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The Shirdi Sai Temple in Brent which faced closure after being targeted by some of the gerrymandering members of the Brent council, has now won its case against the council and the enforcement notice has been finally withdrawn.

Shri Ram Bhat, an ardent devotee of Shirdi Saibaba told Asian Voice, "It was a great relief to know that Brent council planning committee has done a right thing finally by removing the enforcement order looming on Shree Shirdi Sai Baba temple in Wembley; I never doubted about the outcome, all I was concern is how far Brent council will go to try and hide their wrong doings in this matter, and torture the devotees and trustees.

Continued on page 6

Sri Lanka President promotes son

80p

Ambani brothers at odds again?

Entry of Mukesh in financial services may worsen their relations

Mukesh and Anil Ambani

The fragile peace between the Ambani brothers is set to stretch further with the entry of Mukesh Ambani in the field of financial services sector that will compete directly with a company controlled by his younger brother Anil Ambani. With the entry of cash-rich Mukesh in the field, the cash-strapped Anil will feel the heat. This will strain the fragile relations between the two brothers.

Ten months after the Ambani siblings ended a non-compete agreement that barred the elder brother from getting into the financial services space, Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries has

signed an agreement with DE Shaw, a New Yorkbased hedge fund, to float a joint venture in India.

Since the time the two brothers agreed to drop the non-compete clause, a legacy of the agreement that split the undivided Reliance Group in 2006, there was speculation in the market that RIL would enter the lucrative financial services space in India. Sunday’s announcement is seen as an official confirmation.

“This joint venture will incorporate the DE Shaw Group’s investment and technology expertise with Reliance’s operational knowledge and extensive

presence across India to offer a comprehensive array of financial services to the Indian marketplace,” an RIL release said.

“Reliance is delighted to partner with the DE Shaw Group,” RIL CMD Mukesh Ambani was quoted as saying. He said he was “delighted” to be working with Shaw, adding that the alliance would offer a range of services expected to include mutual funds, energy and carbon trading and derivatives for newly affluent Indians that would add Shaw’s technology and investment to his Reliance Industries’ operational knowledge and extensive presence across India.

The new bank is expected to compete directly against Anil’s Reliance Capital, which offers asset management, mutual funds, broking and life insurance. Since the two men agreed a few months ago to scrap an agreement to avoid operating in the same areas of business...

Continued on page 26

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VOICE

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

VOL 39. ISSUE 47

Great victory for the Shirdi Sai Temple, Wembley

FIRST & FOREMOST ASIAN WEEKLY IN EUROPE

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2nd April to 8th April 2011

Cricket diplomacy brings India, Pakistan closer imprisoned in Pakistan Nearly seven years after for 27 years on humanithe Indian team’s tour of tarian grounds.

Pakistan, famously The remission was dubbed as the ‘Friendship granted on the advice of Series’, created unprecedented euphoria and bonthe Pakistan Prime homie among the cricket Minister Yousaf Raza fans, the gentleman’s Gilani to “honour an game promises to be a appeal of the Supreme catalyst in bringing the two feuding n e i g h b o u r s c l o s e r ahead of t h e i r World Cup semi-final clash at Mohali.

Yousaf Raza Gilani and Manmohan Singh Cricket diplomacy is yet again the Court of India to the govflavour of the season since ernment of Pakistan”, said the heady 2004-05 season Presidential spokesman when India undertook a Farhatullah Babar.

Earlier on Saturday, full tour of Pakistan for New Delhi had the first time in a decade. announced to increase the An ambience of feel-good staying period for people has been created by both visiting Jammu and sides in the run-up to the Kashmir from PakistanWednesday’s match. occupied Kashmir to six Adding to the months with multiple renewed positive vibes entries ostensibly to between the two counencourage more peopletries, Pakistan President to- people contact across Asif Ali Zardari, remitted the jail term of Indian the Line of Control. convict Gopal Das, Continued on page 26

2

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

one to one Keith Vaz MP with

Raj Gilda, Co-Founder, Lend-A-Hand India Raj Gilda is a serial entrepreneur who has pioneered ventures ranging from launching a non-profit to provide vocational training to over 10,000 youth from rural India to pioneer equity based futures and options trading in India.

Having started his career selling life insurance to pay for his engineering, Raj moved on to work across three continents (Asia, Europe and North America). His passion lies in bringing the world of corporate sector and non-profit together. He co-founded a non profit, Lend-A-Hand India (www.lend-a-hand-india) which provides job and life skills training to boys and girls from rural India. Founded with seed contribution of only $500, this venture has now grown to work with 10,000 youth from 61 villages.

Raj is an Electronics Engineer from University of Pune, CFA, and MBA from University of Texas at Austin. In Jan 2011, Raj quit his job as SVP with Citigroup to pursue his passion to focus on his non profit venture Lend-A-Hand India. Currently, he divides his time between Pune, India and New York, USA. 1) What inspired you to found Lend-A-Hand Indian (LAHI)?

Me and my wife, Sunanda both grew up in a small town in India and come from a small middle class family.

Whatever success we have achieved today is due to education we received and several people who helped us get where we are today. So this is our way of giving back or as they say “play it forward”!

2) What does LAHI do?

LAHI provides job and life skills training to

young boys and girls from rural India.

Currently, working with government aided high schools in the remote villages of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa, LAHI runs a three year job and life skills training program in 61 villages reaching more than 10,000 students.

We recruit local trade practitioners (carpenters, plumbers, electricians, agriculturists etc) to teach trade skills at local high schools for one a day week for three years, making the high school education much more practical and rele-

People ■

Former Miss India and Bollywood superstar Juhi Chawla made her Leicester debut this week at a Q&A session

8) And the worst?

The worst thing about a role like is that you think about it for 24 hours and sometime you wish that you can give yourself a break!

9) What are your long term goals with the LAHI? Long-term goal of LAHI will be to influence the education policy in India so as to make incorporate ‘learning by doing’ method of education across the board.

vant. The impact of this model has been outstanding-- over 25% of the students are now opting for higher education in Industrial Training Institutes and polytechnics, positive impact on attendance in the class room, and the school drop out rate and, empowering of girl students.

3) What are your proudest achievements with the program?

When I see young girls being able to do welding or a young boy able to build an electrical circuit and young boys and girls from small villages in India opting to study in technical schools because of the training they received from Lend A Hand India, it is the proudest achievement for me.

4) Please tell us about

Cherie Blair, President of the Loomba Foundation inaugurates exhibition of photographs by Roma Loomba Roma Loomba, a young and upcoming photographer will be exhibiting her works at The Nehru Centre. As a British Asian, born and educated in UK, Roma graduated, trained and worked in Law in London, before pursuing her interest in charity work. Roma has also worked to develop her creative expressions of designing clothing, writing and photography. Roma Loomba is a Founder Trustee of the Loomba Foundation, a charity that edu-

The best thing I like about my current role is getting to meet people from different spheres of life, sharing the story of Lend-A-Hand India with them and mobilizing the resources to support the operations.

cates the children of poor widows throughout India, South Africa and Kenya, and is currently educating over 2,000 children. Roma has been committed for several years to the Charity's work to help poor widows by educating their children; and in so doing alleviating the suffering of some of the 42 million widows in India.

(For more information please email: roma@loomba.com)

your current position?

After working with Citibank in New York for seven years and total career of over 15 years, I have recently quit my job to focus full-time on LendA-Hand India and take it to the next level.

5) What has been the biggest obstacle in establishing Lend-A-Hand India?

I will like to call it a challenge and not an obstacle – it is finding people with right skills and temperament to work at various levels and the resources to reach to thousands of youth who need help.

6) Who has been the biggest influence on your work to date?

Martin Luther King Jr. 7) What is the best thing about your current role?

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

Access to information – I believe that we can really fundamentally change the world if people have equitable access to information.

As they say, information is power. The Right to Information Act in India is a huge step forward in this direction.

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

Martin Luther King Jr. I am always inspired by the way he managed to inspire the entire generation of African Americans to rise and believe in themselves.

His words “I have a dream…” have always got me going no matter when and where I listen to it.

Juhi Chawla

in the Peepuls Centre.

She was in London to promote her new film.

■

Vaisakhi was celebrated in the House of Commons by a combination of two West

Paul Uppal, MP

Midlands MPs, Paul Uppal and Pat McFadden. Over 200 members of the Sikh community attended.

■ A meeting was held in the Commons with the British Arab community. The meeting

Ed Miliband, MP

was addressed by Labour Leader Ed Miliband and Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander.

HFB urge Hindus to stand up and be counted While the 2011 Census forms were being to homes, the Hindu Forum of Britain urged Hindus from across the country to complete and return the forms on national Census day 27 March.

The 2011 Census, run by the Office for National Statistics, is vitally important for all

communities with the outcome likely to determine future allocation of resources, facilities and services.

The census included questions on ethnicity, language and religion and the HFB encouraged Hindus from all sections of the faith to identify themselves as Hindus other-

wise risk severely marginalising the Hindu community.

Completing the census is a legal requirement: the few people who have not completed their census questionnaire may be prosecuted for breaking the law, could face a criminal record and may be fined up to £1,000.

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

COMMENT

Demonstrators with a message The mass demonstration in London last weekend was the biggest since the 2003 mobilisation against the Iraq war. The numbers then were estimated to be 500,000. This time the figure had reached 250,000 when the count stopped. In scale and passion, it was a significant measure of public discontent. People came to the capital from every corner of the country to voice their concern at the way things were going. Government spending cuts were inevitable, given the size of the public debt arising largely from the previous Labour administration's borrowing coupled with the global economic meltdown; however what appeared to be disturbing sections of the community was the severity of the austerity measures, especially in the context of the bleak canvas of rising inflation, declining economic growth and increasing unemployment. This deepening concern had been previously reflected in the result of the recent Barnsley by-election where the Conservatives and Lib Dem candidates performed disastrously. The very concept of the welfare state, to which all post-war British parties had signed up, appears under threat. It is not enough to defend the people's right to protest peacefully and leave it that.

Their grievances have to be heard with respect and their fears allayed, where possible. Otherwise the business of politics will be reduced to empty talk, a manifestation of sound and fury signifying little of substance.

That Britain should have embarked on a military adventure in Libya at such a time of economic contraction seems provocative and bewildering. Colonel Gaddafi is a capricious and cruel despot. Few people would disagree that he is the root case of Libya's woes. But the West had befriended him and his

regime after shunning them for years. There were considerations of realpolitik behind the move. Arms were sold to his regime, Libyan oil flowed westwards to France, Italy, Spain et al. The West defends its military intervention in Libya – no fly zones and the rest – on the ground that this was a humanitarian mission designed to save the lives of Libyan people in Benghazi and elsewhere who are fighting Colonel Gaddafi's oppressive rule. However, a high-tech war is least likely to diminish civilian deaths by its very nature, it is also infernally expensive. Against this is the prospect of an economic collapse in Portugal and an EU bailout which will require a significant British contribution. The UK's financial liabilities continue to grow.

What protesters see as needless expenditure in pursuit of a futile exercise can only be maintained at the cost of essential national needs in education, health and the investment needed to energize British industry and enterprise. Distrust of Coalition policy is deepened by a lack of transparency of the war aims and the absence of an exit strategy. The Tory MP Rory Stewert, who has had combat experience in Afghanistan and Iraq as a military officer, and also as an administrator warned, on BBC Television'sNewsnight pprogramme against a growing Allied involvement in uncharted territory. There was no endgame, no exit strategy, he said.

Moreover, there is much squabbling and bickering in Allied ranks. Taken together these points are grist to the mill of growing public dissatisfaction at the turn of events in Libya. Over time this is likely to swell if things remain as they are. The issues are real and have to be addressed with real arguments and not with polemics against the unions.

Sri Lanka in flux: wounds of war not fully dressed The Economist's report on Sri Lanka contained a number jibes directed at President Mahinda Rajapakse, the one which stuck out was his apparent attempt to build closer ties with Colonel Gaddafi's Libya, a case surely of the coal calling the kettle black since western leaders bent over backwards in their desire to win the Colonel's good will and with it acquire vast quantities of Libyan oil. Preaching morality to natives by the Herrenvolk is a tricky exercise best avoided. However, the Economist would have been on firmer ground if it had faulted Mr Rajapakse for dragging his feet on the rehabilitation and rehousing of Tamil refugees in Jaffna, victims of the country's draining civil war.

The paper accused Mr Rajapakse of creating a dynasty with 24-year-old son Namal as his heir apparent, yet leaving room for brothers Gotabaya and Basil (respective Defence and Finance Ministers) to make their pitch for the succession should circumstances warrant. However, Namal Rajapakse, being untainted by association with the civil war, could be the safest bet for reconciliation with the island's Tamil community. But the best laid plans of mice and men have a habit of going awry, so Rajapakse watchers will have to wait upon events.

Meanwhile, in London, Tim Martin and Graham Willimson, Directors of Act Now, met with Indian Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi after her address to the Commonwealth Foundation on “Women as Agents of Change” to discuss the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils. Mrs Gandhi told them she was “extremely concerned about the situation in Sri Lanka” and that the Indian government would do everything possible to bring about the desired change in the country.

However, the Tamil Human Rights fliererred in blaming India for persuading the West “to turn a blind eye” to the atrocities committed against Tamil civilians in the latter stages of Sri Lanka's civil war.

This is inaccurate. The West did not turn a blind eye to the atrocities, hence relations with the Sri Lankan government are at a low ebb. Second, Western policy in any part of the world is dictated

by Western interests and not by Indian persuasion.

Third, India intervened in Sri Lanka in 1987 with a peace-keeping force (IPKF). The Tamil Tigers joined forces with the then Sri Lankan president Ranasinghe Premadasa and his army to attack the IPKF. The two allies of convenience were at each other's throat soon after the IPKF had left Sri Lanka. Finally, the Tamil Tigers dispatched a suicide bomber to assassinate premier Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia's late husband. Anton Balasingham, principal aide to Tamil Tiger leader Prabhakaran, asked forgiveness, shortly before his death, for the dastardly deed, which cast the Tamil Tigers beyond the pale for all Indian parties including the opposition BJP, as its head L.K. Advani made abundantly clear to reporters.

That said, India shares close cultural and historical ties with Sri Lanka and its people. As a neighbour India has a special interest in the restoration of an enduring peace on the island. India has given substantial in money and material to the Colombo government for the promotion of social and political stability in Sri Lanka and its continued economic recovery and progress. India has a stake in the wellbeing of the Tamil community and is resolutely opposed to their marginalisation. This should also be a vital national interest for Sri Lanka.

The daunting cost of university education Healthcare and education were the crown jewels of Britain's post-war welfare system. They made Britain a more equal and caring society to the class-ridden, imperial copy left behind in the refuse of a bloody global conflict. Imperial pomp and circumstance had meant glory and enjoyment for the privileged few and hardship and privation for the majority, many of whom were trapped in the grind of domestic service.

The National Health Service (NHS) was a creation of which Britain can be justly proud. It became a model for others to emulate. Whatever its present travails the NHS functions and functions well on the whole in guaranteeing affordable healthcare to all UK citizens. Higher educations hasn't fared nearly as well. For decades students were guaranteed free entry to university on the strength of their school A-level results. It was meritocracy in action over class background. With government grants unable to keep pace with rising expenditure including research, tuition

fees were introduced so that hard pressed universities could meet the increasing demands made on them.

Students were able to borrow money from banks to defray the costs of their university education, the debt to be repaid over a stipulated number of years. At ￡ 3000 per annum this was not an unreasonable compact. However, university tuition fees have been raised to a yearly ￡9000 at one fell swoop, which makes it unaffordable to people from poorer families.

Class privilege has once more come into play. Apart from accentuating social divisions, this surely is a waste of talent.

In an increasingly globalized world of competing economies, it is imperative that the country has the best skilled workforce available to it. Better British goods efficiently produced guarantee a secure future for the country and its people. A diminished knowledge-based population goes against the grain of the national interest. This truth we ignore at our peril.

www.abplgroup.com

3

Thought for the Week Indulge yourself by being generous - help someone out, perform an act of kindness, offer a compliment. The person who will feel most uplifted by you having done so is …you.

-"The Little Book Of Calm" by Paul Wilson (1996)

Sarah Teather MP Liberal Democrat MP for Brent Central and Minister of State for Children and Families

Specialised support for the children who need it most Being a parent is one of the most important – and at times one of the most challenging – jobs there is. It’s particularly challenging when you know your child is falling behind at school because he or she needs more help than other children, but you just can’t get the support your family needs.

Unfortunately, this is a daily reality for thousands of parents around the country whose children are disabled or have a special educational need. Far too often, these families feel like services are working against them rather than with them and that they have to fight to get the right support at the right time.

That is why this month I published proposals on how we can improve services for children with disabilities and special educational needs. I have been very clear from the beginning that government needs to get better at listening to what families actually need, not just imposing what they think they need. This is why, last summer, I set out a ‘Call for Views’ asking families, teachers and professionals about their experiences of the system – the good and the bad.

The call for views received 1800 responses and these suggestions have been central in shaping the proposals we have set out.

One of the main complaints we heard from parents was that the system for special educational needs and disability support was too disjointed and confusing. That is why we have proposed a historic shift in the way services are organised to ensure

that education, health and social care work together more closely than ever before. Instead of making families fit in around the boundaries set by civil servants, I want to make all the relevant services come together to offer parents a unified package of support. No more endless form-filling, just a single assessment of the child’s support needs.

Another change that we have proposed is that parents have more say over the support their child gets. We want a check when children are between two and two and a half so that parents and early years professionals know if a child needs extra help from the earliest stage possible. We will also be looking to give parents more control over the money that councils and health services currently spend on their behalf.

Through giving families the option of introducing ‘personal budgets’ for families’ needs we will ensure that money is spent by the people who know their child the best.

I hope that you like the ideas I’ve set out, but even if you disagree, I’d be really grateful to hear your views on the ideas set out in the published document. You can find the document on the Department for Education website or by following the link below.

This is also where you’ll also find details on how you can have your say on the future for children with special educational needs and disabilities. http://www.educat i o n . g o v. u k / c h i l drenandyoungpeople/se n/a0075339/sengreenpaper

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

4

LEICESTER VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

Racism: Maximum hatred, minimum reason

The Global Punjabi Society (UK) organises dinner and dance in Leicester

Kartik.S.Raval Considered as the land of dreams and opportunities, hundreds of thousands of people from across the globe come to the UK every year, making its society one of the most ethnically diverse in the world. But simultaneously we have witnessed an increase in the incidents of discrimination based on one's ethnicity, race, colour and nationality.

Racism in the UK can be linked to the growing insecurity of the natives due to a staggering and consistent growth of other communities. But at the same time psychologists say it is also a need and a natural trait of humans to prove the point of dominance and racism is just a method adapted to do so.

As even more people are falling prey to racial discrimination, Asian Voice investigated the root causes of this social taboo by speaking to psychologists and also the victims in order to understand its severe effects on one's life.

Dr. Paul Gardner, London-based Psychologist and an Academician said, “There is not one specific reason due to which one adapts concepts of racism

Falling prey to Racism- (from Left) Sudhana Singh, Khalid Ahmed and Kamaljit Kaur

in mind. However, creating a mindset towards a certain community through one's own experience with a certain individual, incomplete knowledge gained about other communities through the propaganda in some media, hereditary- as many parents enforce their ideas of unlikeliness on their kids, feeling of insecurity and the need for reflecting dominance are generally the primary reasons for this behavioral change.”

In just last few weeks we reported incidents of harsh racial harassment faced by British Asians.

One of them is Khalid Ahmed, a Teaching Assistant at Burnley's The Rose School. Apparently he is facing post traumatic stress disorder due to the severe abuse from teenage pupils of the school. The clips recorded in the

school's CCTV show Ahmed being punched, kicked and attacked with a compass and now he is set to go to the Tribunal as even after filing several complaints, the school authority did nothing to stop the strong racial discrimination prevailing in the school. At the school, teenage students were also heard telling Ahmed, 'I am going to rape your P*** wife and kids' “I am devastated on both personal and professional front. My belief in humanity and equality has taken a massive blow”, Khalid Ahmed tells Asian Voice.

Sudhana Singh, a Head Teacher at Moorlands Primary School in Reading is seeking justice through the Tribunal.

She is suing the School's governing body and the local council for support-

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ing racial discrimination practiced against her.

According to her, she faced constant harassment as parents of the pupils were often heard saying 'That bloody Indian woman should not be in charge of our children' and was unfairly voted out and forced to take a leave.

Dr. Aman Singh, a Psychologist said, “These growing incidents of racial abuse in the society needs to be addressed and stopped. What is even more concerning is the trend where parents are passing their hatred towards certain ethnic communities to their children from a very young age. These children will bear grudges throughout their life for no appropriate reason whatsoever.”

Earlier, a teacher, Kamaljit Kaur took Edinburgh Council to the Tribunal for the constant racial discrimination that she faced from 15 council members. These members are alleged to have been engaged in discrimination which kept her at the lowest position, just because she is from Indian origin.

These are just a few unfortunate incidents and there are many more.

Big political speeches on equality and stringent laws to ensure it have failed to curb prevailing racism in the society.

Hence, it is down to the local councils to evaluate the intensity of this social injustice and educate its diversed community in order to make them adapt tolerance, cooperation and most importantly respect for each other.

“These incidents are a shame to the society that boost equality within its vibrant and diversed community. Racial discrimination is based on no moral grounds and can have adverse long-lasting effects on the victim. The trauma is very intense as we have also had extreme cases where the victim attempted suicide. We have to accept that UK has become a multi-ethnic hub and to progress further it needs to get united or else the society will without a doubt collapse. What is required is learning of cooperation, mutual tolerance and most importantly respect.”, said Dr. Singh.

Baroness Verma, Dr Rami Ranger, HE Nalin Surie, Mukesh Nakar with others

The Global Punjabi Society (UK) Chapter held a Dinner and Dance event at the Leicester Stage Hotel in Leicester on the evening of Thursday 24th March 2011. Dr Rami Ranger, MBE, FRSA, the International Chairman of the Global Punjabi Society along with Mr Ashok Kumar Verma, President Global Punjabi Society UK Chapter, hosted this event. The chief guest was His Excellency Mr Nalin Surie, High Commissioner of India, accompanied by Mr C Gururaj Rao, Consulate General of India, Birmingham and Mr Asif Ibrahim, Minister for Coordination, High Commission of India, London. Other dignitaries included Baroness Sandip Verma, of Leicester and Hon Member of Parliament, Mr Edward Garnier QC, the Solicitor General.

The Global Punjabi Society’s (UK) Charter President, Mr Ashok Kumar Verma welcomed the invited guests, members of the society and other dignitaries. He paid special thanks to His Excellency the High Commissioner of India and his consulate team for their presence and the support provided from them in launching the society last year. He echoed the commitment that the work of the Society would be UK wide and the function held in Leicester was a demonstration of this. He thanked sponsors for the

support they had provided in hosting the event.

His Excellency, a Punjabi himself paid special thanks to the work of the Society in promoting Punjabi cultural and values that added something special towards community cohesion in this country. He wished the society every success in its endeavours. Hon MP Mr Edward Garnier QC welcomed all guest to his constituency in which the event was being held and paid warm regard to the special relationship between the United Kingdom and India and the Punjabi Community who had settled here.

Miss Tammana Verma presented the entrainment throughout the evening, introducing a notable Indian classical dance and Hollywood dances performed by local artists. Further entertainment followed with typical Punjabi cuisine served and musical entertainment and dancing.

His Excellency on behalf of the society gracefully handed awards of achievement to members of the Indian community and those Punjabi’s who had contributed in business, educational, cultural and sporting success in the UK. Money raised through sale of raffle tickets was donated in aid of Rotary Foundation and Shree Ram Seva Trust.

The event was a great and memorable success, which was enjoyed by all the 200 guests present.

Citibond Travel Manager wins a mini cooper Nisha Ganatra from Citibond Travel (Manager in their Leicester office) was one of the lucky winners in the Emirates draw for a Mini Cooper Car last week. Nisha picked up her prize from the Birmingham airport on Monday 28th March.

Speaking to Asian Voice, Nisha said, "The lucky draw is based on how many Emirates tickets one sell. When I received the call from Emirates, I thought it's a

joke. It was my 25th anniversary and I was on a holiday with family.

I am extremely happy to be the recipient of this Mini Cooper."

Nisha lives in Leicester with her husband and two children.

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

Acknowledging the gravity of Indian-Jewish friendship From its birth, Indian Jewish Association (IJA) has provided the right platform to initiate, encourage and extend the hand of friendship between the two vibrant communities of the UK. IJA's celebration of its 30th anniversary at Adelaide House, London on 24 March reflected the strong bond that has with time developed between the Jewish and the Indian community.

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP was the guest speaker at the event which was organised by the city law firm, Berwin Leighton Paisner.

More than 140 guests were present at the warm gathering.

