AV 30th March 2019

FIRST & FOREMOST ASIAN WEEKLY IN EUROPE

inside:

Antigua to cancel Mehul Choksi's passport?

R

SEE PAGE 6

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

India gears up for world’s largest democratic exercise SEE PAGE 16-17

30 MARCH - 5 APRIL 2019 - VOL 47 ISSUE 46

ASIAN BUSINESSES BAT FOR BRITAIN

Jet Airways’ struggle for survival SEE PAGE 25

Surinder Arora

Priyanka Mehta

Sam Pitroda kicks up row with remarks on Balakot strikes SEE PAGE 26

Chaos, uncertainty, shambles are among the first few synonyms associated with Brexit by many in the business community. Prime Minister Theresa May, EU and

Gopichand Hinduja

Parliament in a bid at achieving some sort of a deal have been going back and forth over Brexit negotiations for the last three years. While the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has called the possibility of a no-deal Brexit

Pradip Dhamecha

a “national emergency”, some members of the British Asian businesses are fed-up of the uncertainty that lingers even days after the UK was officially designated to leave the EU on 29th March.

Continued on page 8

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30 March - 5 April 2019

onetoone WITH KEITH VAZ, MP

Shridhar B. Nair Shridhar Nair has been the General Manager of the celebrated The Leela Goa resort for over 7 years now. He is a double graduate in Arts and Hotel Management from Mumbai University & Kerala respectively, and he has also attended Cornell University‘s General Manager Programme at Ithaca. Straight after college he joined The Leela Palaces & Resorts as a Management Trainee and have now been with the group for over 22 years. Shridhar has worked in different capacities and sections across various Leela Hotels (both business hotels & resorts) and joined the flagship Goa resort as the Head of Food & Beverage section in 2009. He moved on to take over as the General Manager of the resort and successfully spearheaded the comprehensive 15 million dollar renovation project.

Shridhar comes from Mumbai. He is married and his wife is also a hotelier. He has two children, a daughter and a son. And a Labrador.

1

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

Having been born & raised in cosmopolitan Mumbai, I find it difficult to look beyond Mumbai as “home”. It is truly a melting pot of cultures & religions and having travelled around the world, I would always rate it as my most favourite place!!

2

What are your proudest achievements?

Amongst other things like becoming the youngest General Manager in the hotel group, the successful execution of the prestigious BRICS summit ( where we hosted 11 heads of states & their delegations ) at the resort in 2016 would surely feature as my proudest achievement.

3

What inspires you?

And the worst?

I have always been deeply inspired by travelling across the world especially historical places. The opportunity to experience and interact with people from various cultural & ethnic backgrounds across the globe has helped give me a fresh perspective on improving human relations.

4

What has been biggest obstacle in your career?

Overcoming the then-established notion that maturity comes only with age & not experience was one of the stumbling blocks in my career. I was considered to be too young to shoulder serious responsibility and I had to overcome this challenge with a lot of persistence & grit.

5

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

The founder Chairman of The Leela group Late Captain CP Krishnan Nair was someone who could not only spot talent but also nurture it to be successful. I’m so thankful that he took me under his wing. His commitment to quality, opulence and trust in people has deeply inspired me in my career.

6

7

What is the best aspect about your current role?

The Leela Goa is a sprawling 75 acres resort and it’s not less than a paradise on Earth. I have considerable influence in ensuring that our guests, from various walks of life (who visit us with very high expectations) have a memorable experience at the resort and this is a responsibility I take very seriously !!

Again, the resort is beautiful and is nestled between Arabian Sea and River Sal. This has its own challenge in terms of the maintenance. Also I’m directly responsible for maintaining very high guest service standard so that our guests find value for the money spent – I can never relax in my own resort!

8

What are your long term goals?

Since all through my career, I have only been part of the luxury hotels, I would like to head a group of luxury hotels sometime in the future. I think I will enjoy expanding footprints of an Indian brand on foreign soil and somewhere contribute in taking Indian hospitality to the world.

9

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

I would strive to keep the government out of conducting or directly influencing businesses!! Also looking at the growth prospect of Tourism in India, I would implement policies, tax structures and FSI benefits to accelerate the growth in this sector.

10

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

Benoît Lecomte, for sure. He is a Frenchborn long-distance swimmer who claimed to be the first man to swim across the Atlantic Ocean without a kick board in 1998. His skills would certainly come in handy in a difficult situation!

Dr Muhammad Saqib Raza left his family in Leicester in 2017

he pleaded with the patients he treated during his eight years in the NHS as a facial surgeon to assist him in his return. He said: ‘When you, my patients, wanted help, I treated you like you were my own family. ‘Now I’m stuck in this prison hell hole and nobody cares. My patients, maybe you care. I beg you, patients of mine, to help me in return for what I did for

you.’

The Home Office has so far refused to let him return under its policy towards British citizens who entered the Syrian conflict zone.

Raza claimed the government has abandoned him for no other reason than his religion. He said: ‘My only crime is being a Muslim. If I was a Jew or a Christian, people would believe I was a humanitarian and not a terrorist.

The Home Office has so far refused to let him return under its policy towards British citizens who entered the Syrian conflict zone. Raza claimed the government has abandoned him for no other reason than his religion. He said: ‘My only crime is being a Muslim. If I was a Jew or a Christian, people would

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believe I was a humanitarian and not a terrorist. But when they searched him they found a laptop and €13,000 (£11,110), for which he could give no explanation. Kurdish forces believe the computer and the funds were linked to his support for Isis.

Raza said he made the journey to Turkey to avoid paying a £200,000 settlement to his estranged wife if they divorced, and planned to go into Syria for one week to help the injured and

improve his CV. His wife divorced him when he left the country and is asking not to be identified for her own safety. Raza has also demanded to be moved from the prison he is currently being held as Isis fighters are in there.

He also claims he fears for his life after recognising a British man in there who was an intelligence officer for Isis. More than 900 people from the UK are known to have travelled to Syria to

engage in the conflict. The Home Office has estimated that 20 per cent have been killed and 40 per cent have since returned. Those who returned in the early stages of the conflict were investigated and officials have claimed a ‘significant proportion’ are no longer classed as a threat to national security. Under new legislation, anyone who is found to have joined Isis can be jailed for up to 10 years.

Newsagent stabbed to death after opening up shop A newsagent who died being stabbed in a ‘violent robbery’ has been named and pictured for the first time. Ravi Katharkamar, 54, was murdered yesterday morning as he opened Marsh Food and Wine in Pinner, north west London. He died after being stabbed in the chest, police confirmed.

The attacker stole the till from Ravi’s shop, which contained only a few pounds worth of coins. DCI Simon Stancombe said Ravi’s death has left his family ‘utterly devastated’.

He appealed for information and added: ‘I am particularly keen to hear from anyone who saw a black Vauxhall Astra that was driven away at speed south down Cecil Park immediately after the attack. ‘We think that car was parked in Cecil Park

prior to the murder – if you saw this, or have any other information that could help us progress this investigation, I would urge you to get in contact.’ CCTV footage showed a man arrive outside a row of shops on Marsh Road in a white car before he exited on foot.

Shortly after, another car arrived at the scene. The man left the shop before returning to his vehicle and leaving. Kirit Dodiya, 49, his shop landlord said he was a ‘top guy’ and complete’ gentleman. He added: ‘It was such a shock for me personally, I spoke to him on Friday.

‘He was always smiling, always. You would walk into the shop and he would offer you something always.’

Police were called to the newsagents around 6am Sunday morning, and

Picture: Met Police

A British surgeon accused of joining Isis has begged to be allowed back to the UK because he helped ‘hundreds’ of patients while working for the NHS. Dr Muhammad Saqib Raza, 40, left his young son and home in Leicester to travel to Turkey in 2017.

Those that knew him said he became increasingly extreme in his religious views before his departure.

Raza – who has dual Pakistani-British citizenship – was also allegedly warned by the NHS Trust he worked for after trying to radicalise other members of staff. He has now been in a Kurdish ‘hell hole’ prison for more than a year since being captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Speaking to the Mirror,

Picture: Sky News

Isis doctor begs to be let back in UK because he worked for the NHS

Ravi Katharkamar, 54, has been named as the victim in Sunday morning’s stabbimng

despite best efforts the victim was pronounced dead 45 minutes later.

Police have made no arrests so far and have appealed to the public for information. Anyone with information can also contact the incident room number on 0208 358 0200, via 101 or tweet @MetCC and quote CAD1653/24Mar. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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COMMENTS

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30 March - 5 April 2019

Understanding the past secures the future A true understanding of the historical past helps in appreciating the complexities of current developments.

Glib statements, even in an election campaign, have scarce justification, particularly from one as sophisticated and eloquent as Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. He is the one senior BJP leader who has referred to India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru with the respect he deserves but sadly never gets from Mr Jaitley’s less gifted colleagues.

However, in censuring Nehru for turning down a supposed US offer to India of a UN Security Council seat around 1950, Minister erred in ignoring its context and content. Nehru’s visit to the United States in 1949, of which much was expected in the Truman administration was a disaster at the official level but an immense success with the American people who gave him a rousing welcome. So what went wrong? It was the simplistic worldview of President Truman and his Secretary of State Dean Acheson (and others) that, India being a constitutional democracy would join the United States in its unfolding Cold War crusade against the Soviet Union.

There had been great admiration in India for President Truman’s predecessor, the great Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s visionary attempt to fashion a new global order with the USSR an essential partner with the US in an enterprise that would require the simultaneous dismantling of the old European colonial empires in the East.

Under Truman and Acheson the US commitment to the white man’s burden sowed the seeds of its calamitous policies in South East Asia and the Greater Middle East.

That turned out to be the larger problem. The immediate issue for India was the lack of understanding of Indian policy on Kashmir. An official in the State Department, pointing to Nehru’s allegedly inflexible attitude on Kashmir,’ and pointing to ‘national traits which, in time, if not controlled, would make India Japan’s successor in Asiatic imperialism.’ In these circumstances a strong Muslim bloc under the leadership of Pakistan and friendly to the US might afford a balance of power in the South

Asia.’

This attitude may have reached its denouement under the Nixon administration, but the malingering blight extended into the first weeks of the George W. Bush administration, when Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld in January 2001, denounced India ‘as a menace to other peoples, including the US, Europe and the countries of Western Asia.

Returning to Nehru and the alleged US offer of a UN Security Council seat to India, if Nehru had fallen for the bait – remembering this was around 1950-51- it would have gratuitously antagonized the Soviet Union, and in hindsight aborted years of fruitful cooperation in the first decades of Indian independence, when with critical Soviet aid, the country’s industrial platform was established as the launch pad for further progress down the line. Nehru told B.N Mullick, India’s intelligence director, that Russian foreign policy was about safeguarding the national interest over ideological solidarity with China.

Furthermore, the Soviet veto on Anglo-American resolutions in the UN Security Council. The Indo-Soviet Treaty of Friendship of August 1971, proved an invaluable hedge against American and Chinese heft.

Indira Gandhi faced down the menaces of Washington and Beijing in support of the military regime of Yahya Khan. The rout of the Pakistan army paved the way for the emergence of an independent sovereign Republic of Bangladesh. India had broken free of her shackles to assert her presence in the wider world.

China’s seat in the UN Security Council was a gift of the United States under the Roosevelt dispensation, the French seat by courtesy and pressure of Britain’s wartime Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. The French resistance played a minor role in the Allied war effort; China none at all. British India’s 2.5 million-strong Army was the largest volunteer force in the modern era; it performed with high distinction in Europe, North Africa and Southeast Asia. China is opposed to India’s membership of the Security Council. Such are the paradoxes of the present global order.

UK’s PhD-level work visas Indians are among the largest category of professionals set to benefit from a British move to remove limits on numbers of PhD level entrants to the country. Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond announced the plan during his Budget speech in the House of Commons, that such quality applicants will have easier access to work visas than those of an average standard. The provision is to take effect later this year. He said a ‘key pillar of our plan is backing Britain remain at the forefront of the technology revolution that is transforming our economy.

And to support that ambition, from November this year we will completely exempt PhD-level roles from these caps. From Autumn 2019, PhD-level occupations will be exempt from the Tier 2 (General) cap, and at the same time the government will update the immigration rules on 180 day absences so that researchers conducting fieldwork overseas are not penalized if they apply to settle in the UK.’ According to the most recent Home Office data,

Indians are the largest segment of the high skilled professionals within the Tier 2 (General) category of work visas, accounting for 54 per cent of such visas granted in 2018. Indian citizens were the largest to increase their visa applications in the Tier 2 category by 3023, a 6 per cent rise over the previous year.

The British government declaration is perceived as the first step to the abolition of a cap on visas for skilled workers by possibly 2021, when a new immigration system comes into force. ‘Under the new system we will be open to the brightest and the best from India,’ said Immigration Minister Carolyn Noakes, earlier this year.

What is most encouraging is that in the midst of its Brexit convulsions, British ministers have kept their eyes on the ball, that is, on subjects of close national interest that are certain to loom larger as the troubled Brexit negotiations and their outcomes are laid to rest, to fade slowly away from the fevered present to a more tranquil future.

Trump’s March of Folly Law in any democracy requires the widest possible consultation with all sections of society by the executive authority, after which a draft is placed by a freely elected legislature to debate the provisions contained in the document and then voting on it. Public International law is slightly more complex, as nations through their duly appointed experts discuss the issues before them before arriving at a consensus following the process of codification starts and ends. The International Court of Justice at the Hague is empowered to adjudicate on disputes placed before it. This, in nutshell, is what law and due process are about.

Such considerations do not appear to weigh with the Trump administration in Washington. Caprice is all that counts, with zany figures like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton, not to speak of President Trump himself, issuing cavalier declarations on subjects of which they scarcely have any serious understanding.

Hence the international community is treated to arbitrary pronouncements on the status of Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, the alleged threat from Iran to regional stability, even as the US administration relegated into limbo the appalling assassination of Saudi dissident Jamal

Khassoggi on the premises of Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul. Mega billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia were the last word, underlined the true worth of America’s moral values.

Moving a brazen step further, the US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenfell, a confidant of the US President, has taken it upon himself to lecture the German government on its policies: suspension of oil and gas supplies from Russia in favour of purchases from the United States, increases in defence spending, presumably on US arms etc. Untutored in appropriate diplomatic conduct, his statements have enraged German politicians, some of whom have called for his expulsion. Germans across the board have given vent to rare depth of anger. Germany is not a banana republic, but Europe’s industrial powerhouse.

The endgame could possibly - just possibly - germinate closer German-Russian ties some day. These were once cast in stone by the great nineteenth century German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck and his master the Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm I. His egocentric, foolhardy grandson chose a contrary line; Adolf Hitler went a disastrous step further with his invasion of Soviet Russia, together they guaranteed German defeats in two World Wars – much food for thought, surely.

A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week

- General George S Patton (1885-1945)

Alpesh Patel

What is a Terrorist?

“We bow our heads” 40 innocent people were murdered by Islamic Terrorists “Army of Mohammed” in a bomb explosion in India. India sent war planes and bombed Pakistani occupied territory out of which the terrorists operated. And yes, risked an escalation to war with a nuclear country.

If New Zealand truly believes that the 40 people murdered in a Mosque were by white extremist terrorists, then instead of faffing around with their gun laws why are they not mass arresting white supremacist “terrorists”. Members of terror organisations are after all subject to immediate arrest for being members of such organisations. Not a single subsequent arrest.

Whilst the New Zealand PM is admired for her hugs and empathy what she lacks is the crushing fist that terrorism deserves. Rather, lets be honest.

She used the word terrorist to be politically correct and sensitive.

Her actions and those of her intelligence services betray the fact that they do not see white supremacists as terrorists at all. I wish they did, if for no other reason than they would use the same crushing force as is used the world over against those designated Islamic terrorists.

Six days after 9/11, President Bush visited a Washington Mosque for prayers to send a message to both Muslims and those who would do innocents harm. But he also sent the 7th fleet to the Persian Gulf - with 60 to 70 ships, 300 aircraft and 40,000 Navy and Marine Corps personnel.

It was bound to happen sooner or later, a snowflake became PM. There was an older generation. They didn’t designate evil with labels. They quietly chased it to the ends of the earth and saw to its death. Rafi Eitan was such a man. He chased down a white supremacist. Although back then those were called Nazis. And for those doubting the West’s commitment to crushing white supremacists and thinking they go soft on them and pick on Muslim terrorists alone, the poor souls, don’t forget it was a World War that was fought and begun against White Supremacists.

Whilst we are at being ‘fooled’. Imagine this scenario: Terrorists funded by country A, bomb country B. Citizens of country B, praise the leader of country A as a peacelover.

Okay, now imagine this: Terrorists funded by country A, bomb country B. Country B bombs terrorist camp in country A. Citizens of country B, praise the leader of country A as a peacelover Finally, consider this: Terrorists funded by country A, bomb country B. Country B bombs terrorist camp in country A. Pilot of Country B is captured, then released by Country A, in the bombing of Country A’s terrorist camp.

Citizens of country B, praise the leader of country A as a peacelover.

Sometimes, snowflakes from country B are confused, because they cannot see logic clearly.

Editor: CB Patel 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 Website: www.abplgroup.com INDIA OFFICE Bureau Chief: Nilesh Parmar (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd. 207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad-380 015.

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New Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies launched at University of Wolverhampton

University of Wolverhampton has launched a new Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies which will be the first of its kind in the UK. The new Centre was officially launched by Dr Satinder Sartaaj, renowned Punjabi singer and poet, in the Chancellor’s Hall at the University’s City Campus at a celebratory ceremony attended by members of the local community, University staff and students as well as local dignitaries.

Dr Opinderjit Kaur Takhar, Course Leader in Religious Studies in the School of

Humanities and an internationally-recognised researcher in Sikhism who has published extensively on the Sikh and Panjabi community, has been appointed Director of the Centre.

The Centre will offer PhDs and Master’s level courses in Sikh studies, as well as continuing professional development (CPD) courses for teachers and managers of diverse workforces such as national and local government, the NHS and the emergency services. It will also offer training for Granthis and

Gianis, individuals taking the religious lead in Gurdwaras, short courses in religious literacy and language to address the loss of the Panjabi language in younger generations, as well as teaching in English to promote bilingualism and skills for life.

The Centre will be involved with the exchange of knowledge on an international platform using the links it has already established with Sikh Studies scholars across the globe. Ninder Johal, Chief Executive Officer of Nachural Group and Independent Governor at the

University, said: “The Sikhs are an important part of the United Kingdom and play a substantial role in the global economy. But too often this young religion has not had a voice that represents its views politically, economically and theologically.

Anyone interested in getting involved with the new Centre should contact Dr Takhar by emailing: 0.takhar@wlv.ac.uk and if you would like to make a charitable donation to the Centre contact Terry Gibson, Development Manager, by emailing t.gibson@wlv.ac.uk.

Britons went to Syria for 'research not terrorism' A man who denies trying to join the Islamic State group has told a jury he and a friend only wanted to go to Syria to carry out research. Hanzalah Patel, 22, and Safwaan Mansur, 22, deny preparation of terrorist acts.

Mr Mansur told Birmingham Crown Court he wanted to see the "reality" of what was happening in the country because he believed the news was "quite biased".

He added that he never considered joining the IS group.

Mr Mansur's barrister Alex Rose asked him why he wanted to cross the Turkish border into Syria. "As to the general reality of what was happening there. The news is quite biased so we wanted to see the reality ourselves of what was happening there," he told the court.

He and Mr Patel were held in 2017 after a contact they thought was helping them turned out to be a US government agent.

Mr Mansur told the jury: "I thought he was an Isis sympa-

thiser, so I thought I wanted to gain his trust."

The court heard the pair were arrested in a hotel lobby and spent nine days in a Turkish prison.

"There was food once a day, we had to pay for it, no such things as bathrooms or showers, we were not even allowed to talk to anyone besides the officers," said Mr Mansur.

Mr Rose also asked Mr Mansur if he agreed with "violent jihad".

He replied: "I think Islam is peaceful. It preaches peace."

Both men had attended Darul Uloom Muslim boys' boarding school in Leicester.

Mr Mansur told the jury there were others there who commented on the situation in Syria, but the school had a strict policy on such matters.

Mr Patel and Mr Mansur both deny preparation of terrorist acts between 31 May 2017 and 24 June 2017.

The trial continues.

Mother's bid to fund 'cuddle cots' for maternity units

Birmingham mosque attacks 'not terror related'

A woman whose son was stillborn has been fundraising in a bid to give all maternity units a cot for parents to have more time with their child.

Sharon Luca-Chatha stayed with her son Luca overnight when he was stillborn in 2012, but said had she had "a cold cuddle cot" she could have been with him for up to two more days.

Mrs Luca-Chatha, 43, of Rugby, formed a charity in November which also aims to raise money for training midwives. Each of the cots costs £1,500. The mother, who has a five-year-old son and decided to add Luca to her surname, said she was "beyond devastated" to lose her child.

She added: "Luca stayed with us overnight in a family room.

However, the next morning we were told we did not have long left with him as his little body was deteriorating. After holding on to Luca as long as we could, we had to hand him over to be taken to the mortuary. This broke us even more and caused such trauma as we cried uncontrollably."

She said a so-called cuddle

Attacks on five Birmingham mosques are not being treated as terrorrelated and were not motivated by right wing extremism, police said.

Three mosques in Aston and two others in Perry Barr and Erdington had their windows smashed on Thursday.

A 34-year-old man from Perry Barr handed himself into police on Friday and was detained under the Mental Health Act. Detectives are not seeking anyone else in relation to the attacks. A separate investigation is continuing after a window was smashed at a mosque on

Sharon Luca-Chatha and husband Jas

cot preserved the body for longer, because it keeps the body cold, and she "would have had time to think a little clearer".

Mrs Luca-Chatha said: "Do we want to keep a bit of hair?... we could have taken him home and allowed his grandparents to hold him. I would have taken photos of him in my arms."

She said she was "pleased" The Luca Foundation had so far raised more than £3,800, but said more was needed.

A skydive planned by her brothers Steven and Sunny Nagra, following the anniversary of Luca's birthday in June 2012, has raised £220.

Mrs Luca-Chatha, who has also worked with the Baby Lifeline charity, said: "I realised I wanted to do something in his memory for other parents."

The windows of the Jam-E-Masjid Qiblah Hadhrat Sahib Gulhar Shareef have been boarded up

Cromer Road in Balsall Heath on Saturday.

It is not being linked to the earlier attacks.

West Midlands Police said it has conducted a thorough investigation supported by the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit.

Assistant Chief Constable Matt Ward said officers are working with mosques and local communities around the West Midlands and there will be a visible police presence in "key locations" to reassure Windows were also boarded up at the Witton residents.

Islamic Centre

in brief 'ANTI-ISLAM SHIRT' BEHIND CAMBRIDGE FELLOWSHIP U-TURN Cambridge University rescinded a visiting fellowship offer to Dr Jordan Peterson because he was pictured with a man wearing an anti-Islam shirt, its vicechancellor said. A two-month offer to the psychology professor was removed last week. Dr Peterson labelled the decision a "serious error of judgement". But Stephen Toope said the university was prompted to rescind the offer due to the picture of a man wearing an "I'm a proud Islamophobe" shirt. University of Toronto professor Dr Peterson, whose views on gender have been condemned by critics, was set to spend a period in autumn at Cambridge's Faculty of Divinity. He claimed in a blog post that he planned to collaborate with the faculty on a lecture series on the Biblical book of Exodus. Last week, Dr Peterson said he had not heard about the rescinding of the offer from the faculty, which announced its decision on Twitter, and said it publicised the decision "in a manner that could hardly have been more narcissistic, self-congratulatory and devious".

'FOOLISH' TOBACCO SMUGGLERS SENTENCED Three "very foolish men" who tried to smuggle more than 220,000 cigarettes through Manchester Airport have been given suspended prison sentences.

Ismaeel Abdul-Kareem, Salem Abdullah and Hardo Artoshy, all from Oxford, were caught with nine suitcases packed with "low quality cigarettes".

They were stopped by the Border Force in January, claiming they did not know the duty free allowance for cigarettes.

All three men were given four months in jail, suspended for two years.

The men, aged between 41 and 46, were stopped at Manchester Airport on 27 January after flying from Iraq via Doha.

After two of them claimed they did not know the duty free allowances for cigarettes outside the EU, Artoshy accepted he was aware of the limit.

HM Revenue and Customs said the imported cigarettes had an estimated £77,428 in unpaid duty and VAT. The three admitted the fraudulent evasion of excise duty at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Monday.

Judge Paul Lawton said: "You are three mature and very foolish men. You tried to make a quick buck importing low quality cigarettes via Manchester Airport.

"I do not know what possessed you to walk through Manchester Airport with three large suitcases, you would be flashing like beacons."

MUMPS OUTBREAK AT NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITIES More than 220 suspected cases of mumps have been reported at two universities, Public Health England (PHE) has said.

Students are being urged to ensure they are vaccinated due to an outbreak at Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham. A total of 40 cases have been confirmed so far. PHE, which confirmed the cases, said it was working with the universities to persuade unprotected students to get the MMR jab.

Dr Vanessa MacGregor said: "We have seen a rise in the figures recently and teenagers and young adults who have not had two doses of MMR vaccine are particularly vulnerable. "School leavers and other young adults who have not received the MMR or only received one dose should ensure that they take up the offer of MMR vaccination."

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New Hindu temple to be built in Milton Keynes Rupanjana Dutta SHITAL (Shirdi Saibaba Temple Association of London), a UK registered charity from Wembley, has applied for a planning permission to build a community hall and a temple in Milton Keynes, to the east of St Agnes Way, in Tattenhoe.

The 0.82 acres Milton Keynes Community Foundation land, where the organisation for the first time will build a two floor building from scratch, is a partly residential area, where their land is not very far from a school and shares its wall on one side with a sports club.

The organisation plans to finish the first phase of the building by 2020. Currently they have 3 temples and 4 centres and as a part of the expansion plan, a spokesperson from SHITAL told Asian Voice exclusively, they are also planning to launch new centres in Bradford, Croydon and Oxford and a large project around 2023- to open a

replica of Shirdi, the famous Indian piligrimage site in or around the M25 zone.

The objective of SHITAL on its website states is to promote spiritual knowledge for the benefit of the public in accordance with the teachings of Shree Shirdi Sai Baba.

It is a platform to spread the holy messages and teachings of Shree Shirdi Sai Baba to every corner of the UK and Europe through establishing temples, and community centres, holding prayer meetings, lectures, public celebrations of religious festivals, distributing literatures on Shree Shirdi Sai Baba and assisting those in charitable needs.

The land at a discounted price acquired from the Milton Keynes Community Foundation has cost the organisation around £400,000, and the planning documents lodged with Milton Keynes Council show it may be constructed from recycled steel shipping containers, by an award winning

Planning submitted for new temple on St Agnes Way architect. Speaking to Asian Voice, the spokesperson said, “The mission for SHITAL is not to just build temples, it is the community spirit.

It aims to build something for the younger generation, to engage them with our culture. We already provide cooked food to 12-13 charities, and we want to carry on that good work.

“The community centre that we aim to build is going to be available for free tutions, cultural activities, computer lessons, promoting education- to the wider community- to anyone from any background or faith.

“This project if we get planning permission, will cost us around or over £2mn, and we will need to

raise funds, but only after we have received the planning permission.

We have already carried out door to door meet and greet and two indoor public consultation exercises for the plan. It delayed the project by a year, but we finally submitted our planning application on 12th March this year.”

Though parking, as expected has appeared to be an issue, but SHITAL is happy to work around the needs and timings of the community to ensure they can spread the message of love and unity as always.

Meanwhile, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, said that it is important to pass on Hindu spiri-

Photo Credit: ITV News Anglia

tuality, concepts and traditions to coming generations amidst so many distractions in the consumerist society and hoped that this temple would help in this direction.

Milton Keynes, one of the fastest growing centers in UK, is home to over 22 million trees/shrubs, The Peace Pagoda, public sculpture The Concrete Cows; and parks-lake-greenspaces cover about 25% of its area. Various bands were formed here and prominent people associated with it include Olympian Greg Rutherford, actor Kevin Whately.

Peter Marland is Leader of Milton Keynes Council, while Michael Bracey is Chief Executive.

BECONTREE RM8 1DS

5%

DEPOSIT

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Antigua to cancel Mehul Choksi's passport?

Rupanjana Dutta Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, are the main accused in the PNB scam of almost USD 2 billion and they both left India before the details of the fraud came to light in January 2018. Choksi acquired an Antiguan passport by way of investments in the country and is currently a resident there.

However news has emerged that Antigua is trying to cancel Mehul Choksi's passport, which allows him a visa free entry to 150 countries, including UK for upto 6 months.

Antigua and Barbuda is one of the Commonwealth countries- a unique political association of 53 member states, nearly all of them former territories of the British Empire.

How did Mehul Choksi acquire an Antiguan passport?

A small group of countries is creating a vast 'identity management' industry. Thirteen countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, Cyprus, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Vanuatu, Austria, Jordan and Turkey, now treat passports as a new global asset class, 'selling them legally on the open market' like government bonds, writes a Sunday magazine by a UK daily.

