AV 30th April 2016

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30th April to 6th May 2016

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

From over £900 million defunct loans back home, cancellation of his passport to the impending expulsion from his Parliament membership, businessman Vijay Mallya's troubles know no end.

In fresh action against the man who was once known as the ‘King of Good Times’, India’s Supreme Court has released details of assets held by Mallya, his three children and estranged wife, to the group of banks led by SBI on a formal request by attorney general Mukul Rohatgi. It

asked banks to inform the action to be taken based on the details, within two months.

Slamming Mallya for not honouring its April 7 order, an SC panel directed him to deposit a specific amount in the court, give a tentative date for his return to India and dis-

close all properties held by him and family members in India as well as overseas. The consortium of banks had blamed Mallya for not cooperating in the investigation of cases lodged against him and for not

Navin Shah for London Assembly

CONTINUED ON P 26

Next Thursday on 5th May Londoners will be voting to elect Mayor of London and Assembly Members for a four year term. These are important elections which will determine who will run London. We urge all Londoners to perform their democratic duty and ensure that they cast their vote to shape the future of London.

Read more about Navin Shah's pledges to you on page 5.

Vijay Mallya

JET AIRWAYS FARE

TRAVEL FROM - Dep: 04-APR-16 - Ret:30-MAY-16 Hyderabad Bangalore Chennai Mumbai Kolkata Ahmedabad Delhi Amritsar

: : : : : : : :

£401 £407 £407 £410 £411 £424 £435 £454

Jaipur Rajkot Bangkok Dhaka Katmandu Singapore

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£459 £498 £432 £434 £462 £485

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ONE ONE with Keith Vaz, MP

Asian Voice |30th April 2016

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to

Angus Robertson

Angus Robertson is the SNP Leader in Westminster. He leads the largest ever group of SNP MPs at Westminster, the UK’s third largest political party at Westminster.

He has represented Moray Constituency in the North East of Scotland since his election in June 2001. Prior to that he was the European and International Affairs Adviser to the SNP group in the Scottish Parliament. Before moving into politics, Angus worked as a foreign and diplomatic correspondent in central Europe for the BBC, Austrian Radio and other leading broadcasters.

Angus was born in London to a Scottish father and German mother, and brought up in Edinburgh where he received both his Primary and High School education.

After leaving Broughton High School Angus completed an MA Honours in Politics and International Relations at Aberdeen University before embarking on his journalistic career.

Angus' main political interests are Scottish independence, International and European Affairs, defence, whisky, oil, fishing, sustainable development and youth issues.

1. What is your current position?

I am the Westminster Leader for the Scottish National Party and MP for Moray in the north of Scotland, representing my constituents in the stunning Speyside.

2. What are your proudest achievements?

Becoming Westminster's third

party with 56 out of 59 Scottish MPs last year was undeniably a highlight. I'm also incredibly proud of the independence referendum campaign in Scotland in 2014. While we didn't the result we had hoped, the campaign was positive, energetic and inclusive.

3. What inspires you?

The trust that people have put in

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us as parliamentarians. It is a real privilege to represent my constituents and lead the SNP group in Westminster, but with that also comes great responsibility.

8. What are your long term goals?

It’s no secret but the goal is to see a prosperous and independent Scotland, where people get the government they vote for.

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

There were certainly challenges that came with increasing our number of MPs from 6 to 56 at last year- from setting up offices to hiring enough staff, it's been an exciting, but hectic time.

5. Who has been the biggest influence in your career to date?

Moray MP predecessors, Winnie and Margaret Ewing, gave me invaluable advice about how to serve my constituents, and Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon for providing excellent leadership and direction.

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

Working with such a diverse group of SNP MPs. The vast majority of our MPs were new to politics last year and they bring with them a wealth of experience which is invaluable. Our Health spokesperson is a consultant breast surgeon and our Justice spokesperson is a QC. We have former teachers, jour-

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nalists, small business owners and MPs who ran their homes and have looked after their children. We have all ages from Mhairi Black at 21 and upwards, and we have Scotland's first Asian woman MP, Tasmina Ahmed -Sheikh.

7. And the worst?

It's probably the time I spend travelling each week between London and the north of Scotland- it's time I could otherwise be spending in the constituency.

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

Where do I even start?! I would completely review the government's foreign policy. The lingering presence of the unelected and undemocratic House of Lords would be another one. I would also scrap the obscene waste of money that is Trident nuclear weapons, and I would put a stop to the government's obsession with austerity and end the cuts which are hitting the country's most vulnerable people.

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

Mahatma Gandhi, who helped deliver independence for India and its people through a peaceful movement for democracy and self-determination.

British speaker honours Indian icons in London Parliament Speaker John Bercow urged the Indian diaspora in Britain to engage more with mainstream politics and get proper representation in parliament.

“The community makes a huge contribution to British life, and I hope its members will continue to build on its successes, both in terms of representation in Parliament and more widely across our national life,” the Asian Lite daily quoted Bercow as saying.

He made the speech last week while presenting the Asian Lite Pranam Awards to seven prominent members of the British Indian community.

Lord Meghnad Desai

Zerbanoo Gifford

The award recipients were economist Lord Meghnad Desai, BritishIndian politician Shreela Flather, BBC’s former sports editor Mihir Bose, refugee-turned-multi-millionaire Rami Ranger, Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan Executive Director Mattur N Nandakumara, rights activist and writer Zerbanoo Gifford, and T Ramachandran, CEO and MD of Bristol Laboratories.

The event, held at Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan, was attended by several prominent members of the Indian community and British MPs including Bob Blackman. The Pranam

Awards were instituted by the Asian Lite daily to honour members of the Indian community for their contribution to British culture, economy, business, media and sport sectors.

Seven members of the third generation British Asians — poetess Divya Mathur, media personality Rafeek Ravuther, Lon don junior chamber former president Nahas Abdul Jaleel, Here and Now 365 MD Manish Tiwari, and

Rami Ranger

journalist Navdeep Singh paid tributes to the award winners.

Flather was the first Asian woman to receive a peerage and the first from

Baroness Shreela Flather

the ethnic minorities in the House of Lords. She has worked for several humanitarian causes, fighting for social justice, refugees, community, race relations and those in prisons.

Meghnad Desai is a Labour Peer and spearheaded the campaign to install the Mahatma Gandhi Statue at Parliament Square in London. Desai, an ardent supporter of the Labour Party, wrote several books on economics. He was a former professor at the London School of Economics (LSE).

Rami Ranger is one of the most successful Indianorigin businessmen in Britain. His firm Sun Mark Ltd won six Queen’s

Award.

Ranger, the youngest son of Indian freedom fighter Nanak Singh, began his life as a refugee boy in Delhi and now runs a $280 million turn worth company.

T Ramachandran help ed Bristol Laboratories to grow from a company with one person and one product in 2001 to the one that employs over 600 people across Britain now.

Mihir Bose, who came to England to study engi-

is a Sanskrit scholar who teached at Cambridge and Eton. He hails from the only Sanskrit speaking village of Mattur in Karnataka and holds a PhD in devotional literature from School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.

Mattur Nandakumara

Mihir Bose

neering but was trained in accountancy, became one of the most respected journalists. He has worked with Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph and became the first sports editor for BBC. Mattur Nandakumara

Zerbanoo Gifford was the first non-white woman to stand for British Parliament in 1982. She won several recognitions for her involvement in national and international humanitarian activities.

Zerbanoo was elected to the Liberal Party’s Federal Executive, again the first non-white to be elected onto any governing body of a British political party.

C MMENTS

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Asian Voice |30th April 2016

India takes stock of China policy The Indian public is awakening to the obvious: Talk in the corridors of power and outside it among the political class, politicians across the board and in the media at large has the pure wind. The Chinese have understood this welcoming truth (for them) and are playing along with a public relations campaign with obliging coverage from certain Indian broadsheets like the Hindu.

Appreciating the widespread anger in India at China’s move to block the naming of Masood Ahzar, the Pakistan-based jihadi mastermind behind the attack on the Indian Air Force base at Pathankot, Beijing went into a public relations overdrive, stressing the importance India was to regional peace and stability and much else drivel of a similar genre. The ballyhooed invitation to President Pranab Mukherjee to visit China sent the Hindu newspaper into a paroxysm of delight at the prospect the lotus-eater’s optimism about a new age in Sino-Indian relations. India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval appeared equally buoyant about a solution to the vexed Sino-Indian boundary. Having experienced a bruising encounter with reality, he discovered that his Chinese interlocutors, including the prime minister, were as stern and unyielding on the issue as they ever were.

The Gallic saying, ‘The more things change, the more they remain the same,’ has much wisdom to commend it to Indian bureaucrats and politicians.

Let us be serious for a change. Chinese regimes since Chairman Mao’s time has been brutal and utterly cynical in the pursuit of the perceived national interest. China was the prime supporter of the genocidal monster Pol Pot and his murderous Khmer Rouge government. The United States and Britain helped by keeping the Khmer Rouge seat warm in the United Nations after Pot Pot and his infamous crew were toppled from power by the military intervention of Vietnam, thanks to which the Cambodian people and their culture were saved from certain extinction.

Consider China’s support to the Pakistan military dictator Yahya Khan whose forces raped and slaughtered millions of Bengalis striving for freedom and independence in the former East Pakistan. Now, the Chinese regime of President Xi Xinping has gifted his country’s ‘all weather friend’ Pakistan with $48 billion in military and economic aid. What does China stand to gain from such an ally? Not its mineral wealth, which is a scarce

resource. Nor from its human capital which is no less scarce with widespread illiteracy and heavy dependence on madrasa education.

What Pakistan has in abundance are jihadi terror networks always ready for use bombing activity across the border in India. Such cooperative agencies are useful instruments to keep India off balance and suitably distracted. Complementing these joint anti-Indian endeavours was China’s supply of a readymade nuclear bomb to Pakistan and the supportive technologies to keep Pakistan’s nuclear weapon programme - solely targeting India, as Islamabad has repeatedly said – in place and going forward. The same applied to Pakistan’s missile systems. China’s overt and covert support for Pakistani terrorism is well calibrated; it is no aberration.

The Indian response has to prepare for a long game with no room for illusions or namby-pamby sentiment.

Believe you me, China has myriad vulnerabilities which no amount of bluster can conceal. Conversing with the United States on maritime cooperation with a clear underlying anti-China message is no bad thing. The Mint editorial (April 20) was admirably nuanced. The recent India-US foundational agreement on mutual logistical agreement was far from an alliance. India does not, and will not, support US policies in the Middle East or the Baltic or Ukraine. IF the US fulfils its commitment to transfer vital naval technologies to India, it will help the Indian Navy keep pace with China’s rising presence in the Indian Ocean. Mint rightly pointed out that India needs to allay Russian (if there be any) since ‘Russia still remains India’s most reliable partner and every step must be taken to keep Moscow in confidence….’ External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj must have conveyed these reassurances to her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Russia has its own anxieties about Chinese ambitions in Central Asia, where Chinese diplomacy has recently been excluding Russia of late. All these elements must be factored into a new robust China policy. Play the game as that ancient master Chanakya would have done, and Delhi will have hit the right note. No sooner were these words written than news broke that German-based Uigher leader Dolkun Isa and other Uigher activists from Washington will attend an inter-faith peace in Dharamsala hosted by the Dalai Lama. China is livid. The battle is well and truly joined.

Obama brazen interference in UK’s EU referendum Elementary courtesy, one would have thought, would persuade US President Barack Obama from pitching with his preference on how British citizens should vote in the June referendum on Britain’s continuing membership of the European Union. However, the much vaunted Anglo-American ‘special relationship’ having reduced Britain to an American satrapy. This is also the take of the Daily Mail columnist Peter Obone, who has denounced the relationship as ‘sinister.’ Readers will be treated to a robust evaluation of the Obama administration’s record in office in Seymour Hersh’s latest work, ‘The Killing of Osama Bin Laden.’ (Verso, London).

Hersh is America’s foremost investigative reporter, a legend in his country and around the world.

Boris Johnson, the London Mayor, who is leading that Brexit has accused the American President of ‘hypocrisy’ when he demands the Britain shares power

with Brussels, yet ‘refuses to sign the international convention on the law of the sea, let alone the International Criminal Court.’ Speaking at a Leave campaign rally in Newcastle, Mr Johnson said the referendum was ‘a massive opportunity to burst… out of the shackles of Brussels.’ The London Mayor was applauded when he referred to the EU being ‘deeply anti-democratic’ and ‘sometimes borderline corrupt’ in how allocated its budget. He concluded by saying Britain would ‘thrive and flourish as never before if it left the EU and carved out its own trade deals with fully empowered sovereignty.’

Let the British people decide their future with considered wisdom without being press-ganged by Mr Obama or Christine Legard of the largely discredited IMF whose false economic recipes have beggared nations that were once prosperous.

Meerut man in US paraplegic project Five years ago, an American male, Ian Burkhart, 24, was paralysed below the chest in a freak diving accident. A US research team headed by a Meerut-born Indian scientist has developed technology that enables the paraplegic to move and control his limbs through his ‘thought’. This remarkable technology was developed at the Bartelle Memorial Institute in Ohio in collaboration with the Ohio State University.

Neurosurgeons at OSI inserted a computer chip that enables messages to pass from the patient’s brain to his limbs bypassing the damaged spinal cord. This has helped Burkhart to regain partial movement of his fingers, hand and wrist. Much of the credit for this landmark medical feat belongs to Meerut-born Gaurav Sharma.the lead investigator in the project.

Sharma received his schooling at St Thomas English Medium School and subsequently at St Mary’s Academy, both in Meerut, and at the National Institute of Technology, Surathkal, before going to the US for his Masters and PhD. Aged 28, Dr Sharma is one of the inventors of the neuroprosthetic technology known as Neuro Life, explaining how it works. ‘As Ian thinks about moving his hand, the chip records his

brain signals and our algorithms decode his intent.

The signals are then routed as electrical pulses to a sleve wrapped around Ian’s arm that stimulates the muscles to enable the desired hand movement in real time. The study shows what is possible in the future, and can offer hope for movement restoration to millions of people worldwide living with paralysis.’

Dr Sharma continued: ‘Our next big step is to make the algorithms and hardware more robust so that patients can home with them and use it in their everyday lives.’

Dave Friedenberg, algorithms and data analysis leader for Neuro Life at Battelle, said: ’The system allows Ian to move his fingers, hand and wrist by thinking - just like most of us do. The difference is the connection is made outside his body using technology instead of inside his body. via the spinal cord.’

The patient Ian Burkhart commented: ‘While training for this project, I had to break down my thought processes to help the computer learn. The most mentally exhausting part was blocking out everything else in my brain and focusing on just that one movement.’

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When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. And that's my religion - Abraham Lincoln in 1860

Lord Bourne

Lord in Waiting (Government Whip), Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Climate Change and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales

Paris Agreement proves that the UK is stronger in the EU Four months on from the historic agreement of a truly global deal on climate change, countries are coming together in New York to officially seal the deal. I am struck not only by the number of countries here to sign the Agreement, but by the continued momentum of real-world action being taken to cut emissions, with the world's largest emitters now on board and committed to protecting our environment. It's at times like these that I am reminded of what we can achieve when nations work together. As part of the EU, the UK played a key role in landing the deal and this influence needs to continue to make sure climate action happens worldwide.

Climate change is a major threat to UK security and prosperity. That's why the UK passed our Climate Change Act, but we cannot act alone - climate action is cheaper and more effective when we work together. Acting within the EU, a bloc of 500 million people and the world's largest single market, strengthens our global influence, helping us to negotiate with big emitters like the US and China, and secure global climate deals like this one.

Only by staying inside the EU can the UK continue to work with our partners and lead in shaping the climate ambition and action across the whole of our continent. By playing a key role at the top table, we can ensure that we are providing a fair and level playing field for our businesses and maintaining their competitive edge.

Now we need to focus our attention on implementation and action.

Since Paris, the message to businesses and investors has been clear: the future is low carbon.

We are already seeing significant leadership from business and investors.

JPMorgan has recently joined a growing list of big banks which have publicly announced they are pulling out of coal. The Bank of England is at the

forefront of international regulators in taking climate change seriously as a risk to financial stability.

Furthermore, this summer's Business and Climate Summit will see some of the world's most influential business leaders and policy makers convene in London to create a roadmap to accelerate the transition to low carbon economy.

Last month we made a landmark commitment to enshrining into law the long-term goal of net zero emissions in the second half of the century, agreed in Paris. Renewables now make up a record 27 per cent of our electricity and we are supporting a massive low-carbon industry by backing a programme of new nuclear power.

In this context, leaving the EU would be a serious backward step for the UK and for the climate change agenda. Brexit would fundamentally weaken our influence on future global climate negotiations, such as the UN climate talks. It would mean leaving the EU decision-making table, where we have been so effective in the past at driving EU and wider international climate ambition, while maintaining a level playing field for our businesses. It would create years of uncertainty, damaging low carbon investment in the UK, as we completely renegotiate a new relationship with Europe, and new trade terms with over 50 global markets currently covered

by EU trade deals. If we wanted to maintain full access to the EU single market, including for the UK's booming low carbon sector, we would have to take on most of the EU laws of the single market without having any say on them, as Norway is forced to do. This means less sovereignty, not more.

For all these reasons, I sincerely hope that the UK will continue to thrive as a leading member of the EU, at the negotiating table, working with other member states to push the climate change agenda and to protect our planet.

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UK

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Asian Voice |30th April 2016

Charity Mehfil evening raises £6000 for the Hammersmith Hospital Kidney Patients Bhadran Bandhu Samaj Charity Trust (BBS) raises £6000 during an amazing musical evening held at the W a t e r s m e e t Rickmansworth for the Hammersmith Hospital Kidney Patients Association.

The evening was full of entertainment with a mixture of classic and modern songs presented by United Artists. The event was a huge success, surpassing all expectations with the exceptional generosity and support by The Karma Yoga foundation who pledged to match up to a bumper £30,000 for every pound raised by BBS. The total raised was

Kanti Nagda speaking at the Mehfil

£3000 and this amount was equally matched by the Karma Yoga Foundation, making a total donation of £6000. This donation was presented to Ms Harvinder Kaur representing KPA, by trustee of The Karma Yoga Foundation - Mr Kantibhai Nagda accompanied by Mrs Nirupa Patel and Mr Bimal Patel, representing

BBS. Special thanks to everyone who attended the evening and making it a great success. BBS would also like to extend their sincere thanks to Mr. C B Patel and the trustees of the Karma Yoga Foundation for the enormous support given to raise the funds for KPA.

HC Sarna lauds Parsi community

The High Commissioner Shri Navtej Sarna was speaking at an event held under the aegis of Zoroastrian All Party Parliamentary Group, in association with the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE), in the committee hall of the British Parliament.

He was the special guest speaker along with two others, Dr David Landsman OBE, Head of TATA in the UK and Sir Mominic Cadbury, Former Chairman of Cadbury and Schweppes on the topic 'Faith based ethics in Business: The Cadbury and The Tata Way@.

The High Commissioner recalled that a handful of people from Iran had landed on Indian shores seeking a place where they could freely profess and pursue their religion more than a thousand years ago. The event was chaired by Lord Karan Bilimoria.

Se m i n a r on ‘S o l ut i on s t o P re s e nt D a y P ro bl e m s f ro m the S h ri m a d B ha gav a d G i ta A spiritual guidance seminar on “Solutions to Present Day Problems from the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita” will be delivered by legendary Ayurvedic Doctor Shri Guru Balaji Tambe.

Organised by inspiring young global leader Ashish Goyal in association with Akshaya Patra G Venue: St. James’ Court, A Taj Hotel, 54 Buckingham Gate, London, SW1E G Date: May 20, 2016. at 5:30pm ( 2 hour session with Q&A) G For tickets, contact Ashish Goyal at Dr Tambe ashishgoyalwg08@gmail.com The event will support the Akshaya Patra Foundation which is a not-for-profit organisation headquartered in Bengaluru, India. The organisation strives to fight issues like hunger and malnutrition in India.

Health Guidance meet with Dr Tambe A Pulse Diagnosis and Health Guidance meet with Dr Tambe has been organised a day after the spiritual seminar, on May 21.

It’s a unique opportunity to meet Dr Tambe in person and learn more about one’s individual constitution and seek lifestyle, health and dietary guidance from him.

Dr Tambe will meet individuals one on one for 10-15 minutes.

G Date: May 21st, 2016.

G Time: 2.30pm to 4.30pm and 5pm to 7pm (15 minute slots per person).

G Fee: £50 payable in advance.

G Venue: will be disclosed on confirmation of booking, in the Wembley area.

G To secure bookings*, contact Ashish Goyal on ashishgoyalwg08@gmail.com Note there could be waiting time of up to 30-60 minutes depending on previous appointments, so please plan accordingly.

(Pulse Diagnosis is not done during a woman’s menstrual cycle).

About Shreeguru Balaji Tambe Shreeguru Balaji Tambe is the founder of Atmasantulana Village (Karla, Maharashtra), largest health village in India since 1985. He has completely revamped the credibility of Ayurveda in India. His books have sold hundreds of thousands of copies and he has recorded a catalogue of healing music that is used by thousands for treatment. His TV shows, running for over 6 years, have covered philosophy in daily life discussing the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita and several important Indian traditions

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Anti-terror minister says UK borders are ‘adequately prepared’ to keep Britons safe A Government minister in charge of tackling extremism has been accused of “complacency” after claiming the UK is “adequately prepared” to combat the threat of terrorists exploiting porous borders.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon denied that a review of security at borders was necessary and ruled out an increase in Border Force Tarik Hassane and Suhaib Majeed numbers insisting that “we challenge that we are facing London, was convicted of meet the challenges we curacross the country, both the same charges and will rently face”. across airports and marserve a minimum of 20 The news came after years. Two other men who itime ports as well”. Rather Eurosceptic justice minister provided a gun were also than giving more powers to Dominic Raab suggested imprisoned for firearms Border staff to grill potenBritain could turn away ten offences. Nyall Hamlett, tial extremists, he said the times more extremists and 25, and Nathan Cuffy, 26, Government criminals of the had admitted their role in wanted to UK left the handing over a gun to strengthen “our European Union.

Majeed and Hassane, but partnerships The peer made across the board so denied knowing what it the comments that’s with civil was going to be used for. after a counter tersociety, with faith Hamlett was jailed for sixrorism conference institutions”. and-a-half years and Cuffy hosted by MPs on Meanwhile for 11 years. They were the Home Affairs Lord Ahmad two British stucleared of conspiracy to select committee in dents have been murder and preparing terCambridge this week. jailed for life for plotting to rorist acts.