IJA CoChairman, John Levy was right to mention that despite being disparate communities, Indians and Jews share many affinities like the significant importance laid on family life by both, their hard work ethics and making essential contribution to the British society while holding strong willingness to nurture and pursue their own cultures. Yet both

have suffered from about 40 years when religious extremism mutual support was in India, Israel and offered to families Britain. A moment fleeing Idi Amin. silence was of However, in India the observed when bond is as old as the Erick Pickles Biblical times. Erick reflected on the Pickles noted that shocking news from India and Israel are Jerusalem about the both vibrant democdeath of student racies and emerging Mary Jean Gardner Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP addressing the guests as regional power in a terrorist attack. houses while providbetween the two commuing an interlocking trianGuests present at the nities. The relationship gular relationship with event applauded the long in Britain goes back Britain. standing cooperation

From L to R: Lalu Parekh, Ramesh Desai, Jayanti Patel, John Levy, Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP, Arjan Vekaria, Neville Eisenberg, Mike Whine, Jonathan Morris and Peter Chaddha

UK

5

HE Nalin Surie honoured at NLMCC The North London Muslim Community Centre (NLMCC) and the North London Muslim Housing Association (NLMHA) hosted a dinner to honour His From L to R: Mrs. Syed Asif Excellency, the Indian High Commissioner Abrahim, Mr. Munaf Zeena, Mrs. to the UK, Mr Nalin Poonam Surie, His Excellency Nalin Surie, Mr. Syed Asif Surie at its centre in Ibrahim, Mrs. Sally Mullready and Stoke Newington.

Councillor Rita Krishna The event was and the people of attended by a large numHackney and surrounding ber of guests including Mr areas in order to strengthNalin Surie and his wife, en economic and social Mrs Poonam Surie, the ties.

Minister for Co-ordinaMr Nalin Surie tion, Mr Syed Asif expressed his delight at Ibrahim and Mrs. the assimilation of the Ibrahim. Other digniIndian Muslim youth in taries included Madam the UK without drifting Speaker for London away from the true values Borough of Hackney, of their culture. He also Sally Mullready, urged for further strengthCouncillor Rita Krishna ening of relationships (Cabinet member for between the youth from Children & Young peothe two nations. ple), Rabbi Hershel Munaf Zeena, Gluck, Rabbi Abraham Chairman of NLMCC and Pinter and the worldwide Vice-Chair of NLMHA renowned Mufti Abdurstated, “This visit of His Rehman Ibn Yusuf of Excellency was much Whitethread press. awaited with a deep The purpose of the desire to strengthen our event was to introduce constructive relationship the Indian Muslim comas members of Indian munity to His Excellency Diaspora.” He added, so as to acquaint and “With improved transport showcase the contribulinks, outstanding tions made by the comschools, five academies munity within British and and an Olympic host borIndian society. The event ough, Hackney is a great was also aimed at increasplace to live, to work and ing the communication enjoy both personal and between the Indian High professional life.”

Commissioner's office

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UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

Detective investigating Anni Dewani's murder charged with racism

By Spriha Srivastava

Little parcels of deliciousness Have you ever thought of sending across some personalised gifts to your loved ones in India but could never think beyond cake, flowers and a box of Ferrero Rocher?

Well, here’s a chocolatier to your rescue. Antara Roy is a Mumbai-based chocolatier who specializes in home-made chocolates and is the trend-setter in the art of chocolate making and gifting. I caught with her to find out how this works and what she can offer for those living in London.

Tell us about Antara @ the heart of chocolates?

“Antara @ the heart of chocolates ...” specializes in making handcrafted artisan chocolates. Our vision is to bring to our patrons, Indian chocolates, which are synonymous with world class quality yet possess the appeal of a personal touch.

Though we are based in Mumbai, we deliver to our clients and consumers all across India.

How did you come up with this idea?

I am a qualified television journalist and have worked in the media industry for over 2 years. The stress of the job was always countered through culinary medium; cooking being my passion since time immemorial. My quest for experimentation in food introduced me to the world of chocolatemaking. I undertook a vocational course in chocolate-making to hone my skills. Initially this was a leisure pursuit and was well received by my friends and colleagues, who used to order for my chocolates for gifting or consumption. Good word spread through word-of-mouth, and through one such reference I got the opportunity to make chocolates on a commercial scale for a NGO’s gifting activities. Working on that order I realised the inherent potential in me to become a professional chocolatier.

0Can you introduce us to how this works?

We are accessible to our patrons through our Facebook page by the name “Antara at the

heart of Chocolates”.

The page contains details about various chocolate types and packaging options. Our customers can choose by making their own selections of chocolates and packaging. For those who do not want to be spoilt for choices, we assist them in choosing products as per their preferences. We also write customized hand written messages on hand-made paper scrolls or cards to enhance the feelings conveyed. Orders are placed through emails and confirmed by making payment through internet banking. The products are then delivered within

2-4 days. Orders within Mumbai can also be accompanied by flowers and wine hampers. We also cater to bulk orders for parties and corporate gifting.

Tell us about the different kinds of chocolates you make?

We have a wide range of chocolates with over 20 varieties.

These include plain chocolates, nut chocolates, truffles, soft-center ganaches and liquor laced chocolates.

We continue to experiment and bring to you our new innovative products. Some of our interesting products include – Letter-o-noni (letters inscribed in a dark chocolate heart with roasted almond and white chocolate); Nutty Coins (thin crust of chocolate topped with 3 whole roasted nuts); Honey Coffee Melt (molten coffee and honey encased in a dark chocolate shell) and Liquor Bombs (an explosion of your favourite liquor in dark chocolate shells). We also have a range of Specialty Chocolates made for particular festival and occasion. One such variety, which appeals to our

patrons the most, is the Chocolate Gujiya (spicy chocolate cream filling inside a dark chocolate shell resembling the gujiya – a sweet prepared across Indian homes for the Holi festival).

How do you see the growth of your venture in future?

We have until now been successful in starting our venture by reaching customers on the internet. We are planning to open our first outlet later this year. We want to develop the brand “Antara @ the heart of chocolates ...” into the most desired artisan chocolate brand in India.

What can you offer to Indians living in London?

We offer our overseas customers the luxury of sending a perfect gift hamper for their loved ones in India. For our Indian friends in UK and elsewhere, we have introduced a new service called The Calendar Service, wherein we take up the responsibility to maintain a calendar of important dates and occasions for our clients and we can provide a series of chocolate based surprises, all different but really warm and interesting to the receiver. We will get in touch with our customers prior to those dates and confirm the orders. The payment gets adjusted from the initial payment deposit at the time of subscribing to the service. This is intended to free our customer’s mind from the worries of missing important dates and at the same time add the desired personal touch.

How can those interested get in touch with you?

Anyone anywhere can easily get in touch with us through Facebook. One can search for ‘Antara at the heart of chocolates’ and go through the detailed product lists and other options. You can ‘like’ it to stay updated on all our new innovations.

You can also contact me directly through email at antara.chocolates@gmai l.com or on phone at +91 9820975892.

Let us know what you think.

Email Spriha at spriha@abplgroup.com

Detective who led investigation into murder of honeymoon bride Anni Dewani is charged with fraud and racism. This raises questions regarding the professionalism and integrity of the South African authority which has accused Shrien of murdering his wife- Anni.

Colonel Christiaan Theron coordinated the early stages of the probe last November and was credited with securing the arrests of several suspects after Mrs Dewani, 28, was shot dead on her honeymoon with Shrien Dewani in Cape Town.

But this week the Caucasian officer, who works for South Africa's elite Hawks investigations unit, appeared in the dock after being accused of calling a black security guard a 'black baboon'.

Colonel Christiaan Theron Shrien and Anni Dewani

The detective, who denies any offence, also faces an allegation of fraud over claims he tried to bribe his alleged victim with a car if he agreed to drop the charges.

Court security guard Bulelani Mgcuwe, 36, claims the first incident happened last March, when he alleges Theron blurted out the racist insult after he asked the detective to move his car

from a reserved bay outside the Khayelitsha Magistrates Court in Cape Town, near South Africa's Western cape province. The officer's lawyer Francois du Toit said his client adamantly denied the allegations.He said: 'We welcome this opportunity to see these ridiculous claims dismissed.'My client did not, and would not, engage in such behaviour and he absolutely denies the charges.' Theron has previously investigated several high-profile criminal cases.

However the Dewani Family refused to criticise the South African Police or criminal justice system. A spokesperson for the family told Asian Voice “this matter is before the Courts where all issues will be raised and Shrien cleared of the false allegations against him.”

Great victory for the Shirdi Sai Temple, Wembley Continued from page 1 I hope Brent council Planning committee will be sensible now and shall provide their co-operation to this temple as a secular organisation creating racial harmony."

The Shirdi Sai Temple on Tuesday, 29th March, received a letter from Chris Martyn, on behalf of the Planning Inspectorate.

He wrote, "I refer to the above appeal against an enforcement notice served

by London Borough of Brent. In exercise of the power in s173A(1)(a) of the Act, the Council have withdrawn the enforcement notice and I understand that they have notified you.

We will take no further action on this appeal. The inquiry to be held has been cancelled. Please try to bring this cancellation to the notice of anyone who may have taken note of the arrangements. A copy of this letter has been sent to the council."

Mr. Amrish Patel of Arpas Associates, raised a very important point as he spoke to Asian Voice, "This is indeed great news, but the question still needs to be asked, why has the leader of the council and chair of planning committee Cllr Ramesh Patel made this a political issue?

At the end of the day it has cost Sai devotees huge sums in getting professional legal advice and they have spent time valuable time in receiving professional advice from various sources.

May I also say that Asian Voice had played a very large part in this success."

Last year the Shirdi Sai temple made an application for an erection of a single storey rear extension and a canopy to the side elevation. They also requested for double glaze in the window. When this

application was made, the Temple authority were told they did not have a D1 unit permission and were not eligible to run a temple in the Class Sui Generis premises. Though the temple authority already had a class D1 use permission from inception, they had to re-apply for it.

To their aghast the Brent Planning Committee not only refused the permission for extension but also threatened to close the temple.

Perturbed by the situation 5 Trustees of the Temple visited Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar offices to seek help in running a campaign to save their temple and had a detailed discussion with our Editorial team. On Monday 21st February Asian Voice wrote to Cllr Ann John, Leader of the Labour Party in Brent Council and Lead Member for Corporate Strategy and Policy Co-ordination of the Brent Council and Cllr Ramesh Patel, Chair of the Planning Committee, but received no response from them, inspite of repetitive reminders.

Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar contacted Lords, MPs and many leaders of Hindu organisations who were shocked to know about the problems faced by the Shirdi Sai Baba temple, Wembley. Hindu organisations in London and other parts of Britain were ready to support this temple in all possible manner!

After the temple withdrew the original planning application as per the professional and legal advices on 21st February, the council decided to look into the enforcement notice. A meeting took place on 23rd February to decide the fate of the temple, which was attended by Council officers,

Councillors and the Temple Trustees.

On Feb 22nd morning a few Hindu devotees who were local residents in Brent area visited Councillor Ramesh Patel's residence, hoping to collect his signature on the petition against Brent Council's wish to close the Shirdi Saibaba Temple.

They told Asian Voice that they were not only turned back but were also told that Mr Patel was neither willing to speak to any person regarding this matter nor would like to interfere in this matter. This deeply hurt the sentiments of several hundreds of Hindus who lived in the local Brent Area.

On 23rd February protest against the enforcement went on for hours before the Planning Committee sat at 7pm at Brent Town Hall. More than 200 Sai Baba supporters were present to raise their concerns.

The thunderous support for the temple that planning committee witnessed on that day surely made a huge impact in heading towards a mutually accepted meeting later on. Cllr Ann John was asked to comment on behalf of the Brent Council but she said, “It is not in my hands and I do not have any details.

Planning committee will decide the best solution."

However after much coordination with MPs by Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar along with some stalwarts of the community, with sincere persuasion by the Trustees of the Temple, the Sai group has finally received justice. While the campaign was on and now, Asian Voice has received many messages in their support. The devotees have also expressed their joy in finally winning this campaign.

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

Indian High Commissioner honours Katha UK with Fredrick Pincott Award The Indian High Commissioner of United Kingdom H/E Mr. Nalin Surie commented the work done by Katha UK in the field of Hindi Literature and Indian Culture. While accepting the award Tejinder Sharma thanked the Indian High Commission for recognising the work Katha UK has been consistently doing to establish Hindi literature on the international scene.

He informed the audience that Katha UK, every year organises an event in the British Parliament to celebrate Hindi literature internationally. In this function a fiction writer from India is honoured with International Indu Sharma Katha Samman while a local British Hindi writer is honoured with Padmanand Sahitya Samman.

He informed the audience that on the coming 14th April 2011 Katha UK would be organising an event at the House of Lords in which India’s leading Motivational Speaker Mr. Miocher

Patel would be speaking on Happiness – the Indian Way. He thanked the Indian High Commission, The ICCR and the Nehru centre for their continued support.

In this event Usha Raje Saxena was honoured with Harivansh Rai Bachhan Award for creative writing, Late Mr. Mahavir Sharma was honoured with Hazari Prasad Dwivedi Award for excellence in journalism and Mr. Aishwarya

Kumar was given the John Gilchrist Award for being the best teacher in 2010.

The function was held at the Indian High Commission and was attended by the elite of the Indian Society in the United Kingdom. Dy. High Commissioner Mr. Prasad and Minister Culture were present on the stage while Mr. Anand Kumar (Hindi and Culture Officer) was the moderato.

All party members discuss Gurkha welfare in HoC An All-Party Group discussion on Gurkha Welfare was initiated in the House of Commons by the Gurkhas and the Parliamentary members from all across the parties.

The discussion was chaired by Robert Buckland, MP and had Cllr Charles Choudhury from Rushmoor Borough, Dr Kristin Marshall from the local PCT and Tikendra Dewan, Chairperson of British Gurkha Welfare Society as speakers.

Cllr Chowdhury raised issues such as the influx in the number of Nepalese in Rushmoor area.

He explained that the numbers increased to 60009000 in 2011, number of children increasing by 800, Nepalese household increasing to 2356 from 620 (by 2010 end) out of which 16.3% claiming housing benefits and 6.5% claiming council benefits.

He also pointed that the significant problems faced by the community includes high abortion rate, domestic violence and less capacity to understand or speak English.

Dr Kristine Marshall who was the next speaker, explained certain ailments being typical of this community especially gastric abnormalities. As she also insisted on the high rate of alcohol abuse and lack of spoken English- being a hindrance to right treat-

EXCLUSIVE

A quick look at India Peter McGarrick, the founder of an electronic publishing business called Quicklook Books has recently published a new e-book called 'Quicklook at India' by Aline Dobbie. Quicklook publishes short, factual ebooks on various topics. Aline at an exclusive interview spoke to Asian Voice about India and her ventures.

H/E Mr. Nalin Surie handing over the cash award to Tejinder Sharma (General Secretary of Katha UK, Mrs. Zakia Zubairi (patron) and Deepti Sharma (Asstt. Secretary of Katha UK)

Tikendra Dewan

ment for Gurkha patients, she urged for more female interpreters to come forward. She also insisted that more funds are required to help the welfare of Gurkhas- suffering currently due to government's financial cuts. Dr Marshall explained she had approached actress

Joanna Lumley for a fund raisal, though her agents regrettable refused to help them.

Tikendra Dewan pointed out that the Gurkhas have made great contributions to the community.

He spoke about the integration of Gurkhas in the country and the younger generations trying to diverge and be a part of the bigger society.

He showed concern towards the older generation who were not only lonely, but were poor and sick.

A representative of South London Gurkha Association pointed out if equal pension was given to the Gurkhas- the older generation would have certainly not migrated to Britain, leaving a familiar

Gurkhas with Joanna Lumley

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1. Please tell us why did you live in India?

I was born in India to parents who had been born in India, generations serving at time of the Raj, my late father was a colonel in the Indian Army belonging to the Jat Regiment, still regarded as a hero of the Indian Army for amazing escape out of Singapore when he brought his Indian Soldiers along with him in February 1942.

India?

I was approached by the publisher of Quicklook Books to write what he considers is the first ebook on India at a time when people need to understand and Aline Dobbie respect India if they intend to go there to do business.

The western perceptions of India have sometimes been very patronising and ignorant and entirely oblivious of the country’s great contributions to the world such as early maths, early sciences, engineering, naturally the various great religious faiths and Indian literature, art and culture. Now of course people are rapidly taking stock of India because she has emerged as a potential great economic power of the 21st century and everyone else wants to have a piece of that action.

5. Do you think online media will replace print media?

No I don’t think so, though of course people increasingly use Kindle etc. Reading properly on a beach, in bed, lazing outdoors or waiting for a plane or just relaxing is still the best way, but it could be a generational thing that young people will find all that on an electronic device – I do hope not!

6. You wrote about various parts A photograph of Charminar in Hyderabad, one of of India- which one is your Aline's favourite cities favourite city/town in India?

I love Delhi, I love Hyderabad and I am very fond of Rajasthan, but India has so 2. What was your first impression of much that is beautiful and having just India? returned from five weeks there (I go I was born and grew up there so took it annually and attend various events and for granted as a small child – it was am invited to participate in functions home and a beloved home as I was and visit resorts and indeed states to bilingual. promote tourism) I loved being back in Kerala and I am longing to go to 3. How was the experience of living in Gujarat.

India for 16 years?

It was a golden childhood living in dif7. Do you know how to cook Indian ferent parts of India when my late meals? father worked as a senior man for ITC, Yes, I am a proficient Indian cook and the huge conglomerate; I consider I was can make a superb prawn coconut privileged looking back to grow up in a curry, chicken korma, dal, raita, baigan dichotomous life with domestic staff of curry, bhindi masala, chaat, tomato both Hindu, Muslim and Dalit and a curry, lamb jheera, new potatoes in beautiful ayah who was Nepalese and curry with saag……whatever! all the diversity of newly independent India with the broad spectrum of 8. How difficult was preparing such a friends that my late parents valued. A house that could be throbbing with two comprehensive book on India? languages at once, multi cuisine and It was challenging because of the very vibrant. strict word count, India is a huge subject but my conventional books which 4. Why did you decide to write books form a trilogy have given me free reign on India especially this e-book on as well. environment in Nepal. He urged the British Government and the Ministry of Defence to raise the pension to the requirements of the Gurkhas in Nepal, especially in compliance with the amount available to them in Britain. He insisted Nepalese migration to Britain would not decrease till they receive fair and equal economic opportunities in Nepal too.

OBITUARY Elizabeth Taylor (1931 – 2011) The renowned actress Liz Taylor, died on Wednesday last week after a long battle with congestive heart failure at a Los Angels hospital, surrounded Elizabeth Taylor, Amrit Kotak, by her four children.

Chandra Kotak and Richard Burton.

She won the best Amrit Kotak, a Chartered Accountant actress Oscars twice for and a freelance writer had interviewed ‘Butterfield 8’ and ‘Who Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton 1962-63 at London’s famous hotel is afraid of Virginia Dorchester when they had come to Woolf?’ In 1960 and London to attend the film ‘Cleopatra’ 1966 respectively, with Richard Burton. She life. She was married eight was married Burton twice. times in all; was famous for Taylor lived a glamorous her love of diamonds and furs.

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www.abplgroup.com

Dee Katwa

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

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

Chaos over date clash of religious festivals The timing of this year’s Vaisakhi celebration in Birmingham has sparked a row as it is set to clash with Easter Sunday. Despite talks, faith leaders have failed to reach an agreement. Christian leaders have now consulted a solicitor over the issue.

Sikhs want to parade through Handsworth on April 24 to celebrate Vaisakhi, their annual harvest festival. Christian leaders have complained saying it would prevent worshippers attending services on one of their holiest days. And the local authority is stuck between both.

This situation is a repeat of 2003. However,

then, the Sikh organisers moved their event by a week and there was understanding this wouldn’t happen again.

This time, the Sikh organisers, led by Ranjit Singh Dhanda, chairman of the Council of Sikh Gurdwaras, are willing to change the start time from 9.30am to 11am, but unwilling to change the date, as it’s routine, and

has been for 20 years.

They’re also willing to limit road closures, but some Christian leaders don’t feel these are “helpful concessions”.

According to Bishop Joe Aldred, of the Church of God and Prophecy, “Christians will be somewhat angry and infuriated”. Following a consultation process, Birmingham City Council had informed Sikh organisers they had three options – to proceed on Easter Sunday with revised procession times, proceed without processions and

use Handsworth Park or change the date. Again, nothing has so far been agreed. Now, Christian leaders have consulted a solicitor over the council’s responsibility to ensure no one faith group is given priority over another.

A Council spokesman this week told Asian Voice: “we have had ongoing meetings with both the faith groups and Vaisakhi organisers in an effort to find an amicable solution to this matter and we will continue efforts to reach a solution.”

Murder accused in dock

Advocates scoop awards

A 29-year-old Birmingham man has appeared in court accused of the murder of taxi driver Mohammed Arshad. Andrew Bayliss, pictured right, of Kings Norton, has denied killing the father-of-three. Mr Arshad, pictured left, was stabbed in the head and died in hospital the following day in July last year. The trial continues at Worcester Crown Court.

Faizal Bhana, pictured, of Midland law firm Browne Jacobson was crowned Associate Solicitor at the prestigious Legal Awards 2011 ceremony held in Birmingham last Thursday. Other award recipients among the 11 categories included: Trainee Solicitor – Linden Thomas, of Martineau; Pupil Barrister – Tom Lawal, of St Ives Chambers; Barrister – David Lock, of No5 Chambers; Pro-Bono Lawyer – Ruth Creed, of Mills & Reeve; International Lawyer – Mark Jones, of St Ives Chambers; Law Firm (sole practitioner – 4 partners) – TRP Solicitors; and Law Firm (5-15 partners) – Sydney Mitchell. The annual awards, now in their tenth year, were organised by Birmingham Law Society. Its President, Dean Parnell, who steps down later this month, paid tribute to the “exceptional talent” adding, “without your support, the Society would be nothing”. Since taking on the role, Mr Parnell has actively engaged in, and contributed to, various legal and other forums on diversity in a bid to support, encourage and promote existing and emerging talent within the legal sector, particularly those from less privileged backgrounds. The keynote speaker was Lord Paddy Ashdown, former leader of the Liberal Democrat Party.

The black-tie, round table function, which also featured a Q & A session with Lord Ashdown, brought together over 550 guests at the ICC. Publicity for this event was handled by Birmingham-based PR agency Headline Communications which explained why Asian Voice was missed off their radar, yet again. And each time, over at least three years, when challenged, its director, Matt Taylor, is quick to offer an apology. But this time when he said sorry and promised to ping over a post-event news release and photos, I was hopeful. I shouldn’t have been.

Judge shows mercy A sub-postmistress from Birmingham who helped to cover up the theft of over £38,000 by her husband has been sentenced to 52 weeks, suspended for 18 months. Mother-of-two Rooprit Gill, 41, pictured, of Claverdon, Warwickshire, ran Watville Road subpost office in Handsworth with her late husband. At Birmingham Crown Court Bhatia Balraj, defending, said: “Gill comes from a genuinely hard working, trustworthy and honest family.”

Jobless citizens One in ten West Midlanders are on the dole queue, according to new figures. In the last quarter 27,000 more people lost their jobs – the highest in the country. It now means 265,000 adults in the region are out of work. By 2015, more than 10,000 full and part-time Birmingham City Council employees can expect to have lost their jobs or have been transferred to work for co-operatives. Nationally, more than two and a half million people are unemployed.

Divine celebration Hundreds of Hindus took part in a three-day religious festival in Birmingham to mark the installation, “pran pratistha”, of an idol of Shri Shirdi Saibaba, pictured, a legendary Hindu saint. The event, which ended last Wednesday, and featured a vibrant street procession, speeches, a sanctification and related ceremonies, thanksgiving, song and dance and food, was held at Shri Laxmi Narayan Temple. The function was hosted in loving memory of Late Diwaliben Devchandbhai Amliwala by her family.

Asian Spring Fans of classical Indian song and dance from across Britain are set to come together in Birmingham next week. The annual showcase, Asian Spring, being hosted by West Midlands’ leading agency for South Asian arts, Sampad, will feature around 150 dancers of all ages and styles, at the Town Hall next Sunday (April 10). To find out more visit www.sampad.org.uk

Whitby – from leader to CEO?

News in Brief Little Hearts on TV A film promoting the work of Little Hearts, a Birmingham charity, will be broadcast on television next Tuesday (Apr 5). The film, fronted by newsreader Krishnan Guru Murthy, will highlight children with heart defects.

Breast surgery The market for ‘man-boob’ plastic surgery is booming in Birmingham, according to BMI Healthcare. Latest figures show a 211 per cent rise in requests from male patients wanting to remove ‘man-boobs’, also called gynaecomastia. The company also reported a 179 per cent rise in female patients asking for breast surgery.