Buyers include wealthy people who come from countries, who do not enjoy visa free access to leading economies. Unfortunately human rights violaters, money launderers or other fugitive to justice with access to ample money allegedly buy their way into such countries too. Critics say that selling passports is encouraging terrorism. But there are also countries where with threats to hefty personal and corporation tax rise, people are moving away from them to 'havens' where they have some 'extra' monetary benefits.

Antiguan government is trying to cancel passports of three successful applicants, two Chinese and one Indian- Mehul Choksicurrently a resident of Antigua.

For the process which is based on mainly investments, applicants usually use an agent, approved and licensed by Antiguan government, The Sunday Times wrote. They are then investigated by the agent and the Antiguan government, who use external agencies including interpol to verify informations.

Once approved, successful applicants get their passport only once they have handed over a substantial sum to the government.

For example, in Antigua, you could either make a one-time contribution of $100,000 to the treasury, spending $400,000 – or $200,000 each if a couple applies before October- on an Antiguan property that they can use for five years and then sell if they want to, or investing $1.5mn in a local business or $5mn as part of a consortium with other investors, with each investor paying a minimum of $400,000. Non-refundable fees are about $35,000, and the process typically takes about 6 months. Successful applicants do not have to live or spend more than a year in Antigua during the first five years.

More than $400mn has been invested in Antigua like this, ie about 5% of the country's GDP and 20% of all foreign investments. This cash has also helped the country to pay off its entire external debt to the IMFwhich was about $117mn. New investments has helped the economy grow at about 5% per annum, boosting employment by almost a quarter, since 2013.

Nobody usually disputes this citizenship programmes in such cash strapped coun-

Mehul Choksi

tries. However the secrecy around this citizenship trade is making things dangerous.

Charmaine Quinland-Donovan, who heads citizenship scheme in Antigua report-

Nirav Modi to appear before a Judge Nirav Modi will appear in Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday 29th March, for a second bail application hearing in front of Judge Emma, where it is believed that his legal representatives would explore or revisit his bail options, initially rejected by Judge Marie Mallon on Wednesday 20 March 2019.

Nirav Modi's arrest; bail denied Modi, dressed in a plain white shirt and trousers, appeared in the dock where he spoke only to confirm his name and also to formally decline consent to be extradited to India.

District Judge Marie Mallon, presiding over the hearing on 20th, said that she was not inclined to accept Modi’s bail plea due the “high value amount” attached to the allegations against him and that he would have “every incentive” to evade surrendering before the court.

“There are substantial grounds to believe that you would fail to surrender before the court if bail were to be granted,” the judge noted.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), representing the Indian authorities in court, told the court that the 48-year-old was wanted in India for fraud and money laundering amounting to almost USD 2bn.

Under UK domestic law, the CPS said he is liable on charges of conspiracy to fraud, which has a maximum jail term of seven years, and conspiracy to conceal, which could result in anywhere between seven, 10 and life term in jail.

“We do object to bail because there are substantial grounds to believe the requested person (Modi) would fail to surrender,” said Barrister Jonathan Swain, appearing for the CPS and on behalf of the Indian government. Modi’s legal team was headed

by Barrister George Hepburne-Scott and his solicitor, Anand Doobay of Boutique Law, is the same legal expert hired by former Kingfisher Airlines boss Vijay Mallya in his extradition proceedings against India in the UK courts.

Modi’s team made their case for bail, offering £500,000 as security and an offer to adhere to “stringent” conditions.

“He strongly contests all the allegations and is prepared with comprehensive arguments to support his case... his legal team has had months contact with the extradition squad and expressed his willingness to cooperate,”Hepburne-Scott said.

It emerged in court that Modi was arrested from a Metro Bank branch in London by uniformed officers on Tuesday

edly admitted that her departmemt has made some mistakes- but did not divulge any further details. However John Arlidge, investigating from The Sunday Times later

19 March afternoon, when he went there to open a new bank account. A bank clerk alerted Scotland Yard as a result of the “high publicity” surrounding the case and Metropolitan Police officers arrived to execute the arrest. This over-rode a previous arrangement made between Scotland Yard’s extradition unit and Modi’s lawyers for him to surrender “by appointment” at a central London police station on Monday, something his legal team blamed on the “nature of publicity” surrounding the case.

The court told that Modi arrived in London in January 2018, before any of the allegations emerged and has maintained a very “visible” presence in the country and offered to cooperate with the UK authorities since his arrival. He is currently employed by Diamond Holdings Ltd in London for a monthly salary of £20,000 and pays his council tax regularly, his lawyers stressed in support of his defence.

In possesion of three Indian passports It also emerged in court that Modi was in possession of at least three passports, all since revoked by India. The passports, since revoked by the Indian authorities, include one now in possession of the

Nirav Modi to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday 29 March and revisit bail options.

Metropolitan Police, a second expired passport lying with the UK Home Office and a third with the UK’s Driving and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).

Besides the passports, the court was told that Modi possessed multiple residency cards, some of them expired, but covering countries such as the UAE, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Frances Hallworth-Noble who runs The London Concierge Company is a

found out the Antiguan government is trying to cancel passports of three successful applicants, two Chinese and one IndianMehul Choksi- currently a resident of Antigua. He allegedly lied to the Antiguan authorities on the application form, claiming he was not subject to any forthcoming criminal investigation in any jurisdiction.

Choksi can therefore be convicted of sedition or treason against Antigua and Barbuda. However, in a letter through his attorney, Choksi reportedly said, "During the course of my application I did all that was lawfully required of me to do. My application for citizenship was in due course approved." If his passport is cancelled, whether Choksi will be forced return to India, remains a question.

Currently Choksi has presented 37 medical reports on record and said that that he cannot go back to India due to bad health.

He filed the application in special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Mumbai through his counsel and reportedly claimed that he did not escape abroad after the PNB scam as the FIR was filed after he was already abroad.

Nirav Modi

shopping planner for billionaires, also engaged as the personal assistant of Nirav Modi, according to The Daily Telegraph.

She was reportedly present at the hearing and is meant to hand over the Indian passport with DVLA to Met Police, moment it came back. Modi was allegedly applying for a provisional drivers license against this passport, and submitted it to DVLA. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), arguing the case for his extradition to face the Indian justice system on behalf of the Indian government, had strongly opposed bail because Modi had “deliberately evaded justice” and not returned to India despite a series of criminal summons issued by Indian courts.

Held at Wandsworth prison He has been kept in the holding cell at HMP Wandsworth prison. Modi, who was living in a plush apartment in Centre Point in the West End until his arrest on Tuesday, was sent to prison on the eve of Holi. HMP Wandsworth is a Category B prison, where criminals are held if not deemed to be of a high level of security risk, the PTI reported.

It can currently hold 1,628 prisoners and was originally built in 1851.

Since 1989, there has been extensive refurbishment and modernisation of the wings, including in-cell sanitation, privacy screens for cells occupied by more than one prisoner and the more recent installation of in-cell electricity, the UK Justice Department notes in reference to the prison.

Modi is likely to be in a separate cell until his next hearing on March 29, 10am.

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UK's much loved Indian-origin MP Virendra Sharma faces vote of no-confidence Virendra Sharma MP, the much loved Indian-origin Labour politician from Ealing Southall region is facing a no-confidence vote from his local party.

A vote of no confidence is seen as the first step in moving to a more formal deselection process. He is the seventh Labour MP to lose a no-confidence vote in the last 2 years, where some of his moderate excolleagues lost votes tabled by Left-wing in their local parties, therefore quit Labour to form The Independent Group.

The Hindu in a report wrote that those who triggered and supported the motion against Mr Sharma, have expressed a number of concerns about his ability to represent the local community, such as failure to attend local constituency Labour metings for last 21 months. A deeper concern was in relation to his stand on a number of political and international issues, such as his position on Kashmir and India-Pakistan bilateral

Virendra Sharma MP

relations, which they say endangered the basic political ethos of a diverse constituency.

The chairman of Ealing Southall CLP, Dr Onkar Sahota AM told The Evening Standard,“[The] vote represents a decision made by delegates across diverse groupings, and we fully respect our members’

democratic right to have voted no confidence.”

Speaking at the meeting Mr Sharma said, "My values are tireless Labour values, those of fairness and equality, of standing up for people and communities against big business, profit and successive Tory governments that come for the weak, the young

Health Secretary cancels A&E and local hospital closures

Virendra Sharma MP, Steve Pound MP, Dr Onkar Sahota AM with Labour councillors from Ealing area

Health Secretary Rt Hon Mathew Hancock in Parliament on Tuesday confirmed the dropping of the controversial 'Shaping a healthier future' programme launched in 2012 to reshape hospital and out of hospital health and care services in North West London. It would have downgraded accident and emergency units, proposed as part of a contentious reconfiguration and closures of 4 local hospitals.

In response to a question from Chelsea and Fulham Conservative MP Greg Hands, Matt Hancock said a downgrade to the A&E unit of Charing

Cross Hospital, west London, was no longer supported by the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS Improvement or NHS England. He also added, “As for the changes in A&E in west London, these will not happen”.

A number of local Labour councillors and MPs had launched a petition to fight hospital cuts and A&E closures. The change in strategy is hoped to signal a reprieve for Ealing Hospital's A&E and gives hope to local campaigners that local children's services might return to Ealing Hospital.

North West London

has 6.2% of Asians and Ealing has 15%.

Virendra Sharma, MP for Ealing Hospital said: "I am delighted that our local services are being protected and that urgent care is still only a short ambulance ride away at Ealing Hospital. This is a victory for those of us who have campaigned over seven years to save this key local asset. I hope that we will secure the return of maternity services and our in-patients children's ward, it is wrong that no more children are being born at a hospital in Ealing, and we will continue to fight for that service."

and the old as easy targets.

I did this through work for unions and as a day centre manager for Hillingdon Council, and now I do it in Parliament.

“In the 1970s this country convulsed in opposition to racism and intolerance. The TUC and Labour Party were at the heart of the movement to

oppose it wherever it stood out. I stood alongside Michael Foot, Tony Benn and Jack Jones in believing that in a modern society there is no space for racism. I worked with them closely, organised marches, coordinated and spoke alongside them.

Today’s racism is more subtle, better hidden, but old prejudices still linger.

Southall is the most diverse area in the country, and should be represented by that diversity.

The no-confidence motion in a first generation immigrant Member of Parliament by selfappointed anti-racist campaigners smacks of hypocrisy."

Speaking to Asian Voice he said,“I am proud to continue to serve Ealing Southall as their MP with a majority of more than 22,000 votes, the largest of any MP here in history.

The vast majority of members continue to support me as do voters locally.

This vote has taken place because I refuse to play local political games and have publicly criticised

some Labour figures. The action today is motivated by religious and racial grounds, and those trying to split our local party do not represent our movement's vibrant history of anti-racist campaigning. I wont let them split our local party and will continue to represent everyone of all religions or none and all races in Ealing Southall.

This vote does not change my commitment to our local community."

Ealing Southall has one of the largest South Asian diasporas in the UK with 29.7% of its population describing itself as of Asian background in the last census. It is also religiously diverse, with 16% Muslims, 9% Hindus, 8% Sikhs and 43% Christians.A major of the British Punjabi community live in the area.

A spokesperson from the constituency strongly denied the claims saying, it’s unbelievable that Mr Sharma said this motion was racially motivated as people of all backgrounds – from major faiths and no faith, spoke for the motion.

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ASIAN BUSINESSES BAT FOR BRITAIN Continued from page 1

“I want certainty,” said Surinder Arora, founder and chairman of Arora Group.

“Three years ago when we opened the InterContinental O2, we used to say that we would have no problem recruiting staff in East London but it has been tough everywhere because of this uncertainty,” revealed the hotel tycoon.

PM May is at her weakest after Parliament seized control of Brexit where the government was defeated by mere 27 votes on her designed plan. A plan that would indicate the way forward in understanding the kind of deal that Parliament wanted.

However, after her defeat again, the Parliament is to debate Brexit once again, over a series of indicative votes.

A no-deal is better than this constant limbo “My first choice would be to leave with some kind of a deal but if we fail to secure one then I would rather leave with a no-deal and just move on,” Arora emphasized.

Earlier in the week, fractures within the Conservative Party had led to reports of a possible coup against the Prime Minister where politicians were planning to oust Theresa May. The possibility of a general election still clouds over the UK especially after about six million people have signed an online petition demanding that article 50 be revoked.

“It is a pity that a lot of these politicians have placed their own vested interests over what is right for the nation.

“But, having a delay, or having another vote, is frustrating. Businesses have been suffering badly because of this uncertainty,” said Arora.

It's impossible to provide definite numbers on how jobs, output and investment have been affected so far. But perhaps, the suffering of these British businesses was the most pronounced when Business Minister, Richard Harrington resigned with a warning that the government's handling of Brexit amounted to "playing roulette with the lives and livelihoods" of the British public. As an employer of over 3000 workers, many hailing from Eastern European countries, Arora would personally prefer a deal which secures the freedom of movement of EU citizens but according to some EU officials the chances of achieving a softer-

Brexit deal remain slim to none.

Theresa May should remain the PM And amidst other industrialists frustrated with this uncertainty is GP Hinduja, of the Hinduja Group and the richest Asian businessman in the UK according to The Sunday Times rich list of 2018.

“I, like most people, do not want a general election as this will achieve little and only create more uncertainty. As a businessman and investor, I do not like uncertainty.

“Furthermore, I believe Theresa May will remain Prime Minister as there seems to be no obvious alternative – above all, she cannot be challenged by her Conservative Party MPs for the leadership of the Party until December and if she is forced to resign it will take several months for the Party to elect a new leader,” said GP Hinduja in a statement to Asian Voice.

Both the CBI and the Trades

Union Congress have requested for the PM to draw up a plan B to avoid crashing out of the EU without a deal. But on a more optimistic note, GP Hinduja is certain that Brexit will not take place.

“Ever since the Referendum result in 2016, I have expressed my belief that Brexit will not actually happen.

“As we have seen there seems no consensus in Parliament on the way forward which makes it more likely that Brexit will be delayed further and in turn this

makes Brexit even more unlikely,” he said.

But in a worst case scenario, the Hinduja group which has investments globally and in the UK, say that the senior management has looked at all possible scenarios to mitigate risks and are well prepared for whatever is the ultimate outcome.

Birmingham witnesses landmark India-UK healthcare conference

Stockpiling tinned food and a slower economy But Brexit uncertainty has not spared businesses in Northern Ireland either where some organisations have cut down on staff for the first time in four years due to lower growth rates. According to the Ulster Bank Northern Ireland purchasing managers index, business had been in subdued mood in January and some reports have suggested that the economy's growth is at a 28month low. Hospitality is probably one of the worst affected sectors due to labour shortage but this is closely followed by the food and beverage industry where a lot of these supplies are imported from the EU. Concerns over food supplies have centred on blockages at ports amid fears that added documentation will lead to backlogs as truck drivers wait to clear customs. As the U.K. relies on fresh food and vegetables imported from the EU, some of these may be in short supply and the government has urged supermarkets to stockpile.

“We have to deal with whatever is the outcome and move forward with that.

Yes, we have been stockpiling products over the last few months. But one can only stockpile products covering supply for a few months,” said Pradeep Dhamecha, of Dhamecha cash-andcarry group.

There is a general consensus among some experts and politicians that the onus of the Brexit crisis fundamentally lies on the PM for delaying the vote and failing in her communications with the opposition and for not pushing 'tougher negotiations with the EU'.

“For the last few months, I think that Mrs. May has done a tremendous job as the Prime Minister. She has not cared for herself unlike many others but I do wish that the government would have woken up two years earlier.

At the end of the day let's not forget the EU needs the UK as much as we need them,” he pointed out,” concluded Surinder Arora.

Consul General Aman Puri, High Commissioner of India to UK H.E. Mrs. Ruchi Ghanashyam, Chair, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust, Rt. Hon Jacqui Smith, CEO, National Health Authority of India, Dr. Indu Bhushan

Birmingham, in the heart of Britain, saw an unprecedented ensemble of over 120 key healthcare experts from India and UK, converge at the renowned ‘Queen Elizabeth Hospital’ to discuss the potential areas of collaboration and identify effective models to take the relationship to the next level.

Chairing the day-long Conference, Rt Hon Jacqui Smith, Chair UHB Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust welcomed delegates at one of UK’s largest hospital, setting the tone of the conference by emphasising how the partnership between the two countries can be mutually beneficial. High Commissioner of India to the UK, H.E Ruchi Ghanashyam assured the conference that both Governments are committed to support healthcare collaboration, and stressed that India and UK need to work together to address current challenges in this sector.

She elaborated that India has been able to provide world class medical treatments at the most competitive rates.

Dr. Indu Bhushan, CEO of National Health Authority of India focussed on the ‘Ayushman Bharat’-the world’s largest government funded healthcare insurance scheme which will benefit over half a billion people. He explained how it’s a game-changer, and how these revolutionary changes in the healthcare landscape of India offer opportunities for international healthcare organisations both in the public and private sector.

Dr. D. S. Rana, Chairman, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, highlighted the fact that the 98 years old institution, also happens to be the largest medical teaching facility of its kind in the country, in the private sector. He further stressed that his institution was keen to partner with its British counterparts to address the challenge of shortage of skilled manpower in both countries.

Mayor Andy Street, Mayor of West Midlands, Neena Gill, Member of European Parliament, Preet Kaur Gill, Member of Parliament promised the much needed political support to the partnership of NHS with other health systems of the world, including with India. They were unanimous in suggesting that NHS’s partnership with its Indian counterparts will be mutually beneficial.

Other dignitaries who spoke on the occasion were Jayesh

Ranjan, IAS, Principal Secretary to Government of Telangana, India who also co-chaired the session on Pharma and MedTech along with Madhukar Bose, Deputy Head of Healthcare, British Department of International Trade. This session focussed on the opportunities for British companies to invest in India, and take advantage of the healthcare revolution in the country where the size of the Healthcare industry is exected to grow to USD 280 Billion by 2020.

Dr. Shashi Baliyan, Managing Director, Clearmedi Healthcare shared the story of his several ventures in India, which are importing European business models to upgrade the quality of healthcare delivery in India. Other speakers of the day included Chris Loughran, Deputy Chair, Greater Birmingham & Solihull LEP, Julia Ross, CEO for BNSSG Clinical Commissioning Group, Prof. Kiran Patel, Medical director, NHS England – West Midlands, Prof.

Philip Baker, Dean of Medicine, University of Leicester and Lakshmi Kaul, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Dr Ajay Rajan Gupta shared the progress made by IUIH which is the single largest project of its kind envisaging the setting up of 11 greenfield hospital facilities in India in partnership with NHS. The Conference was organised by the High Commission of India through the Consulate General of India in Birmingham, and was supported by University Hospitals Birmingham, NHS Foundation Trust, Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Dr. Aman Puri, Consul General of India, Birmingham in his closing remarks announced that this Conference is likely to become an annual feature. The conference succeeded in bringing together domain experts from both countries to discuss the challenges faced and opportunities available for both India and UK in the healthcare sector. At the same time it attained its objectives of providing a forum to widen and enrich the healthcare research and innovation debate, addressing workforce challenges and holding meaningful discussions on the scale of exchange, current approach and possible solutions in this arena at a time when the Healthcare sector of both countries is at an inflection point.

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The great Asian gold robbery Priyanka Mehta Over a year ago, in 2017, Sudhir Patel and his wife, who live in Cardiff, Wales were robbed of £20,000 worth of gold.

A BBC investigation has revealed that since 2013, more than £140m worth of Asian gold jewellery has been stolen in the UK with 28,000 thefts recorded in the country.

“Half of it was an investment in the form of gold coins that I had bought over the years out of my savings!” said Sudhir Patel who accumulated the remaining of the precious metal in the form of jewellery as part of the Asian tradition. Aside from the gold coins, the burglars took away family heirlooms that included rings, bracelets, chains and bangles.

“I don't ever want to buy gold anymore. It is too risky and I would rather buy a house for Kushal's (his son) future,” said Patel.

Last year, alone there were 3,463 offences recorded in the UK where gold was stolen from Asian houses and according to the London Metropolitan Police it roughly amounted to an investment worth £50mn.

The Met police had even issued warnings last year to the Asian households during Navratri and Diwali with suggestions ranging from having their jewellery insured to installing CCTV cameras for security purposes.

But BBC's 'Freedom of Information' request to the 45 police forces in the UK revealed that £141.3m worth of Asian gold had been recorded as stolen since 2013 alone in England. However,

data was not made available by the police forces of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

But as culture dominates Asian marriages, gold as an ornament exists beyond a securitized asset that is tradable in commodity markets. This runs as part of the traditional exchange of gifts to the bride and the groom. For this reason alone, the Asian community tends to invest into the precious metal and lock it away into safety deposit boxes nearest to them.

“We highly recommend the public to keep their jew-

ellery with a reputable safety deposit centre and we support our customers by providing lockers where their valuables will be safer than keeping them at home,” said a member from Neelkanth Safe Deposit, who wished to stay anonymous.

Neelkanth Safe Deposit is one of the larger safe

deposit organisation in Europe with its two branches providing 10,000 safe deposit lockers and serving some 20,000 customers; 70% of which are Asian.

“We also recommend customers insure their jewellery so that when they wear jewellery to functions any potential loss is covered.

Over the years, we have seen an increase in the number of customers using our services because they are concerned about the rise of home burglaries,” said the source.

However, insurance only covers a certain percentage of the loss and it is difficult to chase the burglars as well considering they immediately liquidate the commodity in open market often by selling it off at second-hand outlets.

The Met Police had earlier released a string of indications about how the burglars use various tactics of ripping up floorboards, removing bath panels and safes. They have therefore said that it is essential for the public to help prevent these offences by taking some precautions such as taking a photograph of the valuables as it is the best way officers can prove that those valuables belong to the concerned owner.

Tory MPs suspended for Islamophobic attacks re-instated On March 18, 25 Conservative party members were suspended from the party for posting Islamophobic or racist content online and 15 of these members have now been reinstated into the party. Some of them had described Saudis as “sand peasants” and there was content comparing Asians to dogs.

In a letter to Prime Minister Theresa May, mayor of London Sadiq Khan expressed “deep concern” about the rise of anti-Muslim sentiment in the Conservative party.

He said- “The party needs to do much more to send the clear message that Islamophobia is totally unacceptable.

“I myself have repeatedly been subject to Islamophobic abuse from Conservative members and supporters. I have lost track of the number of Conservative councillors and members that have been suspended or faced legal action as a result of making Islamophobic comments towards or about me.”

A Conservative spokesman in a state-

ment to The Guardian has said that the party has acted “swiftly, suspending members and launching immediate investigations,” after being made aware of these attacks.

“Our complaints process is rightly a confidential one but there are a wide range of sanctions to challenge and change behaviour, including conditions to undertake training, a period of suspension and expulsion, and these are applied on a case-by- case basis,” the spokesman said.

Protests over LGBT lessons reach Manchester Parents in Manchester have contacted primary schools following the temporary suspension of the LGBT lessons in Birmingham's Parkfield Community school.

Reports have emerged which indicate that the parents have contacted close to seven primary schools stating how they are unhappy over sex and relationships lessons that teach children about LGBT rights.

Following these protests, the council is working with parents in resolving their concerns.

Meanwhile from September, the government is also introducing new guidance on how children learn about sex and relationships in schools. The curriculum is being updated for the first time in 20 years where children from the age of four will learn about these lessons that will include LGBT content as well.

The school managements have been approached to discuss the inclusion of the lessons in the curriculum.

Whereas, in a fresh row

over the temporary suspension of LGBT classes as part of the 'No Outsiders” lessons at the Parkfield community school, in Birmingham, Sir Michael Wilshaw, a former head of

Ofsted has proposed that the school “should absolutely reinstate these lessons”.

Parents have claimed that these classes are “promoting LGBT ways of life” and that they are promoting a “westernised lifestyle” elements of which are in conflict with the Muslim culture.

“Conservative religious people [can] uphold their views but also they’ve got to understand that they are living in this country, in a pluralistic society with liberal values, that strongly believes

that people should be treated fairly and equally,” said Sir Michael Wilshawv at BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

Other schools to follow the suspension include Leigh Trust which has said that it would not continue the programme at Leigh primary in Washwood Heath until the completion of a full consultation with parents. It is understood the suspension will affect three other primary schools in the area, which are managed by the trust.

The letter stated the lessons had been suspended until the board of directors were able to have “meaningful and open discussions” with parents.

Meanwhile, Hazel Pulley, Chief Executive Officer of the trust which runs the Parkfield school, has spoken about how the staff had lost weight and were not sleeping. She added that the situation had been the most "challenging" in 27 years in education.

10 READERS VOICE

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Stealing from God After the spate of acid attacks which are thankfully on the vane due to harsh punishments being meted out to the culprits, the incidents of moped riders snatching bags or other valuables from people walking on the pavements had gone up dramatically. Now the smashing of mosque windows and stealing of gold ornaments from Hindu temples are on the rise. These two things are occurring on a regular basis. Our temples are targeted by the thieves who have come to know that nicking of gold and money from temples is an easy way to make fast buck. But what drives the vandals to smash windows of the places of worship? It must be pure hatred towards people of different faith.

Also the knife crime is again on the increase. Knife crime offences went up by alarming rate this year.The Office for National Statistics had said that police records show that knife crimes have gone up to 39,332, the highest level ever recorded in London last year. They also indicate that knife deaths are phenomenon among many black teenagers. The worrying figures published indicate that the number of knife crime offences went up by alarming rate this year. Many campaigns have been launched to tackle this “dispicable” acts which have claimed large number of lives. Knife deaths are phenomenon among many black teenagers. Imagine yourself being confronted by man weilding a knife and threatening to harm you. It must be a very frightening experience.

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Air Travel chaos The past few days have been a catastrophe for airline industry all over the world, particularly in India. The 2 fatal air crashes within 6 months, killing hundreds of passengers as also the crew, made it mandatory for all the airlines to ground their fleet of Boeing 737 Max 8. This has thrown air travel in several countries out of gear.

Then the Indian flagship carrier Jet Airways has run into severe financial difficulties and as a consequence has grounded many of its aircrafts in India. Passengers like me, who had planned their journeys months before to visit their families, had to abandon their travel plans and are now eagerly awaiting their refund of money.

As Jet Airways has cancelled hundred of flights, the cost of cancellations is mounting. The pilots have threatened to go on a strike as they have not been paid their dues from December last year. Etihad Airways have refused to lend a helping hand to the airline. Indian Government is trying to arrive at an amicable solution with the help of State Bank of India. Till then the poor travellers have been left in dismay and despair.

Bharat Shah Rayners Lane, Harrow

Raising awareness of organ donation Few weeks back our family friend Mrs. Smitaben Patel (home town Nadiad, maiden name Smita Desai) of Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada’s young son Vishal at the age of 39 died due to heart attack.

Smitaben’s husband Shri Yogeshbhai Patel died due to health issues two years ago. To lose a young and very energetic son is a biggest blow to a mother and family which they never thought in their wildest dream.

Vishal used to work in a factory which was owned by his father with Italian partners and previous day of his death he sought very big production order for the company and he was so happy that he hugged her Mom and gave her massage and worked until midnight on computer and went to bed.

Next morning he woke up and went to washroom and all of sudden collapsed near bathtub and his mother upon hearing big thud came upstairs to check and she saw him there.

She called 911 and pulled him from bathtub and tried to revive him as per instructions given on phone before running downstairs to open up front door so paramedic people can come. They came and took him in ambulance to the hospital but due to massive heart attack he died.

In this short time period Smitaben and her daughter Natasha took a very bold and courageous decision to donate Vishal’s organs. When so many people in this type of situation cannot think of anything else except mourning and crying. There is very less awareness specially amongst our community and immigrants not only to donate organs of their loved ones but also to fill out forms to donate their organs after death.

I salute her and bow my head as her son’s organs will make life easy to recipients to perform daily routine activities and also bring happiness to family and friends.

Smitaben and her daughter Natasha deserves big Kudos for conveying strong message of awareness as organs donation is best donation which cannot be compared by any financial donation.

May Vishal’s soul Rest In Peace in heaven.

Suresh and Bhavna Patel Markham, Canada

Minister for Hunger?

Making changes to our milk source

Minister for Hunger in supposedly one of the richest nation with fifth largest economy may sound absurd. But in reality Britain may not be listed in top twenty nations if prosperity is based on living standard and personal disposable income, reflecting the quality of life we enjoy. Those who have travelled extensively in Europe will not need any reminder.

Infrastructure, that includes roads, rail, quality of housing as well as NHS is unbelievably superior in countries like Germany, France, Switzerland and especially in Scandinavian countries, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark where no one is homeless, sleeps on roads or have to depend on food-banks! Medical treatment is available practically on demand, no waiting list, no excuses.

Here some five thousand people sleep rough on our streets, in bitterly cold and wet winters, under railway bridges, shop doorways and any space that may keep them dry. No wonder their life-span is half compared to those affluent people living normal life. There are more foodbanks now than at any other time since Second World War. Even those who are in employment, unlike unemployed, sick and disable people, like cleaners, waiters and even nurses who should be the most valued members of the society, struggle to make ends meet, needing regular support from food-banks to feed their children.

