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SC asks BCCI chief Srinivasan to step down

Coming down heavily on BCCI president N Srinivasan, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked him to step down for a free and fair probe in the betting and spot fixing scandal involving his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan and some cricketers, failing which it would pass an order.

After going through the contents of a report filed in a sealed cover by apex court-appointed probe panel into the scandal, a bench headed

Continued on page 26

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Date set for Dewani extradition

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It has been a tough few years for Anni's family who have been waiting for answers about what happened to their daughter on that fateful day but have, with this new development, become one step closer to finding out.

Shrien Dewani has been

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What has perhaps been the most drastic development in the honeymoon murder case of Swedishborn Anni Dewani in the last three and a half years, husband and murder suspect Shrien Dewani has lost his appeal against extradition and is due to be extradited to Cape Town on 7 April, South Africa's Department for Justice has revealed.

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CB Patel along with Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP and Akandadhi Das former Temple President at Bhaktivedanta Manor releasing the magazine: 'The Turning Point: How a campaign to save one Temple united the Entire Hindu Community', - Full Story on page 15

British politicians back probe into Operation Blue Star

receiving therapy for posttraumatic stress and depression in the years since the death of his wife and is currently detained

in the UK under the Mental Health Act, which has stalled the trial significantly.

Continued on page 2

With the Sikh Federation of UK’s announcement on releasing the names of all UK politicians who have given confirmation to support an independent public inquiry into UK’s involvement in Operation Blue Star, nearly dozens of British politicians decided to back the inquiry.

Continued on page 26

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

Keith Vazwith MP

Keith Vaz MP

Suresh Vagjiani

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

There have been various mentors, who have come along and I have managed to pick up different skills and ways to do things from them. I continue to learn from them and my environment, and I think it’s important to focus on maintaining your own style as every person is an individual and so it’s important to always learn but never to copy.

Suresh Vagjiani studied Actuarial Science at City University.

After a short spell working in the pension industry he changed his career to work in the property sector. He founded Sow & Reap Properties Ltd which started trading in 2004 and has since grown to have a strong presence in the Indian community settled in the UK. He has been instrumental in setting up the property investment fund West End Property Plc which invests in central London property market.

1) Please tell me about your current position?

My position is in running Sow & Reap and associated companies, with the aim of providing investors the highest return possible, through property investment. As we are primarily focused on the Indian market this is a hard task. The bar is raised high as pretty much every Indian has an interest in property and is doing something involved with property. It is our role to show them how to make this better. We have all sorts of clients, from pharmacists/accountants who simply don’t have the time to property veterans worth several hundred million pounds.

2) What are your proudest achievements?

Some of the charity events we have been involved in have been inspiring and encourag-

ing; it is something to remember and feel proud of that you have in some small way contributed to the welfare of another person who needed it.

We all need breaks sometimes and I believe if you don’t give you don’t get. Any success we have and are due to have is not earned by us, it is gifted to us, and therefore it is important to pay it forward.

3) What inspires you?

Being able to grow as a person all the time, as I do not believe a business can expand and grow unless the person behind it is also exercising growth on all levels. I like pushing boundaries; this sometimes means I end up pushing my staff around as well!

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

We faced many set backs on a

Date set for Dewani extradition

Continued from page 1 He was initially ordered to be extradited in August 2010, but the High Court in London ruled that it would be "unjust and oppressive" to send him to South Africa until he had overcome his mental health problems.

Another appeal was made more recently by his legal team, to have the case referred to the Supreme Court, but this was refused by a panel of judges.

Anni Dewani's uncle Ashok Hindocha reportedly said in the past that the family have been waiting too long for official legal proceedings to begin. "We thought at the beginning that this is going to be a very quick case where Shrien would fly down to South Africa and stand trial and answer all the questions that is going to be given to him.”

Shrien and his new wife were in a taxi touring the Gugulethu town near Cape Town when their taxi was hijacked. The driver of

The documentary revealed new CCTV footage that showed hotel clerk, Monde Mbolombo giving instructions to Tongo and one of the gunmen on the night of Anni's murder. Mbolombo had told police he had put the taxi driver in touch with the gunmen and had no further involvement.

But the documentary suggests he might have played a bigger role than previously thought in the murder.

Investigations into the case have also revealed several text messages sent from Anni to her family before their wedding, in which she reportedly stated that, "I'm going to be unhappy for the rest of my life," "I hate him" and "Want to cry myself to death." The channel 4 documentary also claimed Shrien Dewani did not sleep with Anni before they married, neither did they have sex on their wedding night either – with Anni sleeping alone on a sofa after a big argu-

the taxi and Shrien were allegedly forced out of the vehicle before Anni was driven away and killed.

She was found in the back of the abandoned taxi with a bullet in her neck.

The cab driver, Zola Tongo, admitted his involvement in the murder and was given an 18-year jail term. His accomplice, Mziwamadoda Qwabe, also pleaded guilty and was handed a 25-year prison sentence. The man who fired the gun that killed Anni Dewani, South African Xolile Mngeni, was also convicted last year of premeditated murder. Prosecutors have claimed that he was a paid assassin who was hired by Shrien Dewani to kill his wife.

The ongoing murder case of Anni Dewani has gained significant notoriety, with even a BBC Panorama documentary being made about it in September, casting doubt on the evidence against Shrien Dewani.

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personal and business level during the credit crunch as we were a finance company at the time and there was no finance to give out. At one point it was like the business went down over night. There was a period of time when we could not pay our bills.

Because of the good will we had built up in good times we were given as much string as required to bring ourselves back on our feet by our creditors. We survived by changing our focus as a company and have become stronger as a consequence of this experience.

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

I get to play monopoly one of my favourite games - hence most friends and family never like to play with me - every day of the week in real life, and I love it!!

7) And the worst?

It’s got to be people management – I am a rubbish manager!!!

8) What are your long term goals?

We are currently focusing on setting up property funds with our second fund launching

ment.

After the latest ruling, Anni's father Vinod Hindocha commented outside the Royal Courts of Justice: "We are quite happy with the decision and we hope to get the answers that we have been seeking for the past three and a half years. I really don't know what happened to my daughter.

We need answers. We hope to get justice."

Mthunzi Mhaga, justice spokesman for the South African government, reportedly said in a national Daily that Dewani would receive a fair hearing, and that throughout the trial he will be monitored in a medical facility.

"He will be kept in a medical facility due to his peculiar condition. We are working tirelessly to ensure that his return to our shores brings to finality this protracted legal process. We are confident that he will receive a fair trial in our courts," Mhaga said.

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shortly. Our first property fund closed on the 13th December 2013, which is aiming to return all the money back to the investor in August 2014 with a return of circa 30% net. We want to grow this concept bigger and bigger. We do this by focusing on trading properties, rather than holding on to them.

Also we put our money where our mouth is, we invest on the same terms given to our investors.

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

I would put the power to print money back in the people’s hands where it should be as opposed to private controlling interests. This one move would sort multiple problems out.

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

It would have to be someone called Pak Dirjo, who set up a martial arts system called Perisai Diri Silat. I would like him to train me daily in all aspects of the system until I become competent at it. It’s something I would love to focus on more. I know enough to know it’s a brilliant system which deals with all aspects of the personality.

The Asian Voice Youth Conference March 28th – 29th Asian Voice Networking Evening in Association with PwC Hindu Network Date: Friday 28 March 2014 Time: 6:00-8:30pm Venue: PWC, 7 More London Riverside Asian Voice Workshops Date: Saturday 29 March 2014 Time: 12-4pm Venue: Impact Hub, King's Cross Asian Voice Networking Evening On Friday 28 March, we will be hosting a networking evening with drinks and canapés. We have a fantastic line-up of speakers who will share their success stories, give motivational short talks to inspire and advise the younger generation.

Speakers Rajeeb Dey, Roma Agrawal, Jaz Deol, Lainy Malkani, Arjun Asian Voice Workshops The 4 hours workshop on Saturday March 29, 2014, will involve various discussions and mentoring opportunities on importance of thinking outside the box (start ups), how to use social media to sharpen your entrepreneurial skills, how to develop ideas, transform them into a business and offer financial tips. There will also be practical advice on interview techniques and preparation.

Last chance to register! Email: tanveer.mann@abplgroup.com.

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

COMMENT

Cool heads needed, not recurring abuse

BBC Television’s weekend panel discussion on issues of national and international interest began, understandably, with the situation in Crimea, following the territory’s decision to secede from Ukraine and merge with the Russian Federation. The discussion chaired by the normally (usually) suave and courteous Gavin Esler descended into an unseemly brawl in which the hand-picked participants gave vent to their pent up visceral rage against Russia in which the anchor joined with notable enthusiasm. There wasn’t the semblance of rationality in the exchanges, it was merely a verbal auction in vituperation and abuse of President Putin. The proceedings commenced with a tirade from a Ukranian woman from the BBC Global Services who upbraided the West for its “weak response” to Russia’s action on Crimea, implying that a declaration of war would have been the most appropriate reaction. An apoplectic woman columnist from the far right British Daily Telegraph newspaper chimed in with similar sentiments, the male American was not far behind, while Correspondent from left-leaning Le Monde adhered to a Gallic deconstruction where left and right are as interchangeable as those in France’s collaborationist Vichy regime during the Second World War. Naturally, the racially pious discussants made no reference to the depredations of far right groups and their mayhem in Kiev, no mention was made of their anti-semitic activities which have provoked some Ukrainian Jewish leaders to visit Israel and ask for Israeli government support. Perhaps Jewish lobbies in the US will draw the attention of the US State Department to this endemic behavior.

Instead of the unseemly studio brawl, the BBC might have done better to include Ambassador Matlock, the former US envoy to the Soviet Union at the time of its dissolution, and former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachov, who was at the helm in Moscow during this critical time. In a recent article in the Washington Post, Ambassador Matlock wrote that the end of the Cold War was a negotiation between the US and USSR under which both sides would stand to benefit: that there would be no winners and losers, he said. Mr Matlock bemoaned that Western leaders were soon celebrating their Cold War “victory” over Russia in an orgy of triumphalism, leading to a mindset much given to baiting and

humiliating the Russian bear. This worked well during the ascendancy of the alcoholic Boris Yeltsin, when Russia was traduced and reduced to ignoble penury; the triumphalism has faced mounting challenges after Vladimir Putin’s accession to power and the restoration of Russian pride and strength. Witness Moscow’s swift response to the US client Georgia’s aggression against the border states of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Would not the London panel discussion been better served with a contribution from Mr Gorbachov, the same man who played a critical part in ending the Cold War? Once popular with the Western media, he seems to have disappeared from their news channels. Mr Gorbachov would have surely explained why he, the one-time peacemaker, welcomed Crimea’s accession to the Russian Federation.

Truth is that the convulsions of the London discussants mirrored the frustration of Western leaders more accustomed to kicking around and trampling upon the lesser breeds, whether they be in Iraq, Libya, Serbia, El Salvador or Nicaragua and the African continent. Russia, as always, is hugely more difficult to crack, as Napoleon and Hitler discovered to their cost. President Putin called Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to explain Russia’s position and he received a sympathetic hearing, which was publicly acknowledged. India has made it plain that it will not accede to any sanctions regime against Russia drawn up arbitrarily by the US and the European who are given to identifying “the international community” with their own special interests. The tweets that appeared in India in the aftermath of the Crimean developments were a flood tide, excoriating the West’s double standards and its moral hypocrisy. The Twitterati referred to the Indian experience in the war with Pakistan in 1971, the insensitivity of the Nixon administration’s to the Pakistan Army’s genocidal massacres in what is now Bangladesh and the expletives Indira Gandhi and Indians as a people had to endure from the US President and his National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger. Several people also mentioned about the Falkland War, Gibraltor and the British army bases in Cyprus. The Indian public clearly had a longer memory than some craven voices in their country’s media, ever anxious to please the Herrenvolk in Washington and Brussels and other Western capitals.

A recent edit-page article by a young Muslim male, Tanweer Alam by name, in a mass circulation Indian daily gave his readers much food for thought. He was airing his insights about Muslim voting patterns in India, dispelling a number of hoary myths on the subject, foremost of which is the supposed existence homogeneous vote bank ready and willing to be exploited by political parties of every political hue, from Congress, BJP, the Communists et al. This, claims Mr Alam, is an enduring myth. His robust rebuttal is worth serious cogitation by believers and apostates alike. He writes: “The fact is that the Indian Muslim community is as diverse as Indian society. Religion, caste, sect, region and trade divide them. These divisions make them fit into the plural, diverse patterns of Indian life.” For example, in states with large Muslim populations such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Kerala and West Bengal, we see the community opting to vote for regional parties rather for parties with a greater national presence.

According to the data provided by the Society for Developing Societies, more than 70 per cent of Muslim votes go to Congress in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Delhi, where the

contest is bipolar between Congress and BJP. In multi-polar states, Muslim votes are fragmented across party lines, with Muslim votes for Congress reduced to 30 per cent. In this general election, the Muslim votes in Uttar Pradesh may largely go to the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Congress with the ruling Samajwadi Party losing its previous high Muslim numbers because of the communal violence in Muzaffarnagar, in which Muslims suffered grievous loss of lives and property.

Despite these travails India is secular because sufficient numbers across all communities believe in the concept, but more particularly, the majority Hindu community will it to be so. The Indian state, too, has accepted secularism as its fundamental underpinning. Beyond this, there is another myth, says Mr Alam, largely among Muslims, that they have benefited little from the country’s economic development. More certainly could have been done, but progress in this area has been undeniable. Muslim elementary education has risen from 8 per cent in 2006-07, to the present 13 per cent. Muslims are more visible in business and the professions. They are increasingly part of the national mainstream.

A report by rights groups, the UK Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales and the International Truth & Justice Project, said there is enough evidence to suggest that the Sri Lankan military is still conducting a war against Tamils.

Leading South African human rights lawyer and UN advisor Yasmin Sooka compiled a report five years ago highlighting the abuses of the Lankan security forces. South African human rights activist Archbishop Desmond Tutu said in his foreword that it “gives the lie to the Sri Lankan government’s propaganda that it is reconciling with its former enemies.” The Sri Lankan regime in stubborn denial mode says these allegations are untrue, maintaining that charges of war crimes are part of

an anti-Lankan conspiracy. All this, despite well documented accounts by nine independent lawyers from Europe and Asia establing a case to answer for post-war crimes against humanity involving rape, torture and sexual violence – including forced oral sex and anal rape – by the Sri Lankan military, according to the latest reporting such abuses: “Sworn statements, along with medical and psychiatric examinations, have been gathered from dozens of Tamil men and women, who sought refuge in the UK after being subjected to abuses in Sri Lanka. Almost all incidents they described took place after the war, some as late as February 2014.” Over to you, President Mahinder Rajapakse.

Revisiting Indian Muslim voting patterns

Lankan military’s continuing human rights abuses

3 Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art. It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival - C S Lewis (1898-1963)

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Change with continuity

The leadership in Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) projects the saffron brigade as a ‘party with a difference'.

Controversies over the candidature of LK Adavani who is one of the founding partners of the Saffron party and a few other senior leaders like Murli Manohar Joshi, Jashwant Singh, Harin Pathak have proved how senior leaders could harm the party.

Advani demanded a ticket from Bhopal but the party decided to field him from Gandhinagar, which was his choice earlier. He was persuaded by the party President and other senior leaders but the BJP patriarch was not ready to compromise. Eventually, RSS intervened and he decided to contest from Gandhinagar. If reports have to be believed, he was clearly told that either he would contest from the Gujarat’s capital or from Bhopal. God knows what actually happened behind the close door meetings, but the seasoned politician eventually tarnished the name of his own party and that of himself. Even after prolong discussions, when Joshi agreed to vacate the Varanasi seat for party’s Prime Ministerial candidate, senior leader Jaswant Singh became a rebel and filed nomination as independent from Badmer constituency, after he was denied a ticket by the party leadership. Looking at such instances, it seems that BJP’s few senior leaders are enough to ruin its bright future.

Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley was quoted as saying that leaders should learn to accept refusal (to contest) as well. Jaitley didn’t take anyone’s name, but the message was clear as he didn’t have the right to advise his seniors, but the meaning was clear.

Voter would also get perplexed at such political gimmicks. These leaders have represented Lok Sabha for five to six times but their desire to ‘serve’ the people has not yet been fulfilled. Political analysts, though evaluate discontent differently, according to them, the senior BJP leaders are feeling insecure due to the rise of a new leadership within the party. However these leaders allege that BJP leadership has currently becoming autocratic, under Modi.

This is his iconic style- and it has its own benefit as well as disadvantages. Today, Gujarat is on the path of development and Modi’s leadership contributed decisively – one can not deny it. If you have made Modi the Prime Ministerial candidate, then you must give him the liberty to strategise.

Advani perhaps wanted to kill three (not just two) birds with one stone by selecting Bhopal as his constituency. First if he contested from Bhopal, Opposition would get chance to attack Modi.

Second, he could develop his own faction in Madhya Pradesh, where Shushma Swaraj is already contesting from, who earlier raised voice against Modi.

Third, if required, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh can be taken into his fold. It is worth mentioning that in the past Advani not only appreciated Shivraj Singh but also said that he gave a strong leadership to Madhya Pradesh and its path of development, more than Modi's contribution to Gujarat.

Whether it is Advani or Jasawant Singh, they should have shown maturity and patience, given their age. They have themselves damaged their own reputations now by expressing discontent against their own party. Everyone should understand that there is nothing wrong in going with the time, to achieve success.

MIDLANDS VOICE

Visa office still a 'nightmare'

4

Dhiren Katwa

The opening of an Indian visa application centre in a Birmingham street continues to cause inconvenience to residents, eight months after it opened.

Fed-up residents in Vicarage Road, Edgbaston, have again appealed to local MP Gisela Stuart for help.

MP Stuart, pictured, (Lab; Edgbaston) in an e-mail to active campaigner Karen Malte Nielsen said: “Yes I can see your utter frustration. I would feel the same.”

She added: “I wish I had the power to make any of these decisions.” The main cause of chaos is that 4 Vicarage Court, the premises occupied

by VFS Global have no parking spaces, nor is there any public parking on the main Vicarage Road.

Mrs Nielsen, who has felt the need to put out cones bearing the 'No Entry' sign outside her home each day for the last eight months to

cordon off a private car park ,said: "It has been an absolute nightmare. Without the cones we'd be swamped with cars belonging to visitors to the visa centre. However a number of people just disregard the cones and park anyway, sometimes even driving across the grassed areas."

Since August last year, the office has been home to VFS Global, the outsourcing agency which issues visas on behalf of foreign embassies, in this case for India.

Traditional Indian games organised to celebrate Woman-Power

On Sunday 23rd March 2014, 200 ladies/girls all across the country, put on their sports gear and gathered in Leicester respectively to compete in three very different games: Kabaddi, Kho-Kho and Ring. These traditional Indian games challenged all participants to demonstrate their skills, strength, teamwork and tactics, all of which needed to be present to lift the trophy at the end.

For Hindu Sevika Samiti UK (the ladies) the level of competition had never been higher with all working together in unity to take the winning trophy home. The year of 2013 marked the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, who in the 19th century showed the path of light to the world by introducing Yoga and Vedanta Philosophy in the West. As a part of the celebrations Samiti set a challenge this year to all competitors to demonstrate a new innovate

game highlighting the qualities of Swami Vivekananda. 12 new innovative games were created on the teachings of Swami Vivekananda to physically and mentally stimulate our learning.

Throughout the day the demonstration of all the sports was at it’s highest. After all the games were played, the winners were finally announced with Wembley being Champions of Kabaddi, Woolwich winning KhoKho and Birmingham becoming Lords (or Ladies) of the Ring!

With such a brilliant atmosphere and community spirit, everyone there was enthused to keep up the practice and come again next year with an even higher standard of play.To find out more about the rules of Kabaddi, Kho-Kho and Ring contact your nearest branch of HSS UK or please visit www.hssuk.org. All are welcome to attend.

New restaurant appoints homeless to the kitchen

A new upmarket restaurant is not only popular amongst the foodies, but it’s proved to be a super hit amongst the city’s homeless – by recruiting street people to work in kitchens.

Waqar Mirza, one of the owners of Erdington’s Kebab and Grill Co, provides meals for individuals supported by Birmingham Homeless Outreach. Since opening in December, three of the 10-strong staff have been

hired from the homeless community and trained to work in the kitchens.

Waqar, aged 32, reportedly said: “Why not change lives if you can?

When I took them on, they had no confidence.

Now their confidence has grown.

“I want this to be a community diner, I want it to be a community hub.

I want to plough something back into schools and the people.

“Nothing is impossi-

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

In November last year, a public meeting was called by Waymede Residents Association in an attempt to iron out the raft of problems and find solutions. But progress has been very slow.

Some of the problems cited at this meeting, at which MP Stuart was present, included: people knocking on doors of neighbouring offices and homes asking to use their toilets as no such facilities are available in the VFS Global office; people urinating behind large dustbins; cars blocking drives; parking on double-yellow lines; people hurling abuse at neighbours; tissues containing excrement and litter being dropped through letterboxes; drivers going the wrong way up and down the one-way street; inappropriate use of disabled badges.

VFS Global have since opened a new office in Leicester, apparently in the hope that it would ease the burden on the Birmingham

office. But the Leicester office is open only on Fridays. It’s closed rest of the week.

According to Mark Lee, CEO of Calthorpe Estates, which owns the freehold and is now also the head leaseholder, VFS Global are using the appeal process to seek an extension on the time given to vacate up until August.

The case of appeal is now with an officer at the Planning Inspectorate for validation. Once validated, which can take up to a fortnight, an appeal notice will be published on the Inspectorate’s website and will notify Birmingham City Council. The Council will then launch a six week consultation with those affected to comment on the appeal.

Have you visited the offices of VFS Global in Vicarage Road? What has your experience been? Please tell us by emailing dhiren.katwa@abpl group.com

Businesswomen handed suspended jail terms for £200,000 charity fraud

Ranjit Uppelle and Kavita Jnagal, cofounders of Edgbaston-based Simply Recruitment, who rubbed shoulders with the Queen, Prince Charles, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, George Osborne, Dragon's Den tycoon James Caan, were handed suspended jail terms and ordered to pay £1,000 costs.

But the pair’s Kavita Jnagal and Ranjit Uppelle astonishing rise was reportedly told police they had built on a £200,000 charity been ordered to carry out fraud which has now seen them courses online, inputting data shamed in a London courtsupplied to them on crib sheets. room, the Birmingham Mail has Uppelle, 41, of Bernard reported.

Road, Edgbaston, and Jnagal, The pair, and several accom37, of Woodheys Lawns, plices, raked in thousands of Rugeley, near Lichfield, both pounds in commission for fakadmitted conspiracy to defraud. ing student enrolment and They were handed suspended exam result records in adult jail terms of nine and six education packages. Fake promonths respectively at files were apparently created Southwark Crown Court. Both and hundreds of “students” were also ordered to pay £1,000 were suspected to have been costs. enrolled without their knowlUppelle and Jnagal entered edge, in a bid to receive fundtheir pleas last August but they ing. Staff were then allegedly can only now be reported after pressured to sit the exams and the scam’s ringleader, Sandeep doctor results to secure the govJethwa, admitted the same ernment cash. Employees were charge in January. even reportedly coerced into Jethwa, of Bishop’s forging the signatures of fake Stortford, Hertfordshire, was students to add extra weight to jailed for a year and has already the fraud. Work was also faked repaid £120,000. for genuine students who The 43-year-old was the enrolled on courses but later director of an Essex-based firm pulled out. And other results called First Contact Training, were doctored to make it later known as Extra appear that students who failed Management Services. the tests had, in fact, passed.

The Metropolitan Police’s Around £200,000 was believed Fraud Squad was alerted to the to have been defrauded UfI’s concerns about an unusubetween March and November al number of high-level passes 2010. A number of key witnessin February, 2011. es from within the businesses ble.”

It’s the London businessman’s first venture into the restaurant industry after a lucrative career in construction. He and his team hope to

open five Kebab and Grill Co outlets in Birmingham before spreading the brand north.

Kebab and Grill Co can cater for 22 covers and is fully licensed.

Mother sentenced to life in a notorious Pakistan prison with baby A Birmingham mother has been sentenced to life in a notorious Pakistan prison, along with her 17 months old baby daughter, allegedly for carrying 63kgs of heroin.

Shah, Khadija 26, from Small Heath, was arrested at Islamabad airport Khadija Shah with her daughter Malaika at in May 2012 while Adiala Jail in Pakistan heavily pregnant.

She was convicted of smuggling 63kg of heroin despite denying the charges against her.

The mother-of-three has always protested her innocence, claiming that she agreed to transport suitcases as a favour for men she had only recently met, and said that she had no idea what was inside.

She was forced to return to the cramped, unsanitary conditions of Adiala Jail after giving birth to daughter Malaika in October 2012.

The child, now 17 months, has shared a cell with her mother ever since.

Khadija’s other young children, Ibrahim and Aleesha, who were originally locked up with her, have since returned to the West Midlands.

Legal charity Reprieve is challenging the government on its decision to provide more than £5million in counter-narcotics aid to Pakistan since 2010, in the light of the heavy penalties – including death sentences – the country hands down for nonviolent drugs offences.

Man punches and kicks woman who resembles his mother An angry would be robber punched and kicked a 60 years old woman in a leicester street, for resembling his mother, a court has heard.

Asif Hussain (30), who has mental health problems, had just argued with his mother and felt aggrieved because she would not give him any money.

He targeted the voluntary worker, who was walking with a friend in Leicester’s Melton Road, and tried to steal her handbag, at 11.30 am on July 5 last year.

A passer-by, who intervened and then pointed out Hussain’s whereabouts to the police was publicly commended by the judge and awarded £250 from public funds. Hussain was jailed for 20 months, after admitting attempted robbery.

Hundreds of runners participate in Leicester Recourse fun day

Azim Akber, Mariam Abdulla, Azmeena Abdulla, Sajjida Abdulla and Aamir Hussain

A day of seriousness turned into a lot of fun, enjoyed by hundreds of fun runners taking part in Sainsbury's Sport Relief Mile at Leicester Racecourse on last Sunday.

Hundreds of people went the extra mile for the biennial appeal, raising thousands of pounds to help people in need at home and abroad.

They included runners and walkers of every age, who paid to take on either one, three or six-mile courses. Jason Brooks, 37, manager of the Oadby Owl pub, in Glen Road, was one of them.

He was joined by three members of staff, who between them raised more than £200 for the appeal.

UK

High Commissioner of India presents his credentials to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

5

High Commissioner Ranjan Mathai with wife Gita with Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps on the carriage Shri Ranjan Mathai, with wife Gita Mathai, Deputy High Commissioner Dr Virander Paul and wife Racheline Paul, Sangeeta Bahadur, Director, Nehru Centre, Mr Prashant Pise, Head of Chancery and Minister (Press & Information), Mr Pritam Lal, First Secretary (Coordination) and other members of the Indian High Commission

was earlier Foreign Secretary of India (August 2011 – July 2013) and took up his assignment as the High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom in Dec, 2013. Mr Mathai, 61, succeeded HE Jaimini Bhagwati, who retired last year.

Mr Mathai had previously

served in Indian Missions in Vienna, Colombo, Washington, Paris, Tehran, Brussels and in London. He earlier served in London as the deputy high commission from 2005 to 2007.

The India-UK bilateral relationship was upgraded to Strategic Partnership in 2004.

Engagement between the two countries encompasses a broad spectrum ranging from political, economic and commercial, defence, science & technology and cultural relations with close people to people ties.

Photo courtesy: Raj D Bakrania, Prmediapix

Mr Mathai interacting with CB Patel, Publisher/Editor of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar

Veteran diplomat and High Commissioner to the UK, Shri Ranjan Mathai presented his credentials on Wednesday 19th March, to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. He was accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Gita Mathai, the Deputy High Commissioner and senior officers of the High Commission.

"It was a great privilege to have been received at the palace and present my letters of cre-

dence to Her Majesty the Queen," Mr Mathai said.