Asked if the Border Force kill police or soldiers in a The sentencing came as needed more staff to keep shooting inspired by soU.K. authorities warn of an the border secure, he said: called Islamic State. Tarik unprecedented threat “We are adequately preHassane, 22, of west posed by hundreds of fightpared, we meet the chalers on foreign soil who London, will serve a minilenge we currently face.” have started to return to mum of 21 years after He added that intellitheir homes, some intendadmitting conspiracy to gence sharing between the ing to carry out mass atrocmurder and preparation of National Crime Agency and ities like those in Paris and acts of terrorism. Suhaib the Home Office’s Border Majeed, 22, of west Brussels.

Force “allows us to meet the

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RE-ELECT NAVIN SHAH ON 5 MAY UK Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

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Our Hard Working London Assembly Candidate WORKING HARD FOR BRENT HARROW

"Navin is so proud of Brent & Harrow. He's lived here for 40 years with his wife.

They have a daughter and a son, both educated at local schools. Navin's professional background as an

Architect and Development Planner has allowed him to help residents and organisations navigate planning, regeneration and housing issues.

As a leading Harrow Councillor for 20 years, Navin helped strengthen community cohesion, for which H a r r o w received ‘Beacon of Racial Equality’, a national award. He's proud to be able to work with Harrow’s diverse community and voluntary sector to make a real difference to people's lives. As Leader of Harrow

Council he delivered community facilities like the Alexandra Walk-in Centre, Wealdstone Centre and Library, and helped establish the first voluntary aided Krishna Avanti Hindu School in Harrow.

As your Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow, Navin has fought for a better deal for residents on transport, safer neighbourhood policing, health, regeneration and boosting the local economy. He's pledging to continue championing local successes, carry on the fight for better resources and to protect our services.

Brent and Harrow have a great reputation and so much potential. A vote for Navin will elect a trusted campaigner to speak up for Brent and Harrow.

He'll continue to hold local surgeries and regular conversations with local residents and community groups. His skills and experience will ensure he continues to be an effective voice for you in City Hall. If you'd like to raise a local concern or get Navin to help with a problem, do get in touch with him.

Mrs Kawal Singh OBE Retired Head TeacherLocal resident

MY TRACK RECORD AND PLEDGES TO YOU

I’m a proud resident of 40 years plus of Brent and Harrow with unparalleled track record of working with residents, community groups and businesses.

I’m committed to working collaboratively, restoring safer neighbourhood policing decimated by the Tory Mayor; to make stations accessible; to supporting small/medium sized businesses and high street regeneration like Wealdstone, Harlesden and Wembley; and real commitment to tackling

the Tory housing crisis.

I champion successes for you – for example: 1 Deaf Charter: Lead promotion and implementation of Deaf Charter for British Sign Language across London.

2 Avanti House Secondary School: Actively supported planning permission for the Hindu School in Harrow.

3 Skyscrapers: Promoted ‘London Skyline Commission’ to stop the proliferation of inappropriate high rise buildings to protect sklyline and London’s heritage My Pledges to YOU 1 Housing: I will fight my corner for genuine affordable and socially rented housing.

2 Policing: I will press Mayor for more effective local neighbourhood police to drive down crime which has risen; 3 Sustainable Transport: I

will continue my work for affordable and accessible transport, have a greater emphasis on walking and cycling including ‘Mini Hollands’ in Outer London Borughs and work to improve air quality..

4 Economic Growth/ Regeneration: I will place local regeneration as my priority to ensure economic growth, support for businesses and provision of social infrastructure. Old Oak Common, Wembley and Harrow & Wealdstone offer huge opportunities for the kind of housing and economic growth we require.

WHY I’M BACKING SADIQ KHAN FOR MAYOR OF LONDON

Sadiq truly represents the interests of Londoners. I know he’d be a Mayor who’d really care about Outer London Borough’s like Brent and Harrow.

For the last eight years, the Tory Mayor has broken promise after promise but I know that Sadiq will

actually deliver.

We're facing challenges because the Tory Mayor has failed to act.

On policing and crime, affordability and access to public transport, genuine affordable housing to buy and rent, regeneration of local high streets and sup-

GREEN LIGHT FOR HINDU SCHOOL Whitchurch Playing Fields Site, Stanmore

I warmly welcome Harrow Council’s Planning Committee’s decision to grant planning permission for the Avanti House Secondary School. I have taken keen interest in supporting the development of this school during the lengthy period of negotiations.

The approval for the school is great news for the parents and pupils of the current Krishna Avanti Primary School in Harrow.

I’m hugely delighted because, £10 million government funding was obtained under my leader-

port for small and medium size businesses, for instance, we need a Mayor that will act. Sadiq Khan will deliver where the Tory Mayor has let us down.

I've spoken to Sadiq

VOTE LABOUR MAKE ALL 3 VOTES COUNT

We're supporting Navin Shah

Dennis Tyler

Retired accountant - Local resident "As a Kenton resident and member of the safer neighbourhood ward panel, I want the area to remain safe from crime. As my former ward Councillor for 20 years and Assembly Member, Navin's worked with the community promoting safeguards from vast reductions in neighbourhood policing. He's dedicated to our safety. That’s why I want Navin back as our Assembly Member."

Daxa & Anant Joshi

Digital Media - Local resident "One of our two daughters is at Krishna Avanti Primary School.

It’s thanks to Navin’s efforts that this first Hindu School was established in Harrow. He’s taken a leading role in helping us get planning permission for the new secondary.

We’re backing Navin’s re-election for his tireless work towards choice and helping young people and families have opportunities to flourish."

Colette Feighan

- Navin Shah

about these and other priorities. He understands that we require lifts at key stations like Northwick Park & Harrow-on-the-Hill stations; regeneration of our high streets for economic growth; support for private and public sector housing programmes; addressing issues of fly-tipping and potholes; ensuring that Brent and Harrow is cleaner and greener by improving air quality, protecting greenbelts; and having new development that will enhance Brent and Harrow’s heritage.

Trainee - Local resident "It's scandalous that 75% of Brent and Harrow's stations are not accessible.

As a wheelchair user I know how important it is for the elderly, disabled and those with children to have accessible stations. I back Navin's campaign for lifts at key stations like Stanmore and Harrow-on-the-Hill. Navin will continue to fight for us and hold the new Mayor to account. I'll be voting for Navin."

Mrs Kawal Singh OBE

Retired Head Teacher - Local resident "Navin’s been a long supporter of lifelong education, training and skills. I’ve first-hand experience of the impact, not only on life chances, but on the local economy. Navin’s contribution to community cohesion is also impressive and he will continue to work with organisations to improve the quality of life of our diverse community in Brent and Harrow.

That’s why I’d be voting for Navin”.

DISGUSTING SMEAR CAMPAIGN

ship of Harrow Council in 2006 for the Krishna Avanti Primary School in Harrow which became UK’s first ever voluntary aided Hindu School.

You know how passionate I’m of the rich religious and ethnic diversity of London and the immense value it offers. I’m therefore deeply disappointed with the Tory campaign which has failed

to uphold the values of diversity and equality by running a disgusting smear campaign against Sadiq Khan with a tone of racism and Islamophobia. They seem to be following in the

steps of Donald Trump!

In our fight against terrorism we should be uniting communities and not dividing. I’m pleased that Sadiq has risen above the dirty tricks campaign and

focused on working with and for ALL Londoners.

I’m confident that Londoners are fair minded people and will not be fooled by desperate smear campaign run by Tories.

Promoted by Keith Ferry on behalf of Navin Shah, both at Harrow Labour Party, 132 Blenheim Road, Harrow HA2 7AA. Printed by ABPL Publications.

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Asian Voice |30th April 2016

Indian PM Narendra Modi joins world leaders at Madame Tussauds

Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

Poet-Performer Shane Solanki Examining Taboo Subjects Shane Solanki is a UK artist with Indian heritage.

He has worked with director Peter Cattaneo, cultural maverick Don Letts, cult record label Ninja Tune and Mercury Prize winner Talvin Singh.

He's supported artists like Kate Tempest, Ursula Rucker, Billy Bragg and Shazia Mirza. His recent music, released under the pseudonym of Last Mango In Paris, was championed on Jarvis Cocker’s radio show on BBC Radio 6. His work, often comic and political, has been commissioned by Apples and Snakes, South Bank Centre, Tate Modern and others. In 2013 he was Rich Mix’s inaugural artist in residence, and poet in residence at spoken word event Tongue Fu. His first full length show Broken English, featuring his band Last Mango in Paris, toured New York, Nairobi and India among other international venues.

enough to have made a career pursuing doing so.”

Shane says that money is not too important to him.

“If I had kids, I’d probably have to change the Family Background way I work so as to support Shane Solanki’s parents them; but I don’t, so I don’t met when they were racing need to earn much - the drivers in Kenya. “Mum most important thing to was the first Asian woman me is that I keep working, to participate in the infakeep getting better at what mous East African Rally.

I do.”

They were born in Nairobi Solanki’s current show to parents who sailed from is about hijras. He counGujrat to Kenya on dhows,” ters, said Shane.

“The show isn’t just about hijra - it’s got a charEarly memories and chalacter who happens to be lenges hijra. I look forward to the Solanki was born in day when movies with Dollis Hill, North West black people, or women, or London. He recalls, “My trans people, don’t have to earliest memories are of centre around the fact that eating mangos, hence my these people are black, or band name, Last Mango In trans, or women. I’m fasciParis. Like many Asians nated by identity. Ever born in the 70s, one of the since my upper lip started biggest challenges was fitsprouting hairs, I have ting in, working out where been witness to a I belonged; and what I whole bunch of belonged to. Nation, women living in religion, colour, my head. These caste; none of I have always days I just let these were easily enjoyed them hang out. negotiated for exploring the I've come to those born in the UK back then. I imagination realise that you are but a went to a fee paychrysalis, all your ing school from the deeds are seeds age of 7 - 18 called which will unearth Haberdashers’ Aske’s. new worlds. And yet, My school experience was when I’ve met hijra, they defined by my experience see me as one of them. So of trying to fit in. I was a that’s why I’m exploring troubled child! the topic; it’s a personal enquiry made public.

How did the poetry, music Both hijra (in India) and performance start? and trans people here in “I found the world of the West often experience a art at the age of 18. I have lot of prejudice, as does any always enjoyed exploring community which is differthe imagination. I am a ent (take, for example, how born storyteller, and use Asians were seen in the 70s music, words and performand 80s. There was prejuance to tell my stories. I’m dice because people living just lucky, and dogged,

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Shane Solanki

here were afraid of them; people are always afraid of that which they don’t know.) My work is about giving voice to the disenfranchised and under-represented.”

Has Solanki any worries about telling this story?

“I’m not afraid of telling this story, I’ve been trying to tell it all of my life.

It’s going to be interesting watching it unfold over the next couple of years. I want to get it made into a film - a full blown musical, like an immigrant Sound Of Music. It’s a fairy tale; a story about a young Muslim girl who experiences mental health difficulties because of the relationship with her parents, so she leaves home and gets lost in a forest; she meets a hijra who takes her under her wing, sailing her to an island, where she experiences all manner of things which most Asians don’t ever get the chance to; there, she meets a boy and falls in love, but tragedy strikes when her dad dies, and she has to return to London. She brings the boy with her, but things go awry between them - she discovers that the boy was once actually a girl. I haven’t figured out the ending yet, but what I REALLY want is for there to be a massive battle where all the straight white men are slain and the UK is run by women and immigrants. I’m not quite sure how to make that happen but that’s what I want.

Both in the story and in real life.”

Shane Solanki appears at Asia House May 6th 2016.

New wax figures of Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, took up residence on Wednesday at Madame Tussauds in Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok, after the statesman met the wax figure destined for the London attraction at a private viewing earlier this week.

Mr Modi has been involved in the creation of his figure from the beginning of the process and was pleased with the final results when he came face to face with himself in Delhi on Monday.

Mr Modi commented: “What can I say? As far as art is concerned, the Madame Tussauds team is exceptional at what they do.

What Lord Brahma does normally is what the artists there are doing. Today, I had an opportunity as the prime servant of my people to meet my wax figure.”

The London figure is now travelling back from India and will join other world leaders at the world famous Baker Street location on 28 April. As well as contemporary politicians President Obama, David Cameron, Angela Merkel and Francoise Holland he will stand along side political giants of the past like Mahatma Ghandi and Winston Churchill.

“We will be delighted

to welcome Mr Modi to the world stage at Madame Tussauds London,” commented General Manager, Edward Fuller. “It’s wonderful that he had the opportunity to see his figure in India earlier this week before the public get the chance to meet him here. His social media following shows just what immense interest there is in him and I’m sure that interest will be apparent

here too as guests get the chance to stand shoulder to shoulder with one of the most influential men in the world. And maybe even grab a selfie.”

Mr Modi’s figure is dressed in his signature Kurta in cream with jacket and he is featured in a traditional pose making a namaste gesture. Each figure took a team of talented artists four months and cost £150,000 to create.

NUS Elects former UoB student Malia Bouattia as President Controversial former University of Birmingham student Malia Bouattia has been elected NUS President at the union's national conference in Brighton.

UoB student Malia Bouattia was elected as President of the National Union of Students (NUS) at their national conference in Brighton last week, making her the first Muslim and woman of colour to hold the position in the union's 94 year history. She unseated incumbent Megan Dunn by 44 votes, with 372 votes to Dunn’s 328. Adil Waraich of De Montfort University received 9 votes. Bouattia has previously been officer for the NUS Black Students Campaign, one of the union’s liberation campaigns representing stuMr Murad Ali Patel and his wife Rokaya started AlMurad Tiles from the family home in 1985, selling tiles, paint and DIY products. Then a year later a small shop in Batley Carr, West Yorkshire whilst working in another job to support a growing family.

Murad and his wife are now retired and involved in many

Malia Bouattia

dents of African, Asian, Arab and Caribbean students, for the last 2 years.

Bouattia’s presidency manifesto included campaigning for better Mental Health provision on campuses, produce more resources for inclusivity for LGBT+ and disabled students, in addition to establishing regional networks between student unions to strengthen their presence and tackle issues on cam-

Al-Murad Tiles charitable projects. Sons Irfaan, Ismail, Mohamed and Rizwan now run the company. There are 44 shops and several franchises and plans in progress for new stores located in Watford, Poole, Bracknell and Salford, employing over 280 staff

pus and locally.

Bouattia's victory has proven highly controversial. She has received criticism for having previously described the University of Birmingham as ‘something of a Zionist outpost’ and commenting on ‘Zionistled media’, leading to accusations of anti-semitism.

She was also accused of sympathising with the Islamic State group for not supporting an NUS motion to condemn IS because she believed it was originally worded to condemn all Muslims, not just extremists. Bouattia has since sent an open letter from more than 50 presidents of University Jewish societies, including the University of Birmingham’s JSOC, attempting to alleviate their concerns over her views and candidacy. nationwide.

Al-Murad DIY Ltd., is Britains largest independent ceramic tiles and natural stone importer and retailer.

Buying tiles from the UK and importing tiles from Italy, Spain, India, China, Turkey and the Far East. Al-Murad came from India, Manepur, Chikhli near Navsari.

UK Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

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Alok Sharma MP

Prime Minster's Infrastructure Envoy to India

Britain’s place belongs in the EU 1.2 million British Indians are eligible to vote in the EU Referendum and our votes could prove to be decisive.

The decision on our membership of the EU is an issue which transcends party politics. So it is with great pleasure that I am joining a large cross-party campaign group of distinguished British Parliamentarians of Indian-origin, who are united in the belief that we are stronger, safer and better off in Europe. And we are already making that case to the country and to our community and will continue to do so right up to 23 June.

Aspiration, family support and a huge amount of hard work has made the British Indian community a huge success story. As a community we now punch well above our weight, whether in business or the public services.

We have prospered as the UK economy has done well.

So there are two main questions I am asked when I speak about the referendum at community events. What will be the outlook for the economy?

And what is being done to create a benefits system which does not act as a magnet for EU migrants, requiring something to be paid into the system

before something is taken out?

On benefits, David Cameron has delivered in his renegotiation with the EU. A 7-year emergency brake which would stop EU migrants claiming full access to our benefits on the day of arrival. That’s on top of delivering on the commitment which requires EU migrants to leave Britain after six months if they have not found work and have no genuine prospect of finding a job.

On the question of the economy, I believe our prosperity would be put at risk if we voted to leave the EU. The one certainty of a vote to leave would be huge economic uncertainty. We would face uncertainty about the terms of our revised economic relationship with the EU and scores of other countries we have trade treaties with through the EU. It may be many years before we can complete renegotiating these deals and trade tariffs would lead to higher prices in our shops.

Uncertainty would arise about future inward investment from, amongst others, Indian companies which have invested many billions of pounds in the UK in recent years because they see us as a gateway to a 500 million people market in the EU.

If we vote to pull up the drawbridge to that European gateway it makes the UK a much less attractive place to invest in. And less investment means fewer jobs.

And uncertainty would prevail about interest rates which may well have to rise, leading to higher mortgage costs for homeowners and businesses.

Only a one or two percent point drop in the size of our economy, as a result of the economic shock of a vote to leave, would mean many billions of pounds less in tax revenues which are needed to fund our schools, our NHS, our police forces. I certainly do not want public services to suffer or to see tax rates rise, which will hit the successful British Indian community, to make up the shortfall.

Ultimately a vote to remain in the EU, the UK’s largest trading partner, guarantees us continued unfettered access to a market of 500 million consumers as well as lower prices, more jobs and more investment.

British Indians are outward looking internationalists by nature. That is why so many of us believe that Britain’s place belongs in the EU, where we are leading the agenda for reform.

Indian Boy wins National Yoga Championship Ishwar Sharma becomes the youngest and the first Indian to win the Gold Medal in the UK National Yoga Championship.

The six year old from Sevenoaks, Kent, has made the Indian Community proud in the field of Yoga.

He is the youngest and the first Indian to win the Gold medal in the UK National Yoga Championship (under 11 yrs) held on 16th April

Bhagavath Gita.

Yoga is being promoted as a sport in the Olympics. He is hoping to qualify in the Olympics and win a medal for the Country.

Furthermore his Ishwar Sharma father Dr Vishwanath won the Silver medal in 2016 in London. the Men's section in the Ishwar Sharma is very same championship and is interested in Sanskrit and now qualified to particiHindu Scriptures and can pate in the International chant up to 50 shlokas Championship to be held from the Vedas and the in Italy in July this year.

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10 year old has IQ higher thank Hawking A ten year old from The Swaminarayan Prep School has a higher IQ than Stephen Hawking or Albert Einstein.

Vedaangh Rungta at the age of 10 has scored 162 marks (Top 1%) in the MENSA examination thereby becoming one of the youngest people in the world to achieve this remarkable success.

Mensa was founded in England in 1946 by Roland Berril, a barrister, and Dr Lance Ware, a scientist and lawyer. They had the idea of forming a society for bright people, the only qualifica-

Vedaangh Rungta

tion for members of which was a high IQ. The original aims were, as they are today, to create a society that is non-political and free from all racial or religious distinctions. British Mensa has more than 20,000 members

from all walks of life with IQs in the top 2%.

Although his IQ score is higher than famous personalities like Stephen Hawkins and Albert Einstein; he understands that there is still a long journey for him to fill in the shoes of these great personalities.

Vedaangh will be going to Queen Elizabeth School (boys) in Barnet from Year 7.

He founded the school LEGO club and currently manages it, loves LEGO EV3 robotics, making animation movies, doing product reviews on YouTube, playing chess and swimming.

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Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Lord Dolar Popat

of Harrow, Government Whip and Lord-in-Waiting with responsibilities for Business and Transport

Zac Goldsmith is the only credible choice In a week’s time Londoners will vote on who should be the next Mayor of London.

It’s a straight choice between two very different candidates; Labour’s Sadiq Khan or the Conservative Zac Goldsmith.

Sadiq Khan is the man who ran Ed Miliband’s campaign for Leader; who helped to bring about all the anti-business rhetoric that resulted in them losing last year’s election. Sadiq is also Jeremy Corbyn’s man in this race. Jeremy Corbyn – with his IRA sympathising links, with his questionable positions on almost every major political issue, and the man who tried to ban Narendra Modi visiting the UK – was supported by none other than Sadiq Khan in his bid to be Labour leader.

If these matters weren’t enough to make you question his judgement, then you should also know who Sadiq Khan has shared platforms with. They include a hate-preacher who called for Jews to be drowned in the ocean and for fire throughout the world, and a convicted terrorist who mourned the death of Bin Laden.

The next Mayor of London will not only be in charge of the greatest City in the world, they will also play a leading role in overseeing the Metropolitan Police and its role in countering terrorism. But Sadiq Khan once helped write a guide advising on how to sue the police. Is this the man we really want in charge if the worst should happen?

London needs a Mayor who will unite our city against the very real threats we face

- not a Mayor who takes to the stage with extremists to advance his political career. A man who looks to unite communities, not divide them. And I believe Zac Goldsmith is that man.

London needs a Mayor who can work with this Government to keep our economy strong - not a man who backed the most anti-business Labour leader our country has ever seen. London needs a Mayor with an Action Plan to secure the jobs, the homes and the investment our city needs.

Zac’s track record is that of a man of principle. A man willing to stand up for what he believes. That’s why the good people of Richmond not only re-elected him last year; they did so with the largest increase in majority for any sitting MP in the country.

In the last London Mayoral election in 2012, it came down to a few thousand votes. Boris scrapped in for his second term, in part because of support from the British Indian community. And we need to do the same again next week.

Your vote really matters. Let us make this the election in which the British Indian community ensured their voice was heard. In rejection of divisiveness and in support of integration. Make sure you vote, and make sure your friends and family do as well.

Zac is the obvious candidate to take our city forward. And I urge all British Indians to support him on May 5th.

Shree Jalaram Mandir

SHREE JALARAM MANDIR - GREENFORD RAGHUVANSHI MAHA JAN LONDON (RAMA) (Charity Registration Number 1104605) email: info@jalarammandir.co.uk - website: www.jalarammandir.com

Diego Garcia & UK’s Ability to Project Global Power I write to you from the Equator, on an Atoll in the centre of the Indian Ocean, which is a couple of hundred miles from the British Military base, Diego Garcia.

From here I have a good calm place to contemplate the arguments about Britain being in the EU. But it is the British base at Diego Garcia equidistant from Singapore and Somalia that holds a clue to Britain’s future and the world we want.