No wonder group of MPs want government to appoint “Minister for Hunger” to study and help unfortunate people who go hungry, especially growing children. According to UN study, some 19% of under the age of 15, living with their parents struggle to buy food, suffer from malnutrition. This minister should also have added responsibility to look after homeless and rough sleepers, provide them with roof over their heads and three square meals a day.

Unlike Government propaganda, there is no shortage of money when we take care of poor with our ever bulging Overseas Aid budget, spending some ten billion building aircraft carriers and ten times that amount to replace our ageing nuclear submarines! The fact is we have wrong priorities, our isolated “Ivory Tower” living politicians have no clue how the other half lives. It is time for them to try to survive on income of less than one thousand pound a month, especially those with children and living in rental accommodation. No wonder with rents for a three bedroom property costing some £2000 a month, they have to endure overcrowding with three to four families sharing the cost!

Bhupendra M. Gandhi By email

Following on from Kumudinibens letter regarding the use of milk in Hindu and Jain rituals I would like to add some points. Many India's think that milk is given by well looked after cows as was in the past.

However milk is now mass produced and the cows have become nothing but milk machines. They are kept in closed areas and fed high concentrate diet instead of grass. This is to get maximum amount of milk which leaves the cows udders swollen and she is in great pain and suffers from arthritis and many other ailments. She is artificially inseminated and when a female calf is born it is separated from the mother causing great emotional suffering.

If a male calf is born it is either killed at birth or raised for beef. Every year around 75,000 male calf's are shot at birth in the dairy industry in the UK. After three pregnancies the cow is worn out and slaughtered for pet food.

Hinduism is a dynamic religion which adepts and changes according to circumstances without losing its core beliefs. The time has come to stop using milk in our rituals.

Even God's would be offended to be offered milk that comes from such cruelty.

We should start using soy, almond or oat milk. Every Hindu and Jain temple should consider this change urgently.

If need be we can have a meeting about this issue under the auspices of C.B. Patel.

We also need to seriously consider completely stopping fire crackers during Diwali. It creates a lot of pollution and extremely frightens all domestic animals including cows.

Cities like Delhi are literally suffocating due to the fireworks pollution.

When Lord Rama came back to Ayodhya people lit candles and that is why it is called Deepavali. And that is what we should be doing. I also believe that the burning of the effigy of Ravan is contrary to our idea of Ahimsa. Ravan was a great scholar, and a man of many abilities. His downfall was his pride or Ahankar.

We should be introspecting and getting rid of our Ahankar instead of burning Ravan's effigy. Throughout Hinduism's history sages and saints and even laymen and women have brought about reforms so that it is in tune with new and emerging challenges.

This means that it never stagnates and gets stuck in outdated practices. Regarding goat milk that Kumudiniben mentioned the process is similar and the goat gets slaughtered once it can not give any milk.

Nitin Mehta By email

Doctors crisis in NHS NHS is facing new crisis of cancer patients doctor shortages, more lawsuits as waiting lists grow, decline in mental workforce, and failure to meet the ever increasing demand on its services.

The NHS has lost the equivalent of 1,000 full-time GPs in the past year as "unbearable" workload pressures and funding shortfalls drive out doctors. One in six cancer centres now operates with fewer clinical oncology consultants than five years ago, and the UK is short of at least 184.

The report from the Royal College of Radiologists predicted that by 2023 the work force will be at least 22 per cent short of consultants, and warned some cancer therapies may not be delivered to all. One in six cancer centres now operates with fewer clinical oncology consultants than five years ago, and the UK is short of at least 184.

Long waiting lists for treatment could see the number of angry patients suing the NHS rise significantly, new research suggests. For many people, longer waits result in inconvenience and the discomfort associated with living with a medical condition. But for others their condition may deteriorate and a longer wait for treatment may cause them harm,” the report read.

The figures – which contradict a pledge from the Health Secretary to recruit an extra 5,000 GPs by 2020 – have been described as "gravely concerning" by doctors' leaders, who warn that the shortage will lead to increased waiting times at surgeries already struggling to cope with over-subscribed patient lists. They also come as the Chancellor faces mounting pressure to hand over more cash to the health service in Wednesday's Budget, with NHS boss Simon Stevens making an unprecedented plea for extra money earlier this month.

While there are around 41,324 doctors working in general practice, 500 fewer than two years ago, the pressures of the job mean they are increasingly working less than the NHS definition of “full-time”, opting instead for freelance work.

The results show that the NHS does face significant problems in many different areas. It is succeeding in treating more patients than in the past, but this rise in need for care, and rising costs coupled with tight budgets, are translating into widespread pressures on the ability of staff and managers to keep up with past performance and the standards the service sets itself.

It is incumbent on the government to fully fund the NHS and to take urgent and appropriate step to fill in the vacancies of doctors, oncology consultants and nurses as their top priority.

Baldev Sharma Rayners Lane, Harrow

Playtime axed in many schools Britain is indeed a small nation, yet it is the most densely populated nation in Europe, overtaking Netherland and third in the world, after Japan and Bangladesh, discounting minor nations like Singapore, Monaco. Moreover part of Britain, Wales and Scotland, being agricultural and having rugged landscape, as well as much colder climate than England, are comparatively thinly populated, thus creating pressure on England, especially on cities in South of England like London.

No wonder there is huge price difference on properties; one can buy a detached three to four bed room property in certain parts of Northern Ireland and rural Wales, Scotland for the price we pay here in London on a one bedroom flat in upmarket area.

In densely populated parts of London, like Chiswick, Westminster and Chelsea, a few among many, dual carriageways like A4 and A 40, only few feet from school playgrounds, used by some one hundred thousand cars and Lorries daily, makes it impossible for children to use this space without risking their health, as nitrogen oxide consistently exceeds legal limit.

No wonder many such schools have banned children from playing in the open. A few schools may have indoor space, in gymnasium where children are allowed to play under supervision. But this is not the solution, as team sports like football and cricket could not be accommodated in such a small, closed space.

Many such schools are actively planning to grow a thick hedge consisting of quick-growing plants on the school perimeter bordering the road. This may reduce pollution to some extent but it is not the right answer to combat vehicle created pollution. The right answer is to stop polluting cars entering these areas, as well as enhance the electrification of all vehicles; heavy vehicles like buses and Lories may use hydrogen as an alternative to electricity which gives longer range.

Disuse of petrol and diesel vehicles will happen by 2045 if not earlier, according to government planning. But by that time, health of many children will be ruined, putting them on permanent medication, an unnecessary burden on our under-seize NHS! Other advanced nations are also planning to ban such polluting vehicles but by 2035, much earlier than Britain. So why do we always leg-behind when welfare of our citizens is concerned?

Kumudini Valambia By email

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READERS VOICE April Fools The first day of the month of April is called ‘All Fools’ Day’ or ‘April Fool’s Day’. On this day, people take delight in playing practical jokes on each other.

The custom started in Rome when king Leopold of Belgium, who was married in Rome, was made a fool of by his sisterin-law when he went to his father-in-law’s palace on the first of April by mistake as he

NZ Mosque Attack The PM of NZ has condemned the shooting in mosques in NZ as an evil act of terrorism by a white supremacist in the strongest terms and stood by the Muslim community in their grief.

She has assured that all the measures will be taken to keep the community safe in her country. Furthermore, she refused to glorify the name of the perpetrator for his notoriety. The Muslim community world over has acknowledged and admired her gesture of goodwill. This is not enough.

The Muslim community needs to introspect their ideology and reciprocate the noble gesture of this great PM of NZ in equal measures. More often than not radical Muslims are the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks world over and the other communities are the victims.

had been invited there on first of May. Today, several centuries later, April fool is played on people on a large scale. It is played by students in schools and colleges and also by employees with their colleagues in offices. It is also played at home with neighbours and family members.

So don’t get April fooled this year. Be alert.

Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai, India These so called true believers of Islam proudly commit this heinous crime as justifiable act of Allah and are being hailed as heroes by the large Muslim community in their hearts.

Their silence is obviously is a moral support to them. It is no secret that some Islamic countries harbour, support and sponsor them. This to me is the real cause of Islamophobia.

It is an onus of peace loving and right minded members of Muslim community to condemn hate speeches, and radicalisation of young minds of their community with an agenda to establish supremacy of Islam over other faiths and beliefs by any means. If this can be attained, the world will be safer and more beautiful place to live for us all.

Niranjan Vasant By email

Master’s degrees make no difference to skill set Most employers do not believe postgraduate degrees give workers an edge in terms of their skills, a new poll has suggested.

Only 19 per cent of employers said graduates with a master’s had better skills than those who did not take a postgraduate qualification, a survey from

the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) revealed.

The report shows no employers in the consumer goods sector valued the qualification, while only 6 per cent in the IT sector saw the benefits of a postgraduate degree.

Even where employers do value master’s degrees,

such as the charity and public sectors, the graduates do not necessarily progress faster than those with other qualifications.

Only 12 per cent of employers said that postgraduate qualified hires progress more quickly in terms of salary than other hires, the survey revealed.

Foreign students earn more than their British classmates Foreign students who study at university in the UK go on to earn up to 50 per cent more than their British classmates, a report has found. Maths graduates from the UK earn an average of £33,100 five years after they complete their degree, while their peers from outside of Europe earn £48,600.

Meanwhile, Economics graduates earn an average of £37,900 after five years if they are from Britain compared to £45,700 if they are from overseas.

In both subjects, students from other European Union (EU) countries earn more than their British classmates but less than those from outside the EU. The report, published by the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi), analysed data on the median earnings of UK and foreign graduates five years after they completed their undergraduate degree. Out of 21 subject categories, foreign students earned more than their British counterparts in all but six.

The report's authors said that foreign graduates who get jobs in the UK typically do so in sectors that suffer from acute skills shortages.

Last week, ministers

launched their post-Brexit international education strategy with an attempt to woo overseas students by extended the length of poststudy work visas.

A Home Office white paper proposed to increase the post-study work visa for international students from four to six months for undergraduates and post graduates.

But Alistair Jarvis, chief executive of Universities UK, said that more should be done to “send a welcoming message” to international students, adding that the Government should extend the post-study work visa for graduates to two years.

The two year visa was scrapped in 2012 as part of a wider crack down on immigration. The move came amid concerns that foreign

graduates were abusing the system and staying on to do unskilled work.

Migration Watch UK argue against the two year post-study visa on the basis that foreign graduates should not be allowed to “stay on to stack supermarket shelves”. They point out that there is currently no cap on the number of foreign graduates who can stay on in the UK provided that they obtain a skilled job with a salary of at least £20,800 per year. The Government aims to boost income generated by international education by 75 per cent to £35 billion per year by 2030.

Under EU laws, universities must charge European students the same level of fees as their British peers, but non-EU students can be charged at a higher rate.

Unis to be fined for handing out too many top degrees Universities will be fined if they hand out too many first and 2:1 degrees to be fair to “hard-working students”, the education secretary is threatening.

Damian Hinds said a big leap in the two top awards – to 78 per cent of degrees, up from 67 per cent at the start of the decade – amounted to “grade inflation”, rather than rising standards alone.

Branding it “unjustifiable”, he said new powers to fine universities up to two

per cent of their income for failings should be extended to include baseless grades.

The education secretary pointed to analysis published by the Office for Students (OfS) last December, showing that 27 per cent of students obtained a first-class honours degree in 2016-17, up from 16 per cent in 2010-11.

The proportion was strikingly higher at some institutions, including the University of Surrey (50.1

per cent) and the University of Huddersfield (37.9 per cent).

The department for education said the analysis had concluded a rise of that scale could not be attributed to higher attainment at school or changes in student demographics alone.

Mr Hinds said British universities enjoyed a global reputation for “quality and high standards.

Unjustifiable, artificial grade inflation threatens that.”

Story time with e-books 'not as helpful' as print books Parents and children interact less when reading electronic books together than printed ones, a study suggests. Researchers from the University of Michigan found parents talked more about the technology than content when using electronic books.

With print, the frequency and quality of interactions were better, said lead author Dr Tiffany Munzer.

The results of studying 37 pairs of parents and toddlers appear in the journal Pediatrics.

In the study, the parents and children were observed reading three different formats - printed books, basic electronic books on a tablet and enhanced e-books with features such as sound effects and animation.

The study found that with e-books parents ended up focusing more on the technology, including, for example, telling children not to push buttons or change the volume.

Dr Munzer said: "Shared reading promotes children's language development, literacy and bonding with parents."

She said while many of the interactions between parents and young children reading together might appear subtle, they were important in promoting healthy child development.

Parents might ask questions of the child prompted by the book or relate the story to something the child had experienced.

The reading time could also lead to open-ended questions, such as asking the child what they thought of the book.

"Parents strengthen their children's ability to acquire knowledge by relating new content to their children's lived experiences.

Research tells us that parent-led conversations are especially important for toddlers because they learn and retain new information better from in-person interactions than from digital media," said Dr Munzer.

The study found that with electronic books, par-

ents asked fewer questions and commented less about the storyline.

The researchers found that electronic book enhancements were likely to be "interfering with parents' ability to engage in parent-guided conversation" during reading.

The study authors advise parents who do use ebooks for story time to "con-

sider engaging as they would with the print version and minimise focus on elements of the technology itself".

Dr Munzer said nonverbal interactions, including warmth, closeness and enthusiasm, helped create "positive associations with reading that will likely stick with children as they get older".

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12 MEDIA WATCH

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SCRUTATOR’S Amidst the brouhaha of the Lilliputians, a giant was gathered to his fathers. Manohar Parrikar, longtime Chief Minister of Goa and former Indian Defence Minister died at his home in Panaji, having lost his battle with cancer of the pancreas. Born in December 1955, in Mapusa, North Goa, he was educated in Mumbai, gaining admission into the Indian Institute of Technology (IITBombay), from where he passed out with a B.Tech in metallurgical engineering.

A dedicated RSS member from his youth, he started his own hydraulic engineering business, giving it up following his entry into politics. His early days as a politician were none too promising, but it wasn’t too long before he made his mark in 1994, winning a seat in the State Assembly elections, with the BJP also making its first bow in Goa. In October 2000, Parrikar became Chief Minister of Goa, the State’s first IItian, was elected again in 2002, then again in 2012, when the BJP gained control of the 40-seat State legislature with 21 seats. He was the first major BJP leader to endorse Narendra Modi’s candidature for prime minister in the general election of May 2014.

Defence Minister In November 2014, he was appointed India’s Defence Minister, breaking the logjam of files and decisions of his predecessor, the honest but hopelessly inept A.K. Antony. The paralytic administration, thereafter, attained a measure of dynamism. Progress was made in taking the manufacture of India’s first domestically-designed fighter aircraft, Tejas, forward to the next level (it is now in full production having overcome its teething problems). He forwarded his approval to the Cabinet Committee on Defence, India’s participation in the manufacture of the Russian-designed Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft, of which there has been little heard since, despite declining force levels in the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Under Parrikar’s charge, the IAF was authorized, in September 2016, to undertake a strike in the Kashmir’s Uri sector at jihadi bases in its environs. But the fluid politics of Goa forced Prime Minister Modi to transfer Parrikar back to the State as Chief Minister, where he had first distinguished himself, putting on the cultural map with hugely successful film festival, and as a major soccer hub for aspiring youth, and a magnet for domestic and foreign tourism.

Manohar Parrikar

nation in the cultural sense. A Catholic in Goa is also Hindu culturally, because his practices don’t match with Catholics in Brazil. Except in the religious aspect, a Goan Catholic’s way of thinking matches a Hindu’s. So, Hindu for me is not a religious term, it is cultural. I am not the Hindu nationalist as understood by some TV media – not one who will take out a sword and kill a Muslim.’

Parrikar’s governments were coalitions of the willing: BJP partnering a local Catholic party.

Their performance on the whole was exemplary (Times of India, Hindu March 18).

Promod Sawant Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s successor is the Speaker of the Goa Assembly, 46 year-old Promod Sawant, who was duly elected Chief Minister.

The Deputy Speaker, Francis D’Souza, of the BJP, was appointed Speaker.

Poll puts BJP in lead A tracker poll by Times Now and VMR, part of the Times of India group, has placed the BJP-led alliance ahead of its Opposition rivals, with an estimated 283 seats in the new Lok Sabha, Congress second with an estimated 135 seats and others around 125 seats. The BJP appeared to have gained 13 seats, since the earlier poll, following the India’s Balacot strike on a jihadi base (Times of India March 19).

Nirav Modi held in UK

Declaration, governance Manohar Parrikar’s final declaration summed up his life and work. ‘I am a perfect Hindu, but that has nothing to with my government. India is a Hindu

Nirav Modi

Diamond merchant Nirav Modi’s months on the run ended at a UK bank where he was recognized and arrested by the police. His appeal for bail was rejected by a London court.

Extradition to India after due process are expected under way soon (Hindu, Business Line, Times of India March 21).

Rupee up with ‘strong money inflows’ The Indian rupee scaled up in value as foreign money kept flowing into the country. The currency breached the key psychological level of 69 and surged to a high of 68.44 to the US dollar. The inflow of foreign money into equity is responsible for the rupee’s rise. Foreign Portfolio Investors bought $2.2 billion last week in Indian equities, and $1.2 million in the debt segment. In fact, Foreign Portfolio Investors poured in $5 billion in equities over the last three weeks.

become Chief Justice of the Andhra High Court before being elevated as Justice in the Supreme Court (Hindu March 18, 19).

First supercomputer on anvil at IIT-Kgp Within an estimated three months, the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, will be ready with its first supercomputer under the umbrella of the National Supercomputing Mission. The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing is an autonomous science body of the Ministry of Electronics and Information (Times of India March 15) Mukesh Ambani bails out brother, Anil

brothers, Anil was in dire straits unable to pay a massive company debt to Ericsson within the allotted time set by a court, impatient at repeated delays, and hence risking imprisonment, elder brother Mukesh and wife Nita stepped into the breach and forked out the monies required – Rs 430 crore - to meet the debt.

The brothers were once at loggerheads over the separation of the business bequeathed to them by their legendary father Dhirubhai Ambani. That was a long time ago. The rift was mended, but while Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance soared to the skies – oil, gas, Jio telecommunications, Anil’s companies appeared to founder.

Such is the broad canvas.

Anyway, Anil’s acknowledgement of his brother’s generosity was moving. ‘my sincere and heartfelt

Goldman Sachs Upgrade Global investment bank Goldman Sachs has upgraded India’s equities to ‘overweight’ predicting that the country’s stocks are set to accelerate in the lead-up to the upcoming general election. In September 2018, Goldman Sachs had down downgraded Indian stocks, citing ‘political and economic risks and risk situation.’ The reversed assessment was driven by the current upsurge in the benchmarks of the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange upswing caused by third quarter earnings data, and revived inflows of foreign portfolio investors based on optimism about political stability in the post election period.

Mukesh Ambani with Anil Ambani

Life in the business world is not always about boardrooms, company merges or splits. The human factor can occasionally subsume all three. When the younger of the two Ambani

thanks to my respected elder brother Mukesh, and Nita, for standing by me during these trying times…I and my family are deeply grateful….deeply touched with this gesture.’ (Times of India March 19).

Dalai Lama alarms China

GST Council aids housing sector The GST Council has given builders an option to choose between old tax rates and new ones for construction projects incomplete on March 31. That the GST Council has given the green light comes as a considerable relief for the housing sector in handling transition issues. For upcoming projects, reduced rates of 5 per cent and 1 per cent will be applicable from April 1 (Statesman, Times of India, Hindu March 20).

Pinaki Ghose first Lokpal Pinaki Chandra Ghose, a former judge of India’s Supreme Court, has been appointed India’s first Lokpal (anti- corruption Ombudsman) by a high level selection committee chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The other members of the committee were the present Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Ranjan Gogoi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and eminent jurist Mukul Rohatgi.

Born in Calcutta and educated at the city’s St Xavier’s College, Justice Ghose won his spurs as an advocate at the Calcutta High Court, proceeded later to

Tibet’s revered spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, set the cat among the pigeons by suggesting that his possible successor – he now being 83 – could emerge from within the Tibetan community in India. Tibetan Buddhism attached to the doctrine of reincarnation, has for centuries undertaken the practice of searching for his successor within the country. This is an involved process, best explained elsewhere, but the Dalai Lama’s statement set the cat among the pigeons in Beijing, which having brazenly invaded Tibet in November 1950 on the absurdly malicious excuse that it was part of China from time immemorial (Hindu March 18).

Might is Right Tibet had an independent government, ministers, a National Assembly, an army, its own currency, passports etc when invaded by China. Tibetan unrest may wax and wane, but it is ever present. The Chinese government reacting to the Dalai Lama’s statement averred that it was for China to decide his successor in keeping with Tibetan tradition - under China’s military jackboot?

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CIIr Ketan Sheth

Harrow student's Code Camp app earns her award

Councillor for Tokyngton Wembley Brent Council’s Chair of Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee

Wembley Boxpark Just over three months since its launch last December, it is great to see the positive contribution that Boxpark Wembley is already making to Wembley Park, the rapidly transforming neighbourhood fast becoming a landmark destination with community, culture, food and entertainment at its heart.

Created by visionary entrepreneur Roger Wade, Boxpark Wembley follows in the footsteps of the hugely successful Boxparks in Shoreditch and Croydon. This newest Boxpark is a joint venture with Quintain, who created the opportunity for it to come to Wembley Park.

Home to over 20 food outlets and 20,000 sq. ft. of dedicated event space, Boxpark Wembley is the largest site opening in

London to date. With its array of dining options offered in cutting-edge surroundings, the venue is a fitting addition to Wembley Park’s rapidly emerging creative scene.

Covering anything from sushi to veggie burgers, including KoolCha – owned by Michelin-starred chef Rohit Ghai – it is a culinary mecca for all palates and budgets.

However, thinking of Boxpark Wembley exclusively in terms of food and drink would be to underplay it. Drawing on Wembley’s rich heritage as a global events destination, the venue offers an exciting and dynamic events programme that is built around the local community: from family film clubs to hip hop karaoke, there’s always something going on

to make visitors feel at home, in between a slice of pizza and a Bombay burrito.

Working together with emerging local artists and established talent from across the capital, Boxpark further enhances Wembley Park’s reputation as a vibrant and connected neighbourhood, rooted in its local community. It is a fitting addition to Olympic Way which is getting a major make-over at the moment As recent sold-out events have proven, including Indian festival of Holi and Shamrock Sessions, a St Patrick’s Day tribute for the Irish community of Brent, Boxpark Wembley’s ingredients to success lie in inclusivity and celebration of a diverse local community.

Akram Khan's film to explore identity, family and his curry house links

At its peak, there were 12,000 curry houses in Britain, the vast majority run by Bangladeshi immigrants. Born in Wimbledon, where his father ran an Indian restaurant, renowned choreographer and contemporary dancer Akram Khan was expected to inherit the family busi-

ness. But Akram had other ideas.

The Channel 4 film called The Curry House Kid, explores identity, art, family and why when we say we’re going for an Indian we probably mean a Bangladeshi.

It sees Akram Khan returning to curry houses of his childhood, meeting the

chefs who created this culinary institution in the face of hostility- often violent racism. He came face to face with his own past, his family, history and the reasons he became a dancer. All of this is woven into a poetic new piece of dance that tells a universal story- the immigrant experience in Britain.

An 18-year-old girl has been celebrated for creating a digital tool that has taught thousands of children how to code. Mahek Vara from Harrow received the Rising Star Award for her Code Camp app at the FDM Everywoman in Technology Awards 2019 to coincide with International Women’s Day. Ms Vara started her charity while still at school aged 16, to help children learn essential programming and digital skills.

Code Camp is now available in India with support by regional governments and is being used by over 70,000 students in more than 1,800 schools.

Ms Vara, who is currently studying maths and computer science at Durham University, has plans to export her app to Saudi

Mahek Vara received the Rising Star Award for her Code Camp app

Arabia next.

She was among 12 winners on the night recognised for their contributions to the technology industry and for getting more women and young girls interested in STEM subjects.

Panellist and Everywoman co-founder Maxine Benson said: “This

year showcased yet another selection of talented individuals from all around the world, across different sectors and from all walks of life. Their phenomenal achievements within the technology industry make us proud to announce them as Everywoman ambassadors.”

Drunk spat at a shopkeeper and urinated in the street A Thornton Heath drunk who spat at a shopkeeper and urinated in the street has been told he needs help with his drinking problem, a court has heard.

Purushothamrajam Poobalasingam attacked Ziaulla Niazi in Niazi and Sons, on Thornton Heath High Street, on New Year's Day, Croydon Magistrates' Court heard on Wednesday March 20th. He was told by a district judge that alcohol "turns him into a terrible person".

The 33-year-old, of Marion Road, was then caught urinating in Talbort Road two weeks later. When he was arrested by cops and in custody, he "smeared blood on the walls" of the police cell.

The court heard the

attack on Mr Niazi happened on New Year's Day, and occurred while Poobalasingam was drunk.

It was then said that he urinated in Talbort Road on January 15. He reportedly smeared blood on the wall of the police cell at Croydon Custody Suite, on Windmill Road, the following day.

Prosecutor Emily Baxter told the court: "On the first occasion he spat at the shop keeper and on the second occasion he urinated on the street," she said.

"Later he smeared blood on the walls of a police cell."

She added: "He denies being a drinker but admits drinking two to three cans of beer a day."

Poobalasingam, wearing black shoes, black trousers, collared shirt, tie and dark

coat, chose to represent himself at the hearing, and was told he "needed help" with his alcohol consumption.

"You need help with your drinking, don't you?", said district judge Alex Jacobs.

"Yes," replied Poobalasingam.

"You look like a decent bloke," Mr Jacobs added.

"Stood there in a shirt and tie, but that's not what happened on January 15, January 16 and New Year's Day."

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14 COMMUNITY

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

30 March - 5 April 2019

Indians in London group hosts Holi celebration 'Indians in London' or' IIL Orkut Group'-a 23,000+ member group, organised Holi celebration on 23 March 2019 at the Indian Gymkhana Club in Osterley. It was attended by around 1200 people, along with Chief guest Deputy Mayor of London for Business, Rajesh Agrawal and MP Virendra Sharma as well as Anima Barnwal, First Secretary, Income-tax overseas unit, High Commission of India, as key guests.

Deputy Mayor of London for Business, Rajesh Agrawal addressing the attendees

Holi celebration at GHS Preston Over 500 people joined the holi celebration at Gujarat Hindu Society on Wednesday 20thMarch 2019. Graham Liver from Radio Lancashire who was present to join in the celebration.Young and old gathered round the bonfire.

After the religious ceremony the bonfire was set a light by the president Dashrathbhai Nayee.

All the women present performed a spiritual ceremony and once the bonfire was properly lit coconuts were thrown in and allowed to bake. Young and old had brought colours to put on each other. The atmosphere was one of happiness.

People stayed on till late and were also able to participate in a service in the temple.

Bollywood fundraiser

Holi celebrated in Maidenhead More than 150 people were throwing paint in the sun this weekend as part of a Hindu Festival.

Celebrations of Holi, the Hindu festival of colour, took place at Sportsable in Braywick Park on Sunday.

The festival signifies the start of spring. About 160 people turned up to the event, which boasted a variety of entertainment including performances by children and a DJ playing Hindi and Punjabi music.

Guests also covered each other in powdered paint during the celebrations.

Eneet Walia, one of the event organisers, said: “Throwing the colours was like how it is back in India.

My eight-year-old daughter told me it was the best party she had ever been to in her life. Children loved it, they

Deepa and Rupesh Masani with son Prem

Dhiren Katwa

all had fun with the colours.”

During the event, everyone enjoyed a three-course meal, and a raffle raised

about £250 in total.

That money will be handed out to homeless people around Maidenhead and nearby areas.

Eneet said: “People are already asking me when the next event will be. We will have to do a summer party soon.”

A couple from Leicester, together with Kreesh Events, have organised a Bollywood-themed live music and dance event to help raise funds for charity.

Rupesh and Deepa Masani, loving parents to 9year-old Prem, were left devastated after the tragic loss of their second child, Jai, during pregnancy in 2016.

Since then, they have devoted their spare time to supporting their chosen charities, those focusing on baby loss, digestive diseases such as crohn’s and colitis, and breast cancer.

Rupesh has raised over £8,000 for the Leicester Hospitals Baby Loss Appeal

charity by completing the Leicester Half Marathon and then the London Marathon. Rupesh will be running the London Marathon again this year, on April 28, to raise further funds for the Leicester Hospitals Charity.

The Bollywood fundraiser, which will feature songs from the 80’s and 90’s by Hitesh and Veda and a charity raffle, will take place at the Wigston Liberal Club.

Rupesh is the eldest grandson of well-known nonagenarian Premjibhai (Malambhai) Masani from Birmingham, originally from Soroti in Uganda who has been selflessly serving the Hindu community for decades.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

SP

UK

TLIGHT

15

30 March - 5 April 2019

Dr Agimol Pradeep

DON’T FORGET TO SPRING FORWARD

Organ and Stem Cell Donation in the South Asian Community

On Sunday 31st March 2019, the clock will go forward by one hour. Don’t forget to change the time.