"I had a very interesting discussion with her and told her about the message that I had received from the President of India and Prime Minister of India about the strong sense we have about the relationship between our two countries," he added.

Shri Ranjan Mathai is the 24th High Commissioner of India to the UK since 1947. He

Indian Journalists' Association elects its first female President and Secretary

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The Indian Journalists' Association that was set up in May 1947, has recently elected a woman President as well a female General Secretary for the first time in its history of 67 years.

Ms Aditi Khanna, London correspondent for Press Trust of India (PTI) has been elected as the IJA President, and Ms Rupanjana Dutta, Associate Editor of Asian Voice as the General Secretary.

The new team also includes Treasurer Mr Daljit Sehbai, and Executive Committee members Ms Vidya Ram, Ms

Parvathi Menon, Mr Sanjay Suri, Mr Amit Roy and Mr H.S. Rao Speaking to the media, Ms Khanna said, “At a time when all our freedoms are under siege, I hope this association can set a tone for the voices of women and men alike.”

“The media can be a force for good and I hope my team will prove that.”

The IJA was set up with the active encouragement from Mr V.K. Krishna Menon, who subsequently became the first High Commissioner of independent India in Britain.

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UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

“Our London”

What the British Indian Conservatives Can Teach Muslims and BJP About Winning In India

“If I were Muslim in India, I’d be looking to see how I can help shape the BJP’s thinking from within, like the 3.7% who voted for the BJP who were Muslim. Just default voting Congress because you always have and turning India into a de facto one party state is not good for the nation, democracy or Muslims in India.”

Everyone seemed to expect the BJP to retain power – then they lost and a Congress based coalition has been in power ever since. Why? What happened to ‘India shinning’ campaign? Remember that? Feeling good does not put food on the table. The Congress machinery and its ability to penetrate villages is easily surpassed by BJP in Gujarat, from where we’ve produced the nation’s most prominent and greatest national leaders – but what about reaching the villages around Chennai, Kolkata, Trivandrum?

India is increasingly becoming regional – people associating with their locality more than the bigger whole, a little like Scotland in the UK or Crimea in Ukraine.

If the BJP is to win, TV adverts will not even come close to solving this issue. Far greater focus on building reach into the villages, and most importantly to the farmers is vital. Anyone who has been to Sardar Patel’s home in Karamsad in a remote village of India knows India lives in its villages, even today. And anyone who read his slogans to protect the farmers will know that it will always be essential to be a man of the soil to understand India.

And what of this notion of communal-

ism? Well it was in the 1980s under Congress that India had the greatest level of communal deaths according to the Economist. Seven times more than the decade which included Godhra.

What of the Muslims feeling disenfranchised? Excluded by the BJP? Well 3.7% voted for BJP in 2009. So it’s the BJP that has no motivation to address them. If I were Muslim in India, I’d be looking to see how I can help shape the BJP’s thinking from within, like the 3.7% who voted for the BJP who were Muslim.

Just default voting Congress because you always have and turning India into a de facto one party state is not good for the nation, democracy or Muslims in India.

The engagement has to be two way.

Muslims have more to gain from engaging with the BJP, than the other way around – since the BJP has won without them before.

And this is the problem in Britain today with British Indians. How many default vote Labour? Remember the Tory party in the 1970s – of course you did not feel welcome. Of course not. But as I stood in Parliament last week listening to Lord Popat and CB Patel talk about the campaign to save Bhaktivedanta Manor, I was reminded that this battle to fight from the inside is the way to change things, not stand aside. Lord Popat is a long-standing personal friend of the PM. But it’s not just at the top, we need the people but at the grass-roots, just as the BJP needs Muslims in its base. It’s time to get over old habits and old ways of thinking.

Cameron promises to vote for independent investigation into Sri Lankan war crimes

The British Prime Minister Britain will vote for an international, independent investigation into alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka at the upcoming United Nations Human Rights Council that has been moved by the US. Cameron said he wanted to see reconciliation in the country which "president Mahinda Rajapaksa has failed to do".

Regarding an interna-

tional probe into war crimes against Sri Lanka, Cameron said "The UN Human Rights commissioner has called for this and that is what a UK cosponsored resolution at the UN Human Rights Council supports."

A US-led resolution calling for an international probe into allegations that 40,000 civilians were killed at the end of Sri Lanka's separatist war was

filed recently. In a draft resolution, US and UK have endorsed UN human rights chief Navi Pillay's recommendation for an external investigation into alleged war crimes in the final stages of Sri Lanka's Tamil civil war in May 2009.

At least 100,000 people were killed in the 37year conflict before the Sri Lankan army crushed the LTTE.

In less than a month India will go to the polls to elect its 16th Lokh Saba, or lower House of Parliament. As 800 million eligible voters decide the political fate of the largest democracy in the world, some analysts regard the election as the most significant contest since Indian Independence in 1947. Over 8000 candidates have entered the race, standing for 350 political parties including the traditional powerhouses of Rahul Gandhi’s ruling Congress Party and Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party With different visions of India put forward by the main political groups, what will the outcome of this election mean for the third largest economy in Asia?

How will it affect India’s

place on the world stage?

What will it mean for Indian trade and business with other countries, especially the UK? Visiting India three times already as Prime Minister, David Cameron makes no secret of his personal commitment to strengthening the relationship between India and the UK, wanting “to cement Britain as India's partner of choice”. How will the election impact upon this choice and what does it mean for building UK-India relations?

On Wednesday 2 April, Conservative Friends of India, in association with BDO LLP, will explore these questions with a distinguished expert panel from across business, politics and

the media: Chair: Alok Sharma, Member of Parliament for Reading (Co-Chairman of CF India) Panel: Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea CBE, DL, Arbinder Chatwal, BDO LLP, Vijay Goel, Singhania and Co, Nishma Gosrani, Deloitte and Alpesh Patel, Media commentator/UKIBC

Panel Discussion: The Indian election and its impact on UK-India relations

Navin Shah - GLA Member for Brent and Harrow

BUDGET FOR LONDON London Assembly’s Emergency Measures London Assembly approved the following cross-party Consolidated Budget on 14th February. The budget was supported by Labour, Green and LibDem Members on London Assembly but failed to get two-thirds majority in order to amend the Mayor’s Budget. The consolidated budget offered a ‘package of emergency measures’ to make a real difference to the lives of Londoners’ in critical areas like Housing, Flooding, Cycling , Transport Fares, Apprenticeships an policing. The proposals costing £96.785 Million were funded by freezing Mayoral Precept (Saving £10.529 Million), reallocation of Business Rates (£20.256 Million) and use of TfL reserves (£66 Million). A summery is presented below from the cross-party Draft Consolidated Budget Report to the Assembly.

HOUSING: This is a major crisis facing London and the measures proposed in the budget sought to increase housing Supply and improve standards in in the private rented sector.

Improve Private Sector Standards: The proposal was to match fund Environmental Health Officers for Councils to improve standards for London’s Councils; set up a ‘Know your Rights website for tenants; provide support for private rented groups and establish a ‘bad landlords’ register.

Increase Housing Supply: A commitment to establish ‘Homes for London’ by bringing together Mayor’s work and drive forward housing delivery in London.

POLICING: There are serious concerns about the impact of the new Local Policing Model on neighbourhood policing. Boroughs have lost up to 3,144 (15%) of their police officers, 2,725 (63%) of their PCSOs and 1,384 of their staff (41%) since May 2010. According to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) report London has the third least visible police force in the England and Wales HMIC has also raised concerns about the move away from neighbourhood policing and a

Muslim teen arrested for stabbing mother and two sisters in knife rampage

A teenage boy from Small Heath, Birmingham is being questioned by Police after neighbours found his 10year-old sister lying outside the family home in a pool of blood with a stab wound to her neck. Witnesses said they saw Maarijah Gul being dragged onto the street in a headlock before being stabbed with a knife.

Her 16-year-old sister Anatullah and their mother, in her 40s, were lying inside bleeding from multiple stab wounds.

Another witness said

Swimming sisters make a splash for Sport Relief Super swimming sisters Sophie, 8, and Millie, 7, have managed to complete 1.5km (60 lengths) at the Queen Mother’s Sports Centre on Saturday 22nd March and raised just over £1,500, 50% over their fundraising target.

The water babies

return to basic ‘beat policing’ and have warned that as neighbourhood officers are asked to undertake broader police work they have little time for prevention and community work.

The new Local Policing Model and the cutbacks in frontline capacity leave the Met Police unable to pay enough attention to neighbourhood level engagement, for example with young people, victims and mental health service users. The Mayor has been repeatedly called on to halt aspects of this restructure that move London away from the preventative Safer Neighbourhood model of Policing. The budget proposed to allocate further resources toward preventative, community-based policing schemes.

PART-TIME TRAVELCARD: The Assembly proposed introduction of a 3day-a week “part-time travelcard” ticketing product for both Oystercard holders and Wave-and-Pay passengers at the start of January 2015. The need for a part-time travel card was accepted by the Mayor but given his initial reluctance to reform our fares and ticketing structure has delayed the introduction of this much needed facility for hard pressed Londoners.

LONDON APPRENTICESHIP CAMPAIGN: Mayor’s proposal in his Final Consolidated Budget allocated an additional £1 Million to the apprenticeship programme but was still short of the sum previously indicated by the Mayor to fulfil his commitment to get young London’s into work. By doubling the apprenticeship grant available to employers of 16 to 24 year olds, and by increasing the marketing and communications resources available to promote the business benefits of taking on apprentices, an additional 80,000 apprenticeships would be created in 2014-15.

For full details of the consolidated budget proposals, including the measures identified for flood prevention and cycling safety, visit the GLA website or email me on navin.shah@london.gov.uk

have been in the pool since they were one year old, and after learning about Sport Relief and the struggles that other children face all over the world they wanted to put their swimming skills to good use.

They’ve already done galas and competitions, but this

they heard Mrs Gul screaming: “The baby, the baby.”

Fortunately, her one-yearold son was later found safe and unharmed upstairs in the house.

A teaching assistant from a nearby school rushed to help Maarijah, who was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.

Her sister and their mother were both taken to hospital by ambulance.

A 17-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and a knife was recovered nearby.

was the first time they took part in Sport Relief.

The girls have decided to become their own team to tackle the 60 lengths together. Sophie swam the first 15 and then Millie took over for the next, and so on. Dad Zaheed is incredibly proud of his two little girls!

He was taken to hospital having suffered a minor cut to his hand.

West Midlands Police Force Incident Manager, Chief Inspector Jack Hadley, reportedly said: “All three casualties have suffered multiple knife wounds but the seriousness of their injuries is unclear at this stage. This appears to be a contained, domestic incident: one man was arrested outside the address and we are not actively seeking anyone else in connection with the incident.

Sophie and Millie

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

Royal Mail releases stamp on Noor Inayat Khan

Britain’s Royal Mail has issued a postage stamp of Noor Inayat Khan, the World War II heroine, who was a descendant of Tipu Sultan.

The stamp – part of a set of ten stamps in their ‘Remarkable Lives’ series -honours Noor on her centenary year. Other honoured in the set include actor Sir Alec Guinness and the poet Dylan Thomas.

“I am delighted that Royal Mail has commemorated Noor with a stamp,” said Shrabani Basu, author Spy Princess, The Life of Noor Inayat Khan, and the Chair of the Noor Inayat Khan Memorial Trust.

“It will ensure that her sacrifice and bravery will not be forgotten. ” Basu campaigned for a memorial for Noor which was unveiled in November 2012 by Princess Anne.

Noor Inayat Khan was born in Moscow in January 1914 to an Indian father, Hazrat Inayat Khan and an American mother, Ora Ray Baker.

The couple had met in the Ramkrishna Mission ashram in America. Hazrat

Inayat Khan was a Sufi preacher and musician and travelled the world taking Sufism to the west.

Noor was brought up in Paris and the family moved to London when the city was occupied by the Germans in 1940 during the Second World War. In London, Noor joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and was later recruited for the Special Operations Executive, a secret organisation started by Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

She was the first woman radio operator to

be flown undercover to Paris and worked from there for three months under the code name Madeleine. However she was betrayed, arrested and finally executed in Dachau Concentration Camp in Germany.

Though she was tortured and interrogated, she revealed nothing, not even her real name. Her last word as they shot her was “Liberte”! She was only 30.

Noor was posthumously awarded the highest honour, the George Cross, by Britain. France awarded her the Croix de Guerre.

In 2006, President Pranab Mukherjee, then the defence minister of India, paid an official visit to Noor’s family house outside Paris and described her bravery and sacrifice as “inspirational”.

FGM doctor becomes first in Britain to be charged

A doctor from Whittington Hospital, North London and another man have become the first to be charged by the Crown Prosecution Service, under the Female Genital Mutilation Act have been announced by the Crown Prosecution Service. Dr Dhanuson Dharmasena, 31 and another man Hasan Mohamed, 40, are charged in connection with an incident following a birth at the hospital in 2012. It is claimed that the doctor carried out the procedure after being encouraged and helped by Mr Mohamed.

Alison Saunders, announcing the prosecution, reportedly said: “The CPS was asked to consider evidence in relation to this

allegation of female genital mutilation (FGM) by the Metropolitan Police Service. It was alleged that following a patient giving birth in November 2012, a doctor at the Whittington Hospital, in London, repaired FGM that had previously been performed on the patient, allegedly carrying out FGM himself.

“Having carefully considered all the available evidence, I have determined there is sufficient evidence and it would be in the public interest to prosecute Dr Dhanuson Dharmasena for an offence contrary the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003. I have also determined that Hasan Mohamed should face one charge of intentionally

encouraging an offence of FGM and a second charge of aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring Dr Dharmasena to commit an offence.”

FGM has been a criminal act since 1985, but in 2003 the maximum sentence was increased from five to 14 years in jail.

FGM hit the headlines last year when it was revealed that over 100,000 women in Britain have undergone the illegal operation, with medics in this country offering to carry out the procedure on girls as young as 10.

Dr Dharmasena and Hasan Mohamed will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 15 April.

UK

Oxford University hushes up series of sexual assaults

7

Oxford University has been accused of covering up allegations made by victims of sexual assault against students and members of staff. Over a dozen men and women have described this as a 'culture of silence' which prevent them from reporting claims of sex attacks and rapes. All the claims have been compiled in a booklet created by the Oxford University Student Union.

The anonymous editor of the booklet reportedly describes the collection as representing a

‘whole spectrum of feelings from antagonism, anger and frustration to sadness, guilt and betrayal towards the university and its services’.

According to a national Daily, the union’s vice-president for women, Sarah Pine, said that while there had been ‘positive steps’

made by the university since the booklet was published last autumn, some staff continue to have the wrong attitude.

A university spokesman has reportedly responded by saying: ‘Oxford has always taken complaints of harassment very seriously. It has a policy and procedures in place to help students make complaints in all such cases, including sexual harassment and assault.'

MPs have warned that allowing super wealthy migrants to buy their way into the UK in a visa auction will be a 'recipe for disaster'.

The Home Affairs Select Committee has said that proposals to offer “gilts for citizenship” were alarming and risked allowing the rich to sidestep immigration controls.

Members also fear foreign criminals may have slipped in to the UK after a judge last month said borders were a “leaking sieve”.

The Migration Advisory Committee rec-

ommended wealthy foreigners and their families should be allowed to live in Britain indefinitely in exchange for endowments to good causes. It also suggested an annual auction offering about 100 visas to the highest bidders.

Keith Vaz, chairman of the committee, said: “The Government must not sell citizenship to the highest bidder.

“This method has considerable benefits for the applicant but brings little benefit to the UK. “We fail to see how this fits in with the

Government’s desire for the UK to attract only the ‘brightest and the best’.

“The lack of due diligence on individuals is a recipe for disaster. Those who seek to acquire British citizenship should be fit and proper.”

The report also accused the Government of fuelled “anti-immigrant prejudice” by failing to commission estimates of the numbers of Romanians and Bulgarians who would come to Britain after labour market controls were lifted.

MPs warn against UK visa auction

Racist 'glass ceiling' in Home Office holds back ethnic staff

Keith Vaz, chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, has spoken out against claims that there is a racist 'glass ceiling' in the Home Office after many minority ethnic staff have admitted they feel racism does exist in Whitehall.

An investigation has since been under way at the Home Office exploring whether black and minority ethnic staff are being prevented from winning promotion to senior jobs and when bonuses are handed out.

Ethnic minority staff are underrepresented among those judged to be performing best in their jobs and overrepresented in the lower performance category.

Mark Sedwill, the permanent secretary, reportedly said the department had to tackle whether there were unconscious biases which are preventing staff rising through the ranks.

He has commissioned academic Dr Kathlyn Wilson, who is a member of the Department of Work and Pensions ethnic minority employment stakeholder group, to investigate the underlying causes of the diversity imbalances in staff performance appraisals.

Keith Vaz has said many minority ethnic staff felt racism existed at the Home Office which of all

Keith Vaz

departments was where “we need to see change”.

He welcomed Mr Sedwill’s initiative but said academic research

was not the way to deal with the problem.

“The way to deal with this is through recruitment processes.

They should head-hunt people from outside and make sure that on every recruitment panel there is a minority ethnic person because all research shows that people choose people for jobs who are like themselves,” Mr Vaz reportedly said.

8

BUDGET SPECIAL

A missed opportunity: MP Shabana Mahmood

Tanveer Mann

Shabana Mahmood is a British Labour Party politician and barrister who has been the MP for Ladywood in Birmingham since May 2010. Her constituency is one of the most multicultural in Birmingham and has one of the highest unemployment rates in the whole of the West Midlands.

Speaking exclusively to “Asian Voice” after the Budget was announced, Shabana discussed her dismay at hearing the Chancellor's budget. She said, “I think yesterday's budget is a real missed opportunity.

The Chancellor knows that there's a cost of living crisis affecting millions of people in the country. On an average, working class people are £1,600 worse off and he took no measures to deal with the cost of living.”

When asking her how this budget will impact the inner-city people who are either running businesses or those people on benefits in her constituency, she explained, “I think everybody is worse off at the moment, but the impact is greater for those people who are either receiving in-work benefits or out of work benefits. In addition, for businesses, what I thought was really striking there was nothing to help particularly small and medium sized businesses with an announcement on business rates. If we were elected in 2015, the Labour government will cut business rates for the first year and then we would freeze them for the second year of the next Parliament. I think it's those kind of practical measures that really would've made a difference and that's what the Chancellor refused to do.”

Shabana Mahmood Of particular interest to many in Osborne's budget was the air passenger duty announcement.

Commenting on this, Shabana said, “I think the reduction in Air Passenger Duty is welcome and will have an impact. We'll be looking at the detail to make sure the numbers stack up. But I do go back to this point that it is the day-to-day cost of living that people are worrying about. For many people in my constituency, a holiday has gone out of their reach because what they're worried about is paying their

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

gas bill or their kids to have a new school uniform, and that's something that is affecting every single community in the country and the Chancellor had no answer for them.”

In regards to lower unemployment rates announced in the Budget, Shabana said, “We've got a real problem with entrenched inter-generational workless-ness in my constituency and that requires long-term action but we're getting none of that action from this government. Youth unemployment in my own constituency is very high and is affecting every section of society and race group.

What we are currently doing is working with other MPs in the area, hosting youth Jobs Fairs, working alongside Birmingham City Council, having the Birmingham Job's Fund, which is

specifically focused on getting young people in Ladywood into jobs or apprenticeships. That's the kind of practical stuff I've been working on.”

Asking her what she was hoping to see in the Budget, Shabana said, “one thing they could have done if they wanted to steal one of our ideas for the general election was to introduce a compulsory jobs-guarantee for every single young person in this country who has been out of work for one year or more. Under our plan paid for by a tax on bankers bonuses, we would make sure every single one of those young people from 25 and under who have been out of work from one year or more, would get a paid job, because we know you can't just leave young people floundering otherwise they'll end up on scrap heap and that's just not acceptable.”

When asked whether she thinks the budget has helped or distanced Conservatives’ chances of winning the election, Shabana said, “I think that people will be looking at the budget and will be thinking whether this budget is going to help me cope and help me make ends meet? I think what Conservatives said, was that they're not interested.

They have a budget for the few at the top.

Conservatives had no answers for the rest of the people. I hope that people will look at Labour Party’s policies fully-funded, fullycosted around compulsory jobs guarantee for every single young person in this country, around our energy prize freeze policy to help people with their energy bills and they'll recognize the Party that's on the side of ordinary hard working people rather than just a few at the top.”

and Dr Vince Cable the Secretary of State at BIS. The local LEP has yet to react to this.

The freeze on fuel duty was welcomed, however bearing in mind the amount of miles the average Asian business does on business, social and family errands, this is modest news. The one pence reduction in beer levy is hardly going to make any significant impact as the multiples, the big discounting houses, parallel and illegal imports have all decimated the retail market for the independent Asian retailers, restaurants and public houses. The coalition is playing to potential UKIP voters on this, bearing in mind Mr Farage’s taste for beer!

The raising of the duty on legal tobacco sales of 2% has to be bad news for the independent Asian retailers. The whole issue around tobacco display and taxation has disproportionally hit the Independent Asian retailer. The lowering of new band rates on cost of travelling to India is good news. However, the taxation on airline tickets is not as transparent as it ought to be and the protection around ATOL and package holidays still remains a challenge, resulting in the prevalence of bad practice for consumers and disadvantage for the compliant travel agents.

The increase in UK Export Finance is welcome, however channelling it through high street banks will be a challenge, as the support of UKTI isn’t reaching many Asian companies.

However, the appointment of Priti Patel MP as an Indian diaspora envoy by the Prime Minister is welcomed, as she is making

real strides to reach out to British Asian businesses in the regions to further enhance the bilateral trade, inward investment and research links with India.

al allowance and 2) The option (freedom) to take your pension pot in full and use as you see fit.

Reactions of business leaders on Chancellor's budget

Uday Dholakia

Chairman National Asian Business Association representing 12 Asian Business Associations

Do you think the benefit of recovery is helpful to you or your business?

There is general confidence in our members in terms of rise in sales and a modest increase in margins. The overseas Asian banks are active in lending, and there is a distinct movement in purchase of commercial premises amongst the small to medium manufacturing enterprises. Food and drink manufacturers are seeing marginal benefit of consumer spending. However, prevailing price wars by the multiples will squeeze margins significantly. The independent retailers are seeing their margins suffer and the multiple convenient stores are having a devastating effect on some independent Asian retailers. The coalition is turning a blind eye to the needs of independent Asian retailers, as they have done with the community’s banking needs. The recovery amongst Asian businesses is based on their ingenuity, resilience and razor sharp focus on customer needs. Public sector intervention has had very little impact.

Have things got better for you in the past 12 months? How optimistic are you for the future?

There is a marked improvement in business confidence. NABA now monitors this through their European Centre of Asian Business Research.

This optimism is rather cautious, as the economic stimulus is election facing, and the budget focused on stimulating employment in medium to large firms. The budget give-aways aimed

at the better off rather than lifting the living standards of many customers who visit independent Asian retailers. Small businesses have seen austerity cuts in public services, public sector pay cuts (many of the Asians are employed in this market segment) and a welfare cap that is biting hard into the safety net that any of us might need.

The optimism will galvanise one way or the other after the next election when the new administration resumes austerity measures, disproportionally affecting the Asian communities.

Sadly, this salient issue is not a focus of any pre-election engagement by the three political parties with the Asian communities, to the detriment of our social-economic well-being.

In term of low interest rate are you happy to save money for future?

The real challenge facing many Asian businesses is whether or not to invest in new plant and machinery, premises or new technology including e-commerce. Most have access to their own reserves, or increasingly access to community based private equity. The government assistance to stimulate investment via the Local Enterprise Partnerships is not reaching the Asian business community.

NABA’s lobby to engage with the LEPs, has resulted in the cherry picking of key Asian firms and missing the majority. As a result, the focus of attention for many firms is around buying commercial property for investment rather than generating economic added value in manufacturing, creating real jobs and exports. The opportunity cost of leaving the money in the bank is high and hence the incen-

tive to buy property is high which, may be artificial to an extent as a pre-election stimulus. The changes to pension draw-down have to be welcomed. I believe this benefits pensioners in the British Asian community who may choose to spend part or all of their retirement away from the UK. This has to be in tandem with robust regulation to ensure that pensioners are not ripped-off by incompetent financial intermediaries.

As businessman what is the best things and bad things for you in this budget NABA welcomes the strapline of the budget to “build a resilient economyfor the maker, a doer or a saver”, bearing in mind this is targeted mainly towards those who are economically active. The budget was upbeat and sent a clear signal for businesses to grow and increase through the doubling of the investment allowance and focus on manufacturing.

NABA welcomes the direction of travel on the Corporation Tax. The hike in the Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) is also to be welcomed. The down side in ECA is that it additionally favours firms in the newly designated Enterprise Zones, where few are Asian owned. For example, the Leicestershire Asian Business Association has been lobbying ministers, opposition, and the local LEP to commission a feasibility study into developing a world class Food and Drink Enterprise Zone to stimulate investment, leverage inward investment and innovation in food manufacturing and create significant jobs. The proposal has received support from Lord Heseltine

Rajan Amin

Coversure Insurance Service

Q - Do you think the benefit of recovery is helpful to you?

We have seen a positive start to 2014 following on from single digit growth in 2013. For us there are signs of a recovery as landlord clients return to us as they purchase new properties after several lean years and new start-ups approach us for their insurances.

Q -Have things got better for you in the past 12 months and how optimistic are you for the future?

Better, yes and if things continue as in the first 3 months of 2014, we feel optimistic for the year ahead Q - In term of low interest rate are you happy to save money for future?

From July New ISA (NISA) system will come and you can invest up to £15,000. As a business owner fast access to cash reserves is always important, especially this year as we plan to purchase a book of insurance business to expand. While the low interest rates mean we are prepared to invest the money in our business to grow and expand it giving a better return and long term equity value when we plan to exit/retire.

Q - As young family person/employee what is the best things and bad things for you in this budget?

Two things stand out for me in this budget; 1) The increase in the person-

Kanti Nagda

Do you think the benefit of recovery is helpful to you?

Certainly – having seen the worst time for last few years it seems that the recovery is balanced and sustainable.

Have things got better for you in the past 12 months and how optimistic are you for the future?

Last 12 months have not been better for me but with increase in savings rate, particularly for seniors, would certainly bring in a little more income.

Personal allowance will rise to £10,500 from April 2015, coupled with a rise in the higher rate threshold to £42,285. A spouse or civil partner will be allowed to apply to transfer £1,000 of their personal allowance to their spouse or civil partner.

From April next year anyone who is aged 55 or over will be able to take their entire pension fund as cash – although only the first 25% will be taxfree - in a move he says will allow pensioners the access to their own cash.

For low paid workers National minimum wage will go up to £ 6.50 per hour, and new rules that came into force in February means that the maximum penalties levied for firms failing to comply with minimum wage regulations have increased. For each underpaid worker, the firm must now pay £20,000, up from £5,000, plus a financial penalty of 100% of the missing wages rather than the previous 50%.

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

Leading Lights

Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

Kiran Bedi; The Most Inspirational Lady I have Ever Met Dr Kiran Bedi was appointed India’s first and highest (woman) ranking officer. She joined the Indian Police Service in 1972. Dr Bedi has 40 years of reformative policing and prison management.

She worked with the United Nations in New York in the Department of Peace Keeping Operations as the Police Advisor to the Secretary General.

This Nehru Fellow holds a Law, Masters, Doctorate degree. She was a national and an Asian Tennis champion.

Among her many decorations is the Ramon Magsaysay Award. She is an author and TV/radio anchor too.

Kiran Bedi founded two NGOs; Navjyoti and India Vision Foundation both provide education to thousands belonging to under privileged sections, and make them self reliant.

I was stunned to be amongst the chosen few to be invited byCB, RupanjanaDutta and Kamal Rao to a special

Rani Singh interview’s Dr Kiran Bedi (right)

lunch with Dr Bedi at the home of CB Patel.

Dr Bedi declared openly that she is supporting Mr Modi’s leadership, but did not intend to stand for office herself. She was frank at all times and finished with an exclusive one-on –one interview.

