrave road. People came out on road and were jumping and screaming with joy, the pubs were flocked, but more celebration was on junction of Doncaster road and Belgrave road. People coming back from the match were honoured as if they have come back after completing a pilgrimage and they were greeted with sweets of tri-colour.

Fans celebrate India’s victory Dhiren Katwa The wet weather on Sunday last did not after all dampen the spirits of Indian cricket fans. Crowds, resplendent in the colours of the Indian flag, emerged elated from the compelling match at the infamous ground at Edgbaston in Birmingham chanting “victory to India.”

England of course failed to seize the moment, failing to chase down India’s 20over total of 129. Then again there can only be one winner.

And while India’s beaming players paraded the trophy in front of fans who had generated the atmosphere of a home game for their team,

behind the scenes the English players were naturally disappointed.

From Warwickshire’s perspective, this was exactly the prestige event for which its £32 million ‘Master Plan’ was devised; the sort of occasion for which all the years of planning and construction and stress and debt were – and continue to be – endured.

Among the scores of fans celebrating India’s triumph was 25-year-old Jason Chapaneri, from Coventry.

“All I have to say is it’s India.

I’m thrilled,” he said. Deepak Katwa from London said: “Indian cricket rules the world, makes me proud to be an Indian in England.”