Mother's day: Gifts you can buy at the 12th hour

Sunetra Senior

as a donor to be able to contribute to organ transplants. “This has “The medical profession,” Agimol meant many Indian, Pakistani and told us, “is one of a few where you can Bangladeshi patients have been follow your passion and emerge sucdenied vital procedures. With cessfully.” The trustee of the fundaorgan transplants, for example, mentally life-changing charity, families don’t tend to approve Upahaar, the young nurse knows well organ donation if a family member what she is speaking about. The has not expressed their wish to severity of the scarcity of Asian participate prior to death. But donors led me to do the PhD on this many people really want to help, topic. Agimol realised that Southespecially when they know they Asian patients were receiving less can.” organ and tissue transplants Additionally, increascompared to those of ing the number of Caucasian descent. donors from ethnic minority backShe consegrounds is comquently sought pulsory because to raise awareBAME patients ness that tend to require would fight specific tissue the problem and blood and boost types, unique more peoto their biople’s lives. logical her“The Upahaar itage. “Seeing N e t w o r k patients so evolved from the needlessly in dispersonal project I tress drove me to started at the time, go out and raise looking into the reaawareness,” Agimol sons behind poor organ commented here.

She donation rates for those of started volunteering to recruit BAME backgrounds: when I was workmore organ and stem cell donators ing with Asian patients in the clinic, I where the campaigning has now culfound that they could open up to me as minated in a fully-fledged charity. someone who was part of their cul“You can register with organ donor ture, and many expressed register, or contact Upahaar to strong concerns that they help, and you know you’re Positivity making a huge difference. were not receiving the same help as others.” Indeed, one and honesty Giving a kidney greatly in five people who died on improves the quality of one’s are the best life. When patients are withthe waiting list in 2017/18 has been from a BAME out one, they must come in salve. background, where 31% on for dialysis treatment three kidney waiting list, in partictimes a week, hooking themular, are from Black, Asian & selves up to machines. It’s drainMinority Ethnic (BAME) communities. ing to say the least. When you donate a liver, you actually save someone’s life: *** it is a tense, and heart-breaking time “At first,” Agimol continued, “there when someone is waiting for a lifewas suspicion of institutional line.” In the UK, around 6,000 racism.” However, upon people are on the waiting further investigation, list, while three people die In the UK, the real reason was every day anticipating “the lack of awaretheir transplant. “We around 6,000 ness within the don’t even need a people are on the BAME communities 100% match,” the waiting list, while themselves. Many nurse emphasised, South Asians, for “just the right candithree people die example, don’t dates.” every day donate because they For her incredible don’t acknowledge impact on patient care, anticipating this as a health crisis.

Ajimol has been awarded transplants.

It’s not widely underthe British Empire Medal stood in such social circles.”

(BEM) last year (2018), and Currently, the NHS also operNurse of the Year by the British ates on the ‘Opt-In’ system, which Journal of Nursing (2015). “It can defimeans citizens must officially register nitely be stressful when you’re working

t

31s

Dr Agimol Pradeep

in the medical field,” the noble nurse finished, “but positivity and honesty are the best salve.” And so, Agimol shows us that simple commitment to one’s job can sometimes yield the biggest reward. “I hope to continue being a role model for change in the future: when you can view your work as a calling, you reach new, unanticipated heights.”

What changes can the government make to help increase the number of organ and stem cell donors?

Actually, as of 2020 the new policy will be one of opting out, which I support. Unless you specify that you don’t want to be an organ donor, you will be considered for patient transplants.

This is much more efficient, and reduces misunderstandings that will save lives. Right now, 91% of families agree to donate, knowing their loved one is on the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR).

What first interested you in specialising as a nurse?

The transformation of life. I am also a keen learner; I understand the realities of people’s lives and want to do what I can to help. Training-wise, the move into academia and renal transplants afforded me a lot more opportunities and a networking platform. This has been very useful for the sharing an implementing of important ideas. Currently working in the liver transplant unit, I am enjoying learning more on the broad topic of transplants.

And has the NHS done all they can to help your campaigning?

Absolutely, yes. I’m also invited to give talks to different communities under the organisation, and can liaise with important national bodies.

Finally, what advice would you give other young medical staff who care deeply for their profession at a time of such high pressure?

Take pride in what you do. You’ve got to follow procedure and perhaps achieve certain targets, but remember that care and love facilitate the NHS as much as financial support. At the end of the day, it is about finding satisfaction in a patient’s thankful smile.

W: http://www.upahaar.org/ Become a donor: join the NHS Organ Donor Register, or call on: 0300 123 23 23

International Mother's Day in the UK will be celebrated on Sunday 31st March and if you have not planned in advance what to gift for the woman who has gifted her entire life for you then following are the last minute fixes and gift ideas that can save the rainy day.

1. Movie tickets to Chaal Jeevi Laiye: Gujarati movie Chaal Jeevi Laiye is about a journey of surprises that a workaholic entrepreneur goes on with his father after discovering that he his father is diagnosed with pontine glioma. Currently being showcased at Safari cinema with tickets starting from £4.00, this could be a perfect Sunday date with your mother.

2. Dermalogica radiant skin set: Give your mum the ultimate skincare kit with Dermalogica's fabulous gift set at £70. The revered brand promises that the collection will keep her skin looking younger, firmer and radiant sounds good to us! Also, every gift box has a built-in gift tag, making it much easier for you!

3. Dhakai Bengali Sari: Incase you have Bengali roots and you are wondering where to find a traditional Bengali Dhakai Sari then Myosutra is the best place to start shopping from. Since its inception in 2017, the store has been working with the artisans from different parts of India who are masters of their craft and making them available to the Indian diaspora living abroad. Each one of our creations is steeped in the brilliant craftsmanship of these gifted artisans. Be it sarees, blouses, kurtas, jewelleries and accessories, the outfits are available at affordable prices.

4. GHD travel hairdryer: If your mum has something exciting planned for her summer holidays, then gifting her the GHD travel hairdryer that will ensure she can post pictures of a good hair day while on holiday. The handy travel size hairdryer comes with all of the style and features that make GHD such a popular brand and the only difference is that it is 50% lighter with 70% of the power. It is available at £59 at ghdhair.com.

5. TLC Spa treatment: We all need some tender loving care and especially the mums who work round the clocks both at homes as well as in their offices. The spa experiences that are available these days are worth every pennywith some being available at quite affordable rates.

Spabreaks.com offers a Classic Spa Day at merely £70 per person which is available at over 100 locations in the UK and the deal includes full use of the leisure facilities and a relaxing 25 minute treatment. Another option includes 2 for 1 Blissful Spa Day Choice offered by BuyAGift at merely £55 per person. You have a total of 229 locations to choose from to redeem the offer which also includes a 25 minute treatment and full use of leisure facilities. You can also visit some well known spa brands including Bannatyne, Macdonald, Marriott, Virgin Active, Village, Mercure and Hallmark.

16 INDIA ELECTION SPECIAL

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

AsianVoiceNews

www.asian-voice.com

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

INDIA

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

ELECTION SPECIAL

30 March - 5 April 2019

17

30 March - 5 April 2019

India gears up for world's largest democratic exercise I

Most Indians are cynical of things changing regardless of who comes into power

ndia gears up for the world's largest democratic exercise, its general election, in May this year. While the upcoming elections may not be necessarily be groundbreaking for BJP, it may still prove to be a watershed moment for the political right, if Prime Minister Narendra Modi is able to recast its core nationalist ideology. The seven phase polls will begin from April 11 and the counting of votes will take place on May 23.

India is a young country with a median age of 27.9 years last year. By 2020, youth will make up 34 per cent of the country's population.

Data from the Election Commission reveals 45 million young people have become eligible to vote as they turned 18. In this year's polls, the youth will play a deciding factors. Youth had catapulted the BJP to power in its five main states with the highest proportion of young voters. Issues relating to the youth, education and jobs, are expected to take centrestage in this election.

Congress and BJP Manifestos The BJP is working on its 'Sankalp Patra' (manifesto).

Home Minister Rajnath Singh is leading the BJP's manifesto committee for 2019. Last month, the BJP had started crowd-sourcing suggestions to complete its manifest. It has launched a w e b s i t e , bharatkemannkibaat.com, a toll-free number and flagged off 300 trucks to crowdsource ideas. Reports said these trucks would visit 4,000 assembly constituencies with suggestion boxes to gather people's suggestions.

The Congress manifesto, meanwhile, promises a 100day guaranteed urban employment programme with an opportunity to earn up to Rs 10,000 per month, a universal healthcare scheme, no strings attached loan for

Better Worse

students to complete higher education, improved minimum support price and a complete farm loan waiver of up to Rs 200,000. Taking a rights-based approach followed by the successive Congress-led UPA governments, the party is likely to promise right to health, right to employment in urban areas and right to higher education in the polls.

The manifesto, which is expected to be released on Thursday, is likely to have Congress President Rauhl Gandhi's promise of minimum income guarantee scheme. The party is expected to promise employment for the educated unemployed youth by involving them in services like delivering water and electricity bills, meter reading, opening of small citizen service centres and collection of property tax. For each bill collected or delivered the small fee give in to a private contractor would go to the unemployed youth.

Another major promise is likely to be right to higher education.

Rahul Gandhi speaks on poverty Rahul Gandhi has promised a “surgical strike” on poverty and said his party had been working on how to eradicate it for the last six months.

Speaking in a rally in Suratgarh, a day after declaring his party would roll out a minimum income guarantee scheme for the

yes

How well do these statments describe India?

Elected Officials care what ordinary people think about

No matter who wins an election, things do not change very much

66.67 %

would work to reduce unemployment if it comes to power. Gandhi said, “If Modi gives money to the rich, the Congress will give money to

poorest 20 per cent households, if voted to power, Gandhi said only the rich could dream under the Narendra Modi rule.

71.91 % around 140 million people were lifted from poverty by the UPA government.

On Monday, the Congress announced it will

The man who cleaned up elections in India TN Seshan Fondly remembered as the man who cleaned up polls in the country, TN Seshan was the most admired Chief Election Commissioner. He lived a life mired in controversies for reforming the election scenario without cowering under the threats that came his way. His policies, their implementation, coupled with his strict demeanor had earned him the moniker 'Al-Seshan' (Alsatian). Some electoral “battles” that took place under his vigil were even dubbed 'Seshan versus Nation'.

Some of his key achievements include strict implementation of the model code of conduct during elections, guaranteeing issuance of voter Ids for the eligible electorate, putting a cap on a candidate’s expenditure in his/her campaign. He also ended several malpractices such as the distribution of liquor during elections, use of official machinery for campaigns, inciting caste or communal violence, using places of worship for campaigns, etc. The word during those days was “Politicians feared only God or TN Seshan”. His legacy continues to live on even to this day. the poor.” He alleged that Modi had helped those who had black money, Gandhi said those lifted from poverty by the UPA government had again been made poor in the last five years. He claimed

Gandhi said, “We will eradicate poverty in the country. This is a 'dhamaka'.

No country has done this in history. There should not be a single poor person in the country.” He said his party

22.62 %

73.75 %

Tackling Terrorism

26.25 %

Tackling Corruption

75.58 %

24.42 %

Job oppertunities

76.14 %

23.86 %

Tackling Air Pollution

65.38 %

34.62 %

Gap between the rich and poor

66.67 %

33.33 %

Communal relations

61.64 %

38.36 %

30%

56.58%

Voters Preference

Most politicians are corrupt

77.38 %

20%

43.42 %

According to the Mood of the Nation poll by Lokniti - CSDS in May 2018

Price of goods and services

10%

Rahul Gandhi

No

Has India gotten better or worse in the past 5 years?

0%

Narendra Modi

CAN BJP CHALLENGE TRINAMOOL CONGRESS IN WEST BENGAL? Mamta Banerjee’s party has a strong base in the state that BJP could find difficult to challenge in the upcoming elections

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

transfer Rs 6,000 a month in the bank accounts of 50 million families, comprising the poorest of the poor, if it comes to power, in an effort to turn the focus back on economic issues ahead of the next month's general elections. Gandhi unveiled his party's £36 billion campaign promise of a minimum income guarantee scheme called Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY). He said the big idea is to ensure that the basic income of every poor family in India does not fall below Rs 12,000 a month.

“The 20 per cent poorest of poor families would get Rs 72,000 directly transferred in their accounts. This is the final assault on poverty,” Gandhi said.

On the other hand, the BJP had too unveiled a minimum income support scheme for farmers in its

33.33%

28.09 %

interim Budget on February 1st, 2019. Under the scheme, titled Kisan Yojana, cash will be transferred to beneficiaries, which hold 2 hectares of land or less, in three instalments of Rs 2000 a year, culminating in a total payment of Rs 6000 per year.

Income sops offered by the BJP and Congress While it seems at this stage that the Congress' scheme is covering more of India's voters, more than two times as much. However, since the start of the year, the BJP has unveiled a number of additional sops for the electorate. In addition to the farmer handouts, the BJP outlined a pension scheme for informal sector workers in its interim budget. The scheme proposes a monthly pension of Rs 3,000 for those above the age of 60.

The government has earmarked an allocation of Rs 5 billion for the scheme.

However, the cost is relatively small because it is counting on informal workers between the ages of 29 and 60 to make a contribution of Rs 100 a month. The total amount of people covered by the BJP's election sops now increases to 220 million people. The ruling administration is also offering tax breaks for workers in the formal sector that earn less than Rs 500,000 a year.

Also, the BJP has one more scheme to convincingly tip the scales in its favour. In early January 2019, Modi’s Cabinet approved a 10 per cent reservation for “economically backward upper castes” in government jobs and educational institutions. Meanwhile, as we wait for the Congress to come up with something as election campaigning

intensifies, the minimum income guarantee scheme is positioned as the big elections announcement so far.

Can the BJP make inroads in the South?

The BJP has traditionally been perceived as a North Indian party, with limited influence beyond the Hindispeaking states. Even in 2014, when the BJP swept the Lok Sabha elections, it won a mere 21 seat in the five southern states, or 19 per cent of the 112 seats on offer. In contrast, the saffron party won 60 per cent in the rest of the country.

Not only has the number of southern seats won by the BJP remained constant, the party has also failed to expand beyond its traditional strongholds in Karnataka.

Acknowledging its shortcomings in the southern states in the previous elections, the BJP competed only in 67 seats. It secured a vote share of 31 per cent across these seats and won in 21 (31 per cent of contested seats).

While this was lower than the BJP's national performance where it secured 40 per cent vote share and 66 per cent seats in the seats it contested, it was still be an improvement over the BJP's previous performance in the South.

In Karnataka, the BJP is a force to reckon with and it hopes to build on previous electoral successes. The BJP has been the best performing party in terms of total seats won in the state over the past three general elections (since 2004).

The rest of South India, however, presents a far greater challenge for the BJP. Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu are bastions of regional parties, where the BJP has struggled historically.

BJP in war with Didi's TMC for victory over Bengal The BJP has focused on West

Bengal hoping to emerge as the direct challenger to Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, pushing Left parties and the Congress to the sidelines in the bid.

Current trends indicate that the TMC very well holds its ground though the BJP could well emerge as its key opponent. This implies that in the Lok Sabha polls, the Trinamool could well retain the bulk of its seats and the BJP could emerge in second place with a reasonable increase in its seats share.

If one were to notice the trends since the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the vote share of the Trinamool Congress has remained more or less unchanged. It has hovered around 45 per cent across the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the 2016 assembly polls and the Mood of the Nation poll. In case of the BJP, its vote share saw a significant dip in the 2016 assembly poll as compared to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls but has staged an impressive recovery ever since.

There is not much of a variation in the Congress vote share though in the case of the Left, the Mood of the Nation poll indicates a sharp decline in its vote share as compared to the 2016 assembly polls.

If this trend continues in the next two months one is likely to see the Trinamool Congress see its seat share be more or less remain in the early thirties (it won 34 seats in 2014) with the BJP inching towards double digits (it won two seats in 2014) with the Left and the Congress conceding political space (they won two and four seats respectively in 2014).

Cash, liquor and freebies worth £54 mn seized since poll announcement The Election Commission has announced that suspect cash, illegal liquor, and drugs worth about £54 million have been seized across the

country since parliamentary election schedule was announced. Tamil Nadu recorded the maximum seizure of these illegal inducements, suspected to have been routed and used to bribe voters, worth £10.72 million, followed by Uttar Pradesh £10.45 million, Andhra Pradesh £10.34 and Punjab £9.28 million.

Karnataka saw the total seizure of inducements and cash worth £2.65 million, Maharashtra £1.91 million and Telangana £820,000.

An EC official said the total value of seized items was £54 million. The polls were declared by the EC on March 10, and as per data updated till March 25, a total of £14.34 million suspect cash, £ 8.96 million worth of liquor, drugs valued at £13.17 million, gold and other precious metals worth £ 16.29 million and other freebies of

£1.22 million have been seized, the EC data for all states for Lok Sabha polls said.

The commission has

deployed hundreds of general observers, expenditure observers and static and mobile surveillance teams in the country to keep a check

on flow of black money and other illegal gratification so that the level playing field of holding fair polls is not disturbed.

How do Indians feel about democracy in India ?

More than half of Indians are satisfied with the way democracy is woking in india Satisfied Dont Know Not Satisfied

Dont Know 13%

Not Satisfied 33%

Satisfied 54%

16 INDIA ELECTION SPECIAL

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

AsianVoiceNews

www.asian-voice.com

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

INDIA

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

ELECTION SPECIAL

30 March - 5 April 2019

17

30 March - 5 April 2019

India gears up for world's largest democratic exercise I

Most Indians are cynical of things changing regardless of who comes into power

ndia gears up for the world's largest democratic exercise, its general election, in May this year. While the upcoming elections may not be necessarily be groundbreaking for BJP, it may still prove to be a watershed moment for the political right, if Prime Minister Narendra Modi is able to recast its core nationalist ideology. The seven phase polls will begin from April 11 and the counting of votes will take place on May 23.

India is a young country with a median age of 27.9 years last year. By 2020, youth will make up 34 per cent of the country's population.

Data from the Election Commission reveals 45 million young people have become eligible to vote as they turned 18. In this year's polls, the youth will play a deciding factors. Youth had catapulted the BJP to power in its five main states with the highest proportion of young voters. Issues relating to the youth, education and jobs, are expected to take centrestage in this election.

Congress and BJP Manifestos The BJP is working on its 'Sankalp Patra' (manifesto).

Home Minister Rajnath Singh is leading the BJP's manifesto committee for 2019. Last month, the BJP had started crowd-sourcing suggestions to complete its manifest. It has launched a w e b s i t e , bharatkemannkibaat.com, a toll-free number and flagged off 300 trucks to crowdsource ideas. Reports said these trucks would visit 4,000 assembly constituencies with suggestion boxes to gather people's suggestions.

The Congress manifesto, meanwhile, promises a 100day guaranteed urban employment programme with an opportunity to earn up to Rs 10,000 per month, a universal healthcare scheme, no strings attached loan for

Better Worse

students to complete higher education, improved minimum support price and a complete farm loan waiver of up to Rs 200,000. Taking a rights-based approach followed by the successive Congress-led UPA governments, the party is likely to promise right to health, right to employment in urban areas and right to higher education in the polls.

The manifesto, which is expected to be released on Thursday, is likely to have Congress President Rauhl Gandhi's promise of minimum income guarantee scheme. The party is expected to promise employment for the educated unemployed youth by involving them in services like delivering water and electricity bills, meter reading, opening of small citizen service centres and collection of property tax. For each bill collected or delivered the small fee give in to a private contractor would go to the unemployed youth.

Another major promise is likely to be right to higher education.

Rahul Gandhi speaks on poverty Rahul Gandhi has promised a “surgical strike” on poverty and said his party had been working on how to eradicate it for the last six months.

Speaking in a rally in Suratgarh, a day after declaring his party would roll out a minimum income guarantee scheme for the

yes

How well do these statments describe India?

Elected Officials care what ordinary people think about

No matter who wins an election, things do not change very much

66.67 %

would work to reduce unemployment if it comes to power. Gandhi said, “If Modi gives money to the rich, the Congress will give money to

poorest 20 per cent households, if voted to power, Gandhi said only the rich could dream under the Narendra Modi rule.

71.91 % around 140 million people were lifted from poverty by the UPA government.

On Monday, the Congress announced it will

The man who cleaned up elections in India TN Seshan Fondly remembered as the man who cleaned up polls in the country, TN Seshan was the most admired Chief Election Commissioner. He lived a life mired in controversies for reforming the election scenario without cowering under the threats that came his way. His policies, their implementation, coupled with his strict demeanor had earned him the moniker 'Al-Seshan' (Alsatian). Some electoral “battles” that took place under his vigil were even dubbed 'Seshan versus Nation'.

Some of his key achievements include strict implementation of the model code of conduct during elections, guaranteeing issuance of voter Ids for the eligible electorate, putting a cap on a candidate’s expenditure in his/her campaign. He also ended several malpractices such as the distribution of liquor during elections, use of official machinery for campaigns, inciting caste or communal violence, using places of worship for campaigns, etc. The word during those days was “Politicians feared only God or TN Seshan”. His legacy continues to live on even to this day. the poor.” He alleged that Modi had helped those who had black money, Gandhi said those lifted from poverty by the UPA government had again been made poor in the last five years. He claimed

Gandhi said, “We will eradicate poverty in the country. This is a 'dhamaka'.

No country has done this in history. There should not be a single poor person in the country.” He said his party

22.62 %

73.75 %

Tackling Terrorism

26.25 %

Tackling Corruption

75.58 %

24.42 %

Job oppertunities

76.14 %

23.86 %

Tackling Air Pollution

65.38 %

34.62 %

Gap between the rich and poor

66.67 %

33.33 %

Communal relations

61.64 %

38.36 %

30%

56.58%

Voters Preference

Most politicians are corrupt

77.38 %

20%

43.42 %

According to the Mood of the Nation poll by Lokniti - CSDS in May 2018

Price of goods and services

10%

Rahul Gandhi

No

Has India gotten better or worse in the past 5 years?

0%

Narendra Modi

CAN BJP CHALLENGE TRINAMOOL CONGRESS IN WEST BENGAL? Mamta Banerjee’s party has a strong base in the state that BJP could find difficult to challenge in the upcoming elections

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

transfer Rs 6,000 a month in the bank accounts of 50 million families, comprising the poorest of the poor, if it comes to power, in an effort to turn the focus back on economic issues ahead of the next month's general elections. Gandhi unveiled his party's £36 billion campaign promise of a minimum income guarantee scheme called Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY). He said the big idea is to ensure that the basic income of every poor family in India does not fall below Rs 12,000 a month.

“The 20 per cent poorest of poor families would get Rs 72,000 directly transferred in their accounts. This is the final assault on poverty,” Gandhi said.

On the other hand, the BJP had too unveiled a minimum income support scheme for farmers in its

33.33%

28.09 %

interim Budget on February 1st, 2019. Under the scheme, titled Kisan Yojana, cash will be transferred to beneficiaries, which hold 2 hectares of land or less, in three instalments of Rs 2000 a year, culminating in a total payment of Rs 6000 per year.

Income sops offered by the BJP and Congress While it seems at this stage that the Congress' scheme is covering more of India's voters, more than two times as much. However, since the start of the year, the BJP has unveiled a number of additional sops for the electorate. In addition to the farmer handouts, the BJP outlined a pension scheme for informal sector workers in its interim budget. The scheme proposes a monthly pension of Rs 3,000 for those above the age of 60.

The government has earmarked an allocation of Rs 5 billion for the scheme.

However, the cost is relatively small because it is counting on informal workers between the ages of 29 and 60 to make a contribution of Rs 100 a month. The total amount of people covered by the BJP's election sops now increases to 220 million people. The ruling administration is also offering tax breaks for workers in the formal sector that earn less than Rs 500,000 a year.

Also, the BJP has one more scheme to convincingly tip the scales in its favour. In early January 2019, Modi’s Cabinet approved a 10 per cent reservation for “economically backward upper castes” in government jobs and educational institutions. Meanwhile, as we wait for the Congress to come up with something as election campaigning

intensifies, the minimum income guarantee scheme is positioned as the big elections announcement so far.

Can the BJP make inroads in the South?

The BJP has traditionally been perceived as a North Indian party, with limited influence beyond the Hindispeaking states. Even in 2014, when the BJP swept the Lok Sabha elections, it won a mere 21 seat in the five southern states, or 19 per cent of the 112 seats on offer. In contrast, the saffron party won 60 per cent in the rest of the country.

Not only has the number of southern seats won by the BJP remained constant, the party has also failed to expand beyond its traditional strongholds in Karnataka.

Acknowledging its shortcomings in the southern states in the previous elections, the BJP competed only in 67 seats. It secured a vote share of 31 per cent across these seats and won in 21 (31 per cent of contested seats).

While this was lower than the BJP's national performance where it secured 40 per cent vote share and 66 per cent seats in the seats it contested, it was still be an improvement over the BJP's previous performance in the South.

In Karnataka, the BJP is a force to reckon with and it hopes to build on previous electoral successes. The BJP has been the best performing party in terms of total seats won in the state over the past three general elections (since 2004).

The rest of South India, however, presents a far greater challenge for the BJP. Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu are bastions of regional parties, where the BJP has struggled historically.

BJP in war with Didi's TMC for victory over Bengal The BJP has focused on West

Bengal hoping to emerge as the direct challenger to Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, pushing Left parties and the Congress to the sidelines in the bid.

Current trends indicate that the TMC very well holds its ground though the BJP could well emerge as its key opponent. This implies that in the Lok Sabha polls, the Trinamool could well retain the bulk of its seats and the BJP could emerge in second place with a reasonable increase in its seats share.

If one were to notice the trends since the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the vote share of the Trinamool Congress has remained more or less unchanged. It has hovered around 45 per cent across the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the 2016 assembly polls and the Mood of the Nation poll. In case of the BJP, its vote share saw a significant dip in the 2016 assembly poll as compared to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls but has staged an impressive recovery ever since.

There is not much of a variation in the Congress vote share though in the case of the Left, the Mood of the Nation poll indicates a sharp decline in its vote share as compared to the 2016 assembly polls.

If this trend continues in the next two months one is likely to see the Trinamool Congress see its seat share be more or less remain in the early thirties (it won 34 seats in 2014) with the BJP inching towards double digits (it won two seats in 2014) with the Left and the Congress conceding political space (they won two and four seats respectively in 2014).

Cash, liquor and freebies worth £54 mn seized since poll announcement The Election Commission has announced that suspect cash, illegal liquor, and drugs worth about £54 million have been seized across the

country since parliamentary election schedule was announced. Tamil Nadu recorded the maximum seizure of these illegal inducements, suspected to have been routed and used to bribe voters, worth £10.72 million, followed by Uttar Pradesh £10.45 million, Andhra Pradesh £10.34 and Punjab £9.28 million.

Karnataka saw the total seizure of inducements and cash worth £2.65 million, Maharashtra £1.91 million and Telangana £820,000.

An EC official said the total value of seized items was £54 million. The polls were declared by the EC on March 10, and as per data updated till March 25, a total of £14.34 million suspect cash, £ 8.96 million worth of liquor, drugs valued at £13.17 million, gold and other precious metals worth £ 16.29 million and other freebies of

£1.22 million have been seized, the EC data for all states for Lok Sabha polls said.

The commission has

deployed hundreds of general observers, expenditure observers and static and mobile surveillance teams in the country to keep a check

on flow of black money and other illegal gratification so that the level playing field of holding fair polls is not disturbed.

How do Indians feel about democracy in India ?

More than half of Indians are satisfied with the way democracy is woking in india Satisfied Dont Know Not Satisfied

Dont Know 13%

Not Satisfied 33%

Satisfied 54%

18 FINANCE - UK

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Consultant Editor Financial Voice Alpesh Patel Dear Financial Voice Reader, I searched for my first ever article mentioning ‘Brexit’ after all – it’s been going on for ages. God and money go hand in hand, especially for the followers of Lakshmi. Is their a financial godly case for Brexit!

One of the viewers of my BBC Newspaper Review then sent me an article making a Christian case for Brexit.

I’m not saying I agree with the arguments…but it was fascinating. This is a summary and you may think it is a good reason for staying in. (In bold below are the headings of the document I was handed – not my words).

EU Membership is a secular nations substitute for trusting in God. The argument here goes that Britain hated her Imperial past and so decided to join the EU as a means of moving away from her own values and historic beliefs. (I don’t find this convincing).

Britain must leave because border controls are a Biblical responsibility The argument here is that boundaries are biblical: Moses said ‘Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark’ Deuteronomy 19:14 I thought the teachings of Christ meant we should be loving and caring for our neighbour – but apparently there is another perspective.

Britain must leave because membership means taking the financial obligations of others and that is contrary to the Bible As is written in Proverbs, ‘He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it’.

Membership is incompatible with Bible based constitution ‘The anti-Christian French Revolution could lay claim to being the inspiration for “the inaliable rights for the human person”.’ Says the document I was handed.