When asked about the challenges on her way to the top, she candidly told me, “I was quite prepared for it. I went there as an Asian tennis champion. I was already very well educated. Exceedingly well

trained in the Police Service Academy. Having had the best of mental and physical endurance, I was a very strong all-rounder. I was raring to go. As I started to deliver and serve the community, peoples’ acceptance was very high. They loved having a woman in uniform who could meet their aspirations and their needs.

So I got accepted very fast. Of course, within my own department, if there was a doubt or a question mark over how a woman would perform, it was

30 September 2012.

The defendant, along with a group of men who have already been convicted for their part in the attack, is believed to have deliberately set out to attack Mr Brar, pictured,

in retaliation for events that occurred in India during his military career, in particular, his military leadership during a siege at the Sikh Golden Temple in Amritsar in 1984.

Having become aware of Mr Brar's presence in the UK, the group travelled to London on 28 and 29 September and carried out reconnaissance of the area where he was staying. During the investigation a total of 15 people 13 men and two women were arrested at locations in London and the West Midlands.

Man linked to Gen Brar attack jailed

A 26-year-old man has been jailed for 10 years for his part in an attack on a 78-year-old former Indian military general while he was on holiday in London in 2012.

Lakhbir Singh, of no fixed abode appeared at Southwark Crown Court today on Friday 21 March, where he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for Grievous Bodily Harm with intent.

Retired LieutenantGeneral Kuldip Singh Brar was attacked and stabbed by a group of men in the West End shortly after 10.30pm on Sunday,

Niqab-wearing Muslim woman jailed for terrorising mosque security guard Muslim convert Rebekah Dawson, who refused to remove her niqab in court last year, was jailed for six months on Tuesday 18 March, after she was found guilty of terrorising a mosque security guard because he allowed nonMuslim women inside without veils.

22-year-old Miss Dawson was originally sentenced to 20 months at the Old Bailey for making three videos praising the murderers of Fusilier Lee Rigby while her husband Royal Barnes, 23, was jailed for five years and four months. However,

she was sentenced to a further six months after reportedly admitting to threatening and intimidating Daudi Yusuf at Finsbury Park Mosque in north London.

Dawson had initially denied the charge of intimidating a witness but then changed her plea to guilty in January after the jury failed to reach a verdict against her and her brother Matthias Dawson, 32. During her trial Dawson had to remove her veil for a female police officer who then verified that she was the defendant at the start of every

court session. She initially claimed her religion prevented her removing the veil in the presence of men but Judge Peter Murphy reportedly ruled it was of ‘cardinal importance’ that a jury could see her face while she gave evidence.

The judge jailed Dawson for an extra six months for terrorising Mr Yusuf and also handed her a five-year restraining order banning her from contacting Mr Yusuf, going within 500 meters of Finsbury Park Mosque and from entering the Muslim Welfare Centre..

among the male seniors, not amongst my juniors. I think it was more of a departmental bias, not in the minds of people. There was no such personal problem or issues that I had. It was more public perception, which gradually changed for the better.”

Dr Bedi is respected for her integrity. What did she work on to develop her character?

“I was growing up with a strong sense of personal responsibility. Leadership is not outside you.

Leadership is within you.

How you grew up, what kind of habits and attitudes you grew up with. I was leading myself. When you are a tennis champion, the best in academics, a strong all rounder, you are actually leading yourself. What is leading?

Nothing but sheer courage to continue to grow.

I grew up with a strong sense of courage and I was a product of my home.

Mother and Father were ahead of their time. We were four sisters. All four sisters were being given the best education, the best environment. I was part of a tennis playing family. My Dad was a great tennis champion and a player. My Mum was a strong educationalist and a strong lover of academics.

“I was exceedingly

hardworking. It was an attitude with which I responded to situations.”

Dr Bedi considers that it is choices, not sacrifices, that she made through her life.

“When you grow up and you start achieving, you become a somebody, there are lots of choices that keep coming your way. It’s like having a buffet for lunch. You want to go for a high calorie diet or a low calorie diet, or salads, and you have choice in sweet dishes. Do you make sacrifices or do you make a choice? Do you want to stay fit, do you want the right amount of food? Life is a buffet and you make your choices according to your taste, what is good for you, what is right to have.”

Dr Bedi said that succeeding in a man’s world was not difficult, and that decorum is a good thing.

In tennis, in addition to girls, she was playing against boys as well as travelling with them, so working with boys was nothing new.

I asked how India could achieve good governance, given the CentreState disconnect.

“By having right intention; national vision,” she replied. She felt it was important to treat each State equally as they all have a part to play at the Centre. “You go by priori-

9

ties, needs, and peoples’ aspirations. States are an integral part of the centre and you work with each State as per that State's needs. You don’t differentiate if they elected you or did not elect you. When you are a president or a prime minister of the country you rise above all and you belong to all.”

Dr Bedi is committed to her two charities, Navjyoti, and India Vision Foundation. Both are unique in their own ways.

However India Vision Foundation focuses on prison and police reform, providing poor and policemen's children with all round education. “They are unique as they come from my personal preferences and experience.

“It’s all about education,upskilling,creating human dividend. I give all my time and energy, award monies, book royalties, my speaker fees, besides raising support to provide healthcare, skills training, women empowerment, environment, leadership training, rural development. And more---“ For more info please go to kiranbedi.com and you can see all her work linked to the site. She is also on twitter, @thekiranbedi Rani Singh reports for BBC Radio News on South Asia.

10

YOUR VOICE

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

The price of gold

Nip and Tuck Budget

With gold prices on an upward spiral, women in the city are under constant threat from chain-snatchers. As far as the rising cases of chain-snatching are concerned, I feel women themselves must avoid wearing gold jewellery, and if at all they wear them, they must be alert.

The best way to curb such incidents is that women should start wearing imitation jewellery for everyday use. They must keep their heavy gold jewellery for special occasions like weddings or parties and be cautious whenever they wear them. Though mostly women are targeted, even men are falling prey to such crimes.

We cannot expect the police to provide 100% vigilance to curb such incidents across the city. I have no idea of what punishments are awarded to those who are caught for gold thefts, but considering the gold prices, it has become an easy way of making money, and anyone who wears gold -- be it men or women -becomes an easy target for the criminals.

Self-restraint is the best measure to avoid being a victim of gold theft.

In the Chancellor’s budget for 2014, there are some welcome measures to boost pensioners’ incomes, and the radical changes to annuity rules will be helpful. However, the measures he has announced are analogous to robbing Peter to pay Paul.

He could have done more by raising the personal income tax threshold of pensioners at least in line with inflation. For people in work, the personal income tax allowance will rise to £10,500 but it has been frozen for pensioners.

Those over 65 used to receive a larger personal allowance than people of working age. This was scrapped by the Government in 2012. This is not fair to millions of pensioners who have paid in to the tax system throughout their working lives.

The Government ended the age-related tax allowances for pensioners by phasing out the higher income tax allowance enjoyed by around half the country's pensioners. This is fundamentally unfair.The income tax allowance of the over 65s must also be raised in line with the rate of inflation. Otherwise the other measures to help pensioners will equate to taking with one hand and giving with another!

The other thing the Government could do to help pensioners is to restore the rate at which pension payments increase.

It could go back to the old method of calculating the rate of increase in line with the more favourable retail price index (RPI) rather than the less generous consumer price index (CPI) which was unilaterally adopted.

Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai, India

British hypocrisy

Britain has always pride itself in upholding democracy, respecting people’s wishes expressed through ballot boxes, especially when it comes to British overseas possessions, like Gibraltar, Falkland Islands, even though thousands of miles away from British shore, relics of colonial era, ominous for British global interest.

But what Britain preaches, it never practices, with Ukraine prime example.

Crimea, once integral part of Russia until 1954 when Nikita Khrushchev ceded it to Ukraine, was now allowed to express its democratic right and voted by 97% to rejoin Russia. Yet, West is in denial, under spell of moralistic nonsense, bullying Russia, surrounding it with NATO expending right to Russia’s door-step, with missiles and fighter planes based in Eastern Europe, once domain of old Soviet Union, without realising that vicious and virtuous circles are never quite as self-fulfilling as commonly expected, putting moral dreams above practical reality with same old soundbite slogans.

The West does not understand that China is the real threat, along with terrorism emerging from Middle East and nuclear powered Iran. US constantly undermines democracy in countries like India, channelling CIA funds through dubious charity foundations to disrupt democratic process. Then America is the sole super-power, although its days are numbered with China emerging as the super-power of 21st Century.

While Putin is Chess player, Cameron has PhD in rhetoric. It is time West stop carping and get behind Russia, biggest and richest landmass with minerals, gas and oil galore that West so badly needs.

Enrage Russia at your peril!

In 2006 Labour's big idea for Brent was to build a massive Las Vegas style casino in Wembley. Labour Councillors argued that encouraging gambling was needed to regenerate Wembley and Brent. They were happy to ignore the social implications.

Thankfully Labour lost the 2006 local elections. One of the first things the new Liberal Democrat led administration did was scrap Labour's daft casino idea. I was Leader of Brent Council at the time and helped to squash Labour's casino plan.

Unfortunately the Labour government which was in power at the time greatly relaxed controls over gambling. As a result we have seen an explosion of betting shops in our High Streets. There are at least fourteen gambling venues in Wembley High Road. Other areas have similarly been affected.

It's now less than two months until the 2014 local elections. In some desperation Brent Labour Party now promises to control the spread of betting shops when sadly it is too late. For years the council told local residents that it does not have either the planning or licensing powers to prevent betting shops from opening. Has the change of heart been brought on by fear of losing?

Although much damage has been done by Labour's 'free for all' gambling policies I welcome this pre-election change of heart. To avoid this become just another cynical election ploy the council now needs to spell out in detail how it intends to turn the tide and reduce the number of betting shops in Brent's shopping areas.

Empty pre-election promises are not enough!

Councillor Paul Lorber Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Brent Council

Indian voters

Democratic elections provide an opportunity to voters to reminisce on the past performance of the government elected in the previous election and decide for the future. The UPA coalition led by the Congress party has been in power in India for the last ten years. By all accounts it is the most corrupt government since independence. There is not only rampant corruption but also the culture of bribery and nepotism gaining ground every day.

The real power behind the scene is Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, a lady without any proper academic qualification and knowledge about the history of the mankind and India’s place in it. Besides she is completely ignorant about India’s history, culture and tradition.

After Dr. Manmohan Singh the person among Congress leaders who had the right qualification and credentials to be a candidate for Indian Prime Minister is Mr. Pranab Mukherjee.

Should Rahul Gandhi succeed Dr. Manmohan Singh? That is a decision for the people of India to take.

Academically he is no better than his mother. Academic qualification is important because it is an indicator of a person’s knowledge and ability and what he/she is capable of achieving in real life situation.

Dr. Jatindra Saha By email

Multiculturalism and “The Euro Debate”

Scientists tell us that humans are born with certain number of neurons. As we grow the connectivity of them gives us intellect and power of reasoning. Some unfortunate people, due to defects in the connectivity of their neurons, never develop the power of reasoning and intellect. Also, as we get older, the number of neurons in the brain become less and hence people lose their earlier intellect and power of reasoning.

In 2011, Anna Hazare’s aggressive crusade against corruption gave birth to a political party called AAP headed by Arvind Kejriwal. The party’s main objective is removal of corruption from politics. Is not it strange that Kejriwal is contesting Lok Shabha seat from Varanasi against Modi who has no record of corruption? Could it be that this is a case of defective connectivity of neurons?

Any member of a political party should work with discipline to bring the party to power and achieve the goals stated in their manifesto. When BJP high command decided to declare Modi as their Prime Ministerial candidate for the upcoming election, octogenarian party member Advani objected and resigned from the party posts which he subsequently withdrew.

I am very concerned that the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi are attaching a communal tag to the BJP and Narendra Modi.

The UPA government under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi have failed to improve the conditions of ordinary Indians in all fields and the people are aware of failures of the present government which is riddled with corruption, nepotism and favouritism.

Rahul Gandhi knows only way the Congress can win is by emotional blackmail mentioning his father’s and grand mother’s death. He is blaming RSS for the murder of Mahatma Gandhi even though the high court cleared the organisation and incident happened more than sixty years ago before he was born and he is always talks about secularism without understanding the meaning of the word..

There are organisations such as Awaz, Combat Communalism operating from United Kingdom who are spreading poisonous propaganda to create panic among Muslims here and in India as if they will not get equal right in India if BJP led government comes to power.

In the forthcoming debate between Nick Clegg and Nigel Farrage, they are going to “debate” about the need to replace multicultural identity with a British identity.

The idea is to borrow from USA the concept of fusing various cultures and think of oneself as “British”.

That cannot happen even if British citizens are given the first chance to fill a vacancy. Also being British means priority in many other areas. Generally non-citizen Europeans get more opportunities then even white as well as black and brown British citizens when the latter do not have the right “looks”.

Unless the attitude of employers, both public sector and private sector is changed, the debate’s idea will not work.

Citizenship does not mean what it should like in the USA where all cultures get more opportunity provided they are citizens. Here, the concept is citizenship is not all that powerful.

In addition, when one takes the history of the Longbridge car manufacturing plant in the UK, the Rover Brand (British 1948-1078) collaborated with Honda (1979-1988) and was owned by BMW (1994-2000). There were cultural clashes and productivity went down.

Cultural clash between the British and Indians have worked better than Japanese, Chinese and German cultures.

Making sense of multiculturalism can become making nonsense of multiculturalism.

Narsibhai Patel New Malden

Arun Vaidyanathan By email

Nagin Khajuria By email

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Neurons can explain

Subscribe Today Bhupendra M. Gandhi By email

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

Ofsted cracks down on Brum school that faced takeover by Muslim fanatics A school at the centre of an alleged takeover plot by Islamist hardliners could now face strict government sanctions following a snap Ofsted inspection.

Park View Academy in Birmingham has been condemned in recent weeks for increasing ‘Islamisation’, hosting extremist preachers during assemblies and apparently encouraging girls to cover their hair.

Saturday it emerged the Education that Funding Agency had launched a separate probe into the school over the misuse of public funds to pay £70,000 for playground loudspeakers to

summon pupils to Islamic prayers.

Whistleblowing teachers have claimed the school is in the hands of a group of extremists who infiltrated the governing body, forcing non-Muslims out and replacing them with hardliners.

Earlier this month a letter was circulated referring to a ‘Trojan Horse’ plot for Muslim extremists to take over the running of schools.

Following the Ofsted inspection, Park View – previously rated ‘outstanding’ – will be downgraded to ‘inadequate’ enabling Ofsted to place the school in special meas-

ures, giving the watchdog the power to remove the governing body.

Meanwhile, pupils at Oldknow Primary in Small Heath were led in anti-Christian chanting by a teacher in assembly.

Oldknow, which like Park View has many Muslim pupils and its own madrasa has organised at least three trips to the holy city of Mecca, subsidised from public funds, and requires all pupils to learn Arabic. Its respected nonMuslim head-teacher, Bhupinder Kondal, recently left her post for resisting this increasingly radical agenda, according to fellow teachers.

Government examines Islamic charity with alleged links to radical group The Department for Education is “looking into” concerns about an Islamic charity that runs two independent schools and receives state funding to provide nursery places.

The Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation was described as a “front organisation” for Hizb utTahrir, a radical Islamist group, by David Cameron during Prime Minister’s Questions in 2009. The Charity Commission investigated the Foundation in 2010 and found no connection between the schools and Hizb ut Tahrir.

The British Humanist Association said the charity is being given grants, reported to be worth

£70,000 a year, to fund places for children at nurseries it runs in London and Berkshire. The campaign group said it was “alarmed” to have found a number of creationist, ultra-orthodox Haredi Jewish, Steiner and Muslim nurseries that receive state funding through a scheme to provide two, three and fouryears-olds with free education.

Pavan Dhaliwal, head of public affairs at the Association, said: “Two of the schools involved have been repeatedly dogged by accusations of extremism and five years ago Michael Gove and David Cameron made a big stand about how they should not be

getting funding. Yet nothing has changed.”

A spokesman for the Department for Education said: “We are aware of the longstanding concerns about these schools and are currently looking into them. All independent schools in receipt of earlyyears funding must follow clear standards to ensure children are taught the key skills they need to get a good start in life. They are also inspected by Ofsted or an Ofsted-assessed inspectorate - if any failings are found the Secretary of State has power to take regulatory action to enforce the standards.”

The charity declined to comment.

Dangerous toys taken off the market A Southall importer has been fined in court for selling dangerous toys following a joint operation led by Ealing Council with trading standards officers from across London.

A representative from Dashmesh Company Ltd, Unit A9 Charles House, Bridge Road, Southall, appeared before Ealing Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 6 March 2014.

The company pleaded guilty to seven offences and was fined £1,200 and ordered to pay £5,600 towards the council’s costs for the case. Mr Ahuja, director of

Dashmesh Company Ltd, was also fined £1,000 after pleading guilty to four safety offences due to his neglect. During the operation in January 2013, trading standards officers from Ealing and Enfield councils inspected toys on the premises to check that they complied with UK safety regula-

raged". It said council employees had already endured a "devastating three-year pay freeze and then a miserly 1% increase last year, representing a fall in pay in real terms back to the level of the 1990s". The pay offer does not affect teachers, firefighters, chief executives or senior officers. They are covered by separate pay arrangements.

Cllr Sian Timoney, who chaired talks between employers on the matter,

11

Vegetarian private school in court battle over racism claims

A £30,000-a-year vegetarian private school is being sued by parents who claim their son was subjected to 'racist bullying'.

St Christopher School, in Letchworth, Hertfordshire differs from similarly-priced traditional boarding schools, such as Eton and Harrow.

Staff and pupils are required to eat no meat, there is no school uniform and pupils address teachers by their first names, rather than as 'Sir' or 'Miss.'

The school was founded in 1915 'to promote understanding amongst students of other cultures and religions' and create an environment 'where all children are celebrated as individuals, regardless of their particular abilities.'

However, the school is

School was founded in 1915 'to promote understanding amongst students of other cultures and religions'

now at the centre of a High Court row, after the parents of a pupil - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - refused to pay £25,000 in fees, claiming that 'members of staff at the school were racist.'

The judge was told that controversy began brewing when the pupil’s parents stopped paying their fees and the company that runs the school, St Christopher School

Ltd, (Letchworth) launched a claim against them, saying they were contractually obliged to pay up.

The parents countered with allegations that the school had failed their son and launched a High counter-claim Court alleging breach of duty against the school and seeking damages 'substantially in excess of the fees claimed.'

Classroom temperature linked to grades The performance of school children in the classroom could be directly linked to good temperature control and ventilation. That's the claim made by a wide-ranging European study that has major implications for teachers and education authorities.

An academic paper claims that controlling air flow and temperature in classrooms means that pupil speed improves by up to one seventh, and accuracy increases substantially.

The implications of this study should be taken seriously in British education, and a similar approach

should be taken both in classroom design and in improving ventilation in existing classrooms, a leading UK air conditioning company says.

"Any employer can tell you the importance of temperature control and good ventilation in the workplace and this study shows it's exactly the same in the classroom. Despite the school system being geared towards results, good ventilation is something that's overlooked, especially in older buildings," says AirConUK.co.uk's Jonathan Ratcliffe.

According to results, an

Young people in Basingstoke and Deane are worried about preparing for the world of work and the advice they receive on future careers, according to a new survey

by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

Your Big Say is a large survey of 11 to 17 year olds across the borough, with the co-operation of local secondary schools and a local college.

The survey is a major exercise to gain first hand opinions from young people about the borough and

their lives in general, and the results will be used to inform the council’s youth strategy to improve the lives of young people.

Some of the issues that emerged in the 2013 survey were: • Overwhelmingly respondents enjoy education (up from 72% to 79%).

• 81% of respondents say that they will continue into FE (down 3% from 84%).

• 59% of respondents have decided on their future career (down 3% from 62%).

increase in the rate of fresh air from outside and a small reduction in the ambient temperature of the classroom led to marked improvements in performance among the children.

AirConUK.co.uk says that it's a "no-brainer" that improved classroom conditions increase performance among pupils, but it's encouraging to see this formalised by scientific research. It believes headteachers and education authorities should now take the opportunity to examine their air conditioning provision and bring it up to scratch.

COUNCIL Basingstoke’s youth have their big say

tions. Officers found nine out of the 10 sample toys removed and tested were unsafe. When the toys were tested, the pushchairs had faulty closing mechanisms which could trap a child’s fingers and the speed of the ‘missiles’ projected out of the toy guns was faster than was legally permitted. There were also missing safety warnings about potential choking hazards on the toys with small parts, and some of the parts easily detached from the toys designed for children under three years old.

Council employees offered 1% pay rise Council employees in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who earn more than £14,880 are being offered a 1% pay rise this year. Those on lower salaries will be offered a "slightly higher increase", the Local Government Association said. The offer could affect more than one million staff and follows a 1% rise last year, after a three-year wage freeze. Unison, which represents 600,000 workers, said it was "out-

EDUCATION/COUNCIL VOICE

said there had been a "broad consensus" in favour of a deal.

Councils say they are facing a severe spending squeeze. Under such circumstances, they argue that they face a bleak decision. Hold pay down or cut jobs. Those in charge of local government believe there are no easy savings left to make, and no quick fixes. To avoid a mass cull of staff, they have to avoid large pay increases.

• They have identified a need for work preparation skills and there are concerns relating to quality and access to advice and guidance around careers, and employment.

• Collectively respondents think that qualifications (33%), reliability (22%) and commitment (20%) and are the top three things to have when looking for a job.

• Money (27%), enjoyment (22%) and future prospects (15%) remain the most important factors to look for in a job.

Four years in jail for audacious fraudster A fraudster who abused his position of trust as a Southwark Council homelessness worker, was sentenced to four years in prison last week.

Ibrahim Bundu, who pleaded guilty last month to misconduct in a public office and transferring criminal property, was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court alongside four of his co-defendants who included his mother and one of his ex-wives.

They received suspended sentences ranging from 6-8

months, and other conditions including curfews and unpaid work.

Bundu’s crimes, which involved faking housing applications to help family and friends receive council homes, were described by the Judge as highly organised and premeditated.

The loss to the council from the misallocation of the properties was estimated to be in the region of £3.7million. Over three years, Ibrahim Bundu, his mother Marie Bundu, his ex-wife, Ada Kamara, his

estranged wife Fatmata Koroma, and Koroma’s aunt, Haja Sesay, along with fellow defendants Aminata Lassayo, and Rebecca Quartey, fraudulently obtained council houses for themselves, and for others, conning the council and those in genuine need of council housing out of much needed properties. The seven initially pleaded not guilty at Woolwich Crown Court but changed their pleas having heard the council’s prosecution case.

12

MEDIA WATCH

Ripples of concern among the BJP top brass greeted the news that party patriarch L.K.Advani would give up his present Gandhinagar constituency in Gujarat for Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. Sushma Swaraj, who leads the party in the Lok Sabha, and a number of her senior colleagues, called on Mr Advani at his Delhi residence to persuade him against the move as this could set the rumour mills into overdrive on his problematic relationship with Narendra Modi, the BJP’s aspirant for prime minister. Mr Advani agreed to stand from Gandhinagar. No sooner was the controversy ended than a second flared up when Jaswant Singh, a senior minister in the Vajpayee government, was denied a BJP ticket.

Sabha seat. The old soldier, unlike the civvies has come out roaring at the perceived slight, damning the current BJP leaders as “fakes.” The Times of India reported on its front-page (March 23): “BJP’s internal convulsions showed no signs of subsiding with leader of the

L.K.Advani,

Clearly put out by the decision, Mr Singh gave notice that he would be standing as an Independent from the Barmar constituency in Rajasthan. BJP heavyweight Arun Jaitley is to be opposed by Punjab Congress leader Amarinder Singh in Amritsar. Narendra Modi, meanwhile, has decided to stand from two constituencies, as the rules permit, one from Vadodara, in Gujarat, where he is Chief Minister, the second from

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

non-appearance at a joint public meeting in Delhi, has tempted fate again by fielding Trinamool Congress candidate Umesh Mishra against Congress President Sonia Gandhi at Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, and one Indira Tiwari fielded against Narendra Modi at Varanasi, where she will be joined by the high profile Aam Aadmi pied piper Arvind Kejriwal (Hindu, Times of India March 20) Singer Bappi Lahiri, engineer Tathagata Roy and politician Tapan Sikdar may help the BJP win seats in West Bengal thus breaking the mould in a state where it has lacked a significant support base (Times of India March 21)

Sam Pitroda admission

One of India’s foremost doers, telecom expert Sam Pitroda, credited the Congress-led government’s “phenomenal work” over the past ten years, while admitting that mistakes were also made. “Not everything we did in the last decade was right.

Sam Pitroda

M.J.Akbar

Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.

Standing from Varanasi, with its religious symbolism for Hindus carries a dual message, the first for the Hindutva faithful, the second, to convince the wider public that he was an all-India figure and not simply a Gujarati leader. How this will play out remains to be seen, but Citigroup has said the rupee would appreciate to $45 if Mr Modi were to become India’s prime minister.

Journalist M.J.Akbar, once a Congressman in the Rajiv Gandhi era, has switched sides to become the BJP’s candidate from a Delhi constituency. He is likely to acquire a ministerial berth were the party to achieve power, his vaulting political ambition fulfilled at last (Times of India, Hindu March 20,21,22)

Opposition Sushma Swaraj batting for sidelined senior leader Jaswant Singh, saying she is hurt by the party’s decision to deny him a ticket from Barmar.”

BJP is a house divided.

Mamata, Kejriwal in ring

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, having suffered the ignominy of Anna Hazare’s rejection of support for her Trinamool Congress with his

The BJP’s War of the Roses appears to have commenced with Jaswant Singh’s dismissal as party candidate for a Lok

I own up to the mistakes. But mistakes happened because we did something,” said the Prime Minister’s Advisor on Public Information Infrastructure. Mr Pitroda pointed to the government’s failure to communicate with the public at the lowest level on its myriad achievements including the Food Security Bill.

Mamata Banerjee

Taking a major step forward, the government’s top regulator – Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee – has validated “confined field trials” of 10 varieties of Genetically Modified (GM) crops, including wheat, rice, maize and cotton. This brings to an end a period of uncertainty when the issue was shelved by a former minister of the environment. Future food security for India depends on the application of science and technology to boost the country’s agricultural production to match and exceed the growth in population (Times of India March 22)

Microsoft’s 39 year-old Indian, Satya Nandella, said in a newspaper interview, that he was proud of Indian talent: “India is a tremendous source of technological talent both at home and around the world, and that is something we can all take pride in.” He said: “I deeply appreci-

Mr Pitroda said he was concerned at the drift from the concept of India bequeathed by Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Rabindranath Tagore with the stress on democracy, inclusion of disadvantaged sections of society, the acceptance of cultural pluralism and diversity et al. Building a nation was not the same as building a company, he averred. He berated the media for “telling a pack of lies.

It reminds me of the campaign before the 1989 election, when Rajiv Gandhi was blamed for enriching himself through the Bofors arms deal. It turned out to be a falsehood, said Sam Pitroda. Gandhi lost the election and was assassinated. (Hindu March 20)

In the Himalayan foothills of Uttarkhand, an enterprising farmer, Vijay Jardhari by name, has started a movement to save ancient seed varieties from extinction, which he says, with

charge of operations for the entire region, and also direct synergies that would cover Southeast Asia and China.

Furthermore, India will become the centre of a research and development programme for business solutions, and a sourcing base for mobile phones, the production of which has been discontinued in Japan as part of global restructuring.

India plan

“India will be the second version of Panasonic Corporation as it has huge potential and is the most promising country from a future growth perspective because markets in the US, Europe and Japan have matured.

We look at India from two perspectives, one from capability creation and the other from a perspective….India regional [has] been categorized as [a] strategic region [along with ASEAN and China] and we see India on the top now from a business perspective,” said Kaszuhiro Tsuga, Global President, Panasonic Corporation (Times of India March 15)

Industry revival

January saw 264 firms set up in India on a daily basis, with Maharashtra as the most favoured destination. The registration of new companies totalled 8,206 during the month, indicating surely a genuine industrial revival in the country.