New venture Andy Coulson, former Number 10 director of comms, has established a media consultancy. His first client is One Young World, an NGO backed by former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan that promotes leadership among young people.

Meal treats Indian and Italian food tops the menu for diners in the West Midlands, according to research which looked at the nation’s culinary preferences. In addition, the YouGov poll showed that one in ten Midlanders eat out at least once a week.

Efficiency move West Midland Conservative MEP Malcolm Harbour has welcomed plans to save taxpayers almost £13 million by merging two Strasbourg sessions, starting next year. Mr Harbour said the work followed proposals put forward by fellow Conservative MEP Ashley Fox. Mr Harbour said: “I’ve been campaigning for some years now to stop the travelling circus between Brussels and Strasbourg. Let’s hope this is the first step.”

Wrong number Police have apologised to a man in Birmingham whose house has been raided by mistake more than 40 times over the past 18 months. Officers were even trying to kick down Matt Jillard’s door in Repton Road – mistaking it for an address in nearby Repton Grove – at 3am one morning. Police said sorry at the time, but were back at 5pm.

Debate on food allergies A conference focusing on the difficulties faced by patients who suffer from various types of food intolerance took place in Birmingham last Tuesday. The event was hosted by the British Society of Gastroenterology. Almost three in 100 people in the UK find that a particular food can give them unpleasant symptoms ranging from skin reactions to breathing difficulties and vomiting or diarrhoea.

Benefit scam

Under the Localism Bill, Birmingham City Council leader Mike Whitby will become shadow mayor of Birmingham at the end of the year, and could remain in office unopposed until 2014. The 120 councillors could vote to refuse to grant extensive powers to a mayor, should Cllr Whitby, pictured, make a formal application for full mayoral rights – something that would bring Birmingham into direct confrontation with the Government.

Benefit cheat Khalida Begum from Birmingham has been sentenced to a 12-month community rehabilitation order. Mum-of-five Begum, 68, from Alum Rock, dishonestly obtained £20,527 to help pay off her mortgage. Mohammed Latif, defending, said Begum was an illiterate woman with no command of the English language who had committed the deception at a time when she was getting very little help from her husband.

Goose visits the Hussains

Tips on cash handling

A Birmingham couple and their four children were left scared and bemused when a Canadian Goose wandered into their home and settled down to watch TV. The 2ft 6ins bird casually walked into the house of Asif Hussain in Holte Road, Tyseley, last Tuesday night after the front door was left ajar to let some cool air in.

Youthnet, the online charity, has launched a competition to teach young people to handle money. The Fiver Challenge asks 16-to-25-year-olds to show what they would do with £5 via a blog, or with a photo or video on TheSite.org’s Facebook page.

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

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YOUR VOICE

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Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

Muslims on the move

Reservation for OBCs

The Memorial Gates

The following percentage male and female factors respectively can be the crucial determining factors, whether these countries will get worse or better in the long run, post current gradual evolutions for fairness with freedom. *Afghanis literacy 51/21 life expectancy 48/46; religion Sunnis 84/Shi’as 15, others 1. *Bahrainis literacy 92/85; life expectancy 71/76; Shi’as 70/ Sunnis. * Egyptians literacy 68/47; life expectancy 68/73; mostly Sunnis 94/Coptic Christians 6. * Iranians literacy 86/73; life expectancy 69/71; Shi’as 89/Sunnis 10/Others 1. * Iraqis literacy 56/24; life expectancy 67/69; Shi’as 63/Sunnis 33%/Others 4%.

Omanis literacy 83/67; life expectancy Ibadhi Muslims 75/Others including Shia’s, Sunnis and Others 25. * Jordanians literacy 96/86; life expectancy 75/80; Sunnis 92/Christians 6/Others 2. * Qataris literacy 81/85; life expectancy 71/76; Muslims 95/Others 5. * Saudi Arabians literacy 85/71; life expectancy 67/71; Muslims 100%. * Syrians literacy 90/64; life expectancy 68/71; Sunnis 74/Alawite, Druze and other Muslims 16/Others 10%. * Tunisians literacy 84/64; life expectancy 73/76; Muslims 98/Christians 1/Jewish and Others 1. * Algerians literacy 79/ 61; life expectancy 71/74; Sunnis 99/Christians and Jewish 1. * Yemenis literacy 70/30; life expectancy 59/63; Muslims including Shaf’i Sunnis, Zaidi Shi’as and small number of Jews, Christians and Hindus.

I read with great interest the article written by Bharat Parmar on caste system and he has got the facts wrong. I never came across any body asking about my caste in this country.

It is 'naive’ on the part of Parmar to suggest that Dalit's and O.B.C’S are not rich. I can point out in Tamil Nadu more than 72 per cent of jobs and places in educational institutions are reserved for OBCs and Dalits. Not even one MLA in DMK party comes from Brahmin community. Brahmins go outside Tamil Nadu for higher education studies an jobs.

Hence you can find lot of Tamil Brahmins working in Gujarat and Mumbai.

More than 70 years ago E .V. Ramaswami Nayakar started anti Brahmin campaign and started Dravidian party. E.V.R who is known as Periyar was instrumental in abolishing the caste surname in the name in the South and hence it is difficult to find out which caste a person belongs to from in the South. In the South, Hindus use their names as surname and include father’s name as first name. Mr. Parmar should know that former Minister Raja who is involved in spectrum 2 scandal is Dalit (Schedule caste) and is one of the richest person in Tamil Nadu. The Chief Minster of Tamil Nadu Karunanidhi comes from backward community and his family is the tenth richest one in the world. More than 20 per cent of the seats in state assemblies and in the parliament are reserved for Dalits.

Even though Brahmins represent 10 per cent of the population in Hindi speaking states, they do not have any political power and jobs are denied to them because of caste.

OBCs and Dalits get admission with full tuition fees and maintenance grants in educational institutions. This is India.

Since the Memorial gates on Constitution Hill, London are a result of my proposal, I have every reason to be judgemental about their structure and the message they covey.

My objection to having the names of the donors on them cost me the place on the planning committee and a threat that had to be reported to the police. In reality the Gates have been turned into monuments of personal achievement of the Chairman of the Memorial Gate Trust (AV March 18 and Tamil magazine March 2011). And the reminders come non stop at every opportunity. It is as unbelievable as it is unacceptable that we now have the names of the donors who paid with their money, prominently carved, overshadowing the names of those who paid with their lives. The wonder is how anyone could possibly agree to this inhuman act of cheap publicity? It is sacrilege.

Even the inscription is insulting, tasteless and has absolutely no relevance to the courage and sacrifices of our war heroes.

It is still not too late. The objectionable names and inscription can still be wiped out. It would be magnanimous gesture of sensitivity and dignity of the monuments were to remember and honour only the glorious dead.

Nagindas Khajuria Via Email

Sonia Gandhi's lecture After reading the article about "Sonia Gandhi’s Lecture in London by Rupanjana Dutta, I was very much disappointed by the organisers who arranged this trip of Sonia Gandhi. It is a matter of great concern- the way the journalists were handled. I do not think this lecture was for even general public.

The subject was very important "the role of Indian Women in the country’s political, economic and social life" It is not only applicable in India but it is also applicable in Britain. Since India got Independence there has been great changes in education particularly in the cities. There are many schools where the education is almost free and if a child is brilliant they are helped by the school.

Yes there is need for more schools and colleges in very many smaller towns and villages.

I wish if people like Sonia Gandhi comes here, they should come with the mind that they will try to meet as many ordinary people as possible and not only very wealthy and influential.

It was further very annoying to read that Indian High Commission could not give much information regarding the event. It appears her this visit will not raise her image but might cause damage.

Dharam Sahdev Ilford

Arun Vaidyanathan Via Email

Caste discrimination Further to the article on the proposed Anti-cast laws in the UK Mr Bharat Parmar(26th March 2011) does not make a good case for himself nor his community.

I am not aware of any issues of caste discrimination in the UK and this law is totally unnecessary. It is a tool often used

by Christian organisation to further bash Hindus world wide and Mr Paramr is falling into this trap. His entire article focuses on problems of poverty of his caste in India, unfortunately this law will not alleviate poverty nor influence conditions in the UK, where we have adequate human rights laws in place. The main pressure behind this law in the UK is from Evangelical Christian groups with support from Christian lawmakers.

Hindus should lobby their MPs against this unnecessary measure.

Kusoom Vagdama London

Anti-caste law

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David Cameron said that the invasion of Libya by the coalition of the UK, US, France, Italy and Canada is right, necessary and legal. But is it? Was the attack on Iraq right, necessary and legal? One would have thought that we would have learnt our lesson from Afghanistan and Iraq. This operation is costing the country millions of pounds per day. Can the country afford to spend so much money when we are faced with cutbacks in services, increase in VAT, taxes, tuition fees and in other areas. Shouldn’t charity begin at home? Instead of wasting so much money in Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan and giving grant aid to other countries, let us have a reduction in VAT, taxes etc and restore the cuts made in various services.

Gaddafi is killing some of his own people but then this operation is killing some more. Libya’s oil supply to the west is minuscule so if it is not for its oil then why go out and bombard a far away country which has done nothing wrong to provoke the coalition? This could not be on humanitarian grounds as the bombing is adding to the people’s misery.

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Daudi Bhoras, goodwill ambassadors for Gujarat

Bharatbhai’s article on behalf of Luhar community (pg 25, AV 26th March) about Hindu caste system is noteworthy. India is striving to eradicate the caste system by reservations for OBCs to enhance their status. It is imperative that OBCs overcome centuries old inferiority complex.

There are observations made that casteism does not exist in UK and a good recommendation that practice should be be legalised. But replace the term Luhar, with the term Hindu to British law makers. Assert that Hindus accept laws because Hindus want to enhance good governance and applaud homogenous and classless British society.

It is amazing for Luhar Community to state that they were not consulted. But is their organisation affiliated to any temple organisations like Swaminarayan, ISKCON, Sai Baba(Shirdi / Sathya), or Hindu secular organisations like Hindu Council, Hindu Forum of Britain, Arya Samaj, RSS, VHP, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan etc? Are there any efforts by the Luhars, individually or collectively get elected to highest executive level to mould decisions?

Luhar Community must realise that evil of caste system is a social problem of the Hindus. It cannot be solved by succumbing to malicious propaganda, or by conversion, or by denigrating Hinduism or Hindus, or by enacting anti-caste laws.

While inaugurating Trade Fair organised by the Daudi Bhora Community (DBC) of Gujarat, in honour of their long standing, well respected spiritual leader, His Holiness Dr. Sydna Mohamed Burhannudin, who was celebrating his 100th birthday, Narendra Modi, CM of Gujarat had the privilege to cut the cake and have the first slice, as an honoured guest. Dr. Burhannudin had specifically requested Modi to keep this special, auspicious day free and spend it with the community. Modi willingly obliged.

These two people and the two communities, Hindus and Bhoras have formed a special relationship Praising DBC as a peace loving, law abiding and assiduous community, Modi had a special praise for the community on the education front, as DBC have an envious record of 100% literacy amongst their girls, not seen any where outside Gujarat. While maintaining their tradition, religious beliefs, etiquette and social environment, the community is not averse to changes, keeping up with the rest, in education and business environment. No wonder DBC has one of the highest living standards in India, in line with other progressive communities that include Jains, Sikhs, Ismailis, Kokni and Ahmedia Muslims who all admire Modi and appreciate the tremendous economic progress Gujarat has achieved under his stalwartship.

With the Godhra case concluded, it is time for the rest of the Muslim community to take full advantage of the economic development to raise their living standard and catch up with the rest.

Ramesh Jhalla Via Email

Bhupendra M Gandhi Via Email

Jayesh A Patel Wimbledon

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‘Smile Pinky’ too gets the Oscar Boyle says Mumbai dwarfed the statuette

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

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

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

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

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Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

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MEDIA WATCH

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

Scrutator’s India joined the rest of the world in expressing solidarity with Japan in its agony following the devastating earthquake and tsunami. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in touch with his Japanese counterpart Nato Kan, promised every help. He told Parliament in New Delhi that, “We will spare no effort in assisting the Japanese authorities in dealing with the aftermath of disaster.” A ship was readied to take relief material to Japan, and search-and-rescue teams were also sent. Meanwhile, India's Foreign Minister, S.M.Krishna, and foreign secretary, Nirupama Rao, spoke with the Japanese Ambassador to India to explore Japan's needs and how best India could meet them.

The Manichi Daily News ( March 14) reported that quality blankets were among the items India had dispatched.

The Hindu newspaper reported (March 20) that Indian scientists were to spearhead an international project designed to provide fresh insights into the processes that caused earthquakes. The project, the first of its kind in the world, is to be located at the Koyna district of Maharashtra. A 7-kilometre drilled borehole has been planned. The venture will be funded by (India's) Ministry of Earth Sciences and supported by a range of national and international bodies.

The project will study the physical, geological and chemical processes and properties of earthquakes in real time. Scientist Purnachandra Rao said that although the Koyna region was situated in a “stable continental region”, earthquakes were taking place in a localised area. Koyna was like a “mini-laboratory” for the study of earthquakes, so the results of the proposed project would be applicable to earthquakes in general because the “basic earthquake mechanism is the same.” However, Mr Rao averred that it would take decades before the initial results could be validated.

TB detection course A Hindu report (March 23) says, “Having achieved global objectives of a new 70 per cent in case-detection and a treatment success rate of 85 per cent for the last three years, the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) is being further revised (to reach) Universal Access to Quality TB care for all patients.”

The report explains: “Under Universal Access, all TB patients

in terms of world patients......placing on an average 125,000 or more patients on treatment every month.”

Rural scheme in Maharashtra An Indian Express report (March 7) tells of an ambitious rural development scheme initiated by Maharashtra Rural Development Minister Jayant Patil, which entails tree planting and improved sanitationin the

reporting from the gram panchayat (village council) to the deputy secretary. The tree plantation reports were good initially and now in 19,000 gram panchayats (out of a total 27, 930), it has been highly successful.”

Cairn revenue surge Edinburgh-based Cairn Energy Plc, say media reports, has reported record revenues on the

Mangala oilfield in Barmer, Rajasthan

in the community, including the vulnerable and marginalised, will have access to early, quality diagnosis and treatment services. The intermediate target is to detect 90 per cent of all TB cases and successfully treat 90 per cent of them by 2015......The RNTCP is being implemented following the World Health Organisation (WHO)-recommended Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS) strategy that provides sure cure for tuberculosis with a 6-8 month course and is available to patients throughout the country. India's DOTS programme is the largest in the

state. Minister Patil's scheme has evoked an enthusiastic response from Mahrashtra's rural heartland, which Mr Patil had been touring.

To qualify for this eco programme funding, each village had to fulfill the target of “one person one tree”, and at least 60 per cent of all families have to build toilets. Funds will be allocated to village councils, depending on the size of the populations under their control.

Mr Patil said: “We have decided to gear up the (state machinery) to make saplings available in a planned way and we also evolved a system of

six squadrons (each squadron consists 18-20 aircraft), with three stationed at Lohegaon in Pune, two at Bareilly, and one at Tezpur. The Tezpur airfield lies astride an area adjacent to Bhutan, Tibet, China, Myanmar and Bangladesh. Ut is one of the most active bases in the North East from where a variety of fixed and rotary wing aircraft operate.

The IAF has ordered eight Akash surface-to-air squadrons – six of which will be located in the North East. The lowreaction time Akash is designed to neutralize multiple aerial targets attacking from several directions simultaneously.

UK students for India Barmer

back of higher output from its Indian unit. Revenues for 2010 surged to $1.6 billion as compared to $234 million in the previous year. After adjusting $38 million for exceptional items and $638 million towards adjustments for sales of a majority stake n Cairn India, the net profit stood at $1.08 billion.

Startup of piped oil production from Cairn India's Mangala oilfield in Rajasthan contributed to the record revenues.

“Rajasthan crude is now transported to a number of Indian refineries by the world's longest continuously heated pipelines,” Cairn Energy, whose mainstay assets are in India, said. While current output is around 125,000 barrels per day, the total resource base supports a combined potential production of 240,000 barrels per day. A quantum leap, surely.

World beating helicopter

Tuberculosis Control Programme

tions.

“Very quickly, the Dhruv demonstrated its superiority over the military's tiny singleengine Cheetah helicopters, which can barely lift 20 kilos of payload to Sonam.....Effortlessly, the Dhruv took soldiers on board, took off, circled the post and landed again, repeating the routine.

“This helicopter is simply unmatched at high altitudes,”

Ajay Shukla's piece in the Business Standard (March 7) on India's world beating Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) is worth a read. How about this for starters? “It was a brutal test of helicopter and pilot. As the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter shuddered towards the icy helipad on a 21,000-foot ledge overlooking the Siachen Glacier took off, circled the post,.... the pilots could see the vertical ice walls on either side (and) the Indian Army's infamous Sonam Post, the highest inhabited spot on earth, and an extreme example of why the military so urgently wants the Dhruv, which has been customised by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) for high altitude opera-

says Group Captain Unni Nair, who explained, “The army wanted us to lift 200 kilos to Sonam.: we managed to carry 600 kilos.”

Powering the world-beating performanceee is a new helicopter engine, called the Shakti, which HAL commissioned, French engine-maker Turbomeca to design for operations along India's high altitude borders. It is this engine that makes the new Dhruv Mark III superior to the Mark I and Mark II. Five Dhruv Mark IIIs have already been delivered to the army with 159 more to follow.

Air power deployment A Press Trust of India (PTI) report (March 20) said that India had deployed its frontline Sukhoi-30MKI aircraft in forward positions in the North East and other sectors. “The idea is to ensure that the skies and the

The Indian Express (March 20) reported that British Council Director (India) Rob Lynes had spoken (in Hyderabad) of the possibility of British students spending time at some of India's top centres of science and technology and software development.

Mr Lynes said: “One of the things I am keen to do is to get more students from the United Kingdom to India to study in India in the area of science and technology and software development. There are fantastic universities, colleges and institutions in India and there are some partnerships between institutions in the UK and India and as part of these research links we want to see that from the UK can take up the opportunity of coming here to study for at least one term. We are hopeful in the coming years it will be a twoway flow of students between the countries.”

Nano sales in retail outlet In a novel initiative, Tata Motors has tied up with Big Bazaar to market the Nano car through its

Akash surface-to-air missiles on their way to the front

border in the east are well protected and secured. The SU30MKIs can be used for both offensive and defensive purposes,” explained Air Marshal K.K. Nohwar, air officer commanding-in-chief of the Eastern Command, in a talk with reporters.

The IAF currently operates

commercial outlets. This is the first time a retail chain is markeing a car in India, remarked industry experts. Big Bazaar has already sold more than 450 Nanos in the first month of the sales venture, which is the brainchild of Sandip Tarkas at Big Bazaar. Mr Tarkas is presently overseeing the project.

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

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Political Sketchbook Alpesh Patel’s

The Politics of The Armed Forces I was 17 when I first took the controls of a plane. It was a Piper Warrior Cadet and the flight school was just next to an RAF base in North Yorkshire. The really exciting thing about that was not the exercises where you practice recovering from a stall (where you turn the engines off, and then keep raising the nose, until the plane dips from pointing skywards to pointing in a diving spiral to the ground) or practising emergency landings, or where as you hurtle down the runway the propeller stops as you realise as you’re about to lift the nose to clear the power station chimney beyond the runway, that you were using the empty left fuel tank.

No, the most exciting is when the air traffic controller tells you have a ‘gaggle of fast planes’ coming your way at your ‘12’ and you should maintain a floor of 500 feet. What they are actually telling you is that half a dozen supersonic Tornado fighter jets are about to tickle your fuselage as they pass under you at their ceiling of 500 feet. That is exciting.

So it was at Oxford I applied to join the RAF cadets – only to discover that by then I was too old! My grandfather was in the British Army in the Second World War – try keeping that a secret from his mother in law – a lady who in the streets of Karamsad, from where Sardar Patel planned the map of post 1947 India, threw bangles at the men who momentarily cowered during police raids in the village during the freedom movement, dragged at gunpoint behind a military jeep for her troubles (Yes, I am the great grandson of Heeraba Patel for those who remember her).

When we think about Libya and the work of the Armed Forces, or Afghanistan, or as I often mention in this column the heritage of the Commonwealth soldiers in the two world wars, you come to the realisation that the armed forces remain even in peace time a place for all Britons, ethnic minorities too.

I received a letter via Baroness Flather about the Army Cadet Force this past week. The ACF has just celebrated its 150th Anniversary. It covers 47,000 teenagers in 1,700 locations over the UK. Whilst the ACF is not part of the British Army, and the cadets are not liable for military call-up, it is supported by the Army. Check out www.armycadets.com . The reason such organisations need our support is not only our heritage but also because at a time when we talk about civic education in our schools – what better civic education than training from the Army.

Our greatest threat in years to come will not come from Libya, or Syria or Iran. It will come from within, our own complacency, our own lack of willingness to serve, to pass the buck to someone else. All great civilisations depend upon their citizenry to have a sense of responsibility. Without it we fail not only ourselves but our nation and the international community of civilised nations.

And if you want to know why people join the Armed Forces, look no further than the insignia of some of the crests – RAF Waddington says it best for me, ‘For Faith and Freedom’. In a multi-faith society – it holds true regardless of your ethnic background.

Students will pay an average of £8600 for university education With the abolition of the current tuition fee price cap of £3290 in 2012, education system in the UK is set to witness major reforms. The government revealed in December 2010 that it will allow top universities to charge up to £9,000 per year, which ignited fury amongst the students as many feared losing out on quality higher education. But according to the latest revelations, almost half of the 115 institutions listed in one league table are set to impose maximum fees, regardless of the quality of education provided.

On an average, tuition fees will be set at £8,600 and students should be ready to pay about £8,250 if bursaries and subsides are available. The government announced that it will reward the universities that set lower fees to help poorer students by allowing more applicants to enroll. But it is clear that the universities are not interested in government's reward as they are busy quoting the maximum.

Many universities have already announced the new price tag on their education, while the rest are expected to do so soon.

Focusing on the renowned universities that are popular and trusted amongst the British Asians, the following are the new price cap announced by the individual academic institutions.

Going all the way (£9,000): Oxford University Cambridge University Imperial College London University College of London University of Warwick Aston University University of Birmingham University of Exeter University of Manchester Not too greedy: London Metropolitan University: £6,000- £7,000 Other famous universities like University of Leeds, University of Liverpool and University of Bristol are expected to quote £9,000 for their degree. While others like Middlesex University and University of Nottingham are likely to charge £6,000 and University of Bolton is expected to ask anything in between £6,000-£9,000 depending on the course.

There are infinite loop holes in these reforms proposed by the government as even if an institution wishes to stick with the present price cap, it will

fear losing out on its status when others are quoting £9,000, which has now become a metaphoric symbol for top-quality education. The whole point of these new reforms is to save money by cutting all the direct government fundings to universities.

However, number of students enrolling for university courses is expected to fall by 45,000 each year which will cost the Treasury £3.72 billion in lost tax revenues.

Racism exposed On April 7, 1978, we carried out reports in New Life that reflected the hypocrisy of the government of the UK as on one hand Mr. Edmund Dell, the then British Secretary of State for Trade was in New Delhi seeking ways to boost two-way trade between the India and Britain while on the other hand UK's Select Committee presented 29 recommendations for fixing a quota on immigrants from India alone, which was later subjected to much controversy, following heated arguments on racism.

Let us see what made the headlines:-

David Lane reveals alarming statistics Commission for Racial Equality Chairman David Lane said it takes three times as many interviews to place a non-white in a job compared with a white school leaver having a similar academic record.

Opening the Eighth Annual Conference of the United Kingdom Immigrants Advisory Service, Mr. Lane said despite some encouraging progress, Britain was

still a long way short of achieving true equality opportunity.

figure was believed to have been much more.

Race report condemned

Violence throughout India In a week of unprecedented and widespread violence throughout India, many lives were lost. Simultaneous eruptions of running battles between the law and order authorities and the people were reminiscent of pre-internal Emergency days when the state machinery went all out suppressing the people's movement led by Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan. 13 people were killed in Moradabad, nine in Hyderabad and three in Bihar. However, the real

Unlike the earlier half-hearted official reaction to report by the Commission for Racial Equality, the organisation's Deputy Chairman Pranlal Sheth came out very strongly against the report.

In a genuine reflection of the feeling of the non-white Britons, Mr. Sheth said report was racist both in character and effect. He said for the ethnic community of the UK, implementation of the Report's recommendations would result in denial of their basic human rights as contained in the European Convention on Human Rights to which Britain had subscribed.

More Indo-UK ventures The ministerial-level Indo-British Economic Committee concluded its session after deciding upon action programs to enlarge the two-way trade between the two countries and promote joint ventures in third countries.