Whereas in Britain the Church is legally established in law and indeed the 1688 Coronation Oath Act stated the Monarch shall ‘to the utmost of her power to maintain the laws of God and the true profession of the gospel’.

Britain must leave because membership does not grant security and is against the God-ordained institution of nationhood Israel is the best example in the Bible of God’s will of a world of nations and people’s separated from each other according to faith goes the argument.

JLR recalls 44,000 cars over excessive CO2 emissions Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is recalling tens of thousands of its cars in the UK over concerns about their carbon dioxide (CO2) emission levels. The country’s biggest car manufacturer said 10 models are emitting more of the greenhouse gas than expected. An industry source said around 44,000 cars will be recalled once the appropriate remedial action to modify the vehicles is agreed between the manufacturer and the authorities.

In the wake of the Volkswagen emissions scandal, consumer body said the company would have to “act quickly” to reassure customers that their cars would be easily fixed. The recall will include the Land Rover Discovery and Discovery Sport, the Range Rover Evoque, Sport and Velar, and the Jaguar E-Pace, F-Pace, F-Type, XE and XF. The affected JLR cars have a 2.0l diesel or petrol engine. The company said in a statement: “Jaguar Land Rover is conducting a voluntary recall following

the identification of CO2 performance variability with certain Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles fitted with 2.0l diesel or petrol engines.

“Affected vehicles will be repaired free of charge and every effort will be made to minimise inconvenience to the customer during the short time required for the work to be carried out.” Natalie Hitchins, head of home products and services at consumer group Which?, said: “Consumers must be able to fully trust the claims of car manufacturers, particularly after the emissions scandals of recent years.

“Jaguar Land Rover must now act quickly to tell affected customers so that they can have their vehicles modified appropriately.”

Neil Barlow, head of vehicle engineering at the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), which administers the vehicle recall process, said: “DVSA’s priority is to protect everyone from unsafe drivers and vehicles.

Parts of Britain to experience decline in economic growth The 2019 edition of the UK Competitiveness Index, a report compiled by researchers at Cardiff University and Nottingham Business School announce significant parts of Britain will experience a decline in competitive growth over the next 20 years. Focusing on local authority areas, the analysis offers the most detailed insights to date of the UK's economic prospects. It finds that the competitiveness divide between London and other parts of the UK will become even wider over the next two decades.

Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales is set to experience the biggest economic decline, with the town's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita predicted

to decrease by 0.56 per cent. Tower Hamlets in London is predicted to be the fastest growing area, with its GDPP per capita forecast to rise by 7.17 per cent every year. This is followed by Camden (6.97 per cent) and Islington (6.52). Professor Robert Huggins, based at Cardiff University's School of Geography and Planning, said, “This research presents the most extensive picture of the

UK's future economic challenges. It's clear that whatever happens over the coming weeks, the competitiveness gap between London and other parts of the UK is going to soar. These are issues that will only be exacerbated by a no-deal Brexit.”

He added, “For areas such as London, which are the competitiveness leaders, they face a danger of becoming less affordable and accessible to the

majority. On the other hand, there will be parts of the UK that will become increasingly disadvantaged due to a lack of opportunities for growth.”

The UK Competitiveness Index measures current economic competitiveness across local and regional areas of Britain based on a basket of economic indicators.

Its current findings show that the nine most competitive places in the UK are in London, with the City of London in the leading position, followed

by Westminster, Camden, and Tower Hamlets. The least competitive localities are Blaenau Gwent and Anglesey in Wales, with Mansfield being the least competitive place in England.

Confidence in UK's financial services industry falling New research claims confidence in the UK's financial services industry is falling at its fastest rate since the height of the 2008 crisis.

Political uncertainty continues to “chip away” at the sector, threatening the City's international standing as overall employment within the sector has hit its lowest level for four years in March, said a survey from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and accountancy giant PwC. This remains despite the UK's historically low unemployment rate of 3.9 pc.

Rain Newton-Smith, the CBI's chief economist said that “alarm bells” about low confidence in the sector were now at a “deafening

level.” She added, “Not only has it plummeted at the fastest rate since the depths of the financial crisis, it has been falling or flat since the EU referendum.” NewtonSmith reiterated the CBI's claim that Brexit uncertainty was now a “national emergency”. Should doubt about the UK's future relationship with the EU persist, it would “continually chip away at our economy and financial services sector,” she said.

Andrew Kail of PwC said that it “remained to be seen” whether or not the UK's financial businesses will “retain their current global footprint” amid such intense political chaos.

There was a desperate

need for “clarity” and “Certainty” if the UK was to hold onto its position as a pre-eminent financial centre. A separate research showed the profit growth of UK mid-sized firms being vastly outstripped by EU rivals.

Gathered by consultancy firm BDO, the figures revealed that profits among UK mid-sized companies grew by 4pc last year, in sharp contrast with 19pc the year before. The 4pc growth in 2018 compared to

37pc profit growth among Spain's mid-sized companies, 30pc in German and 24pc in Italy.

The UK still has higher profits overall in this sector, which generates £114bn a year. This is more than the £93bn, £78bn, £54bn and £50bn generated by counterparts in Germany, France, Italy and Spain respectively. To be classed as “mid-sized”, firms must have a turnover between £10m and £300m.

Ola UK launches Bajaj, Piaggio autos in Liverpool Ben Legg, Managing Director of ride-hailing giant Ola, had an interesting day at work last week when he drove people around the city of Liverpool behind the wheel of a Bajaj Re autorickshaw.

The taxi-app recently launched a fleet of Bajaj and Piaggio autorickshaws in Liverpool with an aim to overtake Uber as the region's top ridehailing firm.

People around the city saw brightly painted tuk-tuks with drivers wearing neon green jackets ferry passengers around.

To celebrate its entry in the region, the Indian company offered rides free of charge around the

Liverpool City Centre.

While Ola aims to challenge Uber on a global scale, it has said that its fleet will allow more choice to the customers and pay a larger share of the fare to the drivers compared to Uber. “I have been driving passengers around the city today and have really

enjoyed the chance to discuss the challenges that the community faces and how we can help with our new technology, Ben Legg said, adding: “We are celebrating bringing more travel and employment choices to Liverpulians with our ride-hailing app with the help of the

community choir.”

Introductory offers to celebrate Ola's entry in Merseyside includes 50% off for customers who download the app before the end of April. As part of its pledge to empower drivers, Ola says it offers the highest driver rates, charging 10% commission to black cabs, compared with 25% charged by competitors.

Ola was first launched in the UK in Cardiff in August 2018, followed by a launch in Bristol in October and then in Bath and Exeter in November. The launch in Liverpool is the fifth for Ola UK and the start of its expansion in the North of England this year.

MULTIPLE STRIKES

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The vendor must have a considerably strong reason to sell as the environment can hardly be described as conducive for selling. However, I have gathered from the sales particulars that it’s not a repossession, otherwise the particulars would usually mention this.

Sow & Reap London Property Investment

There are a variety of angles which need to be explored in order to maximise this deal. One is a reconfiguration of the existing flat scheme.

Second is planning permission for further additional square footage, which in my estimation will add approximately a further 1,000 sq. ft. over two floors. The third is in relation to the commercial element; the angle being to negotiate a longer lease with a higher rent.

This component is crucial, even a small increase in the lease leads to a proportionally greater valuation, valuable for both refinancing or selling. For example, an increase in rent of £5K could potentially lead to an increase of £100,000 on the valuation and a £75,000 increase when refinancing.

Considering the many angles, and given the

current environment, one wonders why the owners don’t work the asset themselves.

Perhaps they have bigger fish to fry, or maybe they have to sell for tax reasons. There could be a number of reasons. But there’s a saying, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. In essence, don’t over analyse a good thing.

We have previously bought a similar deal on Kilburn High Rd, predominately residential, consisting of 23 flats; commercial on the ground floor. Unlike the current deal, the Kilburn one had various issues such as illegal build work being done and enforcement notices. No high street lender would fund this. The block was purchased for £2.675M and resold a couple of years later for £2M more, after it had been worked on.

purchase this deal in cash, with a view of extracting at least 50% of the funds further down the line, once planning has been granted.

I see similar profits to be made on this property, although there is no need to go in with a bridging loan. This reduces the pressure on the deal, and allows one to concentrate on working the asset.

Things don’t always go to plan, things literally can come out of the woodwork, and as always the market can change; though it’s hard to imagine what can happen to worsen the current instability.

The yield on this deal at the quoted price is 4.5%.

This is an exceptional yield given the prime location. And remember, this is the starting point, the base on which to build on.

The yield will be increased by following the above three angles.

This is an investment which will need to be held for around 2-3 years, with the aim of exiting or refinancing after this time frame.

In order to get this at a discounted price, ideally it would be best to execute this quickly and

WORSE THAN PENNY WISE, POUND FOOLISH! I recently had a landlord, who manages his own property, contact me, asking me to issue notice on his tenants as he wanted to sell.

The tenancy agreement he had in place didn't make a good read either, to be honest the contract wasn't worth the paper it was written on!

As we don’t manage this landlord’s property, we didn’t have any involvement with setting up the tenancy or finding these tenants. All he wanted from me was to issue a Section 21 on his tenants, in order to get his property back. Rather than reel off a list of our services, and blindly follow his request, I thought it wise to ask a couple of simple questions first, to find out how I can help him best.

From one small conversation, where the request seemed simple enough, a minefield was revealed.

My line of questioning revealed that there was gas in the property and that he had never had a gas safety check done. Nor had he an EPC in place! Therefore, the landlord was in breach of two major laws.

19

30 March - 5 April 2019

Currently, we are evaluating a very interesting deal in a very central location. It’s a mixed use scheme, part commercial and part residential.

This is an extremely rare building to come up on the market; it’s only 150m to a main tube station.

Suresh Vagjiani

REAL ESTATE VOICE

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

I gave the landlord my list of recommendations on what he should do: 1) arrange for a gas safety 2) arrange for an EPC. He wasn't too keen on doing this himself, so we arranged this for him.

Once these were carried out, I then issued a Section 21 notice. Fortunately, the landlord had a great relationship with the tenants and the notice went very smoothly. The tenants left the property, and everything worked out well.

BUY TO LET OPPORTUNITY

However, this could have gone dramatically wrong. The tenants may have refused to leave. Or, they could have reported the landlord to the council.

That's only the tip of the iceberg; if anything had gone wrong with the gas supply at the property the landlord could've been facing jail time!

This situation occurred because the landlord had only focussed on cost. His focus was on saving money, so he found the tenants himself, no references, and he downloaded an agreement online. That explains why, with all greatest respect, it was useless. He did not want to use an agent, and he cut corners when it came to regulation. Claiming you didn’t know the requirements isn’t a good enough defence in court. All of this risk, just to save a few pounds.

Some landlords like to be hands-on, others like to be hands off. Either way, please ensure you follow the law, and health and safety requirements; as well as protecting yourself with the right paperwork. As an agent, we will offer you the services you want. We're not going to force a fully managed package on to you if you would prefer to be hands on. If you do choose to do it yourself, we can assist you in the areas you need help in.

Richard Bond

l Large three bedroom, first floor flat l Long lease & low service charges

l A smaller two bedroom flat in the same block was sold for £475K last year

l Excellent yield of 5.5% per annum for a central location

London, W2 Purchase Price: £450,000

l Moments away from Hyde Park

l Sustained long term growth due to the location Call us now for more information!

Specialists in Central London Property Sourcing

0207 993 0103

info@sowandreap.co.uk www.sowandreap.co.uk 27 Gloucester Place, London, W1U 8HU SowandReapProperties

Sowandreapuk

Turning land into cash Get in touch about our land opportunities

20 FINANCE - INDIA

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India all set to become global economic force into the insurance sector, the cap for foreign investment in it was raised to 49% as well.

The World Bank noted in its 2018 Doing Business report that India had adopted 37 reforms since 2003 and nearly half of them had been introduced in the last four years.

Game-changers A few of the key reforms that the World Bank alludes to have been game-changing in their expected long-term impact on the economy. The first arose from a strenuous legacy of rising non-performing assets (NPA) with public sector banks that the BJP government had inherited.

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, was passed in parliament to address the issue.

The code allows either the creditor or the borrower to approach the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to initiate insolvency proceedings. It further lays down provisions for debt resolution within a span of three to five months.

The second major reform by the BJP government on the economic front came in the form of the biggest tax reform in Indian history with the implementation of the goods and services tax (GST), after well over a decade in the making. The tax, which aims at simplifying the tax structure of the country by replacing the erstwhile multilayered complicated tax system, was introduced in 2017 The new tax system eliminated the maze of check posts at state borders, where lorries transporting goods typically used to languish for hours. It is expected to transform into higher ease of doing business in the economy and translate into facilitation of a high-growth trajectory.

According to the current trends, the India would be a $28 trillion economy by 2050, a ten-fold rise from the current $2.8 trillion.

That would translate to a $17,000 per capita income. The boost would have profound implications, not only for business operating in India but for social indicators in financial markets as India becomes an exporter of capital and, geopolitically, as its foreign exchange reserves approach the top of the global league tables.

When the Narendra Modiled National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government took charge of the country’s destiny, the Indian economy was recovering from the mini-crisis of 2013 - when the rupee had crashed after India’s twin deficits (current account deficit and fiscal deficit) ballooned out of control. Since then, the government has succeeded in consolidating the steps taken during the fag end of the previous government’s term to control the twin deficits of current account and fiscal, and to bring down inflation.

The government’s decision to keep farm support prices in check has helped lower inflation, and inflationary expectations. The fall in global commodity prices also helped the cause, as it helped tame inflation even as it allowed the government to raise fuel taxes to finance its expenditure. But, the government’s key achievement of taming inflation seems to be under threat, because of both global and domestic factors. And farm distress has led to a sharp rise in agrarian riots, prompting the government to announce an expansion and hike in farm support prices, which could stoke the fires of inflation once

again. Although there is some evidence to suggest that rural fortunes may be reviving now, it is not clear whether the revival will sustain, and if it will persuade the government to give up on its ambitions of an expansive farm support regime.

Remarkable rise in FDI inflow The other notable achievement of the Indian economy over the past few years has been the remarkable rise in foreign flows, and in particular, in foreign direct investment (FDI). From being considered to be among the Fragile Five among emerging markets five years ago, the Indian economy has emerged as a top investment destination, with a ratings upgrade from Moody’s Investor Services last year.

While in office, one of the first acts that Modi initiated was to dismantle the long-standing relic of economic planning, the Planning Commission, and also eliminate the distinction between planned and nonplanned expenditure in the country’s annual budgets. These changes signalled the completion of India’s ideological shift in economic thinking, away from the state-led planning of the Nehruvian era towards a

12,000 cases filed since implementation of insolvency law

Govt exceeds £8 bn FY19 disinvestment target

As many as 12,000 cases have been filed since the implementation of the insolvency law and setting of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), a senior government official said.

Asserting that the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) should be the last resort, Corporate Affairs Secretary Injeti Srinivas said the NCLT has been very expeditious in disposing cases related to insolvency.

"In some of the NCLTs, the number of cases filed and the number of cases disposed off are almost the same. That means you are almost current," he noted. Cases under the code can be taken up only after approval from the tribunal, which has benches in different parts of the country. Srinivas said that personal insolvency should be approached carefully and in a planned manner. "The issue of personal insolvency is an important dimension, which we have to address at the earliest.

The Indian government last week exceeded the disinvestment target of £8 billion set for the current financial year, which ends in March, for the second successive year, with completion of the acquisition of Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) by Power Finance Corporation (PFC) for £ 1.45 billion. The public sector ETF was oversubscribed by about eight times last week against the base issue size of £350 million and the government decided to retain £1 billion. The two transactions helped the government to exceed the target, which included 26 other deals.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley tweeted, “As against a target of £8 billion for disinvestment for the current year, the divestment receipts have touched £8.5 billion today.” In December, the Union Cabinet had approved the strategic sale of REC's 52.6 per cent holding

market-oriented approach of development.

The government also accepted a proposal of the Finance Commission to give state governments 42% of central tax receipts, up from 32%. India has leaped to the 50th place on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business rankings by the end of Modi’s five-year term.

Deregulate diesel and petroleum prices In a similar spirit of allowing market forces to define outcomes, the government also managed to deregulate diesel and petroleum prices, which formed a substantial part of the subsidy bill. As a result, India joined the club of select countries like USA and Australia where fuel prices are revised on a daily basis. Deregulation was also partially achieved in case of natural gas..

Foreign investment cap in defence sector lifted Advancing further on the reform process, the private sector was given further leeway in sectors where the state was proving incompetent. A cap on foreign investment in the defence sector was lifted from 26% to 49%.

Similarly, furthering Vajpayee’s initiative to allow private entry

to PFC, along with the transfer of management control. The government had set a target of raising £8 billion from stake sale in state run companies for the current financial, lower than the £10 billion set for the previous year. The target has been achieved using a number of methods, including the PFC-

REC transaction.

Officials had earlier raised concern about the ability to meet the target, given that the process slowed down in the middle of the financial year and the volatility in the stock market also had an impact on the

planned follow-on-offer. “The acquisition would enable increased efficiencies in lending processes and policies across both the institutions and would create public value by offering better loan products to the power sector,” PFC said in a statement announcing the completion of the transaction to acquire REC's holding.

It said, “The convergence of the entities would help the power sector reap benefits from a decentralized outreach of REC and a professional project finance expertise of PFC. Further, the ensuing diversification of assets of the group, as well as portfolio risk would help in resolution of stressed power sector assets of the group in a better and coordinated manner.” The ability to exceed the disinvestment target comes as a good news for the government struggling to meet the fiscal deficit target for the current fiscal year.

in brief COURT ORDERS ATTACHMENT OF MALLYA’S PROPERTIES A Delhi court has ordered attachment of Vijay Mallya’s properties in Bengaluru in a case relating to FERA violations. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Deepak Sherawat issued fresh directions after the Bengaluru police, through Enforcement Directorate, sought more time to execute its earlier order in this regard. The court directed the Karnataka police to attach the properties by July 10, the next date of hearing. The Bengaluru police had earlier informed the court that it had identified 159 properties belonging to Mallya, but had not been able to attach any of them. Mallya was declared a proclaimed offender by the court on January 4 last year for evading its summons in the case.

HDFC RAISES £100 MN ABROAD VIA MASALA BONDS HDFC has raised £100 million through the issue of rupee-denominated bonds in the international markets. This follows a revision in the RBI’s external commercial borrowing (ECB) framework in January 2019. Rupeedenominated debt issued in the international markets are also known as ‘masala’ bonds. The returns on these instruments are as if the investors had bought rupee-denominated instruments.

This means that they will get high interest rates that are prevalent in India and their principal investment will shrink or appreciate along with the rupee. In a statement to the stock exchanges, the housing finance company said that the bonds, which have a three-year tenure, have been issued at an annual yield of 8.22%. The bonds will be listed in the London Stock Exchange’s International Securities Market.

2 ANIL AMBANI COS PLEDGE MORE SHARES Reliance Communications Enterprises (RCE) has pledged 4.5% of its holding in Reliance Communications (RCom) amounting to 125 million shares with IndusInd Bank, according to a regulatory filing. RCE held 490 million shares in RCom amounting to 17.7% stake, of which it had previously pledged 4.9%. With the latest pledge on March 22, the total pledged shares by RCE now stands at 9.4% of total share capital or nearly 260 million shares. The promoter group entity of Reliance Infrastructure (RInfra) has pledged 1.6% of the company’s shares, according to a regulatory filing. Reliance Project Ventures and Management had on March 6 pledged 41,00,000 shares. With this pledge, the total pledged shares by the promoter entity stands at 35.4%. RInfra’s lender IndusInd Bank had invoked 50,00,000 pledged shares, or about 2% stake, in the firm on March 8.

FITCH CUTS INDIA'S 2019-20 GDP FORECAST TO 6.8% Fitch Ratings cut India's GDP growth rate projection for the next financial year to 6.8 per cent, from its previous estimate of 7 per cent, on account of weaker-than-expected growth momentum. The US rating agency said it has also changed outlook on the Reserve Bank of India's monetary policy review, projecting another interest rate cut of 25 basis points in 2019 owing to inflation staying below the target and easier global monetary conditions. The report said, “While we have cut our growth forecasts for the next fiscal year on weaker-than-expected momentum, we still see Indian GDP growth to hold up reasonably well, at 6.8 per cent, followed by 7.1 per cent in FY21.”

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in brief YOUNG INDIAN AMERICAN ACTS IN ‘HERCULES, HOUDINI, HOLMES’ Vyom Mathrani, an 11-year-old Indian American young star, acted in the film “Hercules, Houdini, Holmes,” which was released on March 24. He first acted in a Malayalam movie and now he plays a prominent role in “HHH.” Mathrani did his formal training at the Barbizon Acting School that opened him to so many opportunities. Thus far, the Indian American youngster has done three short films: “Peruchazhi,” “Water,” and “Neil.” He has also been featured in some commercials, including ‘Faces of LA’, ‘Walmart Digital’, ‘Disney Band-Aids, ‘GoGo Squeeze Applesauce drinks’ and ‘XPrize’.

CONGRESSMAN RO KHANNA NAMED FINALIST

Ro Khanna

Indian American Congressman Ro Khanna has been named a finalist for the Democracy Awards. The awards recognize non-legislative achievement in operations and constituent service by congressional offices and members of Congress, according to the foundation. Khanna is recognized for excellence in the Constituent Service category, which focuses on how an office interacts with and serves constituents, especially how it utilizes and leverages specific, methodical, and consistent processes for achieving measurable results in constituent service, the release said.

INDIAN AMERICAN ACCUSED OF HELPING IN MURDER FOUND DEAD Jagsir Singh Dhillon, an Indian American, accused of helping his wife murder a baby born to their teenage daughter, was found dead in his home, in an apparent suicide.

His wife, Beant Singh Dhillon, is being held in Kern County Jail without bail on three felony counts of first degree murder, assault of a child resulting in death, and willful cruelty of a child. According to police, Dhillons’ 15-year-old daughter gave birth to a baby in the bathroom of their Bakersfield home on Nov. 12, 2018. Beant Dhillon took the baby from her daughter and told her she was putting it up for adoption, according to reports. She then allegedly drowned the newborn and placed the prone body inside a bag in a bucket.

Later, with the help of her husband and another relative the body of the infant was buried in their garden, according to the police.

US-INDIA TRADE PARTNERSHIP TO TOUCH $500 BN: NISHA BISWAL US-India trade relationship, currently valued at $120 billion, will grow to $500 billion in the near future, predicted Nisha Biswal, Indian American president of the US-India Business Council. “The opportunities between US and India are greatly below their full potential,” said Biswal, who formerly served in the Obama administration’s State Department as the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs. “It’s going to take its own path,” she said, adding: “India has become the most important economic market in the world.” Biswal advised the Indian American investors and others to “get out of the capital” and into states and cities in India, where real opportunities can be found.

PAKISTAN-BANGLADESH

After Kartarpur, Pak looks at opening Sharada Peeth in PoK ISLAMABAD: After Kartarpur, Pakistan is proposing to open a corridor to the 5,000-year-old Sharada temple, which was once a centre of learning and is believed to have been established by Emperor Ashoka.

The site, also known as Sharada Peeth, is located on the banks of the Neelum river, over 100 km from Muzaffarabad in Pakistanoccupied Kashmir (PoK).

Pakistani media reported that Islamabad has given the green signal for the move.

According to Pakistan government sources, India's foreign ministry had already sent a proposal to open this corridor. "After Kartarpur, a piece of big news is in the offing for Hindus. Some of the government officials will visit the area and will later submit a report to the prime minister," said a report citing sources in the Pakistan foreign ministry.

Responding to these reports, Indian government sources said: "India had made this request several times as part of the Composite Dialogue between India and Pakistan. The proposal was made keeping in

Sharada Peeth in PoK

mind the wishes and religious sentiments of people." On December 20, 2018, MoS (External Affairs) V K Singh had told Rajya Sabha: "The issue of religious tourism to Pakistanoccupied Kashmir (PoK) has been raised from time to time.

The joint statement issued following the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan on 27 July 2011, interalia stated that travel across the

Line of Control would be expanded to include visits for tourism and religious pilgrimage. India has proposed pilgrim's visit to shrines in PoK, including Sharada Peeth.

Pakistan has not concurred with the proposal so far. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Ramesh Kumar Vankwani was quoted as saying: "Pakistan has decided to open the Sharada temple. I am going to visit the

place in a couple of days.

I will also send a report in this regard to Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Work on the project will start from the current year after which Hindus in Pakistan will also be able to visit the site." The Sharada Peeth is believed to have been established in 237 BC during the reign of Ashoka.

It was considered one of the most important seats of learning in South Asia, like Nalanda and Takshashila, where religion, philosophy, contemporary literature and astronomy were taught.

According to reports this landmark is "in ruins" due to lack of maintenance and is in urgent need of restoration after being severely damaged by the 2005 earthquake. The proposal to open the new corridor comes in the backdrop of meetings between Indian and Pakistani officials over the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims.

7 detained over forced conversion of 2 Hindu teens in Pakistan Islamabad: At least seven people have been detained by police in connection with the alleged abduction, forced conversion and marriage of two minor Hindu sisters to older Muslim men in Ghotki town of Pakistan’s Sindh province.

Police claimed that they also arrested the cleric who officiated the illegal marriage of Raveena, 13, and Reena, 15.

A day earlier, a video of the father of the girls, protesting and wailing outside a police station, surfaced and went viral on social media.

Another video showing a cleric solemnising the girls’ nikah to Muslim men was also widely circulated on Twitter.

The incident triggered massive

outrage in India, following which Prime Minister Imran Khan directed authorities to probe the matter.

On March 20, the girls family lodged a first information report against their alleged forced conversion to Islam.

According to police, they conducted several raids in Punjab’s Rahim Yar Khan district - where it was believed the girls were taken from Ghotki. Shiv Lal, a Manghwal community leader, described the assurances from police and government officials as mere lip service.

He said that if the girls had embraced Islam, they should be produced before a court of law.

“Their forced conversion and

marriages would be challenged in the court, as both the girls are under 18 years of age,” Lal said.

Court orders protection A court in Islamabad ordered protection to the girls as investigators widen a probe to determine whether the girls were abducted and forced to convert and marry two Muslims.

The Islamabad High Court issued the order, saying the girls

had petitioned the tribunal seeking protection for themselves and their husbands the previous day.

The girls and the husbands were sent to separate government shelters. According to police, the girls' parents say their daughters are 13 and 15 years old. Underage marriage is illegal in Pakistan but the law is often ignored.

Sheikh Hasina seeks international recognition for Genocide Day DHAKA: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called upon all to make joint efforts to get international recognition for the Genocide Day. “Today is March 25, the Genocide Day. We have to make efforts to make sure that the day gets international recognition as the Genocide Day,” she said.

Some initiatives have already been taken by the government in this regard, the PM said. While addressing the Swadhinata Purashkar-2019 ceremony, she asked all to work together to give the benefits of the hard-earned independence to every home, being imbued with the spirit of the Liberation War and ideals of Father of the Nation

Sheikh Hasina with the recipients of the Independence Award 2019

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

“Whenever we come to power, we try to develop the country's socio-economic condition in the quickest possible time to make Bangladesh a developed country free from hunger and poverty as

dreamt by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.” She said the country would achieve 8 per cent GDP growth this year and the per capita income now stands at $1,909.

Highlighting major initiatives taken by Bangabandhu, the PM said seven

per cent GDP growth was achieved in 1975 before his assassination. Hasina said if Bangabandhu had been alive, the country could have been developed in five to 10 years after its independence.

But the anti-liberation forces and their international collaborators had assassinated the Father of the Nation as a part of their conspiracy as they realised that Bangladesh would soon achieve economic emancipation under his visionary leadership, she mentioned. The PM said the country's economic development was stopped with the assassination of Bangabandhu on August 15, 1975.

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AFRICA-SRI LANKA

Death toll from Southern Africa cyclone, floods exceeds 700 BEIRA (MOZAMBIQUE): Mozambique reported more deaths from a cyclone and floods around southern Africa that have killed at least 732 people and left thousands in desperate need of help, many on rooftops and trees. Cyclone Idai lashed the Mozambican port city of Beira with winds of up to 170 km per hour last week, then moved inland to Zimbabwe and Malawi, swamping populations and devastating homes.

Mozambique’s death toll rose to 417 from 242, Land and Environment Minister Celso Correia said.

“The situation is getting better, still critical,” he told reporters at the airport in Beira that has become a centre for aid operations. The storm has killed 259 in Zimbabwe, while in Malawi 56 people died in heavy rains ahead of the cyclone.

An estimated 187 people are missing. In all three countries, survivors have been digging through rubble to search for victims, and scrambling for shelter, food and water, while

governments and aid agencies rush in help.

“All our food got wet, we didn’t know where to go with the children. We don’t have anything,” said Mimi Manuel, a 26-year-old mother of four who lost her home and was sitting on the floor of a makeshift shelter in a primary school in Beira.

Destroyed houses “When it all started, people started screaming,” another survivor Dina Fiegado, 18, said, describing how sheet rooftops blew off and rough walls collapsed in the sea-edge community of Praia Nova, where residents said about 50 people died.