“Under the category of companies limited by shares, Maharashtra had the maximum number of registrations (1,563), followed by Delhi (1,356) and Uttar Pradesh (741),” said the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (Indian Express March 17)

Axis Bank stake sale

The government has raised Rs5,577 crore by divesting a 9 per cent stake in the Axis Bank Ltd, India’s third-largest private sector lender, an exercise that should meet its divestment target comfortably and also reduce the country’s fiscal deficit (Mint March 22)

Concept of India

Farmer’s innovation

War of the Roses

Nod for GM crops

Nadella proud of India

Jaswant Singh

Sushma Swaraj

supporting evidence, will boost local agriculture in a big way..

He has in his collection 350 varieties of paddy, eight varieties of wheat, 220 varieties of kidney beans, eight of cowpea and 12 varieties of navarangi dhal. Mr Jardhari is credited with discovering an old Uttarkhand tradition, where certain seeds were found to be drought and pest resistant, could withstand floods. He has given up chemical farming because of its modest yields. “Today Vijay Jardhari has not only been able to change the mindset of the people of Uttarkhand but also of the Government.” (Hindu March 20)

Satya Nadella

Khushwant Singh

ate the support and encouragement I have received from people all across India.” He is a voracious reader with wide literary tastes, his passion being English poetry. His all-time favourite is Keats’ “Ode to a Grecian Urn” and its haunting final haunting lines: “Beauty is truth, truth beauty – that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.”

Khushwant Singh

Japanese electronics giant Panasonic is putting India at the heart of its global strategy. The $76 billion Osaka-based company has decided to make India its regional hub to service the subcontinent, the Middle East and Africa. It is moving one of its top managerial brains, Yoshihiko Yamada, to New Delhi to take

Khushwant Sinngh, author, journalist and raconteur died at his Delhi home, aged 99.

Cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi’s tribute was the most appropriate of the many paid to his memory: “Well, he may have left the world but I doubt if he’ll ever leave our thoughts and bookshelves. We, as a nation, need to celebrate the life of a man who was a constant reminder of Indianism at its best.”

India hub for Panasonic

13

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

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COMMUNITY

Bal Gopal Foundation hosts Shaam-e-Mehfil

14

From LtoR - Mitesh Shah; Alpesh Patel; Nilesh Kerai; Paresh Bhudia; Bharat Janani; Ajay Patel; Ravi Bhanderi; Bhavesh Patel; Vishnu Patel, Dhiren Savani; Nimesh Savani; Afzal Parkar; On the Floor: Bhairavi Patel; Alpi Amin

Bal Gopal Foundation is a zero percent admin charity organisation, for educating under privileged children in third world counties. They had arranged a Shaam-E- Mehfil Night on Saturday 15th March 2014 at the Sattavis Patidar Centre in Wembley, where around

of the schools and children that BGF are active in supporting, along with photos of previous events and sponsors for the mehfil night and previous events.

The hosts for the evening were Mr Afzal Parkar & Mr Nilesh Kerai. Who both wel-

Mr Ajay Patel (Chairman); keith Vaz MP; Mr Dhiren Savani (Treasurer)

350 guests of all ages attended.

The evening started with a meeting and greeting of guests, with committee members giving detailed information about the charity.

This event was predominantly, to raise awareness of the organisation and how effective a zero admin charity gives 100% in monetary terms, 100% commitment and most of all, the actions of all those in our organisation through the heart.

Slide shows were on display throughout the evening depicting photos

comed the guest’s and went on to say how Bal Gopal Foundation, in such a short space of time they have managed to help support over 500 children, currently in several regions in India.

The result of which, are the broadest of smiles and tears of joy – this being the measure of their true success. Their aim is to one day build and run a school under the Bal Gopal Foundation banner.

Prior the main event, a delicious buffet dinner was served by Club 2000.

Thereafter all the guests were ready and geared up

to melodious music provided by Narayan and Krishna of Shiv Pri Arts.

Before the music, they were graced by the presence of the Right Honourable MP for Leicester East & Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Keith Vaz - who congratulated Bal Gopal Foundation on their hard work and level of commitment, in addition kindly donated a prize for the raffle, to the free raffle draw.

The first 90 minutes of the mehfil went by quickly and guests were enjoying song after song, singing along to some old classics. During the short interval, the raffle took place, also during which time a traditional desert was served.

The second half of the mehfil was even more electrifying with songs from past and present as requested by the guests.

The last half an hour consisted of various qawalis and to end the night, a holi number was sung which got the crowd dancing on their feet.

The event, helped raise over £5,000.00, through donations and sponsorship.

Their next event which is the Annual Golf Tournament, in May, followed by the Annual Cricket Tournament and Funday, in August.

Indian journalist come activist bags prestigious Digital Activism Award Shubhranshu Choudhary, an Indian Journalist come activist, has been honoured with the prestigious Digital Activism Award at this year’s edition of Freedom of Expression Awards in Barbican Centre in London. Mr. Choudhary is the founder of a hyper local mobile news platform in Chattisgarh state.

The prestigious award which is organised by London-based international organisation Index on Censorship, recognises

the bravest journalists, artists and activists from all across the globe in four different categories.

Choudhary emerged as a clear winner in a public vote surpassing heavyweights like US whistleblower Edward Snowden and China’s Free Weibo.

A Knight International Journalism fellow, Choudhary, pictured, is the brain behind CGNet Swara(Voice of Chhattisgarh) which is a voice-based portal freely accessible via mobile

Shubhranshu Choudhary

phone. It allows anyone to report and listen to stories of local interest in the local dialect, which is Ghondi in this case.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

Giving back to the community is our moral duty

Rupanjana Dutta, Associate Editor

The Bhagvad Gita says that one should give as much as possible money to some good cause. And when the cause is closer to our hearts, perhaps it deserves more than just money.

Many Asians from our community depend heavily on hospices when it comes to the elderly family members. Many have benefitted from such care services.

And St Luke's as a hospice has undoubtedly helped many to give their family the best treatment in their final years.

It has provided and continues to provide free end of life care to people whose illnesses are no longer curable.

The Hospice gives their patients the best possible quality of life during the final stages of their illness and relies on the support of the community to raise £3 million each year in order to do this.

To raise money for the St Luke's Hospice, Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar Publisher/ Editor Mr CB Patel and Chief of Operations Mr L George will be locked up on Friday 4 April in the Pinner Police Station. The detainees won’t be let out until they raise their minimum £1000 ‘bail fee’.

They will be locked up with Dorab Mistry OBE; The London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow, Navin Shah AM;

Harrow Central Mosque’s Mohammed Trustees, Abdul Rahman; Cllr Ajay Maru who is also the owner of Salon Sleek; The Chair of Harrow Sikh Association, Gopal Bhachu and St Luke’s Trustee, Ramesh Bhanderi.

For this noble cause Graham Buckland has raised £1645, Mohammed Rahman has raised £1518, Ramesh Bhandari has collected £1124.75, Nigel Orton has raised £795 and Cllr N Shah has raised £928 so far.

Newsweeklies Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar and the St Luke's hospice urges the readers of the newspapers, the believers of social services and hospice cares, philanthropists and the well wishers of the detainees, to come forward and give generously to this Hospice.

Asian Business Publications Limited has always done its bit for the community. It makes sure that a generous amount is raised for worthwhile causes every year.

ABPL has recently

donated £4000 to Shishukunj, £1000 to Dr Kiran Bedi's Vision Foundation. In the last 5 years not only we have given over £20,000 every year to different causes, in the last one decade we have raised a huge sum of money, for various charities, at our prestigious Asian Achievers Awards.

This also includes over £50,000 for St Luke's Hospice, a few years back.

As a way of ethical and moral duty, we have also made sure to let go of upto £45,000 per annum, through adverts on faith and magic healers.

We as a newspaper ensure to give back generously to our community, and we hope we will aspire our people to come forward and give generously to social causes and charities they believe in.

Eric George Cecil Rawson was a St Luke’s patient and received end of life care in the comfort of his home. It was at the discretion of his solicitor and acting executor, Mr Bharat Pindoria of Pindoria Solicitors in Stanmore, that a generous cheque for £250,000 was presented to the Hospice from Mr Rawson’s will. Other charities who supported the elderly in Harrow also received a donation. This legacy is the largest ever received by St Lukes Hospice.

St Luke’s Director of Fundraising, Pam Russell said, “St Luke’s Hospice is tremendously grateful to Mr Rawson and Pindoria Solicitors for this generous legacy. Every legacy, large or small is gratefully received and will make a valuable contribution to our patient care, but a legacy of this size will make a tremendous difference to the Hospice. It could, for example, fund 40% of the costs of our Home Care teams, enabling patients to access high quality hospice care in the familiar surroundings of their own homes with the support of home visits from our doc-

tors, nurses and social workers.”

Mr Pindoria, on behalf of the estate of Eric Rawson, said, “I am very glad and proud that St Luke’s have received a generous donation under Mr Rawson’s will. This donation will continue the excellent work St Luke’s does in the community.

I’d like to emphasise that it is important that people make a Will using professional solicitors who are experts in will writing.

Pindoria Solicitors has become the first solicitors firm in Harrow to be accredited by the Law Society with the Wills and Inheritance Quality Scheme. Interestingly, by making a substantial donation to charities, Mr Eric Rawson’s estate saved nearly £200,000 in

Inheritance Tax as all bequests to charities are exempt from the tax. I would prefer that St Luke’s and others charities received this money, rather than HMRC and the government.”

Pindoria Solicitors are long standing supporters of St Luke’s. They have taken part in the Hospice’s October ‘Make a Will month’ which involves solicitors preparing a will free of charge in exchange for a donation to St Luke’s, or they donate a percentage of their fee to the Hospice. Mr Bharat Pindoria will also be taking part in St Luke’s skydive event on 26 April. He will be joining 15 people from the new Swaminarayan Temple Kingsbury to raise sponsorship for St Luke’s.

Sponsor CB Patel at www.justgiving.com/CBPatel and George at www.justgiving.com/L George or make your donations over the phone by contacting Aneka on 020 8382 8063.

Harrow resident leaves £250,000 to St Luke’s Hospice in his Will

SPECIAL

15

20th Anniversary of the Campaign to save Bhaktivedanta Manor (Hare Krishna temple) celebrated in the Parliament

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

Thousands sat on the road outside Parliament 20 years ago protesting about the closure of one of the most famous Temples outside of India. However 20 years later a celebration in Parliament recognised how it was possible for the Hindu, Jain and Sikh communities to come together and show what can be achieved with one voice.

Scores of Lords, MP, Councillors and key members of the Hare Krishna community came together to share their memories of the one and only campaign that brought together the entire British Hindu community.

The evening was hosted by Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP. Rt Hon Simon Hughes MP, Minister of State for Justice and Civil Liberties and Lord Dolar Popat, a Government Whip and Lord-in-Waiting in the House of Lords also graced the occasion. Other MPs present included, Bob Blackman MP, Richard Harrington MP, Virendra Sharma MP, Barry Gardiner MP, Gareth Thomas MP, and Rt Hon Sadiq Khan MP. Former MPs present included Tony McNulty, Clare Ward and Andrew Dismore.

Other notable attendees included: Friends from Letchmore Heath village and Hertsmere Council, former members of ISKCON's legal team David Altaras QC and

Peter Trevelyan, Harriet Crabtree (Chair of the Interfaith Network), Zerbanoo Gifford (ASHA Foundation) and many more.

The evening started with a prayer by Kripamoyo Das. The speakers for the evening included Rt Hon Keith Vaz, MP, CB Patel, Publisher/Editor of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar, Rt Hon Simon Hughes, Lord Dolar Popat, Kokilaben Patel, Managing Editor, Gujarat Samachar, One of the key sponsors for the magazine, Suresh Vagjiani from Sow and Reap, Kanti Nagda from the Sangat Advice Centre and Patron of Karmayoga Foundation.

From ISKCON speeches were given by Srutidharma Das, Akhandadhi Das and Gauri Das. From Pandava Sena a speech was given

by Ajay Kumar. Vinay Tanna gave the vote of thanks. A few devotional songs were presented by popular singer, Navin Kundra. A special award

Compere of the evening Surina Mangat

Kripamoyo Das from the Bhaktivedanta Manor saying a prayer

Suresh Vagjiani of Sow and Reap, sponsor, giving a speech

Kokila Patel, Managing Editor of Gujarat Samachar speaking at the event

CB Patel Honouring Frank Ward for his contribution to the Hindu Community, accompanied by his wife Cathy and daughter Clare Ward

was presented to Frank Ward by CB. He was accompanied by his wife Cathy and daughter Clare Ward on the stage.

CB Patel, Publisher/Editor of the Asian Voice and key campaigner launched the souvenir magazine which detailed the history - the low and high points of the campaign.

Akhandadhi Das, Temple President of Bhaktivedanta Manor of the time, delivered an emotional speech recalling that when the Hindu community came together in such numbers they protested with integrity.

Srutidharma Das, the current Temple President recalled the harnessing of 36,000 Hindus Jain and Sikhs who marched to Parliament on 16th March 1994, when all members of the community and generations of families joined together.

“This became the turning point of the Campaign and the self –belief of the Hindu community,” he added.

Keith Vaz MP, who helped and supported the campaign throughout said that “the campaign was a rite of passage for the British Hindu community

who now have a strong and important political presence”. Lord Popat echoed that the success of Hindus since those days has been profound and lasting both economically and politically.

The Minister of Justice and Civil Liberties the Rt Hon Simon Hughes MP said that in the end the British democratic system prevailed and through peaceful protest the rights of worship were preserved.

The Campaign history

On 16 March 1994, over 36,000 Hindus marched on Westminster against Hertsmere Council's decision to close the Manor, because of complaints from local residents about the increasing volume of traffic, especially around festival time.

It was a long journey fraught with difficulties, and the campaign looked as if would fail on many occasions, with Hertsmere Council issuing an enforcement notice to close the temple to the public entirely in 1985.

When the temple launched an appeal to the Department of the Environment, the congregational community of

Rt Hon Keith Vaz, MP welcoming the guests

Srutidharma Das addressing the audience

Gauri Das giving his speech

Kanti Nagda, Patron of Karmayoga Foundation addressing the audience

Vinay Tanna, Giving the Vote of thanks

Bhaktivedanta Manor sent letters and petitions to the British government and held many protest events.

In 1990, the appeal was refused and the Secretary of State announced ‘No new temple. Stop your worship. Stop your festivals.’

Despite appealing to the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the European Court, and exploring every legal channel, the temple was to close to the public.

However, just months before the deadline, negotiations for land opened up again. Devotees and well-wishers both nationally and internationally expressed their concerns to the Government, and over a hundred members of Parliament joined the list of supporters. The British Government began to realise that this was not a small issue.

On Wednesday, March 16 1994, the enforcement notice was taking effect.

On that historical day, 36,000 people gathered in Westminster, London from all over the country in a display of unity.

At the start of 1996 another appeal went to the Department of the Environment. The Public Inquiry lasted over six

Lord Dolar Popat speaking at the event

Ajay Kumar, Leader of the Pandava Sena sharing his experience of 1994

Rt Hon Simon Hughes addressing the audience

months, and yet worshippers continued to visit, despite being branded as criminals for breaking the enforcement.

However, without warning, the report from the Department of the Environment was issued, successfully granting planning permission for Bhaktivedanta Manor.

In his concluding report, the Secretary of State acknowledged that ‘[the temple] is unique in the UK because there is no comparable alternative place for teaching, worship and meditation; and the level of provision of these religious facilities is to an exceptionally high standard. Furthermore, the close association of the Hare Krishna movement’s founder with the Manor makes it a special, if not unique place . . . so that association must continue.’

The campaign increased the fame of Bhaktivedanta Manor. It also increased the estate from 17 acres to 70 acres, with the purchases of the additional land for the access road, which also provided more festival parking space and more room for the temple cows.

Photo courtesy: Raj D Bakrania, Prmediapix

Akandadhi Das sharing his experience of the 1994 rally

Navin Kundra singing devotional songs

16

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

BSP to contest alone in Lok Sabha elections: Mayawati will put up candidates in all 80 seats in UP.” In order to provide proper representation to all senctions of society BSP has decided to field field 34 OBC, 16 Muslim, 17 SCs, 21 Brahmin and 8 Khastriya candidates from UP, she said. Criticizing the Congress as well as the BJP she said that the people of this country were highly disappointed with the anti-people policies of the UPA government at the centre. Even BJP would not able to form government, she said adding that BSP will attempt to defeat both Congress and the BJP in these polls to ensure a

Lucknow: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati clarified her party’s strategy that BSP would not form an alliance with any political outfit in Uttar Pradesh and contest from all the 80 seats in the biggest Indian state.

The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minster said that even at the national level the Party would go all alone.

Releasing the list of her party candidates, Mayawati said: “We have decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections alone, we

‘Dream Girl’ from Mathura

New Delhi: Actress of yesteryears known as ‘dream girl’ – Hema Malini to contest from Mathura constituency in Uttar Pradesh. Former Rajya Sabha MP and one time Bollywood’s top star Hema Malini’s request to contest from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh has been accepted. She is seen as a strong challenger to Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chaudhary who is the sitting member of Parliament. Hema Malini’s Jat connection by way of her marriage to former film star Dharmendra is seen to be an asset apart from her celebrity status.

non-BJP, nor Congress government is formed at the Centre.

Clearly, she is banking on Dalit-Brahmin-Muslim combination which brought her to power in UP in 2007 assembly elections and helped her put up an impressive show in 2009 Lok Sabha elections.

“BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav are fighting from east UP due to a hidden understanding between the two. We will not let Congress or BJP come to power,” she said adding that she will launch her election campaign from March 22.

Husband and wife to contest against each other in UP

Muzaffarnagar: In an interesting contest, a couple will be pitted against each other in Muzaffarnagar in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Shahida Begum, wife of Kadir Rana, MP from Bahujan Samaj Party, filed her nomination from this constituency, as an independent candidate, officials said. Interestingly, Rana is a sitting MP from Muzaffarnagar which will go to polls on April 10 and has been re-nominated by the party for the Lok Sabha elections. He had left Samajwadi Party in 2007 to join Rashtriya Lok Dal and then switched to BSP in 2009. He was among the 10 persons chargesheeted by the SIT probing Muzaffarnagar riots for provoking communal tension with inflammatory speeches during a Muslim community panchayat.

Modi requests supporters not to use ‘Har Har…’ slogan

AV correspondent

Gandhinagar: Following objections of the Congress as well as religious leaders over election slogan ‘Har Har Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi’ on NDA’s Prime Ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi on Sunday requested his supporters and BJP cadres not to chant any slogans hurting religious sentiments.

Clarifying his vies, Modi said that some enthusiastic supporters were using the slogan. “I really respect their enthusiasm but request not to use this slogan in the future,” he said.

The slogan has already created controversy as the Congress leader and Union Minister Salman Khurshid asked the

Election Commission to take cognizance of the matter.

The Congress leader Ajai Rai, based in Varanasi also objected on the slogan earlier and said that it was an insult to Lord Shiva and crores of devotees.

M e a n w h i l e , Shankaracharya of Dwarka Pith Swaroopanand Saraswati also opposed the use of slogan and had spoken to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat to stop chanting of such slogans as it is only used for the Lord Shiva as ‘Har Har Mahadev’. Mahant Vijay Pur of Batuk Bhairav temple in Varanasi and other two religious leader also opined against the use of the slogan.

New Delhi: Veteran Congress Party leader Jagdambika Pal and Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Raju Srivastava joined BJP with less than a month to go for the general elections. Describing both Pal as a leader of high political standing,

BJP president Rajnath Singh said that his decision to join the BJP, would go a long way in strengthening the party on the national stage. He said that both Pal and Srivastava have been given significant roles in the party.

Pal, Raju Srivastava in BJP

Madhusudan Mistry to

AV Correspondent

Vadodara: With NDA’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has decided to field his nomination from Gujarat’s Vadodara constituency, the Congress decided to put its senior leader Madhusudan Mistry against Modi. The decision came after Narendra Rawat, whom the party earlier declared its candidate from the constituency willingly decided to withdraw his candidature.

In fact well before BJP announced the Gujarat Chief Minister’s name for Vadodara Lok Sabha constituency, the Congress party had declared its candidate Narendra Rawat as its candidate for the seat.

The fight as Narendra V/s Naredndra.

The 43-year-old Congress candidate was apparently too weak against the stature of Modi. ‘i was declared the Congress candidate, I have requested the high command to change the candidate and requested that Congress may declare the stronger candidate

Narendra Modi and Madhusudan Mistry

Vadnagar + Varanasi + Vadodara = Victory

BJP workers in Varanasi as well as in Vadodara are upbeat following candidature of their prime ministerial candidate from the constituencies situated in the Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat states. Some inno-

vative party cadre have created a moral boosting equation the ‘V4’ formula – Vadnagar (Modi’s hometown) + Varanasi + Vadodara = ‘Victory’ all four words starts from letter ‘V’.

Telugu actor turned politician ensures support to BJP

AV Correspondent

where I will contest in the Lok Sabha elections,” he said.

Gandhinagar: Telugu film The actor turned politiSuperstar and founder of a cian clearly mentioned that political outfit in Andhra he would whole heartedly Pradesh – Jan Sena – met support Modi as the prime NDA’s prime ministerial canminister. “Nation needs didate Narendra Modi on him,” he said. Criticizing the Friday evening at the State Congress he said that it was capital Gandhinagar. The Pawan Kalyan the indecisive leadership that political party, he launched has led to the bifurcation of on 4th March this year with a and choreographer in Telugu Andhra Pradesh. Not only slogan “Congress Hatao, Cinema said that he had not the Congress, he also blamed Desh Bachao”, which match yet decided on contesting all other political outfits with the Modi’s agenda too. elections. “It would take few active in Andhra Pradesh for He extended solidarity to days for me to decide from ‘improper’ bifurcation of the Modi and BJP in the upcomstate. ing elections.

The actor has Sources close already cleared his to the developstand saying that he ment informed was ready to join any that Kalyan, who party to oust is also the AV Correspondent Congress from power. youngest brother Gandhinagar: Telugu film Acknowledging his of actor turned star Nagarjuna met the desire, Telugu p o l i t i c i a n Gujarat Chief Minister in Desham Party Cheeranjivi. the State capital on Monday President N I n t e r e s t i n g l y, and said Modi would be the Chandrababu Naidu Cheeranjivi had next Prime Minister. had invited him to also founded a Amid speculations of join hands with him. regional political Nagarjuna’s joining of BJP, Tollywood actor outfit, which was the Telugu film actor appre- clarified that he was later on merged ciated the development in not interested in with the Congress party. Currently, Gujarat and said the meeting with Modi gave him power and position, he is the Union a great opportunity share ideas with the BJP rather “he wishes Minister of State leader. Nagarjuna also applauded Modi’s vision of well-being of the peofor Tourism in focusing on sustainable and self-sufficient devel- ple of divided state” and that why he came UPA-2 govern- opment in the State.

The 54-year old actor though didn’t reveal his to meet NDA’s PM ment.

After the plans whether he would join BJP or not but he candidate. Praising on the meeting with the said that he was inspired by Modi and he would shower Chief Gujarat Chief become the next PM. “I wanted to meet the Gujarat Minister versatile leader who will lead the country in 2014,” he said Minister he said that it people of Andhra artist Kalyan, who revealing the purpose of his visit.

If sources have to be believed, Nagarjuna Pradesh could live is known not only for acting but also wants his actor wife Amala to be fielded as BJP peacefully in Gujarat, known as martial candidate from one of the constituencies in why wouldn’t they artist, director, Andhra Pradesh. “He (Nagarjuna) was earlier met live harmoniously in screen writer, to BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu, who also hails from the unified Andhra Pradesh. stunt coordinator AP,” said a senior BJP leader in Gujarat BJP.

Telugu film star Nagarjuna paid visit to Modi

SPECIAL

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

o contest against Modi from Vadodara," Rawat said.

Mistry who is the Congress general secretary, said that he had been waiting for the moment since many years.

"This was the moment I was waiting for years. Let Modi fight from Vadodara, I will also fight from here and defeat him.

I am very confident that I will defeat him," he said. Modi, who is also contesting from Varanasi constituency in Uttar Pradesh, has strategically decided to contest from his home-state. The move is like killing two birds with a single stone – It is not only a cakewalk for Modi but his nomination would have great impact on three adjoining parliamentary constituencies in the Central Gujarat – Anand, Kheda and Dahod – All are currently with the Congress. In the last Lok Sabha elections, Bharatsinh Solanki, Dinsha Patel and Dr. Prabha Taviyad won convincingly from these constituencies. Knowing the importance of their victory, the Congress high command too appreciated them as Solanki and Patel were given berth in

Manmohan cabinet.

Dr. Taviyad despite being first time MP was elevated by All India Congress Committee (AICC) vice president Rahul Gandhi as AICC secretary in January this year. A senior BJP leader in Gujarat said that Vadodara, known as cultural capital of Gujarat, is a ‘home away from home’ for Narendra Modi. The Gujarat Chief Minister has great affection with the city as it was his ‘Karmabhoomi’ as RSS Pracharak. “He resided in the city for seven years and worked as Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS) before he joined active politics in 1987.

Modi was ‘Pracharak’ for Vadodara Vibhag from 1980 to 1986,” confirmed a veteran RSS worker in Gujarat.

Interestingly, Vadodara Lok Sabha constituency has been remained BJP’s forte.

Since 1991, the BJP has won five out of six parliamentary elections. The only defeat came from the constituency in 1996 that too with a thinnest margin of mere 17 votes. That year, BJP’s candidate Jitendra Sukhadia lost against the

AV Correspondent

Vajpayee government Harin Pathak claimed that the saffron party was not only inducting the Congress leaders, who had openly criticized BJP in the past but also Harin Pathak and Paresh Rawal gave tickets to date. them. Apparently unhappy It is well known in politiover denial of ticket from his cal circles in Gujarat that traditional constituency, the Modi had wanted to scrap seven times MP said that cerPathak’s candidature during tain ‘activities’ that have the last two general elections taken place in the party have but could not do so because not only hurt him but many of Advani’s intervention. But other BJP workers who this time, with he being the remained loyal to the party for prime ministerial candidate, years. Hinting the film actor even the octogenarian Advani Paresh Rawal who replaced could not do much with he him from his traditional conhimself being pushed around. stituency as outsider, Pathak Once considered as said that people would like to ‘Chhote Vajpayee’ for his have local leader as MP, who Oratorical skills, former live among them and listen Minister of State in the their problems.

Congress candidate Satyajitsinh Gaekwad. “It was because of infighting within the saffron party that led to Shubhangini Raje Gaekwad, who is from Vadodara royal family, entering the fray as independent candidate. As a result of it, Sukhadia suffered defeat,” said a local BJP leader.

Besides, all seven assembly segments under Vadodara LS constituency are with the saffron party. Moreover, in the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC), BJP is the ruling party. Former Vadodara mayor Balkrishna Shukla was fielded in 2009 and he won with huge margin of 1.36 lakh votes against the Congress candidate Satyajitsinh Gaekwad. “The margin was the highest in the State, even higher than then NDA’s PM candidate LK Advani,” he informed adding that unlike majority of constituencies in the State, Vadodara is having nearly 80 per cent urban voters. Of 15.90 lakh voters in the constituency, 11.88 are from urban areas.

BJP drops Harin Pathak, gives ticket to Paresh Rawal

Ahmedabad: Obviously under the influence of its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, the BJP election committee eventually dropped seven-time Ahmedabad East MP and close aide of LK Advani Harin Pathak after keeping him in suspense for days, and announced the candidature of Hindi film actor Paresh Rawal from the BJP dominated constituency.

Rawal, known for his ‘character roles’ in the bollywood is now set play real-life politician’s role. He also played the role of Sardar Patel in a movie named after the freedom movement leader.

Rawal is said to be rewarded for extensively campaigning for the Gujarat Chief Minster during the last assembly elections in December 2012.

“Rawal was instrumental for connecting Narendra Modi with many film stars.