Is she a second rate power at Putin claims? Is this tiny island nation with bases thousands of miles away in a foreign ocean trying to punch above her weight? Is Britain with a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, representing a mere 1% of the world’s population, really irrelevant – despite having a veto power over all resolutions by the UN? Is this G7 member, the fifth largest economy in the world, weaker outside the EU as Obama claims? What worries me the most about the arguments on the EU and Britain is that it is increasingly about immigration and a desperate attempt by both sides to win through half-truths.

This is then spilling over into the London Mayoral contest, and I wonder whether some of it is because we think Trump’s anti-immigrant stance has worked.

When you are a rich country with a Colonial past, you have less right than most to be anti-immigrant, just as when you are a British Indian who has benefited from immigration, you have less right than most to be anti-immigrant. At best you sound ungrateful and hypocritical, and worst you sound stupid and in denial.

I need a strong Britain. An economically strong and politically strong Britain, because I am British and like British values, and fear a world where those values are not held up. I fear a world where the

values of Trump or the Chinese or Russians are the major voices, or even the EU voices are the loudest.

That base at Diego Garcia is a joint base with the Americans as part of the British Indian Ocean Territories. It is not a remote island harking to yesteryear, but in fact a precense that protects free trade sea routes and a base from which to project power into the Indian Ocean to the Arabian sea to the coast off Western Africa – not Britain alone, but alongside America.

What business is any of this of ours?

Of Britains? Because in a landscape of competing national interests, we need to fight and stake and keep our claim, for the values which we first encourage upon the world, or at worst, impose. But we’ve seen their alternative visions from China to Russia to Syria, and I prefer our way.

So what of Europe? The issue for me is are we politically stronger outside? Are we economically better outside? The case is not black and white. All rational arguments will leave us with uncertainty. Our future is not written. So the issue then becomes as with the Americans in 1776 when they broke their Union with the United Kingdom, will our people achieve greatness from within or outside? The British dream of global influence? Diego Garcia will actually stand either way.

'The Making of India' launched at Chatham house among distinguished guests

Tel: +44 (0) 20 8578 8088 2 Wadsworth Road, Perivale, Middlesex UB6 7JD

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Prof Andrew Roberts, Baroness Shreela Flather, Martin Bell OBE, Dr Kartar Lalvani OBE, Dr Anil Seal, Ashis Ray and Dr Ajit Lalvani

On 22 April Dr Kartar Lalvani's much talked about book 'The Making of India: The Untold Story of British Enterprise' was launched at the Chatham House in presence of a distinguished panel of experts including: Prof Andrew Roberts, Historian, visiting Professor King’s College London, author of Napoleon the Great, Baroness Shreela Flather, Vice Chair of the IndoBritish All-Party Parliamentary Group, first Asian woman in the House of Lords, Martin Bell OBE, British UNICEF Ambassador, former MP, senior BBC journalist and war reporter- who chaired the discussion, Dr. Anil Seal, Founder of The

Cambridge School of Indian History, Trinity College, Ashis Ray, Past President, Indian Journalists' Association, BBC broadcaster and former Consultant Editor of CNN and Dr Kartar Lalvani, Author and founder of Vitabiotics. The panelists fiercely discussed the question 'what would India be like today if the British had decided to stay at home' and presented some very interesting view points- the most striking being that of Dr Seal and Baroness Flather. The event was attended by many distinguished guests including MPs, Peers, academics, journalists, Editors and the Field Marshall of the British Army.

During his speech Dr Lalvani announced that he would wish to setup an 'Indo-British Legacy Trust' to establish a few research scholarships at Oxford and Cambridge- the great institutions that provided the best of Britain’s talent to India. He said that he also believed that this will help to continue in-depth research into the actual role that the British played in the making of India that we see today. “The trust will provide grants for PhD researchers to study all aspects of the vast British contribution to India. All proceeds of my book will also be put into this foundation.” added Dr Lalvani. photo courtesy: Raj D Bakrania, Prmediapix

www.asian-voice.com Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

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Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

53,000 Junior Doctors’ planned strike Once a doctor gets his Bachelor of Medicine or Bachelor of Surgery Degree, one either choses to work in a GP practice or in a hospital.

The graduate can decide to train as a GP, or to train in a specialty to become a Consultant, or just work as a doctor or take a further degree or do a bit of both. To become a GP, one needs five years’ on the job training; for a consultant, one needs eight years’ experience.

So during all these five or eight years, one is called a “Junior Doctor” and one’s remuneration can progress from about £30,000 to £70,000 a year.

On a daily basis, these 53,000 doctors give instructions to nursing and midwifery staff of 477,000; professional and technical staff of 159,000; admin and clerical staff of 285,000; and domestic ancillary staff of 198,000 based upon 2011 NHS staff figures. Thus their planned all out strike from 26 to 28 April will probably make idle about 50% of the total NHS staff of 1,230,000 during this strike period. Between 2001/02 and 2011/12, UK NHS Healthcare Expenditure rose from 6.3% of GDP to 8.8%; but private sector expenditure remained the same at 1.2%. Let Junior Doctors go private.

Nagindas Khajuria By email

Christians in India

I read articles written by Jubel D'Cruz from Mumbai constantly complaining about how the CatholicChristian community are suffering in India and this has apparently increased under Modiji.

I have a lot of Catholic friends in Mumbai and we keep in touch on regular basis. None of them have encountered the problems highlighted by Jubel and we have discussed this whenever Jubel writes in Asian Voice.

Perhaps Jubel should think of getting out of a country where he is so unhappy and try and move to one of the Middle Eastern countries and enjoy the democracy that would be offered over there. Good luck Jubel and please keep us informed in the future when you find happiness.

R Parmar By email

Intolerance for Modiji and BJP

‘Christians in India’ by Jubel D’Cruz in Asian Voice of 22/04/2016 is sadly a biased reflection on Modiji and BJP. Christians are held in very high esteem in India. Modiji has repeatedly echoed in his many speeches in India and abroad that India has been home to all religious diversities and this will not change. Hinduism is the most tolerant religion.

Despite so many different beliefs and sects in Hinduism, Hindus don’t fight among themselves but on the contrary embrace all faiths open heartedly with strong conviction that the religious paths may differ but they all lead us to one God we all claim. It is totally unfair to show contempt for Modiji and BJP for few unfortunate incidents by some mischievous elements.

Modiji led BJP is the only government that can make real difference in India if given time and support.

Niranjan Vasant By email

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Hindu fairness Jubel D’Cruz has made a number of accusations in his letter Christians in India (AV April 16). Ramesh Jhalla has made a constructive and informative contribution in response (AV April 23). The Asian Voice has given first priority to Mr D’Cruz’s letter in Your Voice page. It is further evidence of Hindu fairness.

Driven out by Muslim invasion a huge number of Zoroastrians migrated to India from their motherland Persia (now Iran) in the early 8th Century.

Jews have been living in India for over five thousand years. His Holiness Dalai Lama came to India with his entire religious entourage when the Buddhist Tibet was invaded by China. All these people have been living in India in peace and harmony with majority Hindus.

The main problem comes from Christian missionary philosophy especially of Catholicism.

Religious conversion to Christianity turns the converted anti-Indian.

Having been converted to Christianity the people of Nagaland, despite being born and brought up in India, want to separate from India and turn Nagaland into a Christian state. In contrast Majority Hindus opted for a secular India instead of choosing India to be Hindustan in 1947 thus giving equal status to all religions.

Mr D’Cruz should learn from the world history how almost all countries in North America, South America and Africa have been turned into Christian states and the violence perpetrated in the process on original people of these countries

by European Christians.

In India religious conversion of Hindus to Islam and Christianity has been a one-way process for a very long time. If this is not addressed there will be no Hindus in the long run.

Jatindra Saha By email

Sardar Patel's Statue of Unity I am extremely delighted to read in AV of the 16th April that work has started on the above Memorial on the Death Anniversary of Shri Vallabhabhai Patel in December, 2015. It will be a great tribute to him for his love and sacrifice for India Independence and of course his incessant dedication to Unite 550 states in to a single united India! It will be 600 feet tallest Statue of Unity in the world on a sadhu-bet island in the midst of river Narmada, 2 miles south of Sardar Sarovar Dam, providing a panoramic beautiful view of range of Vindhyachal Mountains from its deck 500 feet high! When completed after 4 years it will be a unique tourist educational and entertainment attraction of Gujarat and India!

Narendra Modi asked many villages to give a piece of iron and also financial contributions from Indians at home and abroad as well as State and Central Governments to fulfil this project costing £300 million.

When Narendra Modi achieved his 10 years reign as Chief Minister of Gujarat, he inculcated a yen to build such a Statue of Unity for Sardar Patel! Narendrabhai has rare visions for progress, prosperity and prestige of India!

Patels are originally investors in farms. Yet they have now advanced so much in all vocations and professions all over the world that it's praiseworthy!

Last week I read Kokilaben Patel's Gujarat Samachar article about Charusat University and World Class Hospital, I was amazed by so many Patels' charitable nature! They look so ordinary and simple but with such big hearts donating crores for benevolent causes!

Blessed are those who have chance to give!

Upendra Kapadia By email

Long live the Queen

Congratulations and jubilations to HM the Queen on her ninetieth birthday on 21 April. Another ten years and she will become eligible for a letter of recognition which she normally sends out to other centenarians! We, Asians from the East African countries, should be particularly grateful to her, for it was during her rule, that we found shelter in this country after being expelled by the ruthless ruler like Idi Amin from Uganda.

On this special occasion let us wish her well. After witnessing many tragedies in her personal life during her reign, what with the untimely death of her daughter-in-law and her sister, Her Majesty had some comfort when she participated in the wedding of her grandson and celebrated her diamond jubilee on the throne a few years back.

Having spoken with Her Majesty a couple of times at Royal Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace which I had the privilege to attend at the invitation of the Lord Chamberlain, I must say that I was struck by the grace and dignity with which she carried herself. I also had the privilege of speaking with Princess Margaret, the Queen’s sister, when she made a whistle stop visit to my place of work at the then Department of Education and Science.

Messages of goodwill are pouring in from the world leaders. Let us too join them and congratulate the Queen and wish her a long and happy life. Our heartiest congratulations to you ma’am!

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Where AV leads, others follow

Reading article “Ramanujan and Janaki had perfect equation” took me back to AV issue of 3rd November 2001 where my article “Ramanujan, Indian formula man who took Cambridge by storm.” was published.

After watching mathematician genius Srinivasa Ramanujan documentary on Channel Four, one devoted reader’s (Jyoti Shah) thirst for knowledge overtook her curiosity. Being writer/columnist, tackling various subjects, she urged me to research, write and publicise this shy, mysterious figure Ramanujan, giving him respect and accolade he richly deserved.

In turn I urged my knowledgeable followers to give me as much information as they could and surely I was not disappointed. It came in by bucket-full and as a result, I was able to write a piece, “Ramanujan, The Indian Formula Man who took Cambridge by storm.” There was enough information to turn it into mini-book which now I feel I should have written, especially to give his wife Janky Ammal the recognition she deserved who passed away at ripe old age of 94.

Ramanujan was natural born mathematician, 50 years ahead of his time who could solve and formulate mathematical puzzles no one else could. Even world’s prominent professors based at world’s best learning institutions were at loss to understand, decode and explain his theories even 22 years after his untimely death. This was “Eastern Magic” at its best!

No wonder Robert Kanigel’s book on Ramanujan is called “The Man Who Knew Infinity.”

Bhupendra M. Gandhi By email Continued on page 11

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Continued from page 10

A welcome book of record

A book, “Making of India” by Dr. Kartar Lalvani, to record gains and losses by British and India during British Raj, must be informative, but sugar coated to please Anglophiles. Yet some facts cannot be denied.

When English traders landed, India was ravaged by Sikhs in north, Moguls in east, Marathas in west and Tipu Sultan in south. British merchants repeatedly defeated these to protect business. Mutiny in 1857 and brutal suppression motivated Engand to take over reins from traders, and establish British Empire.

Building infrastructure of administration, roads and railways were meant for smooth rule rather than love for India. British, “divide and rule,” created Pakistan, a permanent barb for India. Positively, this has caused foolproof banishment of Mogul rule and resultant resuscitation of Hindustan. Though Congress was founded to create brown sahibs controllable from London, they turned tables and drove away British.

Ironically, British educated Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel united 500 states under single rule from Delhi.

Only history and time will show whether India was wise to pursue romanticist path of Anglo centric adventuristic modernism or path of maturity as laid down by Indo centric teachings and values propounded by nine faiths prevalent in India.

Ramesh Jhalla By email

Ther Event to Remember

Sports personalities, Business entrepreneurs, Professional performers, Academicians, Media Moghuls and Asian Achievers all grace “Central Stage” every year in recognition of their valuable contribution throughout the year to keep our adventurous, outstanding and business oriented Asian community in the limelight.

Due to Dineshbhai’s endower to bring unsung but loyal, talented, mesmerizing and devoted contributors to “Readers’ Voice” week in, week out, without the desire of tangible or tantalizing reward is a cause for celebration, as rapidly increasing popularity of “Readers’ Voice” column would need many more lustre, parsimony contributors, especially as most regular con-

Nepal politics vs Nepal quake?

One year on the millions of dollars from the donors and public across the globe have been raised. And the help still has not reach to genuine earthquake victims.

Prince Harry fly to Nepal to help to build the school damaged by the twin major earthquake in Nepal.

It is very unfortunate to say that the incompetent and the corrupt lawbreakers of Nepal is touring across the globe with the jumbo cabinet on blood and sweat money of the taxpayer's and the MP's are fighting on the piece of tent.

I was also in Nepal to mark the 200 years of Gurkha recruitment in the British army. There was one camp inside the royal palace for the rich having foreign drinks and barberque another camp in tundhikhel for the others no adequate drinking water and proper sanitation.

One taxi driver was saying he rack npr 40,000 and the also airfare and bus fare ticket price went sky high and other comodities etc. All the Indian fled and there was no Indian left to cut hair or sell door to door vegetables or collect the recycling bottles,papers etc. Last year earthquake become the breeding ground of the brothels,child trafficking and mafia. There was no high rise building left un-cracked by the earthquake yet the people were still leaving in the residential buildings. There is no "Health & Safety " issues' and loss of human lives because of inadequate building code and Nepal government is still running like a horse without rein and run by the mafia. And the innocent people of Nepal are facing all kind of problems blockade strike insecurity, inflation created by the incompetent and corrupt politician of Nepal and the former finance minister Ram Sharan Mahat was in UK on taxpayer's money to receive his award?

Yam Gurung (rtd) By email tributors have passed their retirement date, in their interlude but their mental faculty as “Young and Vibrant” as ever. This is their labour of love, ray of sunshine to brighten their dark, gloomy winter months. As many may not have attended Palace of Westminster (POWM) I hope the event will be well attended, especially by our favourite writers and VIPs we always want to meet and greet and of course loyal dedicated band of AV/GS team headed by Shri C. B. Patel.

Kumudini Valambia By email

Many Many Thanks....

Asian Business Publications Limited began with the launch of Gujarat Samachar newsweekly on 5th May, 1972. With this issue, we are completing our 44 years.

With support from several thousands of paid subscribers of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar, nearly 200,000 regular readers of our newsweeklies, advertisers, distributors, correspondents, letter writers and many many well-wishers, our journey has been fulfilling and we are most grateful to all for their encouragement, generous support as well as for placing their faith in our professionalism.

With grateful appreciation,

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Remember, Recollect, Recharge British Asians have come a very long way since their arrival in the UK. They worked hard and achieved so much to reciprocate the warmth and hospitality of the British people renowned for their open, fair and lawabiding way of life.

Paid subscribers of Asian Voice are invited to send in their journey report (up to 600 words narration) with at least 2 photographs (one when they arrived in the UK and another with their family members at the moment).

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Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

The Supreme Court of India has directed its spotlight on the deplorable state of human rights in the BJP-ruled State of Chhattisgarh. Tribal leaders have charged the government with conducting a terror campaign against their organizations on the plea that they had links with Maoist groups who have been associated with acts of violence against the government and the political establishment. Journalists have been harassed and arrested for their alleged links with Maoist insurgents.

(Telegraph April 21). At another level, the Times of India (April 18) reported widespread attacks on Christian churches and pastors in the Bastar district by thugs of the Bajrang Dal. Chief Minister Raman Singh has many cases to answer.

High Court revokes President’s Rule In what amounts to a severe rebuke to the Union Government at the Centre, the Uttrakhand High Court has reversed President’s Rule in the State after its Governor dismissed the Congress-led government on the ground that it had lost its majority in the Legislative Assembly.

However, the Supreme Court put the High Court order in abeyance until April 27.(Times of India, Hindu, Telegraph, Mint April 22, 23)

Rafale aircraft stink

The BJP’s claim that India’s acquisition of 36 French Rafale warplanes was done and dusted received an embarrassing jolt with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s statement to the media that this was not the case, that negations were at an ‘advanced state’ but no contract had as yet been signed. Only this was submitted to the Cabinet for final approval would the deal be confirmed. BJP party officials defended their premature optimism with the excuse that it was based on media reports. The French have put a lot of money into lobbies that advocate the purchase of the Rafale. There is a noticeable stink to the Rafale affair (Hindu, Telegraph April 22)

Peace returns to Kashmir Valley

The Kashmir Valley has been convulsed for weeks by Islamist and separatist agitation against what their leaders described as atrocities committed by the security forces against the civilian population including the molestation of women. One such high profile allegation was withdrawn after CCTV video showed the charge to be patently false.

The violence eventually played itself out and peace has returned (Hindu April 18).

However, separatists and Islamists alike must understand that with or without Pakistani backing and the support of states such as Saudi Arabia, Niger and Turkey, India will not give way and permit an extension of the terrorist Islamic Caliphate or the Taliban come to life in its immediate neighbourhood. The ethnic cleansing of the Kashmiri Hindu community from the Kashmir Valley – their ancestral homeland as much as that of anybody else will not be soon forgotten.

Indian Jews seek minority status

The Indian Jewish Congress (IJC), Mumbai, made an applica-

tion earlier this year to be accorded minority status in India after Maharashtra Governor Vidyasagar Rao broached the subject with the Minority Affairs Minister in Delhi, Najma Heptullah.

IJC President Solomon Sopher said that following Governor Rao’s letter to Delhi a formal application was submitted on behalf of the Jewish community. ‘The Governor was very supportive. He came to the Obel David Synagogue for its 150 th anniversary celebrations and his speech was very encouraging.’ Mr Sopher recalled that Governor Rao ‘was kind enough to not just appreciate our contributions to the country but said that there should be a chapter in school textbooks at the higher secondary level about Jews’ role in nationbuilding (Telegraph April 18)

Women in Navy

The Indian Navy last week announced that its women officers would be eligible for permanent commission and service on warships, following in the footsteps of the Army and Air Force earlier this year. This means that women can heretofore command ships if found suitable. Hitherto women officers on permanent commission were either doctors or members of the nursing staff.

From next year, the Navy will consider women pilots for maritime surveillance aircraft (Telegraph April 21)

Indo-Israeli defence deals

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd has signed cooperation agreement with India Reliance Defense Systems Ltd that are to encompass future deals worth $10 billion at the Defexpo 2016 exhibition in Goa. The agreement covers cooperation in the production, development and supply of air defense systems, air-to-air missiles and surveillance balloons. The ceremony was attended by Israel’s Ambassador to India Daniel Carmon and Rafael DirectorGeneral Major-General Yaav Har-Even.

(Yaakov Lappin, Israeli journalist, March 29)

Iran-India ties forge ahead

Iran President Hassan Rouhani assured India’s External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj that his country was a ‘reliable partner’ for India’s energy needs, as both nations sought to expand and deepen their economic relationship. Ms Swaraj also met with her Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif.

President Rouhani spoke of the Chabhahar port as a ‘defining

partnership which has the potential of connecting the entire region.’ President Rouhani whose country shares a common border with Afghanistan and Pakistan, referred to the volatile situation in Afghanistan and the need for Iran and India to cooperate in the fight against terrorism (Hindu April 18)

Iran caution to Pakistan

a strong performance in the core portfolio (Business Line April 19)

No place like home

Ratan Tata constructed a $100 billion global conglomerate with a series of landmark acquisitions abroad. His successor Cyrus Mistry may now be looking to India to rejuvenate the Tata Group’s prospects for the future.

For instance Tata Steel Ltd’s

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Paring debt in hard times Tata Communications, Tata Power, and Indian Hotels Ltd are among other units looking to offload overseas assets to pare debt.

‘There is a global wave of pulling back to your home turf,’ said Saurasbh Mukherjee, CEO of institutional equities at Ambit Capital Pvt Ltd in Mumbai.

Mistry is paring down the $38 billion debt mountain left by Ratan Tata who inherited a Group worth $1.5 billion in 1991 and took it to a dizzy $100 billion when he stepped down in December 2012. The slowing global economy signals a period of consolidation for the Tata Group (Mint April 21)

Pakistan-based terror groups had ‘created difficulties’ for normal bilateral ties between the countries, said Iranian Ambassador to India Gholemreza Ansari. ‘We have tried to convince Pakistan to stop such activities from Pakistani soil that target Iranian interests and we hope Pakistan will appreciate our requests.’ About the Death sentences for once projected Irankillers Pakistan-India gas of anti-hooch crupipeline, Ambassador Tata Group CEO Cyrus Mistry with Ratan Tata sader Ansari said: ’You can forget the pipeline. The Americans will recent announcement that it was A Barasat court in West Bengal simply not allow this project to selling its UK assets to focus on sentenced eight criminals to takeoff.’ (HHindu April 22) the Indian steel market was death for the gruesome murder of recognition that in commodities college student anti-hooch cruthe shift in global economic Plea for extradition sader Saurabh Chowdhury, who growth have created a new world of Tahawwur Rana had campaigned against illicit for the Tata Group. India’s $2 liquor and gambling dens. The trillion plus economy is growing India has sought the extradition death sentence will have to be faster than any 0ther major comof Tahawwur Rana, a close friend confirmed by the High Court petitor, prompting Mistry, 47, to and co-conspirator of the (Times of India, Telegraph April reverse some of the global expanMumbai bombings of 26 20). sion plans of his predecessor.