New visa rules or 'sheer madness'?

Kartik.S.Raval The UK government has finally announced that the new visa rules aimed at cutting down the intake of international students by 60,000 to 70,000 per year will come into force from April 2011. This will be done primarily by tighten-

ing the entrance criteria and reducing work options for non-EU students.

Some of the key changes are: • An end to the scheme where graduates are permitted to hold jobs at any level, including unskilled

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work, or not work at all for two years after finishing the degree.

• Graduate level students can take up only graduate level jobs and not supermarket jobs.

• A stricter English language mechanism for students.

Minimum IELTS score to be raised.

• UKBA given higher authority to refuse entry to students who cannot speak English.

• Only post-graduate students who are enrolled in courses lasting more than 12 months are allowed to bring dependents.

• No more than three years can be spent in the UK for students in underdegree level courses.

• No more than five years for students in degree level courses.

• A list of trusted banks will be established and bank statements from any other will not be accepted.

Many more rules are under discussion and are likely to be announced soon.

Continued on page 28

14 Asian Voice Saturday 2nd April 2011

Sonakshi on replacing Katrina in brand endorsements

It’s Simbu v/s Dhanush

Fo e s - t u r n e d - f r i e n d s Silambarasan and Dhanush are gearing up for a big clash. Yes, their movies “Vaanam” and “Mappillai” are said to be releasing on April 8, which means the stage is set for box-office battle.

The makers of Silambarasan’s multistarrer “Vaanam,” which is a remake of Telugu blockbuster “Vedam,” are planning to release the movie on April 8. The movie bosses thinks that it would be a right move to release the film during summer holidays. The

movie boasts of an impressive star-cast such as Simbu, Anushka Shetty, Bharath, Prakash Raj etc.

On the other hand, Dhanush’s “Mappillai” is the remake of Rajinikanth’s yesteryear film with the same name.

Even, Mappillai bosses reckon that the World Cup fever would be over by April 2 and considering summer holidays, it would be the best time to release the film. The movie stars Dhanush, Hansika Motwani and Manisha Koirala in the lead roles.

Rekha says no to Rajini

To decline an offer to work with someone as big as Rajnikanth takes huge guts. And when Bollywood’s living legend Rekha is in question, then it is nothing less than the clash of titans.

Buzz has it that the evergreen diva has walked out of Rajinikanth’s ‘Rana’

due to monetary issue with the producers of the film. Imagine, when every Bollywood stars are dying to be in Rajnikant’s film, it’s the gutsy Rekha putting her foot down.

If rumours are to be believed, Hema Malini might replace the legendary actress in the flick.

Hollywood touch for Vijay’s ‘Velayudham’

Tamil movies are now following the Hollywood standards because the movies made there are no longer restricted to Tamil Nadu or Tamil audience.

But closely watched by many film industries including bollywood. As a result, the makers of the

film are giving importance to every aspect of the film making.

Be it story or technical department, they have started following Hollywood standards.

Now, Vijay’s “Velayudham” is getting Hollywood touch.

Director Jayam Ravi has roped in Hollywood stunt director Tom Delmar for the movie.

The latter, who has worked for many English movies will be choreographing an action sequence for the Vijay starrer. It is said that it would be a high-octane action scene between Vijay and gangsters.

The super successful Dabangg has not only made Sonakshi Sinha one of the most wanted faces in the Bollywood, but she is also being preferred as a brand ambassador to many existing endorsersments. She is replacing all hotties now.

It was a giant leap in the endorsement race when Provogue decided to narrow down on Sonakshi.

Asked how she felt about replacing Katrina, Sonakshi said, "I am not really replacing anyone. I am just filling in a space that was empty for long. But yes, I'm enjoying it a lot."

But hasn't there been any fireworks considering that she has taken away quite a few brands from Katrina and has signed some of the competing brands too in a short span?

Sonakshi replied, "No, I've met Katrina quite a few times and we do not discuss this. They have been around for quite sometime now I hope I will be there."

Katrina and Sonakshi might have become competitors when it comes to brand endorsement, but as far as item numbers are concerned the latter does no intend jumping into Sheila's arena

anytime soon.

'I'm not comfortable doing certain moves' "I am not scared of doing item numbers. It's just that I'm not comfortable doing certain moves. For me it's about my comfort, I'm very Dabangg otherwise," Sonakshi said.

Talking about some big banner film projects Sonakshi said, "Yes, I am doing a film with Kamal Hassan and I'm very excited about it. It's in a different language and I'm looking forward to it."

Asked whom she found more stylish between Salman and Akshay, Sonakshi's answer was Salman.

"I've styled Salman," she justified revealing the secret Sonakshi had kept under wraps so long.

"I had styled Salman for the Dabboo Ratnani photo shoot last year. I asked him to take his shirt off and hang it on his shoulder," Justified, Sonakshi is everywhere.

Aamir Khan prefers multi-starrer films

Unlike the rest of the Khans in Bollywood, Aamir Khan's love for multi-starrer films seems to be growing by the day. There was a time when Aamir would only opt for solo projects and nothing else.

Then came a stage when Aamir did a few multi-starrers which turned out to be path breaking films; 'Rang De Basanti' and '3 Idiots' for example, and now it seems Aamir has decided never to hold a grudge against multi-starrers ever.

While Aamir has made peace with signing multi-starrer films, on the other hand the rest of the Khan gang; Shahrukh Khan , Salman and Saif, are finding it hard to come out of the solo film mould.

According to an industry observer, “If you look at the last few years, out of the Khan brigade only Aamir has shown keen interest in multi-starrer films. Now, with 'Dhoom-3', Aamir will take it to another level where his character would share equal footage with the rest of the star cast, something which was not even the case with 'Rang De Basanti' and '3 Idiots' were Aamir still had the upper hand.”

On the contrary, SRK, Salman and Saif are working hard to build their solo film market. With 'Dabangg 2', 'Ra.One' and 'Agent Vinod', their intentions are clear.

On the other hands Aamir prefers to mix his choice, with multi-starrers becoming one of his preferred picks.

Wants acting tips from Hrithik Aamir is planning to seek a few acting tips from Hrithik Roshan regarding his villain’s role in the film ‘Dhoom 3.’ Hrithik had played the villain in ‘Dhoom 2.’

"Hrithik and Aamir had bonded earlier, but not in this manner.

Aamir had never openly come out gushing about Hrithik's acting. He wants to have a sitting with Hrithik before he starts shooting for Dhoom 3," says a source. Khan recently admitted during a TV interview that he's keen on taking acting lessons from the younger actor.

"Hrithik is one of the best looking actors we have. He is also a great actor. I want to take acting lessons from him," the actor had said on television.

After 'Munni' and 'Sheila', it's time for `Sheetal' to sizzle ‘Munni’ and ‘Sheila’ fever will be soon takeover by “Sheetal”, it’s a new sizzling item song from the new upcoming movie Sheetalbhabhi.com 'Sabki Pyaari Sheetal Bhabi', promises to rival chart-toppers 'Munni Badnaam Hui' and 'Sheila Ki Jawani' in popularity. Being sexy, rauncy and overall having catchy tune, it can be the next blockbuster. “We will rock with 'Sheetal'," Mahendra Dhariwal, creative producer of the film said. Produced and Directed

by C M Jain, 'Sheetalbhabi.com' is inspired by the banned porn site Savita Bhabi. The lyrics of song are “Sab ki pyari sheetal bhabhi, ishq pyar ki chabi Sheetal bhabhi, sexy, sexy, sexy, Sheetal bhabhi, sab ke mann ko bhae Sheetal bhabhi”

Ajay Devgan gets a new Kajal Ajay Devgan who will be celebrating his birthday on 2nd April, is going to get a new Kajal in his life. Well, before your minds start cooking up stories, let's make it clear that we were talking about his new co-star in Rohit Shetty's next.

Director Rohit Shetty has started working on the Hindi remake of the south film “Singam” with Ajay Devgan, and he has roped in the hit south actress Kajal Aggarwal to pair opposite him.

What worked in Kajal’s favour? She is quite a popular name down south and also she has got dates to give for the project.

Initially, Rohit was keen on Anushka Shetty, who starred in the original opposite Surya. But since she was busy with other projects, Kajal was approached and she lapped the opportunity.

However, this is not Kajal’s first Hindi film. She was also seen in a small role in “Kyun Ho Gaya Na” where she played Aishwarya Rai’s friend.

Rohit liked her in “Magadheera” which is one of the biggest Telugu hits of 2010.

Bollywood

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

15

Asha Bhosle felicitated in the House of Commons

Renowned Bollywood playback singer Asha Bhosle was felicitated in the House of Commons in London for her outstanding achievements in music.

NRI Labour MP Keith Vaz, who organised the elicitation dinner, described the 77year-old Padma Vibhushan as an "icon" who has made India proud.

"I am deeply touched by the honour bestowed on me. I never thought I would be felicitated in the British Parliament. It is a great privilege," said Bhosle, who performed to a houseful audience at the Royal Festival Hall, Symphony Hall in Birmingham and Leicester's De Montfort Hall during her current tour.

She also lauded the efforts of Vaz in promoting Indian artists in the UK, saying, "I am very proud of you. Like you, my roots

are also in Goa." Dr Rami Ranger, a NRI entrepreneur described the felicitation as "historic".

"Your presence here is like a dream come true. We are all very proud of you," he told the veteran singer.

Bhosle, whose career as a Bollywood singer started in 1943 and spans a staggering six decades, has contributed to the soundtracks of over 1,000 Bollywood films. Her repertoire includes qawwali, film music, clas-

sical Indian, pop and folk.

In September 2009 the World Records Academy recognized her as the "Most Recorded Artist" in the world.

She was also honoured with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

She has sung in multiple languages, including Hindi, Assamese, Urdu, Telugu, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, English, Russian, Czech, Nepali, Malay and Malayalam.

India dares the world; sets to create new records

Indians will create history! After conquering accolades in each fraternity, India will achieve the peak of accomplishment on human achievements. From pulling the heaviest vehicle by hair to flipping omelette, from swallowing most number of swords while juggling; to most number of backward flips, India will break 70 Guinness World Records and also create some spectacular new world records.

‘Guinness World Records - Ab India Todega’ premiered on Friday, March 18, was surely a one hour visual treat of aweinspiring, bizarre, unforgettable and

100% entertaining record breaking acts by Hindustanis. It would be shown on every Fridays and Saturdays at 9 pm only on COLORS. Bollywood star Preity Zinta who debuts on small screen is all geared to motivate the contestants and beat every world record thrown their way.

Supporting Preity was the dashing khiladi of small screen Shabbir Ahluwalia, who anchored the outdoor feats in the show.

Preity Zinta said, “I have always loved adventure and more importantly loved the Indian “go getter” spirit. I feel excited to be associated with the show. The plethora of talent that India has is magnificent and what better than an International platform like Guinness World Record. There is also a feeling of pride in hosting a show that will put India on the global platform and will bring fame for the common man who can do uncommon things.

Talking about the new show, Ashvini Yardi, programming head – COLORS said “The Indian talent may have been offered with multiple rewards but to be recognized as Guinness World Records holder for an individual is a reward that no other reality show can offer today.”

Aishwarya wants to do one big role before going for babies Aishwarya Rai Bachchan wants one big hit before she settles for babies. That’s the answer to all who are waiting to see her baby-sitting.

She promises to be a mother soon but finger crossed for that life-time role?

She is already 37 and wants to make a choice between two good projects that have been narrated to her. One is by Vishal Bhardwaj and which is opposite Hrithik Roshan. (Roshan Jr will be changed if he does not have dates immediately). The second option is for Madhur Bhandarkar’s film “Heroine.”

Ash has indeed heard Madhur’s script and has liked it too. But then the actress feels that she does not want to end up doing too many films – out of four films of hers that released in 2011, three of them flopped badly and the fourth one, “Robot,” was above average, though the Tamil version “Endhiran” was a jackpot. So at the moment, she has to make the choice. And just after one great role of hers, do not be surprised if she is spotted with pregnant look.

This laugh a minute comic caper will have you in splits, continuing with the signature comic style you have come to expect from the maker of “No E n t r y , ” “Welcome” and “Singh Is King.”

It is a romantic comedy where it emerges as a crazy cat and mouse game.

Raj, Yogi and Vikram best friends, business partners, serial womanizers and happily married! Happy, because their lovely wives have no clue that their husbands cheat on them with every pretty young thing they can lay their eyes on.

This picture perfect world is rocked when Raj's wife, Sanjana begins to suspect her husband and hires the suave private detective, Kishan, to tail him.

Kishan has built his reputation as a man who saves marriages by getting erring

New Hindi movies releasing this week 1. Thank You

husbands to mend their ways.

In this particular case, however, his overwhelming attraction towards Sanjana means he may not be acting in her best interest!

Kishan trying to catch the husbands with their pants down literally and then attempting to just stay outside his grasp.

Its geared for release on 8th April 2011.

Produced by Ronnie Screwvala & Twinkle Khanna and Directed by Anees Bazmee, the movie features Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Suniel Shetty, Celina Jaitley, Irrfan Khan, Rimi Sen and Mallika Sherawat. The music of the movie is given by Pritam Chakraborty and lyrics penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya, Ashish Pandit and Kumaar.

Top Bollywood movies for the week No. Film Last Week Total Weeks 1 Tanu Weds Manu 3 4 2 7 Khoon Maaf 4 5 3 Patiala House 5 6

16

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

BUDGET 2011

BUDGET 2011 Having already endured two Budgets and three Finance Acts in 2010, the Budget presented by George Osborne at first appeared as if it was going to be a relatively mundane affair. In the event, it was anything but. George Osborne revealed a “Budget for growth” with a substantial number of business friendly measures, including a surprise extra 1% reduction in the main rate of Corporation Tax and the doubling of the limit for Entrepreneur’s Relief.

Although George Osborne confirmed that there was no spare cash to play with, the Budget was fairly fiscally neutral and in the process, he managed to produce a 1 pence per litre cut in fuel costs when there was a planned 5p increase which was due from next month. He also confirmed that the 50% rate of Income Tax which was introduced by the previous Government, would be temporary. This was, no doubt, a welcome measure for the hundreds of thousands of tax payers who were pushed into the 50% Income Tax bracket.

Main Budget highlights l The main rate of Corporation Tax would be reduced to 26% from April 2011 and will be cut by a further 1% a year thereafter until it reaches 23% in 2014. l The basic Personal Allowance is projected to increase to £8,105 in 2012/13 with a corresponding reduction in the basic rate band to £34,370. l Enterprise Investment Schemes and Venture Capital Trusts will be reformed, with an increase in the rate of tax relief on Enterprise Investment Scheme investments from 20% to 30% from April 2011 and a doubling of the Enterprise Investment Scheme limit from April 2012 along with an increase in the size of the companies that can be funded by the scheme and the amounts they can raise. l The Annual Charge for non-domiciled individuals who have been UK resident for 12 or more years and who wish to benefit from the remittance basis of taxation will increase from 2012 to £50,000. l Simplification of Gift Aid scheme and a new Inheritance Tax relief will provide further benefits. l The lifetime limit for Entrepreneur’s Relief will be increased from £5m to £10m from April this year. l The rate of Research and Development Tax credit for small and medium sized enterprises will be increased to 200% from April 2011 and to 225% from a year later. l The Government will commence consultation on the integration of the Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions.

Personal taxation Income Tax bands and Personal Allowance For 2011/12, the Income Tax rates will remain as they were for 2010/11. The Personal Allowance will increase to £7,475 from £6,475 and there will also be a £2,400 decrease in the basic rate limit taking it to £35,000.

Although at first, this appears reasonably beneficial to tax payers, the overall tax effect of the change in the Personal Allowance and the decrease in the basic rate tax band is only likely to benefit basic rate tax payers as an individual earning a salary of £30,000 per annum is likely to have a saving of £200 per annum in Income Tax for the year 2011/12. For a higher rate tax payer earning £50,000 per annum these changes are not favourable as the tax cost of the additional Personal Allowance and the reduction in the basic rate tax band will be approximately £840 for the year 2011/12.

In addition to the above, the Chancellor announced that the Personal Allowance will increase to £8,105 for the year 2012/13 with a corresponding decrease in the basic rate limit. This will effectively leave the higher rate tax payer threshold unchanged at £42,475.

Tax and National Insurance Contributions they should pay.

Enterprise Investment Schemes and Venture Capital Trusts The rate of Enterprise Investment Scheme Income Tax relief will rise from 20% to 30% from 6 April 2011.

Currently the annual Enterprise Investment Scheme limits for individuals is £500,000. From 6 April 2012 this will double to £1m.

In addition to the above, from 6 April 2012, the qualifying company size limits for Enterprise Investment Schemes and Venture Capital Trusts will rise to 250 employees and the gross asset ceiling will increase to £15m.

Finally, the annual investment limit of qualifying companies will rise to £10m from 6 April 2012.

Non-domicile taxation

Kiran D. Patel FCA

National Insurance rates and bands

The Chancellor has announced that the Government will consult on reforms to the taxation of UK resident non-domiciled individuals from April 2012. The proposal will include increasing the existing £30,000 annual charge to £50,000 for nondomiciled individuals who have been UK resident for 12 or more tax years and who wish to retain access to the remittance basis of taxation.

The Chancellor has also announced that a proposal to remove the tax charge where non-domiciled individuals remit foreign income or capital gains to the United Kingdom for the purpose of commercial investment in UK businesses.

This will benefit many thousands of nondomiciled individuals who currently have funds overseas and who are looking to invest in UK businesses in the future.

The main and additional rates of National Insurance Contributions will increase by 1% from 6 April 2011 as was previously announced.

The primary threshold for employees will increase to £139 a week and the secondary threshold for employers will increase to £136 a week.

Furnished holiday lettings

Income over £100,000 per annum

Employer supported childcare and voucher schemes

There was no change to the reduction in the Personal Allowance for 2011/12 whereby the Personal Allowance is reduced by 50p for every £1 of income over £100,000. Effectively, this means that the Income Tax rate applicable to income between £100,000 and £114,950 will be at a marginal tax rate of 60%. This marginal rate tax occurs as a result of the previously nil band of tax being applied to the Personal Allowance element of income, being £7,475, being replaced by the 40% tax bracket for that element. It is advisable for those who are on an income which is just above the £100,000 threshold to make a pension contribution or to choose tax efficient investments in order to reduce the additional tax burden for this bracket.

Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions reform The Chancellor has announced that the Government will consult on reforms to integrate the operation of Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions and the modernisation of the administration of the personal tax system.

Online tax calculations By 2012, the Government will build an online personal tax calculator to allow individuals to estimate how much Income

From April 2012, new tax rules for furnished holiday lettings will take effect, so that the loss relief may only be offset against income from the same business.

The letting and availability thresholds will be increased from April 2012.

From 6 April 2011, the main weekly tax exemption will remain at £45.

However, for those who join this scheme after 5 April 2011, the exemption will be £28 for higher rate tax payers and £22 for additional rate tax payers. The condition that this scheme has to be open generally will be relaxed for employees with earnings at or near the minimum wage. The change will be retrospective from 6 April 2005.

Approved mileage allowance payments When employees use their own cars for employment purposes the rate at which the employers can pay a tax free mileage allowance to the employees will increase from 40p a mile to 45p a mile from 6 April 2011. This amount applies to the first 10,000 business miles travelled by an employee in a tax year. For employees travelling above 10,000 miles in a tax year, the lower rate of 25p per mile will remain unchanged for the miles travelled in excess of the first 10,000. If the employer pays less than 45p per mile, the employees can claim the difference against their income.

Company car tax rates This is an area where the Government have constantly increased the tax burden

on taxpayers and it appears that this approach is likely to continue into future tax years. The appropriate scale charge percentages, will increase by 1% for 2013/14 for vehicles with CO2 emissions between 95g/km and 220g/km. The rates for emissions below 95g/km will not change.

It is imperative that when considering a company car to understand that the tax scales are being revised for 2011/12 and will alter again in 2012/13. Therefore when changing or choosing your car, you must ensure that you know what tax you are likely to pay in the current tax year and in the next tax year.

Fuel benefit charge From 6 April 2011, the fuel benefit charge multiplied for calculating the tax payable on fuel provided by employers for company cars will increase from £18,000 to £18,800.

Individual Savings Accounts limits For the year of assessment 2011/12, the Individual Savings Accounts limits are £10,680 of which up to £5,340 can be saved in cash.

Junior Individual Savings Accounts The Chancellor announced that all UK resident children under the age of 18 who do not have a Child Trust Fund will be able to open a Junior Individual Savings Account. These accounts are expected to be available from Autumn 2011. The Government is in the process of setting out further details which will be issued this week together with the Finance Bill.

Restricting pension tax relief The annual allowance for tax privilege pension saving will be £50,000 from 6 April 2011. The lifetime allowance will remain at £1.8m reducing to £1.5m from April 2012. Unused annual allowance of up to £50,000 can be carried forward for up to 3 years. In certain circumstances, individuals with annual allowance charges over £2,000 will be able to meet these from their pension benefit, with schemes paying tax when the charge arises.

Charities Gift Aid With effect from 6 April 2011 for individual donors and 1 April 2011 for corporation donors, donors will be able to receive benefits up to a value of £2,500 from a charity as a result of making a donation of more than £10,000 under Gift Aid. However, the over riding factor will be that the benefit must not exceed 5% of the gift.

From April 2013, charities will be able to claim gift aid on up to £5,000 of small donations without the need for the Gift Aid declarations. The Government have defined the value of small donations to be £10 or less. For 2012/13, an online system will be introduced for charities to claim gift aid. This will be funded by the withdrawal of the scheme by which individuals can donate tax repayments to charity under self assessment. The withdrawal of the donation applies for repayments for 2011/12 onwards and for tax returns up to 2010/11 where the repayment is made after 5 April 2012.

works of art and historical objects to the nation in return for a tax reduction.

Substantial donors From April 2011, new rules will apply which will deny relief where a donor enters into an arrangement with the main purpose of obtaining a financial advantage from a charity.

Business tax Corporation Tax rates The Corporation Tax rates will be reduced for the year ended 31 March 2012 and are as follows:Details Small profits rate Marginal rate Main rate

cars) will reduce from £100,000 to £25,000 with the annual writing down allowance being 18%.

This gives an opportunity for businesses to consider their investments in new equipment as at present, businesses of any size will generally benefit from immediate tax relief on the first £100,000 a year that is spent on most types of equipment. This allowance will fall to £25,000 from April 2012 so where you are considering acquiring major assets for use in the business, it might be wise to bring this decision forward and take advantage of the annual Investment Allowance currently available.

Profits Up to £300,000 Between £300,000 and £1.5m Over £1.5m

The main rate of Corporation Tax will be reduced by 1% per annum over the next 3 years until it reaches 23%.

Associated companies Ordinarily, the relevant profit limits above for Corporation Tax are divided equally amongst the number of associated companies where a company is associated with other companies. From April 2011, the rules relating to associated companies have been simplified and under the revised provisions, companies will be associated with each other where: l They are commonly controlled by connected individuals; and l Substantial commercial interdependence exists between the companies.

For businesses currently operating as sole traders or partnerships (also in some instances, limited liability partnerships), there may be substantial tax savings to be made by trading through a company. Profits retained in a company may be taxed at only 20%, as compared to the tax rate applicable to Income Tax at 50% plus National Insurance Contributions. The clever use of a combination of salaries and dividends and particular share structures, could result in substantially high levels of income being taxed at 20%.

Capital Allowances With effect from April 2012, as it is acquired by businesses that are likely to be sold or scrapped within 8 years will form part of a short life assets treatment for Capital Allowance purposes. This will have the effect of accelerating the allowances available on the purchase of new assets for a company where the short life assets election is made.

In addition to the above, with effect from April 2012, the annual Investment Allowance Expenditure on the purchase of most types of equipment (excluding

Tax rate 20% 27.5% 26%

Research and Development Tax Relief

Companies who spend on research and development can claim enhanced allowances on that expenditure. The rate of relief available for small and medium sized enterprises increases from 175% to 200% from April 2011 and to 225% from 2012, subject to state aid approval.

Amongst many other restrictions on the research and development relief available to small and medium sized enterprises, the Government have proposed that the minimum expenditure limit of £10,000 be removed for all companies. This will enable a number of small and medium sized companies to claim enhanced research and development relief on expenditure incurred in their accounts from April 2011.

Capital Taxes Capital Gains Tax annual exemption The annual exemption for Capital Gains Tax will increase to £10,600 for 2011/12.

Capital Gains Tax Entrepreneur’s Relief The lifetime limit on gains qualifying for Entrepreneur’s Relief will rise from £5m to £10m from 6 April 2011.

Gains qualifying for Entrepreneur’s Relief are taxed at 10% rather than 18% (for basic rate tax payers) or 28% (for higher rate tax payers).