The Mozambican minister said some 1,500 people were in

need of immediate rescue from rooftops and trees. Helicopters and boats have been carrying people to safety. The United Nations’ humanitarian office warned that more flooding may come as heavy rains poured into the low-lying Beira area and nearby dams filled up threatening to burst the Buzi and Pungwe rivers again. “We’re going to have to wait until the flood waters recede until we know the full expanse of the toll on the people of Mozambique,” said UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) coordinator Sebastian Rhodes Stampa.

Some cholera cases have been reported. Left with nothing, many survivors were fretting for their future, while others mourned losses. At Beira’s central morgue, 56-year old Mika Masseera, grieved for his severely weakened mother, Sumbo Mufucho, 73, who died in hospital following a rescue after she had clung to a tree for two days surrounded by floodwaters.

Lanka to intensify drive against drug trafficking: Sirisena COLOMBO: Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena said that the drive against drug trafficking would be intensified with more raids in Colombo and the coastal areas from the 3rd April. Speaking at a function in a school, the President said plans have been drawn for police and the tri forces to jointly conduct the raids to crush the menace.

The President said there are school children who are addicted to drugs in prestigious schools.

"Complaints are often received on this. There were instances that I have told relevant officials to raid classrooms of some schools," the President said without naming the schools. He said in some schools, the principal and the teachers cannot manage the

classrooms because some students are drug addicts.

"Therefore, we must understand clearly the challenges of life as well as imparting knowledge and education. He said the parents are not paying enough attention to the children and it is a major issue. "The child spends only five hours in the school. The rest of the time the child is with the parents. During that time, parents should be more attentive to the child's activities," he added.

"I strongly emphasize the need for a more efficient and formal program in schools. On the 3rd April, all the public servants, tri forces, school children and private sector employees will take an oath called "Bak Maha Pledge" to

Army and Gemunu Watch Battalion of Sri Lankan Army would be jointly undertaking

A former Pakistan police officer has been charged in last year's high-profile killing of a 27-year-old male model whose death triggered nationwide protests by members of his tribe. Prosecutor Jabran Nasir says the former officer, Rao Anwar, pleaded not guilty at the hearing. He says the trial will begin in April. The aspiring model, Naqeeb Ullah, was killed under suspicious circumstances in January 2018 in what authorities initially described as shootout during a raid on a militant hideout in Karachi. Following the shootout, Anwar and several other officers were arrested. At the time, Anwar claimed Ullah had links with militants. A subsequent government probe concluded that Ullah, who hailed from the South Waziristan region, once a Taliban stronghold, had no links with militants.

PAK TO GET $2.1BN LOAN FROM CHINA Cash-strapped Pakistan will receive $2.1 billion loan from China to provide a boost to its ailing economy, the finance ministry announced. Ministry’s adviser and spokesperson Khaqan Najeeb Khan said that “all procedural formalities” for the transfer of the $2.1 billion (15 billion yuan) loan being provided by the Chinese government have been completed, and “the funds will be deposited in the State Bank of Pakistan’s account”, the Dawn newspaper reported. Pakistan has received $1billion each from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as part of the bailout packages by the two Gulf nations to help shore up Islamabad’s dwindling foreign currency reserves.

PAK WAITER FINDS FAME AS TYRION’S DOPPELGANGER refrain from drug use. Similarly, steps are being taken to increase the number of drug raids after April 3.

The raids conducted by the police along with the three armed forces will be intensified from April 3, the President said. He said plans have been drawn up to

conduct more joint raids in areas where the drug use is high such as the Colombo City, coastal areas of Western, Southern and Eastern provinces and coastal areas of Puttalam. "I remind parents that they should not underestimate the threat of drugs," the President stressed.

India, Sri Lanka begin joint military exercise COLOMBO: Sri Lanka army said that Mitra Shakti 2019, the two-week long annual joint military exercise between India and Sri Lanka has began in Diyatalawa. It has been organised to build military to military co-operation and interoperability between the two armies.

It will be conducted at Diyatalawa 1 Gemunu Watch (GW) camp premises from March 26 to April 8 with the participation of 120 Indian Army Jawans and an equal number of Sri Lankan Army personnel.

Troops from 1st Battalion of Bihar Regiment of the Indian

FORMER PAK COP CHARGED FOR KILLING MODEL

the exercise. The contingent of Indian Army personnel, led by Colonel Parthasarathy Roy,

Colonel Sombit Gosh, Major Pujam Manhas and Major Rohith Kumar Tripathi arrived in Sri Lanka on March 25.

"The joint annual exercise aims to share knowledge on military tactics, experience, exchange of infantry technicalities, counter terrorism practices, long range reconnaissance patrol (LRRP), small group operations, effective deployment of infantry weapons, simulated attacks on terrorist hideouts, suicide bombing, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), etc. between both organizations," Sri Lanka Army said in a statement.

Pakistani waiter Rozi Khan had never heard of the “Game of Thrones” - or its popular character Tyrion Lannister - until his striking resemblance to actor Peter Dinklage got heads turning at home. The 25-year-old so resembles the actor that he gets regularly stopped by strangers desperate for a picture. “I don't mind. A lot of my pictures have been taken, that's why I have become very famous everywhere,” he said. Not only are Khan and Dinklage’s faces strikingly similar, they are also the same height at around 4 ft 5in. Khan says he would love to meet Dinklage, describing him as a friend and brother. “I love him very much, he is my friend... he is my height so I like him a lot.”

5 UNMARRIED COUPLES WHIPPED PUBLICLY IN INDONESIA Five unmarried couples were flogged publicly in Indonesia - the country that practices Sharia or strict Islamic law. The accused were whipped between 10 to 20 times outside a mosque in provincial capital Banda Aceh. Four of the couples were accused of maintaining an effective relationship without marriage. The fifth couple was punished for meeting alone in a private space without being married. The flogging was attended by Banda Aceh Mayor Aminullah Usman. A crowd of men, women and children witnessed the punishment being meted out to the accused.

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30 March - 5 April 2019

in brief JIMMY CARTER BECOMES OLDEST LIVING EX-US PREZ Nearly four decades after voters unceremoniously rejected then-President Jimmy Carter’s bid for a second term, the 39th president has reached a milestone that electoral math cannot dispute: He is now the longest-living chief executive in American history. Friday is the 172nd day beyond Carter’s 94th birthday, exceeding by one day the lifespan of former President George H W Bush, who died November 30 at the age of 94 years, 171 days. Both men were born in 1924: Bush on June 12, Carter on October 1. “There are no special celebrations planned,” said spokeswoman for the former president.

KAZAKH PREZ RESIGNS AFTER 3 DECADES IN POWER Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev unexpectedly resigned after three decades in power, saying his oil-rich Central Asian nation now needed “a new generation of leaders.” Nazarbayev, 78, the last Soviet-era leader still in charge of his country, said he would retain key security council and party leader positions while handing over the presidency to a loyal ally for the rest of his term, which ends in April 2020. “I have taken a decision, which was not easy for me, to resign as president,” Nazarbayev said. “As the founder of the independent Kazakh state I see my task now in facilitating the rise of a new generation of leaders who will continue the reforms that are under way in the country.”

TEACHER WHO GAVE AWAY PAY TO POOR WINS $1MN PRIZE A Kenyan teacher from a remote village who gave away most of his earnings to the poor won a $1 million prize for his work teaching in a government-run school that has just one computer and shoddy Internet access. The annual Global Teacher Prize was awarded to Peter Tabichi in the opulent Atlantis Hotel in Dubai in a ceremony hosted by actor Hugh Jackman.

“I feel great. I can’t believe it. I feel so happy to be among the best teachers in the world, being the best in the world,” he said.

He said the school has no library and no laboratory. He plans to use the prize money to improve the school and feed the poor.

EGG UNITED PEOPLE, HELPED RAISE MONEY, SAYS OZ TEEN The Australian teenager known as “Egg Boy” has spoken publicly to the media for the first time since he cracked an egg on a far-right politician’s head, becoming an international symbol against bigotry in the process. “I understand what I did was not the right thing to do,” Will Connolly, 17, said in an interview. “However, this egg has united people,” he said, adding that the incident has been used to raise tens of thousands of dollars for the victims of the March 15 terrorist attack in Christchurch.

That money is from a fundraising page that was set up for the teenager and meant originally to help cover Connolly’s legal fees and to buy “more eggs.” It had raised almost 80,000 Australian dollars ($56,000)

94 DIE AS FERRY SINKS IN IRAQ A ferry overloaded with people celebrating the Kurdish new year and Mother’s Day capsized in the Tigris River near the Iraqi city of Mosul, killing nearly 100 people, including families, officials said. Many of the dead were women and children who could be seen struggling to swim against a strong current, their heads bobbing in the water opposite restaurants and an amusement park where people had been celebrating minutes earlier. An Interior Ministry official said 94 people were killed in the accident, which residents said was the worst in recent memory.

Asian-Americans face barriers in workplace WASHINGTON: According to a study published in Ethnic and Racial Studies, Asian Americans face additional barriers in their career despite doing well at university. Asian Americans graduate from university at far higher rates than white Americans, but despite this there is no guarantee that they would hold professional or managerial jobs.

They face discrimination when trying to climb the career ladder at work, a phenomenon known as the 'bamboo ceiling', an invisible barrier. It has long been known that the US-born children of Asian immigrants, a population known as the "Asian second generation", are not only more likely to be collegeeducated than the US general population, but are also more likely to graduate from the elite universities.

While Asian Americans make up only 6.3 per cent of the US population, they account for about a quarter of all students in the Ivy League institutions in the US. However, until now, it has not been known if these advantages crossover into the workplace. Three researchers, Van Tran, Jennifer Lee and Tiffany Huang, Columbia

University, New York City, pooled over a decade of data from the Current Population Survey (2008-2016). They then used this data set to analyse graduation rates among the five largest Asian groups in the US Chinese, Indians, Filipinos, Vietnamese and Koreans.

Together these groups account for 83 per cent of the country's Asian population. They found that all five groups are more likely to have graduated from college with a bachelor's degree than white Americans.

The highest attaining group are Indians, who are eight times more likely to graduate with a degree than white students.

Chinese are six times more likely, Koreans and Vietnamese almost three times more likely, and Filipinos almost twice as likely to graduate. However, despite this educational advantage, Asian Americans are less likely to secure positions in top-tier professional jobs than white Americans with the same qualifications as them. The only exception was second generation Chinese graduates, who are one and a half times more likely than whites to be in a professional or managerial position, after controlling for

age, gender, education and region of the country.

"Despite their exceptional educational credentials, we found clear evidence that Asians professionals are over credentialed in education to achieve parity with whites in the labour market," said Van Tran, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Columbia University who led the study. "To be clear, Asians are not under-represented in the managerial and professional occupations, three quarters of second-generation Chinese and Indians report being in a managerial and professional occupation. However, secondgeneration Asians are significantly under-represented in senior-level leadership positions, considering how wellcredentialed they are, even after accounting for many

demographic factors."

According to the authors, there are a few factors that could explain Asian Americans' lack of career progression. "The same stereotypes that help Asians succeed in the educational domain (i.e. being smart, competent and hardworking) may actually hurt them in the labour market, where Asian Americans are sometimes perceived to be less vocal, less assertive, lacking in social skills and leadership potential," said professor Jennifer Lee. "Asian American professionals are also often excluded from the informal power networks in the workplace, which sometimes matter more than competency when it comes to being promoted into the leadership ranks."

4 Indian-American teenagers awarded for environment inventions WASHINGTON: Four Indian American teenagers have been awarded $25,000 each for developing innovative approaches to address environmental issues. The recipients are Anjali Chadha (16) of Kentucky, Preeti Sai Krishnamani (17) of Delaware, Navami Jain (17) of North Carolina and Sai Preethi Mamidala (17) of Pennsylvania.

Chadha has built a device that is a sensor for detecting arsenic, a harmful substance known to cause cancer, in well water sources. Currently a student at duPont Manual Magnet High School, Chadha was inspired to develop the sensor when she discovered that groundwater within 90 miles of her home was contaminated with arsenic. It is estimated that some 50 million Americans use well

Anjali Chadha, Preeti Sai Krishnamani, Navami Jain and Sai Preethi Mamidala

water as their primary source and could be at risk for contamination.

For Krishnamani, the goal was to combat arsenic contamination in rice. "The way I am trying to do that is by enhancing soil minerals that can bind up arsenic and make it inaccessible to rice plants," she said. Her solution is silicon amendments - rice husk and rice

husk ash - which are waste products of rice production and can be recycled into paddies to eventually combat arsenic contamination in the crop.

Jain performed a series of evaluations looking at different ways to produce bio-ethanol, a type of bio-fuel that is considered greener to conventional fossil energy sources as it is biodegradable and non-toxic.

"The major controversy around ethanol production is that it is being produced from food-based crops like corn. I'm looking at ways to produce it from agricultural-based matter and different waste products such as wheat straw," she said. Her results indicated that producing bio-ethanol from wheat straw may increase efficiency and lower costs.

Driven by the effects of fossilfuel pollution in India, Mamidala studied an optimal catalyst to make renewable energy more accessible. A senior at Garnet Valley High School in Glen Mills, she examined the catalyst in "a fuel cell that can store energy while it is being produced and generate it when it is needed. The actual catalyst being used in the fuel cell makes a world of difference in its performance."

Indian jailed in Canada for causing bus crash OTTAWA: A 30-year-old Indian truck driver in Canada was sentenced to eight years in prison for causing a bus crash that killed 16 people, mostly members of a junior hockey team, in one of the worst disasters in the country’s sporting community. Jaskirat Singh Sidhu pleaded guilty in January to 29 counts of dangerous driving causing death or bodily injury. On April 6, 2018, Sidhu’s semi-trailer truck failed to stop at a highway intersection, killing 16 people

and injuring 13 on the bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos hockey team and others en route to a playoff game. Sidhu appeared in a Melfort court.

Judge Inez Cardinal empathised with the victims’ families as she read out her sentencing decision.

“Most find the pain unbearable,” she said. “Families have been torn apart.” Sidhu received a sentence of eight years for each fatality and five years for each person injured, to be served concurrently (at the

same time).

Cardinal said no case in Canada resembles this one due to the staggering number of dead and injured. She said she knows this has been difficult, but hopes Sidhu and the victims’ loved ones can now heal.

Families burst into tears after the sentence was delivered.

Some immediately walked out, while others stared at the judge’s empty seat at the front of court.

According to an agreed statement of facts, Sidhu was solely responsible for the crash.

A forensic collision report found he didn’t brake at the intersection of a highway before hitting the bus. The report said Sidhu’s view of the intersection was not impeded by any environmental factors like trees near the road or sun in his eyes.

In court, the judge noted that Sidhu was preoccupied with a flapping tarp covering his truck’s load and failed to notice road signs. She said a person is not innocent simply because the consequences of their actions are not forseeable.

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in brief

Tamil parties woo voters with promises of doles, loan waivers CHENNAI: The two main political parties in Tamil Nadu have used their Lok Sabha poll manifestos to woo voters with promises of doles and loan waivers in a blatant display of competitive populism. Both AIADMK and DMK had several promises in common in their manifestos.

AIADMK has promised Rs 1,500 a month for those living below the poverty line, while DMK said interestfree loan of Rs 50,0000 per head would be given to rural women living below the poverty line to help them start small businesses.

DMK also said it would push for a joint parliamentary committee probe into the Rafale deal.

DMK also came out with constituency-specific manifestos for each of the 18 assembly seats. This is the first time that a political party is releasing manifestos for every assembly segment going to polls.

M.K. Stalin

Both parties also promised to waive farm loans for small and marginal farmers and education loans of students. Meanwhile, the AIADMK manifesto offered free higher education to all children. In line with their opposition to NEET, both parties promised to get

Edappadi K Palaniswami

exemption from a common entrance test for medical courses in Tamil Nadu. Both parties also sought the release of the seven LTTE convicts serving life terms in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

TRS, BJP drop key contenders Meantime, the Telangana

Rashtra Samithi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have ignored key contenders, but the Congress party has fielded senior leaders ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Telangana. The TRS, led by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, dropped sitting member of parliament AP Jithender Reddy, who has the party's floor leader in the Lok Sabha.

The BJP denied ticket to its sitting MP and former union minister Bandaru Dattatreya from Secunderabad. It has fielded Bangaru Shruthi, daughter of former BJP President Bangaru Laxman. K Kavitha, daughter of the Chief Minister, is seeking reelection from Nizamabad, while in Khammam, the TRS has named former MO Nama Nageswara Rao, who quit the TDP earlier this week, as its candidate in Khammam.

PUNJAB

Haryana govt rapped for questioning IAS officer Khemka’s ‘integrity’ HANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has said that senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka's “integrity is beyond doubt” and needs to be protected from the damage being done to his career. The remarks came in direct contrast to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar remarks regarding Khemka's performance appraisal report. A division bench of Justices Rajiv Sharma and Kuldip Singh said, “We are of the view that a person of such professional integrity needs to be protected as the professional integrity in our political, social and administrative system is depleting very fast.”

The court also said, “Since number of such officers whose integrity is beyond doubt and who have professional integrity

Ashok Khemka

of higher standard is depleting very fast, therefore, they need protection from being damaged by recording adverse remarks against the record.” Khemka had sought to expunge the adverse remarks made by Khattar in his annual performance appraisal report (PAR) of the year 2016-17 and restoration of the overall grade of 9.92 as was given by the Reviewing Authority. The

officer was represented by advocate Shreenath A Khemka in the matter before the high court as well as the Central Administrative Tribunal, which in December 2018 had dismissed his application saying the accepting authority, who happens to the State Chief Minister, wrote the appraisal report within the limit prescribed under the rules.

The division bench while setting aside the CAT order said, “The remarks of the Accepting Officer and the grading of 9.00 given by the Accepting Authority are hereby set aside and the opinion given by the

Reviewing Authority is restored.

The grading of 9.92 given by the Reviewing Authority is also restored and will prevail upon the grading given by the Reporting Authority.” The bench further added, “some of the matters are better understood than said in expressed words.”

It also said, “The severe constraints in which an honest and upright officer works under the political leadership are well known. There are so many pulls and pressures and the officer has to work according to the rules despite all these pulls and pressures.

The Reviewing Authority has recorded that the petitioner is well known in the country for effective professional integrity under very difficult circumstances.”

WEST BENGAL

BJP jingle warms up Bengal poll run KOLKATA: Charges of violation of the model code of conduct are piling up thick and fast even before many parties finalise the names of their candidates for Bengal’s 42 Lok Sabha (LS) seats.

Causing outrage is – among others - a music video featuring a song by the BJP’s Asansol MP and former playback singer Babul Supriyo, who is also a union minister of state. Lyrics from the song are, “Didi (Mamta Banerjee) wears rubber flip-flops even though her brothers are all millionaires.” Another line from the song derides her Kalighat home as a “school for thieves”.

The song triggered Trinamool (TMC) and informed the Election

Commission (EC), which in turn, asked Supriyo to explain the video's appearance on the social media without the EC's clearance.

Supriyo said, “I didn't upload it. The media were present when the video was being filmed in Mumbai.”

Meanwhile in Birbhum, a satirical poem is at the centre of the squabble between the BJP and the TMC. The lines say, “If you open your eyes you will see development, the chief minister's favourite agenda, standing on the road with sword in hand.” The poem was written

by Bengal's most revered octagenarian poet Sankha Ghosh as a scathing comment on the violence and murders that had

marked rural elections last year. It was quickly adopted by the opposition to attack the TMC and now the ruling party is using the same poem as election graffiti.

TMC's local firebrand leader Anubrata Mondal said, “Sankha Ghosh is no poet but he is right.

Look outside, you'll see development on every street.”

Mondal's other remark had the BJP pulling the trigger and crying foul. He said that his party cadres would hand out nakuldana (a local candy said to resemble a small bullet) to voters to ensure the TMC's victory. The parties are even appealing to ineligible voters. BJP leaders complained to the EC about TMC's Dum Dum

MP Saugata Roy, who allegedly distributed plastic water guns to kids on the occasion of the Holi festival.

The party also gave the EC a video clip and alleged that the TMC's north Bengal Development Minister Rabindranath Ghosh had threatened voters in Cooch Behar by telling them not to be afraid of the Center's paramilitary forces on guard, when they go to vote.

Meanwhile, protests erupted in various parts of West Bengal after the BJP, in its first list of 28 candidates, nominated veterans and defectors from the ruling Trinamool Congress to take on Didi's party in the state.

16 KILLED IN DHARWAD BUILDING COLLAPSE Seven officers were suspended for dereliction of duty in connection with the collapse of a 5-storey building in Dhrwad which claimed 16 lives so far. Rescue operations are still continuing. NDRF and other agencies have rescued 61 people and have extracted 16 bodies from the debris.

According to reports, it is being suspected that at least seven people are still under the debris. Four owners of the underconstruction building have surrendered three days after the tragedy. Former Karnataka minister and Congress leader Vinay Kulkarni had said that one of the partners in the building was his relative and that whoever was involved should face action. The engineer who was supervising the construction of the building was also arrested.

5 GET DOUBLE LIFE TERM FOR RAPE, MURDER Five people have been sentenced to double life imprisonment by a court for alleged gangrape and murder of a 10 year old girl in the Tamil Nadu in 2014. Mahila Court Sessions judge R Vijaya Kumari held the five guilty of the offences and also awarded varying terms of imprisonment on different counts, including kidnapping and torture, besides the life term. The judge said the sentences would run concurrently.

Prosecution said the five had kidnapped the girl when she was asleep in her house at Vazhapadi on February 14, 2014. They took the minor to a hill, raped her, then hung her body on a tree and escaped.

Based on a complaint filed by the girl's father, police investigated the case and arrested the five people under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and booked the accused for kidnapping, gangrape and murder.

FARMER GIVES LAND FOR KARTARPUR CORRIDOR The Landport Authority of India started the construction of an Integrated Check Post (ICP) at the Dera Baba Nanak for the Kartarpur Corridor last week. Formalities to acquire the land for the corridor and ICP are yet to be completed. Authorities have already begun work on farmer Lakha Singh, who has given away 16.5 acres for construction of the ICP. Lakha Singh said, “Every Sikh has dream to visit the Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib. This corridor will make this dream come true. I am ready to give my land for the project. I will accept the compensation that would be given by the government.” He added, “”This is the least we can do for the Guru's project. It is on the government now if it pays us compensation or not. I have given the land already.”

MAMATA'S PARTY IS NOW JUST TRINAMOOL Twenty-one years after officially separating from the Congress, Mamata Banerjee-led TMC has removed the grand old party's name from its logo. The new logo has Trinamool written in green with twin flowers and blue background. It has been in use for a week now, party sources said. It was way back in 1998 that Mamata broke away from the Congress and formed the TMC over differences of opinion on dealing with the then ruling CPI(M). A party leader said that the Congress name has been dropped from party banners, posters and all communication material.

However, it will remain registered with the Election Commission as Trinamool Congress, party sources said. The official Facebook and Twitter pages of the party, the CM, her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, and Trinamool's leader in the Rajya Sabha Derek O Brien already have the new logo.

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HERITAGE HISTORY

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30 March - 5 April 2019

Thakkar Bapa, a Lohana devoted to Subalterns • Patel believed India had reason to be grateful to the Grand Old Man • Year 2019 is the 150th birth anniversary of Kasturba-Bapu and Bapa ailing from a most talented Lohana family of Bhavnagar, Amrutlal Vithaldas Thakkar (29 November 1869-19 January 1951), affectionately known all over India as Thakkar Bapa, was destined to be most successful Engineer or a businessman, but the Grand Old Man of India opted to devote his entire life for the upliftment of the subalterns. Even before he was to complete his 80th year on 29 November 1949, 38 leaders of India including the Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the President Dr. Rajendra Prasad and even the Maharaja of Bhavnagar, Shri Krishnakumar Singh ji made an appeal to bring out a Commemoration Volume and to present it at a formal ceremony in Delhi to Thakkar Bapa on his forthcoming birthday.

“He is truly the Grand Old Man of India to-day. There is no figure in the country more venerated than Bapa…It is needless to recount his various fields of untiring service such as famine relief work, Bhill Seva, Harijan Seva, Kasturba work and, indeed, the service of all sections of humanity that are neglected.” Nehru had called him “an institution in this country” by long years of service of tribal and other backward peoples, who need such service most of all. The Sardar wrote for the true lieutenant of Mahatma Gandhi: “The Nation has reason to feel grateful to him.”

H

India is celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi (2 October 1869-30 January 1948) this year. Not many people or even the rulers may be aware that this is

year is also the year of 150th birth anniversary of Kasturba (11 April 1869- 22 February 1944) and Thakkar Bapa as well.

Of course, Dahod in Gujarat, where he spent his

precious 12 long years in the service of the tribals and dalits, does not forget Thakkar Bapa. Bapa had established Bhil Seva Mandal here in 1922 and one of the students of his institution, Gopal Dhanka who runs various educational institutions and his Gurjar Bharti Trust organized a special mega function to pay tribute to the Grand Old Man of India, inviting this writer to deliver a memorial lecture. Even Narsinh Hathila, the 91year old Chairman of Bhil Seva Mandal graced the occasion.

The erstwhile Panchmahal District does remember Thakkar Bapa but,unfortunately, the place of his birth and death i.e.

Bhavnagar, has almost

Next Column: Lesser Known Facets of Pakistan Rulers forgotten the man who contributed so much for the

the welfare of the countrymen even while being the member of the Constituent Assembly!

The Bhil Seva Mandal has reprinted the book “Thakkar Bapa” written by Kantilal M. Shah on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of the Bapa. Thanks to a friend Ashish Kharod of IPCL, we could establish contact with Sahdeo Anantrai Thakkar of Thakkar Bapa family.

He enlightened us Gandhiji with Thakkar Bapa about the Grand only son survived for just six Old Man of India family. years. The Bapa had six Though the roots of the brothers and one sister. The Thakkar family are in eldest Parmananda had Bhavnagar, the members of three sons and grand as well the extended family live in as great grand children. Let’s UK and USA too. Thakkar not forget such towering Bapa had married twice. His

personality who inspires us for the selfless service.

Dr. Hari Desai (The writer is a Socio-political Historian.

E-mail: haridesai@gmail.com)

BUSINESS

Jet Airways' struggle for survival Creditors out of millions of rupees, unpaid employees, canceled flights and unhappy passengers. Airline failures are messy and a major inconvenience. One of the most known domestic aircraft carrier in India, Jet Airways is neck-deep in major soup, in a second call of rescue. The first was in 2013, when it was hit with £900 million of debt and found a new investor in Etihad Airways.

The infusion of £360 million gave the airline relief, along with reduced operating losses.

The airways was founded in 1993 by Naresh Goyal who claimed to be an NRI from London. However, his NRI status is yet to be cleared as he has changed his stance several times before claiming to be a resident of Germany, Britain, and even Dubai. It took Goyal almost 12 years to start their international operations in 2004. Soon the company grew big and become one of the top competitors in India and the stock market value of the airlines shot up exponentially.

In a staggeringly short time, Jet expanded their business in a very short time after 2004, raising many eyebrows. They put a tough competition to Sahara and finally in 2007 they decided to take over the Sahara Airlines.

Later in 2008, Jet started their new venture called the Jet Lite where they claimed to provide flight service in very economical rates. In 2009, they started another company called Jet Connect with a same claim of providing cheap air service.

Now 25 years later, the same aircraft company has come to a verge of bankruptcy.

With nearly 300 flights and 74 destinations, Jet is today loss ridden and grabbing at last straws.

Bailout plan to be finalised in a week Armed with a £150 million bailout plan, lenders headed by SBI has stepped up efforts to keep afloat cash-strapped Jet. The lenders will now take over more than half the company's shares, its management and board, even as they look for a new strategic

investor. The lenders will initiate a bidding process on April 9 that will close on April 30.

They hope to find a new investor by June end. As part of the resolution plan, banks will be issued 114 million fresh equity shares for Re 1 that will collectively give them a 50.1 per cent shareholding in Jet. Goyal's stake will come down to 25.5 per cent from 50.1 per cent. Etihad, which owns about a quarter of Jet, will be left with 12 per cent and one of the Abu Dhabi-based carrier's two representatives on the board, Kevin Knight, will step down. Etihad's board meeting on March 31 is critical to its final decision on the Indian carrier. In its statement, Jet said, “The two nominees of the promoter and one nominee of Etihad Airways will continue to be on the board.

Two lender nominees will be inducted to its board, subject to the receipt of requisite approvals.”

An “interim management committee” led by the lenders will be created to manage the daily operations and cash flow of the airline, the statement said. Meanwhile, Jet's lessors have been convinced to let the airline resume operations with grounded aircraft.

Jet has grounded a majority of its fleet but hopes to get up to 75 per cent of it back in the air in 3-4 weeks. “The lessors understand that they also need to be part of a credible

plan that ensures long-term sustainability for the airline,” said Jet’s CFO Amit Agarwal. “The exit of the main promoter from the board is on expected lines.

The new board and the chairman must demonstrate confidence Naresh Goyal across all stakeholders. I see lenders’ decision as highrisk and not high-reward situation,” said Kapil Kaul, south Asia CEO of Sydneybased consultancy CAPACentre for Aviation.