November 2008, from the United States where he is serving a 14 year jail sentence for his part in those tragic events. India has charged Rana on the separate issues of planning a similar attacks on the National Defence College in Delhi and other attacks on Chabad Houses [Jewish religious centres] across Indian cities. By charging Rana for these crimes, the Indian authorities have avoided the double jeopardy law in the US which forbids an individual being tried twice on the same charge (Hindu April 18)

Infosys beats Street

Infosys, one of India’s major IT companies posted a net profit of 16.2 per cent for the fourth quarter (January-March 2016) of the last fiscal over the previous quarter fiscal. Revenue grew by 23.4 per cent over the same period.

Vishal Sikka, 46, the CEO brought in to turn things around has succeeded in doing so brilliantly. Digital technologies, he said held the key to the future.

Software was reshaping the world. ‘The future looks entirely different – as it is being fundamentally reshaped by digital technologies. While I am happy that our company’s achievements have yielded results, I am humbled by the task in front of me,’ said Sikka (Business Line April 16)

TCS bounces back with record figures

Tata Consultancy Services, India’s largest software firm recorded a massive 64.5 per cent leap in profit in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal (JanuaryMarch 2016) over the same period of the previous fiscal. The growth has also been primarily driven by the digital business and

Barack and Michelle Obama smiling for the camera with the Queen and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle. see comment page 3

President Obama with Prime Minister Cameron. see comment page 3

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (C) and Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj attend the 14th Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of China, Russia and India, in Moscow. see comment page 3

www.asian-voice.com Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

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THE SUNDAY TIMES RICHLIST

BRITAIN'S SUPER RICH FACE BIG FALLS

14

AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

I

t has been a tougher year than usual for Britain's super-rich, with many suffering the worst hammering of their fortunes since the financial crash eight years ago.

The Sunday Times Rich List published on Sunday 24th April, features several names who have dropped down the board since last year's compilation, including Steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, owner of ArcelorMittal, who held the top slot in 2008 with £27.7bn, but now has a fortune of £7.12bn and is number 11 on this year's list. The Mittals' previous vast wealth was the biggest fortune achieved by anyone on the list before or since UK, Earlier this month it was reported that ArcelorMittal board member Wilbur Ross could be among investors expected to be contacted about buying some of Tata's business

Rank 1 2 11 37 39 75 103 106 123 132 154 164 174 175 194 194 224 224 224 255 255 267 301 310 312 350 372 384 389 415 418 437 460 478 505 514 626 636 640 685 721 730 734 734 754 754 764 766 766 792 885 885 931

www.asian-voice.com

Though technically not Indians by origin, Mumbai born brothers' property portfolio includes the Millbank Tower and dozens of West End properties and have Vijay and Bhikhu Patel topped the Sunday Gopi and Srichand Hinduja second place as last year Richlist for the first interests in the UK. with an unchanged fortune time. It shows that the But interestingly the of £13bn. There are also a booming property values top of the 2016 guide to the record 125 women on this have helped to bring real Sunday Times Rich list are year's top 1,000 list. estate billionaires up the In current circumstances, though Britain's

Kirit Patel

most generous philathropists have given away money to charity like every year, it has been noted that the amounts in comparison have been considerably

Navin and Varsha Engineer

Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith

Zameer Choudrey

property tycoons Reuben brothers, who have a fortune of £13.1bn and have increased their fortune by £3.4bn in the past year.

list of Britain's richest people, replacing steel and mining magnates.

Brothers Sri and Gopi Hinduja, who run the Hinduja Group, remain in

Chemidex, the Surreybased pharmaceuticals operation run and owned

by Kenyan-born Engineer, 64 and his 61 year old Tanzania born Varsha Engineer, whose family originally comes from Bhadran, Gujarat.

They made £19mn profit together with a smaller but separate operation and had £106mn net assets in 2014-15. They earlier sold a chain of pharmacies for £12,mn. Chemidex is worth £1bn. Other assets include property.

Photo courtesy: Lopa Patel

Rich List Asian Millionaires

Name David and Simon Reuben Sri and Gopi Hinduja Lakshmi Mittal and family Sri Prakash Lohia Sir Anwar Pervez and family Sunil Vaswani and family Navin and Varsha Engineer Zameer Choudrey and family Jasminder Singh and family Raj Matharu and family Lord Paul and family Mohsin and Zuer Issa Anil Agarwal Bhikhu and Vijay Patel The Jatania Brothers John Shaw & Kiran Mazumdar Shaw Abdul Bhatti and family Adalat and Arshad Chaudhary Younus Sheikh and family Amit and Meeta Patel Gautam Thapar and family Ranjit and Baljinder Boparan Tom Singh and family Fakhruddin Suterwalla and family Kuljinder Bahia and family Sukhpal Singh Ahluwalia Mahmud Kamani and family Kartar and Tej Lalvani Lord Apurv Bagri Vikrant Bhargava Rashid and Aziz Tayub and family Ratheesan Yoganathan Bhupendra Kansagra and family Moni Varma Iqbal Ahmed Lord Alli Lord Rumi Verjee Tony Fernandes Subaskaran Allirajah Kirit and Meena Pathak Anwar and Yakub Patel Nandlal and Deep Valecha Pradip and Manish Dhamecha Shiraz Tejani Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith Tarsem Dhaliwal Nitin Passi Sir Anish Kapoor Koolesh Shah Aran and Arvan Handa Joe Hemani Kirit Patel Satinder Gulhati

Worth £13.1bn £13bn £7.12bn £2.94bn £2.8bn £1.4bn £1.1bn £1.08bn £920mn £862mn £740mn £700mn £680mn £675mn £620mn £620mn £510mn £510mn £510mn £450mn £450mn £430mn £370mn £360mn £356mn £300mn £284mn £275mn £270mn £253mn £250mn £240mn £220mn £215mn £205mn £201mn £165mn £162mn £160mn £150mn £145mn £143mn £140mn £140mn £135mn £135mn £133mn £130mn £130mn £128mn £110mn £110mn £106mn

Rise~/Fall ~£3.4bn £2.08bn

~£100mn ~£360mn New entry

~£105mn ~£10mn ~£12mn

£1.46mn

~£550mn £426mn

~£65mn

£170mn

~£50mn ~£50mn ~£50mn ~£15mn £50mn

~£270mn £160

~£10mn ~£20mn ~£73mn

New Entry £10mn ~£3mn ~£80mn ~£10mn £40mn

Area Property and Internet Industry and Finance Steel Textiles and Plastic Cash and carry Transport and Food Pharmaceuticals Cash and Carry Hotels Property and Hotels Industry Fuel distribution Mining Pharmaceuticals Toiletries Pharmaceuticals Cash and Carry Cash and Carry Cash and Carry Pharmaceuticals Industry Food Fashion and Retailing Food Travel Car parts Retailing and Internet Retailing Health Supplements Metals Gambling Discount stores and property Telecoms Industry and Aviation Food Food Media Finance and Retailing Aviation Telecoms Food Pharmacies Gas services Cash and carry and property Paper products Football and hotels Frozen food Internet retailing and fashion Art Hotels Hotels Business services Pharmacies Hotels

2015 Worth £9.7bn £13mn £9.2bn £2.84 £2.44bn

£1.1bn £975mn £910mn £850mn £2.2bn £150mn £1.10bn £610mn £620mn £790mn £460mn £460mn £460mn £435mn £500mn £160mn £530mn £350mn £336mn £300mn £211mn

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

£280mn £250mn £170mn £230mn £260mn £215mn £205mn £220mn £125mn £392mn £160mn £150n £135mn £140mn £130mn £140mn £135mn £115mn £133mn £130mn £130mn New Entry £102mn £105mn £102mn

2015 Rank 5 2 7 34 41

93 118 122 128 47 637 92 183 180 139

239 239 252 217 608 206 287 307 340 455

357 391 579 420 380 450 466 436 754 274 608 637 707 688 729 688 707 831 723 729 729 856 901 935

Jasminder Singh

smaller. There are also many who can afford charity, yet have refrained from doing so.

This richlist below is not exhaustive, as there are some who should feature, but choose to keep away from the limelight.

Number of billionaires by country United States: China: UK: Germany: India: France: Russia: Switzerland: Canada: Italy: Brazil: South Korea: Australia: Japan: Saudi Arabia: Sweden: Spain: Mxico: Singapore: Turkey: Thailand: Taiwan: Philippines:

378 193 120 66 56 44 43 39 29 22 18 18 18 16 16 15 14 13 13 12 11 11 10

Price of admission

This year one needed at least £103mn to make it onto the Rich List, but the rate of growth is slowing. Previously one could make it to the list only with £60mn.

2006: 2007: 2008: 2009: 2010: 2011: 2012: 2013: 2014: 2015: 2016:

£60mn £70mn £80mn £55mn £63mn £70mn £72mn £75mn £85mn £100mn £103mn

Star Signs of the richest 1000 (where known)

Taurus: Aries: Pisces: Aquarius: Capricorn: Saggitarus: Gemini: Cancer: Leo: Virgo: Libra: Scorpio:

98 95 91 93 90 102 116 88 108 89 82 71

THE SUNDAY TIMES RICHLIST Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

2 10 19

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Rank Name David and Simon Reuben Lakshmi Mittal and family Simon, Bobby and Robin Arora

Rank 24 36

Name Zayn Malik Amir Khan

The 20 fastest-growing

Area Property and internet Steel Discount stores

Started 1977 1976 2004

Net worth £13.1bn £7.12bn £1.92bn

50 Young Rich Asians

Worth Area £30mn £18mn

Rise/Fall Music Boxing

2015 Value £5mn £18mn

Top 50 Richest Asian in Europe

Rank Name Country 17 David and Simon Reuben UK 18 Sri and Gopi Hinduja UK Rank 30 47

Rank

Area/Name Property/Internet Vehicles/trading/investment

50 Richest Asian in the World

Name Mukesh and Anil Ambani Sri and Gopi Hinduja

Country India UK

Area Petrochemicals Industry/finance

The ups and downs of Britain's richest 1,000 The biggest Asian risers ~

Name

£ bn 13.1 13 £bn 17.9 13

1 12 25

2016 wealth David and Simon Reuben £13.1mn Mohsin and Zuber Issa £700mn Sir Anwar Pervez and family £2.8bn

Rise in wealth £3.4bbn £550mn £360mn

%rise Change on 2015 UK rank 35% 4 367% 473 15% 2

Rank

Name

%fall

3 5 16

Lakshmi Mittal and family Lord Paul and family Anil Agrawal

Fall in wealth £2.22bn £1.46bn £426mn

The biggest fallers 2016 wealth £7.12bn £740mn £680mn

42% 66% 39%

Change on 2015 UK rank -12 -107 -82

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LONDON MAYORAL ELECTION 2016

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

Sadiq Khan Mayoral candidate for Labour party

Our candidate Zac Goldsmith

By Cllr Ameet Jogia Over the last year, it’s been an honour to be part of Zac Goldsmith’s election campaign and to have the opportunity to introduce him to the British Indian community. In just a matter of months, Zac’s celebrated Janmashtami at Bhaktivedanta Manor, danced to garba in Harrow, played cricket at Kingsbury Temple, joined the Rath Yatra festival at Kenton Temple, sang bhajans at Soul Sounds, taken part in countless aartis across the capital and just last weekend toured BAPS Neasden Temple.

All along the campaign trail, the most commonly asked question I get asked is “why should Indians vote for Zac Goldsmith?”

I will of course say that Zac is better than any other candidate. End of. However, this is a first election in a generation, where it is important to acknowledge that never have the stakes been higher for the British Indian community in choosing their Mayor for London.

Zac recognised from the outset the tremendous contribution our community makes to this great city. As a community, we help to make this city what it is. One in eight British Indians works in the City of London. British Indian businesses employ thousands of Londoners across the capital and own the highest number of homes in the city.

Zac has acknowledged that

he needs us on side and I admire the lengths he has gone to in engaging with London’s various communities –particularly the British Indian community.

Whilst pollsters may say Zac Goldsmith MP with Cllr Ameet Jogia during that as a comthe campaign at the Neasden Temple munity our And so they should be. Labour vote never holds up for the has taken the ethnic minority Conservatives, Zac never lost vote in London for granted for faith and insisted on wholetoo long. Labour have unjustheartedly engaging with us. fully monopolised the ethnic Last week, Zac bit the bulminority vote and then have let and publically confronted the cheek to call our campaign Sadiq Khan about his links divisive. with extremist groups. Sadiq’s But their monopoly seems never missed an opportunity to to be weakening. At the last claim he's the victim of election, more ethnic minority Islamophobia, but he's refused votes, particularly British on every occasion to give clear Indians, voted Conservative answers about his relationships than at any other time before. with people who have despicaDespite the polls, the swing ble views. London deserves betamongst the British Indian ter. community is definitely in our Let’s be clear, this is not favour. More and more British about religion. It doesn’t make Indians are pledging to vote for any difference whether our Zac day by day. next Mayor is Hindu, Sikh, It would be a disaster for Jewish, Jain or Muslim.

London if Sadiq Khan was However what I do care about elected as our next Mayor. A is about the next Mayor's judgprogressive city like London ment. And Mr Khan has discannot have a socialist leader. played appalling judgment in It would be a step back for us the course of his career and I all. This is a wakeup call for think everyone should be aware British Indians who have a of this. vested interest our city. I urge Over the past few months our community to back Zac on Labour have been rattled and May 5th. threatened by Zac’s campaign.

Role of a London Mayor

On Thursday 5 May there will be elections for the Mayor of London and the 25 members of the London Assembly. The Mayor of London makes decisions that affects the every day lives of Londoners. The Mayor has particular responsibilities for: policing, transport, housing, fire and emergency planning, the environment, culture, economic development, regeneration, planning and development, and tackling health inequalities.

The 12 Mayor of London candidates are: Sian Rebecca Berry: Green Party l David Furness: British National Party (BNP) l George Galloway: Respect (George Galloway) l Paul Golding: Britain's First- Putting British people first l Zac Goldsmith: Conservative Party l Lee Eli Harris: Cannabis is Safer than Alcohol l

l l l l l l

Sadiq Aman Khan: Labour Party Ankit Love: One Love Party Caroline Valerie Pidgeon: London Liberal Democrats Sophie Walker: Women's Equality Party Peter Robin Whittle: UK Independence Party (UKIP) Prince Zylinski: Independent

London Assembly Member candidates who are of Asian origin:

Brent and Harrow Jafar Hassan: Green Party Akib Mahmood: Respect (George Galloway) Navin Shah: Labour party City & East (includes Barking & Dagenham, Newham, Tower Hamlets and the City of London) Unmesh Desai: Labour Party Croydon & Sutton Amna Ahmad: London Lib Dem Marina Ahmad: Labour Party Ealing and Hillingdon Onkar Singh Sahota: Labour Party Merton and Wandsworth

Thamilini Kulendran: Independent North East Samir Jeraj: Green Party London-Wide Assembly Member Candidates who are of Asian origin: Caroline Pidgeon's London Liberal Democrats Marisha Ray Conservative Party Kishan Devani Amandeep Bhogal Green Party Shahrar Ali UKIP Akram Afzal Labour Party Murad Qureshi

structure.

I recognise the growing threat from extremism and radicalisation. That is why I will be the British Muslim who takes the fight to the extremists and keeps London's security a top priority. I will work with mainstream Muslims to challenge extremism, promote greater social integration and restore real neighbourhood policing.

As Mayor I will take a lead on education, providing the city-wide planning that London’s schools are lacking. I will help coordinate school-place planning, develop a city-wide STEM strategy and improve provision of careers advice though the new Skills for Londoners taskforce. Strengthening economic, political and cultural links with other countries is one of the most important roles of London Mayor.

I will look to promote trade links with India and shall make it easier for students to come to UK universities by opposing the overly stringent visa restrictions we have currently.

That’s because I want London to be the destination of choice for the brightest and the best.

London is a city that benefits from its openness to the world - that’s also why, unlike my opponent, I will campaign to remain within the EU.I want to be your new Mayor - the most pro-business Mayor this city has had and be a Mayor for all Londoners.

I want a safer, greener, more united and prosperous London

How is London Mayor elected?

If a candidate gets more than half of all the first choice votes, they are declared the winner and elected Mayor of London for the next 4 years.

If no candidate gets more than half of the first choice votes, the 2 candidates with the most first choices go into a second round. All other candidates are eliminated. The eliminated candidates' ballot papers are reviewed and any second choice votes for the top 2 candidates are added to their totals.

The candidate with the highest number of combined first and second choice votes is elected Mayor.

What is London Assembly?

The London assembly holds the Mayor to account by examining his or her decisions. It also investigates isues that matters to Londoners. The London Assembly is made up of 25 Members. 14 Assembly Members are elected to represent London's 14 constituencies. Another 11 Members represent London as a whole. Assembly Members are elected for 4 years.

My story is the same as many of yours.

My parents emigrated to London for better life. My Dad was a bus driver and my Mum sewed clothes to bring in extra money for the family. They worked hard and were given A helping hand along the way.

London gave me countless opportunities to fulfill my potential and build a better future for my family. I had a good state school education and a place at University, leading to a job which enabled me and my wife to buy our first home.

I am running for Mayor as I want all Londoners to have the same opportunities I had. I want to bring communities together to make London a better, more vibrant and dynamic place to live. Where ordinary working Londoners can afford to raise a family.That is why I will be a Mayor for all Londoners.

I will stand up for every community. I want to bring people together to face the challenges in front of us, not divide communities based on race or faith.I will also be the most business pro-business mayor yet. I will work in partnership with industry to deliver on infrastructure and growth and to.

I will work in partnership with businesses to find solutions to the challenges that hold back London’s growth. I will support London’s entrepreneurs and small businesses by protecting business space and improving our digital infra-

Lakshmi Kaul, Human Rights Activist & Founder, Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society The city of London has a big decision to make on 5th May 2016 – who will be our next Mayor of London? There are twelve candidates in the race to the City Hall of which the choice is really between the two lead candidates, Sadiq Khan of the labour party or Zac Goldsmith of the Conservative party.

Having just recovered from the General Elections, we are in the heat of yet another critical election; this time deciding the future of London. What does all this mean? So first things first, let us try to understand what the role of the Mayor of London is and what is it that we are trying to vote for?

The Mayor is like the CEO of the city of London who is being given the

responsibility of “making London a better place for everyone who visits, lives or works in the city. The job of the Mayor ranges from developing policies to setting budgets, from overseeing major programmes to championing London around the world – all in line with his or her vision and in the interests of London.” Like most companies, the Mayor has a budget to plan all his policies and ensure their effective implementation. He is responsible for a budget of £17bn to be utilised to run transport, police and fire services, build affordable homes and promote London’s economy.

In order to fund these basic services, the Mayor levies a part of the council tax by London councils.

Now keeping in view the above important roles and responsibilities, only the man who has London’s best interest in mind will be my next choice for Mayor of London.

For me personally, safety and security, precede all discussion around well-being and prosperity. A displaced Kashmiri Pandit, I know how life halts at the beastly hands of extremism and terrorism. A candidate who has close links with extremists will therefore never be my choice ever. More so with his

human rights background!

It has been 26 years since my entire community was forced to leave everything behind and flee for life. With London being on a high alert for any possible future terrorist attacks, it makes me extremely nervous that the Labour party have chosen a candidate as their Mayoral candidate?

Also, the politics of tokenism doesn’t do it for me either. Just because someone is the same skin colour as I will not qualify them to be my candidate of choice. I am a proud British Indian and London is a city I love as I live and work here.

I want it to be a prosperous, happy, safe and secure place for my daughter to grow up in and I want her to build a bright future here.

A melting pot of various Nationalities, cultures, ethnicities, London brings together a unique pluralistic character that is its strength.

Anyone who is propagating divisive politics and basing their campaign on religious lines is not the right choice for a vibrant city of London.

The last thing I want to see happen to London is what has unfortunately become of Kashmir. I would therefore vote for Zac Goldsmith who is committed to "safer, greener, happier, more prosperous, united city".

LONDON MAYORAL ELECTION 2016 Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

A challenging choice for Londoners

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Rupanjana Dutta

The Mayoral battle is on its finishing line now. Next Thursday Londoners will vote on who should be their next Mayor, though Twitter predicts Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith may as well pack his bag and leave.

London is home to almost 11% of UK's population. The City supports immigration, is the centre of the country's financial services- churning out almost £30bn annually and offers different scales of jobs to people, encouraging investments. The London Mayor has a very powerful position- not only financially but also he controls the city's 40,000 police force- law and order to a great extent, as well as the transport- the nerve centre of the city.

Labour candidate Sadiq Khan followers have jumped on a new poll by YouGov that suggests that Goldsmith has slipped down to be 16% behind Khan and would go on to lose once second preferences were allocated with just 40% of the vote. But whatever be the situation- speculations and analysis on one side, should one really think it is time to declare Khan as the next Mayor?

We can't help remaining skeptical, especially for two reasons. First who wins finally is decided by the voters that

Both are equal; someone more equal than the other

turn up to vote. There could be series of debates before the actual voting date- but unless one castes their vote- no one can tell who gets the majority.

Therefore it is important that we ensure that everybody we know turns up to vote.

Second, while Sadiq is pumped to achieve something remarkable- sprinting from door to door- hoping to be the first Muslim Mayor of a major Western city, at a time of heightened tension over Islamist extremist terrorism in Brussles and Paris- there are other things besides his faith and links to extremists that one should worry about.

He has a great team of support including CEO of rational FX, Rajesh Agrawal as one of his campaign consultants.

But the problem lies in Khan's choice of friends, if not relatives (pun intended). As Lord Sugar pointed out-

Sadiq Khan is responsible for 'handing over' the Labour party to a leader like Jeremy Corbyn. Sugar apparently had tore up his membership card after the general electionaccusing Khan of being the politician most to blame for nominating Corbyn for the leadership. He reportedly said, “Khan has single hand-

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn- a real danger to Sadiq Khan

edly wrecked the Labour party, and now he is turning his finely honed judgement

EXCLUSIVE

on the great city of London...Be under no illusion they (Khan and Corbyn) are two peas in a pod...”

During this Mayoral campaign, Khan has tried to maintain his distance from the Labour leader, of course in order to attract moderate votes, but there is only so much damage control possible. The Hindu community and many of UK's 1.4mn Indians are great supporters of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During Mr Modi's historical visit, Corbyn's attitude could not be ignored- especially as it came to light that he had signed an Early Day Motion 479 in September 2013- asking to ban Modi from entering Britain, given his alleged role in the 2002 communal violence in India that claimed the lives of hundreds of Muslims, including British nationals. What Mr Corbyn missed to realise is that almost equal number of Hindus had died in the same riot, and the Supreme Court of India had found the Indian PM, 'not-guilty'. Nothing is greater than the judgement of the electorates- neither Corbyn is an Indian nor a resident of India- he is not entitled to ask for a ban on one of world's most popular leader to visit the UK, under his official capacity.