If you are a higher rate or additional rate tax payer, you will pay Capital Gains Tax at 28% above your annual exemption on all gains in the tax year.

If your spouse or civil partner is a basic rate tax payer, they will only pay 18% on the gains above their annual exemption until the basic rate tax band has been fully utilised. Therefore, in order to efficiently plan to ensure that the lowest rate of tax is applied in a tax year, you may consider transferring assets between spouses prior to their

George Osborne

disposal in order to take advantage of the lower rates of tax.

Inheritance Tax The Inheritance Tax nil rate band has been frozen at £325,000 until 6 April 2015. A reduced rate of 36% will be charged where 10% or more of a deceased person’s net estate is left to a charity. This measure will apply where deaths occur after 5 April 2012.

Stamp Duty Land Tax Those who purchase many residential properties in a single transaction will be able to claim a new relief under which the rate of Stamp Duty Land Tax is determined by using the average consideration per property instead of the total consideration. This relief will be available for transactions on or after the Royal Ascent of the Finance Bill 2011.

Value Added Tax (VAT) Registration and deregistration threshold From 1 April 2011, the VAT registration threshold will increase from £70,000 to £73,000 and the deregistration threshold will increase from £68,000 to £71,000.

The VAT flat rate scheme is an excellent way to simplify the VAT compliance for some small businesses as the amount of VAT is based on a set percentage of turnover according to the business sector. For some small business operating within the flat rate scheme may be better off.

Businesses with a turnover of less than £1.35m can choose to account for VAT on a “cash” basis. This is particularly useful where the business carries a significant amount of trade debtors

because the VAT on the “sale” need only be paid over to HM Revenue & Customs when the customer pays.

Conversely, however, the VAT on purchases can only be claimed when the business pays the supplier.

Online registration and filing All businesses will have to file VAT Returns online and pay electronically from 1 April 2012.

In conclusion The Chancellor has, in addition to the above, announced a number of other measures that will result in an overhaul of the tax regime such as regulations to introduce direct taxes for sharia-compliant variable loan arrangements during 2011.

No doubt, you will agree that in times of austerity and with the need to manage cash flow, George Osborne has balanced the Budget for the future growth and investment in the United Kingdom.

The above information should not be relied upon on its own for detailed tax planning for individuals or businesses. There are many factors that need careful consideration and research by you and your professional advisers which should pay handsome dividends prior to taking any action. The outline proposals may be subject to amendment before the Finance Act is given Royal Ascent.

Kiran D Patel FCA is a Partner at Weston Kay Chartered Accountants.

For specific advice, please contact Kiran D Patel on 020 7636 7493 or email him at k.patel@westonkay.com.

Gifts of works of art The Government will be consulting over the summer on the proposal to encourage donations of pre-eminent

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17

18

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

Tata Motors makes 1 lakh commercial vehicles in a year Dear Financial Voice Reader, I had breakfast this past week with the Co-CEO of Goldman Sachs. We were not there for the food. I wanted confirmation of my view the UK market is seriously undervalued. By that I mean the FTSE 100 index of UK’s largest companies. Goldman Sachs agreed.

The Euro has even more reason to weaken. The crisis will see some unwinding of long Euro positions.

And what of the US dollar? Well, the Japanese are going to want some of their money back – ie they are the second largest lenders to the US after China. Now they need some money at home. That makes it likely the Dollar will fall. So a good trade presently is to expect the Euro to rise against the Dollar in fact.

Now I have mentioned already in this column that the US market and UK will outperform the Emerging markets of Brazil and India this year and so it is year to date that is what is happening. Not least Brazil and India are not helped by inflationary commodity prices which means they will raise interest rates faster than in the West.

Traders are using the Yen to buy currencies of Australia, Brazil, and Turkey. A weaker yen boosts profits from the different interest rates in the two countries by making it cheaper to repay loans.

Looking at the table of global markets and their valuations, Indonesia still looks good as does Korea and Thailand. How do you access these markets?

Through exchange traded funds – your broker will know what they are or log ontosterlingmarkets.com and enter the country name.

For those who like income stocks, some companies still offer very good yields from dividends. Take RSA insurance offering around 7% yield, that’s before any share price moves. Aviva and Standard Life are in the same high yielding insurance basket.

Whilst our spending power diminishes due to inflation, we are nevertheless as a nation able to try eek out returns, not from bank accounts, but from risker assets such as equities. This is the whole point of credit crunch quantative easing – to make equities more attractive. And that is why stocks will rise this year.

Most importantly because their profitability is up this year.

So where does that leave you this year? Equities is fine. Probably up 15% to year end in US or UK markets in their own currencies. Finally, since I mention the credit crunch – I came across an interesting site.

It is www.financialhippocraticoath.org ie like the oath doctors take to save lives, but this one is for those in finance. I leave you with what it says; • • • • • • •

I therefore pledge To act with integrity, competence, respect and objectivity To observe all laws in letter and spirit To place the interests of my clients, colleagues and community ahead of my own To disclose conflicts of interest To seek fair fees and appropriate compensation To respect client confidentiality and trust To use all information appropriately I make these commitments freely, solemnly and upon my honor.

My blog is at www.alpeshblog.com and www.alpesh.tv you can see my latest TV commentary.

Alpesh.patel@tradermind.com

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"It is really a proud moment for Tata Motors as the company has become India’s first automobile company to produce one lakh commercial vehicles in a financial year," Ravi Pisharody, president of commercial vehicle business unit (CVBU) of Tata Motors, said.

Pisharody expressed hope that the growth rate of commercial vehicle sector would depend on the interest rate though it has not affected the sector as yet.

The interest rate has to be maintained to achieve the growth rate, which was registered at 20 to 22

per cent this fiscal, he said adding that the growth rate in the next fiscal is likely to be 10 to 15 per cent. The company official said the sale has been increasing significantly in

the last few months.

The response for the world truck, which had started its production in the first quarter of the current fiscal, was good and would further improve in

view of the increasing demand as well as the improving road condition in the country.

Presently, we are producing two models of the world truck at Jamshedpur plant and likely to introduce two more models soon, he said adding that the company was expecting to produce around six to eight models by the end of next fiscal.

Pisharody expressed confidence that the company would utilise the maximum capacity of the world truck (55,000 per annum) in next five years in view of its increasing demand.

Mittal gets a pay hike after 2 years After suffering pay cuts for the last two years, Lakshmi Mittal, the chairman and CEO of ArcelorMittal, earned an 11 per cent hike in his base salary in 2010. He earned a base salary of $1.65 million in 2010, compared to $1.49 million in the previous year, according to ArcelorMittal's annual report. In the previous two years, the company had given a pay cut to its entire board, including Mittal, as the firm lost money amid

Lakshmi Mittal

slumping steel sales. In addition, Mittal's daugh-

ter, Vanisha Mittal Bhatia, received a base salary of $1,72,000 in 2010, up from $1,64,000 in the previous year.

Mittal's other peers on the board - Narayanan Vaghul, Wilbur L Ross, Lewis B Kaden, Francois Pinault, Antoine Spillmann and Prince Guillaume - also witnessed a hike in their base salaries in 2010. According to the report, the total compensation paid in 2010 to members of the company's senior management,

including Mittal in his capacity as CEO, was $17.8 million in base salary, including certain allowances paid in cash, such as allowances relating to car, petrol, lunch, financial services and balance settlements.

Furthermore, the company gave $7.2 million in short-term performancerelated variable pay, consisting of a bonus linked to 2009 results that was paid partly in cash and partly as share-based compensation.

Discount retailer 99p Stores is for sale

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99p Stores, one of Britain's largest discount retailers, with more than 133 stores and 3,000 employees, is on the verge of changing hands. The company's owners have asked DC Advisory Partners to work on a strategic review of the business, which could lead to its sale. A deal is likely to bring a multi-million pound fortune to its founder Nadir Lalani.

Bankers believe the business could be sold for between £60m and £80m.

It is thought the Lalani family owns a stake of 50pc, while Barclays Ventures has a 25pc shareholding. The remainder of the shares are owned by other private investors.

Mr Lalani established the business in 2001, opening his first store in Holloway, north London, with the simple concept of selling items for less than a pound.The next year, Mr Lalani decided to expand the business across the country. The group now has more than 133 stores and employs 3,000 people.

In part, 99p has benefited from the demise of Woolworths on the high street and has bought stores from the Woolworths estate. According to its website, 99p aims to have 600 stores within the next 10 years.

FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

19

Stamp duty update

Suresh Vagjiani Managing Director Sow & Reap A Property Investment & Financing company.

The buy-to-let market received a much needed boost this week after the government announced it would cut the stamp duty involved in buying multiple residential properties, potentially unlocking £7.5bn of investment into the private rented sector. This change will encourage more professional landlords and larger institutional investors to build up their portfolios, increasing the supply of private rented houses to the market.

This change in the budget means stamp duty will be charged on a group of properties at the average rate and not the sum total rate as was previously.

We were involved in a purchase a few years ago whereby the property purchase price was £1.1m. It was two blocks of six flats held on two freehold tittles.

Ordinarily there would be a stamp duty payable of 4% - at that time, this has now been increased to 5% - on this transaction which would come to £44,000.

What was suggested was for the purchase to be split into six leases and two freehold titles. This reduces the average unit price to £183,000, this means on each transaction only 1% stamp is to be paid so only £11,000 in this case. Overall this reduces the stamp duty by £33,000.

The exchange of each flat was done on different days to attempt to de link the transaction.

This purchase would be for six leasehold flats and two freehold titles which would be held in another name besides that of the purchaser.

It is not enough, simply to split the contracts, the transaction must be deemed to be de-linked.

Ordinarily this purchase should have attracted stamp duty as the rules state if this was a linked transaction the s tamp duty is to b e paid on the aggregate amount. It is not enough to s imply split the contract values up and do the exchange on different days.

There are various definitions given on the HMRC web site, one of them being as follows:Sometimes a purchase is followed by one or more related purchases.

If there's something to link all the transactions together then they're treated as linked purchases for SDLT. There's no limit on the length of time between the transactions.

This means if you purchase a property from a builder at £180,000 you pay 1%, if six months later you purchase another one you then pay 3% on £360,000 which comes to £10,800!

I wonder how many fell foul to this rule and didn’t even realise.

The new higher stamp duty rate is coming into effect from 6th April.

The new relief is expected to apply from this summer when the 2011 Finance Act comes into effect.

Personally I’m not sure how much interest a 4% drop in purchasing costs of property would bring. Though if pension funds or other institutional investors are working according to pre defined models this may

tip the balance. Either way this is a welcome change and an overdue change. The British Property Federation (BPF), which had campaigned for the change, said it would tip the balance in encouraging institutional funds into building homes. “Using the average price is fairer and a welcome measure of support for those in need of rented housing,” said Ian Fletcher of the BPF. The chancellor also announced the introduction of three new antiavoidance measures to address the abuse of stamp duty land tax (SDLT) rules. Experts still believe the clampdown will not eliminate SDLT planning for wealthy homebuyers. After all the politicians need to use some of these loop holes too.

The two prominent ones which were popular were known as the spouse sub sale and one using Islamic finance. The Candy brothers used one such scheme in the selling off their development in One Hyde Park, where penthouses cost £100m each. According to a leaked email one of the brothers wrote to the representatives of one of the penthouse buyers: ‘There is no downside to trying the structure There will be no additional costs other than legal fees and interest (if the structure fails).

There will be no penalties! The upside to your principal is a £5,000,000 saving.'

The Inland Revenue has 9 months from date of submission to investigate any queries. This is why when doing any kind of stamp duty savings scheme it is wise to hold the professional fees in an escrow account for a 9 month period before releasing them to the advisor.

Little Venice

Plotting scheme

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From £10,000

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What you must look out for when purchasing plots

4 Spacious 3 bedroom, first floor flat 4 Stunning views over the Regents Canal from bedroom, picture above and top right is an actual view of the view 4 This will ensure the property rents and sell like a hot cake 4 Perfectly located in a safe area with playgrounds and primary school around the corner and close to Paddington great for families.

4 Within walking distance to Warwick Avenue underground station and within easy reach to local buses.

4 Excellent rental investment, can produce rental of around £500pw and generate a positive cash flow of £7500 per annum after all expenses.

4 Bright living room and kitchen, south-west facing thus offering plenty of sunshine during the day and overlooking communal gardens.

4 Long-lease and low outgoings service charge only £1000pa 4 Good decorative order, ready to be let-out.

4 Plotting schemes are best for pure investments 4 There are no maintenance to worry about 4 Decide why you are purchasing 4 Is it an investment or to live in?

4 It is better to keep both separate otherwise you will not achieve either objective well

4 Always purchase NA approved plots 4 Not buying a NA plot is like taking a post dated cheque without knowing when you finally will be able to cash it

4 Think about how and when you will exist 4 Contrary to popular belief a NRI can purchase agricultural land in india, but not in some states. Gujarat being one of them

4 A few banks will lend on plots, it is a good idea to get a small mortgage as the bank will do all the due diligence, so you do not have too 4 Plots within a society where there is some construction and activity will be better placed to hold future value 4 As the real estate is increasing in value it has attracted attention from dubious characters, be very aware who you purchase from and do the necessary due diligence

4 Engage the services of an advocate to check all the paper work 4 Do not let an attractive price detract you from the Basics of the deal 4 Plots within a society are more secure then open land

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Tips of the Week l There are only 2 ways to make money from property capital gain and income decided how much of each you want before you start purchasing l Have a clear intention on weather the property is for resell or long term rental as your target customer is very different

20

finAnciAl voiCe

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

Amit Patel has over 15 years experience in the field of Leadership and Human Resource Management

Repeat After Me…

maria@abplgroup.com

Maria Fernandes

The real con: The attack on students The perceived clampdown on students began this week with the Home Secretary’s further announcement that student numbers would be restricted by a raft of measures. The war on words began in earnest with the words bogus, abuse and cut in numbers.

The readers will recall the pledge by the Government to cut immigration numbers to tens of thousands.

It appears that the target is private colleges.

They will be required to acquire “highly trusted” status in order to sponsor students. This stated the Home Secretary will reduce numbers significantly. But will it? Hell no. Some 80000 students will simply be moved to student visitor status and accordingly, because they do not meet the definition of “migrant” they will fall completely out of the calculation of numbers. It will exempt this category of colleges from requiring to be highly trusted or for the student to be taking a degree course. Clever move Theresa. Or perhaps the Government want to achieve two opposing aims.

The Business Secretary wants to grow this industry and

the Home Secretary wants to cut it down.

This as part of the whole achieves both aims.

Work restrictions to those studying below degree level and the inability of students to bring their dependants or allow them to work will undoubtedly cut numbers. Studying, living and working in the UK is getting more expensive by the day. It Without doubt students who cannot supplement their income will go elsewhere. It is not as if there are no alternatives.

Germany, Australia and the US are offering generous opportunities for post study work.

This is because there is a recognition that students bring in money. And in the long term they become ambassadors for the country where they studied.

Post study workers (comprising some 19000) will simply qualify under a different route and will need to take up skilled work. The devil is in the detail, which has still not been announced. If this category had been stopped entirely it would have stopped degree level students from entering and obviously the Government have taken

these concerns on board.

Finally there is the raising of the bar in English language as always with exemptions.

Those coming as student visitors have to meet a lower threshold those coming to join the preuniversity English course can opt to enter at a lower threshold. The entry to university is to be raised without any particular reason for this.

And how are all these laudable aims likely to be achieved. Plans are in hand to cut staff by 9000 when it appears that in order to police these changes particularly the highly trusted status vigilance will be the key. The system is only as good as its enforcement. Will this be another debacle, which will need to be changed after the horse has bolted?

Maria Fernandes has been in practice exclusively in immigration for the past 25 years and is accredited in Immigration Law by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Fernandes Vaz is based at 87 Wembley Hill Road Wembley in Wembley and can be contacted by telephone on 02087330123, by email on info@fernandesvaz.com.

Cobra Beer Partnership on growth path Cobra Beer Partnership has posted a profit for the financial year ending December 31, 2010. The company has recorded a sales worth pound 48 million with a profit before tax of 4.9 million.

After Cobra Beer went into red, it had formed a joint venture with Molson Coors’ to revive the fortunes of the company.

Combining Molson Coors’ strong infrastructure, comprehensive routes to market and track record of building leading brands, with Cobra’s industry know-how and heritage, the joint venture is already beginning to reap the benefits. The joint venture was formed in May 2009 and moving Cobra production to Burton in May

brand. Year 2011 marks a new chapter and we are very excited as Cobra moves on to the next stage of its brand evolution.”

Lord Karan Bilimoria, Founder and Chairman, added: “Cobra has celebrated a 5,000 mile journey, spanning over 20 years, from Bangalore to Burton. The Cobra Beer Partnership has built a strong foundation. We are starting an exciting journey and realising my dream of brewing the finest Indian beer ever while creating a global beer brand.”

Cobra has maintained its unique and iconic status and remains one of the strongest and best known brands in the UK world beer category.

2010 provided an opportunity for growth built on a strong foundation.

Adrian Davey, Managing Director, Cobra Beer Partnership, said: “Up to this point, the Cobra Beer Partnership has been about stability and ensuring the longterm health of both the brand and the business.

This past year we invested £3m in our marketing budget and plan on increasing this again in 2011 to £5m to ensure we continue to build the

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In case you missed the entertaining budget address by George Osborne the central theme was ‘we have inherited an economic mess from the previous government...’ Later the same evening, Nick Clegg justified the budget ‘as they had to deal with the economic mess they had inherited from’…On Saturday, when hundreds of thousands of people marched through central London in protest at the speed of the spending cuts, Cabinet Office minister Frances Maude said to the BBC that he understood peoples concerns and frustration, but the problem was the economic mess they inherited…

I think you get the point. Now either they are all robots programmed to same exactly the same thing or they cannot think of anything else to say.

This is not to criticise them for stating the facts, but I do question why no one in this government seems to be able to consider that perhaps things

are not working out as they had planned and more to the point, what they are doing to address these challenges? It is somewhat tiring hearing the same old thing. Why is economic growth slowing down? Because of the economic mess we inherited…why is unemployment rising? Because of the economic mess we inherited…ok, I will stop now.

What bothers me is not so much the fact that none of the politicians actually give a straight answer (they are after all politicians) but the fact that none of people who we have elected to run the country have appear to any imagination – not in the sense that they should make up some fantastical utopia in order to appear to be innovative. But rather, no one has been able to create a vision we can all believe in. (I’m not going to mention Labour because they obviously ran out of ideas and if you didn’t know, they are currently con-

By Amit Patel

sulting the public for new ones).

It was clear during the general election that none of the leaders had been able to inspire total confidence, hence no one won (a fact David Cameron would do well to remember). Why is it that this great nation, which gave birth to great politicians such as Macmillan, Atlee and Churchill; which established democracy in so many countries; which today fights to hold other leaders to account; why is it that today this nation is struggling to find a Captain?

We need leaders who will manage the impact of their policies not just offer sympathy; who will lead not dictate; who will give us a vision not a manifesto. Why? Lest our future generations say ‘we inherited a leadership mess’. In the meantime, repeat after me…we have to suffer because we inherited an economic mess from…

PennyTalk slashes rates for calling abroad

PennyTalk has lowered calling rates to popular international destinations.

PennyTalk is the popular international calling service from IDT, a leading provider of low-cost global telecommunications.

PennyTalk has a reputation for delivering quality calls at amazingly low rates. With these rate cuts, calling costs have been lowered considerably.

New Lower Rates: PennyTalk has slashed calling rates to India and Pakistan by a third or more. Calling to India is now just 1p a minute – down from 1.5p a minute.

Calling to Pakistan is now just 3.3p a minute – down from 4.9p a minute.

Calling to Bangladeshi phones is just 1.9p per minute and calls to the U.A.E are just 8.9p a minute. Amazingly, these rates are good to call both landlines and mobile phones. PennyTalk and IDT are continuously working to bring lower

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rates to UK consumers while maintaining a high quality of service.

PennyTalk rates are good any time of day or night, every day of the year, whether you’re about to join PennyTalk or you’re already a customer.

Call Worldwide For Less: Wherever you may call to, PennyTalk’s rates are incredibly low. With great rates to more than 200 international destinations, PennyTalk saves UK customers on international calls. Check out all of the rates by going to PennyTalk.co.uk and be surprised by how little a PennyTalk call will cost.

PennyTalk iPhone APP: For SmartPhone users, PennyTalk offers a popular, convenient and easy to use iPhone app, available for FREE in the iTunes® Store. The PennyTalk Mobile app has proven to be a hit with iPhone users and regularly appears as one of the top 50 free social networking

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apps in the UK! PennyTalk Mobile will soon be available for Android Smartphones, too.

So Easy And Convenient: It’s not just PennyTalk’s low rates that get people talking - it’s the amazing simplicity and convenience of the service, too. You can use any phone you like, landline or mobile and there’s no SIM swapping, no annoying bills, no PINs to remember, no contracts or plans you have to sign and no calling cards to carry around. The PennyTalk team is so confident in the quality of service they deliver that PennyTalk offers a satisfaction guarantee.

Say Hello To Cheaper International Calls: For more information on PennyTalk’s new lower calling rates, please visit PennyTalk.co.uk, download the free iPhone app from iTunes® or call on (020 7096 7742).

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FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

21

Foreign Exchange Rajesh Agrawal is the Chairman & CEO of RationalFX, Currency Specialists.

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

Dealers Struggle To Find the Flows The world’s financial markets continue to be in turmoil with it would seem the whole world experiencing some kind of disaster either financially, with an uprising or natural disaster such as the earthquakes recently experience in countries such as Japan and New Zealand.

These natural disasters are predicted not to be the last and there are many places preparing in case of a disaster in their regions to minimise the damage.

We also the ongoing situation in Libya with the Nato forces trying to force out President Gaddafi and other middle eastern countries experiencing protests the whole middle eastern area is a concern for all. In the US nearly all the recent data has come in under expectations to show recovery from the recession in the US is still far away.

The Euro zone as a whole are having increasing problems with Portugal being the most recent country to get downgraded and it looks as new coalition government has been formed they will be looking to the ECB for a loan. Ireland is also expected to apply for new funding and the structure of how countries get assisted within the EU is expected to change. In the UK we have see our growth forecast scaled down by George Osborne when releasing the budget and with poor retail figures following that announcement it looks as if the expected rate hike in UK can be shelved for the time being.

So city traders and investors following all of these events have to decide where to put their money next. It is a hard call to make and the recent Dollar comeback against Sterling is a testament to this with most predictions talk-

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 29th March 2011 @ 12.10pm GBP - INR = 71.53 USD - INR = 44.74 EUR - INR = 63.01 GBP - USD = 1.60 GBP - EUR = 1.13 EUR - USD = 1.41

ing the rate above the 1.65 level last week only to find it on the 1.59’s when they arrived at their offices this Monday. As to regards the Japanese situation with the reactor still leaking more radiation by the day and more earthquakes being experienced and reported the market will take a long while to complete access the situation and what the long term effect will be on the Japanese economy.

As for the Middle East any uprising there is always a concern for all as the importance of the price of oil couldn’t be more poignant than currently. As rising oil prices are driving inflation higher in most economies putting a strain on many countries fragile and ailing recoveries. If the risk element returned to the market you could expect

the high yielding currencies to enjoy the strength that they saw last year on currency markets but dealers will be reluctant to place big bets on this as another disaster could see the rates snap back twice as fast as what they have improved.

The US Dollar will probably get false strength through this uncertain period and the CHF as always has had a good run through these uncertain times and commodities to will see a surge in price with precious metals probably leading the way.

Hopefully the world will see a calmer period in the up and coming months to give the markets a chance to return to sanity but it is still looking very nervy at moment and volatility can be expected to remain in the short term.

GBP - AED = 5.87 GBP - CAD = 1.56 GBP - NZD = 2.13 GBP - AUD = 1.56 GBP - ZAR = 10.98 GBP - HUF = 303.769

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

22

Pakistan-Bangladesh-Sri Lanka

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

Sri Lanka president promoting son to take over the reign Colombo: Modesty is apparently not a strong point for Namal Rajapaksa, son of Sri Lankan President and scion of Asia’s newest political dynasty. He is one more to add in a dynasty bandwagon. Getting a dynasty going in the first place is more testing. Rajapaksha government is already dominated by several brothers, including a fierce one, Gotabaya, who oversees defence, and a more nimble-minded one, Basil, who runs economic policy.

If Rajapaksha wants to preserve the dynasty, preparing the way for the family member is obvious.

President, at age of 65 is now preparing his 23year old MP son frequently on foreign trips. In January he was dispatched to Libya to deliver a formal invitation for Muammar Qaddafi to visit Sri Lanka, to improve the “strong personal relationship” between the two countries.

Excuses are rushed to keep him in the limelight.