Mallya pouts as banks swoop in to save Jet Embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya has lashed out at public sector banks for “double standards” under the current NDA regime for their intervention to bailout Jet while the same lenders made his Kingfisher airlines “fail ruthlessly”. In a series of tweets in reaction to banks led by State Bank of India taking over management control of troubled Jet, Mallya said, “Only wish the same was done for Kingfisher.” He added, “Happy to see that PSU Banks have bailed out Jet Airways saving jobs, connectivity and enterprise.” He also said, “The same PSU Banks let India's finest airline with the best employees and connectivity fail ruthlessly.

Double standards under NDA.” Currently facing extradition to India from London, Mallya lamented that his efforts to save Kingfisher was “not recognised and instead slammed in every possible way.” He claimed, “I invested over £400 million into Kingfisher Airlines to save the company and its employees.” He also ranted against the BJP for differential treatment meted out to Kingfisher and Jet. Mallya said, “BJP spokesman eloquently read out my letters to PM Manmohan Singh and alleged that PSU Banks under the UPA Government had wrongly supported

Kingfisher Airlines.”

He also said, “Media decimated me for writing to the current PM. I wonder what has changed now under the NDA Government.” Mallya reiterated his offer to pay off dies through his assets. “And I repeat once again that I have placed liquid assets before the Hon'ble Karnataka High Court to pay off the PSU Banks and all other creditors. Why do the Banks not take my money. It will help them to save Jet Airways if nothing else.”

Yet another flight to Bhuj canceled The crisis has adversely impacted the industries in Kutch as the country's largest district in terms of area has been cut off from India's financial hub, Mumbai. Jet Airways suspended three flights from Kutch district headquarters Bhuj till April 30 with immediate effect. Kutch businessmen are know to be frequent fliers to Mumbai. But with suspension of the Jet flights, they are now only left with one other option, that is Air India.

The Airport Authority of India (AAI) reveals the occupancy rate in flights originating from Bhuj was high. Bhuj Airport director Navneet Kumar Gupta said, “The jet has informed us that they are suspending operation till April 30. They used to fly Boeing 737 which has capacity to carry 170 passengers and it was operating with at its full capacity. IndiGo has the approval to start operation from Bhuj airport but they have not started it yet.”

President of Bhuj Chamber of Commerce and Industry Anil Gor said there are many Kutchis who have families in Mumbai who come to their native villages frequently. There are several Kutchis who have settled abroad and take Mumbai connecting flights. “Most of the industries set up in Kutch after the 2001 earthquake have headquarters in Mumbai and the officers of the companies frequently visit their production facilities,” Gor said.

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Pitroda kicks up row with remarks on Balakot strikes An embarrassed Congress was forced to distance itself from tech czar Sam Pitroda’s statement that air strikes on the Jaish terror camp in Balakot in Pakistan were “not the right approach” even as PM Narendra Modi pounced on the comment to attack the opposition party.

In comments on the Pulwama terror attack, Pitroda, an advisor to Rahul Gandhi, said attacks happened all the time and then referred to the Mumbai terror strikes in 2008 when the Congress-led UPA was in office, saying the then government could have used air power too but that would not have been the right approach. He also sought more information on the Balakot air strikes, referring to media reports questioning claims that 300 terrorists were killed.

With the IAF action a key element of BJP’s nationalism and national security plank, Modi picked up Pitroda’s comments, saying the remarks reflected

Sam Pitroda

that Congress was unwilling to respond to forces of terror. With several BJP leaders following suit, Modi said Rahul’s “most trusted advisor and guide”, had kick-started Pakistan National Day celebrations on behalf of his party, “ironically by demeaning India’s armed forces”.

Modi posted a series of tweets using the hashtag ‘Janta Maaf Nahi Karegi’ (people won’t forgive), and said, “Loyal courtier of Congress’ royal dynasty admits what the nation already knew - Congress was unwilling to respond to

3 booked for usurping properties of late spiritual leader Indira Betiji

Indira Betiji

Three persons have been booked for cheating and forgery by the detection of crime branch (DCB) for trying to usurp the properties owned by the trusts of late spiritual leader Indira Betiji. The crime branch had been investigating the case for the last six months after allegations of bogus will being produced by Sama Shah, Dharmesh Mehta and Sejal Desai were made

by Madanlal Rathi, a close aide of Indira Betiji.

Crime branch booked Shah, Mehta and Desai after initial investigations showed that the trio had forged the will. “We have been asking for the original copy of the will from the accused but they didn’t give it to us. Also, they took abrupt decisions without taking into confidence all executors of the will. We also suspect that they used backdated papers for preparing the will,” said Jaydeepsinh Jadeja, DCP (crime).

“The accused have submitted a copy of the will they claim to be genuine in the court. We will acquire a copy of the will from the court and sent it for FSL tests to ascertain if it is genuine or not,” Jadeja said.

Rathi had said in his complaint that Indira Betiji had left no such will and her nephew Vrajraj Kumar is the rightful heir.

forces of terror. This is a New India - we will answer terrorists in a language they understand and with interest.”

Pitroda, who headed Indian Overseas Congress and has been the organiser of Rahul’s foreign engagements, had said one cannot “jump on an entire nation” (Pakistan) just because some eight people “came here and attacked”.

Congress said this was his personal opinion while highlighting that Rahul had called the Balakot air strikes a “shining example of the valour of Indian Air Force”.

With the BJP brass seizing on Pitroda’s remarks to call Congress soft on terror amid the poll campaign, the AICC tried to wriggle out with a counter offensive. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, “PM Modi is hiding behind the valour of our defence forces and clinging on to the allegation of a particular person - that is his personal opinion and has nothing to do with the party - to do politics so that he does not have to answer questions about corruption.”

Calling Pakistan a “terror state”, he said Pulwama was a national security failure of the Modi regime and that BJP had released Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar who was directing attacks on Indian soil.

However, the defence could not hide the unease in the party. The issue is learnt to have been discussed in the morning meeting of the “core group” in which Rahul was present. Pitroda is

learnt to have been called for an explanation, with Rahul “livid” over the slip up. Pitroda is too closely identified with the Gandhi family for the “personal opinion” defence to work.

There were concerns that the row could serve to put Balakot back as a campaign issue just when it appeared to be dying down, according Congress leaders. It was only recently that the Congress Working Committee decided to focus on “Modi government’s performance” and rural distress-jobs in the poll campaign.

Amit Shah seeks apology from Rahul BJP president Amit Shah demanded an apology from Rahul over Pitroda’s remarks. At a press conference, Shah said Gandhi’s distancing himself from Pitroda’s remarks would not do. He said the remarks which “insult” the armed forces and families of Pulwama martyrs echo statements from senior Congress leaders on the

issue. “The nation is watching. There should be an immediate apology from Rahul Gandhi,” Shah said.

Asked to comment on SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav's insinuation that the Pulwama attack was the result of a conspiracy to influence results of the Lok Sabha polls, Shah said this and statements of other opposition leaders reflected their “politics of appeasement and vote bank”. Meanwhile, Indian Overseas Congress UK has launched West Bengal chapter along with an event called “We support Sam Pitroda” to show solidarity with Pitroda under the leadership of President IOC UK Kamal Dhaliwal. Newly joined West Bengal team members participated very actively and showed a lot of enthusiasm in the entire programme. West Bengal launch was presided by Imam Haque, Partha Roy, Taffazzel Hossain and Somnath Mukherjee from West Bengal team.

End of poll road for Advani as Shah gets Gandhinagar ticket The BJP replaced L K Advani with party chief Amit Shah as its candidate for Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat, formally bringing the curtains down on the career of the 91-year-old stalwart who played a crucial role in the transformation of the saffron outfit from a marginal player to a major political influence.

After initial reluctance, Advani allowed himself to be persuaded that at this age he should stay away from the rough and tumble of electoral politics. It potentially clears the way for Shah to play a big role - this time officially, in the affairs of New Delhi - if Narendra Modi gets a second L K Advani term as PM in May. The move could also presage the benching of other Advani played a major role in the revival members of the Old Guard, including of the party after the debacle in 1984, when it another former party chief Murli Manohar won only two seats. He won six times from Joshi.

Gandhinagar, the first time in 1991 (Vajpayee The party has renominated PM Modi for contested and won the next one, in 1996) Varanasi, while textiles minister Smriti Irani and the last five elections since 1998 has been fielded against Congress chief consecutively. The original hardliner, Advani Rahul Gandhi for what is expected to be a embarked on a rath yatra a year after high-wattage contest for Amethi. winning first from Gandhinagar to push for In all, the BJP has dropped 17 of its sitting the construction of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya: MPs, of which six are from UP, which it a campaign which arguably changed the swept last year and which is crucial for a course of politics. He also launched a second term for Modi. There are only 22 powerful intellectual assault on ‘pseudo women on the list, way fewer than the secularism’ and the politics of ‘appeasement,’ numbers of regional parties like BJD and shorthand for BJP's charge that the reigning TMC. consensus indulged Muslim sectarianism.

Advani hurt himself by praising Jinnah He, however, hurt himself grievously But it is Advani’s exclusion which praising M A Jinnah during a controversial highlighted the list of 184 candidates. trip to Pakistan and could not fully recover Though not unexpected, the decision marks from it even though the party projected him the political boldness which has as its PM candidate in 2009. characterised the functioning of the ModiHe started fading away after losing Shah duo and which could lead to far more overwhelmingly to Narendra Modi in the significant changes, both in terms of contest for who should be party’s PM choice governance and intra-party equations, if in 2014. The decision to bench him does not Modi wins a second term.

come as a surprise as Advani, it is learnt, was receptive to the suggestion that it was time that he made room for someone younger and be an accessory for Sangh Parivar’s plan for a generational shift.

Shah’s nomination quells speculation about Advani being allowed to pass on the seat to his daughter Pratibha or son Jayant.

Shah’s entry in the LS arena from Gujarat when Modi isn’t going to be there should energise the cadre in the state that the party swept last time BJP has retained all the prominent leaders in the seats, including home minister Rajnath Singh from Lucknow and transport minister Nitin Gadkari from Nagpur. It has replaced former CM B C Khanduri from Pauri-Garhwal with Uttarakhand party state president Tirath Singh Rawat. Khanduri’s son Manish recently joined Congress and might be the opposition candidate.

There was no announcement about Kanpur, from where another party veteran and sitting MP Murli Manohar Joshi has opted out. There is a possibility that other veterans like Bhagat Singh Koshiyari (Dehradun), Kalraj Mishra (Deoria) and Karia Munda (Khunti-Jharkhand) may also be replaced as they have requested. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and former Himachal Pradesh CM Shanta Kumar may also be replaced. Sources said they have requested the leadership to consider about their replacements.

Union minister and senior party leader J P Nadda, who released the list, said candidates for all 17 seats BJP will contest in Bihar have been finalised but will be released by the state NDA leadership.

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HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

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30 March - 5 April 2019

Coffee Compounds May Help Reduce in brief MANY COMMON HEALTH APPS Prostate Cancer Risk ARE SHARING POTENTIALLY Love coffee? If the findings of a latest study are to be believed, your favourite morning drink may help delay risk of prostate cancer.

The findings could help pave way for treating drugresistant cancer according to researchers. The study was carried by scientists from Kanazawa University in Japan who identified kahweol acetate and cafestolhydrocarbon compounds naturally found in Arabica coffee -- which may inhibit growth of prostate cancer.

The pilot study presented at the European Association of Urology Congress in Barcelona, suggested that kahweol acetate and cafestol could play a role in inhibiting growth in

cells that are resistant to common anti-cancer drugs like Cabazitaxel.

"We found that kahweol acetate and cafestol inhibited growth of cancer cells in mice, but the combination seemed to work synergistically, leading to a significantly slower tumour growth than in untreated mice," said lead author Hiroaki Iwamoto.

The team tested six compounds that are naturally found in coffee, on proliferation of human prostate cancers cells in vitro (i.e. in a petri-dish). The findings revealed that cells treated with kahweol acetate and cafestol grew more slowly than controls. They then tested these compounds on

prostate cancer cells, transplanted to mice (16 mice).

"After 11 days, the untreated tumours had grown by around three and a half times the original volume (342 per cent), whereas tumours in the mice treated with both compounds had grown by just over one and a half (167 per cent) times the original size," Iwamoto said.

The growth reduction in transplanted tumour cells were much prominent that in native tumour cells.

Although "these are promising findings, but they should not make people change their coffee consumption," cautioned Professor Atsushi Mizokami

SENSITIVE MEDICAL DATA WITH THIRD PARTIES, STUDY FINDS

from the varsity.

"Coffee can have both positive and negative effects.

We need to find out more about the mechanisms behind these findings before we can think about clinical applications. But if we can confirm these results, we may have candidates to treat drug-resistant prostate cancer," Mizokami noted.

Daily glass of OJ 'cuts the risk of deadly strokes by almost a quarter' Drinking a glass of orange juice each day may cut the risk of deadly strokes by almost a quarter, a major study suggests.

Volunteers who downed a juice a day saw their risk of a brain clot drop by 24 per cent, according to the decade-long trial.

Researchers in the Netherlands say it's not just orange juice that has the benefit, other fruit juices also appear to cut the risk.

Fresh fruit juices have long been thought of as healthy. But consumers in

recent years have been put off by warnings over their high sugar content.

As a result, UK sales have fallen steadily from a peak in 2011 of over one billion litres a year to just under 900m in 2017. But the latest study suggests the health benefits in terms of stroke prevention could outweigh the risks from sugar content.

The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition is a major long-running study investigating the influence of diet on a wide range of ill-

nesses.

Scientists at the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, in Bilthoven, tracked nearly 35,000 men and women aged between 20 and 70 for almost 15 years. They looked at how self-reported consumption of fruit juices compared with the numbers of strokes over that period.

Their results, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, showed four to eight glasses a week of orange or any other fruit

By now, anyone connected to the internet is familiar with the concept that their data -- whether through social media, search engines, or other apps and interfaces -- is far from private. According to a recent study, the same holds true for what is considered to be among peoples' most sensitive personal information: medical history. The report, released in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) says that the medical information from personal health apps is routinely shared with third parties in a process that is both unregulated and often lacking in transparency. According to the study, the ubiquity of data sharing among the health apps is also a of major concern for patients and physicians. Of the 24 apps studied, 19 of them, or 79 percent, engaged in data sharing practices. These include some of the most popular medical apps for Android in the U.S., U.K. and Australia like Medscape, Ada, and MedicineWise.

CHILDREN'S BALL PIT PLAY AREAS CONTAIN DOZENS OF KILLER GERMS BECAUSE THEY 'CAN GO WEEKS WITHOUT BEING CLEANED' Ball pits could contain life-threatening germs because they can go weeks without being cleaned, research has warned.

Nine germs that can have disastrous outcomes, including septicaemia, meningitis and pneumonia, were identified in a study. Ball pits that are often used by autistic children for therapy were investigated. There are no regulations on how often the play areas should be cleaned, researchers said, leading to a growing colonization of bacteria. 'Ball pits are often contaminated with visible dirt, vomit, faeces, or urine providing an origin and permissive environmental factors for microbial contamination. Clinics may go days or even weeks between cleanings, which may allow time for microorganisms to accumulate and grow to levels capable of transmission and

juice cut stroke risk by almost a quarter.

Nearly 70% of fruits and veg have pesticide residue on them even AFTER being washed Nearly 70 percent of fruits and vegetables sold in the US has pesticide residue on it even after being washed, a new report has found.

Strawberries, spinach and kale claimed the top three spots of the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) annual Dirty Dozen list, which ranks the most pesticideheavy produce.

Avocados, sweet corn and pineapples were found to have the least amount of residue. Kale appeared on the list for the first time in nearly a decade after researchers found a staggeringly high 92 percent of samples of the leafy green had pesticide residue.

The last time that kale was tested, it was ninth out of 12 on the list.

The report also found that one sample of kale had evidence of as many as 18 separate pesticides.

Additionally, Dacthal a pesticide that has been banned in Europe since 2009 and is classified as a possible carcinogen - was found on 60 percent of the

samples.

'Kale had not been tested by the USDA so with this new data, when we looked at the metrics, we were surprised to see such a significant increase,' Dr Alexis Temkin, a toxicologist at the EWG who worked on the report, told DailyMail.com Rounding out the top five on the Dirty Dozen list were nectarines and apples, both of which had more than 90 percent of samples confirmed to have at least one pesticide residue. However, strawberries were the worst offenders, with almost all of the samples - 99 percent - found to have residue of at least one pesticide.

Additionally, around 30 percent of the samples had 10 or most pesticides on them.

Nneka Leiba, director of EWG's healthy living science program, said the results were disconcerting.

'One of the things we want to highlight is that the USDA and FDA can do better job at testing,' she told DailyMail.com.

'They can test more fruits and vegetables more often. There was a 10-year span that we didn't realize the level of pesticides had shot up in kale and that was the thing people were eating.'

The EWG did state that despite the classification of 'dirty', all of the pesticides found on produce fell within the legal limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Compiled alongside the Dirty Dozen list was the group's annual Clean Fifteen, which ranks the fruits and vegetables that have the least pesticide residue.

Making up the top five were avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, frozen sweet peas and onions.

The report found that less than one percent of avocado and sweet corn samples had any detectable pesticides.

In fact, on the Clean Fifteen list, a mere six percent of samples had residue of two or more pesticides.

infection', said study authors at the University of North Georgia. Researchers, led by physical therapist Dr Mary Ellen Oesterle, visited six ball pits attached to inpatient physical therapy clinics or outpatient clinics across Georgia. Swabs were taken from nine to 15 balls taken from various depths.

CHILDREN WHO SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ON THEIR PHONE ARE AT SERIOUS RISK OF HIP FRACTURES IN 40S Children who spend too much time on their phones are at serious risk of hip fractures in their 40s and 50s, an expert has warned. Dawn Skelton, a professor of ageing and health, said today’s children are far more sedentary than previous generations as they play less sport, are given too many lifts, and look at screens for hours on end. Because of this, their bones may weaken and fracture earlier than usual – and their parents could end up as their carers, she said. Professor Skelton, an adviser to the Royal Osteoporosis Society, added: ‘Young people need to move and jump about for their bones to grow properly because they build the vast majority of their bones by the time they reach puberty. After the age of 15 it’s not as easy to lay down bone, and growth slows significantly.’

She has urged parents to enforce hourly screen breaks and to encourage children to be more active through walking and sport. Unless sedentary habits change, this generation could well end up with hip fractures in their 40s and 50s instead of their 70s and 80s. Parents could end up as carers for their children.’

To Our Readers

We are publishing these items in good faith, kindly consult your Doctor before you try to implement any advice. We do not hold any responsibility for its efficacy...

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'ShameOnKaranJohar' trends on Twitter Filmmaker Karan Johar faced severe flak on Twitter recently after he purportedly “liked” an abusive tweet directed at Shah Rukh Khan.

Several SRK fans started #ShameOnKaranJohar making it the Number 5 top trending on Twitter. The fans were furious at KJo, called him a fake friend to Shah and demanded that he apologise to him publicly. One Twitter user wrote, “Karan Johar a cruel snake I have ever seen.” Another wrote, “Just remove SRK's movies from cobra productions filmography and see where it actually stands.”

After the internet hate escalated, Karan Johar took to the micro-blogging website to give an explanation. He tweeted, “Guys having a technical problem with my twitter account! Strange things are going on! From uploading shoe picture and gibberish to liking tweets I haven't even read and would NEVER even acknowledge! Please bear with me After Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh's dreamy wedding and Priyanka Chopra-Nick Jonas' big fat Indian wedding, and speculation on Arjun Kapoor and Malaika Arora's church wedding in April, reports suggest Shraddha Kapoor is set to tie the knot with rumoured boyfriend Rohan Shrestha in 2020. If grapevine is to be believed, Shraddha's family wants the actress to settle down soon as they think this is the right age for her to get married.

A source said, “Shraddha Kapoor has been dating Rohan Shrestha for over a year now. They have known each other for the longest time but they have only started dating sometime in 2018.

Shraddha had come out of a failed relationship with Farhan and now wants to settle down. She is 33.

Her parents have been convincing

her to take the big step. She's finally heard them out and has spoken to Rohan about the same. If all goes fine, Shraddha will turn missus by early next year.” Reports of Shraddha dating celebrity photographer Rohan Shrestha have been going on for a while, however, the two have never publicly admitted of being in a relationship. Earlier Rohan had rubbished rumours of dating Shraddha. He had said, “We have been extremely close for the last 9 years, but NO, I am not dating her.

I met her at a party and we instantly hit off. First impressions I definitely thought she was cute, but have only remained best friends ever since.”

On the work front, Shraddha is currently busy shooting for 'Street Dancer 3D' with Varun Dhawan. Apart from this, he has 'Saaho' in her kitty with 'Baahubali' fame actor Prabhas.

Shraddha Kapoor to tie the knot ?

Aamir transforms into an old man A week after he announced he was going to star in the official adaptation of 'Forrest Gump', Aamir Khan has shared a video on his Instagram handle where we can see him undergoing a physical transformation. The video starts with Khan looking like an old man with a half-bald head with white hair and mustache and glasses. He also sports a fake stomach which makes him look bulky. The whole video extensively covers his transformation into an old man.

This is not the first time the actor underwent a physical transformation for his films like 'Dangal', 'Ghajini', 'Dhoom 3', and others. On the work front, Khan has revealed plans to quit acting. He had

recently said, “I am inclined towards filmmaking and I coincidentally directed 'Taare Zameen Par'. I have been in love with filmmaking and acting and I can't alienate the two but what I can say right now is that I began my career as an actor and it excites me. The moment I become a full-fledged filmmaker I will stop acting. Right now, I don't want to stop acting, that's why I am holding back the director inside me.”

However, he will also star in and as 'Lal Singh Chaddha' which will be directed by Advait Chandan of 'Secret Superstar' fame and is expected to release early next year.

Sara and Kartik Aaryan get cosy for Imtiaz Ali's next film After weeks of speculation, Sara Ali Khan and Kartik Aaryan are all set to share screen space for the first time in Imtiaz Ali's upcoming untitled venture. The two actors made the announcement on their Instagram pages. Sharing a sun-kissed photograph of them cuddled up on set, Kartik wrote, “Honored to embark on a journey with my Favourite #ImtiazAli's Next with @saraalikhan95 and @randeephooda releasing on 14th Feb, 2020 #JioStudios @imtiazaliofficial #DineshVijan @reliance.entertainment @wearewsf @maddockfilms @imtiazofficial Aur ji haan, issi film ki shooting chalu hai.”

Sara shared the same photo and wrote, “Honoured, grateful and uncontrollably excited to be a part of Imtiaz Ali's next ! Starring @kartiaaryan

& @randeephooda releasing on 14th Feb, 2020. Presented by Jio Studios @imtiazaliofficial @reliance.entertainment @wearewsf @maddockfilms.

Shoot in progress!! - Imtiaz Ali”.

The much-talked-about film has gone on floors and will hit theatres on Valentine's Day next year. While the two have never worked together, Sara has confessed having a crush on the actor on several platforms.

Meanwhile, Sara has also bagged another role as leading lady in the remake of 1995 film 'Coolie No. 1', opposite Varun Dhawan. Dialogue writer Farhad Samji said, “It is a boon for any writer to work with a dedicated actor like Varun. I narrated the dialogue draft to

him recently and he immediately asked me for a copy, so he could rehearse his lines even though there is still time for the film to go on the floors.

I am looking forward to teaming up with Sara for the second time.”

and I apologise for any inconvenience!

Sorting it out asap!”. The notorious tweet that he appeared to have liked compared the box office performance of Karan's production and Akshay Kumar starrer 'Kesari' with Shah Rukh's 'Zero'. It called Shah a 'B-grade star'.

In the meantime, Shah was quick to offer a defence for Karan. He wrote, “I hate clarifications on SM. @karanjohar is technologically challenged but has other good qualities like his taste in clothes!? Just like Life, twitter doesn't come with instructions, so mistakes r natural....& also he has fat fingers. Go easy all, Make Lov not War... it's more fun.”

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30 March - 5 April 2019

Jackie Shroff to play crucial role in Vijay's 'Thalapathy 63' One of the highly anticipated movies of this year, Vijay's 'Thalapathy 63' directed by Atlee will see Bollywood star Jackie Shroff play a crucial role in the film. This will be Jackie's third outing in Tamil, his previous films being 'Aaranya Kandam' with director Thiagaraja Kumararaja and 'Maayavan'.

He'd also done a cameo in 'Mupparimanam'. Jackie played an ageing don with erectile dysfunction in 'Aaranya Kandam', a neo noir cult film.

It was an interesting choice for the established actor given that the film was his debut in the language.

Produced by AGS Entertainment, the Atlee film's distribution rights have been bagged by Sun TV. The film was officially launched last November in Chennai, and earlier this week a few portions were filmed in North Chennai drawing in a lot of Vijay fans. Tipped to be a sportsbased drama, it is rumoured the film will feature Vijay in the role of a football coach. It was also reported that the film’s introduction number would feature 100 children dancing alongside Vijay.

The film also stars Nayanthara, Reba Monica John, Kathir, Daniel Balaji, Vivek, Yogi Babu, Anand Raj, and others in prominent roles.

TV LISTING

* Schedule is subject to change

SUNDAY MARCH 31, 2019 01:06 FILM : SOLID HITS ENTERTAINMENT 02:06 FILM : ANDHA KANOON 05:00 FILM : THE SILENT HEROES 07:20 FILM : ISHQ CLICK 10:01 FILM : SHAKTI - THE POWER 13:36 FILM : NILL BATTEY SANNATA 15:51 FILM : ENGLISH VINGLISH 18:35 FILM : STAR STOP LIFESTYLE MONDAY APRIL 1, 2019 00:20 FILM : YEH HAI MUMBAI MERI JAAN 05:00 FILM : BAS EK TAMANNA 07:11 FILM : JAANE JIGAR 10:03 FILM : KHALNAYAK THE FIGHTER 13:14 FILM : ENGLISH VINGLISH 16:00 FILM : NILL BATTEY SANNATA 18:22 FILM : STAR STOP 19:00 FILM : GANGSTER 21:21 FILM : JAZBAA TUESDAY APRIL 2, 2019 23:47 FILM : DUS TOLA 05:00 FILM : ANOKHI ADA 07:20 FILM : JAANBAAZ 09:34 FILM : SHAKTI - THE POWER 13:14 FILM : PHOOL AUR KAANTE 16:22 FILM : OMKARA 19:15 FILM : MASTI 22:48 FILM : NAARAAZ

‘Badhaai Ho’ to be remade in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada * Schedule is subject to change

Producer Boney Kapoor is all set to remake last year's hit 'Badhaai Ho' in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. The movie that starred Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao, Ayushmann Khurrana and Sanya Malhotra, is based on the story of an elderly couple expecting their third child. Kapoor has now announced that he will remake the Hindi film for the south Indian audience. He said, “I have acquired the rights of 'Badhaai Ho' under my

production house Bayview for all the south Indian languages. I was keen on remaking it as it is a film that resonates with both the masses and classes.”

He is also working on the remake of the 2016 Hindi film 'Pink' with Tamil star Ajith. When asked why he is remaking Hindi films, he said, “Earlier I used to buy rights of south Indian films to make in Hindi. Now I am reversing the process.”

SATURDAY 30TH MARCH TIME TV PROGRAM NAMES 17:00 KAUN BANEGA CROREPATI 18:30 THE KAPIL SHARMA SHOW 20:00 SUPER DANCER CHAPTER 3 21:30 THE KAPIL SHARMA SHOW 23:00 THE KAPIL SHARMA SHOW

* Schedule is subject to change

MON 1ST - FRI 5TH APR 2019 15:30: SIRF 30 MINUTES 16:00: THE GREAT INDIAN GLOBAL KITCHEN 2 16:30: RASOI SHOW 17:30: CHHUTA CHHEDA 18:00: RADHA PREM KI DEEWANI 18:30: UTTARAN 19:00: JAHAANARA 19:30: BEPANNAH 20:00: ISHQ MEIN MARJAWAN 20:30: MOHE RANNG DO LAAL 21:00: BALIKA VADHU - LAMHE PYAAR KE

Malayalam movie nominated for Rome Prisma Awards Malayalam film “Aickarakkonathe Bhishaguaranmaar” has gained popularity as the only film to be nominated from India for the Rome Prisma Awards. The film, which is headed by marine engineer Sohan Roy, and produced by UAE-based Aries Group, is a CSR initiative as the team committed 75 per cent of the revenue from the film for building homes of those who lost their dwellings in the floods that hit the state last year.

* Schedule is subject to change

The movie follows the life of common people in a village named 'Aickarakkonam' that traces the 5000 year old system of natural healing called Ayurveda, which is enjoying a major resurgence across the globe. The film, directed by Biju Majeed, features 175 new faces. The winner will be declared on April 4.