What Her Majesty's

Zac vows to deliver on promises for London Conservative Mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith has promised to double the number of houses in London to meet the housing crisis, if he becomes the Mayor of London. The election is on 5 May. This would be the biggest house building boom in London since 1930s.

In an exclusive interview with Asian Voice, Zac spoke about many issues that affect Londoners – ranging from housing to security to immigration.

Zac, who has been an MP for Richmond Park for years, said the challenges he faced as a Mayoral candidate are much different than that of an MP. He told Asian Voice, “It is different. London is much bigger. In politics, as the London Mayor you can actually do things directly. The campaign involves directly speaking to people. As an MP because of the size of the constituency it is possible. As a Mayoral candidate, in London – I am rushing around, there are still 5.8mn voters and I will not be able to speak to all of them directly, and therefore we have to depend on using others tools.”

While he and his campaigners have been out and about in their blue doubledecker bus, distributing leaflets, knocking on the doors, his manifesto for Asians has picked major criticism for being 'patronising' to

the community.

Responding to the accusations, he claimed, “I reject the criticism. All political parties do whatever they can to speak to different parts of wider communities. My job is to talk to everybody in London and I have tried to do that. I have a very positive message about my action plan – it's about building wealth, not building on our green spaces, council tax flat for four years, making sure London is safe, greenest and cleanest city in the world.”

He has already made rounds in Gurdwaras, mosques, temples and on Saturday (23rd April) he visited the Neasden temple where he addressed more than 3,500 strong congregation.

Speaking at the Neasden temple, he said: “This is one of the UK’s greatest architectural treasures. Every last stone has been adorned with

care, love, and expert craftsmanship.

“It is a marble monument to eternity, in the heart an ever-changing city. It is one of the greatest gifts that the Hindu community has given to London.”

When asked why must Asians vote for him, the Richmond Park MP replied with conviction, “I have a plan that I can deliver. Politics is not just about promises. I always deliver on my promises. And in the last election that's why I got the biggest increase in majority. People know that they can trust me. I know if there was a way of making everybody read my manifesto, then I would win (this election) hands down...”

London being home to international students and Indian businesses, what does he plan to do for them? The Mayoral candidate emphasised that though he does not have the power to influence immigration laws, he is supporting Boris Johnson's approach to diversity – and wants international students, business communities from all across the world to come to London. He emphasised that the special relationship between India and Britain is growing stronger and he showed great regards for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his vision.

“It’s been particularly special to engage with this com-

munity (British Indian) – because your story is the London story: hard work, enterprise, generosity, openness.

“In truth, the whole British Indian community contributes so much to London. I find it extraordinary that you represent just 2% of the UK population, but account for 6% of our country’s GDP.” Besides promising to make London a safer place, backing the community with more police officers with better tools, ethnic representatives in police force, doubling response vehicles, he also talked about the London's transport system.

He said, there is a huge investment required to avoid London from grinding to a standstill. “Cross Rail 1 will be delivered on time and if I am the Mayor, I will try to win the government over Cross Rail 2. This would allow 10% of additional travel capacity and introduce at least 2,000 new jobs...”

A Tory campaign analysis says Underground passengers are crammed in with up to five people per square metre, while livestock transport rules say cattle should get 23% more space and sheep 123%.

Mr Goldsmith has pledged to invest £1.5 billion to increase Tube capacity, and says his Labour rival Mr Sadiq Khan’s plan to freeze fares would cost £1.9 billion.

Opposition leader is duty bound, is, to provide an answer to the Hindus in Britain, especially the Labour supporters- of a letter (first written by former Lib Dem Councillor Chuni Chavda) that they have been sending over and over again asking what Corbyn's views are now, after terrorist David Headly's testimony; requesting the Labour party leader to tender an apology to Mr Modi and withdraw or disassociate from EDM 479. None of which has happened so far. A border line patronising letter has been sent in response from the Labour party- which even remotely does not address the queries.

This brings us to the question if Sadiq Khan will be supported by the Hindus or Indians of London- as their favourite world leader awaits justice from Khan's chosen party leader. A silence of convenience from Jeremy Corbyn can cause a huge damage to the deserving Mayoral candidature of Khan.

On the other hand, Zac Goldsmith is a man with a big policy idea. Of Jewish descendants- he is ultimately like Khan, a child of an immigrant- yet his vast wealth (note mention of him in the recent Sunday Times Richlist) and place in the society puts him away from the regular realities of

17

London or Londoners.

Moreover while he has tried to 'woo over' Britain's Indian population with a unique manifesto, it's ironical that he has pointed at Khan's faith over of his credibility, with Jemima Khan, the famous Pakistani politician Imran Khan's ex-wife and his sister as his confidant. It is well known that one of Imran and Jemima's teenage son is driving the youth campaign for Goldsmith's Mayoral election and it is believed Imran has also lent his expertise to win this election for his former brother-in-law.

The Conservative Party's Zac Goldsmith and Labour Party's Sadiq Khan have had many months to show themselves equal to London, which will vote on a successor to Boris Johnson on May 5.

They have both failed.

London is very naturally a diverse and dynamic city.

While son of a bus driver, Khan with a very moderate beginning- has never been Labour's star, similarly Goldsmith's campaign jars with the daily reality- which might explain it's failure to take off the runway. Both must realise that London does need a great Mayor to prosper. The character of the campaign matters too- but whoever loses on May 5, he should try not to lose with dishonour.

Green candidate tours East End, meets dissatisfied SMEs Green Party's Mayoral contender Sian Berry toured Queen's Market in East End, near West Ham stadium, and found plenty of unhappy traders, furious at dampriddled ceilings, crippling council rent increases and poor sanitation.

She joined Green London Assembly candidates in Newham, a Labour stronghold and one of London’s most culturally diverse boroughs, to launch manifesto policies aimed at black and minority ethnic Londoners.

Ms Berry, a Camden councillor fighting her second mayoral election, is upbeat despite the chill and a YouGov survey for the Standard last week that put the Greens at six per cent of first-choice votes, one point behind Ukip. She took the chance to walk around in a strong Labour hold area, talking about her campaign and listening to traders' views.

Ms Berry said: “I enjoy campaigning. One of the things about Zac [Goldsmith] is I think he doesn’t look like he’s enjoying this — he looks like, ‘Can this be over, please?’ ” She Berry tells traders on Saturday afternoon she is pledging more support for small businesses run by Londoners from ethnic minorities, including a “less prejudiced” public bank. She

also wants 40% of Met police from culturally diverse backgrounds.

The Evening Standard reported, a number of traders at Queen’s Market, which began in 1904, have been hit with rent rises of up to 50%. At Nazia Mumtaz’s family-run textiles kiosk, she points to patches of damp on the ceiling.

Ms Mumtaz, a 30-year-old photographer, helps with the business established 12 years ago by her Pakistan-born parents.

She said: “It’s lovely to be here, there’s a lot of nationalities, but lovely won’t make us money. The problem is this market’s dying slowly and surely. It reeks, there’s damp coming through the ceiling, it’s run down, the footfall has shrunk to 25%, but the council want a rent review.”

Ms Berry reportedly told Ms Mumtaz: “What we don’t want is for it to be regenerated and redeveloped into the flats and shops you see on the high street.”

16

LONDON MAYORAL ELECTION 2016

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

Sadiq Khan Mayoral candidate for Labour party

Our candidate Zac Goldsmith

By Cllr Ameet Jogia Over the last year, it’s been an honour to be part of Zac Goldsmith’s election campaign and to have the opportunity to introduce him to the British Indian community. In just a matter of months, Zac’s celebrated Janmashtami at Bhaktivedanta Manor, danced to garba in Harrow, played cricket at Kingsbury Temple, joined the Rath Yatra festival at Kenton Temple, sang bhajans at Soul Sounds, taken part in countless aartis across the capital and just last weekend toured BAPS Neasden Temple.

All along the campaign trail, the most commonly asked question I get asked is “why should Indians vote for Zac Goldsmith?”

I will of course say that Zac is better than any other candidate. End of. However, this is a first election in a generation, where it is important to acknowledge that never have the stakes been higher for the British Indian community in choosing their Mayor for London.

Zac recognised from the outset the tremendous contribution our community makes to this great city. As a community, we help to make this city what it is. One in eight British Indians works in the City of London. British Indian businesses employ thousands of Londoners across the capital and own the highest number of homes in the city.

Zac has acknowledged that

he needs us on side and I admire the lengths he has gone to in engaging with London’s various communities –particularly the British Indian community.

Whilst pollsters may say Zac Goldsmith MP with Cllr Ameet Jogia during that as a comthe campaign at the Neasden Temple munity our And so they should be. Labour vote never holds up for the has taken the ethnic minority Conservatives, Zac never lost vote in London for granted for faith and insisted on wholetoo long. Labour have unjustheartedly engaging with us. fully monopolised the ethnic Last week, Zac bit the bulminority vote and then have let and publically confronted the cheek to call our campaign Sadiq Khan about his links divisive. with extremist groups. Sadiq’s But their monopoly seems never missed an opportunity to to be weakening. At the last claim he's the victim of election, more ethnic minority Islamophobia, but he's refused votes, particularly British on every occasion to give clear Indians, voted Conservative answers about his relationships than at any other time before. with people who have despicaDespite the polls, the swing ble views. London deserves betamongst the British Indian ter. community is definitely in our Let’s be clear, this is not favour. More and more British about religion. It doesn’t make Indians are pledging to vote for any difference whether our Zac day by day. next Mayor is Hindu, Sikh, It would be a disaster for Jewish, Jain or Muslim.

London if Sadiq Khan was However what I do care about elected as our next Mayor. A is about the next Mayor's judgprogressive city like London ment. And Mr Khan has discannot have a socialist leader. played appalling judgment in It would be a step back for us the course of his career and I all. This is a wakeup call for think everyone should be aware British Indians who have a of this. vested interest our city. I urge Over the past few months our community to back Zac on Labour have been rattled and May 5th. threatened by Zac’s campaign.

Role of a London Mayor

On Thursday 5 May there will be elections for the Mayor of London and the 25 members of the London Assembly. The Mayor of London makes decisions that affects the every day lives of Londoners. The Mayor has particular responsibilities for: policing, transport, housing, fire and emergency planning, the environment, culture, economic development, regeneration, planning and development, and tackling health inequalities.

The 12 Mayor of London candidates are: Sian Rebecca Berry: Green Party l David Furness: British National Party (BNP) l George Galloway: Respect (George Galloway) l Paul Golding: Britain's First- Putting British people first l Zac Goldsmith: Conservative Party l Lee Eli Harris: Cannabis is Safer than Alcohol l

l l l l l l

Sadiq Aman Khan: Labour Party Ankit Love: One Love Party Caroline Valerie Pidgeon: London Liberal Democrats Sophie Walker: Women's Equality Party Peter Robin Whittle: UK Independence Party (UKIP) Prince Zylinski: Independent

London Assembly Member candidates who are of Asian origin:

Brent and Harrow Jafar Hassan: Green Party Akib Mahmood: Respect (George Galloway) Navin Shah: Labour party City & East (includes Barking & Dagenham, Newham, Tower Hamlets and the City of London) Unmesh Desai: Labour Party Croydon & Sutton Amna Ahmad: London Lib Dem Marina Ahmad: Labour Party Ealing and Hillingdon Onkar Singh Sahota: Labour Party Merton and Wandsworth

Thamilini Kulendran: Independent North East Samir Jeraj: Green Party London-Wide Assembly Member Candidates who are of Asian origin: Caroline Pidgeon's London Liberal Democrats Marisha Ray Conservative Party Kishan Devani Amandeep Bhogal Green Party Shahrar Ali UKIP Akram Afzal Labour Party Murad Qureshi

structure.

I recognise the growing threat from extremism and radicalisation. That is why I will be the British Muslim who takes the fight to the extremists and keeps London's security a top priority. I will work with mainstream Muslims to challenge extremism, promote greater social integration and restore real neighbourhood policing.

As Mayor I will take a lead on education, providing the city-wide planning that London’s schools are lacking. I will help coordinate school-place planning, develop a city-wide STEM strategy and improve provision of careers advice though the new Skills for Londoners taskforce. Strengthening economic, political and cultural links with other countries is one of the most important roles of London Mayor.

I will look to promote trade links with India and shall make it easier for students to come to UK universities by opposing the overly stringent visa restrictions we have currently.

That’s because I want London to be the destination of choice for the brightest and the best.

London is a city that benefits from its openness to the world - that’s also why, unlike my opponent, I will campaign to remain within the EU.I want to be your new Mayor - the most pro-business Mayor this city has had and be a Mayor for all Londoners.

I want a safer, greener, more united and prosperous London

How is London Mayor elected?

If a candidate gets more than half of all the first choice votes, they are declared the winner and elected Mayor of London for the next 4 years.

If no candidate gets more than half of the first choice votes, the 2 candidates with the most first choices go into a second round. All other candidates are eliminated. The eliminated candidates' ballot papers are reviewed and any second choice votes for the top 2 candidates are added to their totals.

The candidate with the highest number of combined first and second choice votes is elected Mayor.

What is London Assembly?

The London assembly holds the Mayor to account by examining his or her decisions. It also investigates isues that matters to Londoners. The London Assembly is made up of 25 Members. 14 Assembly Members are elected to represent London's 14 constituencies. Another 11 Members represent London as a whole. Assembly Members are elected for 4 years.

My story is the same as many of yours.

My parents emigrated to London for better life. My Dad was a bus driver and my Mum sewed clothes to bring in extra money for the family. They worked hard and were given A helping hand along the way.

London gave me countless opportunities to fulfill my potential and build a better future for my family. I had a good state school education and a place at University, leading to a job which enabled me and my wife to buy our first home.

I am running for Mayor as I want all Londoners to have the same opportunities I had. I want to bring communities together to make London a better, more vibrant and dynamic place to live. Where ordinary working Londoners can afford to raise a family.That is why I will be a Mayor for all Londoners.

I will stand up for every community. I want to bring people together to face the challenges in front of us, not divide communities based on race or faith.I will also be the most business pro-business mayor yet. I will work in partnership with industry to deliver on infrastructure and growth and to.

I will work in partnership with businesses to find solutions to the challenges that hold back London’s growth. I will support London’s entrepreneurs and small businesses by protecting business space and improving our digital infra-

Lakshmi Kaul, Human Rights Activist & Founder, Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society The city of London has a big decision to make on 5th May 2016 – who will be our next Mayor of London? There are twelve candidates in the race to the City Hall of which the choice is really between the two lead candidates, Sadiq Khan of the labour party or Zac Goldsmith of the Conservative party.

Having just recovered from the General Elections, we are in the heat of yet another critical election; this time deciding the future of London. What does all this mean? So first things first, let us try to understand what the role of the Mayor of London is and what is it that we are trying to vote for?

The Mayor is like the CEO of the city of London who is being given the

responsibility of “making London a better place for everyone who visits, lives or works in the city. The job of the Mayor ranges from developing policies to setting budgets, from overseeing major programmes to championing London around the world – all in line with his or her vision and in the interests of London.” Like most companies, the Mayor has a budget to plan all his policies and ensure their effective implementation. He is responsible for a budget of £17bn to be utilised to run transport, police and fire services, build affordable homes and promote London’s economy.

In order to fund these basic services, the Mayor levies a part of the council tax by London councils.

Now keeping in view the above important roles and responsibilities, only the man who has London’s best interest in mind will be my next choice for Mayor of London.

For me personally, safety and security, precede all discussion around well-being and prosperity. A displaced Kashmiri Pandit, I know how life halts at the beastly hands of extremism and terrorism. A candidate who has close links with extremists will therefore never be my choice ever. More so with his

human rights background!

It has been 26 years since my entire community was forced to leave everything behind and flee for life. With London being on a high alert for any possible future terrorist attacks, it makes me extremely nervous that the Labour party have chosen a candidate as their Mayoral candidate?

Also, the politics of tokenism doesn’t do it for me either. Just because someone is the same skin colour as I will not qualify them to be my candidate of choice. I am a proud British Indian and London is a city I love as I live and work here.

I want it to be a prosperous, happy, safe and secure place for my daughter to grow up in and I want her to build a bright future here.

A melting pot of various Nationalities, cultures, ethnicities, London brings together a unique pluralistic character that is its strength.

Anyone who is propagating divisive politics and basing their campaign on religious lines is not the right choice for a vibrant city of London.

The last thing I want to see happen to London is what has unfortunately become of Kashmir. I would therefore vote for Zac Goldsmith who is committed to "safer, greener, happier, more prosperous, united city".

LONDON MAYORAL ELECTION 2016 Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

A challenging choice for Londoners

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The Mayoral battle is on its finishing line now. Next Thursday Londoners will vote on who should be their next Mayor, though Twitter predicts Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith may as well pack his bag and leave.

London is home to almost 11% of UK's population. The City supports immigration, is the centre of the country's financial services- churning out almost £30bn annually and offers different scales of jobs to people, encouraging investments. The London Mayor has a very powerful position- not only financially but also he controls the city's 40,000 police force- law and order to a great extent, as well as the transport- the nerve centre of the city.

Labour candidate Sadiq Khan followers have jumped on a new poll by YouGov that suggests that Goldsmith has slipped down to be 16% behind Khan and would go on to lose once second preferences were allocated with just 40% of the vote. But whatever be the situation- speculations and analysis on one side, should one really think it is time to declare Khan as the next Mayor?

We can't help remaining skeptical, especially for two reasons. First who wins finally is decided by the voters that

Both are equal; someone more equal than the other

turn up to vote. There could be series of debates before the actual voting date- but unless one castes their vote- no one can tell who gets the majority.

Therefore it is important that we ensure that everybody we know turns up to vote.

Second, while Sadiq is pumped to achieve something remarkable- sprinting from door to door- hoping to be the first Muslim Mayor of a major Western city, at a time of heightened tension over Islamist extremist terrorism in Brussles and Paris- there are other things besides his faith and links to extremists that one should worry about.

He has a great team of support including CEO of rational FX, Rajesh Agrawal as one of his campaign consultants.

But the problem lies in Khan's choice of friends, if not relatives (pun intended). As Lord Sugar pointed out-

Sadiq Khan is responsible for 'handing over' the Labour party to a leader like Jeremy Corbyn. Sugar apparently had tore up his membership card after the general electionaccusing Khan of being the politician most to blame for nominating Corbyn for the leadership. He reportedly said, “Khan has single hand-

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn- a real danger to Sadiq Khan

edly wrecked the Labour party, and now he is turning his finely honed judgement

EXCLUSIVE

on the great city of London...Be under no illusion they (Khan and Corbyn) are two peas in a pod...”

During this Mayoral campaign, Khan has tried to maintain his distance from the Labour leader, of course in order to attract moderate votes, but there is only so much damage control possible. The Hindu community and many of UK's 1.4mn Indians are great supporters of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During Mr Modi's historical visit, Corbyn's attitude could not be ignored- especially as it came to light that he had signed an Early Day Motion 479 in September 2013- asking to ban Modi from entering Britain, given his alleged role in the 2002 communal violence in India that claimed the lives of hundreds of Muslims, including British nationals. What Mr Corbyn missed to realise is that almost equal number of Hindus had died in the same riot, and the Supreme Court of India had found the Indian PM, 'not-guilty'. Nothing is greater than the judgement of the electorates- neither Corbyn is an Indian nor a resident of India- he is not entitled to ask for a ban on one of world's most popular leader to visit the UK, under his official capacity.

What Her Majesty's

Zac vows to deliver on promises for London Conservative Mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith has promised to double the number of houses in London to meet the housing crisis, if he becomes the Mayor of London. The election is on 5 May. This would be the biggest house building boom in London since 1930s.

In an exclusive interview with Asian Voice, Zac spoke about many issues that affect Londoners – ranging from housing to security to immigration.

Zac, who has been an MP for Richmond Park for years, said the challenges he faced as a Mayoral candidate are much different than that of an MP. He told Asian Voice, “It is different. London is much bigger. In politics, as the London Mayor you can actually do things directly. The campaign involves directly speaking to people. As an MP because of the size of the constituency it is possible. As a Mayoral candidate, in London – I am rushing around, there are still 5.8mn voters and I will not be able to speak to all of them directly, and therefore we have to depend on using others tools.”

While he and his campaigners have been out and about in their blue doubledecker bus, distributing leaflets, knocking on the doors, his manifesto for Asians has picked major criticism for being 'patronising' to

the community.

Responding to the accusations, he claimed, “I reject the criticism. All political parties do whatever they can to speak to different parts of wider communities. My job is to talk to everybody in London and I have tried to do that. I have a very positive message about my action plan – it's about building wealth, not building on our green spaces, council tax flat for four years, making sure London is safe, greenest and cleanest city in the world.”

He has already made rounds in Gurdwaras, mosques, temples and on Saturday (23rd April) he visited the Neasden temple where he addressed more than 3,500 strong congregation.

Speaking at the Neasden temple, he said: “This is one of the UK’s greatest architectural treasures. Every last stone has been adorned with

care, love, and expert craftsmanship.

“It is a marble monument to eternity, in the heart an ever-changing city. It is one of the greatest gifts that the Hindu community has given to London.”

When asked why must Asians vote for him, the Richmond Park MP replied with conviction, “I have a plan that I can deliver. Politics is not just about promises. I always deliver on my promises. And in the last election that's why I got the biggest increase in majority. People know that they can trust me. I know if there was a way of making everybody read my manifesto, then I would win (this election) hands down...”

London being home to international students and Indian businesses, what does he plan to do for them? The Mayoral candidate emphasised that though he does not have the power to influence immigration laws, he is supporting Boris Johnson's approach to diversity – and wants international students, business communities from all across the world to come to London. He emphasised that the special relationship between India and Britain is growing stronger and he showed great regards for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his vision.

“It’s been particularly special to engage with this com-

munity (British Indian) – because your story is the London story: hard work, enterprise, generosity, openness.

“In truth, the whole British Indian community contributes so much to London. I find it extraordinary that you represent just 2% of the UK population, but account for 6% of our country’s GDP.” Besides promising to make London a safer place, backing the community with more police officers with better tools, ethnic representatives in police force, doubling response vehicles, he also talked about the London's transport system.

He said, there is a huge investment required to avoid London from grinding to a standstill. “Cross Rail 1 will be delivered on time and if I am the Mayor, I will try to win the government over Cross Rail 2. This would allow 10% of additional travel capacity and introduce at least 2,000 new jobs...”