Last month he distributed the man-of-the-match award at Sri Lanka’s opening game of the cricket

a new international airport, a conference centre, hotels and other big projects. In November he officiated with his father at the opening of a large, Chinese-built harbour in Hambantota. Now young Mr Rajapaksa, charming, London-educated and fond of rugby, is leading a bid for Hambantota to host the 2018 Commonwealth games.

Sonia promises help Peculiar Friends - File picture of Namal Rajapaksa with Libyan President Muammar Qaddafi

world cup, which took place in a newly built stadium in his own constituency, Hambantota. A few days earlier the portly young politician had been shown laying a foundation stone for a new office complex, funded by the Asian Development Bank; just before that he was named chairman of a new fund to protect a forest and an ancient pink quartz mountain range, the National Namal Uyana.

An aspiring youth is handy to be send for inaugurating new bridges and

roads. As the head of a national body, Tharunyata Hetak (“aspiring youth”), he is whisked north - a chopper is usually on call to dish out cash, books and other aid to victims of the civil war. His group has its own television channel, which shows him doing the dishing. He is enjoying the media attention.

His year-long political career has been charmed.

His constituency, a Rajapaksa family stronghold since the 1930s, has been chosen as the site of

Indian National Congress leader Sonia Gandhi promised all possible help of government of India in mitigating the plight of Lankan Tamil women. She was addressing a meeting of the C o m m o n w e a l t h Foundation on 'Women as Agents of Change' on March 17 in London.

Act Now directors Graham Williamson & Tim Martin drawn Sonia attention to the plight of Lankan Tamil girls in the Northern Lanka. She said that she would do everything possible so that these young girls would become the instruments of change.

Pak court rejects plea to declare Kasab, Ansari fugitives

UNP wants electronic voting in Lanka

Islamabad: An anti-terrorism judge rejected an application by prosecutors to declare Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving attacker involved in the 2008 Mumbai incident, and terror suspect Fahim Ansari as fugitives, saying they were not deliberately avoiding court proceedings in Pakistan.

Judge Rana Nisar Ahmed of the Rawalpindibased court, who is conducting the trial of seven Pakistani suspects charged with involvement in the Mumbai attacks, gave his decision after hearing arguments by prosecution and defence lawyers on Saturday.

The judge subsequently scheduled the next hearing of the case for April 9.

During the hearing

Chief Opposition Whip John Amaratunga stressed yesterday in parliament the need to introduce an electronic voting system into Sri Lanka as has been done in India.

“In India, electronic voting is carried out even in remote areas. When there is such a system in place, no one can make allegations of malpractices such as impersonation. We ask the government to take steps to introduce such a system at least for the next election,” he said.

UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya, who moved the adjournment motion in this respect, said that state resources including vehicles and helicopters had been made use of even on polling day.

conducted behind closed doors at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, the judge questioned the prosecution's plea to declare Kasab and Ansari as "proclaimed offenders" or fugitives and pointed out that they were not deliberately avoiding the proceedings in Pakistan, the sources said.

Lawyers defending the suspects also told the judge that Kasab and Ansari had been in the custody of Indian authorities even before a case was registered by Pakistani law enforcement agencies against the seven suspects, including Lashkare-Taiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.

The prosecution had wanted Kasab and Ansari to be declared fugitives as their presence in the

Pakistani court is required to proceed with the trial of the seven suspects.

A similar plea by the prosecution was earlier rejected by another antiterrorism judge last year.

The defence lawyers have argued that Kasab had already been convicted and sentenced to death by a court in India and he could not be tried again in Pakistan.

They contended that the prosecution wanted to produce witnesses like Kasab and Ansari to whom it had no access and this had resulted in "inordinate and indefinite" delays in the proceedings in the anti-terrorism court.

They also asked the prosecution to present the evidence it had so that the trial against the seven suspects could get underway.

Bangla govt for honourable solution in Yunus row Dhaka: The government in Bangladesh is seeking to reach an "honourable solution" to the unceremonious dismissal of Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus, amid stepped up pressure to end the row with the Nobel Laureate.

"Various proposals have to be considered to reach an honourable solution to the issue," said finance minister AMA Muhith.

The 70-year old Nobel Laureate was removed from the post of managing director of the bank he

Muhammad Yunus

founded three decades ago.

Muhith said talks were on to reach a compromise on the issue. "Don't ruin our effort by digging too much into it," he was quot-

ed as saying by Daily Star online today. The US has pressed the government to soften its stand against micro-finance pioneer, linking a "compromise" on his dismissal to bilateral relations with the country.

Indicating a toughening of attitude against the Sheikh Hasina government, US assistant secretary of state Robert Blake earlier this week said a compromise would be better for US-Bangla ties.

26 US Congressmen on March 15 urged Hasina to

amicably settle the issue, saying "we are troubled by the removal of Dr Muhammad Yunus from his position at Grameen Bank". Yunus was fired last month from his Grameen Bank on grounds that his appointment as managing director of the institution in 2000 was faulty. He lost his appeal before the high court. Yunus filed an appeal before the Appellate division of the Supreme Court against the high court order and the apex court is set to hear the prayer later.

IN FOCUS Benazir assassins arrested: Malik Islamabad: Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Friday said that the assassins of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto had been arrested and the facts of the case would be made public soon. He said this while talking to media persons after the inauguration ceremony ofa passport office in Gujjar Khan, the home town of Sayeeda Warsi, British Minister and Chairperson of UK’s Conservative Party. ‘We have all the information about the assassins of Benazir Bhutto regarding where they came from, the car they used, where they stayed and where the plot was hatched,’ he said, adding that the investigation report about the assassination of Benazir would be first presented before the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of PPP and the decision to make it public or not would be taken by the CEC.

Guards of Zardari, Kayani enter Pak parliament with weapons Islamabad: Security guards of Pakistan's top civil and military leadership violated an order against carrying weapons into Parliament during President Asif Ali Zardari's address to a joint sitting of the National Assembly and Senate, according to a media report.

National Assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza issued a circular before the start of the joint session that banned the entry of armed security guards of lawmakers, ministers and other dignitaries. The circular also banned weapons from being carried into the parliament building. While lawmakers and federal ministers followed the order by keeping their guards outside the parliament, the security detail of Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and army chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani were seen roaming in the corridors of parliament with their weapons, Dawn News channel reported. The guards snubbed the security staff of Parliament House when asked to deposit their weapons.

ICRC closes its last office in Northern Sri Lanka Colombo: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has announced last week that its office in Vavuniya has been closed after the Sri Lankan government requested the organization to run its operations from Colombo. The ICRC closed its office in Jaffna at the end of February and the Vavuniya office was the last office of the organization in the North.

"In its role as a neutral intermediary, the ICRC worked with the parties to the conflict to protect and assist the victims of the fighting, for example by facilitating the movement of medical services and the transfer of human remains," explained Romain Cachemaille, the outgoing head of the Vavuniya office in a statement issued by the ICRC. "The ICRC also visited prisoners to assess their conditions and, working with our partners in the Sri Lankan Red Cross Society, assisted people injured or displaced in connection with hostilities."

Pak seeks C’wealth’s help in Musharraf’s arrest Islamabad: Pakistan has sought the Commonwealth's help in extraditing ex-president Musharraf from UK after a court issued an arrest warrant for him in the Benazir Bhutto assassination case. Pakistan's high commission in London has written to Commonwealth secretary general Kamlesh Sharma to put pressure on Britain's home department to start criminal proceedings in British courts against Musharraf. An additional complication is UK's obligations to humanitarian laws of EU, which prohibits extradition of suspects to countries where they are likely to face execution.

Thousands of Afghan Taliban laying down arms Nearly 5,000 Taliban insurgents have either laid down their weapons or are moving towards doing so, the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, said. The Afghan government has launched a "reintegration" process aimed at encouraging insurgents to abandon their weapons and return to their villages. Under the programme, fighters who wish to abandon the fight are vetted, disarmed and given jobs. "There are some 700 or so individuals, former Taliban, who have officially gone through all the steps of the process of reintegration into society," Petraeus told the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based defence thinktank. "There's another 2,000 or so that are in various stages of the process and we think there's another ... couple thousand that have literally gone to their homes and laid down their weapons," he said.

worlD

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

23

A â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Dandi Marchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in US against corruption in India

75 killed in Myanmar quake

Washington: A 240-mile walk in the US against corruption in India was organised by a group of NRIs inspired by the historic Dandi March led by Mahatma Gandhi culminated with events across the US. Starting at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park, San Diego, California on March 12, "Dandi March II" passed through Los Angeles and ended on March 26 at Gandhi Statue, San Francisco. The dates coincided with the dates Gandhi did his historic march in 1930.

As many as 45 cities in USA, 40 cities in India and 8 other countries globally joined the movement by organizing supporting events on March 26, the

Mae Sai (Thailand): At least 75 people were killed in a strong earthquake that struck Myanmar last week, while a series of aftershocks have caused panic but only limited damage in Thailand and Laos.

The death toll from Thursdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 6.8 magnitude tremor was expected to rise in Myanmar after 225 homes and nine government buildings were destroyed. Over 100 people were injured, according to state television. The quake sparked panic, but no major damage, in other countries across Southeast Asia.

Coming within days of the Japan quake and tsunami, the tremor caused tremendous fear in the country.

organisers of the march led by Jawahar Kambhampati and Srihari Atluri said.

"While Dandi March I was a campaign of nonviolent protest against the British salt monopoly in colonial India, Dandi march II is a campaign against corruption in India," they said.

Indians across the globe, as far as from Nagpur to New Jersey and Sydney to Seattle shouted in one voice to enact 'Jan Lokpal' bill and ratify the UN Convention against Corruption, the group said. Their slogans included "corruption ko hatana hai. Bharat ko bachana hai" or "we will end corruption to save India".

The marchers also

Repeal surrender certificate rule, Indians in US urge Manmohan Singh

Washington: People of Indian origin and representatives of the Indian-American diaspora have requested the Prime Minister of India to repeal the recently imposed surrender certificate requirement for consular services. The new surrender certificate requirement, effective from June 2010, retroactively require people who have obtained citizenship of another country, to send their old Indian passports for cancellation before issue of surrender certificate.

The requirement for the surrender certificate causes undue hardship to the members of the Indian-American community, as it is a pre-condition to make an application for all consular services, including OCI, PIO, visa etc. Many people have lost or misplaced their original Indian passports and cannot produce this in order to obtain the surrender certificate.

This requirement has caused a bottleneck at the consulates and they are not able to keep up with the demand for their routine visa related services. It is a cause for inefficiency and overloading of the system leading to undesirable and sometimes painful delays in issuing visas, long waiting period for other documents, etc. The current waiting time is inordinately long including for OCI is 8-12 months.

They therefore wanted the government of India to immediate repeal the surrender certificate requirement.

In order to demonstrate the seriousness of their request, they are organizing a communitywide dharna by fasting all over the United States.

This program will be organized from April 30, 2011. The organizers of the programme also requested the members for signing the petition and forward it to all friends of Indian origin all over the world. The organizers also requested people to organize fasting in their cities on 30th April.

Meanwhile, Indian origin people in Britain are also planning similar type of request. British citizens may have their birth certificates. But their parents may not have any. Also their parents who wish to travel to India at the age of 80, may not have their Indian passports. Some are born in East Africa with British passports. That does not deny the fact that they are Indians. The requirements listed by the Indian High Commission creates a heavy deadlock. The people of Indian origin in Britain are also planning to launch a petition to smoothen the process of their visa entitlement.

Dandi March II flagged off at San Diego, USA

chanted "Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram", Gandhiji's favourite prayer. While volunteers stopped at the signals/junctions shouting

"Bharat Mata ki Jai", inspired onlookers in the cars waved and honked to show support.

In US, on the last day, events were conducted in

14 cities with major gatherings in San Francisco, Seattle, New Jersey, Houston and Carbondale.

An open letter addressed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was released globally at every location that they will not be mute spectators while corruption grows boundless back in India and as such system changes should be brought in. Later Kambhampati, who was the initiator of Dandi March II, "submitted a memorandum to Mahatma Gandhi to save the country from corruption."

Many of the marchers are planning to continue the movement by joining Anna Hazare's fast in Delhi on April 5 for the same cause.

24

INDIA

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

Architectural legacies of Ahmedabad Ahmedabad, established in 1410, is one of the oldest cities of India. It has entered its 600th year of its existence. Here the author tries to take you down the architectural evolution of the city during the last six centuries.

By Yatin Pandya

induces swaying in the other. A feat unparalleled ever!

Another unique architectural typology from the region, with visual and engineering artistry are the step-wells.

The Rudabai ni vav (1499 AD) is an epitome of spatial narrative through a procession of steps descending to a water source. The five storeyed subterranean architecture in stone is braced by trabeated stone ties withstanding the earth’s thrust. The platforms, thus created, provide for social interaction and cool resting places for pilgrims en route. The ever changing visual frames and dynamics of light renders the space timeless.

Motifs personifying urns and goddesses reinforce the holy association with water and the womb. The utilitarian device to fetch water is exalted to become a religious place invoking a sense of ablution and fertility.

The architectural landscape of Ahmedabad stretches across the millennium.

A diaspora of buildings from different eras coexist in testimony to the Indian phenomenon of adaptive assimilation. Nurtured by reveries as well as realities, a plethora of step-wells, temples, palaces, mosques, mausoleums and institutions, the architecture has always remained an amalgamation of the deep rooted traditional values with the aspirations of changed times.

Sultanate architecture, since Ahmedabad’s founding in 1411, creatively fuse the Hindu craftsmanship, trabeated construction techniques and local motifs with the Islamic plan geometry, pointed arches, domes and jalis. In fact, the fusion came to be recognised worldwide as the IndoSaracenic style. The Sidi Saiyyed Jami Mosque (1424 Mosque AD) illustrate the fact with juxtapositions of trabeated and arched frames, Toran Kamaans and Kalash motifs.

The roja complex at Sarkhej (1458 AD) built in the This sense of associamemory of Saint Ahmed tion and belonging is also Khattu and King of Gujarat, Mohammed very high in the vernacular Begda, is one of the finest house forms of demonstrations of campus Ahmedabad. Contained planning where the reliwithin the fortwalls and gious, royal and social twelve gates, its residential worlds co-exist without precincts known as ‘pols’ losing their serenity or are characterised by identity. The mosque with medieval labyrinthine cloistered court create the streets. Winding lanes are religious milieu. Tomb and flanked by densely packed, palaces constitute the four storeyed row houses with internal courtyards royal realm. While, the and richly carved wooden tank, steps, platforms and facades. Imbibing the pavilions form the social. ethos of the place, these Carved stone grills not houses create socially only mitigate light and interactive, environmentemperature but also maintain privacy and digtally efficient and aesthetinity of the place. Layered cally enriching living spaces offer rich spatial neighbourhoods. experience with interestThe overwhelming ing vignettes and vistas. richness of wooden eleThe mosque of Rani Sipri ments like zarokhas, (1514 AD) portrays exquicolumns and brackets site carvings in stone, lithave left their imprints erally translating finely even in stone monuments. carved Zarokhas and The Hutheesing Jain temwooden elements of the ple (1879 AD) is an example of the creative regionindigenous houses. The alism through integration craftsmanship excels in of vernacular building elethe intricate filigree and ments and detailing. It has delicate carvings of stone morphed marble to wood ‘jalis’ in Sidi Saiyad and temple to ‘Haveli’ mosque (1573 AD). Not simply the carving skills with domestic elements as but even the construction well as traditional motifs. engineering was at an This gives new meaning to evolved state. The shaking construction material as minarets of the Sidi well as an added dimenBasheer mosque (1452 sion to temple form.

AD) remains an engineerEclecticism was ing marvel where casual inevitable but it was shaking of one minaret mature and pleasing, as

newer thoughts were creatively regionalised and assimilated. In such a climate of creative freedom, the tradition of combining local with the foreign blossomed during the colonial rule. British architect Claude Bately’s architecture stands tall in this regards. The Electricity company office, M. J. Library or the Town Hall combine formal plan symmetry and cupolas with informal elements like verandas and zorookas.

Bare exteriors are balanced with intricate jaalis and chhajas.

The pragmatism and progressive outlook of Ahmedabad’s enterprising community brought home the best of international architecture in the post independence era. The French maestro - Le Corbusier was invited to design an institution, office building as well as private residences. He was bestowed with total faith and given a blanc canvas to paint. This faith and freedom is well rewarded in four of Corbusier’s creations, each unique in its own. The first building by Le Corbusier in Ahmedabad was Sanskar Kendra - a cultural centre and exhibition place (1954 AD). The exposed brick and concrete structure with peripheral exhibition space on raised ‘pilotis’ around a square courtyard realises his theory of extendable spaces for museums.

The Mill Owner’s Association building (1954 AD) relies on concrete fins and louvres for climate mitigation while, a protruding ramp and stair mass for visual composition. The ‘kinesthetics’ is at its best with sequential unfolding of spaces and its changing perception while in movement. The Villa for Manormaben Sarabhai (1955 AD) set amidst dense plantation is a modest, environment-friendly structure with a Catalonian brick vault on parallel walls. The roof garden doubles the land resources while insulating lower spaces. Shodhan villa (1956 AD) meant originally for a flamboyant bachelor, is an appropriate resolution where a nearly cubical space is carved out to create overlooking sub spaces. The roof as parasol creates terraces as outdoor rooms.

The author is an Ahmedabad-based architect and has shared his knowledge and vision with AV readers earlier also.

To be contiuned

In divine light

By Rajen Vakil

The building of Yudhisthira’s sabha ‘Mai Danava’, the architect of the demons of the underworld, was trying to escape the flames that were burning the Khandava forest. Seeing this, Sri Krishna readied his Sudarshana Chakra to kill him. Mai Danava fell at Arjuna’s feet and begged for his life.

Arjuna, in turn, requested Sri Krishna to spare the demon and Sri Krishna obliged.

He then said to Arjuna, “O son of Kunti, you saved me from the wrath of Sri Krishna, please tell me what I can do for you.” To this, Arjuna replied “Just remain affectionate towards both, Sri Krishna and me.” Mai replied, “With deep gratitude, I want to do something for you. O Pandava, I am the architect of the demons, please give me a task that will put my skills to test.” Arjuna further said, “If you want to do something for me then do something to please Sri Krishna. That will please me.” Mai then meditated on the form of Sri Krishna and asked that he be graced by him.

Sri Krishna thought for some time and said, “O great sculptor, if you wish to express your gratitude then do so by building a mansion for Dharmaraja Yudhisthira. Make a Sabha that is so unique that no other person can copy it and anyone who sees it is spell bound.”

After this Sri Krishna left for his home in Dwarka and Mai started the construction of the great Sabha in Indraprastha.

Mai travelled to different places to gather valuable items to decorate the immense mansion. One day, he told Arjuna that “Ages ago near Mount Kailas, I had left a massive treasure trove. It had belonged to the great demon king Vrishparva, the father of Sharmishtha. It is buried near the Bindusagar Lake.” He further added “I have also buried Vrishparva’s mace nearby this treasure. This is a very special mace and has the combined power of a hundred thousand such weapons. Just as the Gandiva is the ideal bow for you, this mace will be the perfect weapon for Bhima. Also, lying buried near this lake is a powerful conch shell called ‘Devadutta’. Allow me to go there and bring all these for you.”

Mai Danava left for Kailas to gather the treasures. He went north of Kailas, Shiva’s abode. He

went to the mountain Mainaka. Nearby was another mountain called Hiranyashringa, which was full of precious stones.

The lake Bindusagar was located there. It was the same place where the pious king Bhagiratha had performed tapas to have darshan of the river Ganga and had asked her to come from heaven to earth. Mai collected King Vrishparva’s mace, his conch shell, and his treasure box. Once he had collected these items, he went back to Indraprastha.

He then built a great mansion which would be Yudhisthira’s court. Its area covered more than ten thousand yards in length and breadth. This mansion was surrounded by trees having leaves with streaks of gold. He studded it with so many precious gems that its light shone as if more powerful than the sun.

The mansion had nearly a thousand doors and lovely paintings adorned all its walls. It was even better than the Sabha of the Gods.

In the Sabha was a lovely stream that flowed with a divine sound. In its waters were leaves of lapis lazuli, thousands of lotuses which had petals studded with gems. There were trees with sweet smelling flowers and also flocks of different kinds of birds all singing a melodious tune. The stream was full of colourful fish and exquisite tortoises. All the staircases were of natural spotless crystal. There were small puddles in different places. Many of these were filled with real pearls and many were disguised to match with the floor; many kings who came to see the Sabha slipped and fell in the water. The windows were designed in such a way that streams of wind currents formed inside and the whole palace was filled with a cool natural breeze. The whole surrounding was filled with trees that gave shade and there were flocks of wild swan and other rare birds in their branches.

In the last few articles, we had seen how the disciple had burnt the samskaras lying in his unconscious mind, represented by Arjuna burning the Khandava forest.

Now, the disciple is able

to enter and see his own psychological country.

My teacher used to say that the holiest place on the planet is Gaumukha, the place where the river Ganga starts. He used to call this point on the earth as the ‘Bindu’. He always said that any sadhna performed at Gaumukha has very powerful results.

We saw how Mai Danava went to Bindu to gather all the treasures for the Pandavas. This Bindu is a small chakra at the top of our head; it is the seat of the soul. The aim of all students is to penetrate this area where the soul and spirit merge into one. This place was near Mainaka Parvata (mountain). This comes from the root mana or mind and parva meaning fulfilment. When the mind is purified of old patterns and scars, it is fulfilled. The weapons belonged to the ancient king Vrishparva. This means that energy has fulfilled its aim. Energy or Shakti comes out of Shiva and the aim of all energy is to go back to the source.

He collects the mace or ‘gada’, which means to speak or attack with words. Just by going into this inner space of Bindu, our words become very powerful. He also collects the shell Devadutta. This is the name of a nadi in us connected with laughter.

Laughter is a symbol of overflowing energy and happiness. He also brings the old king’s treasure box. The old and ancient king is our own spirit, waiting for us in the Bindu. The Bindu lies in the central brain channel which in yoga is known as the ‘Brahmarandhra’.

Just like the unmatched beauty of Yudhisthira’s palace, the experience of entering the Brahmarandhra is unmatched too – when the student of yoga enters the Brahmarandhra, he comes into the most beautiful psychological place he has ever experienced.

In future articles, we shall see how the journey does not end here and how he again falls from this height and it takes twelve years of wandering and the great inner war to reenter the area of the soul.

The author can be reached by emailing 3srb@live.com (Edited by Chintu Gandhi)

All past articles on the Mahabharata can be accessed from http://epaper.asianvoice.com or from http://www.3stepbreath.com/mahabharata.html

INDIA

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

25

Give more to philanthropy, India’s rich urged Rich people in India have been urged to part some of their wealth for the benefit of poor people. Two of world’s richest men, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, had met the leading Indian businessmen in New Delhi last week and appealed to them to contribute for the welfare of the poor.

Buffett, 80, and Gates, 55, who are close personal friends, said, “it was an honour to meet with those families who talked quite enthusiastically about their own approach to philanthropy,” said Gates.

“There was tremendous give and take in the session.

It’s clear there’s some great thinking going on about philanthropy,” he said.

The US philanthropists announced last year that they would seek to persuade fellow billionaires to commit half of their wealth to good causes as part of “The Giving Pledge”.

So far, 59 rich Americans have taken the pledge and the tycoons have said they want to take the campaign worldwide.

“We’re not here to pressurise anybody,” said Buffett, on his first trip to India. “Everybody has his own understanding of philanthropy. What the peo-

Warren Buffett and Bill Gates

ple in India do is entirely up to them.”

Gates, who co-founded Microsoft, and Buffett, known as the “Oracle of Omaha” for his legendary investment acumen, met

British Airways interested in buying stake in Indian carriers

If government permits foreign investment, British Airways would be interested in buying stake in an Indian carrier, a wish flagged by Willie Walsh, chief executive officer of British Airways (BA).

“If the rules change, not just British Airways, all airlines around the world will look at the possibility to invest in Indian carriers,” Walsh said in an interview during his visit to India. Walsh also announced a code-sharing agreement with Kingfisher Airlines, which BA is sponsoring to join the Oneworld alliance (a global grouping of airlines).

The agreement will cover BA and Kingfisher flights across India, Sri Lanka, the UK and continental Europe. Walsh also spoke about the prospects for the aviation industry in general and the potential of the Indian market in particular.

He says 2009 was by far the worst for the airline industry. “We have seen a strong recovery in Asia, Latin America and Africa.

The recovery in the US and Europe is a bit slower, but the economic conditions have improved significantly. A lot of airlines will be reporting profitability. Airlines have adapted

very well to the global economic recession,” he added.

British Airways at present flies to five Indian destinations. BA wants access to other points in India's large domestic market. Mr Walsh hopes that by joining with Kingfisher, the customers of the British Airways will get an opportunity to enjoy a much larger network. If the BA is allowed to invest in Indian carrier, the Gujaratis in London would be able to plead with the airline to start a direct flight between London and Ahmedabad.