MON 1ST - FRI 5TH APR 2019 18:30: KHATRA KHATRA KHATRA 19:30: UDAAN 20:00: SHAKTI ASTITVA KE EHSAAS KI 20:30: KESARRI NANDAN 21:00: GATHBANDHAN 21:30: ROOP

WEDNESDAY APRIL 3, 2019 01:00 FILM : JAANAM 05:00 FILM : BIWI.COM 07:21 FILM : MAJAAL 10:38 FILM : SHIVA SHAKTI 13:30 FILM : CALLING BELL 16:03 FILM : INTEHA 19:15 FILM : KALYUG 21:25 FILM : MASTI THURSDAY APRIL 4, 2019 00:47 FILM : MRITYUDAND 05:00 FILM : KAUN 07:00 FILM : AAR YA PAAR 10:00 FILM : PHOOL AUR KAANTE 13:15 FILM : OMKARA 16:00 FILM : TAAL 19:50 FILM : FOX 22:17 FILM : SAAYA FRIDAY APRIL 5, 2019 00:45 FILM : JAYANTABHAI KI LUV STORY 05:00 FILM : UTTHAAN 07:42 FILM : 16 DECEMBER 10:45 FILM : SAMAY - WHEN TIME STRIKES 13:30 FILM : CHAALBAAZ 16:46 FILM : KHOOBSURAT 19:21 FILM : RA.ONE 22:32 FILM : AATMA - FEEL IT AROUND YOU SATURDAY APRIL 6, 2019 00:25 FILM : HAI APNA DIL TOH AWARA 05:00 FILM : JWALAMUKHI 07:42 FILM : ANTH 10:29 FILM : GHATAK 13:46 FILM : TAAL 17:30 FILM : FOX 19:56 FILM : DO LAFZON KI KAHANI 22:33 FILM : JAYANTABHAI KI LUV STORY

SUNDAY 31ST MARCH TIME TV PROGRAM NAMES 17:00 KAUN BANEGA CROREPATI 18:30 THE KAPIL SHARMA SHOW 20:00 SUPER DANCER CHAPTER 3 21:30 THE KAPIL SHARMA SHOW 23:00 THE KAPIL SHARMA SHOW MON 1ST APR - FRI 5TH APR TIME TV PROGRAM NAMES 16:30 BEYHADH 17:00 EK DUJE KE VAASTE 17:30 KUCH RANG PYAR KE AISE BHI 18:00 VIGHNAHARTA GANESH 18:45 MERE SAI 19:30 YEH UN DINON KI BAAT HAI 20:00 CHANDRAGUPTA MAURYA 20:30 MAIN MAAYKE CHALI JAAUNGI 21:00 PATIALA BABES 21:30 LADIES SPECIAL 22:00 CRIME PATROL

22:00: RED ALERT 23:00: TANTRA SAT 6TH APR 2019 17:30: CHHUTA CHHEDA 18:00: RADHA PREM KI DEEWANI 18:30: UTTARAN 19:00: HUM SAAF SAAF HAIN 19:30: GLOBAL KITCHEN 20:00: NAVRANGI RE 20:30: RED ALERT 21:30: ZINDAGI KI HAQEEQAT SE AAMNA SAAMNA 22:30: CHHUTA CHHEDA SUN 7TH MAR 2019 18:00: RADHA PREM KI DEEWANI 18:30: UTTARAN 19:00: HUM SAAF SAAF HAIN 19:30: FAMOUSLY FILMFARE 20:00: NAVRANGI RE 20:30: RED ALERT 21:30: ZINDAGI KI HAQEEQAT SE AAMNA SAAMNA 22:30: CHHUTA CHHEDA

22:00: SILSILA 20:00: ISHQ MEIN MARJAWAN 22:30: KHOOB LADI MARDANI JHANSI KI RANI 23:00: SITARA SAT 6TH APR 2019 17:30: NICKELODEON KIDS CHOICE AWARDS 2018 19:30: DESI BEAT RESET 20:00: NAAGIN - SEASON 3 21:00: RISING STAR (SEASON 3) 22:00: COURT ROOM 23:30: SITAARA SUN 7TH MAR 2019 19:30: FAMOUSLY FILMFARE 20:00: NAAGIN - SEASON 3 21:00: RISING STAR (SEASON 3) 22:00: COURT ROOM 23:30: SILSILA

30 UK

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30 March - 5 April 2019

Pushpadolotsav celebrated in the presence of Pujya Mahant Swami in Sarangpur

Bochasanwasi Shree Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha head Pujya Mahant Swami is currently in Sarangpur.

On March 20, in the presence of Pujya Mahant Swami, Pujya Bhagatji Maharaj's life was celebrated and spoken of fondly.

On March 21, on the occasion of Dhuleti, Pushpadolotsav was celebrated. Over 50,000 devotees from India, America, England, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, and over 700 saints participated. Several devotees had walked or came on a cycle to participate. The function was handled by over 10,000 volunteers. An address was held when saints spoke about the vachnamrut. Children of BAPS Vidya Mandir and Botad performed a dance performance. In his address, Mahant Swami said, “Those who have devoted their lives to Aksharpurushottam, they not only crossed their own luck, they have crossed time, deeds, and illusion.

Later, 'Phoolon Ki Holi' was celebration. First, Pujya Mahant Swami showered Harikrishna Maharaj with flower petals.

While every year, rangotsav is celebrated with water, this year, due to the growing concerns of shortage of water, a message on saving water was given to the society with the flower Holi. On March 24, Ravi Sabha was organised in the presence of Pujya Mahant Swami.

Sri Lankan community supports Mayor of Harrow which she is wearMembers of the ing the mayoral Sri Lankan comchain – on social munity in Harrow media alongside have backed the messages praising borough’s mayor, the soldiers for following calls for their service. her resignation Members of over controversial the Tamil commuphotos.

C a m p a i g n e r Cllr Kareema Marikar nity in Harrow were upset at this April De Alwiss representation, handed in a given the army officials’ counter-petition to Harrow involvement in the Sri Council last week which Lankan civil war. gave “full support” to Cllr The Sri Lankan Civil Kareema Marikar. It comes War, which stemmed from after Harrow’s Tamil comambitions by the ‘Tamil munity urged her to step Tigers’ to form an independown as mayor after she was pictured alongside Sri dent state, ravaged the Lankan military leaders durcountry for more than 25 ing a visit to the country. years – finally ending in Before handing over the 2009. petition – which was signed Cllr Marikar, who is the by 434 people – Ms De first Muslim woman to hold Alwiss argued that the situathe position of Mayor of tion had been jumped on for Harrow, hails from Sri political purposes.

Lanka herself. She has lived The initial petition, in the borough for 28 years, which was handed in on has served as a councillor February 21, took issue with since 2010 and is due to the mayor visiting the hand over her mayoral Commander of the Sri responsibilities at the end of Lankan Army, Mahesh the council year in May. Senanayake, and Brigadier The pictures in question Priyanka Fernando during a have since been deleted and trip last year. She posted the mayor declined to compictures of her meetings – in ment on the matter.

Wandering Singers - Sarojini Naidu WHERE the voice of the wind calls our wandering feet, Through echoing forest and echoing street, With lutes in our hands ever-singing we roam, All men are our kindred, the world is our home.

Our lays are of cities whose lustre is shed, The laughter and beauty of women long dead; The sword of old battles, the crown of old kings, And happy and simple and sorrowful things.

What hope shall we gather, what dreams shall we sow?

Where the wind calls our wandering footsteps we go.

No love bids us tarry, no joy bids us wait: The voice of the wind is the voice of our fate.

Slough landlord given suspended sentence enforcement notice, and informed the council of this change.

However, Mr Singh installed temporary kitchens in the flats in these flats which would be dismantled and removed when council officers visited.

He also removed the windows on the top floor attic flats, leaving the tenants, with children, without natural light.

He also charged the tenants an additional fee for council tax despite the fact he only paid the council for the one property he had declared.

Mr Singh sentenced to a 15-month prison term at

A Slough landlord who hid families in rooms without windows after failing to get planning permission for a block of flats has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Talwinder Singh, 57, was originally refused permission to build a block of six flats. He disregarded this ruling and built them on Waterbeach Road.

He was served a planning enforcement notice in September 2010 but went on to rent out the six flats to tenants.

Mr Singh claimed that the property had been returned to a single dwelling, in line with the

Sneh Joshi

months.

All the money needs to be paid within three months or he will face up to 30 months in jail.

Mr Singh now has to return the flats to the permitted one or two properties as per the original planning consent.

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The UK’s leading Vedic writer and TV personality

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 Mars is transiting your solar sec-

ond house this time, extra care should be exercised when it comes to new financial initiatives.

There may be the need to resolve old, nagging issues regarding personal finances. Take this time to re-budget and re-think how you want to spend your cash during this period.

Mars is transiting your solar 1st TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 house.

This transit helps you to

assert yourself more than usual. You have lots of energy and are more enterprising. During this transit you may lose your temper more than usual. Avoid being hasty in your decisions and do not step on anyone's toes. Love affairs may also be pleasurable during this period. may find yourself hard at GEMINI May 22 - June 22 You work behind the scenes, although that may not be apparent to others. You may find yourself caught up in a whirlwind of activity, with opportunities to advance on both the inner and outer level. There’s a sparkle to your social life and you will have fun communicating with others.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

Reading Crown Court, suspended for 18 months.

He was fined £25,000 and ordered to pay £266,177, which represented the illegally obtained rent money and unpaid council tax.

He was also ordered to undertake 200 hours of unpaid work over 12

Ideas and plans will come easily to you during this period but with such volume be sure to channel your efforts well. Pitches and new proposals should be very positive as you will be more articulate than usual. You will also be able to assert yourself more readily but avoid heated discussions and don’t be hasty as it could cost you.

The fiery planet Mars, continues to occupy your Solar 10th house for some time to come. Its influence will help you to maintain a high energy level and achieve positive results in anything that requires drive and initiative. If you are involved in a fairly competitive field of activity, you will be the one who comes out on top.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

Mars continues to energize your solar ninth house. Others find you easy to be around, as you are courageous and charismatic. You are strong and bold in your beliefs and convictions as well, and others tend to naturally follow your lead. You actively seek out new learning experiences and adventures without any fear.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

Mars is transiting your solar eighth house. This is a great time to find out what is important in your life and get rid of unwanted clutter and negative people who are clouding your judgement.

Shared finances can come into focus, and these could lead to disputes and disagreements if you are not careful or insensitive in your dealings with others.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

Mars has just moved into solar seventh house. During this period, personal relationships can suffer as arguments arise due to unresolved issues. Tread carefully as some form of conflict, whether intentional or otherwise can rear its ugly head. On a positive note you are full of energy and ready to compete, so make sure you stay the course and win the battle.

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SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

Health is an important area that you will take seriously.

It is likely that you may embark on a course of physical exercise and diet. It could be quite a difficult week psychologically with increased danger of misunderstandings arising and not being able to see the wood from the trees. Try to be diplomatic.

With Mars, comes increased creative and romantic energy but be sure to manage this carefully as you want to avoid the trouble that these areas can bring. Your self-confidence will be well-received by others during this period but you are likely to take a few more risks and embrace your competitive nature. Just remember to remain sensitive to the needs of others.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

Domestic projects and activities will get a welcoame boost during this period with more of a focus on feeling secure and consolidating the home front. However, as you focus more on the home, there can be family conflicts or disputes. Your career may also be frustrated by others but don’t use this as an excuse to re-examine old wounds.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

The prevailing astrological trend indicates increasing vigour and stamina. At an ordinary everyday level you can expect this to be a pleasant time, indulging in the good things of life. At a deeper level, there does appear to be a new energy stirring within you.

This will urge you towards creating greater independence in your lifestyle.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

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AsianVoiceNews

DATE

MATCH

PLACE

23

Chennai v/s. Bangalore Chennai

8-00 pm

24

Kolkata v/s. Hyderabad Kolkata

4-00 pm

24

Mumbai v/s. Delhi

Mumbai

8-00 pm

25

Rajasthan v/s. Punjab

Jaipur

8-00 pm

26

Delhi v/s. Chennai

Delhi

8-00 pm

27

Kolkata v/s. Punjab

Kolkata

8-00 pm

28

Banglore v/s. Mumbai Bangalore 8-00 pm

29

Hyderabad v/s. Rajasthan Hyderabad 8-00 pm

30

Punjab v/s. Mumbai

Mohali

4-00 pm

30

Delhi v/s. Kolkata

Delhi

8-00 pm

31

Hyderabad v/s. Bangalore Hyderabad 4-00 pm

31

Chennai v/s. Rajasthan Chennai

1

Punjab v/s. Delhi

TIME

Mohali

8-00 pm

2

Rajasthan v/s. Banglore Jaipur

8-00 pm

3

Mumbai v/s. Chennai

Mumbai

8-00 pm

4

Delhi v/s. Hyderabad

Delhi

8-00 pm

5

Bangalore v/s. Kolkata Bangalore 8-00 pm

6

Chennai v/s. Punjab

6

Hyderabad v/s. Mumbai Hyderabad8-00 pm

7

Bangalore v/s. Delhi

7

Rajasthan v/s. Kolkata Jaipur

8-00 pm

8

Punjab v/s. Hydrabad Mohali

8-00 pm

9

Chennai v/s. Kolkata

Chennai

8-00 pm

10

Mumbai v/s. Punjab

Mumbai

8-00 pm

11

Rajasthan v/s. Chennai Jaipur

8-00 pm

12

Kolkata v/s. Delhi

Kolkata

8-00 pm

13

Mumbai v/s. Rajasthan Mumbai

4-00 pm

13

Punjab v/s. Banglore

Mohali

8-00 pm

14

Kolkata v/s. Chennai

Kolkata

4-00 pm

14

Hyderabad v/s. Delhi

Hyderabad8-00 pm

15

Mumbai v/s. Bangalore Mumbai

8-00 pm

16

Punjab v/s. Rajasthan

8-00 pm

17

Hyderabad v/s. Chennai Hyderabad8-00 pm

18

Delhi v/s. Mumbai

19

Kolkata v/s. Bangalore Kolkata

20

Rajasthan v/s. Mumbai Jaipur

4-00 pm

20

Delhi v/s. Punjab

8-00 pm

21

Hyderabad v/s. Kolkata Hyderabad4-00 pm

21

Bangalore v/s. Chennai Bangalore 8-00 pm

22

Rajasthan v/s. Delhi

23

Chennai v/s. Hyderabad Chennai

24

Bangalore v/s. Punjab Bangalore 8-00 pm

25

Kolkata v/s. Rajasthan Kolkata

8-00 pm

26

Chennai v/s. Mumbai

8-00 pm

27

Rajasthan v/s. Hyderabad Jaipur

8-00 pm

28

Delhi v/s. Bangalore

Delhi

4-00 pm

28

Kolkata v/s. Mumbai

kolkata

8-00 pm

29

Hyderabad v/s. Punjab Hyderabad8-00 pm

30

Bangalore v/s. Rajasthan Bangalore 8-00 pm

8-00 pm

APRIL

Chennai

4-00 pm

Bangalore 4-00 pm

Mohali Delhi

Delhi

8-00 pm 8-00 pm

Rajasthan 8-00 pm

Chennai

8-00 pm

MAY Chennai v/s. Delhi

31

30 March - 5 April 2019

IPL -2019 MATCH SCHEDULE

1

SPORT

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Chennai

8-00 pm

2

Mumbai v/s. Hyderabad Mumbai

8-00 pm

3

Punjab v/s. Kolkata

Mohali

8-00 pm

4

Delhi v/s. Rajasthan

Delhi

4-00 pm

4

Bangalore v/s. Hyderabad Bangalore 8-00 pm

5

Punjab v/s. Chennai

Mohali

4-00 pm

6

Mumbai v/s. Kolkata

Mumbai

8-00 pm

PROBABLE MATCHES 7

First qualifier (1 v/s.2)

8-00 pm

8

Eliminator (3 v/s.4)

8-00 pm

10

Second qualifier (1/2 v/s. 3/4)

8-00 pm

12

Final

8-00 pm

Chennai

Rahul Dravid set to become head coach of NCA Former India batsman Rahul Dravid could soon have a new role in addition to his current job of being the coach of both the India ‘A’ and India U-19 team. The BCCI wants Rahul Dravid to take over as head coach of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) which is based in Bangalore. In the proposed new role, Dravid will monitor and work with various coaches at the academy.

The proposal was made to the Committee of Administrators (COA) by general manager cricket operations Saba Karim and NCA chief operating officer Tufan Ghosh. However, if BCCI gets Dravid on board, the Indian board will have to rework his contract, which currently only covers his India ‘A’ and the

Under-19 team jobs.

Since retiring from all forms of the game, Dravid has been coaching under-19 and ‘A’ team players. Youngsters who Dravid has mentored, like Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal and Hanuma Vihari, have seamlessly transitioned into Test cricket.

All-rounder Vijay Shankar has made rapid progress and is knocking hard on the World Cup door. Dravid was a commentator for a brief while but left the role and took up fulltime coaching.

“He has been the link between the Indian team and selectors. He has been guiding everyone behind the scenes. He is the one who has been informing selectors whether a particular player is ready for international cricket or not. We

felt its the right time to have him on board for bigger role. The idea was proposed during the last COA meeting and it will be taken f o r w a r d accordingly,” BCCI sources said.

The NCA at the moment has only one full-time coach in former l e g - s p i n n e r Rahul Dravid Narendra Hirwani who looks after the bowlers. A few months ago former India opener WV Raman, who was batting coach at the NCA, was appointed coach of the women’s team.

NCA is without a head coach. It

is understood that BCCI officials have already discussed the idea with Dravid before proposing it to the COA. The BCCI will invite applications for the post and Dravid will have to formally apply for the job.

Test cricketers allowed to sport names, number on jerseys Virat Kohli will soon be seen wearing No 18 on his white flannels as the ICC has allowed Test-playing nations to have the players sport their names and numbers on their jerseys. This move is aimed at popularising the longest format of the game.

The English county sides as well as the Australian state sides playing the Sheffield Shield are used to wearing whites with names and numbers on the back but this will be an altogether new experience for the Indian team, who will play the second Test of the World Championship against West Indies wearing numbered white shirts.

"Yes, it starts from August 1 for the World Test

Championship. It is a part of the wider plan to promote Test cricket," Claire Furlong, ICC's GM Manager (Strategic Communications) said. It is

widely expected that the Indian team in all likelihood will not use two specific jersey numbers in Test cricket - No 10 which was used by Sachin Tendulkar

in limited overs and possibly No 7 used by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

The Indian team has already unofficially retired jersey No 10, which Tendulkar wore. In all probability, same will happen with Dhoni's jersey also. The decision seemed to have been taken last week as a tweet from former England captain Michael Vaughan on 19 March indicated.

"Delighted to hear Names & Numbers will potentially be on Test playing shirts .. About time .. Add a bit of colour as well .. make the Shirts more inviting for Kids to want to wear .. Test cricket has to become more commercial .. CUE .. A lot of abuse !!!," Vaughan had tweeted.

England youngster AFI faces backlash for smashes 25-ball century omitting high jumper Young England cricketer Will Jacks blasted six sixes en route his 25 ball century.

Unfortunately for the 20year-old, his exploits will not go down in the record books as the match has not been given official status. Jacks finished with 105 off 30 deliveries with eight fours and 11 sixes as Surrey amassed 176 for three in a T10 clash against Lancashire in Dubai.

The match was a preseason fixture for both sides, who are gearing up for the county season, which begins next month. Had the match been given the official status, Jacks' exploits would have eclipsed Chris Gayle's fastest-recorded professional hundred, achieved in 30 balls

England cricketer Will Jacks

during the 2013 IPL. Speaking after his whirlwind knock, Jacks said: "From the first ball I just tried to play my shots. After the first few overs my intention was to try and hit every ball for six, and I think after four sixes I thought, 'I could hit six sixes here'. I'd never done it before and it was nice to do that and something I will cherish."

The Athletics Federation of India continued to get flak over the controversial omission of high jumper Tejaswin Shankar, who is studying and training in USA, from the India squad for next month’s Asian Championships in Doha.

Announcing the squad, AFI said the national record-holder was not considered as he has not listened to the federation and competed in any of the qualifying meets.

The young athlete then took to Twitter objecting to a media report that quoted AFI president Adille Sumariwalla as saying, “I don’t consider that he will get a medal (in Doha). I understand that I couldn’t take part in the Fed Cup organised by @afiindia & if that’s why I wasn’t considered for selection then I respect that decision. But if this is what Prez @Adille1 believes then I’m sorry to

say but he has no right to judge if I am good enough or not,” Shankar tweeted.

“I am not someone who wears the crown/takes false pride in being national champion and be content with my past successes. I know I can do better. But I also know that I am as capable as anyone else to win a medal for India,” he added. Commonwealth and Asian Games gold medallist, wrestler Vinesh Phogat blasted the AFI boss for what she called “disrespectful” comment.

“This is very disrespectful to any athlete be it National or International champion. How is it justified leaving out one who has shown great potential clearing the qualifying mark many times & yet deeming him not credible enough to represent our country & win a medal???,” Vinesh tweeted.

Sport Ashwin 'Mankads' Jos Buttler, derails RR

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Ravichandran Ashwin, Kings XI Punjab skipper, 'mankaded' Jos Buttler, inflicting a massive blow on Rajasthan Royals in their chase of 185 runs at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur, on Monday night. Jos Buttler had given Rajasthan Royals a flying start in their run-chase and looked unstoppable after scoring his seventh half-century in the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, spinner Ravinchandran Ashwin put an end to Buttler's stay at the crease with one of the most controversial dismissals ever seen in the history of the IPL. After Ravichandran Ashwin dismantled the bails, Punjab made an appeal for 'mankading'.

The Punjab captain exchanged a few words with Buttler, who was clearly out of the crease. The spinner paused before delivering the ball and took the bails off.

The third umpire gave the England batsman out. Kings XI Punjab went on to register a 14-run win over Rajasthan Royals, who were restricted to 170 for nine in the chase.

"You are not in the crease and you've been upsetting my rhythm," an animated Ashwin said in the heat of the moment. Buttler, who didn't get any warning before, was furious while walking back to the dressing room. While some lauded Ashwin's smart dismissal on Twitter, many called it "cheating".

Earlier, a fiery knock of 47-ball 79 by Kris Gayle guided Kings XI Punjab to 184-4. Gayle, who came into the IPL after a cracking outing against England, went hammer and tongs at the Royals bowlers, who were left wanting for answers. Put in to bat, Punjab required a good start, but that did not happen as they lost opener KL Rahul for just four runs.

The onus, obviously, was on the vastly experienced Gayle and he did not disappoint.

Pairing with India’s young but highly talented, Mayank Agarwal, Gayle stitched a 56run partnership on the second wicket to ensure there was no slip-up.

If Gayle went for his shots, Mayank held fort at the other end. Known for his patience and cool demanour, Mayank kept the scoreboard ticking before being caught by Dhawal Kulkarni at long-off off his state-mate Krishnappa Gowtham for 22.

But even after his exit, there was no stopping Gayle.

He partnered with young Mumbai batsman Sarfaraz Khan, who played an unbeaten knock of 46 to keep the momentum going.

Gayle walked up to him every now and then and advised a thing or two. That worked as the duo added 84 runs for the third wicket.

That certainly set the tone for Kings XI Punjab.

Brief scores: Kings XI Punjab: 184 for 4 in 20 overs (Chris Gayle 79, Sarfaraz

Khan 46 not out, Mayank Agarwal 22; Ben Stokes 2/48) Rajasthan Royals 170 for 9 (Buttler 69, Samson 30; Mujeeb 2-31, Curran 2-52, Rajpoot 2-33) Russell muscle powers KKR It was not the perfect start

by Kolkata Knight Riders’ bowlers. But Andre Russell made a perfect finish with the bat to give the side a winning start to their IPL-12 campaign as they humbled Sunriseres Hyderabad by six wickets at the Eden Gardens on Sunday. It looked almost a lost cause for the hosts till the big West Indian walked in the middle with KKR needing 68 off 27 balls while chasing 182 for victory. The early flourish was provided

by Nitish Rana, who opened with Chris Lynn after David Warner’s strong 85 helped SRH post 181 for three on being asked to bat first by KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik, who called it right.

Although KKR lost Lynn early, an 80-run second wicket stand between Rana and Robin Uthappa steadied the innings. But a brief interruption due to power failure in one of the floodlight towers perhaps distracted Rana (68) who was trapped in front by Rashid Khan in the first ball after the stoppage. But then Russell took things in to his own hands as he hit pacer Siddharth Kaul for 19 runs in the 18th over and then collected 21 runs off SRH skipper Bhuvneshwar Kumar by hitting two sixes and two fours in the

R Ashwin's unsportsmanlike conduct was slammed on social media

penultimate over to leave KKR needing 13 runs off the last over.

Youngster Shubman Gill did the job for them as he hit Shakib Al Hasan for two sixes to take the side home with two balls to spare.

Pant sets Wankhede on fire Rishabh Pant blazed away to an unbeaten 27-ball 78 and powered Delhi Capitals to a mammoth 213 for six against Mumbai Indians in their IPL opener.

Pant raced to his half century in 18 balls, hitting seven sixes and as many fours at the Wankhede Stadium, which looked too small for the Delhi dazzler.

Just 21, Pant smashed the world's best fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, for a few sixes as well. Pant, playing his natural game, mercilessly punished the Mumbai bowlers after South African Colin Ingram (47 off

32 balls) and Shikhar Dhawan (43 off 36 balls) pulled the visitors out of the rubble and laid the foundation of a big total with their 83-run stand for the third wicket.

Winning start to CSK The 38-year-old Harbhajan Singh showed that he can be as lethal as ever with the ball to help Chennai Super Kings (CSK) begin their IPL title defence with a seven-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Chennai.

Sharing the new ball with seamer Deepak Chahar (4-017-0) in the IPL-12 opener, the veteran India offie wreaked havoc on RCB with a spell of 4-0-20-3 that included the scalps of skipper Virat Kohli (6), Moeen Ali (9) and AB de Villiers (9).

Both Harbhajan and Chahar completed their quota of four overs each at the very

beginning. Harbhajan’s spell broke the back of RCB, who eventually folded up for 70, the sixth lowest total in IPL history. The run chase wasn’t all that straightforward for CSK. Opener Shane Watson, who played out a maiden over against Yuzvendra Chahal first up, lost his patience in the leggie’s next over. The burly Australian was bowled for a 10-ball duck after a wild heave on the leg side off a full delivery.

Given the minuscule target, though, it was just a matter of soaking up the pressure on a sluggish pitch and the hosts did so effectively, winning with 14 balls to spare. Kohli’s boys, perhaps, made a blunder by picking only two spinners – Chahal and Moeen Ali – but there is little they could have done after the inept display of the batsmen.

SachinTendulkar has some advice for son Arjun Arjun Tendulkar already knows the pressures of having a famous surname but Sachin Tendulkar wants his budding cricketer son to find “reasons to wake up every morning and chase his dreams” irrespective of the circumstances. Arjun, a leftarm fast bowler, who played two U-19 Tests for India last year and has been followed closely since the time he made his Mumbai U-19 debut.

With the second edition of ‘T20 Mumbai’ set to be his first senior appearance, the legendary father knows very well that his son’s performance would be watched. Asked if T20s are a good way to start at the senior level compared to the traditional days format, Tendulkar said it’s an opportunity that Arjun needs to grab. “In sports,

nothing is guaranteed so whatever opportunities you are provided, you need to go out there and give your best and make the most of it,” Tendulkar Senior, who has refrained from commenting on his son’s journey, said.

“This is one platform that I feel people will be following you, your performances and if you are doing well, you will be on top of the world,” he added.

However, if he doesn’t get success, there is always a tomorrow and Arjun can comeback stronger, feels Tendulkar.

“As long as he continues to be passionate about cricket and in love with the game, that’s what matters to me. There are going to be highs and lows and he should find reasons to wake up in the morning and chase his dreams. His dream is to

SachinTendulkar and his son Arjun

play cricket and do something special,” Tendulkar said. Tendulkar’s father, famous Marathi poet and Professor Ramesh Tendulkar, had a huge impact on the legendary batsman’s thought process.

“My father once told me:’You know as long as you don’t find shortcuts and prepare yourself before any match, then results will follow’. I will ask him (Arjun) to do that. Don’t worry about anything else.

“Just go out there and do what you are good at. If he is a good team man and good human being above all, that will be much more important to me,” said the veteran of 200 Tests. According to Tendulkar, T20 Mumbai will not only give youngsters a platform to knock on IPL doors but recognise all those unnamed club cricketers, who have remained dedicated to the sport without ever being in the spotlight. “As far as youngsters are concerned, there are three boys, who did well in this event last

year and have now got IPL teams. They are Shubham Ranjane, Shivam Dubey and Sushant Singh.So this provides a great platform to do something special and get into an IPL franchise.

“If you fit into their scheme of things, they will take you. Even if not, at least you have found a way to knock their doors,” he said.

But won’t the T20 lure drive away youngsters from the traditional Ranji Trophy? Tendulkar said that there are no short cuts to the top.

“It can’t be a one-way traffic. You have got to respect the sport and you will find that it takes care of you. The journey has to start from the heart and if you are passionate about cricket, it really doesn’t matter. That’s what I followed for a number of years,” he said.