Besides his firebrands speeches in typical Gujarati accent (spoken in North Gujarat), especially in Ahmedabad and North Gujarat region became extremely popular and struck a chord with the people during the assembly elections,” said a senior BJP leader in Gujarat.

In the face of speculation that Modi might himself decide to contest from Ahmedabad East since his own assembly constituency Maninagar falls under this seat, Pathak had, at his diplomatic best, said he was all too willing to vacate his seat for the prime ministerial candi-

BJP drops Jaswant Singh, becomes independent candidate New Delhi: Following denial of Lok Sabha ticket, veteran leader Jaswant Singh became rebel and fielded nomination from Barmer constituency in Rajasthan as an independent candidate. He also made it clear that the party will have to suffer the consequences of internal strife coming to the fore ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Col. Sonaram, who recently joined the BJP after

quitting the Congress, has been declared the candidate from Barmer.

Meanwhile, Jaswant Singh has not said whether he is quitting the BJP or will remain with the party.

Party leaders however believe that they will be able to pacify him and get him to withdraw his nomination from Barmer. They also said that they expect to benefit from the senior leader’s guidance in the future too.

17

EC to get Aamir Khan as icon for general elections

New Delhi: The Election Commission is likely to sign up ‘perfectionist’ Hindi film star and now host of popular TV show 'Satyamev Jayate', Aamir Khan, as its national icon.

He will be part of EC's v o t e r awareness initiatives for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, and is expected to feature in print and audio-visual campaigns aimed at educating people about the importance of choosing the right candidate.

Though EC had approached Khan earlier this year, it is only now that the terms of his association as a brand ambassador could be finalized.

The arrangement will be purely voluntary and noncommercial.

Though the name of

cricketer Virat Kohli was also doing the rounds as a possible sixth national icon, sources say he will continue to be a state icon for the Delhi state EC. "In any case, we already have a cricketer , Dhoni, on our list of national icons," said a senior EC functionary.

Khan is currently in the news for hosting the second season of popular TV series, Satyamev Jayate , which highlights social issues.

The cine star, known for his methodical approach to acting, will join the likes of former President A P J Abdul Kalam, ace cricketer M S Dhoni, tennis star Saina Nehwal and boxer Mary Kom, the existing national icons who have been helping EC enthuse voters to participate in elections.

guidelines for social media

With political parties using social networking sites in a big way for campaigning in Lok Sabha polls, Election Commission has issued detailed guidelines for political advertisements on such platforms that include obtaining certification for contents before putting them in public domain. EC has also asked the social networking sites to maintain expenditure incurred by the political parties and individual candidates on advertisements so that they can be produced to the Commission when requested for. In separate letters to major social networking sites on Tuesday, the Commission directed them to ensure that the content displayed by them during the electoral process was not “unlawful or malicious or violative of the model code of conduct.”

Rahul terms Lok Sabha polls as ‘battle of thoughts’

Tanda (Himachal Pradesh): While addressing ex-servicemen, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) vicepresident Rahul Gandhi termed the Lok Sabha elections as a ‘battle of thoughts’, saying while the Congress stood for empowering the people, the opposition represented only the rich in the country.

The Congress leader said he would make whole-hearted attempts to fulfill the demands of the veterans including representation for the armed forces in the central pay commission.

“The election is a battle of thoughts in India.

On one hand, there is

Congress which feels that power should be in each and every hand and that is how the country can be powerful. On the other side, the opposition thinks that the country can be run by only powerful and rich and they have no place for the poor in their ideas,” said the 43-year-

old scion of NehruGandhi dynasty.

Addressing the veterans, he said he agreed with the view that there is a divide between the armed forces and the bureaucracy, saying, “I could feel this divide during the one-rank, one-pension issue.” He stressed that at times he would be able to meet the demands of ex-servicemen, but sometimes he would not be able to do so.

“I cannot make big promises but my intentions are very clean. I promise you that whatever demands you have, I would always make a whole-hearted effort to meet your demands,” he said.

phases on April 17 and 24 for 48 Lok Sabha seats. The last time, the polling in Satara and Mumbai was on the same day.

The people went to Pawar their hometowns.

But this time, the polling in Satara is on April 17 and here April 24. Vote for the ‘clock’ (NCP symbol) there (in Satara) and come back to vote for the clock here as well,” he said at a gathering of workers, locally called “mathadi kamgaar,”

in Navi Mumbai.“Do erase the ink mark which will be put when you vote first,” he said. Taking offence to the remarks, senior state BJP leader and Leader of the opposition Vinod Tawade said the same could invite the EC provisions pertaining to bogus voting. Tawade said he would lodge a complaint with the EC. Tawade’s colleague and BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhan- dari also said that Pawar’s remarks were a violation of code of conduct.

Rahul Gandhi

EC gives notice to Pawar for ‘vote twice’ remark

Mumbai: Election commission of India slapped notice to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo and Union Minister Sharad Pawar over Sharad his statement asking electors to vote twice.

During a meeting he asked to vote twice during the Lok Sabha elections in Mahashtra – at work place as well as their hometowns. Elections are held in Maharashtra in two

18

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

Dear Financial Voice Reader,

Trader’s attitude to their potential and existing positions is often a great determinant of success. As every trader knows, the moment a trade is executed, everything is different. That is the point at which it becomes real, no longer digits on a screen and numbers in an account. Now expectation is joined by anticipation. The brain is joined by the heart. Reason is joined by emotion. You exchange detachment for attachment.

When you have an open position and you are looking to close it, you will either have a profit or a loss.

The emotions relating to each are quite different. For instance, when sitting on a loss many traders experience hope that the position will turn around because they fear and deny that it may not. It is for you to recognize these emotions and to discard them. Your judgment has to be based on detached reason relating to your analysis of the company.

How you behave once you have an open position is all important. Without clear thinking you could exit too soon or too late. Your key concern with an open position is timing your exit. Of course there are times when you are deciding whether to add to a position, but generally you are concerned with exit. With an open position you are concerned with closing the position. In order to do that an open position requires an open mind.

“The key is to be intellectually honest. You have to think of every day as a clean slate. You've got to forget about your loss or how much you paid you have to treat each day as a completely new day. You have to start everyday with a blank page. Mark to market should be the rule so you start each day afresh. There is no expected profit or loss on the book so you have to start from scratch each morning.” says Oppetit, Global Head of Equity Derivatives at Paribas.

Poor planning produces pathetic performance Although an SAS motto, the above is equally applicable to trading. The top traders did not trade ‘by the seat of their pants.’ Planning and its benefits was a key aspect to the way they viewed the markets. The top traders plan ‘what if’ scenarios and think about their response to each probable outcome. The main benefits were that with plan in hand or in mind the trader’s confidence is enhanced, fear of loss reduced and that in turn assists clear thinking and removal of hope so ensuring the trader stays focused on his original reason for entering the trade.

Oppetit summed this up well when he said, “whether I get out at a profit or loss does not matter.”

Martin Burton, founder and Managing Director of Monument Derivatives and former director of NatWest Markets was talking about the same thing when he said, “it is not a 90 minute game”. They both know that sticking to their plan is far more important than temporary blips in their profit and loss accounts. www.investingbetter.com is where you can see how I plan each day.

India growth fastest in our history: Starbucks

With 40 stores in 17 months of its operations, India is the fastest growing market in the history of the American coffee chain Starbucks, according to a company statement. The coffee chain, which had sewed up an equal joint venture with Tata Global Beverages, opened its first outlet in

Mumbai in October 2012. "With 40 stores in four cities (in 17 months) and nearly 1,000 partners, India is the fastest growing market in Starbucks history," TataStarbucks chief executive Avani Davda was quoted as telling Starbucks annual shareholders meet.

Osborne gives air tax relief

Chancellor George Osborne has given relief to long-haul air travellers in his budget statement.

He said that he wanted to reform Air Passenger Duty (APD) and "end the crazy system where you pay less tax travelling to Hawaii than you do travelling to China or India."

Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) said the move would save air passengers more than £200 million annually.

From April 1, 2015, the tax on long-haul flights between 4,001 and 6,000 miles will be reduced by £14 per person, while those over 6,000 miles will be cut by £26. The move will save a family of four £56 when visiting destinations such as the Caribbean, India or Thailand or £104 when visiting Australia, Argentina or Singapore.

Those flying in premium economy, business class or

Following changes in Isa or Nisa rules, savers and investors will be able to pocket an additional £1.3 bn from the taxman over the next five years. With the introduction of the new Isa rules, the annual tax-free limit, which allows savers and investors to generate income and capital gains without paying tax, will jump to £15,000 in July.

Crucially, savers will have the flexibility to use their entire allowance to hold in cash. Also, investors will be able to move their tax-free Isa savings to cash from stocks and shares.

The chancellor’s other changes include allowing peer-to-peer investments, where individuals lend money to individuals or businesses for returns as high as 12% or more, to be included in Isas for the first time. The limits are still due to rise from £11,520 to £11,880 next month. Under the current rules, only half can be held in cash with the rest in stocks and shares.

What will be the new Isa limit?

From the next tax year

first class will save twice as much.

Osborne said the tax "hits exports, puts off tourists and creates a great sense of injustice among our Caribbean and South Asian communities here in Britain."

APD is currently calculated by measuring the distance between London and the final destination’s capital city, with different contributions divided into

four “bands”. Band A covers flights of less than 2,000 miles, B covers those between 2,001 and 4,000 miles, C applies to those between 4,001 and 6,000, and D to those farther than 6,000 miles.

"From next year, all long-haul flights will carry the same, lower, band B tax rate that you now pay to fly to the United States," Osborne said. "To help British businesses strengthen links with high growth markets, and to go further to make the UK an attractive option for business visitors and tourists, Budget 2014 announces that the Government will reform Air Passenger Duty (APD) by abolishing bands C and D from April 1, 2015," the budget statement said.

The Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) said it was delighted with the announcement. "This is a complete

victory for the Caribbean which, led by the CTO, has been lobbying against the unfair system," said Beverly Nicholson-Doty, CTO chairman.

“The Government has finally acknowledged what the industry and business knew all along," said Dale Keller, chief executive of the Board of Airline Representatives in the UK, "that the highest rates of aviation tax in the world were a brake on driving the UK’s economic growth with emerging markets."

ABTA welcomed the move and described it as "a first step" in the reform of a "damaging tax".

"Moving all long-haul flights into band B of APD at current levels will save passengers over £200m annually," a spokesman said, "and should boost travel and tourism, as well as promote greater UK connectivity."

investors will be able to open an Isa that will be subject to current rules.

The limit will be £11,880, and half of this can be held in a separate cash Isa. From July 1, these Isas will be converted to the new Isas (Nisa), and the combined limit will increase to £15,000, according to Danny Cox at the adviser Hargreaves Lansdown.

For example, say you invested the maximum £5,940 allowed in a cash Isa on April 6, and another £5,940 in a stocks and shares Isa. On July 1, they will become Nisas, so you can invest an additional £3,120.

You can either split this between the two funds, or place it all in one. You will also have the flexibility to move all your allowance in to either the cash or the shares Isa. Should I stick with cash?

To beat inflation at the current level of 1.9%, it is necessary to lock away your money for 18 months in Halifax’s Isa Saver Fixed, which pays 2%. The top-paying cash Isa for adults, available from Skipton building society,

offer 3% - but only if savers sign away their money for five years. Tom Stevenson of Fidelity Worldwide Investment warns against sticking with cash for the longer term.

“Equities could provide much greater potential for long-term growth and income for savers stuck in low-paying cash Isas,” he said.

Fidelity calculates that if a saver had invested £15,000 in the FTSE AllShare index over the 10 years from March 31, 2004, to February 28, 2014, they would now have £35,219. If they had put the money into the average savings account, they would have just £16,583 - a difference of £18,636.

What new investment can I add to my Nisa?

From July, corporate bonds with less than five years until maturity will be allowed in Isas for the first time. Bonds are essentially IOUs from companies.

Investors receive an annual return, and then the return of their original investment when the bond matures.

However, some investors are worried about holding bonds with long maturity dates, because of fears that there will be a rush into shares instead as the economy improves.

Longer-term bonds are at greater risk of losing value if this happens. Thomas Becket of Psigma Investment Management said: “The move to cut the five-year bond maturity requirement will make investing in bonds more attractive.”

Bonds have traditionally been available only to institutional investors with minimum deposits of £100,000, but since 2010, bonds with minimum investments of about £1,000 have become available. They have been offered by companies such as Tesco, BT and Vodafone, with rates as high as 6%.Bonds are traded on the London Stock Exchange. Their value will rise or fall depending on demand.

Investors are guaranteed to get back their original investment only if they buy a bond when it is first issued and hold it until maturity.

George Osborne

Nisa rule changes to help investors, savers

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

Suresh Vagjiani

Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

REAL ESTATE VOICE

Seeing is believing?

19

So what is the value of seeing? We actually see very little of what actually exists. Consider that you can see less than 1% of the electromagnetic spectrum and hear less than 1% of the acoustic spectrum. This puts things into perspective. Clearly seeing with human eyes has its limitation yet people put a lot of emphasis on seeing. WHY? We are, as I write, on the verge of exchanging on a property on a popular road in prime Hampstead. Many agents say they are selling properties in Hampstead but they are not, the property instead is in Finchley Rd, West Hampstead and Kilburn. In the same way when properties in Bayswater or Queensway are being sold in auction they are described as being sold in Notting Hill.

However this property was on a prime road and actually in Hampstead. It consisted of roughly 1,100 sq. ft. and we were getting it at the knock down price of £700k. We understandably had interest from three of our investors all at the same time.

However one of them wanted to see the property and made an appointment to have a look at it the following day, and then was prepared to exch ange straight after. Another party knew th is was a deal right from the outset and went ahead and agreed to purchase the property blind. You cannot hang around when you see a deal.

So the deal was closed, on the day and without viewing, which annoyed the other party who had arranged for an appointment. The third buyer was one step behind, he was going to confirm whether he could make the appointment to me on the following day but the appointment was terminated. You cannot hang around once a deal is put your way. This property is about £300k cheaper than market value; therefore I cannot see from a financial point of view what anyone is doing which is worth more than £300k. The property is in a letable condition, and requires no work.

We had a similar scenario when selling 5 flats in Earls court, Nevern Square, before we completed on them ourselves. We had a party interested who had proof of funds, had serious intention - but they wanted to see the property.

We could not get access prior to completion for various reasons and they would not purchase without seeing. We were prepared to accept £5.5m prior to completion from someone ready to do the deal.

But after completion we know we will resell the property for £6.5m perhaps even more, without doing any work by simply cutting up the leases. So the price has jumped up. Perhaps they will think we are being cheeky, but we are simply selling according to the market appetite.

Most people worship a maker they do not have the privilege of seeing, yet when purchasing a mere investment property many have it set in stone they must see the property. This is a must and a condition.

Consider many off plan properties are sold on the basis of a show flat, actually what’s being sold is a volume of air. They need to have faith in the builder that he will deliver and deliver according to the product shown.

This is the same leap of faith required by investors who invest in our say so. Not so much faith though as they are buying something that does exist, so there is no chance of us not finishing the development. The titles will be checked by a lawyer. They need to trust that we are making the right call.

This comes in varying degrees from different investors, some who have been burnt previously will be less trusting and will carry their sceptical and distrusting attitudes over when they start with us. Others who have perhaps luckily not been burnt have a more open mind, and go with our say so. Others we have built trust with by doing deals, and slowly this gets built up stronger and stronger until it becomes an almost blind level of trust.

Yet some have this even at the beginning of our relationship, so it is not even earned. It is a leap of faith.

I appreciate it is a cold and brutal world out there and more so when it comes to investing in property. Yet without a level of trust established nothing would move.

We send millions over to our lawyers account, we need to trust that they, and the money, will still be there the next day. Bank lenders need to trust that the surveyor has done his job properly and given the right figure to lend upon.

Trust has to be established and earned, or it can be given, based on what you see and feel. For example, a couple who live in Harrow had been sitting on £400k which had not been doing very much. But they didn’t know what to do had no inclination of investing in property. Yet they saw the necessity of investing into a physical asset to simply protect their wealth. They agreed to purchase a flat in St John’s Wood, an ex- local 3 bedroom flat, priced at £575k. Many will say this is too much for an ex local flat. However a few months later it has been valued at £700k.

They moved on the purchase blind and only went to see the property after completion. I asked them why they invested in the property not really knowing me and not seeing the property. The lady mentioned it ‘felt’ right. So this has its place too.

Many business people describe using a gut feel to make decision upon, and the right people to trust. Hell if it was only about the figures and cash flows, then this is available to everyone one. This deeper aspect comes into place.

One tycoon I know makes decisions very quickly. They are not always a yes, but he tries to get a feel for the property most of the time without looking physically at the deal and gives his decision. He purchased a £5.2m property in this way without seeing the property internally.

The value of seeing the property is to look at the aspects, meaning views and ceiling heights, these cannot be appreciated from text book work, you also get a feel of the property as well. The square footage is given in property descriptions, so you can get a square footage figure and you can even look at the floor plans, but volume which is very important is not mentioned in either of these places. This will show you the height of the ceilings, and indeed whether the ceilings are high enough to construct a mezzanine floor, adding valuable extra square footage, and whether you can get away with it.

T hey are of course free to not purchase the property without looking, but they will have to pay us £1m more. This is the price for being a doubting Thomas. It’s similar to playing a poker game w hen you’re putting bets down blind you get to put in h alf in the pot compared to someone who has seen th e cards. Similar principle here.

So is it right you should purchase without even seeing the property physically?

We had a deal last week which was a property in Knightsbridge with a long lease for £600k, I knew I could buy this blind as there was plenty of margin on this deal. Without seeing the property we sent the funds over in a few hours in anticipation of an exchange.

Most of the work should not be based on seeing the property, a lot of ground work can be done prior. With the help of google maps you can see the outside of the property, directions, nearby buildings and do some research etc.

Interior condition is given too much emphasis when people purchase.

To redo the flat above shouldn’t cost you more than £50k maximum for a BTL finish. Even if we assume this is the case the property is still a deal, therefore seeing the property has very little to do with whether it’s a deal or not.

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Tips of the Week l Remember you never have to pay Capital Gains tax until you sell a property; and you never have to sell a property… you can still extract the increase in price by way of remortgaging.

l Look beyond your doorstep. Investing on your backdoor is often a safe but poor option. The question you should ask is: where will your money serve you best?

20

LEGAL VOICE

Maria Fernandes

info@fernandesvaz.com

The Rich and Poor Divide

Nigel Farage, in his latest words of wisdom, has accepted that migrants have “jollified” Britain and introduced better food but claims that they are now “affecting our way of life.”

So let’s examine the impact on the community in a few areas. Migrant children on the whole do better than those born here, their parents are less likely to claim benefits and more likely to work, employers tend to prefer them and they bring new value systems such as the benefits and strengths of extended family. The rich of different nationalities have more in common with each other than they have with their working class counterparts. The rich and poor live completely different existences and have very little in common with each other.

In any event Nigel forgets that life does not stand still. Practices, values and habits change over time and with the existence of technology the world has become a very small place. Nigel Farage belongs to the dinosaur age and is looking at the world through rose tinted glasses.

As if to emphasise the

rich/poor divide, the Home Secretary is about to announce a new VIP service for wealthy foreigners which will be a “bespoke service” and will ensure that their passage is swift and smooth and that a manager will arrange services “tailored to each individual needs at no extra cost.” This service will only be for those who make a “significant contribution” to the economy, although how this will be measured is anyone’s guess.

In the meantime, the Home Affairs committee has shot down the idea of granting residence to a few people using an auction, under which surplus funds would go to good causes. Raising a sizeable fund for use for charitable purposes should not instinctively be thrown out without careful thought. After all other countries like Malta are giving away citizenship which will result in applicants using that status to live here without restriction or the need to invest anything at all. Why not give residence to a selected few, once there have been due diligence checks and put the funds to good use?

Britain's Tesco has sealed a joint venture agreement with a unit of Tata Group that will see it invest $140 million and become the first foreign supermarket to enter India’s 500 billion pounds retail sector.

Tesco said that following receipt of approval from the Indian Foreign Investment Promotion Board, it has entered into a deal with Trent Limited to form a 50:50 joint venture with the operator of the Star Bazaar retail business, Trent Hypermarket Limited (THL).

The world's third-

largest retailer, which since 2008 has had a franchise agreement to provide support to Star Bazaar, had made the application to India's FIPB in December.

On completion of the transaction THL will operate 12 stores retailing a range of merchandise including food and grocery, personal and home care products, home and kitchen, fashion and accessories.

The stores are operated under the 'Star Bazaar' and 'Star Daily' banners, and spread across the southern and western regions of India.

Tesco confirms joint venture with Tata Group

Commercial Finance BusinessPurchase Property Purchase

Mortgages Residential Buy to let

Help to Buy scheme helping home buyers: PM

People are buying homes outside London and the South East by availing the government scheme – Help to Buy. Figures show that 17,395 people have already bought a home through the scheme.

Statistics confirm that both sides of the Help to Buy scheme are overwhelmingly supporting first-time buyers, with over 80% of sales going to people taking their first step onto the housing ladder (89% Equity Loan and 82% Mortgage Guarantee).

The figures also reveal how Help to Buy is benefiting every region of the country. The highest number of people buying a home through the Mortgage Guarantee is in the Scotland and Northwest, while the Equity Loan - the scheme for new-build properties, helping to stimulate house building – at its highest in the South East. Seventy seven per cent of those supported by Help to Buy at from outside London and the South East, 85% for Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee completions.

Help to Buy continues to support responsible lending, with the average cost of a house bought under the Mortgage Guarantee at £148,048 and the average cost of a house bought under the Equity Loan scheme at £203,137, both of which remains below the UK average house price.

An average house price bought under Help to Buy as a whole is £194,992.

Mortgage Guarantee completions triple in just one month. The mortgage guarantee continues to be a success with homebuyers, with completions tripling from 750 to over 2,500 in just over one month and mortgage lenders from both ends of the scale continuing to see

strong demand: Lloyds and RBS has received 9,569 applications and Aldermore has received 2,313.

Equity Loan extended to 2020 The government has extended the Help to Buy Equity Loan, the part of the scheme for new-build homes, up to March 2020 with a further £6 billion to help 120,000 more households buy a new-build home, meaning around 200,000 people are expected to be helped by the Equity Loan side of the scheme alone. The Prime Minister David Cameron said: Help to Buy is a key part of our long term economic plan, giving thousands more people the security and independence that comes from owning their own home.

The Help to Buy Equity Loan enables people to buy a newly-built home with a deposit of at least 5% of the property price, while the government offers a loan of up to 20%. The rest is covered by a mortgage.

Meanwhile, the Mortgage Guarantee offers mortgage lenders the option to purchase a guarantee on mortgages where a borrower has a deposit of between 5% and 20%. Because of this support, participating lenders are able to offer more mortgage products to borrowers with small deposits.

The French government is open to more investments in India, said French ambassador to India, Francois Richier. "French companies are among the biggest investors in India, and there are 350 French companies with nearly $19 billion worth investment, which is the same as in China," he said dur-

the media in Mahe. He said the first French venture in Kerala, an IT and public relation firm, was inaugurated in Kochi. He also said the Kochi metro project, for which the French government gave a soft loan, was an important project for the French government.

France to investingmore in India an interaction with

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

Industry's voice for policy change

What is FICCI? Established in 1927, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) is India's largest and oldest apex business organisation. Its history is closely interwoven with India’s struggle for independence, its industrialisation, and its emergence as one of the most rapidly growing global economies. FICCI has contributed to this historical process by encouraging debate, articulating the private sector’s views and influencing policy.

It is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation which draws its membership from the corporate sector, both private and public, including SMEs and MNCs. It enjoys an indirect membership of over 250,000 companies from various regional chambers of commerce and is supported by around 600 staff in India, as well as overseas representations across 11 countries.

FICCI's President this year is Mr Sidharth Birla, Chairman of Xpro India Limited; its Senior Vice President is Dr Jyotsna Suri, Chairperson and Managing Director of Bharat Hotels; Vice President is Harshavardhan Neotia, Chairman, Ambuja Neotia Group; and the Secretary-General is Dr A Didar Singh. FICCI's immediate Past President was Naina Lal Kidwai, Country Head for HSBC in India.

FICCI in the UK FICCI has a strong presence in the UK. The current team constitutes of Director Pratik Dattani and Honorary Advisor Dr Roger Hayes, who work in close coordination with the International team headed by Ambika Sharma, Deputy Secretary General in New Delhi.

The UK team is also supported by an Advisory Group, chaired

by Vindi Banga, former head of Hindustan Lever and now Partner at Clayton, Dubilier & Rice.

The Group aims to share recommendations with the UK government to further enhance the bilateral trade and investment between India and the UK. FICCI regularly holds

various roundtables and dialogues across government, business and other stakeholders to enhance business links between both countries. As part of this engagement, we host a high-profile CEOs business delegation every year. The tentative dates for their visit to the UK this year are June 22 -25.

How can FICCI help you?

We influence policy for example, the new notified Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) rules in the Companies Act 2013 took on board many of FICCI's recommendations.

We provide the biggest platforms for business engagement in India - for example, the biggest deal in the aviation history of India was signed for US$4.4bn between Spice Jet and Boeing at India Aviation 2014, organised by FICCI in Hyderabad a few weeks ago.

We set the economic agenda - for example, FICCI's CEO's Poll and Agenda for Economic Growth both point to similar challenges for India ahead: proactive and inclusive economic reforms, addressing social gaps in a fiscally sound manner, liberalising product markets and creating capacity through infrastructure, agricultural production and skilled manpower.

We assist individual businesses - just in the past few months, we have helped resolve pending mining cases in Andhra Pradesh, assist with pending company registrations with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, assisted with resolving strikes in Tamil Nadu, and generally assisted many others with market entry, regulations and permits.

Are you looking to invest or do business in India? If so, FICCI can help.

We appreciate this new association of a monthly column with Asian Voice, and in the coming months hope to share more of what we do with you, and help you with your plans in India. This is particularly important now, because of elections later this month. Please do get in touch at uk@ficci.com.

We look forward to working with you.

CURRENCY VOICE

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

21

Foreign Exchange

Paresh Davdra is the Dealing Director of RationalFX,

Chancellor on-course to meet borrowing target Currency Specialists.

Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne went into last week’s UK Budget with the news that the number of unemployed people in the UK fell by 63,000 in the three months to January, but the unemployment rate remains the same at 7.2%.

Average income also increased by 1.7% year on year, which is nearly as high as inflation at 1.9% and private sector pay is equal to the level of inflation at 1.9% The UK public finance figures showed the government’s financial position improved last month. The deficit was £9.3bn, according to the Office for National Statistics, taking cumulative borrowing for the financial year so far to £99.3bn – 4.3% lower than at this stage last year. With just one month left to go, this puts the chancellor on course to meet his new full-year borrowing forecast of £108bn – or 6.6% of GDP. The US dollar continued to gain ground last week Monday 17th March after data showed that the number of people filing for jobless claims didn’t rise as much as expected – the rise was

George Osborne

only 5,000 instead of 12,000.

Adding to this we saw the Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Survey reveal an improvement in figures up to 9 in February from -6.3 in January.

The US dollar as a result reached a 2 ½ weeks high against the euro and a 6 week high against the pound. Whilst

the reaction from the markets following the comments about a possible rise in interest rates occurring within the next year in the US, may well be an exaggeration; the possibility and continued speculation surrounding a rate hike could well drive the US dollar stronger.

Figures from the European Commission showed that the consumer confidence index jumped to -9.3 points, up from February's figure of -12.7 and better than the forecast -12.4. In the European Union as a whole sentiment improved from -9.3 points in February to -6.7. Data from the Eurozone services and manufacturing sectors have disappointed this morning, where expansion has slowed slightly in March from February. The euro has weakened as a result.