A Tory campaign analysis says Underground passengers are crammed in with up to five people per square metre, while livestock transport rules say cattle should get 23% more space and sheep 123%.

Mr Goldsmith has pledged to invest £1.5 billion to increase Tube capacity, and says his Labour rival Mr Sadiq Khan’s plan to freeze fares would cost £1.9 billion.

Opposition leader is duty bound, is, to provide an answer to the Hindus in Britain, especially the Labour supporters- of a letter (first written by former Lib Dem Councillor Chuni Chavda) that they have been sending over and over again asking what Corbyn's views are now, after terrorist David Headly's testimony; requesting the Labour party leader to tender an apology to Mr Modi and withdraw or disassociate from EDM 479. None of which has happened so far. A border line patronising letter has been sent in response from the Labour party- which even remotely does not address the queries.

This brings us to the question if Sadiq Khan will be supported by the Hindus or Indians of London- as their favourite world leader awaits justice from Khan's chosen party leader. A silence of convenience from Jeremy Corbyn can cause a huge damage to the deserving Mayoral candidature of Khan.

On the other hand, Zac Goldsmith is a man with a big policy idea. Of Jewish descendants- he is ultimately like Khan, a child of an immigrant- yet his vast wealth (note mention of him in the recent Sunday Times Richlist) and place in the society puts him away from the regular realities of

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London or Londoners.

Moreover while he has tried to 'woo over' Britain's Indian population with a unique manifesto, it's ironical that he has pointed at Khan's faith over of his credibility, with Jemima Khan, the famous Pakistani politician Imran Khan's ex-wife and his sister as his confidant. It is well known that one of Imran and Jemima's teenage son is driving the youth campaign for Goldsmith's Mayoral election and it is believed Imran has also lent his expertise to win this election for his former brother-in-law.

The Conservative Party's Zac Goldsmith and Labour Party's Sadiq Khan have had many months to show themselves equal to London, which will vote on a successor to Boris Johnson on May 5.

They have both failed.

London is very naturally a diverse and dynamic city.

While son of a bus driver, Khan with a very moderate beginning- has never been Labour's star, similarly Goldsmith's campaign jars with the daily reality- which might explain it's failure to take off the runway. Both must realise that London does need a great Mayor to prosper. The character of the campaign matters too- but whoever loses on May 5, he should try not to lose with dishonour.

Green candidate tours East End, meets dissatisfied SMEs Green Party's Mayoral contender Sian Berry toured Queen's Market in East End, near West Ham stadium, and found plenty of unhappy traders, furious at dampriddled ceilings, crippling council rent increases and poor sanitation.

She joined Green London Assembly candidates in Newham, a Labour stronghold and one of London’s most culturally diverse boroughs, to launch manifesto policies aimed at black and minority ethnic Londoners.

Ms Berry, a Camden councillor fighting her second mayoral election, is upbeat despite the chill and a YouGov survey for the Standard last week that put the Greens at six per cent of first-choice votes, one point behind Ukip. She took the chance to walk around in a strong Labour hold area, talking about her campaign and listening to traders' views.

Ms Berry said: “I enjoy campaigning. One of the things about Zac [Goldsmith] is I think he doesn’t look like he’s enjoying this — he looks like, ‘Can this be over, please?’ ” She Berry tells traders on Saturday afternoon she is pledging more support for small businesses run by Londoners from ethnic minorities, including a “less prejudiced” public bank. She

also wants 40% of Met police from culturally diverse backgrounds.

The Evening Standard reported, a number of traders at Queen’s Market, which began in 1904, have been hit with rent rises of up to 50%. At Nazia Mumtaz’s family-run textiles kiosk, she points to patches of damp on the ceiling.

Ms Mumtaz, a 30-year-old photographer, helps with the business established 12 years ago by her Pakistan-born parents.

She said: “It’s lovely to be here, there’s a lot of nationalities, but lovely won’t make us money. The problem is this market’s dying slowly and surely. It reeks, there’s damp coming through the ceiling, it’s run down, the footfall has shrunk to 25%, but the council want a rent review.”

Ms Berry reportedly told Ms Mumtaz: “What we don’t want is for it to be regenerated and redeveloped into the flats and shops you see on the high street.”

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SP

TLIGHT

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Inside out

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Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

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Oh, Rama! Why, oh why, Obama?

Tina Patel

Treat your business as if it’s your baby

Yogesh Patel

Formed Architects

Sunetra Senior

“When it comes to architecture,” Tina the co-founder of emerging architects and designers ‘Formed Architects’ told us, “the conceptualisation process - asking how can I accomplish this? – can be as fascinating as standing in front of the end-product itself.” We were discussing Tina’s childhood inspirations – the Taj Mahal and the pyramids of Egypt – but focussing on the intellectualising aspect of the trade seems to be what gives ‘Formed Architects’, a residential development practice, its USP: “aesthetics meet pragmatism when we’re working with the customer to create their dream home,” Tina elaborated. “The design aspect is important, but there must be functionality; attention to concrete details always comes first. There is no point having a beautiful exterior, for example, when the inside is going to turn out pokey. Visualisation is ongoing and interlocked with the mathematics and nitty gritty challenges of the whole project.” This drive for design and her worldly curiosity has been underlying throughout Tina's life. Her resolve to become an architect since she was a small girl has materialised in adult years through such accomplishments as the Shepard Robson Design Award, given to her at graduate level, and more recently as design winner of the ‘Flitched Yard’ social community project, which required candidates to use recycled materials to create an inspiring and individualistic space. This has, to date, included pop up cinemas, manual workshops and cosy gatherings for local talks. As free-spirited as she is a problem solver then, Tina’s integrated approach is the corner stone of her company’s success. Suddenly the name ‘Formed Architects’ takes on a humanistic meaning. As we rounded up our conversation, the experienced designer added: “it is important to be ready for patience in this business. ‘Formed Architects’ has been running for about 5 years, and it is only now we’re at a point where we can put forward potential projects to the national architectural press. Treat your business as if it’s your baby. Take care of it, and keep feeding it industry knowledge; give it the time that it deserves.”

bosses were handing me their probTell us more about your comlem-solving and workload to do, pany’s journey? though I was still officially just a I started it with a friend, Michael, from designer. I have a huge passion for university. Architecture is typically a design, whether it’s small or big long process: it can take between scale so I didn’t mind, but it 7 to 8 and half years to comwas frustrating in principle. plete your degree. After the Instead of continuing to first stage of university, Architecture let other people benefit Michael and I found work from my hard work, I at the same practice in is a Jack of thought it best to create East Finchley to carry on all Trades sort my own work environour qualifications, and by of career ment. It is risky in that 2008 I had completed you don’t know when you them. With the recession are going to get paid etc. hitting the construction However if you have a good industry very hard, I travelled plan and can accept that financial out to make the most of an opportunireserves need to be in place for the ty I received in the Middle East where I first few years, it can work well for you. was able to work on a city plan for about 100,000 people. Coming back So it seems a sound knowlto the UK, I sat down with my business edge of business is almost partner and we both decided it was more important than being skilled time to get our own enterprise off the in your area? ground. It was an organic transition.

Yes, certainly. And if you are not so Though we specialise in homes, I have good at business it is important to had experience with retail projects up research it and outsource what you and down the country, and we've know you can’t do. Your time can then worked on new build apartments in be better spent doing what you are Ghana internationally. trained for.

When do you feel is the right What grabs you most about time to take off as an entreprearchitecture and design? neur?

A couple of aspects: it requires differWhen you have the confidence to be ent skill sets – contractual and legal able manage things. For me, the pivknowledge, design elements, and of otal moment was when I found my

Photos by: Mel Lou

course theoretical planning – so it’s a jack of all trades sort of career. Every situation is different and then there’s the satisfaction at the end of it. You see that your clients are very happy with their homes, and that is the ultimate goal. In terms of a particular style, I do like the modernist structures, nice, clean lines etc. but I do have a fascination with religious architecture too; for example, Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia. This is linked to thinking about how such beauty could have been forged with such primitive technology.

Finally, have you ever felt discrimination as a British-Asian woman in your profession?

Yes, but my personality is such that it has just spurred me on. It would often strike me in a meeting that I was the only woman there, and when I’d travel out to construction sites this would be the case too. There is also ageism where you are constantly being scrutinised as a young architect, but you tackle all of this by showing yourself as capable and setting your own example. Ethnic minorities are certainly underrepresented too. You do your own small thing and it makes a big difference. It’s also unhealthy to ruminate on it too much: it can be selfdefeating.

W formedarchitects.com

While Narendra Modi’s hope-mongering is and was anchored in concrete action plans to lead India away from its age-old Congress ‘Exchange’, Obama’s hope-mongering was always from cloud cuckoo land. So much so that its gargantuan failure has given rise to monstrous Trumpism. After receiving his Nobel Prize, before delivering any justifying results to prove Nobel academic fools right, he has failed to show any extra-ordinary achievements. I find it difficult to list any major change he has brought to the world that can justify his Nobel Prize. Both have let down each other. I did warn against it in my article in Asian Voice in 2008.

The incumbent outgoing politicians always try to find publicity and glory elsewhere. Some may even feel that David Cameron’s ambition might be to seek a political afterlife in the EU when he leaves Down Street! So bless us that we had the last of Obamarama pantomime at our doorsteps discharging the wisdom or threat, as you would have it. Yet Obama has his brigade of believers, as there is an army of British Press devoted to hating Modi.

You write anything good about Modi and no one will publish you in the British Press, just as, if you write anything bad about Obama – unless you are a politician from the Brexit camp – no one will publish you in the British press.

Only the fools will believe he has nurtured any special thing about the special relationship with Britain.

Yet he paid us a visit to threaten us and graduate from a dubious hopemonger to blunt fearmonger. Instead of taking an opportunity of Britain on EU’s back, and thus taking advantage of harnessing this EU duality, he wrongly opted to interfere in the British democratic process. As someone said, he will not scarify America’s freedom, why must Britain just because it suits him?

Freedom has always been costly; ask any country that has fought for its freedom. Freedom also means a choice to choose.

It means enterprise, not the submission to a FRANCHISE where the franchiser really drains you to leave you exsanguinated. It is also not the cosy income set up by businesses, which cannot see enterprise beyond the dictating franchise, just because they are snug. Nor it is the cooked up figures, which intrinsically allow you to read whatever you want to read into them; they can be targets or they can be crippling impossible demands. Freedom is also not the SNP’s twisted independence, which on one-hand talks about freeing itself from the UK, but on the other, longs to give it away to the EU! Freedom is a price and a prize. The generation that has not fought for it, like our war veterans, it is easy to give up under the fantasy of idealism. Once thrown away, it always will be dirt.

Poets are often snubbed as disconnected.

The heading of this article comes from my poem, which breaks the taboo of restrictions on various subject matters, including faeces. It is a title of one of my whale poems, where a whale laughs at the academics who spend days researching the whale excrement in the sea of Ravan’s Lanka. It is the whale smugly sitting in glass crystallization on my mantel. It raises a question on the intellect of the academics as well by crossreferencing to Obama who has not delivered anything significant. A joke is on Obama and the Nobel committee. Here it is: Oh, Rama! Why, oh Why, Obama?

‘Excuse me, can I ask you a question?’

With all glassy blink from a mantelpiece Like a prankster’s framed cheeky smile Dunked in the muddied history of the Thames Wilma the whale flicks a woman’s tongue.

‘How come your grandiose cohort Of the foolish dons and the scholars Gave the Nobel Prize to Obama Before he even pooped anything?’

‘Indeed, one’s poop is the thing.

Researchers spend days puzzling Wondering, while sifting through my poop To discover the secrets of my deeds, A biography from my poop!

Yet my poop is not worth the Nobel!

So yes, can I ask a question?’

REAL ESTATEVOICE Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

The Early Bird Gets The Worm

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Suresh Vagjiani

Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

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Currently we are in the midst of getting a deal over the line. We have been working on this over the weekend; disrupting the weekend of many lawyers, one of whom was preparing for the marathon on Sunday.

The deal has changed and metamorphosed whilst we have been handling it, from being just a lucrative deal it has become an extremely lucrative deal.

First we managed to delay completion of the deal from one where the whole price was being paid upfront to one where only one third of the price would be handed over upfront with completion being agreed for a two-year period; and then miraculously we managed to get that extended for another year.

This means two things, one less money is required in the deal and the second is there is more return for all the investors who come into the deal.

I have never done a land deal, this is the first; however our partners in the deal do have the knowledge and experience as well as a few local connections on the ground. To do this alone is possible, but it is wiser to execute this with a strong team around you, who have the same goal.

Note just having a team around you does not make it stronger, if you have the wrong team you may have a bunch of busy fools at best and even certain individuals may be detrimental to the deal.

We have managed to hold on to this deal despite many odds against us and the deal looked like it was going to slip on many occasions. However, we have managed to hold on to it by a thread and now are crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s. There just seems to be a lot of them to cross and dot; as well as having four sets of lawyers to contend with and control.

The deal is this, a piece of land about 20 miles from Cambridge, with a GDV touching £30m. The land has been earmarked for a residential led development scheme which constitutes part of East Cambridgeshire County Council’s Masterplan. They are keen to have this piece of land developed.

Through doing this deal my understanding of property has been refreshed on a basic level. In London you deal with properties and these rise in value and you trade them and money is made – mostly.

In London and especially central London there is very little land if any, therefore your focus is on the property. However, when you analyse the situation it is not the property which increases in value but the land upon which it rests which has the real value and scarcity.

The property is made from bricks and mortar which you can make more of and they can be transported around the country.

Land cannot, it is scarce and fixed. This is what has value and rises in price, not what’s on top.

And entering into a deal where it is unadulterated land without any planning in place is the earliest point you can enter a deal. This point of entry assures the investor the highest growth in value and that they are coming in at the cheapest point.

Real Deal The

John’s Wood, London, NW8 Purchase Price: £750,000

It is for this reason we left the shackles of the London property market in pursuit of this deal. The structure whereby only one third of the payment has been made now with the two thirds to be paid at the end of the three years or on planning sweetens the deal. Our connection with the sellers was vital in being able to structure the deal in this way.

The easiest way to make money on a deal with the least effort is by getting planning. By doing this you have not got your hands dirty and its mostly all paperwork.

Saying that there have also been times where we have made money without even adding any value by flipping the contract prior to completion. This is reliant upon on purchasing well below what the market price is and selling the deal with some meat on the bone before completion.

We have discarded this scenario which is a hit and miss type dependent on deal flow and market conditions. As a business proposition a land deal is where it is, and entering prior to the granting of planning for a serious uplift in price is the best time to enter a deal.

In this situation because of the way we have structured the deal the investors should come out with their money doubled, within a twelvemonth period.

Time will tell if this manifests. Our analysis of the deal tells us it will.

Actually executing a building project of this magnitude has many variables attached to it, and the profit does not match the effort.

Not from our perspective anyhow. The rule of thumb is a developer normally works on a one third profit margin. The formula is one third for the land, one third for the construction and one third for the profit. There will be variations to this formula but this is the basic rule of thumb. By us getting the planning we make about 100% without the need to build, fund the build, worry about resells etc.

l A bright and spacious three bedroom top floor apartment

l Long lease

l Large balcony

l Close to Regent’s Park

With land deals the old adage of the early bird gets the worm really does hold true.

The deal will be executed later today – or not as the case may be.

If we do all our energy will move straight on to the planning for this deal. If we do not, we will be left with several large lawyers’ bills. Time will tell.

This is the nature of the beast, however we are confident if the deal is done later today we have the team in place who can execute this to maximise the return for our investors in the shortest possible time period.

l Close to the restaurants, boutiques and cafes of St John’s Wood High Street

l We expect value of this property to be around £825k Call us now to reserve!!

0207 993 0103

We provide a turnkey solution. Contact us now:

Specialists in

Central London Property Sourcing

info@sowandreap.co.uk

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Tips of the Week

l When renovating a Buy To Let property always ask the question: How much more will I get in terms of rent for doing this work?

Many investors get carried away with developing properties as if they were their own homes.

l When investing, most of the money will be invested by the bank not you, remember they will always do a valuation to check their investment is secure, this is an additional check for you, the investor.

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ASIANVOICE

Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

Consultant Editor Financial Voice Alpesh Patel

Dear Financial Voice Reader, I write to you from the Maldives, where I am very ANGRY. I have got three emails from three different people and I am furious: 1. The first email was from a lady who had put money with a broker and now can’t get it back 2. The second email from a man who spent thousands on trader training courses, and now had nothing to show for it 3. The final email was from someone who was following a teacher who was ex-‘City’ and had managed to increase losses for this teacher and wasted hours of their time teaching them about charts and fundamentals.

Let’s deal with each one. First brokers. If they are

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RBI toughens its stand on corporate debtors AsianVoiceNews

The Reserve Bank of India, in the past one year, has toughened up its stance on big corporate debtors, pressurising them to pay despite an effective national bankruptcy law. It has also hardened its approach with other banks, demanding they make full provisions for all troubled loans, whether they are formally classified as non-performing or not, by the end of March 2017.

RBI stated that stressed assets accounted for an estimated 14 per cent of India's total banking system as of September. Stateowned banks in particular find no hope as the stressed

assets account for 17 per cent of their total lending, with 6.2 per cent of total loans classified as non-performing. A senior banker said, “The lack of willingness to deal with problems, that's changed. There has been an enormous change in behaviour. Historically India has made the right decisions with its back to the wall. And we so have our backs to the wall now.”

Under a strategic debt restructuring scheme revealed by the central bank in June, companies that revise loans must now sign binding contracts that enable their lenders to take over the company if it fails

to comply with the new repayment terms. Officials say the threat of losing control gives company owners a much stronger incentive to find ways to repay, either by selling assets or potentially raising fresh capital.

“Part of the push is coming from the RBI, but companies themselves are realising that they have to start getting their own act together,” says Rajeev Malik, senior economist at CLSA. “They can’t just keep sitting and nursing their wounds and choose not to do anything.”

“If the assets are not correctly marked to their value, finding a buyer is dif-

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ficult,” Ashish Gupta, head of Indian equity research at Credit Suisse said. “Once banks start taking provisions, the gap between the book value and fair value narrows and deals become more possible.” Economists said such transactions are likely to accelerate as India's economy gains momentum, boosting asset prices and increasing corporate owners' willingness to let go. The administration has also introduced a long-awaited new bankruptcy law in Parliament that would significantly strengthen banks' leverage over delinquent borrowers if passed.

UK govt willing to buy stake in crisis-hit Tata Steel

regulated out of Cyprus and doing binary trading – kiss your money goodbye. Binary trading is trying to make trading like a Casino and the companies that base themselves in places like Cyprus are ripping you off. They will even ask for more money after the initial sums you’ve paid.

Brokers used to match buyers with sellers, like estate agents. And they would get a fee. Then they realized 90% of their clients lose money. So why match buyers and sellers and let someone else get rich. So they became the buyer to your selling, and the seller to your buying – like the house in a Casino – they were the other side of the bet.

That meant they could fix the price you exited and move it against you when they wanted. When you lose money in the market, it’s not God out to get you, it’s the broker.

So go for over-regulated brokers – those who are in London or New York and listed on the stock market too.

Here are my favourite three: www.alpeshpatel.com/fxcmwww.alpeshpatel.com/etx and http://inter.tradermind.com Now for trading courses. Look if someone is good as a hedge fund manager, they do not go on to pick the profession of teaching. Make sure your teacher is a hedge fund manager. Not an ex-athlete or plumber or failed City type. Else it’s your money you are wasting. Check out www.alpeshpatel.com/great to get free education.

The main problem with people out there claiming to be proficient traders is they do not run and manage other people’s money through an asset management company. That is the only test for proficiency. If you are not good enough to do that, you are not good enough to teach others.

Do you want a teach from Oxford University or Poundland/Lidl?

TCS in UK Times top 50 employers for women list The Times has recognise India's largest IT services firm TCS as one of the UK's leading employers for women. Tata Consultancy Services had a formal Diversity & Inclusion corporate function since 2010, designed to provide strategic guidance and support for diversity programmes across the globe. It employs over 1,00,000 women globally, a third of its overall workforce.

“Given the need for more women to pursue careers in the IT industry, both in the UK and globally, we want to show that work-

ing in technology can be hugely fulfilling and rewarding,” said Nupur Singh Mallick, HR Director of TCS UK & Ireland. The company also invests in training at all levels to help women excel in their roles, including one-to-one coaching when they take up senior roles.

The Times Top 50 Employers for Women recognises organisations that are spearheading gender equality in the workplace and making a conscious effort to even out the playing field for men and women.

A media report has suggested that Tata's UK steel business has been reducing its £1million-a-day losses for the past few months, closing on an operating profit again for the first time since it sunk into crisis. Sources said the business was headed for a profit even before its parent company was put to sale last month.

The British government said it was willing to take a 25 per cent equity stake to help secure a sale, and the emergence of a management buyout bid. It has offered “hundreds of millions of pounds” in support for potential buyers, adding it could even buy up to a quarter of the company.

The Department for Business, Innovation &

Cyrus Mistry and Sajid Javid

Skills released a statement saying, “A package of support worth hundreds of millions of pounds will be made available on commercial terms to potential buyers of Tata Steel UK.” The statement was soon followed by a second meet-

ing between Business Secretary Sajid Javid and Tata Global chairman Cyrus Mistry, in Mumbai.

Most of the financial support is expected to be through debt financing, according to the statement.

However it said other more

complex forms of financing were also on the cards, including supporting any purchaser by taking a minority stake of "up to 25 per cent" to help a sale.

Such a move, the government stressed, would not see it "acquire a material element of control over the business". The British government was thrown into crisis late last month when Tata Steel unexpectedly put its British business up for sale, sparking calls for state intervention to safeguard 16,300 jobs. It has been urged to renationalise the iconic industry that dates back to the 19th century and which once provided 40 per cent of the world's supply, but such a move is prohibited by the European Union.

Vodafone sets the ball US firms oppose ISRO rolling for India IPO plan launching American satellites Vodafone Group has begun process for its longawaited India IPO - inviting banks, including Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, to submit pitches to manage it. It is expected to use the IPO proceeds to buy additional mobile radio waves and expand its operations in India's crowded mobile phone market.

Listing of Vodafone's Indian unit is expected to raise between $2 billion and $2.5 billion, people said, making it the biggest IPO since state-owned Coal India Ltds' $3.5 billion listing in 2010. Other banks that approached the telecom giant included Bank of America Merrill Lynch, UBS Group, and Indian banks like ICICI Securities and Kotak Investment Banking.