Chinese billionaires on a similar charity mission to Beijing last September that they declared a success.

India has 55 billionaires, according to Forbes magazine, the third-largest

pool after United States and China, and two of the world’s 10 richest men are Indians. Local media have been cynical about the US billionaires’ chances of getting India’s wealthy to open their wallets. India’s rich “have a poor record of giving”, noted the NDTV television network.

A recent study by global consultancy Bain and Co noted that “today in India, many of those with hard-earned new wealth are not eager to part with even a small amount of their money.”

The guest list for the duo’s encounter was

secret but included Azim Premji, founder of software giant Wipro who last year donated $2bn to rural education - one of the largest charitable donations in Indian history.

While Indians have a long culture of giving, wealthy people mostly help household staff or give to local community and religious groups.

Buffett, who has promised to donate 99 per cent of his wealth to charity, said that the money he is donating “has no value to me but has value to other people so it makes sense to give it away”.

Kerala CM has no movable or immovable assets

Kerala chief minister V S Achuthanandan doesn't have any movable or immovable assets.

According to the affidavit filed by him before the Election Commission, the 87-year-old Marxist submitted that he had Rs 3,000 in cash and Rs 80,295 in bank deposits.

The total income of the veteran leader, who filed his nomination from the Malampuzha constituency, is Rs 3,43,994, according to the income tax returns filed for 2009-10.

Achuthanandan, from Punnapra North in Alappuzha district, did

V S Achuthanandan

not inherit or acquire any property, according to the affidavit.

His wife Vasumathy, a pensioner, owns 10 cents of land at Paravoor in Alappuzha.

The land was purchased in 1982 at a price of Rs 18,000. Its value now is estimated to be Rs 100.000. She has gold ornaments of 100 grams valued at Rs 1,96,000.

Vasumathy has Rs 10,000 as cash-in-hand and Rs 5,70,635 as bank deposits and holds share of Rs 5,000 in the M a l a y a l a m Communications, which runs the pro-CPM Kairali TV channel.

Achuthanandan's cabinet colleague and CPM Politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has assets worth Rs 76,65,000.

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INDIA

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

Indian CEOs are world’s best managers: Manmohan Singh AV correspondent If Indian managers can succeed in India, they can succeed anywhere in the world. Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh inspired future managers graduating from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) at its 46th convocation by saying that Indian managers’ ability to deal with challenges make them the world’s best managers.

“There is no better training ground for Indian managers than India itself.

They face many challenges like diversity of its people, scarcity of resources, multiplicity of demands, plurality of objectives and complexity of rules and regulations. India’s greatest strength is its ability to deal with any situation.

Indian CEOs are second to none,” Singh said.

Mr Singh called upon the industry to look at issues like climate change and environmental damage, and make greater intellectual contributions to these debates. “There are many business opportunities in keeping a billion Indians well fed, healthy and educated. If we can provide them productive employment, we would

Ambani brothers at odds again?

Continued from page 1 Mukesh, 53, has already taken steps to enter the power and telecoms businesses - both fields in which Anil, 51, holds interests.

Anil Ambani who is already in trouble for his association with former telecom minister A Raja has been called to appear before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament on 5th April in connection with the 2G spectrum scam probe.

Ambani brothers had buried their differences by dropping the non-compete clause in May last year after the Supreme Court asked them to settle differences over the gas issue amicably.

By Radhika Madlani

Are you a pushy parent?

Indian PM Manmohan Singh & Gujarat CM Narendra Modi

have created one of the world’s largest consumer markets. There is much that the industry can do through increased direct investment in education, health, skill development and rural and urban sanitation. Our global competitiveness will depend on our ability to produce top quality manpower at all levels of the knowledge pyramid in adequate numbers,” Singh said.

A total of 452 graduating students of IIM-A’s Post Graduate and Fellow programmes received diploma/title at this year’s convocation. The convocation was presided over

by Dr Kamla, governor of Gujarat and attended by chief minister Narendra Modi.

“Policy making process needs the involvement of

young talent, especially from IIMs in order to make a lasting impact. The future of India depends on how we turn our graduates into a global workforce. A knowledge-driven society should be developed in order to contribute better to human resource development,” Modi told the students.

IIM-A, in its 50th year, urged its students to uplift the less privileged. “Work to uplift the lot of millions of Indians who are significantly less privileged than you, no matter what kind of organisation you work for. IIMs are supposed to be iconic institutions and any dilution in quality would not serve the higher purpose they are supposed to serve,” said Vijaypat Singhania, chairman, board of governors, IIM-A.

Outrage over new book on Gandhiji The reviews of Pulitzer prize winner Joseph Lelyveld's "Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle with India" hit the stands in England and US it created a barrage of protests, not only among Gandhians who said this was “blasphemy” but from the books author himself who denied having suggested anything of the sort. The book says Gandhi was a bisexual and had a German-Jewish bodybuilder lover in Hermann Kallenbach.

Lelyveld said, "I do not allege that Gandhi is a racist or bisexual in 'Great Soul'. The word 'bisexual' nowhere appears in the

book." He also denied having called Gandhi a racist.

"The word 'racist' is used once to characterise comments by Gandhi early in his stay in South Africa, part of a chapter summarising his statements about Africans and his relations with them. The chapter in no way concludes that he was a racist or offers any suggestion of it."

Psychoanalyst Sudhir Kakar, one of the first to write on Gandhi's sexuality in 'Intimate Relations: Exploring Indian Sexuality' and later in 'Mira and Mahatma', is yet to read the book but has gone through an ocean of archives on Gandhi and says he never discovered anything that the reviewers claim the book consists of.

Kakar remembers finding references to Kallenbach during his research but not the way the reviewers have portrayed it.

You will find that when your children attend a nursery or a school, you start to make an effort with other parents, especially if your little one becomes good friends with their little ones. Always looking for new opportunities to network locally, I usually enjoy picking my daughter up from nursery and making small talk with the other mothers.

However, one day last week, I wasn’t feeling particularly chatty, it had been a long day at work.

So, I listened in on the other mothers as I waited for ‘home time’.

Astonishingly, I heard one mum say to another that her daughter would not make her daughters’ birthday party as it would interfere with her piano lesson at that time. The mum whose daughters’ birthday it was asked the ‘pushy’ mum to consider changing her schedule as she felt that her birthday girl would be upset if her best friend at nursery was not able to join her birthday party. Given we were talking about 3 year old girls, I could fully understand this sentiment.

Despite the offer to pay for an alternative piano lesson, I was

Cricket diplomacy brings India, Pak closer Continued from page 1 Pak visitors: Responding to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s invitation to Gilani to witness the Mohali match, the Pakistan Prime Minister's Office on Sunday released a list of 14 senior government functionaries who would attend the match.

The list includes Prime Minister, Minister of External Affair Indira Rabbani, Information Minister, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir and three officials from the PMO. The bilateral relationship between the two countries, which is in deep-freeze since 26/11, has revived with Pakistan Interior Secretary Chaudhary Qamar Zaman

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and also indulge her in extra-curricular activities, but at her pace. I do not want her ‘success’ to come at the cost of her missing out on fun, especially not her best friend’s birthday party. After all, kids are kids for a short amount of time and they are supposed to enjoy their childhood.

Do you ‘push’ your children to do things even if you know they find them difficult? Do you have a balance between having fun with them AND disciplining them?

Do you find time to giggle with your children? Do you try to focus on your child’s emotional wellbeing as well as their physical and mental wellbeing?

I know it is in our DNA to push our children and every parent ultimately wants what is best for their child. It is normal to put pressure on your children but let us all find a balance between raising them and letting them enjoy the journey of life.

The pushing really should stop at the labour ward.

Quote: “Stop trying to perfect your child, but keep trying to perfect your relationship with him” – Dr.Henker

Should you have any comments or want to get in touch with me you can email on avmamaria@gmail.com

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amazed to hear the ‘pushy’ mum stand her ground, arguing instead that if she let excuses like birthdays interrupt her childs schedule, she would never succeed at music. Expecting a 3 year old to ‘succeed’ at anything is a little barmy to say the least. I felt like voicing my concerns and then realised I was perhaps being a little hasty in my opinion. So, I continued to eavesdrop.

Before the conversation between the mothers had concluded, the nursery doors opened and children started to spot their parents and run to them. The ‘pushy’ mums’ child dragged her feet to her mum whilst the mum of the birthday girl was greeted with a big smile.

I froze. The co-incidence was over-bearing. I had never before noticed the dynamic between some of the nursery children and their parents.

Ria interrupted my thoughts as she ran to me with a big grin and I breathed a sigh of relief. I made a silent promise to myself not to get ‘sucked into’ being a pushy mum.

Of course, I will undoubtedly expect Ria to take her education seriously

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crossing over into India with a six- member delegation to hold talks with his Indian counterpart G K Pillai in New Delhi. At the end of the talks on Tuesday Pakistan has conveying its readiness, in principle, to entertain a commission from India with respect to the Mumbai terror probe.

Dates for the visit of the judicial commission from Pakistan in connection with Mumbai attack trial will be conveyed by India within four to six weeks.

After the Home Secretary level talks, Commerce Secretaries and Water Resources Secretaries of the two countries are expected to meet in the near future. The two sides decided to resume comprehensive dialogue on all outstanding issues in Thimphu in February.

Pak minister apologises for his comments: Pakistan's interior minister has apologised to the country's cricket team after saying he was keeping a close watch on them ahead of Wednesday's World Cup semi-final against India.

Rehman Malik was quoted as saying he had warned the team "there should be

no match fixing" and that the players were being closely monitored. Team captain Shahid Afridi confirmed Malik had telephoned him to apologise for his comments, which came just two days before the match. Afridi said he did not want to comment further on the matter.

Malik had earlier said he was "sure the team has very clean members" but that he couldn't take any risks after the spot-fixing scandal last year which led to long-term bans for Pakistan players Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir.

The three players were found guilty of accepting bribes in return for making sure no-balls were bowled at certain times during a test match in England last August. Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan also criticised the minister for making such a comment on team of his own country.

Captain speak: All the members of the Indian team are fit for the match, according to captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni who strongly urged his teammates not to get distracted by the hype surrounding the high-voltage clash and just focus on the game.

TRAVEL & hiStory

asian voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

Travel

ToniC

27

history Matters

By Dr Anil Mehta

By Sophia Lorena Benjamin

The natural beauty of Castle Howard

Life around

Alibaug

For a while, drop the idea of a luxurious lounge, upscale restaurants, air conditioned coffee shops, palatial suites, trendy spa or a temperature controlled swimming pool.

All the extravagant stuff is good, but somehow, luxury holiday is not even a point here.

What these pristine waters and immaculate landscapes offer is a soothing beauty from Mother Nature and a fantastic holiday to those willing to rough it out. If you are certainly one of those who has a hunger for adventure, sun-lit beaches and pure fresh air to breathe, then Alibaug is the destination.

Alibaug is a coastal town of Maharashtra nestled in the Raigad district;

composed, refreshingly pure and very Konkan, so to say. The place seems like a cluster of beaches and an overwhelmed first time visitor would want to hop, skip and jump to each stretch of beach to explore it all, however the beaches are not literally touching each other but spread away distantly by a few kilometers. There is one focal point though, that connects this cluster of beaches and that’s the Alibag beach.

Tucked in the southern part of Mumbai, Alibaug is about 30 km away from the cosmopolitan city.

The nearest airport to get there is Mumbai and the nearest railway station happens to be Panvel. By road, it is the MumbaiPanvel- Pen- wadhakalAlibaug route via the

Mumbai- Goa road.

If you had to close your eyes for a moment to quickly visualize a picture of a beach what would you have? Soft sand and blue sea waters. Right, off course the conventional palms make our picture complete. Still wondering if there is anything else that can be added to that picture? Try an aesthetic ancient fort in the midst of the sand, palms and blue waters. Picture perfect!

That’s what Alibag beach is all about in the backdrop of the Kolaba fort.

Since the beach distances itself from the fort by just a kilometer or two, there is an enticing urge to take a walk towards the fort through the salty waters, but, is not advisable during the high tides.

As you pass through the stately palms and the interlined cypress trees; you might feel there is more than just a natural beauty about them, like some soft echoes, like they have a message to share, perhaps a silent promise that you as a visitor are privileged to bask in the soothing fresh air and enjoy tender coconut water as a healthy local refreshment.

The food here is typical coastal cuisine; includes a variety of sea food often with coconut preparation. A way to please your taste buds is certainly to go local; Some foods might not sound familiar so if you have been served edible stuff like bhakri or solkadhi then you know that you’ve surely eaten like

the locals do.

At the Alibaug beach there is an availability of resorts to stay but if you head inland towards the lesser crowded beaches, your choice of accommodation is to rent out a portion of a house let out by the locals.

Once in the interiors, a city dweller might even feel impatient to watch the lazy and relaxing village living; hold it though! Set yourself into a relaxed mode and you will love to watch the sun rising lazily with myriad hues of gold and yellow.

The mornings begin gloriously and for a wonder you would love to be disturbed in your early morning sleep by the softly roars of the sea waters or by the little birds chirping on the tree.

As the grey evening clouds stroll through the skies, the sound of the waves gains momentum.

The chirping crickets seem more audible in the quiet and growing silence, that’s when you realize that your foot steps are happy to slow down to unwind from the fast paced track that you otherwise busily tread on a day to day basis. It is here that you are drawn towards a composed and slow paced living, not necessarily intelligent, commercialized living.

The submissive scenic beauty drawn from the virgin beaches takes you by surprise, the beach adventure you have had through the day sinks in through your mind and body, working out a deal to take away much of the oblivious urban stress out of you as you stand and watch the sun dramatically go down, dusk replaces the daylights and Alibaug and its surroundings fall asleep only to rise up to yet another glorious morning.

Should you want to get in touch with me, with your comments please email me on sophyee@gmail.com

Castle Howard with atlas Fountain in the front

Tucked away in the Howardian Hills of North Yorkshire, 15 miles north-east of York, Castle Howard is among the country’s finest and grandest historic houses, and a popular tourist hotspot.

The sheer size of the building and the lavishness and beauty of the rich surroundings truly does take your breath away. The house stands within extensive parklands and formal gardens where peacocks roam freely. Queen Victoria stayed here when she visited it in 1850.

The idyllic setting of the house was the location for the opulent TV series and movie Brideshead Revisited.

Castle Howard was built in the early 18th century by playwright turned architect Sir John Vanbrugh in association with Nicholas Hawksmoor, for Charles,

dome of St. Paul’s by two years. Beneath the dome are elegant arched doorways and a marble hall (the Great Hall) the sheer scale of which is utterly overwhelming. Rising 70 ft to the dome, the Great Hall has columns, wall paintings, statues, and a circular gallery, and is lit from the lantern in the dome.

a proud resident of the house

The family mausoleum

the third earl of Carlisle. It was one of the first major buildings to be built in Baroque (highly ornamental/decorative) style. Playwright Vanbrugh’s influence is clear in very theatricality of the building notably in its dome in the centre and the palatial Great Hall beneath it.

The house is dominated by great central dome (and lantern above it) straddled by two wings. The dome was the first in England predating the famous

The house is full of treasure. In addition to the great Hall, its dramatic interiors such as long gallery, museum room, antique passage (corridor), and the state rooms contain magnificent collection of furniture, paintings, tapestries, porcelain, and statuary, most of which have been collected by successive generations of Howard family. In addition to permanent displays, visitors to the house can also enjoy further exhibitions such as the Story of Brideshead Revisited.

Outside the building, there are a thousand acres of parklands with lakes and formal gardens. The latter are heavily punctuated by statues, gates, and monuments of which the Temple of Four Winds with a dome and four porticoes on four sides, and domed Howard family mausoleum are most prominent. In addition, adventure playground, boating, nature trail, plant centre, cafes, and gift shop ensure there is something for all the family to enjoy. The House is open 26 Mar-30 Oct and 26 Nov-18 Dec, 11-5, admission by ticket.

Charming Temple of the Four Winds

28

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

CB Live this week will have Alpesh Patel and CB discuss the current affairs, especially the economic condition of the country and viewers will have an opportunity to interact.

Alpesh Bipinchandra Patel is the founder of an Asset Management company based in London but investing in India. He has written 13 books which are translated into 8 languages and he also used to write a weekly column for 5 years in the Financial Times newspaper. He is a Fellow of a College at Oxford University. He is the Chairman of ‘Friends of the Big Issue’ which will be launched in India to sell the Big Issue magazine by the poor and the homeless. He is a Barrister from Karamsad and a Vaishnav who everyday tries to make his late grandmother proud!

If you do not have a tv, go to www.tvunetworks.com and watch CB Live on TVU Player Channel 75203

To ask questions please call on: 020 8963 1001

Don't miss !!!

For more information e-mail: cblive_matv@yahoo.co.uk

Only on CB Live - MATV Sky 793 - Thursday 7:00pm to 8:00pm

Dentist who earned £230,000 jailed for three years A dentist who earned almost £230,000 by allegedly using a fake degree certificate to land work at a string of NHS hospitals was jailed for three years on Tuesday.

Vinisha Sharma, pictured, whose alleged deception was uncovered amid claims she had removed the wrong teeth from a patient, pleaded guilty last September to seven counts of forgery and fraud.

Wo l v e r h a m p t o n Crown Court heard that the 37-year-old, who had failed a three-year dentistry course, obtained

work as a s e n i o r house officer by allegedly falsely claiming to have a Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree from an Indian university.

The offences, committed over a timespan of almost nine years, were described by Judge Amjad Nawaz as 'pre-determined and deliberate' breaches of the public's trust.

Sharma, of Honeybourne Way,

New visa rules or 'sheer madness'?

Continued from page 13 Chris Dix, Regional Director, UK Border Agency said that the new rules were set to prevent abuse of the student visa route by unscrupulous agents and the changes would be introduced in stages over the next 12 months. As expected, these new rules have taken no time in igniting controversial views. One of David Cameron's business guru has been one of the first to hit back at the new plans by stating the

student visa cuts as 'sheer madness'. He also warned that tougher measures aimed at restricting the amount of time foreign graduates can stay in Britain on student visas could force more companies to move abroad.

About 41,350 student visas were issued from India in 2010, while the figure was around 57,000 in 2009 and about 27,000 in 2008. These figures are expected to witness a sharp decline particularly affecting students at the intermediate level.

Editor: CB Patel Associate Editor: Rupanjana Dutta Tel: 020 7749 4098 - Email: rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com Senior News Editor: Dhiren Katwa Editorial Executive: Kartik Raval Freelance Correspondent: Rudy Otter Chief Financial Officer: Surendra Patel Tel: 020 7749 4093 - Mobile: 07875 229 220 Email: surendra.patel@abplgroup.com Accounts Executive: Akshay Desai Tel: 020 7749 4087 Email:accounts@abplgroup.com Advertising Managers: Alka Shah Tel: 020 7749 4002 - Mobile: 07944 151 893 Email: alka.shah@abplgroup.com Kishor Parmar Tel: 020 7749 4095 - Mobile: 07875 229 088 Email: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com Media Consultant: Rovin John George - Email: rovin.george@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 - Mobile: 07875 229 219 Business Development Managers: Urja Patel - Email: urja.patel@abplgroup.com Liji George Tel: 020 7749 4013 - Email: george@abplgroup.com Nikhil Gor - Email: nikhil.gor@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4009 - Mobile: 07875 229 200 Design and Layout: Harish Dahya & Ajay Kumar Tel: 020 7749 4086 Email: graphics@abplgroup.com Customer Service: Saroj Patel Tel: 020 7749 4080 - Email: support@abplgroup.com (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd. 207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar

Willenhall, near Wolverhampton, showed little emotion as the judge told her the only possible sentence was one of imprisonment.

Sharma, who pleaded

guilty shortly before she was due to stand trial, has failed in efforts to vacate her guilty pleas and still maintains that she did obtain a degree from an institution in Amritsar.

Coming Events l Saathi Sammelan on 10th April 2011 by the Federation of Brahmin Associations of Europe.

Contact: HetalUpadhyaya Tel: 07415 903 198 l Ramayan Katha” to be recited by Shree Rajubhai Shastry of Mathura, Venue & Date: New Mandir from Saturday 9th to Sunday 17th April 2011, Time: Weekdays – 3.00 pm to 8.00 – Sat/Sun 10am to 1pm & 2pm to 6pm.

Contact: Jyotiben Patel - 07960361416

On 17th March in CB Live program on Kate and William's marriage, Manubhai Thakkar sang songs from Jim Reeves.

While Ketan Makwana read his own poem which will be published in our next issue of Asian Voice.

Sneh Joshi - 020 8518 5500 Mercury turns retrograde in your sign for the next three weeks. Normally we expect matters to be dealt with smoothly, but not while the planet Mercury in your sign, is moving backwards. Confusion and frustration reign, so put your plans on hold. Curb your expenditure as you will spend unnecessarily.

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20

With Venus and Mars embracing your 11th sign, this should be a good time for love and relationships.

Unfortunately, Mercury turns retrograde for the next three weeks. Be patient with your loved ones as your communications are going to be garbled and misconstrued. Saturn will also prove to be frustrating.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21

It's a lovely week for a romantic encounter, as Venus and Mars embrace your Pisces sign. Bear in mind that Mercury turns retrograde in your eleventh house of friends and associates as well. The next three weeks would serve you well if you spend more time listening than speaking.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22

Mercury turns retrograde in your tenth house of career and status, slowing down your progress at work. It is important for you to be steadfast and focused as misunderstandings and confusion reign.

Stay as organized as possible while Mercury, the planet of communications does its best to trip you up.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

Mercury turns retrograde in your ninth house of travel and adventure, slowing down your pace for the next three weeks. Your mental focus could be anywhere other than your normal routine - find a way to break up the monotony. Don't be afraid to take on extra responsibilities as it could lead to better prospects.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

The planet Mercury turns retrograde in your eighth house of joint resources, taxes, wills, legacies and alimony, creating confusion and complications for you during the next three weeks. Travel could also prove to be problematic, so make sure you have plenty of time to get where you need to go.

Your closest relationships come under scrutiny as Mercury, the planet of communications goes retrograde in your seventh house of marriage and partnerships. There can be a lot of misunderstandings and confused signals. You'll need to listen carefully to what your partner is saying during the next three weeks.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22 The next three weeks may bring confusion and misundertandings at work and troubles with your health as Mercury turns retrograde in your sixth house. You'll need to pay more attention to detail and double check everything before finalising important matters. Close relationships need to be re-assessed.

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SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21 Mercury goes retrograde in your fifth house of romance for the next three weeks. This is a good time reflect and analyze current situations. Pressure begins to build as there will be a lot of demands in your daily work. Some of you will prefer to get away and seek solitude and avoid social events.

As Mercury turns retrograde in your fourth house, you need to watch out for extreme changes in peoples attitude and behaviour at home.

Strong emotions may spill out with your loved ones, but it is alright to reveal your fears and insecurities sometimes. It's a cosmically testing time, so try not to tread on each other's toes.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

Mercury turns retrograde in your third house of communication, making it difficult to express yourself clearly for the next three weeks. Misunderstandings and confusion could waste a lot of your time. This is also a good time to read into the unspoken rather than what is being said to make any sense.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

You may need to take care as Mercury turns retrograde in your second house of finances. This is a good time to re-assess your money matters. In spite of that, all sorts of things could go wrong especially if people owe you money. Have patience as business matters move slowly or get delayed.

29 §§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§ Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

We seldom realise the contribution of a mother in our lives. Most of us have not even got around telling our mothershow much she means to us.

The forthcoming Mother's Day celebration is the right opportunity to wish her and pay tribute to the life long contributions and sacrifices she has made to raise us, in the best possible way. But India has been celebrating Mother’s Day before the modern era dawned in.

In India, on the second Sunday of May, the festival of Pâthâre Prabhu is celebrated in Bombay and the Southern part of India (Konkan and the districts below the Western Ghats) by Pathare Prabhu caste. It is based on a legend about a mother whose children kept dying after only one year of living and it has a very remote origin. Although it's also called "Mother's Day", it is unrelated to the modern celebration.

In the UK and Ireland, Mother's Day follows the old traditions of Mothering Sunday, celebrated in March/April.

History This day may have emerged from a custom of mother worship in ancient Greece, which kept a festival to Cybele, a great mother of Greek gods. This festival was held around the Vernal Equinox around Asia Minor and eventually in Rome itself from the Ides of March (15 March) to 18 March.

The ancient Romans also had another holiday, Matronalia, that was dedicated to Juno, though mothers were usually given gifts on this day.