The Indian rupee rebounded from its biggest drop since January on optimism that a recovering economy will attract inflows even if the US keeps cutting stimulus. Reports this month showed that Inflation in India is easing and industrial production is picking up and whilst there may be an economic slowdown in China, India is less exposed and thus the slowdown shouldn’t affect India as much as the other Asian economies. Foreign funds have pumped US$3 billion into Indian stocks and bonds this month – a clear indication of confidence coming back into the economy. As a result, further upside on GBPINR could well be limited. inflation rate Canada’s slowed in February but stayed within the central bank’s comfort zone. Consumer prices rose 1.1% in the year to February, down from a 1 ½ year high of 1.5% in January but above the market forecast of a 0.9% increase, data showed on Friday.

Lower gasoline prices partially offset higher shelter and food costs in February.

Weekly Currencies

As of Tuesday 25th March 2014 @ 4.15pm

GBP - INR = 99.59

USD - INR = 60.31 EUR - INR = 83.08 GBP - USD = 1.65 GBP - EUR = 1.20

EUR - USD = 1.38 GBP - AED = 6.07

GBP - CAD = 1.85

GBP - NZD = 1.93

GBP - AUD = 1.81

GBP - ZAR = 17.79

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22

INTERNATIONAL

IN BRIEF

British workers have less life expectancy after retirement

London: An international study shows that British workers have the shortest retirement life compared with other major EU country despite significant improvements in life expectancy. French women lead the developed world in retirement with an average of 27.4 years still to live after retirement – more than five years longer than those in the UK because of earlier retirement and longer lifespan.

Breast cancer survival rate up

London: An international research shows breast cancer survival is increasing more quickly in Britain than in any other European country. Accordingly the death rates in England and Wales from breast cancer have fallen by 41 per cent in just over two decades. However, England and Wales had the highest mortality for breast cancer when the research began, so that even the dramatic changes mean its position is now just ninth from worst, while Northern Ireland fares slightly worse.

Dame Vera Lynn to release new album

London: Dame Vera Lynn who turned 97 recently announced that she would release a new album on 2 June to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings. She is best known for songs including We'll Meet Again and The White Cliffs Of Dover, which mesmerized the spirits of millions during World War Two. Both songs will feature alongside a selection of previously unreleased recordings on Vera Lynn: National Treasure The Ultimate Collection.

Kitchen King leaves nothing for children

London: John Roberts, who founded Appliances Online and made a 500 million pound fortune, left nothing for his children in his will. He says that the children should make their own lives. He has vowed to donate his fortune to charity and does not want his five children to become trust-fund babies.

Four shot dead in Kenya church attack

Mombasa: Four people were killed after gunmen opened fire in a church near the Kenyan city of Mombasa.

Officials say a number of people were injured after at least two gunmen walked into the church in Likoni and started shooting indiscriminately. The attackers managed to escape before police arrived. No group has claimed responsibility for the shooting, but officials have blamed Islamist militants from the al-Shabab group for similar attacks.

Stress increases infertility risks

London: A study by US researchers suggests that women under stress are less likely to get pregnant. They say that yoga or meditation could help women who are struggling to conceive. In the latest study, scientists looked at 501 US couples with no known fertility problems who had decided to have a baby. Early in the study, they took two saliva samples from the women to look for alpha-amylase and cortisol, two biological markers of stress.

Tony Blair’s charity gets Obama’s aid for Africans

London: Former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Africa Governance Initiative (AGI) has won a £3.3 million contract to play a key role in Barack Obama’s flagship African aid programme. The three-year deal – with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) – gives Blair’s charity an important role in the initiative, called Power Africa. The money represents more than AGI’s combined total income in 2012. It comes after a sustained lobbying campaign by Blair’s aides, which began at least seven months before formal bids for the contract were opened last November.

Abu Dhabi court upholds Indian's death sentence for rape

Dubai: An appeals court in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) upheld the death sentence of an Indian janitor for raping a seven-year-old schoolgirl in Abu Dhabi. The 56-year-old man, identified only as IK, was found guilty of raping the Emirati girl in the kitchen of a private school in the country's capital, The National reported.

The defendant was earlier awarded death sentence by a lower court. On the day of the incident, a teacher had asked the youngster to take some papers to the school administration. IK saw the girl and pulled her into a kitchen and raped her. The assault was discovered by the child's aunt when she found blood on her clothes.

Sri Lanka ‘complicit’ in torture of Tamils: Report

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

Colombo: The "highest levels" of Sri Lanka's government were complicit in raping, torturing and abducting ethnic Tamils following the nation's ethnic civil war, a report by rights groups warned.

Authorities carried out horrific sexual abuse on Tamils, including forced oral sex and anal rape as well as water torture, the report by the UK Bar Human Rights Committee and International Truth and Justice Project found.

It comes ahead of next week's UN human rights council debate on a US-led resolution calling for an international probe into alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka.

Yasmin Sooka, a top South African human rights lawyer and UN adviser, compiled the report from interviews with 40 Tamils who said

they were held in custody

by Sri Lankan authorities.

"Sri Lanka's military is still waging a campaign of persecution using abduction, arbitrary detention, torture, rape and sexual violence," after the crushing of separatist Tamil rebels in 2009, Sooka said.

Post-war, "widespread and systematic violations by the Sri Lankan security forces occur in a manner that indicates a coordinated, systematic plan approved by the highest levels of government", Sooka said.

The report, titled "An

Unfinished W a r : Torture and S e x u a l Violence in Sri Lanka 2009-2014", included medical and psychiatric examinations of Tamils who sought refuge in Britain after being subjected to abuse in Sri Lanka.

"Their credible accounts, documented by nine independent lawyers from Western and Asian countries, establish a prima facie case to answer for post-war crimes against humanity involving torture, rape and sexual violence by the Sri Lankan military," she said.

Sooka said rights violators in Sri Lanka are still confident they will not be prosecuted. Colombo has repeatedly denied its

troops killed Tamil civilians while crushing Tamil Tiger rebels who at the height of their power controlled nearly a third of the island's territory. The UN estimates 100,000 people perished during Sri Lanka's 37-year ethnic conflict. Rights groups have accused government forces of killing up to 40,000 people in the final months of fighting in 2009. South African rights activist Archbishop Desmond Tutu in a foreword to the report said it showed the government had not moved to ensure reconciliation between island's Tamil minority and majority Sinhalese population. "My deepest hope is that the cycle of revenge will be broken," the archbishop said. "In order for this to happen, the international community must intervene.

destroy buildings, but is very effective in killing individuals,” it said last week in a new edition of an online magazine called Inspire.

The English-language publication, produced by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), a

Yemen-based affiliate, outlines a list of possible targets in Britain, America and France.

It singles out high-profile sporting events in what it calls “crusader countries” attended by “tens of thousands” of fans.

Other targets include the Savoy hotel in central London and tourist destinations such as the Dordogne valley in France during the summer.

“Hit two birds with one stone; both the English and the French,” the magazine flippantly states.

An estimated 250 British jihadists have returned to the UK after training and fighting in Syria’s bloody civil war, fuelling fears of a new terrorist atrocity at home.

Many of them fought among the ranks of alQaeda-linked groups in Syria, which were recently contacted by AQAP with a possible view to creating a terrorist “super-group” in the Middle East.

Scotland Yard says it is aware of the latest threat to sports venues and is providing advice on upgrading security where necessary.

ceedings.

Simon Danczuk, the MP for Rochdale, who has travelled to Sri Lanka twice to press for justice for Shaikh, welcomed the trial but blamed Vidanapathiran’s political connections for its delayed start.

A member of Rajapaksa’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Vidanapathiran is an associate of the President’s son, Namal Rajapaksa, who is being groomed as a potential successor to rule the island.

Dhaka: Bangladesh's main opposition leader Khaleda Zia along with her fugitive son was charged for corruption over illegally collecting more than USD 1 million in donations for charities named after her late husband. Zia, 68, a former prime minister and the chief of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, appeared before a court here to attend hearing in two graft cases. The court framed charges against 10 persons, including Zia and her son Tarique Rahman.

While six including Zia and Tarique, also the senior vice chairman of the party, were indicted on graft charge relating to Zia Orphanage Trust, four including Khaleda were indicted for corruption in Zia Charitable Trust. The trial in the case will begin on April 21. The AntiCorruption Commission (ACC) in July 2009 filed the Zia Orphanage graft case against the former prime minister, her elder son and four others for embezzling money by forming the "fake" trust.

Jihadists urged to attack sports events in UK

London: Al-Qaeda has urged jihadists returning from Syria to carry out bomb attacks at sporting events in Britain, including the Derby, attended by the Queen. Wimbledon fortnight and FA Cup matches have also been suggested as potential targets in an attempt to cause “maximum carnage”.

The terror group recommends that such operations be carried out either by a “martyrdom bomber” or with explosives linked to a timer or a remote device.

“This type of car bomb is not usually used to

Lankan politician to be tried for killing Briton

Colombo: Sampath Chandra Pushpa Vidanapathiran, a friend of the Sri Lankan President’s son, will be tried for alleged killing of a British holidaymaker and gang raping his girlfriend after a dispute in a hotel bar.

Khuram Shaikh, a 32year-old worker for the Red Cross from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, was enjoying a drink in the beach resort of Tangalle on the island’s south coast on Christmas Eve 2011, when the attack occurred. Shaikh, who was on a break after an assignment in Gaza, became involved in a fight with a group of at least six men after he complained that they were sexually harassing his girlfriend, Victoria Tkacheva, 24. In the melee that followed, Shaikh was stabbed in the throat and shot dead.

Tkacheva was beaten unconscious and gang raped in one of the

Khuram Shaikh

resort’s rooms after suffering a fractured skull, according to Sri Lankan police. The trial of the men, including the main suspect Vidanapathiran, the local council chief in Tangalle for Sri Lanka’s ruling political party, is due to start in a court in Colombo soon.

Earlier this year, Vidanapathiran, who has close links to the family of President Rajapaksa, had skipped bail and checked into a private medical facility on the island in an apparent attempt to avoid the pro-

Former Bangla PM Khaleda Zia indicted

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

IN BRIEF

Egypt court sentences 529 Morsi supporters to death

Cairo: A court in southern Egyptian has convicted 529 supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, sentencing them to death on charges of murdering a policeman and attacking police. The court in Minya issued its ruling after only two sessions in which the defendants' lawyers complained they had no chance to present their case. Those convicted are part of a group of 545 defendants on trial for the killing of a police officer, attempted killing of two others, attacking a police station and other acts of violence. More than 150 suspects stood trial, the others were tried in absentia. Sixteen were acquitted.

Eight killed in Washington state landslide

Olympia (Washington): Eight people were killed and 18 others were missing after a landslide in Washington state that buried homes and cars under mud and debris up to 15 feet deep, authorities said. Eight people were also injured when rain-soaked embankments along State Route 530 near Oso, Washington, about 55 miles northeast of Seattle, gave way and washed out at least six homes.

Indian among nine killed in Kabul hotel attack

Kabul: An Indian was among four foreigners killed along with five Afghans in a brazen Taliban attack on a heavily fortified luxury hotel here in Afghanistan's capital. Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said the underage attackers evaded security checks by hiding small pistols and ammunition in socks and the soles of their shoes. The attackers entered the hotel in traditional Afghan clothing and started shooting, he said. "The four foreigners killed in the attack are citizens of New Zealand, Canada, Pakistan and India," he told reporters, without identifying them.

Putin completes annexation of Crimea

Moscow: President Vladimir Putin completed his annexation of Crimea, signing a law making the Black Sea peninsula part of Russia just as Ukraine itself sealed a deal pulling it closer into Europe’s orbit. Putin said he saw no need to further retaliate against US sanctions, a newly conciliatory tone that apparently aimed to contain one of the worst crises in Russia’s relations with the West since the Cold War. However, the Russian foreign ministry said a few hours later that Moscow will “harshly” respond to the latest round of US sanctions - the conflicting signals apparently intended to persuade the West to end the spat over Ukraine.

Pak govt to hold talks with Taliban

Islamabad: The Pakistan government has finalized direct talks with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the venue will be decided soon, interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said. A new government committee, comprising Habibullah Khushk, Fawwad Hassan Fawwad, Arbab Arif and Rustam Shah Mohman, met Khan to finalise the decision to hold direct talks, the News International reported. The government committee is planning to hold the talks at an easily accessible place.

Lanka bows to international pressure, releases rights activists

Colombo: Under international pressure ahead of voting on a resolution against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC, the authorities here have released two leading rights activists after their detention under anti-terrorism laws.

Father Praveen Mahesan, a Catholic priest, and Ruki Fernando of the Colombo-based INFORM advocacy group were arrested in the former LTTE stronghold of Kilinochchi in the north as they met Tamils who lost loved ones during the separatist conflict. They were detained and later released by a Judge.

INTERNATIONAL

23

Malaysia says jet crashed in sea; China wants evidence

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia said on Monday that the missing jetliner had crashed into the Indian Ocean, an announcement that was greeted with hysteria by Chinese relatives of those on board and a demand by China that Kuala Lumpur share all the evidence it had on the incident.

Citing groundbreaking satellite-data analysis by the British company Inmarsat, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said that Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which vanished more than a fortnight ago while flying to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur, had crashed thousands of miles away in the southern Indian Ocean.

His statement may go some way toward tamping down some of the more fevered speculation about the plane's fate, including one theory some griefstricken relatives had seized on: that the plane had been hijacked and forced to land somewhere.

All 239 people on

board were presumed dead, airline officials said on Monday.

Najib's announcement opens the way for what could be one of the most costly and challenging air crash investigations in history.

The launch of an official air crash investigation would give Malaysia power to coordinate and sift evidence, but it may still face critics, especially China, which had more than 150 citizens on board the missing plane and has criticised Malaysia over the progress of the search.

The Inmarsat data showed the Boeing 777's last position was in the Indian Ocean west of Perth, Australia, Najib

Europe Commission to take UK to court over migrant benefits

London: In a politically explosive case ahead of the elections, The European Commission is planning to take Britain to court over its attempts to limit benefits payments to migrants.

It was unclear whether the commission had planned to go ahead with the legal action, which centres on the “right to reside” test that European Union migrants must pass before they can claim benefits in this country.

However, reports said that the lawsuit would be lodged “shortly” in the European Court of Justice.

With European elections held in Britain on May 22, the timing of the lawsuit, over such an emotive issue, threatens to be incendiary.

Anger over the lawsuit will be compounded by the admission that Britain will give an extra £800 million to the EU budget this year because this country’s economy is outperforming other member states. The European Commission

said it was bringing its legal case because the “right to reside” test is discriminatory since British citizens do not have to pass it.

The test, first introduced by Labour to try to calm fears of so-called “benefits tourists” coming to the UK, requires migrants from other EU states to prove they are seeking work before they can claim benefits such as Jobseeker’s Allowance.

If Britain loses the case it will either have to change the law or face multi-million pound fines for non-compliance with EU rules. The action is being brought by the office of Laszlo Andor, a Hungarian socialist and European commissioner in charge of employment and social affairs.

A spokesman for his office said the legal action would probably be lodged “shortly”. “We expect the referral to the court to happen within the next three months,” the spokesman said.

said in a statement. "This is a remote location, far from any possible landing sites," he said. "It is therefore, with deep sadness and regret that I must inform you that, according to this new data, Flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean."

Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Xie Hangsheng immediately demanded all relevant satellite-data analysis from Malaysia that demonstrated how Malaysia had reached its conclusion about the fate of the jet.

In a further sign the search was bearing fruit, the US Navy was flying in its high-tech black box detector to the area. The so-called black boxes - the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder record what happens on board planes during flight.

At crash sites, finding the black boxes soon is crucial

because the locator beacons they carry fade out after 30 days.

Flight MH370 vanished from civilian radar screens less than an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur on March 8. No confirmed sighting of the plane has been made since and there is no clue what went wrong.

Attention and resources in the search for the plane had shifted from an initial focus north of the Equator to an increasingly narrowed stretch of rough sea in the southern Indian Ocean, thousands of miles from the original flight path.

Investigators believe someone on the flight may have shut off the plane's communications systems.

Partial military radar tracking showed it turning west and re-crossing the Malay Peninsula, apparently under the control of a skilled pilot.

That led them to focus on hijacking or sabotage, but investigators have not ruled out technical problems.

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24

INDIA

SOUTH BRIEFS

2G case: ED issues fresh summons to Karunanidhi's wife

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to DMK chief K Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal in connection with its money laundering probe in the 2G spectrum allocation case.

Ammal, 84, has been given an option to present her case through an authorised legal representative, in case she cannot come herself and answer questions of agency sleuths on March 28 here, sources said. The agency, they said, wants to investigate the role of Ammal with regard to alleged channelling of Rs 2 billion to the DMK family-run Kalaignar TV through a circuitous route in which her daughter Kanimozhi and MD of the TV group Sharad Kumar are also accused.

Jaya, Sasikala directed to appear before Chennai court

Chennai: The court of additional chief metropolitan magistrate, economic offences, in Chennai dismissed the adjournment petition of chief minister J Jayalalitha and asked her and her confidante Sasikala Natarajan to appear before it on April 3. Judge R Dakshinamurthy said, "This court feels that reasons stated for the adjournment is not accepted in law."

The income tax department had filed a criminal case against erstwhile Sasi Enterprises and its partners Jayalalithaa and Sasikala - for their failure to file returns for two consecutive years (1991-92 and 199293). The IT department alleged that they had committed offences punishable under provision of the Income Tax Act,1961.

US museum ready to return stolen Ganesha

Chennai: A Ganesha idol at the Toledo Museum of Art that was likely stolen from the Sivan temple in Ariyalur in central Tamil Nadu may well find its way back soon. The US museum that bought the idol from alleged art thief Subhash Kapoor, who was extradited to India and is currently being tried, is ready to return the statue if there's reasonable evidence to prove its origin. Kelly Fritz Garrow, the director of communications at the museum located in Ohio, said, “If we are not the legal owners of the idol we will return it. We don’t want stolen objects.” Fritz Garrow said US Justice Department officials were in touch with the museum even if Indian officials were not in direct contact.

NORTH BRIEFS

Akal Takht chief asks Sikhs to have more kids

Amritsar: Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh asked Sikhs to produce more children. He said every Sikh couple should have at least four children, as the Sikh population is growing at a much slower rate in comparison to other communities. The Jathedar said that if Sikhs don't produce four children per couple, their number would be drastically down, and it will create many problems for the community.

The Jathedar said he was issuing the appeal because he was concerned over the 'decline' in the Sikh population in the past years.

Six Babbar Khalsa militants arrested

Patiala (Punjab): Patiala police have confirmed the arrest of six Babbar Khalsa militants.

Patiala's Senior Superintendent of Police, H.S. Mann, said: "Patiala Police have exposed a module of the Babbar Khalsa group, and has prevented an incident from happening that they were planning. We have recovered four weapons from them, and an inquiry is still underway." Several cases are already registered against the arrested militants. The investigation is still on, police said.

Kutch Sikh farmers' lawyer is AAP candidate

Jalandhar: Advocate Himmat Singh Shergill, who is fighting the case of those Sikh farmers in Kutch region of Gujarat, is the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate from Anandpur Sahib parliamentary constituency. Soon after Shergill's candidature, Kutchbased Sikh farmers informed that they would come to Punjab and aggressively campaign for him and AAP. "We will go to Amritsar also to ask BJP leader Arun Jaitley, who is contesting from there, to question his party's stand on the issue," said Surinder Singh Bhullar, a leading Sikh farmer.

Karunanidhi expels Alagiri from DMK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

Chennai: The DMK on Tuesday expelled disgraced leader and former central minister M K Alagiri, a son of party supremo M Karunanidhi.

Karunanidhi himself made the announcement here.

Alagiri has been at loggerheads with the party leadership, including his brother M K Stalin, the chosen successor to Karunanidhi.

Alagiri mounts attack on DMK candidates Meanwhile, Alagiri scaled up his battle with DMK on Sunday lambasting the party's Virudhunagar candidate S Rethinavelu and predicted a defeat for him. His criticism on the choice of Rethinavelu came barely two hours after MDMK leader Vaiko who is contesting in Virudhunagar

M K Alagiri

met Alagiri to seek his support in the Lok Sabha polls. In a further embarrassment to DMK, Alagiri said that Puthiya Tamilagam leader K Krishnaswamy, who is contesting in Tenkasi as a DMK ally would suffer defeat in the Lok Sabha election.

Though Alagiri had earlier said that DMK had given tickets to contest the polls only to those who had money power, this was

the first time that he personally targeted them.

"It was my mistake to bring a trader like him to the party," Alagiri said addressing his supporters at the ear piercing ceremony of the daughter of Tamil Selvakumar, president of Alagiri Pasarai. Alagiri's caustic remarks made at a family function of a loyalist in Rajapalayam in Virudhunagar marked the beginning of a series of visits to houses of supporters

while the IJK and the KMDK have been given one constituency each.

Replicating the strategy of the two major Dravidian parties which have been taking up the emotive fishermen and Sri Lankan Tamils issue as a plank, Singh promised these were also on the “top priority” of his party.

“Their (fishermen) release will be our topmost priority and also protecting their livelihood,” he said.

Accusing the UPA of being responsible for the travails faced by Sri Lankan Tamils, he said “under UPA, India was not able to impress Sri Lanka to resolve Tamils issue.

New Delhi: because he would India’s finance be a formidable minister P voice in the parChidambaram liamentary continwill not contest gent should the the upcoming Lok party not regain power. But the Sabha elections. finance minister's The Sivaganga argument was seat in Tamil Karti Chidambaram that minus an Nadu that alliance with DMK, Chidambaram won by a Congress on its own will narrow margin in 2009 has most likely not be in a winbeen given to his son Karti ning position in Chidambaram.

Sivaganga. The party had Chidambaram's explored other options for absence from the list came as no surprise as he had Chidambaram, including already said he was willing Puducherry and even to make way for the Kanyakumari, a senior younger generation. Rajiv party leader said. But the Gandhi confidant and forsitting MP of Puducherry mer Union minister Mani refused to vacate his conShankar Aiyar will contest stituency.Chidambaram, the Myladithurai seat, who is believed to have which he had lost last time given suggestions to party president Sonia Gandhi on despite Congress having an how Congress can be alliance with DMK. revived in Tamil Nadu, has Congress was keen offered to campaign extenthat Chidambaram be resively in Tamil Nadu. elected to the Lok Sabha

While a considerable section of gun owners comprises those who inherited, purchased or kept the weapons as pride of place in their homes, many others are insecure farmers. In the hinterland, farmers say police stations are too far away from their homes to protect them if violence breaks out during election campaigning. Leading the number of gun owners (26,365) in Punjab is Patiala district, which is represented by Union minister of external affairs Preneet Kaur. Of these weapons, only 10,805 have been deposited with the Patiala SSP. At No 2 is Ludhiana.

Bathinda: Out of total voters in Punjab, around 27% are aged up to 29 and could prove to be a decisive factor in the upcoming parliamentary elections as per data sourced from the Election Commission of India (ECI) website. If electorates up to 39 years are counted, the combined percentage stands at 51% more than half the total voters in the state.

Interestingly, all MPs in the 15th Lok Sabha were aged above 30 and there were only eight members in the 31 to 35 age group and 20 parliamentarians aged between 35 and 40 years.

Candidates aged above 25 are allowed to contest Lok Sabha elections. There are 485,000 voters in the 18-19 age group who will be exercising their right to franchise for the first time.

Voters in the 20-29 age group is 4667,000, which is little over 24% of the total

BJP announces sixparty alliance in TN

Chennai: The BJP announced the formation of a six-party rainbow alliance for the April 24 Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu, in its first-ever such electoral venture in the State where the turf has been largely dominated by the DMK and the AIADMK. The announcement about the sealing of the alliance was made by BJP president Rajnath Singh who described it as a ’historic’ moment for Tamil Nadu and also for the country as seven parties had come into NDA-fold.

Singh told a press conference in Chennai that out of the 39 seats, actor-politician Vijayakant’s DMDK will fight for 14 seats while the PMK and the BJP will field candidates in eight constituencies each.

Vaiko’s MDMK has been allotted seven seats

across the state in the coming days. His supporters said that he would be travelling to Mudukulathur in Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai and Kolathur to meet supporters.

"Rethinavelu is in no way associated with DMK. We do not know whether he would be in DMK after his defeat in the coming elections," Alagiri said.

Rethinavelu is the president of Maduraibased Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He had penned a book on Alagiri in 2010. "He is a good friend of mine. But can we make him an MP just because he is a friend or wrote a book on me?"

Alagiri asked.

Chidambaram opts out, son Karti given ticket

Punjab gun owners armed 27% Punjab voters may for polls play decisive role in polls

Chandigarh: Gun-toting Punjabis are refusing to deposit their licensed firearms with the police ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. They would rather fend for themselves than bank on policemen for security.

Out of the 2,86,942 licensed weapons in the state, only 103,000 have been deposited with the senior superintendents of police (SSPs) or commissioners in 27 towns and cities as required by the Election Commission (EC). The last date for depositing weapons was March 19. EC data reveals the weapons range from .32 bore revolvers to .12 bore double barrel guns.

The most common are the .315 rifle and the .22 pistol.

Also, gun ownership in Punjab is no longer confined to men. As many as 31,344 women in the state have an arms licence.

voters. In the 30-39 age bracket, number of voters in Punjab are 4627,000, which is also about 24% of the total 19.2 million voters.

"There are 27% voters aged till 29 in Punjab who will play a major role in electing their representatives. But there is not a single MP in this age group in the current Lok Sabha and mainline political parties do not seem much interested in giving tickets to any one from this segment, which is sheer injustice to aspirations of young voters," said Kamal Anand, convener of NGO People for Transparency (PFT).

Anand said that major political outfits needed to recognize power of the youth, who in today's advanced era of information and technology, attain intelligence much before they are considered fit to contest elections.

INDIA

Sathya Sai Heart Hospital

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

US think-tank says Gujarat is top state

New Delhi: The Economic Freedom of the States of India report 2013 has shown that the Narendra Modi helmed Gujarat remains at number one.

This is an index that measures governance, growth, citizens' rights, and labour and business regulation among the country's 20 largest states. Equally, Bihar gets a huge vote of affirmation for the work done by Nitish Kumar since he took over as chief minister (CM) in 2005.

The report states that Gujarat has widened its lead at the top of the economic freedom table with an index score of 0.65 (on a scale from 0 to 1.0) while Tamil Nadu remains in second position with 0.54. The annual report estimates economic freedom based on data for 2013 using a methodology adapted from the Fraser Institute's Economic Freedom of the World (EFW) annual reports.

The report is published through a joint effort of Friedrich-NaumannStiftung für die Freiheit, US-based think tank Cato Institute and the Academic Foundation,

New Delhi.

The three states recording the fastest improvement in economic freedom have been among the fastest-growing states.

Growth has averaged 12 per cent in Gujarat, 10.6 per cent in Chhattisgarh and 10.4 per cent in Bihar between 2005 and 2011.

"Gujarat is not only the freest state, but it has also registered the fastest rate of improvement in the index (from 0.46 in 2005 to 0.65 in 2013)," the report said.

This report comes at a time when the Gujarat development model continues to be questioned.

The report, coauthored by well-known economists Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar, Laveesh Bhandari and Bibek Debroy, further says, "States in India which are economically more free are also doing better in terms of a higher per capita growth for its citizens; unemployment levels are lower in these states, sanitary conditions are better and the states also attract more investment."

Mumbai: Times Now, India’s No. 1 news channel with a presence in over 75 countries celebrated the success and achievements of Indians across the world with the announcement of the winners of ‘NRI of the Year’ awards. The event

also marked the presence of minister for overseas Indian affairs- Vayalar Ravi as the chief guest.

The ceremony was graced by the presence of Amitabh Bachchan who was felicitated with India's Global Icon Award.

Sathya Sai Heart Hospital was set up in the year 2000 at Rajkot.

This was established purely with the sole motive of serving the economically weaker sections of the society who could not afford Cardiac Treatment. We use the word” SERVE” in true sense wherein there is no bill book in this hospital. Not a single paisa is charged towards any parameter of the treatment and the Cardiac Surgeries are done totally free of cost.

Sai Baba’s philosophy of MANAVA SEVA IS MADHAVA SEVA is truly followed in this institution.