The selected banks have been asked to submit pitches next week to win underwriting mandated for the stock. Vodafone will most likely pick about half a dozen banks to manage the sale in the next two weeks.

The British company

said it had started preparations to float its Indian unit, reiterating what it said earlier.

“We have previously said that we have started preparations for a potential IPO, which includes private conversations with banks, but this is a lengthy process and no decision will be made until we are at the end of it.”

Goldman Sachs, UBS and Bank of America Merrill Lynch declined to comment.

Citigroup, Morgan Stanley and the Indian banks did not respond to requests for comment. Vodafone is expected to use the IPO proceeds to buy additional mobile radio waves and expand its operations in India’s crowded and cutthroat mobile phone market.

As the US looks to expand cooperation with India in the space sector, their private space industry has expressed dissent to the large scale use of low cost Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launch vehicles for putting American satellites into orbits. Corporate leaders and officials told lawmakers that would be detrimental to the future health of the private sector US space companies.

They said it would be tough for them to compete against low-cost ISRO launch vehicles, which they believe are subsidised by the Indian government. “I think the concern about using Indian boosters is not so much the transfer of sensitive technology to a nation that is a fellow democracy, but rather whether the Indian launches are subsidised by the government to a degree that other market actors would be priced out of the market,” Elliot Holokauahi Pulham, CEO of Space Foundation, said.

He said there has been some discussion about allowing US built satellites to fly on boosters such as the Indian

PSLV. Eric Stallmer, president Commercial Spaceflight Federation, opposed efforts to facilitate a government-subsidised foreign launch company.

“In this case, India, to compete with US companies, such policy runs counter to many national priorities and undermines the work and investment that has been made by the government and industry to ensure the health of the US commercial space launch industrial base,” Stallmer said. “Currently the Indian launch vehicle PSLV has a sweet spot and has the capability of launching some of these satellites right now in a timely manner.”

CURRENCYVOICE

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

Paresh Davdra is the Dealing Director of RationalFX,

Obama wades into Brexit debate Currency Specialists.

The issue of a UK “Brexit” was still firmly in the limelight over the last week, The Bank of England governor Mark Carney warned during a speech to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee that ‘EU referendum risks may be beginning to manifest’. There is the possibility that a vote to leave the EU would "reinforce existing vulnerabilities" in the U.K. economy, including a risk around the U.K.'s trade deficit. Uncertainty on the supply side of the economy could increase after a UK vote to leave the EU, Mr. Carney says, "reflecting any alterations to product or labour market regulation, adjustments in labour flows or changes in the rate of technology adoption as a result of different arrangements governing foreign trade and capital flows."

President Obama waded in to the debate on Friday. Although there was little movement in the favour of the pound stemming from Obama’s comments for Britain to stay in the EU; it had underlined the weight of the argument that was shared by various global and financial leaders for Britain to remain in the EU. The pound has lost almost 10% of its value since the Brexit referendum filtered into market pricing in November with some major

21

Foreign Exchange

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

banks warning of detrimental effect on GBP and subsequently the UK if a Brexit materialised UK Average Earnings Index figures were released on Wednesday showing that earnings, in the three months leading to February, increased only 1.8% lower than the consensus of 2.1% which was expected. Employment figures were also released reporting that the employment rate was 74.1% which was the highest recorded since records began in 1971.

The unemployment rate, the percentage of those out of work, currently seeking active employment, remained steady at 5.1%. This combination of stagnant economic activity and political uncertainty surrounding the Brexit referendum, have been seen to be having a dramatic cooling effect on employers’ appetite to hire.

The UK’s retail sales disappointed as volumes dropped 1.3% in March, compared with February and growth in online sales continued to outstrip sales from physical outlets.

A UK senior banking official said the figures showed the impact of an early Easter, as well as bad weather from Storm Katie: "The four-day Easter weekend normally

brings with it bumper sales of food, spring fashion and plenty of DIY and gardening goods as families use the extra days off to spruce up their homes. "Not only did Easter come too early for people looking to refresh their spring wardrobes, but it also coincided with bad weather sweeping across much of the UK, dampening any enthusiasm for gardening equipment."

European Central Bank President Mario Draghi’s ultraloose monetary policy, received criticism from Germany on Thursday. Draghi vowed to use all the tools at his disposal for "as long as needed" and said he believes ECB’s policy was working. The ECB kept key rates on hold and refrained from further stimulus moves.

In a staunch defence of the bank's independence from political interference, Draghi also stepped up his calls on euro zone governments to help get the region's economy on a more solid footing through fiscal policy and more ambitious reforms. Draghi said the independence of the Frankfurtbased ECB was anchored in the EU treaty.

Greece dominated the talking points at the Eurogroup meeting on Friday. Greek institutions and authorities appear to be cooperat-

ing with creditors and substantial progress has been made on a number of key areas such as pension reforms and income tax reforms.

However, a conclusion was reached that a policy package should include a contingent policy that would be implemented should objectives not be reached by 2018.

Housing starts in the U.S. slumped more than projected in March, outlining that the U.S. construction industry has lost momentum heading into the busiest time of year. New home developments decreased 8.8 percent to a 1.09 million which is the lowest since October and weaker than forecast of 1.17 million. Building permits, a proxy for future construction, also dropped to 1.09 million, consensus was for an increase to 1.20 million from a previous print of 1.18 million.

Thursday saw another strong jobs boost the US economy again with jobless claims unexpectedly decreasing to the lowest level since 1973. New applications for unemployment benefits fell by 6,000 to 247,000 in the week ended April 16 indicating the US labour market remains a pillar of support in the world’s largest economy. Limited dismissals signal that employers are still optimistic about the US demand outlook.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 26th April 2016 @ 1pm

GBP - INR = 96.81

USD - INR = 66.57 EUR - INR = 74.96 GBP - USD = 1.45 GBP - EUR = 1.29

EUR - USD = 1.12 GBP - AED = 5.34

GBP - CAD = 1.84

GBP - NZD = 2.11

GBP - AUD = 1.88

GBP - ZAR = 21.08

GBP - HUF = 403.21

www.rationalfx.com

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

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22

WORLD

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“Affordability, access and inclusiveness driving India’s energy policies”: Minister Goyal AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

The growth story in India has just begun with the country set to become the largest energy market representing the aspirations of a billion plus people in the coming years. This is even more significant in view of the global scenario when most developed economies are witnessing a declining trend in their energy demand.

"India, which is projected to see its demand quadrupling in the coming years will also lead the way in scaling up energy efficiency in line with its commitments towards combatting the challenges of climate change," said Mr Piyush Goyal, Minister of State, (I/C) for power, coal and new and renewable, Government of India. He was speaking at the session, “Investors Roundtable on Renewable Energy” which was organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry in London on last

Tuesday.

Minister Goyal further elaborated on how India was developing its energy policies that was driven by affordability, access and inclusiveness. "The idea is to make power available to all at affordable prices. Our policies have to make a difference to the last man at the bottom of the pyramid and change his life for the better," he said while elaborating on how cost will play a big role in the Indian market. Citing examples of how solar tariffs have dipped through competitive transparent systems he emphasized that scale will have a large role to play in bringing down costs.

Calling on investors in UK, Mr Goyal said that India and UK are natural partners and a deeper engagement can lead to a win win for both nations and economies. While India will gain from new technologies, UK can make the

Piyush Goyal

same technologies more accessible by manufacturing in India, capitalizing on Indian skills and the scale to bring down costs.

India has set a renewable energy target of 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022 that comprises 100 GW of solar and 60 GW of wind capacity. In a bid to bring the global community together on a larger platform of cooperation, Prime Minister Modi launched the International Solar Alliance in November last on the sidelines of COP 21 at Paris.

The ISA will try and bring the advantages of progress and technological advances to the larger community. Mr Goyal said, "We believe that we have to play our role in helping countries that have been left behind in the development journey and this can be done if the global community comes together." Sometimes such decisions come at a cost but such costs have to be paid for a better and sustainable future, he further added. He was referring to how India has chosen to embrace renewable energy despite having little to do with the large greenhouse emissions that pose challenges today Elaborating on how India is leading from the front on issues relating to climate change the minister said that India is among the few nations that has imposed a carbon tax even as measures are being taken to scale up energy efficiency and de carbonize the trans-

port industry. "With India selling 770 million LED bulbs everyday India will soon become the LED capital of the world. Prices of LED bulbs have come down to 55 pence from over £3.5 two years ago," said Minister Goyal even as he detailed plans of how electric vehicles were being promoted as an alternative to ones being run on petroleum fuels. For a country like India, replacing petroleum fuel is even more important as this would reduce import dependence and ensure energy security.

Speaking about his earlier engagements during the day, he said that he had invited his British counterpart for a ministerial level engagement to Delhi in June. During the course of the day, he had met with senior government functionaries including including Lord Bourne, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Energy and Climate Change, Lord Jim O’Neill, Commercial Secretary to the Treasury and Nick Hurd, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development.

CII led a strong 12 member industry delegation accompanying the Minister and members included Mr Rahul Munjal, Managing Director, Hero Future Energies; Mr Ratul Puri, Chairman and Managing Director, Hindustan Powerprojects Pvt Ltd; Mr Deepak Amitabh Chairman and Managing Director, Power Trading Corporation of India Ltd and Mr Ravi Kailas, Chairman, Mytrah Energy. Leading British investors who joined the dinner included Charles Yates, Managing Director, Clean Energy Finance, Raj Bhatt, CEO, Elara Capital and Andrew Newman, CoFounder, Armstrong Energy.

Cross party British Indian Parliamentarians come together to support Remain Campaign Barack Obama's visit to Britain has shaken up the country, as the US President warned that Britain would be at the 'back of the queue' for a trade deal with United States if it left the EU. He warned Britain’s voters that it could take up to a decade to strike a trade deal with the United States from outside the European Union.

At the end of a three-day visit during which he celebrated the Queen’s 90th birthday with a lunch at Windsor Castle, Obama said it was wrong for Brexit campaigners to suggest it would be straightforward to agree a new trade relationship if Britain left the EU. “It could be five years from now, 10 years from now before we’re actually able to get something done,” he told the BBC, adding that the first priority for the US would be to complete ongoing talks on a trade deal with the EU. In his unexpectedly blunt comments, the President took on critics including Boris Johnson, and is accused of showing 'woeful ignorance' of the damage the EU does to

British national security.

Obama defended his right to express an opinion, saying: “I don’t anticipate that anything I’ve said will change the position of those who are leading the campaigns in one direction or the other, but for ordinary voters I thought it would be relevant to hear what the president of the United States, who loves the British people and cares deeply about this relationship, has to say.”

On Tuesday, the Home Secretary Theresa May has called for Britain to leave the European Convention on Human Rights - but has urged Britain to remain a member of the EU. The Home Secretary used her first speech of the referendum campaign to argue that the case for remaining part of the treaty is "not clear". On the question of the EU as a whole, she offered cautious backing to staying in - admitting there are "problems" associated with membership and saying the country "could cope" outside.

However, arguing that Britain would be more

CHANGE OF NAME I, Rita Rani, residing at 80, Glenister Park Road, Streatham Vale, London SW16 5DU hereby give notice of my intention to change my name to Rita Rani Banger. So relinquished to the intent that I may hereafter be called known and identified by the new name of Rita Rani Banger.

Lord Loomba, Alok Sharma MP, Seema Malhotra MP, Lord Bilimoria, Lord Dholakia, Virendra Sharma MP, Lord Suri, Baroness Verma, Lord Dolar Popat, Lord Rana

secure from crime and terrorism, she insisted it was in the national interest to stay.

In a wide-ranging speech, Mrs May also insisted that "nobody should think" Brexit is the "single bullet that is suddenly going to solve all our immigration problems".

Referring to the ECHR drafted after the Second World War - Mrs May said “...Regardless of the EU referendum, my view is this: if we want to reform human rights laws in this country, it isn't the EU we should leave but the ECHR and the jurisdiction of its court."

She cited the cases of clerics Abu Hamza and Abu Qatada, who were at the centre of protracted legal battles in the UK, and a controversial ruling on prisoner voting.

On the other hand, a new cross-party group campaigning for Britain to remain a member of the European Union has received the overwhelming backing of British Indian parliamentarians.

The “British Indians for

IN” campaign was launched today with the backing of 15 British Indian Parliamentarians, including representatives from the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats and Crossbench Members of the House of Lords.

Those supporting the campaign have signed an open letter making clear that the UK’s membership of the EU “helps to enhance and strengthen the UK’s partnership with countries like India” and that the estimated 1.2 million British Indians eligible to vote on the 23rd June “could prove to be decisive” in determining the outcome of the referendum. The open letter reads: “We are British Parliamentarians of Indianorigin and whilst we represent different political views, on a whole range of matters, we believe that membership of the EU is an issue which transcends party politics.

We are united in our belief that the UK is stronger, safer and better off as a member of the EU. Contrary to the argu-

ment made by some, that Britain needs to leave the EU in order to strengthen its ties with Commonwealth countries, we believe that our membership of the EU helps to enhance and strengthen the UK’s partnership with countries like India.

In the lead up to the EU referendum on 23rd of June we will be encouraging everyone to vote to remain in the European Union, including the 1.2 million British Indians eligible to vote whose votes could prove to be decisive in determining the outcome of the referendum.”

The signatories to the letter include: • Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE DL, Chairman of Cobra Beer Partnership Ltd • Rt. Hon. Lord Navnit Dholakia OBE DL, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords • Lord Rajinder Loomba CBE, Founder of the Loomba Foundation • Seema Malhotra MP, Shadow Chief Secretary to

the Treasury • Lord Dolar Popat, Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Uganda and Rwanda • Lord Diljit Rana MBE, Managing Director of Andras House Ltd • Alok Sharma MP, Prime Minister’s Infrastructure Envoy to India • Virendra Sharma MP, Chair of the Indo-British All Party Parliamentary Group • Lord Ranbir Suri • Lord Bhikhu Parekh, Emeritus Professor of Political Philosophy, University of Westminster and Emeritus Professor, University of Hull • Shailesh Vara MP, Parliamentary UnderSecretary of State for the Ministry of Justice • Rt. Hon. Keith Vaz MP, Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee • Valerie Vaz MP, ViceChair of the Parliamentary Labour Party • Baroness Sandip Verma, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department for International Development • Lord Rumi Verjee CBE, Founder of Rumi Foundation Alok Sharma MP, who is helping to co-ordinate the campaign, said: “With more than a million eligible voters in the upcoming referendum, British Indians could prove to have a decisive say in our future relationship with Europe. I am therefore delighted that so many of my distinguished colleagues have signed up to support this campaign.”

WORLD Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

www.asian-voice.com

23

UK to spend Nepal disaster recovery aid directly AsianVoiceNews

KATHMANDU: Frustrated with lack of proper action on a disaster recovery plan prepared to help rebuild devastated Nepal, British officials have started spending aid money directly. An year has passed but not a single home has been rebuilt with the help of the Nepalese government, despite billions of dollars worth of donations. Nepalis now face a second monsoon in temporary shelters.

Desmond Swayze, international development minister said, “We are increasingly focusing on longer term recovery, supporting rubble clearance and the restoration of vital infrastructure such as health services and police stations.

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Recovering from a disaster is a huge task and it can take decades for countries to properly mend. The build-

ing season in Nepal has now begun.” Financial resources only from the UK has helped restore healthcare

Natwest organises lunch for charity MIND

While there are several charities in the UK that have pledged support to the needy, mental health charity MIND works for the extra special. A study in 2013 shows the west faces more mental-related cases than the other parts of the world. UK alone has registered over 8.2 million cases.

A survey conducted by MIND shows that 1 person in every 4 accounts for a mental health problem, but still hundreds of thousands struggle to cope. The simple motto of the charity remains, “We believe no one should have to face a mental health problem alone. We'll listen, give you support and advice fight your corner.”

Amrita Kakad Sachania, a senior Personal Banker at the National Westminster Bank Plc. spends most of her time outside work indulging in voluntary and charity work. She organised an event on April 11, at the Natwest Dean Street branch, situated at 20 Dean Street, where she personally cooked food and served to the staff to raise £500. Her initiative was encouraged by the bank, especially Area Manager Andy Oglesby; Branch Manager Gary Daley; Head of Determined to Lead programme, Fred Pollock and, Business Development Manager Rahul Modasia. Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice got a first hand experience of the creditable work done by the team.

When asked why she

Victoria Urquhart (MIND representative), Andy Oglesby (Area Manager for NatWest WestEnd team), Amrita Kakad Sachania (NatWest Senior Personal Banker), Gary Daley (Branch Manager), Kokilaben Patel (Managing Editor, Gujurat Samachar), Rintu Alex (Marketing and Sales, Asian Voice) and Rizwana Kanwal (NatWest, Senior Personal Banker)

about our staff investing their own time to uplift the facilities in the local area including the local Cricket club, and Rugby club. We have associated ourselves with the local West End Community Trust and organised Andy Oglesby (Area Manager for several activities. We have NatWest WestEnd team) and Gary Daley (Branch Manager) conducted themed food evenings last year where specifically chose to we celebrated Portugese associate with MIND, evening, Italian, Scottish, Amrita said, “I've dealt with etc. People from local many vulnerable customers communities were invited during my service at over and we had a great NatWest and its unpleasant time talking, listening to to see customers going music, eat good food.” One through a stressful and of Natwests' heavily difficult financial/ personal supported charity Brian situation. So I decided and Wave provides support to took the initiative to raise families with children's awareness and help towards developmental issues. The where it's most needed”. bank even has programmes Andy Oglesby gave us a that focus on employability, brief overview on the many enterprise, and education. activities undertaken by “At Natwest,” Andy said, Natwest, outside work. “We “participating in nationally support a lot of community, building and activities and stress on charity is part of our daily community giving. We form life. It is not just an connections with local extension of our work, but a communities near our part of what we are.” branches. It is not just about Photos courtesy: Narendra Karki providing money, but also (Technology Security Specialist)

for 5.6 million people in affected districts, giving cash direct to 100,000 people, and clearing more than 6,000 cubic metres of rubble. But frustrations with the speed of re-building remain. It took nine months for the Nepalese government to set up a body to

take charge of the recovery, the National Reconstruction Authority.

Kenichi Yokoyama, Nepal head of one of the donor organisations, Asia Development Bank, said, “We really need to see actual reconstruction start to happen, and start to happen fast. I think many donor agencies are getting very frustrated.”

Another Nepalese official added, “There are many excuses, but they don’t work for the affected people. The coordinators’ meeting feels almost like wasting time.”

Charity bosses working locally were blunt. “We need to help the communities affected by the disaster. We have to fast-track this, otherwise people will die,” said Dr Prabin Manandhar, Nepal head of the Christian charity, the Lutheran World Federation. The NRA says things are now happening.

In March, it gave out the first “compensation grants” to help people rebuild their houses to 50 people living in Dolakha district, one of the worst-affected areas. Each recipient was given 50,000 of an eventual 200,000 Nepali rupees (£328 of £1,314). “The people’s discontent is so high, they want faster service … but we have had very difficult circumstances,” said Ram Thapaliya, of the NRA. After the earthquake the government focused on creating a new constitution which sparked protests from some ethnic groups and a blockade until February at the India border, through which supplies were to arrive including fuel and medicine. The government has now admitted that most of the people in temporary shelters will spend another monsoon under tin roofs.

24

INDIA

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Water emergency in Hyderabad, first in 30 years In Brief AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

HYDERABAD: The drying up for four major drinking water supplying reservoirs has triggered a major water emergency in Hyderabad, as per Telangana's minister for municipal administration KT Rama Rao. With the deadly heatwave and the state's third consecutive drought, the crisis has been pushed to the point where several areas in Hyderabad only get water on alternate days.

Rao said that with the Singur, Manjeera, Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs dry, first time in

30 years, there was now a gap of about 47 per cent between the demand and supply for water in the city. “There just isn't enough water to go

Jaya's rallies turning into death traps CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa's election rallies are turning into death traps for the AIADMK workers. An example is the recent death of two party workers at a rally in Salem, mostly due to sunstroke. The ingredients for a tragedy were clearly in place - an abnormal heat and the changed dynamics of Jayalalithaa's current campaign. In her campaign for the May 16 polls, the AIADMK chief has unusually chosen to do a rally every alternate day, mostly in the afternoon, clubbing an average 16 candidates for an event.

Each candidate is expected to mobilise about 20,000, which comes to over 300,000 per rally.

In Salem, Jayalalithaa had assembled a staggering 51 candidates on stage. The result was a traffic jam that started over 10 km from the rally venue, made up of long queues of open-top

trucks packed with people.

The party supporters abandoned their vehicles walked the final stretch for a glimpse of their "Amma".

Thousands were already seated on the ground in the open, without the benefit of portable air conditioners running at full blast for AIADMK leaders seated on a covered stage. The water pouches provided by the organisers were not sufficient to quench the thirst of the large crowd waiting in the heat for hours. For a rally scheduled at 3 pm, Jayalalithaa's helicopter touched down close to 4 pm.

By then, several had waited or been on the road for at least four hours.

The sight of the chopper triggered a moment of panic as thousands at the security barriers surged forward. Just a week ago, two were killed in a stampede at Virrudachalam, 250 km from Chennai.

Amarinder forced to cancel rallies in Canada CHANDIGARH: Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh was forced to cancel his political rallies in Canada after objections were raised with the Canadian government. “On the request of the Foreign Ministry of Canada, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Captain Amarinder Singh, has cancelled his plans to hold political rallies in Toronto and Vancouver,” his spokesman said.

He said Singh was informed by Foreign Secretary S Jaishanker that the Canadian rules, under Global Affairs Policy, prevent foreign governments and individuals from conducting election campaigns in Canada. “Since his political conference could have violated the rules of the host country, he has decided to cancel them.” The decision was made after Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a human rights advocacy group, lodged a complaint with the Canadian government against the election activities planned by Amarinder Singh. “By targeting Non-Resident Indians living in Canada, canvassing for their votes and holding

around,” he said. He added the distress sale of cattle by farmers and migration from parched villages to cities like Hyderabad are grave concerns for the government.

The minister said while the demand for water remains for around 660 million gallons of water every day, the administration is only able to supply a little over 335 million gallons. Rao said water was being fetched from Godavari and Krishna, almost 200 km away.

The state government's long-term plan to address a

recurring water crisis in India's youngest state, Rao said, was to clean up tanks under Mission Bhagirath, a project lauded by the Centre.