In Europe there were several long standing traditions where a specific Sunday was set aside to honor motherhood and mothers such as Mothering Sunday. Mothering Sunday celebrations are part of the liturgical calendar in several Christian denominations, including Anglicans, and in the Catholic calendar is marked as Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent to honour the Virgin Mary and your "mother" church (the main church of the area). Children and young people who were "in service" (servants in richer households) were given a day off on that date so they could visit their families (or, originally, return to their "mother church). The children would pick wild flowers along the way to place them in the church or to give them to their mothers as gifts.

Global celebrations Arab World Mother's Day in most of Arab countries is celebrated on March 21. It was introduced in Egypt by journalist Mustafa Amin in his book (Smiling America) 1943 the idea was overlooked at the time, but when Amin heard the story of a widowed mother devoted her whole life to raise her son until he became a doctor, got married and left without showing her any gratitude, Amin became motivated to promote for "Mother's Day" and the Idea was first ridiculed by president Gamal Abdel Nasser but he eventually accepted it and Mother's Day was celebrated on the 21st of March 1956 and it has since been copied by the other Arab countries.

Australia In Australia, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May. It is not a public holiday, nor is it known as a holiday. The tradition of gift giving to mothers on Mother's Day was started in Australia by Mrs Janet Heyden, a resident of Leichhardt Sydney, in 1924. She began the tradition during a visit to a patient at the Newington State Home for woman, where she met many lonely and forgotten mothers. To cheer them up, she

Japan Mother's Day in Japan was initially commemorated during the Sh wa period as the birthday of Empress K jun (mother of Emperor Akihito) on 6 March. This was established in 1931 when Imperial Women's Union was organised. In 1937, the first meeting of "Praise Mothers" was held on 8 May, and in around 1949 Japanese society adapted to celebrate Mother's day on the second Sunday of May, the same as many other countries.

Nowadays it is rather a marketed holiday, and people typically give flowers such as red carnations and roses as gifts.

help poor mothers, specially to remind people of the poor mothers in rural areas such as China's western region. In the People's Daily, the Chinese government's official newspaper, an article explained that "despite originating in the United States, people in China take the holiday with no hesitance because it goes in line with the country's traditional ethics – respect to the elderly and filial piety to parents."

rounded up support from local school children and businesses to donate and bring gifts to the women. Every year thereafter, more support was raised by Janet with local businesses and even the local Mayor.

Bangladesh In Bangladesh, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of the month of May. In observance of the day discussion programs are organised by government and non-governmental organisations.

Reception programs, cultural programs are organised to mark the day in the Capital city.

US & Canada Much like St. Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Father's Day and Halloween that are traditionally observed in Canada, The Mother's Day holiday, in almost all features, is identical to the US version of Mother's Day. Mother's Day in Canada is celebrated on the second Sunday in May. China In China, Mother's Day is becoming more popular, and carnations are a very popular gift and the most sold type of flower. In 1997 it was set as the day to

Indonesia Mother's day is celebrated nationally on December 22. It is the day of the first Indonesian Women Congress (Indonesian: Kongres Perempuan Indonesia) in 1938. The meeting happens in a building called Dalem Jayadipuran now functioned as office of Center of History and Traditional Values Preservation (Indonesian: Balai Pelestarian Sejarah dan Nilai Tradisional) in Brigjen Katamso Street, Yogyakarta.

Nepal "Mata Tirtha Aunshi", translated as "Mother Pilgrimage fortnight", falls in the month of Baishak dark fortnight (April). This festival falls in the time of dark moon’s time which is why this called "Mata Tirtha Aunshi" derived from words: "Mata" meaning mother; "Tirtha" meaning pilgrimage. This festival is observed in the commemoration and respect of the mother which is celebrated by worshipping and gifting living mother or remembering mothers who have become immortal and are resting in peace. Going to Mata Tirtha Pilgrimage located towards the Kathmandu valley’s eastern side at Mata Tirtha Village development committee’s periphery is another tradition common in Nepal.

Iran Celebrated on 20 Jumada al-thani, the birthday anniversary of Fatimah, Muhammad's daughter. It was changed after the Iranian revolution, the reason having been theorised as trying to undercut feminist movements and promoting role models for the traditional model of family. It was previously 25 Azar on the Iranian calendar during the Shah era.

Thailand Mother's day in Thailand is celebrated on the birthday of the Queen of Thailand, Queen Sirikit (12 Aug). It started being celebrated around the 1980s as part of the campaign by the Prime Minister of Thailand Prem Tinsulanonda to promote Thailand's Royal family. Father's Day is celebrated on the King's birthday.

Israel It is celebrated on Shevat 30, which falls anywhere between January 30 and March 1. It was set to the same day as the birthday of Henrietta Szold.

Henrietta had no biological children, but her organisation Youth Aliyah rescued many Jewish children from Nazi Germany and took care of them, and she also fought for several rights of Jewish children. She is considered the "mother" of all those children, and that's why her birthday was set as Mother's Day

Sri Lanka Though Sri Lankans celebrate this day as official Mothers day, they believe each and every day should be kept for their beloved parents.

Mother’s Day Messages §Dearest Mum (Hemangana R Vyas) You are the most wonderful Mum that anyone could ask for and I'm so glad you are ours. Thank you for all your hard work and efforts and sorry for all the stress and headache. Hopefully one day it will all be worth it.

All our love from your grown up kids.

Love you forever and ever xxx. P Vyas §To Prabhavati mum and Tara mum You both very special to us Always there for us Your the best Love you both.

Happy Mothers day!

Chetan and Kamini §To our dearest, most beautiful mother, Vijyagauri Lakhani.

We want to thank you.. for your patience... your encouragement... your strength... your generosity... your unconditional love... and for everything else that words cannot express. You are our inspiration for life xx From your loving children, Rita, Seeta and Minesh §To Mum, Happy Mother's Day! You are the best mum in the whole

world! You care for us and look after us a lot. Thank you for everything you have done for us.

We love you loads!

Lots of love from, Krish and Kaajal. §To Mum (Jayshri Patel) Roses are red, Violets are blue, We want you to know, That we think the world of you.

Happy Mothers Day. Love Viresh, Arpita, Hidesh & Vanisha §To my mum (Manisha Sanghavi) You are the best mum in this whole world and I love you so much.

Happy Mother’s Day. Foram Sanghavi, London §Happy Mother’s Day to the most amazing mother, our mother.

Why should Mother’s Day be the only important day for you? It shouldn’t.

You deserve to be treated in a special way every day because you are simply amazing. Mum, your 4 daughters adore and love you.

Love, Chandni, Poonam, Sonam, & Khushi §Happy Mother’s day to Kantaben Kavia. From all your children Kind Regards, Amit Kavia

§Dear Mum (Savitaben Shah), You are my lovely mum. I can never forget you. You are the best.

Your loving son Krishnakant, Premilaben, Divyang, Nikhil,Yogini and all Shah family. §Hi mum (Yogini), Happy mother day and all best wishes, with love yours Rajan,Sajan an dad Ravikumar §To my very Special Mum Manisha Happy Mothers Day We appreciate all that you have done for us And we love you Lots and Lots From Gourangi, Shivangi and Ronak §To Dharmistha, You are the best mum ever and thank you for helping me in Maths and English.

From Dev §Dear Maa, I would like to say a ‘big thank you’ on this special day of Mother's Day. You have always been there with me in good and bad times. Your unconditional love is priceless. You are my best friend with whom I can share all my sorrows and happines.

Lots of Love, Chetna Voalia

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30

Sport

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

Ricky Ponting steps down as Australia captain

Quarter-final ties add lustre to World Cup

By Premen Addy

Ricky Ponting has stepped down as Australian test and one-day skipper on Tuesday. But he wants to continue to play the game at the highest level. The 36-year-old had led Australia in one day internationals since 2002 and tests since 2004.

With Cricket Australia under pressure to sack him in the wake of a home Ashes defeat to England and a quarterfinal exit as defending champions at the World Cup this year, the tough Tasmanian decided resign from the post.

"I've had the chance to think long and hard about it and today I've decided to stand down as captain of the test team and the one-day team as of now," he told a news conference at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

"I am really excited about the next chapter in my career... I think I've got a lot to offer as a player and certainly as a leader for some of the younger players around, if and when required."

He will almost certainly be replaced

by Michael Clarke on Wednesday and said letting his successor have next month's tour of Bangladesh to start putting his own imprint on the team was a key factor in the timing of his decision.

"I think the timing was absolutely perfect," he said. "I wanted to make sure that the person coming in had as much time as possible to get themselves prepared and get their focus on where they want the team to go."

Ponting denied he had jumped before he was pushed. "I'll absolutely go on record here to say that I've had absolutely no tap on the shoulder," he said. "This is a decision that's been wholly and solely made by me and people close to me..."

EPL Matches this week Saturday, 9 April 2011 Wolverhamptonv Everton Molineux 12:45 Blackburn v Birmingham Ewood Park 15:00 Bolton v West Ham Reebok Stadium 15:00 Chelsea v Wigan Stamford Bridge 15:00 Man Utd v Fulham Old Trafford 15:00 Sunderland v West Brom Stadium of Light 15:00 Tottenham v Stoke White Hart Stadium15:00 Sunday, 10 April 2011 Blackpool v Arsenal Bloomfield Road Aston Villa v Newcastle Villa Park Monday, 11 April 2011 Liverpool v Man City Anfield

13:30 16:00

20:00

Even habitual moaners cannot now deride cricket's World Cup as a lack- lustre venture. The tournament, admittedly, could have been shortened, say, by 10 days, with two instead of four associate teams taking part. Ireland and Holland were value for money, Kenya and Canada were not. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has time enough to make the changes for Australia in 2015. The cricket on the whole has been absorbing, with riveting encounters like the tie between India and England and New Zealand's dramatic win over South Africa keeping the adrenaline flowing. There were packed grounds for the most part; crowds were in good voice but well behaved, the one exception being a postmatch incident of stone throwing in Dhaka, when some Bangladeshi fans gave vent to their disappointment by targeting the visiting West Indies for the rout.

There was little else to complain about: the accommodation and culinary fare were first class, as were the transport arrangements across the subcontinent.

The sole quarter-final disappointment involved West Indies and Pakistan at Dhaka. West Indies were bundled out for a humiliating 112, which Pakistan passed with lordly ease to register an emphatic 10 wicket win. Only Shivnarine Chanderpaul with an unbeaten 44 showed any pedigree for West Indies, his colleagues too abysmal for comment.

India got the better of Australia at Ahmedabad by 5 wickets, the result closer to call than statistics suggest. To Australia's 260 for 6, India stumbled to 187 for 5, with Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina, the last recognised batting pair at the crease and a noticeably frail waiting their turn on the execution block.

Mercifully, they were granted a reprieve by the god of small and big things: Yuvraj, in princely form yet again (57 not out), and Raina (34 not out from 28 balls), in total control of the inner demons that had laid him low for the past few months, rode out the Australian challenge in confident style. Yuvraj had doubled up as a slow left arm bowler, returning figures of 2 for 44, which earned him the Man-of-

Yuvraj and Suresh Raina celebrate Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s victory over Australia in Ahmedabad on Thursday

the-Match award.

Sachin Tendulkar (53) and Gautam Gambhr (50) had created a sound Indian platform, but the fall of Virat Kohli (24) and Mahindra Singh Dhoni (7) in quick succession opened the door for Australia.

Dhoni's captaincy was more assured than it had been previously. The inclusion of R. Ashwin and the decision to open the attack with his flighted off-breaks was a smart move, so also was dropping of Yusuf Pathan and his replacement by Raina. Hopefully sanity has returned.

Earlier, the visitors were in more than a spot of bother with the early loss of wickets, but captain Ricky Ponting, without an ODI century to his name in 13 months broke his drought with a splendid 104. It wasn't enough to take his side through but the total gave them a fighting chance and spared their blushes.

New Zealand's was a truly famous victory over fancied South Africa at Mirpur in neutral Bangladesh. New Zealand owed their modest 221 for 8 to a sterling 83 from Jessie Ryder in partnership with the pugnacious Ross Taylor (43). With South Africa in cruise control at 108 for 2 the game seemed over bar the shouting, when the curse that has blighted South Africa in the past commenced its deadly

work: the ever reliable Jacques Kallis was held brilliantly in the deep for 47, A. B. de Villiers was run out and South African nerves crumbled, as did the South African innings for 172, giving New Zealand victory by 49 runs. Their hero was Jacob Oram, whose bowling analysis of 4 for 39 demolished the South African middle order. South Africa appeared shell shocked long after the match was over.

Finally, it was England's turn to bid good bye. They stuttered to 229 for 9, only Jonathan Trott, with a composed 86, doing himself justice. The Sri Lankan spinners bewitched, bothered and bewildered their opponents who, tethered to their crease like goats to a pole, were too timid to use their feet to counter-attack.

The Sri Lankan opening pair of Upal Tharanga (103 not out) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (108 not out) showed how it should be done as they skipped down to Graeme Swann's spin and cut and drove the faster men to deafening roars from the home crowd at Colombo's Premadasa Stadium. Sri Lanka canterd to 231 for no loss from 39.3 overs, a 10 wicket triumph of flair, adventure and skill.

Thence to the semi-finals: Sri Lanka vs New Zealand (Colombo) India vs Pakistan (Mohali)

Sri Lanka reaches final with tense win Sri Lanka overcame a late wobble to battle past New Zealand by five wickets and book their place in the World Cup final.

The co-hosts were coasting to victory while Tillakaratne Dilshan (73) was continuing his prolific form in a 120-run stand with Kumar Sangakkara (54).

Dilshan deposed England's Jonathan Trott as the tournament's top runscorer in what appeared a straightforward chase of 217 all out under lights at the Premadasa Stadium. But the second-wicket pair were both among the batsmen to go as Sri Lanka stumbled and stalled from 160 for one in the 33rd over to 185 for five in the 43rd. Some strong nerves were therefore required from the late middle order to haul them through - with a flattering 13 balls to spare - to an all-subcontinental showpiece decider in Mumbai on Saturday, against either Pakistan or India.

For the second match running at the Premadasa Stadium, there was a certain sense of inevitability to the proceedings Nevertheless, Tharanga's departure for 30 from 31 balls changed the tempo of the Sri Lankan innings, not least because the manner of his dismissal was sensational.

Up until that point he had smoked four fours in addition to that six, as he continued his form where he had left off with his century against England, and he was sizing up his fifth four when he climbed into

Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan who put on 120 for the second wicket in the match agaist New Zealand.

a wide one from Tim Southee and smacked a cut to Ryder's left at point.

Ryder is not the most nimble athlete at this tournament, but he saw the shot straight off the bat, flung himself horizontally to cling on his outstretched left hand, and celebrated with a fling of the arms reminiscent of Andrew Flintoff in his final Ashes series.

Dilshan and Sangakkara had other ideas, however. Though neither man was at his most fluent, the target was such that they did not need to rush.

Sangakkara had an early let-off when he edged Oram at a catchable height through the vacant slip cordon, while Dilshan who had been so combative against England - took 28 deliveries to score the second boundary of his innings, and his 50th of the World Cup to date.

Scott Styris ground out a responsible 57 from 76 balls on a worn wicket at the Premadasa Stadium, to provide the bedrock of New Zealand's total of 217 in the first semi-final against Sri Lanka in Colombo. But when he was extracted lbw by the final delivery that Muttiah Muralitharan will ever bowl on home soil, Sri Lanka closed in to claim 4 for 4 from the final 12 balls of the innings to put themselves within touching distance of Saturday's World Cup final in Mumbai.

New Zealand's performance was eerily similar that which England compiled against the same opponents, and on the very same strip of turf, in last week's quarter-final. Then as now, their performance centred around one big partnership in the middle of the innings, a 77-run stand between Styris and Ross Taylor, and though they fared better than England in taking 41 runs from the batting Powerplay, they were also undone by the depth and variety of Sri Lanka's attack, with Lasith Malinga's yorkers scalping three key wickets at critical moments.

SpOrt worLd

Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011

Not to miss firerce cricket battle, they are at their innovative best

As Wednesday comes closer, plans are afoot across offices in India to catch the much-awaited Indo-Pak World Cup semifinal clash by hook or by crook.

While some employees are lucky to be let off by their organisations early to watch the match, others are planning to coming up with innovative excuses to escape work.

This is one match that doctors enjoy without interruption. Inspite of their work profile, which demands them to attend to a patient at any hour of the day, doctors say that Wednesday will be different because their patients have postponed their appointments. Dr Sunita Tandulwadkar, infertility expert at Ruby Hall Clinic, said that many of her patients have requested her to delay their procedures or appointments because their husbands will be 'busy.'

Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Rajesh Parasnis, too, has received similar calls, although he admits that it is shocking that people were prioritising a match over health. "A patient from Ratnagiri was supposed to undergo a spinal tumor surgery which he has now put off by a day.

Not just surgeries, but the OPD appointments have had cancellations.

In a way it is good because the nursing and other staff was requesting us to wrap up the day early," he said. While hospitals across the city might see a

light day, many offices might also not function to their full capacity. Shailaja Sharma, branch director of PR firm Perfect Relations said, "We will be giving a half day to all our employees across our 16 offices tomorrow just for the match."

At Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), a large number of employees have planned to wrap up their work early and watch the match together in groups, confirmed Deepak Kulkarni, leader, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, PMC Union.

While these people are lucky to leave early from work, others are not so fortunate. Nonetheless, their enthusiasm is not ebb. They are making alternate arrangements to catch the match.

A spokesperson for BPO ADP, Pune, said that a big screen had been placed in the cafeteria for the employees to enjoy the match. Besides this, quizzes and games themed around the World Cup have been organised at the office.

Lionel Messi is highest paid footballer

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is the highest paid footballer in the world while Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho earns more than any other manager in the game, according to a survey by France Football magazine.

The Argentina international, who is widely recognised as the world's best footballer and has won the Ballon d'Or for the past two years, earns 31 million Euros per annum. This amount that he garnered in 2011 came from his salary and publicity deals and is 3.5m Euros more than what Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo earns.

Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney, a former team-mate of Ronaldo at Old Trafford, is third in the list with an annual income of 20.7mn Euros.

US-based footballers, David Beckham of LA Galaxy and Thierry Henry of New York Red Bulls, are fifth and 11th in the list with earnings of 19m Eurosand 13.6m Euros respectively.

In the manager's category, Mourinho heads the top-paid list as he earns 13.5m Euros a year. The Portuguese coach, who won the Champions League as well as Serie A and the Coppa Italia with Italian giants Inter last season, was appointed as tactician at Madrid in the summer.

Barcelona's Pep Guardiola is second behind 'The Special One' with an annual income of 10.5m Euros while Rafael Benitez, who is without a club at the moment after parting ways with the Nerazzurri in December 2010, earned 10.2m Euros. England head coach Fabio Capello is fourth with a salary of 8.5m Euros. Last month Deloitte's annual report on European football revenues was released in which it was revealed that Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona are the top earning clubs in the world with Premier League powerhouse Manchester United following them in third.

At colleges, which will have a normal working day, staffers are hopeful that they can watch the match either on the TV sets in the staff rooms or keep themselves updated of the scores via SMS and radio.

Shivaji Nagar's Modern College vice-principal Jagdish Chinchole, "We have exams in the morning and by 3pm, there wouldn't be a major workload. If people finish their work early, we can give them permission to watch the match," he said.

Multiplexes, nightclubs and small hotels too are doing their best to 'make moolah while India shines' at the World Cup. For tomorrow's match special screening arrangements have been made at multiplexes, as there is no big film that has released in the last few weeks.

Neerav Panchamia, VP, Operations, ESquare, who will screen the match at a single screen said, "We decided on Sunday to screen the live match. So far we have got a few bookings and are expecting a house-full soon."

Even hotels and nights clubs are wooing the customers with innovative ideas. Extra screens, DJ's have been booked to uplift the spirits. "There will be DJ playing music during breaks, an extra screen for the guests so that they have a good time," said Nasir Shaikh, director, Food and Beverages, Westin Hotel.

Wolverhampton experts land up at JCT

Two members of the Wolverhampton Wanderers Academy Staff will be spending a week in India with their community partner club, JCT. Wolves Academy head sports scientist John Iga and Academy physiotherapist Jaswant Sodhi have arrived in India to start special training programmes from March 25, in which they will view JCT's facilities, share best practices and hold coaching sessions with the team and coaching staff.

The community-led relationship between JCT FC and Wolves was established in 2008 as part of the 'Wolverhampton-India' partnership.

Since the partnership began between the two clubs, a number of exchange visits have been arranged.

Oxford University team plays gully cricket Oxford University Cricket Club wasn't used to playing to a crowd. But that was before they played at Oval Maidan in Mumbai. On Monday, over a hundred onlookers gathered to watch this team swing a bat. "I've never seen anything like this," says captain Rajiv Sharma who, despite his Indian origins, has never lived here.

The club is on its first ever tour of India, hosted by the Rajasthan Royals. Over the next week, they'll play against the Bombay Gymkhana team, the Global Cricket School and the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai. On the weekend, they go off to challenge the Rajasthan Royals

Development XI squad in Jaipur, after which they will play the Delhi University team.

While the boys are used to practising for their upcoming season using the nets indoors in Oxford, this year they decided to take their practice to a place where a game awaits them at every street corner. In fact, the group had not been in the country more than a couple of hours before they were invited to play their first match of gully cricket, enthuses leg spinner Alex Scott. "When we came out of a restaurant in Bandra on Sunday night, there was a group of kids playing in an alley next door, and we joined in," he says. "In India,

cricket is everywhere. Even in the media, the first story has been cricket, followed by Libya."

Although most of the team has not been to India before, they are accompanied by coach Jamie Dalrymple, who represented England in the one-day arena and toured India when he competed in the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy. He believes that despite the sweltering conditions in India being as different to a crisp English spring as you could imagine, this is the perfect place for the team to prepare for their next season. "It's great for the players to experience playing in different environments. And there is no bet-

ter place to play than India where there's such a passion for the game," he says. The team is hoping to brush up their play prior to their annual Varsity match against Cambridge, although Sharma is confident they have the upper hand: "Cambridge toured India last year, but our trip is special because we have the support of the Rajasthan Royals. And we beat them last year!" he grins.

However, when it comes to England's chances in the World Cup, there is not quite the same confidence. Coach William Frewen says: "Our team has a lot to learn from the England team about what not to doâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;how to be more consistent."

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Saina Nehwal is World number three again

Riding on her Swiss Open triumph, ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal has regained the number three place in the latest world ranking.

Saina, who missed a couple of tournaments early in the year because of a nagging ligament injury and then suffered early exits from the Korean Open and the All England Championships, notched up her first title of the season in Switzerland last week.

The 21-year-old now has 69721.2637 points in her kitty and is currently behind Shixian Wang (83506.4) and Yihan Wang (73988.9106) at one and two respectively.

The Swiss Open title was her third Grand Prix Gold title win after Chinese Taipei (2008) and the Indian Open (2010). The girl from Hyderabad also won four Super Series finals in Indonesia (twice), Singapore and Hong Kong over the last two years. In men''s singles, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist P Kashyap was at the 21st place with 38415.2559 points, while Ajay Jayaram moved to 28th.

Anand Pawar and Arvind Bhat are at 42nd and 45th spot respectively.

Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning women''s doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa dropped one place to 19th spot, while Jwala and V Diju slipped two spots to 18th in mixed doubles.In men''s doubles, Rupesh Kumar and Sanave Thomas jumped seven places to be placed just outside the top 20 bracket at 21st place.

Golf coach insulted again, India talks tough

Minister of External Affairs SM Krishna has expressed regret over the treatment meted out to Golfer Jeev Milkha Singh's coach Amritinder Singh at Milan airport for the second consecutive time. Singh was asked to remove his turban for the second time at the Milan airport while undergoing a security check on Tuesday.

Krishna said the matter would be taken up with the Italian government and appeal for sensitivity to religious sentiments. He also added, "I take note of serious issue raised by members. I will take take this with Indian Ambassador to Australia. Turban is symbol of Indian culture and we have great respect for this."

MEA sources say the case doesn't appear to be one of profiling as a large number of Sikhs regularly go through Milan airport without any problems. Sources said that the intrusive checking may have been ordered as Milan airport doesn't have advance screening devices.

MEA sources also said Singh's version of events was not entirely correct.

Krishna has strongly condemned the behaviour of the airport authority personnel at the Milan airport. "The religious sentiments of Indians need to be respected. The Indian envoy has been told to take up the matter seriously with the Italian government," he said.

TIL-Nimbus bag IPL media rights-e A consortium of Times Internet Limited (TIL) and Nimbus Communication has acquired the IPL's global internet, mobile and audio rights, along with television rights in specific territories outside India, for the next four years. The consortium bagged the rights with a winning bid of Rs 2.61 billion in Chennai on Sunday.

While TIL will own the net, mobile and audio rights, Nimbus will control TV rights.

However, TV channel Set Max will continue to hold TV broadcasting rights for IPL in the Indian subcontinent and several other regions.

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Asian Voice - Saturday 2nd April 2011