In this temple of healing, we are continuously putting our best efforts to increase the number of needy patients that we can operate. From the level of 500 Cardiac Surgeries per year in the year 2006 today we are conducting an average of 800 Cardiac Operations per year. We propose to reach greater heights keeping in view our mission of “CARDIAC DISEASE FREE SOCIETY”.

In order to expand our operations and to cover a large segment of the needy citizens, we have planned to set up another Heart Hospital at the outskirts of Ahmedabad. The Bhumi Puja for this mega proj-

ect was performed on the morning of Thursday 6th March.

The proposed Hospital is approximately 17 Km from Ahmedabad City at Kasindra village on Dholka Highway, Bakrol Ring Road. It is near Sardar Patel Ring Road and near the proposed 6

Lane Highway.

This makes it easily approachable even in emergencies.

Situated in a plot measuring 30,000 sq. yds, the hospital will cater for up to 125 beds and will be suitable for approximately 2000 Open Heart Surgeries annually. It is expected to be operational in 15 months time.

The Bhoomi Pujan was performed by our respected Shri Kanubhai Patel and Shri Gautambhai Choksi, Chairman, G.K.Choksi & Co., the leading Chartered Accountants company of Gujarat.

The ceremony was

Shri Kanubhai Patel and Shri Gautambhai K Choksi performing the Kalash Puja along with their wives

Shri Kirit Ganatra

25

graced by other leading dignitaries such as: Shri Parimal Nathawani of Reliance Group and MP, Shri Kalpesh Jhaveri Justice, Gujarat High Court, Shri Kamal Trivedi, Advocate General, Gujarat state, Shri Janmejaya Vyas, Chairman, Dishman Pharma, Shri Kiritbhai Ganatra, Akila Press, Rajkot, Shri Dhiren Vora of HN Safel Group, the leading Construction Company, Shri Kanchanbhai Jhaveri of K.B.Jhaveri & Co, Shri Hemubhai Gandhi of Gandhi Corporation and dedicated Sai Devotees.

We, the divine grace and inspiration of our beloved Sai, we are optimistic of achieving many milestones.

Shri Dhiren Vora of H.N.Safal Group

Shri Janmenjay Vyas

Shri Rohit Choksi

Managing Trustee: Manoj Bhimani, for more information contact: Bina Patel 07769 932 413

Times Now felicitates Indians across the world with NRI Awards

Categories

India’s Global Icon Special Jury Award Popular Choice Entertainment My India Entrepreneur

Student

Professional

Philanthropy

List of Winners

Name of the Winner

The first edition of the Times Now ICICI Bank NRI of the Year awards powered by Global Indian International School (GIIS) awarded individuals under 6 different categoriesEntrepreneur, Professional, Student, Arts/ Entertainment,

Amitabh Bachchan Zubin Mehta Yusuff Ali M A Keertika Rawat Dr. Kunal Shah Dr. Raminder Singh Ranger Rupesh Srivastava Anand Kumar Nitish Jain Husain Khaki Mala Kiran Talekar Abdul Muqeet Aastha Chauhan Dr. Ramesh Babu Chandrabhan Singh Chandrashekar Natarajan Y Sudhir Kumar Shetty Venkatesha Murthy Suman Kapoor Vijay Goradia Keshav Murleedharan Dr. D Chandroo

Country

India Israel UAE UAE USA UK USA UAE Singapore UK USA UAE Singapore UK USA UAE Singapore UK USA UAE Singapore

Philanthropy and Social Good and contribution to India. The achievers are contestants from USA, Canada, Singapore, UK, and Middle East including Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait.

With their grit and perseverance, Non Resident Indians have achieved tremendous success in various fields in the countries they have chosen to adapt as their homes. Many NRIs are accomplished politicians, scientists, sportsmen, businessmen, professionals and academicians in various countries and ‘NRI of the Year’ awards recognize the success of these achievers.

The Times Now ICICI Bank NRI of the Year Awards is powered by Global Indian International School (GIIS). Ducon Group, USA and Maharastra Tourism are Associate sponsors of the event. Air India is the Singapore travel partner and Ernst & young (EY) are the process advisors. The Nominations process is supported by various

organizations around the world including Federation of Indian Associations (FIA), New York & Tri- State, American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), USA, Singapore India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI),

Singapore India Business Association (SINDA), UK India Business Council (UKIBC) , British Asian Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) and TiE, Singapore, The India Club, Dubai, among other Indian regional language associations.

Family shopping at Asda gets better for the South Asian Community With the growing needs of the South Asian community in the UK, Asda has announced some positive changes to their existing range providing its customers authentic quality ingredients at unbeatable prices. Asda, which has been nominated as the lowest price Supermarket for the last 16 years has been consistently adding its ethnic range for the South Asian Diaspora. The endeavour has been to ensure that the customer can shop all they want under one roof making Asda a one stop destina-

tion for their full ethnic shop.

As a part of the range change, Asda has launched their exclusive new bay to make bulk buying easier for the customers, providing amazing mix and match 2 for £10 deals on select products like; Shahi 5 kg rice, Laila flour (10 kg), KTC Vegetable and Sunflower Oil (5ltr). While every other retailer carries such deals on individual items Asda gives you the opportunity to mix and match the products which are used on a daily basis in every Asian household.

26

INDIA

IN BRIEF

India to support UNHRC motion on Lanka

New Delhi: India will vote in favour of the resolution on Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council, the UPA government is learnt to have decided in possibly its last major foreign policy decision. The vote is expected on March 28 in Geneva. This is the third time when Delhi has decided to vote in favour of the resolution, and sources said the decision has been taken in view of “diplomatic” as well as “political” considerations in mind.

While India is okay with the majority and substantive part of the text of the draft resolution UNHRC 25 which has been circulated in Geneva — accessed

by The Indian Express — negotiators are working on softening the language of paragraph 8 of the resolution, which calls for the need for an “independent and credible international investigation” and “investigate alleged violations and abuses of human rights and related crimes”.

Father beats 10-year-old to death

Ambernath: A 10-yearold boy who was beaten by his father for skipping school died. The boy’s grandmother, who complained to the police and got her son arrested, died of cardiac attack soon after. The accused, Aziz Khan (36), a resident of Bhim Nagar in Ambernath east, works as a driver. His mother Khatunbin (56) and son Sajid Ali Khan used to stay with him. Aziz was incensed after he came to know that Sajid was not attending school regularly. When Khatunbin had gone out, Aziz questioned Sajid about his truancy. When Sajid could not give a satisfactory reply, Khan allegedly hit him with a stick on his head, following which the boy lost consciousness. Aziz then fled from the house. On her return, Khatunbin saw Aziz fleeing and alerted her neighbours.

Man survives 17 blockages in heart

Mumbai: Mithalal Dhoka, a businessman from Yadagiri district of Karnataka, has such a unique heart that it may just earn him a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records. Not only did he have 17 blockages in the various arteries of the heart, but heart surgeon Dr Ramakanta Panda used a record number of 12 grafts — or surrogate blood vessels to restore blood flow — to fix Dhoka’s heart.

“The highest number of grafts used in previous cases was eight. I had to use 12 as his heart was very different,” said Dr Panda, who is applying to the Guinness Book for a mention. The biggest difference is the fact that while most patients have three or four blocks, Dhoka had 17 blocks. An angiogram taken before the surgery showed a series of tiny arteries crisscrossing his heart.

Viscera report deepens Sunanda’s death mystery

New Delhi: Sunanda Pushkar's viscera report has brought back the possibility of foul play in the mysterious death of the 52-year-old businesswoman in a south Delhi luxury hotel on January 17 this year.

Sources said the report not only rules out the presence of any poison in Sunanda's body but also finds no trace of the anti-anxiety drug, Alprax, in her stomach at the time of the death. This directly contradicts the autopsy report which had concluded that Sunanda died of drug poisoning and had indicated the presence of Alprax. Investigators, who had recovered near-empty strips of Alprax from Sunanda's hotel room, are stumped by the new findings. If the viscera report is to be believed, Sunanda either took the pills as per the prescribed dose or the strips were planted in the room to mislead investigations, a source said.

Sanjay Dutt gets a tearful farewell from wife Manyata

Mumbai: Actor Sanjay Dutt Saturday left for Pune's Yerwada Jail after his parole, which was granted on the grounds of his wife Maanyata's health, came to an end. He left from his Bandra residence, accompanied by his friend Bunty Walia. Wife Manyata and his twins Igra and Shahraan bid a tearful farewell to him. Sanjay was released from Yerwada jail on onemonth parole as he had to tend to his ailing wife Maanyata. The parole was extended by a month till Feb 21 and then again till March 21. The actor's 37year-old wife Maanyata was hospitalised in January after she complained of lung complications. Sanjay, 53, is serving the remaining 42 months of his sentence for illegal possession of arms in a case related to the 1993 serial blasts, in which over 250 people were killed and several hundred wounded.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

Top Indian Mujahideen operative Tehsin Akhtar arrested

New Delhi: Wiping out the top leadership of terrorist outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM), the special cell of Delhi Police arrested Tehsin Akhtar alias Monu on Tuesday.

Sources said he was nabbed near the Nepal border but there was no official confirmation yet.

Akhtar was apparently trying to sneak into Pakistan via Kathmandu.

Tehsin, for all practical purposes, took over the reins of IM in India after its then operations chief Ahmed Siddibappa alias Yasin Bhatkal was arrested

by Intelligence Bureau in Nepal in August 2013.

A highly motivated and slippery IM operative, Tehsin was wanted for a series of blasts across the country, including the October 27, 2013 attack on a Narendra Modi rally in Patna.

An attempt by intelligence agencies to prod him to surrender through his parents in Samastipur,

Bihar was rejected by Tehsin with a terse message that said, "I am not a misguided youth. I know what I am doing."

Tehsin was also wanted for the Varanasi blasts in 2010, triple blasts in Mumbai in 2011, Pune blasts on August 1, 2012, Hyderabad's Dilsukhnagar blasts in February 2013 and Bihar's Bodh Gaya blasts in July 2013.

An early recruit of IM's Darbhanga module, Tehsin is a close associate of Yasin Bhatkal and has not only been a planter of many bombs but also a motivator for the outfit.

Apart from Yasin, Tehsin used to scout for young Muslim men in a Darbhanga library and indoctrinate them by talking about atrocities against Muslims and preaching a puritanical and fundamentalist version of Islam.

It was Tehsin who established the Ranchi module which was behind

both Bodh Gaya and Patna blasts. The Rajasthan module busted by agencies with the arrest of Waqas and three others on Saturday was also indoctrinated by Tehsin.

Son of a small-time chemist from Maniyarpur village in Samastipur, Tehsin has remained an evasive blob on the radars of security agencies for several years. He escaped from a flat that he shared with Waqas in Mangalore after news of Yasin's arrest was leaked to the media in August last year.

His meteoric rise in the jihadi ranks came within three years of joining IM and partnering Bhatkal in planting bombs in Varanasi in 2010. Intelligence agencies believe that IM founder in Pakistan Riyaz Bhatkal developed sufficient confidence in Akhtar to let him carry out serial bombings in Hyderabad on his own last year. He carries a reward of Rs 1000,000 on his head.

'Akhtar was detained 10 days back' Tehsin Akhtar was detained by IB ten days ago at India-Nepal boarder, according to a source.

The Indian agency used his electronic instrument to communicate with his associate, Waqas, on Skype and lured him into their trap last week.

The IB asked Waqas to reach Rajasthan from where the Delhi police had arrested him along with three others last week. Till his arrest, Waqas, was not aware that Monu was caught and that IB officers were communicating with him on Skype. The source stated that Waqas travelled to Mumbai from some unknown place and headed to Rajasthan. However, Delhi Police disclosed that they first arrested Waqa then Monu on Tuesday.

The source stated that Monu is big catch for the Indian agency as he was a leading IM in India since last two years.

British politicians back probe into Operation Blue Star

Continued from page 1 May 22 this year in the UK. As many as 73 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will be elected from the United Kingdom.

Of nearly 430,000 Sikhs in UK, 420,000 live in England alone as per Britain’s 2011 census. The community is politically active. Around 3 in 4 Sikhs have voted in different elections in the last 4 years. Around 2 in 3 voted in the 2010 general elections.

Apparently, the threat from the federation to refrain from voting proved to be ‘effective’ as substantial support from MPs, Lords, MEPs and European Parliament candidates pouring in for the favour of the federation’s demand. The Sikh federation has declared that the names of the politicians will be announced within the next 10 days.

Britain's foreign minister William Hague recently informed the House of Commons that UK had "advised" India to keep an element of surprise while executing Operation Blue Star and use helicopter-

borne forces in order to ensure minimal casualties and bringing about “a swift resolution”.

“Britain had sent a single military adviser to India between Feb 8 and 17, 1984 to advise the Indian Intelligence Services on contingency plans that they were drawing up for operations against armed dissidents in the temple complex, including ground reconnaissance of the site,” Hague told to the Lower House.

However the government's investigation did conclude that the nature of the UK's ‘assistance’ was purely advisory, limit-

ed and provided to the Indian government at an early stage in their planning". Hague also clarified that the advice had limited impact with the cabinet secretary finding no evidence that any other form of UK military assistance - was given to the Indian authorities.

An independent public inquiry would help British Sikhs to establish the truth about UK government's involvement, said Bhai Amrik Singh, chair of the Sikh Federation who is demanding for an international UN-led inquiry into the genocide of the Sikhs in 1984.

In June 1984 the three-day military operation by Indian forces known as Operation Blue Star took place. Official Indian government figures estimate that 575 people died. Other reports suggest as many as 3,000 people were killed, including pilgrims caught in the cross-fire. According to the Federation, there is a strong ground for having a public inquiry.

“One thing that has still not emerged is the extent of the failure by the UK government to protect British nationals and their families during 1984.

Thousands of Sikhs from the UK travel each week to Punjab. This would have been the case in May and June 1984 and almost certainly the vast majority would have taken part in a pilgrimage of Sri Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar. Some from the UK would also have been in Amritsar for one of the most important days in the Sikh calendar and would have been caught up in the Indian army attack at the start of June 1984,” said Singh.

Continued from page 1

by Justice A K Patnaik said there are "very very serious" allegations made in the report and unless the BCCI president steps down, no fair probe can be conducted.

"In our opinion, Srinivasan has to step down if proper probe is to be done in the case," the bench said. We don't like

to damage people's reputation but unless the BCCI president steps down, no fair investigation can be done. Why is he sticking to the chair? It is nauseating," the bench said.

"If you would not step down, we will pass the verdict," an enraged bench said. It said that the contents of the report, which also raised suspicion on

the role of six Indiacapped players in IPL betting and spot-fixing scandal, cannot be revealed in open court and asked BCCI counsel to go through certain paragraphs of it."See and go through the report to get to know the seriousness of the allegations but not as an advocate of Srinivasan or BCCI," the bench said.

It said that the gist of the report is such that the allegations have to be probed and asked the BCCI counsel to take instructions. It posted the case for hearing on March 27. During the hearing, BCCI pleaded before the court not to disclose the contents and names of players mentioned in the report.

SC asks BCCI chief Srinivasan to step down

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

Author, journalist Khushwant Singh passes away at 99

INDIA - ELECTION

UP to witness high-profile contests

Mayuri Dave

Of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies across India, India’s largest state Uttar Pradesh popularly known as ‘UP’ is having lion’s share with 80 Lok Sabha seats. UP will determine whether the National Democratic Alliance will be able to capture enough seats to form the next government at the centre.

The state, which will witness contests by bigwigs of Indian politics

New Delhi: Author, journalist, commentator Khushwant Singh, known for his witty, fearless and acerbic writings, is dead, his family announced. He died in his 100th year.

He died quietly at home at his Sujan Singh Park apartment, a landmark for old timers of the capital, in whose construction his grandfather, Sir Sujan Singh, had a big hand.

He is survived by son Rahul and daughter Mala.

He was cremated at Lodhi crematorium on Thursday last.

A recipient of Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honour, Khushwant Singh authored some internationally renowned books like "Train to Pakistan", "I Shall Not Hear the Nightingale", "A History of the Sikhs", "The Company of Women" and "Delhi",

and has written over 30 novels, many short stories, essays and countless commentaries.

He was close to former prime minister Indira Gandhi but then fell out with her over her imposition of press censorship during her emergency rule 1975-77. The relationship further soured after he became close to estranged daughter-in-law Maneka Gandhi, whom he mentored for some time.

In 2002, the author candidly wrote about his life, family history and his relationship with politicians in the autobiography "Truth, Love and a Little Malice".

In 1974, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, but he returned the award in 1984 in protest against the army siege of the Golden Temple of the Sikhs in Amritsar.

BJP blames Nehru for India's debacle against China in 1962

New Delhi: Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ravi Shankar Prasad, blamed former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for the 1962 debacle in the SinoIndia War of 1962.

"The report of Henderson Brooks has not come out properly, but in parts. It holds Jawaharlal Nehru responsible, and rightly so. The humiliation, the defeat which India suffered in 1962, was the direct outcome of the way Jawaharlal Nehru, under the pressure of his defence minister V.K. Krishna Menon, ignored the concerns of the Indian armed forces, and they were left to fend for themselves in a state of complete unpreparedness. The nation still feels the pain of that humiliation," Prasad said.

The BJP leader also attacked Nehru's leadership skills, comparing him with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's legacy.

"The BJP would like the entire report to be made public so that more than 50 years thereafter the entire nation must

know as to who did what wrong. Surely, Jawaharlal Nehru has to account a lot for that defeat. Maybe, the time has come, that the future generations must know who secured the nation more, was it Jawaharlal Nehru or Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel," Prasad added.

A section of the confidential Henderson Brooks report that critically reviewed India's defence preparedness and strategies during the 1962 war with China has been released online by Australian journalist Neville Maxwell.

27

GENERAL ELECTION 2014 ANALYSIS

including NDA’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, AICC president and vice-president Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, BJP president Rajnath Singh, Aam Aadami Party’s national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Rahul’s estranged cousin Varun to name a few. Strong regional parties Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) headed by two former UP Chief Ministers Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati would try hard to make their presence felt during the 16th Lok Sabha elections.

Modi's choice of

also could cap- Dates of voting in for the corrupture one seat. To tion on vast Uttar Pradesh the surprise of scale.

“Anti many, Rahul Manmohan April 10, 2014 Gandhi enerSingh governApril 17, 2014 gized the party ment wave is April 24, 2014 and converted more intense in April 30, 2014 votes from 2014 than that May 07, 2014 the State. of the anti- govMay 12, 2014 T h e ernment vote Narendra Modi encouragwaves in 1977,” said a ing political analyst.

Even poll forecast suggest that BJP Arvind Kejriwal would win at least half of Sonia Gandhi the seats in Murli Manohar Joshi UP, the most populous stat and home Rahu Gandhi Maneka Gandhi to 200 million people.

Mulayam Singh Yadav The poll survey conducted by CSDS and the Rajnath Singh CNN-IBN suggest that BJP will win sideration 41 to 49 seats from result for the that his conCongress in UP testing from the State. reflected at the Centre UP will be Major political as the United Progressive critical for his prime minparties - Congress, isterial aspirations, will strengthen prospects of party's candidates in the state, particularly in its Constituency Contestants eastern region which accounts for 32 seats.

Varanasi Narendra Modi (BJP), Mukhtar Ansari It was Samajwadi (QED), Arvind Kejriwal (AAP, likely) party which led the tally with 23 seats in the last Amethi Rahul Gandhi (Congress), Kumar general elections in 2009, Vishwas (AAP) followed by the Congress Rai Bareli Sonia Gandhi (Congress) 21 and BSP 20. BJP led National Democratic Phulpur Mohmmad Kaif Alliance (NDA) – BJP Azamgarh Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lok Dal – was reduced to only 15 seats Sultanpur Varun Gandhi while one independent Mathura Hema Malini Varanasi as his second Lok Sabha seat was shaped by the con-

High Profile seats in the State

Prestigious Varanasi to have six cornered fight

Pilibhit

Maneka Gandhi

Kanpur

Murli Manohar Joshi

Farrukhabad Ghaziabad Lucknow

With NDA’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi decided to contest from holy town Varanasi, entire country is looking at the constituency in Uttar Pradesh.

Varanasi is now, heading for a multi-cornered contest, in which already Modi is hotfavourite. AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal has almost made up his mind to directly fight with Modi and is set file nomination from Varanasi constituency.

SP has named Kailash Chaurasia, sitting MLA from Mirzapur and minister of state in UP government. Strong Muslim candidate Mukhtar Ansari is in

fray as nominee of Qaumi Ekta Dal. While BSP has declared Vijay Prakash Jaiswal from the constituency, the Congress is in dilemma over putting its candidate from Varanasi.

The six-cornered contest is likely to work in favour of BJP and Modi.

Varanasi also occupies a special place in the Hindutva scheme of things by being the site of Vishwanath, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas which are revered by Hindus. One of these Lingas is located at Somnath in Gujarat -something which helps BJP attempt the emotive "Somnath to Vishwanath" connect.

Salman Khurshid

General V K Singh (BJP), Raj Babber (Congress) Shazia Ilmi (AAP) Rajnath Singh

Alliance (UPA) went on to form the government.

The saffron brigade had bagged 58 seats in 1998 polls but had tragically slipped to a mere 10 seats in 2009.

However, the scenario has completed changed, since 2009, for the impending general elections. Corruption and the high prices across the country has changed the minds of voters not only in UP but also in other States. As far as the UP voters are concerned, four parties – the Congress, SP, BSP and Lok Dal – are responsible

BJP, BSP and SP are going all the way out to conquer Uttar Pradesh.

Besides, relatively new AAP is also planning to contest from majority of the seats in the State. UP is also important as it is likely to witness a direct battle between Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi, one a declared PM candidate and the other top favourite among Congress cadres for the coveted post. Another contender for the PM post is SP chief Mulayam Singh, who is instrumental in forming ‘Third Front’.

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

Kajal to pair up with Jiiva ‘Anjaan's’ Silk Smitha connection A

ctor Jiiva who is currently shooting for “Yaan,” has reportedly signed for a romantic entertainer to be directed by debutante Chandramohan, a former assistant of acclaimed Telugu director Karunakaran. While the other cast and crew details are yet to be revealed by the makers, we hear from insiders that Kajal Agarwal is likely to be roped in for the heroine role. This will be the first for the “Jilla” actress to pair up with the “Endrendrum Punnagai” actor. It is also said that Jiiva will start shooting for this film to be produced by his father R.B.Choudhary from the month of May. Kajal Agarwal who has a film with Dhanush to be directed by Balaji Mohan and a Telugu film with Ramcharan Teja will start acting with Jiiva after completing her portions in these two films.

Samantha's 'Naughty Boy'

S

amantha who is acting with Vijay and Surya in Murugdoss directed film and Lingusamy directed 'Anjaan' respectively has equally covetable projects in Telugu too. The “Neethane En Ponvasantham” girl has two films with young actor Naga Chaithaynaya in “Autonagar Surya” and “Manam.”

“Manam” is the film that holds the record of featuring three generations of a same family Nagaeswara Rao, Nagarjuna and Naga Chaitanya in the same movie. Samantha is currently acting in untitled priojects with Junior NTR and Bellam Konda Suresh. In addition she has recently signed a film tilted “Akkadayi” and the young lass has been paired up with Ram in this film. Akkadaiyi is the Telugu term to refer to a 'Naughty boy.'

S

uriya Samantha starrer “Anjaan” is fast progressing in Mumbai and the shoot is in its fifth schedule now. The team headed by the film's director N Lingusamy recently shot an item number with the sizzling Bollywood beauty Chithrangadha Singh dancing with another Bollywood actor Manoj Bajpai debuting in Tamil with this film as the lead villain.

The peppy number composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja is said to take place in the pre-climax portion of the film. The lyrics written by Viveka for this song starts as 'Siripu en specialty, Silk Smitha community" and sources close to the unit assure that the song will be a chartbuster.

Hansika walking out of dark phase A

ctress Hansika Motwani has had quite a few tough moments in her life in the past few weeks. First, break-up with Silambarasan and later, her grandmother passed away. Now, the actress is thanking all the fans for being with her in her tough times. She posted, “Wel it ws a turbulent week wit grandmom passing away, thank u all 4 ur condolences, hpe her soul RIP. Miss u dadi (sic).” She is now trying to get her focus back on the films that she is doing. She further wrote, “2014 doesn't get better and bigger for me! Thank u all for ur love n support! New movies updates shall gve yall soon . Luv n peace (sic).”

‘Dishkiyaoon’

“D

ishkiyaoon” is an upcoming Bollywood action film

produced by Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra along with Eros International. The film features Sunny Deol, Harman Baweja and debutant Ayesha Khanna. The film is about the Mumbai underworld. The film was supposed to be released on 10 January 2014 but has now been delayed to 28th March 2014. Four songs for the film have been composed by debutant Palash Muchhal, who's the youngest music composer of Bollywood at age of 18.

“O

‘O Teri’

Teri” is an upcoming Hindi comedy film produced by A t u l Agnihotri, featuring P u l k i t Samrat, B i l a l Amrohi, Sarah-Jane Dias,Sara Loren, and Mandira Bedi. The film stars Pulkit Samrat and newcomer Bilal Amrohi as two journalists, who come across a big scam. The film was slated for release on 7 March 2014. It is directed by Umesh Bhisht. The music is composed by GJ Singh, who also scored music for title track of Punjabi movie R.S.V.P.

New Release

"Y

‘Youngistaan’

oungistaan”, essentially a love story set in the backdrop of Indian politics, is the story of Abhimanyu Kaul & the love of his life, Anwita C h a u h a n .

Abhimanyu Kaul, a young boy living an ordinary life in Japan, finds himself in the political spotlight due to the sudden death of his father, the Prime Minister of India. Travel with Abhimanyu, as he struggles to balance his complicated personal relationships with the political resistance against him from within his own party. Cast: Jackky Bhagnani, Neha Sharma, Farooq Sheikh, Boman Irani. Director: Syed Ahmad Afzal.

Producer: Vashu Bhagnani

Deepika, Ranveer finalised for 'Shuddhi'

aran Johar's magnum opus “Shuddhi” which hit a roadblock after the original K casting of Hrithik Roshan and Kareena

Kapoor fell apart may roll soon with Ranveer stepping into Hrithik's shoes. A source close to the development said that as soon as the actor returns from Delhi, he will meet Karan Johar and director Karan Malhotra for a final round of talks before he signs on the dotted line. Last week, the trio had a long meeting wherein Ranveer gave his consent to play the male lead. Deepika Padukone has been finalised as the female lead.

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

Latest

I have nothing to do with Virat Kohli: Izabelle Leite

s the rumour mills were rife about Anushka A Sharma and Virat Kohli's hide-n-

seek love, the media went agog on their relationship and popped a question to Izabelle Leite, Virat's exflame, at the trailer launch of “Purani Jeans.”

When asked Izabelle about what is her reaction to Virat's new found love, the actress sternly replied, "I have nothing to do with Virat Kohli." On quizzing her further about her relationship status, Izabelle clarified, "I am single."

Interestingly, Brazillian model-turned-actress Izabelle

was recently the victim of paparazzi when she was spotted dining with actor Sidharth Malhotra at a popular suburban restaurant. When probed about Sidharth and whether the actor has seen the trailer, Izabelle refrained from commenting. "I don't know why you guys are asking about him. I have only seen the trailer for the first time."

Meanwhile, “Purani Jeans” directed by Tanushree Chattrji Bassu and produced by Eros International, stars Aditya Seal, Tanuj Virwani, Izabelle Leite, Rati Agnihotri, Sarika and is all set to release on May 1, 2014.

‘Haider’ is my toughest film: Shahid Kapoor

I am friends with all my exes: Sonam Kapoor

o n a m Kapoor, who S plays a young

talented girl in her latest release “Bewakoofiyaan” claims that she gives in her best when it comes to her relationships and never judge a guy on his financial grounds.

When asked about her real life expectations, Sonam said, "I like potential in people. If I find someone, who has lot of potential and can do something with life then I don't see bank balance, which family he comes from or his religion. I am

extremely idealistic and extremely impractical in life which is not the best thing on this planet but it has held me in good position till now." " I have no baggage with my relationships and everything I have done is with all heart. Even if something doesn't work out, I am friends with all of them.

There is nothing dirty about the break-up. Also, if it doesn't end on a negative it's easy to be friends with your exes.

It's not tough but the closure is important," added Sonam.

hahid Kapoor, who just wrapped up the shooting of his upcoming film “Haider,” says it was S one of the most challenging movies of his career.

“Haider,” which is an adaptation of Shakespearean tragedy “Hamlet” stars Shahid, 33, in the titular role opposite newbie actress Shraddha Kapoor. The Vishal Bharadwaj directed film is slated to hit theatres on September 12.

"Its a wrap on “Haider”... Only when you play hamlet you realise what a complex part it is...

Probably my toughest yet !! And where does the bus go from here... No clue yet... Deep deep house and very very comfy sofa for now," Shahid posted on Twitter.

“Haider” also stars Irrfan Khan, Tabu and Kay Kay Menon. The film’s shoot in Kashmir had to be cut short or halted from time to time as the crew met with frequent protests from the locals.

In tough times, we Salman Khan walks Roshans planning turn to Shweta: out on Akshay new film rithik Roshan Hand his dad Bachchan Rakesh Roshan ollywood and joing hands superstar B for a silver screen A m i t a b h

Bachchan who spent a day with his d a u g h t e r Shweta Nanda on her 40th birthday says, “she remains our chief executive officer. When she comes home to Jalsa (Amitabh's Mumbai home), it's never as though she went away and she does not ever allow us to feel that she left... daughters have a way of doing that, and doing that well...She remains our chief executive officer and we turn to her for all the tough decisions that come our way.

Daughters have a sense of the sixth, one that never fails to ring that cliched bell within us...for us it always rings well and loud. We are blessed and proud."

alman Khan's cameos apparently come with a condition - the star has to be the S centre of attention. Unfortunately, Akshay

Kumar was not aware of the rider. Sallu and Akki were to shoot the title track of Fugly, sung by Honey Singh, a few days ago. Once the shoot started, Sallu realised that it is Akki who's hogging most of the limelight in the special song. Since Akshay had more screen time in the song, he coolly walked off after shooting the first stanza of the song, much to everyone's shock.

outing. In all likelihood, they will work on a new film before embarking on the next instalment of the superhero franchise. When contacted, Roshan Senior confirms the news, saying, "Yes, we are working on a script right now. Let's see how it works out. It's too early (to go into details)."

Apparently, the Roshans' new film won't have anything to do with superheroes or superpowers like the “Krrish” franchise.

“Rakesh wants to take the fourth part of the film to a higher level, and so it's going to take time. In the meantime, they are trying to work out another film. Since they already have an idea in place, the story is being fleshed out further by Rakesh. It's going to feature Hrithik in a completely different avatar," says an insider close to the project.

Sunny Leone ready for TV serials

ctress Sunny Leone said that she has no problems in doing televiA sion serials. “If anybody comes to me

with a proposal, then I will not reject it. I will definitely work in it,” said Sunny, 32. On the protests against “Ragini-MMS 2” at some places, the actress said, “Those who want to watch the film should watch it. Those against it should not watch it.”

Answering a question on exposing, she said it was ubiquitous in foreign films too. “I am a very hard-working woman and also a good wife,” she said.

30

UK

Grandmother dies from 2 hour operation on the wrong place

A grandmother of two died in extreme pain seven months after a substitute consultant operated on her in the wrong place, causing huge blood loss and brain damage.

Lalitaben Patel, 71, suffered a massive haemorrhage after Mudhafar Alhiwidii made a mistake during a routine gall bladder procedure at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, which resulted in three holes in a major artery.

Theatre staff, who were assisting the surgeon, became so concerned after he spent two hours operating in the wrong place that a senior surgeon was called to come and finish the procedure, according to a report by the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.

He completed the operation, removing 90 per cent of Mrs Patel's gall bladder, but the report said that mistakes made

This week the paid subscribers of Asian Voice will receive a copy of the magazine 'The Turning Point: How a campaign to save one Temple united the Entire Hindu Community' with their newspaper.

Coming Events

earlier by Mr Alhiwidi, who had only been at the hospital for two weeks, had already caused huge blood loss, resulting in damage to Mrs Patel's brain.

Mrs Patel's condition deteriorated significantly after the operation at Leicester Royal Infirmary in May 2012, and she died in December 2012 after months of agony.

The trust confirmed that Mr Alhiwidi had his contract terminated and was reported to the General Medical Council, which has imposed temporary restrictions on his licence to practice while further investigations are carried out.

Shri Chandana Vidyapeeth Jain School’s annual Family Fun Day The event is taking place on Saturday 29 March 2014 from 4pm until 8pm at Kingsbury High School, Tylers Hall, Stag Lane Entrance.

The theme of the Family Fun Day is ‘’ONE WORLD’ to demonstrate unity amongst Jains worldwide. There will be plenty of Fun Day activities including: A fancy dress competition to showcase the national costumes of different countries! Come dressed up on the day!

Wonderful cookery demonstrations by Jyotiben Shah of Veggie Kitchen – come and learn

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

new dishes! Arts and crafts activities, games and plenty of stalls run by the children and there will be plenty of delicious home made food themed from across the globe!

Entrance is free to all.

This is an extremely important event for SCVP as it is largely through the efforts of the children that the event happens and is a good opportunity for them to teamwork and raise money for educating children in the Philippines in the aftermath of the typhoon last year and also towards the running of SCVP school.

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l Saturday 29th March – Pujya Deepakbhai Satsang from 7.30pm – 10pm at Wanza Community Hall, Pasture Lane, Leicester, LE1 4EY. l Sunday 30th March – Satsang by Aptaputra from 10.30am – 12.30pm at Wanza Community Hall, Pasture Lane, Leicester, LE1 4EY. l Sunday 30th March 2014 – Bhajans & Mother's Day celebrations at 3.00 pm by Shree Budhdevbhai and Shree Manubhai Kotak at Adhya Shakti Mataji Temple, 55 High Street, Cowley, Middlesex UB8 2DZ. Contact: 07882 253 540. l Friday 4th & Saturday 5th April 2014 – Chaitra Navratri Dandiya & Garba Night at Oakington Manor School, Oakington Manor Drive, Wembley, Middlesex HA9 6NF from 8pm onwards. Contact: 07979782937. l Sunday 6th April 2014 – Charity Garba at Barnhill Community High School, Yeading Lane, Hayes, Middlesex, UB4 9LE from 11.30am – 6pm. Contact 07583 962 213. l Friday 4th April 2014 – Remembering Abba – Sitar Concert from 7.30pm at The Sangam Centre, 210 Burnt Oak Broadway, Edgware HA8 0AP. Contact: 020 8952 7062. l Saturday 5th April 2014 – Nakoda Bhairavji's Pratishtha Mahotsav from 7.30am onwards at 557 Kenton Road, Harrow, HA3 9RS UK. Contact: 0208 206 1659.

CB is away in India, hence has not written his As I See it Column on page 8 this week.

'The Legend Returns' – Pankaj Udhas Concert Tour 2014 featuring Ghazal Maestro When: Saturday 5th April 2014 Where: Hammersmith Apollo, 45, Queen Caroline Street W6 9QH Doors open: 6pm Concert starts: 7pm Online ticket booking: www.tickemaster.co.uk

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while Mercury transits the twelfth house of your solar chart, your mind is focused on private matters.

This is a time when you are searching for answers. This is a good time for research, quiet contemplation and meditation. You are likely to require a certain amount of solitude in order to get your thoughts together or to be mentally productive.

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 The Sun is now transiting through your twelfth house, marking a time of retreat and regeneration. It's a time for reflection, dreaming, and recharging your batteries. Your disposition is introspective. Venus transits your solar house of career, during this cycle, you are most charming and well-received by your work colleagues.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22

The Sun is transiting your solar eleventh house.

It's a sociable sector of your chart, and that's exactly how you are feeling. There will be lots of networking going on and this will pay off in the long run. Venus graces your solar ninth house. Routine affairs simply don't seem to satisfy you. You receive pleasure from anything that expands your horizons, both physically and mentally.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22 Now that Mars is retrograde (until mid-May), for you this can be a difficult period with family. Watch for passive-aggressive behavior. The Sun illuminates your career sector. This is the time when you are more interested in, and focused on, your profession. Recognition is likely to come your way and do what you feel is right.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23 The Sun is now highlighting your solar 9th house. This is a cycle in which you seek a higher meaning to your life and do anything that broadens your mind. Venus is gracing your solar seventh house. This is a good time to Smooth out your personal relationships. If single, this is a period when you are more willing than normal to enter into a committed relationship.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23 Avoid lending any money unless you're entirely certain you'll get it back, or if you can take the loss. It's a good time for re-assessing your budget, and try not to spend money on big purchases. Venus graces your solar sixth house now. A good time to establish a happy and harmonious work environment through friendly relations with co-workers.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23 Overall, you are likely to feel more introspective. It's not that you lack confidence, but you are looking for answers from within.

Mercury continues to transit your solar sixth house. This is an excellent time for improving your skills, so that you can make necessary changes in your everyday work. The need to communicate, is especially strong now.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22 It's a great time to make improvements to your regular routines. Your ruling planet Mars is retrograde in your 12th house of private matters. Old resentments, hurts, and angers can resurface. There can be lowered vitality due to emotional frustrations and exasperation. This is a time for learning about how your mental health impacts your life.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

All Mars retrograde cycles affect you in the areas of creativity, children, and romance because Mars rules these areas of your solar chart. With Mars retrograde in your solar 11th house until mid-May, your social life can become complicated. Misunderstandings can be frequent and complications can arise. This is a good time to re-assess your goals, romantic life and friendships.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

Mars is now retrograde in your solar 10th house, and this is likely to cause some disruptions and frustrations in your professional life. Work on coming to compromises and agreements. All Mars retrograde cycles also affect you in the areas of home, family, security, and domestic activities because Mars rules these areas in your solar chart.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

Financial, work, and practical matters improve.

You have a good sense for how much to invest and where. Conditions are favorable for raises, loans, support, and taxes. The Sun is illuminating your communications sector now, suggesting "busy-ness" and movement. You are exploring and searching now, making connections, and paying attention to your immediate environment.

The Sun highlights your second house now, and your focus is on material affairs and comfort issues. Security is a driving force for you at the moment, and you might find that you are especially interested in accumulating possessions. Venus is spending some time in "hibernation" in your privacy sector. Personal and social contacts may be secretive.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

IPL set for May 1 return to India

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

The seventh edition of the IPL will be flagged off in the UAE, which will host the first 20 matches, but the tournament is likely to come back to India from May 1. In the IPL governing council meeting, six affiliated units Karnataka, Gujarat, Kochi, Hyderabad, Orissa and Jharkhand - assured the BCCI that they have received clearances from the respective state governments to host IPL matches from May 1-15.

“They have submitted letters to the BCCI stating they are ready to host IPL matches during this 15day window. That’s why we’re planning to get the league back to India after the first 15 days in UAE,” a source said.

BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel, too, confirmed the development. “Pursuant to the initiative taken by the Union ministry of

awaiting the final clearance, which will probably come very soon,” the source added.

IPL 1st phase fixtures April 16: Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders. April 17: Delhi Daredevils vs Royal Challengers Bangalore in Sharjah.

April 18: Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab in Abu Dhabi. April 18: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi.

April 19: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians in Dubai.

April 19: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Daredevils in Dubai. April 20: Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab in Sharjah.

April 21: Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Daredevils in Abu Dhabi. April 22: Kings XI Punjab vs Sunrisers

Hyderabad in Sharjah.

April 23: Rajasthan Royals vs CSK in Dubai. April 24: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders in Sharjah.

April 25: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Daredevils in Dubai; Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians in Dubai April 26: Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore in Abu Dhabi.

April 26: Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi. April 27: Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians in Sharjah; Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Chennai Super Kings in Sharjah.

April 28: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI Punjab in Dubai.

April 29: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi.

April 30: Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad in Dubai.

outcast and a divisive force.

New management Now, he will team up with Kirsten, who takes over as the Daredevils coach from IPL-7, in a bid to turn around the fortunes of his franchise. And not surprisingly, both coach and captain spoke about looking forward to working with each other.

“I feel incredibly honoured to have been asked to captain the Delhi Daredevils in this year’s IPL. I am very much looking forward to working alongside Gary Kirsten. We have a fantastic squad with a good blend of youth and experience and a brilliant coaching set up. We hope to bring our incredible fans a lot of happiness this season,” said Pietersen.

“It will be great to have him with us for the full

duration of IPL and I have no doubt that he will have a positive and significant impact,” added Kirsten.

While he might have been alienated by English cricket, Pietersen’s fan-base has only grown since his dumping .

Australian allrounder Shane Watson recently called Pietersen’s absence from world cricket a ‘shame’ and believed that a tournament like the World T20 was made poorer by him not being around. He even went on to call Pietersen a ‘good guy’. T20 behemoth Chris Gayle is another one to join the bring-back KP campaign.

The West Indian opener had insisted that Pietersen’s ouster was ‘disrespectful’ to cricket fans around the world.

Pietersen’s biggest supporter, British television host Piers Morgan, had even indulged in a twitter war with England wicket-keeper Matt Prior after he had admitted that the dressing-room was better off without his former teammate.

And Morgan was among the first to react following the Daredevils’ announcement regarding KP. Bailey to lead KXIP

Australia’s T20 skipper George Bailey was picked as the ‘unanimous’ choice to lead Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in the seventh edition of the IPL. The 31year-old’s career in the event has been restricted to four matches across three seasons that he spent with the Chennai Super Kings earlier.

Despite his previous lowbilling in the IPL, KXIP spent Rs 35 million for roping in Bailey, who has built up an impressive reputation for Australia in the shortest format.

Under Bailey, the men from Down Under have won 13 out of 24 international T20s so far. He was also at the helm of Hobart Hurricanes’ run-up to the Big Bash final two months ago. Bailey was Australia’s leading run-scorer during their ODI series loss in India in 2013, where he scored 478 runs at a strike-rate of 116.01.

And the Punjab outfit, the perennial mid-table finishers in the tournament, will look at the genial Tasmanian to turn around their fortunes at IPL7. Bailey will lead an outfit that has three other Australians, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Johnson and Glenn Maxwell, along with veteran Virender Sehwag.

international cricket between England and both Sri Lanka and India.

In addition to the test match grounds sponsorship, Lycamobile will also become the official mobile partner of Surrey County Cricket Club for the 2014 season. The deal includes all Surrey CCC matches as well as the NatWest T20 and Royal London One Day Internationals with Sri

Lanka and the final Investec Test Match against India that all take place at the ground during 2014. The sponsorship will also see Lycamobile support the club’s CSR programme in the local community.

Subaskaran Allirajah, Chairman, Lycamobile, said: "Lycamobile has a long tradition of supporting cricket and cricketing communities and we’re

delighted to continue that through our test match grounds partnership and sponsorship deal with Surrey County Cricket Club during 2014. The deals are the perfect platform to excite our audience of long-standing cricket fans and we’re looking forward to working with both partners during what’s set to be a fantastic summer of cricket.”

home affairs, many state governments have indicated that IPL matches can be conducted in their respective states,” Patel said in a statement after the meeting. “Based on the responses received so far, the BCCI believes that the IPL can be conducted in India from the first week of May.” Bangladesh was kept on standby for this second phase of the tournament but it seems the need may not arise.

IPL franchises, too, are happy with the development because they want the least number of matches to move out of India.

“The franchises are relieved. But we’re still

Pietersen named Delhi Daredevils captain

Kevin Pietersen who was rejected from the England team has been named the captain of the Delhi Daredevils. That the 33year-old would be given the reins of the Daredevils was expected ever since the wooden-spooners from IPL-6 had bought him for Rs 90 million at the IPL auction. But Pietersen’s appointment has inevitably created a buzz in world cricket at a time where England have entered the World T20 looking terribly understrength without their talisman. The flashy strokemaker had missed last year’s IPL after being sidelined by injury but had scored 305 runs at an average of 61 when Delhi finished on top of the league standings back in 2012.

Interestingly, Gary Kirsten was coach of the South African team when Pietersen was found guilty of having ridiculed his then skipper Andrew Strauss in text messages sent to the opposition players. It was this incident that had embittered relations between him and his England team-mates.

Though Pietersen did don the three-lions logo again soon after, his chequered career ended with him being singled out as an

Kevin Pietersen

SPORT WORLD

Anand beats Topalov, regains sole lead

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India’s Viswanathan Anand regained the sole lead with a sparkling victory over former challenger Veselin Topalov from Bulgaria in the ninth round of Candidates Chess tournament at Khanty Mansiysk (Russia) on Sunday. The hard-earned win proved crucial for five-time World champion Anand as he took his tally to six points out of a possible nine. The equations went for a toss in the ninth round as Shakhriayar Mamedyarov defeated top seed Levon Aronian of Armenia and Vladimir Kramnik suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Russian teammate Sergey Karjakin. The other game between Russian duo of Dmitry Andreikin and Peter Svidler ended in a draw. With five rounds still to come, Anand now enjoys a full point lead over Aronian, who remained on five points after the debacle. Kramnik was joined by Karjakin and Mamedyarov on 4.5 points for joint third spot while Andreikin and Svidler are now joint sixth on four points apiece whileTopalov is last on 3.5 points. It was Anand’s day all the way. Up against Topalov’s pet Sicilian Najdorf, Anand did not give much away in the opening as white and retained a minor advantage as the game entered unchartered territories.

Hockey cut down to an hour

In one of the most significant changes ever in the game, the International Hockey Federation (FIH), in one fell swoop, reduced the duration of a contest from 70 minutes to an hour. The stipulations, which come into effect from September 1, divide the match into four 15-minute quarters instead of two 35-minute halves. Other changes include the implementation of 40-second time-outs following penalty corner awards and the scoring of a goal.

"The change will improve the flow and intensity of the game and increase the fan experience and opportunity for game presentation and analysis.

Both stoppages (timeouts) ensure that the 60minute game time is maximised for actual play and not consumed with penalty corner set-up or other dead time when the ball is not in play," the FIH said in a release. Hockey has seen a lot of rule changes in recent times in a bid to make it faster and more appealing for a changing audience. Not all of these changes can be termed successful. The 'own goal' rule, which allowed a goal to stand when it touched a defender's stick inside the circle without an attacker's touch, was hastily withdrawn. A lot of these changes have been prompted to ensure that hockey remains popular and in the Olympic programme. Last year, the sport, along with wrestling, were mentioned in a list of disciplines whose spot at the Games was in danger in the medium term, shaking the FIH out of complacency.

Lycamobile becomes official mobile partner in test match grounds Lycamobile has signed a new sponsorship deal that will see it become the official mobile partner of the test match grounds in England ahead of the 2014 cricket season. The sponsorship will see the brand awareness campaign activated across England’s international cricket matches held at the nine test match grounds. In total there will be 47 days of live

Nick Hoyle, Managing Director at Essentially, said: “We’re delighted to announce Lycamobile as official mobile partner of the Test Match Grounds.

With Sri Lanka and India touring England this summer, we are set for a great year and it’s exciting to have a globally-established brand such as Lycamobile on board for the journey.”

Richard Gould, CEO

of Surrey County Cricket Club, said: “It’s fantastic to welcome Lycamobile to Surrey County Cricket Club as official mobile partner for 2014 in what is set to be a great year of cricket.

Lycamobile’s ongoing support of cricket and communities around the world is testament the brand’s passion for the sport, and we look forward to working together in 2014.”

SPORT

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 29th March 2014

India inch closer to semis in World T20

India inched closer to a World Twenty20 semi-final spot after half-centuries from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli secured a seven-wicket victory over holders West Indies in a super 10 stage match on Sunday.

The 2007 champions restricted their big-hitting West Indian opponents to a below-par 129 for seven on a slow track and returned to chase down the target with two balls to spare for their second successive victory.

India lost opener Shikhar Dhawan in the first over to a dubious leg before decision but Kohli (54) and Sharma (62 not out) featured in a 106-run second wicket partnership to take the game away from their opposition.

Kohli once again displayed a silken touch, scoring fluently to underline his growing stature as one of the most promising batsmen in the game, and he got good support from Sharma who batted until the end.

Needing five runs to win off 12 balls with eight wickets in hand, India's approach to victory was rather slow but their win was never in doubt even after they lost a struggling Yuvraj Singh in the final over.

India, who beat 2009 champions Pakistan on Friday and take on qualifiers Bangladesh next Friday, top Group Two with four points.

Put into bat, West Indies opener Chris Gayle appeared to live a charmed life as first Ravichandran Ashwin dropped him in the slips before he had scored and Yuvraj Singh then spilled a catch in the deep when the batsman was on 19.

The hard-hitting lefthander hit a couple of sixes

but often struggled to find the meat of the bat. His innings ended on 34 after a mix-up with Marlon Samuels before the Indian spinners drove home the advantage.

Amit Mishra removed Samuels and Dwayne Bravo off successive deliveries to peg back the West Indies before fellow spinner Ravindra Jadeja wrecked the middle order, claiming the next three wickets, including two in the final over.

Pakistan beat Australia Umar Akmal smashed 94 off 54 balls as Pakistan bounced back after a morale-sapping loss against India to defeat Australia by 16 runs on Sunday.

Elder brother Kamran Akmal contributed a run-aball 31 and Shahid Afridi returned unbeaten on 20 off 11 balls to lift Pakistan to 191-5 after they were sent in to bat.

Australia were bowled out for 175 in reply off the final ball of the match despite a spectacular thirdwicket partnership of 118 from 64 balls between Glenn Maxwell and Aaron Finch.

Maxwell hit 74 off 33 balls with six sixes and seven boundaries, while Finch chipped in with 65 that included two sixes and seven fours.

The pair came together after 35-year-old left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar, who opened the bowling, dismissed David Warner and Shane Watson in the first over to make it 8-2.

Maxwell and Finch launched a brilliant counter-attack to raise Australia's 100 by the eighth over, with Maxwell contributing 58 off 20 balls.

Seamer Bilawal Bhatti conceded 30 runs in the eighth over, giving away two sixes and three fours, besides bowling a waisthigh full toss that fetched five extra runs.

A relieved Pakistan finally saw Maxwell off in the 12th over when he attempted to sweep Shahid Afridi and holed out to Ahmed Shehzad on the square-leg fence.

Afridi also bowled skipper George Bailey for four as Australia lost their last seven wickets for 29 runs.

India defeat Pakistan Earlier, India main-

tained their impeccable World Cup record against arch rivals Pakistan after Virat Kohli's fluent 36 not out powered them to a seven-wicket victory in a group two super 10 stage match of the World Twenty20 on Friday.

Put into bat, Pakistan did not get the flying start they were looking for and could not mount a late assault either against India's disciplined bowlers who restricted them to 130-7 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

India made a strong, if not spectacular, start to their chase with their openers adding 54 runs in eight overs before Shikhar Dhawan (30) fell to Umar Gul to trigger a mini-collapse.

Rohit Sharma (24) dragged a Saeed Ajmal delivery on to his stumps while Bilawal Bhatti rearranged Yuvraj Singh's stumps as India slumped to 65-3 in the 11th over.

Kohli displayed the kind of form that has made him the mainstay of Indian batting, playing with characteristic ease and grace to add 66 runs with Suresh Raina (35 not out) to win

the match with nine balls to spare.

Wary of the dew factor and confident of his team's ability to chase under floodlights, Dhoni earlier asked Pakistan to bat first and opened with off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

Kamran Akmal warmed up with a couple of boundaries before running himself out in the second over following a comical mix-up with Ahmed Shehzad. Shehzad featured in another confusion in the very next delivery but was fortunate as Dhoni's direct throw missed stumps as the batsman hurried back abandoning his pursuit for a non-existent single.

Hafeez also had his share of luck as Yuvraj, usually a safe catcher, dropped him at deep midwicket off Mohammad Shami when the Pakistan captain was on five.

Hafeez (15) could not make the most of the reprieve and fell to Ravindra Jadeja's third delivery after Bhuvaneshwar Kumar ran from deep cover to take a low, diving catch.

Shehzad (22) joined him in the pavilion in the

next over, having charged out only to be completely foxed by leg-spinner Amit Mishra's prodigious turn.

Umar Akmal (33) added 50 runs with Shoaib Malik (18) but fell to Mishra just when he looked set for a late assault to push the score.

SA win cliffhanger, SL crush Dutch Dale Steyn and JP Duminy led South Africa to a thrilling two-run win over Group One rivals New Zealand that kept them in the hunt for a semifinal spot.

South Africa, who lost their opening match to Sri Lanka, struggled early on and needed a blistering unbeaten 86 off 43 balls by Duminy to reach 170 for six. New Zealand seemed to be cruising in their reply thanks to Kane Williamson’s 35-ball 51 and Ross Taylor’s 62. They needed 31 off 24 deliveries with seven wickets in hand but a brilliant two-over spell from Steyn (4-17) turned the match on its head. In Steyn’s last over, also the last of the game, the Kiwis needed three off the last ball, but Taylor was run out.

Lanka force Dutch to a new low Meanwhile, Sri Lanka crushed The Netherlands by nine wickets after bowling the Dutch out for the lowest T20 international score of 39. The Dutch were out in a matter of 10.3 overs, some before and some after a five-minute delay due to a malfunctioning floodlight.

Kenya’s 56 against Afghanistan in 2013 had been lowest score.

OnlyTom Cooper reached double-digit figures for the Netherlands, scoring 16.

Ajantha Mendis and Angelo Mathews claimed three wickets each, while Lasith Malinga took 2-5.

method, New Zealand were declared the winners.

Broad, who was fined 15% of his match fee, felt aggrieved because had play been stopped before the end of the fifth over it would not have counted as a complete match, resulting in one point for each team.

He said the umpires' decision cost his team the match. "To be as polite as I possibly can be, I think it was distinctly average decision-making, keeping us on after the first lightning strike at the start of the fifth over, keeping us on throughout that," Broad said after the match.

Ironically, it was Broad who was hit for 16 runs by his counterpart, Brendon McCullum, which lifted New Zealand well clear of the required target.

"That over has obviously given us a loss," said Broad, whose team next face Sri Lanka on Thursday. Broad pleaded guilty to a Level One charge of publicly criticising match officials.

"Umpires are the final judges of the fitness of the ground, weather or light for play. Weather decisions are the most difficult to make, but the umpires make the best decision possible, taking all factors into account," said ICC

match referee Javagal Srinath.

"Such public criticism is not good for the spirit of the game. Mutual respect between players, match officials and administrators is paramount to the game of cricket."

Broad wanted clarity Broad had called for clarity on the decision from the ICC. "I think you should have an umpire in here for some clarity, to be honest," he said. "There are some questions that need asking to the ICC. "I mean it's all very well wanting to finish a game so you can tick a box, etc, but players' health and safety and

actually crowd safety is very important and that to me felt like very threatening lightning."

Broad said the umpires denied they had seen the lightning. "I asked the umpires for a bit of clarity on the decision-making at the end of the game, and they said they didn't see the lightning and didn't think it was a threat. You can guarantee from our team we felt like it was a threat, and with a batsman pulling away from a delivery after 4.2 overs I think the batsman saw it as well," said Broad of McCullum pulling away after the first lightning strike.

Broad fined for 'distinctly average' umpires blast

England captain Stuart Broad was fined on Sunday after blasting umpires as "distinctly average" who put players in danger when lightning hit his team's World Twenty20 clash with New Zealand.

New Zealand were declared winners by nine runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method after the umpires called off the Group One match due to persistent rain in Chittagong on Saturday.

Broad had sought guidance on when the weather should stop play after on-field umpires Aleem Dar of Pakistan and Paul Rieffel of

Stuart Broad

Australia failed to stop the game despite thunder and lightning when New Zealand were chasing a 173-run target.

The umpires waited until heavy rain fell. Even after a 25-minute delay the match could not be resumed. At 52-1 after 5.2 overs - nine runs ahead of what they needed under the Duckworth-Lewis