The government has sanctioned £6 million for Hyderabad under municipal corporation and £7 million for the rest of Telangana to transport water to areas where scarcity is reported.

Telangana is one of 11 states reeling under drought, which has in its grip a staggering 33 million people or about a fourth of India's population, the Centre has said.

BJP promises prohibition in Tamil Nadu CHENNAI: The Bharatiya Janata Party is the latest to join the Tamil Nadu prohibition bandwagon, and has also promised to bring back Jallikatu, the ancient bull taming festival banned by the Supreme Court. If elected, the national party said it would take over sand and granite mining to compensate the £2.70 billion revenue loss from the sale of liquor.

The party has promised waiver of farm loans, freeing temples from government control and bringing them under committees headed by eminent citizens, 20 litres of free RO treated water for every family and uninterrupted power supply. The party has also skilfully appealed to the people of Tamil Nadu saying it supports deep sea fishing for fishermen who are often arrested by the Sri Lankan

navy. Also keeping in regard the Cauvery River water conflict with neighbouring Karnataka, the party has also promised the Cauvery Management Board, ordered by the Supreme Court that hasn't come to effect yet.

Senior leader L Ganesan said, “We would do that, but the solution is interlinking rivers. We would interlink River Krishna and Cauvery, not via Karnataka but directly at Hogenakkal.”

BJP has faced some major setback after losing out on most of its allies, including Actor Vijayakanth's DMK and the PMK. Its Tamil Nadu president said, “Modiji has become a symbol of development.

The BJP has given two years of corruption free government after we replaced the Congress, known for its scams every day.”

Chandigarh's U-turn on banning short skirts

Amarinder Singh

fundraising events in Toronto and Vancouver, Amarinder Singh would be in violation of Canadian government policy,” SFJ said.

In a statement, Amarinder Singh said, “Since the host country does not allow such events, I thought it was better to cancel them. I would, however, look forward to meeting my fellow Punjabis in their homes and small groups to ensure the compliance of the host country's laws.”

Amarinder's wife Preneet Kaur is on a 20-day visit to US and Canada to muster political and financial support from Punjabi diaspora. Punjabi diaspora have a considerable presence in the two countries and have been supporting political parties and leaders from Punjab, especially during election times. Punjab is due to vote early next year to elect the state`s 117-member Assembly.

CHANDIGARH: Chandigarh administration has announced it will review and revise its new policy on regulating nightlife. The decision comes shortly after the government received criticism over its ban on short skirts.

Social media had a field day with the rule, as Twitter and Facebook users lashed out at UT officials. Home Secretary Anurag Aggarwal addressed a press conference saying the administration will amend the policy and delete ambiguous and offensive clauses. “We are considering that if any part of this policy is restrictive in promoting Chandigarh as a tourism destination, we will modify it,” he said. He also sought to clarify that the administration has not set any dress code for city discotheques and it will not

indulge in moral policing.

The government in its “Controlling of Places of Public Amusement, 2016”, made all provisions to put a leash in the city's nightlife citing indecency and sedition. The policy came into effect on April 1 and curtailed the bar timings by two hours from 2 am to 12 midnight.

The most absurd part of the new law was that it stated permission can be denied by the committee (in reference to running of bars and discotheques) in case of “exhibition or advertisement of scantily dressed women” and “indecency” or, if it is “seditious and likely to excite political discontent”. It did not however, define “scantily dressed women” or “indecency” and also didn't elaborate on sedition.

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Failed application drives Hyderabad techie to suicide

HYDERABAD: A 33 year old software engineer, Lucky Gupta Agarwal took his own life by inhaling nitrogen gas at his home, after his social networking application failed to take off. He left a suicide note saying he decided to inhale the gas to end his life without any pain.

“As Lucky did not respond to repeated knocking, the family members forcibly opened the bedroom door and found him lying dead wearing a nose mask connected to a nitrogen gas cylinder,” said SR Nagar inspector Md Waheeduddin. “Lucky wrote in the suicide note that he was lucky to die in a painless way.

He also wrote that he adopted the suicide method of using nitrogen as it was the easiest and painless way.” The victim was said to be suffering from depression.

Telangana qazis bringing in silent revolution

HYDERABAD: Qazis of Telangana are bringing in change by discouraging the act of 'onesided talaq', an act in which men seek to divorce their wives without informing them of their intentions. Such people deposit the dower with qazis and request them to send their spouses notices of divorce. However, the procedure finds no religious sanction say these Qazis. Qazi Mir Mohammed Khader Ali, head of the Anjuman-e-Qazat, said he turned down at least 200 such requests last year, insisting the applicant's wife be present at the time of filing for divorce. “Talaq is very much a legal provision. But not informing the wife about talaq, depositing the dower with qazis and scooting is not right,” he said. Qazis point out that to tackle the menace, the archaic Khazis Act of 1880 needs to be amended.

Cong leader shot dead

ROHTAK: Congress leader Ashok Kaka was shot dead by three unidentified men when he was taking a morning walk along Double Park, in Rohtak, Haryana. Kaka was rushed to the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, where he was declared dead on arrival. Police said prima facie, the reason for the attack seemed to be a long-running property dispute. The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination, and a probe is currently underway. He was said to be a close aide of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Body of Indian brought from Pakistan cremated

GURDASPUR: Mortal remains of Kirpal Singh were consigned to flames at his village, as hundreds of people gathered to mourn and bid him farewell. Kirpal died in Pakistan's Lahore jail in suspicious circumstances last week and the case has created quite the uproar in India. A former Indian serviceman, Kirpal was in Kot Lakhpat Jail since 1992. His family has maintained he had inadvertently crossed into Pakistan in 1992. Pakistani authorities called him a spy and got him convicted for terror attacks, initially sentencing him to death. He was later commuted to 20 years' imprisonment. Kot Lakhpat is the same jail where Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh was murdered in April 2013. His sister Dalbir Kaur attended the cremation.

Rape victim's dad chops off arms of accused

BHATINDA: In revenge-crime, the father of an eight-month-old rape victim chopped both the hands of the 17 year old accused. Both the accused and the victim's father, were returning from the Bhatinda District Court after a hearing, when the latter asked the boy to accompany him on his motorcycle to the village, as they discussed a compromise in the case. As they neared Jhumba village, the victim's father allegedly tied the youth to a tree and chopped both his hands off, below wrist, with a sharp-edged weapon. He also inflicted other injuries on his body. A case of attempt to murder has been registered against the man.

INDIA Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

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Indo-Pak foreign secretaries fail to make any headway Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar met with his Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhary, on the sidelines of the multilateral Heart of Asia meet hosted

by India. One of the most anticipated, especially after it was postponed after the Pathankot terror attack, the meet was drab and more of a show for the international community.

So while both the countries involved waited for a sign or at least a hint on when the next meet would be arranged, when would Pakistan allow the NIA to visit there to take the Pathankot investigations further, or when an appropriate action would be taken against Maulana Masood Azhar and Hafiz Saeed, all we got was a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs saying both the foreign secretaries exchanged ideas on taking the relationship forward and agreed to remain in touch. After what appeared to be an awkward meeting between two estranged exes, both the sides released statements saying the meet was just direct, one-to-one official meeting, with no signs of a future movement; not even a tentative date.

Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar with his Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Chaudhry

During the face-to-face, Jaishankar told Aizaz that Pakistan could not be in denial forever. He said Pakistan can't be in denial about the impact of terrorism on relations between the two countries. “Terrorist groups based in Pakistan targeting India must not be allowed to operate with impunity,” Jaishankar said.

Meanwhile, as Pak refrained from mentioning Pathankot, a statement from the Pakistan High Commission said that Chaudhry did tell India about his concern over Indian intelligence agency RAWs' alleged involvement in Balochistan and Kashmir. By stating their positions and letting them out into the public domain,

it is clear that both the Indian and Pakistani establishments were keen to underscore their points to their respective domestic audiences, and to let the international community know what they were talking about. The officials maintain that this meet provided an occasion, after the Pathankot terror attack, to do some direct plain speaking with Pakistan. The ruling BJP will have a tough time in explaining it's position, and would have to explain why the Modi government agreed to proceed with the bilateral talks despite Pakistan not taking any visible action against the perpetrators of the terror attacks in Pathankot and Mumbai.

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T S Thakur, the Chief Justice of India, made an emotional plea to the government, on Sunday, asking to upgrade the judicial infrastructure and start addressing the glaring problem of shortage of judges. He was addressing a joint conference of chief ministers and chief justices of high courts, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda were present.

Justice Thakur said he regretted “inaction” on the government's part in strengthening the judicial infrastructure and increasing the judge-population ratio to tackle the “avalanche” of cases. He said that “it is not enough to criticise” the judiciary alone for the huge pendency. Stating that it were vital to the country's future given the government's emphasis on flagship initiatives such as “Make in India and Invest in India”.

“We are inviting foreign direct investment into the

country. We want people to come and make in India... we want people to come and invest in India. But those whom we are inviting are also concerned about the ability of the judicial system in the country to deal with cases and disputes that arise out of such investments.

Efficacy of the judicial system is so vitally connected with the development,” he said.

“The American Supreme Court decides 81 cases in one full year and here we have more than 17,000 cases being added to the pending cases in the Supreme Court in just five months. People still have faith in us because we are doing, perhaps, the best that we can,” he said. “From 1987 up to now, you have added at least 250 million people to the population of this country. And how many judges have we added? The Central government says we cannot do anything and it is state governments’ responsibility to initiate proposals for increasing the number of

judges and improving infrastructure. But the state governments say the Central government must provide the fund first. While this tug of war goes on, judges’ strength remains where it is,” said Justice Thakur.

At a point, he even choked up. “There are 470 vacancies in the high courts.

Over six weeks after the judgment (in the NJAC case), we cleared all proposals. So as far as we are concerned, there is no pendency. I have also written to the chief ministers. How much time is required to process appointments when there is an avalanche of cases, and millions of undertrials are languishing in jails?” asked Justice Thakur. Modi, who wasn't slated to address the meet, responded to the appeal saying, he understood the agony of the CJI and that the government was open to setting up a joint panel of representatives from the judiciary and executive to deal with pendency.

INDIA

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India cancels visa to Uighur TKCI bid to control corneal blindness leader after Chinese protests AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

Just days after China expressed objection to India issuing visa to Germany-based Uighur leader Dolkun Isa to visit Dharamsala, New Delhi has withdrawn the document. While many, including Isa believed and claimed that “Chinese pressure” was the “main reason” for India cancelling the visa, authorities said the issue brought the Home Ministry and the Ministry for External Affairs face to face.

MEA officers were quick to distance themselves from the impending decision, saying the Home Ministry was the agency involved and that they were “not kept in the loop”. On the other hand, Home officials said Isa had applied for an e-tourist visa online, and since his name did not come up in the blacklist on a computerised system, his application was granted.

They said it was only when reports saying Isa was travelling to India to attend a conference came up, did the Home Ministry “realise” his visit was not for tourism purposes and cancelled the visa.

Isa is the leader of the World Uighur Congress and was invited to a conference being organised by

India does not want to be seen as a country “harbouring” and giving “safe passage” to individuals who are considered “terrorists”.

“Isa applied for an e-tourist visa, but attending a conference is not permitted on that.

Tourism, casual business visit, casual medical visit and casual meeting with friends are the only things permitted under such a visa,” a senior Home Ministry official said.

Isa said, “I don’t know the exact reason for my visa being cancelled. I just received a very short message in the evening saying it has been cancelled… I don’t know the position of the Indian authorities, but as you know the Chinese government protested after I got a visa from India.

They were very unhappy, and maybe this is one reason. I could not get any written statement or any unofficial or official reason sent to me. But the main reason, I think, is the Chinese pressure.”

Dolkun Isa

the US-based Initiatives for China. Uighurs and other Chinese dissidents in exile are expected to be in attendance and discuss the democratic transformation in China. The leader's visa was withdrawn just days after China lodged official protests through diplomatic channels and reminded Delhi about the “red corner notice” on him. Sources reported that New Delhi was reminded India may find itself in a “tough spot” as the Chinese will make it a major bilateral issue.

While no direct threats were issued, the Chinese did hint that Beijing may raise the issue of India allowing a “terrorist” to come and attend a conference. Indian officials said

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Tej Kohli Cornea Institute (TKCI), along with worldrenowned LV Prasad Eye Institute, has laid out a plan to control global corneal blindness by 2030.

The five year acceleration aims to relieve the impact of sight impairment caused on economic growth in developing countries. The foundation has committed itself to a programme of corneal education and care in India and its partnership with the LVPEI comes as its part.

Tej Kohli, Chairman of Kohli Ventures and founder of the Tej Kohli Foundation, said, “Alongside world-class

technology and expertise, we now have a programme of education and training, eye research, product development and a global network of resource centres, which makes it possible to extend our vision to control corneal blindness across the globe by 2030.”

The Foundation was founded in 2005 by Tej Kohli and his wife Wendy as an autonomous, nonprofit organisation with the initial goal of helping disadvantaged children. Its areas of work include treating and preventing corneal blindness, offering midday meals for malnourished children, vocational train-

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ing for the physically disabled, improving the health of rural communities, and empowering women.

“Corneal blindness and diseases causing it have been on the radar of corneal surgeons for years but with the focus and funding brought in by TKCI, controlling needless blindness by 2030 has for the first time, started to sound like a reality,” Pravin Vaddavalli, Director, Tej Kohli Cornea Institute, said. The TKCI and LVPEI are together working on a network of cornea institutes regionally and eventually around the world.

Briton helps in keeping alive Kutch crafts Lorna Tresidder of the UK, has worked in Kutch for nearly 40 years, helping the locals conserve their region's crafts. A former senior lecturer in embroidery at Liverpool College of Art, she stumbled upon Dhordo, Kutch in 1975, the beginning of a lifelong romance with the Indian desert region.

Tresidder said Kutchi women back then looked

resplendent in their richly embroidered garments.

“Earrings, necklaces, nose rings, bangles and the distinctive cut of their clothes everything distinguished the community,” she said.

However, with changing times, embroidery traditions are slowly dying.

“They're still embroidering but it's commercial now.”

She said Dhordo is very different from the village she

saw evolving. “Tourism has brought affluence to villages and everybody has enough money for food, housing and clothes. It has also brought education which is a good sign,” Tresidder said.

With an old connection in India, as her great grandfather was born in Kanpur, Tresidder penned down her rendezvous with Kutch in 'The Golden Thread'.

Continued from page1 disclosing details of his foreign assets.

When contacted, Rohatgi had said, “We have filed a rejoinder to Mallya’s affidavit in which it has been stated that he is not indicating the date of his return to the country,” adding that Mallya has also not agreed to deposit a “substantial amount” as part of the £940 million loan due to him to establish his bonafide. “We have nothing to do with Mallya’s claim that he cannot appear personally because of government’s action against him,” the affidavit said.

The rejoinder was in response to the liquor baron’s affidavit saying the banks have no right over the information of his overseas movable and immovable assets as he was an NRI since 1988. Mallya had claimed that as an NRI, he was not obliged to disclose his overseas assets, and added that his three children, wife, all US citizens, also need not disclose their assets. “Overseas assets were not considered while granting loans,” his statement had read.

Mallya faces a joint attack as he continues to ignore orders from banks and the Enforcement Directorate. Snuck in the luxury of his UK mansion, strict action has been taken against him with the most recent being the cancellation of his passport. A Mumbai court has also issued an arrest warrant against him, and the next step will be expulsion of his membership from the Parliament. The Ethics

Committee of Rajya Sabha has given the tycoon a week to furnish his defence before his membership is withdrawn from the Upper House. Sharad Yadav, member of the committee, stated Mallya’s membership is already “all but gone”. The panel served a notice to him seeking explanation for these serious errors. “All members wanted Mallya to be expelled. But chairman Karan Singh pointed out that before recommending expulsion, we must allow Mallya to defend himself,” said a member of the committee.

“We have examined the entire issue related to Mallya’s case. The documents that we had sought from banks have also come.

There was a unanimous view in the panel that he should be expelled from the House. But we have still decided to give him a week’s time to tell us whatever he has to say. The next meeting of the committee has been fixed on May 3, when we will take a final decision,” Singh said after the meeting.

Mallya is neck deep in trouble as the Indian External Affairs Ministry is also in the works, consulting legal experts on his deportation. As India tries to corner the businessman from all sides, he has persistently maintained his stand, denying any wrongdoing and the fact that he is absconding.

My official address in the UK is at Ladywalk: On the run after his millions of dollars worth of loan stint in India, Mallya found him-

self a cosy home in Britain.

He has two houses; one in the central posh area of the metropolis on Baker Street, just behind the famous Madame Tussauds wax museum, and another, a modern three-storey lavish estate in Tewin, Hertfordshire.

Mallya has chosen to steer clear of media attention.

The £11.5m mansion called Ladywalk was bought from Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton’s father, by a company with offshore links. Spread over 30 acres, Mallya’s is the biggest bungalow on Queen Hoo road with its iron gates closely guarded by personal security. With a loan defunct as big as over £1bn in India, the Kingfisher owner sure knows how to stay in style as locals reported of seeing him cruising around the small streets in his swanky cars. As the Enforcement Directorate back home tries to close in on the former Force India Formula One team owner, Mallya seems visibly unfazed, living the life he knows best.

While he has avoided any kind of media interaction, he recently confirmed that Ladywalk is his current address. With the strict charges he faces, he denied any wrongdoing, saying, “The ownership structure of Ladywalk is perfectly legal.”

Mallya in electoral rolls in the UK: A media report has emerged citing that the tycoon’s name appears on the electoral rolls in the UK with Ladywalk as his recorded address.

Mallya: King of Troubled Times

HEALTH&WELLNESS Snoring and obstructive AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly | Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

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Healthy lifestyles halt rising dementia cases in UK

FOOD

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generation of 'New Men' have lead to hit low on the chances of dementia cases in males, as per a study conducted

by Cambridge University.

Decades of health advice, encouraging men to quit smoking, exercise, eat healthy and lower their cholesterol and blood pressure, has led to 40,000 fewer cases a year than expected.

The research was first carried out in the early 1990s, they anticipated 250,000 new cases a year by now. However, the latest figures suggest there are fewer than 210,000 cases - a clear drop of 20 per cent. The rates in women still lay unchanged during the same period.

The shift is bad news for the women, as it means that two thirds of the people diagnosed with dementia are now women.

Twenty years ago the incidence rate for men over 65 was 31 in 1,000 and for women 25 in 1,000. But now it is 18 in 1,000 for men and 24 in 1,000 for women. Researchers say it is proven that making

FITNESS

LIFESTYLE

lifestyle changes has a huge impact on dementia rates.

Professor Carol Brayne, Director of the Cambridge Institute of Public Health, at Cambridge University said, “Our evidence shows that the so-called dementia 'tsunami' is not an inevitability. We can help turn the tide if we take action now. Our findings suggest that brain health is improving significantly in the UK across generations, particularly among men. It may be that men are becoming a bit more like women in terms of their health. The UK in earlier eras has seen major societal investments into

improving population health and this appears to be helping protect older people form dementia.”

Last year a study by the same team found that although it was predicted that 884,000 people would have dementia by 2011, figures showed it is now closer to 670,000.

Despite predictions that 8.3 per cent of over 65s would now have dementia, it is in fact 6.5 per cent, 22 per cent less than expected and barely any different from how many people had the disease in the 1990s.

Prof Gordon Wilcock, Emeritus Professor of Geratology, University of

Oxford said: “Although we will never completely remove the risk of developing dementia, living healthier lifestyles from as early as possible will reduce that risk, or delay its onset. “The most important finding from this study is that changing our approach to how we live our lives is as important as developing drugs to treat dementia. This is our individual responsibility, not anyone else’s.”

Dr Simon Ridley, Director of Research, Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “This is welcome news. The challenge for research now is to understand what has driven the reduction, so that we can capitalise on this knowledge and take action to prevent incidence rates rising again in future. “The UK currently has rising levels of obesity and diabetes, both of which are risk factors for dementia, and continued efforts to improve public health will be crucial to ensure that this trend in falling dementia incidence is not slowed or reversed.”

Why we find it difficult to Heartbreak can change sleep under a new roof? the rhythm of your heart

US team of scientists have made a fresh breakthrough in the case of the first night effect - a phenomenon where people find it difficult to sleep under a new roof, and often wake up the next day all tired and groggy.

The research said when we stay somewhere new, our brains seem to spend the first night in surveillance mode. While one hemisphere goes to sleep, the other half of the brain remains on night watch.

Masako Tamaki, a sleep scientist at Brown University in Providence, said, “If we don't know whether a room is safe to sleep in, then we will have this night watch system so we can detect anything unusual. It's like a safeguard.” The team of sleep scientists used magnetoencephalography (MEG), structural MRI and polysomnography, a combination of muscle tone and other measurements, to monitor how 35 people slept in the laboratory. The scientists are not sure

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whether the left hand side of the brain is always more alert during the first night effect. They recorded brain activity for only 90 minutes as people slept, so it is possible that, like the dolphin, the brain switches its night watch system from one side to the other while the person sleeps. “There’s certainly a possibility that the vigilant hemisphere changes over the night,” Tamaki said. If the findings are confirmed with further studies, this effect might be the human equivalent of birds sleeping with one eye open, and one half of the brain awake, to ensure they are not eaten by night time predators.

The findings could shed light on an issue that comes up with some insomniacs who are studied in sleep research centres. Patients may say they did not sleep all night, when EEG recordings of their brain activity suggest that they did. “If you do high density EEG, you can sometimes see signs of arousal in some brain areas of these patients,” said Dijk. “So this finding adds to the data that sleep is not a complete global phenomena, there are local aspects to it. The brain can be locally awake, and maybe this is maybe what is happening in the first night effect.”

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ew research has suggested that losing a loved one can break your heart, although not for ever. People who lose a partner are at an increased risk of developing an irregular heartbeat for the next 12 months, scientists found. The risk seems to be greatest among the under 60s and when the loss of the partner was least expected.

Danish researchers collected data from almost 89,000 people diagnosed with atrial fibrillation between 1995 and 2014, which they compared to the health records of 886,000 healthy people.

They looked at several factors that might influence atrial fibrillation risk: time since the bereavement; age and sex; underlying conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes; the health of the partner a month before death; and whether they

were single.

Some 17,500 of those diagnosed with atrial fibrillation had lost their partner as had 169,000 of the comparison group.

Underlying illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and associated treatment for these conditions, were more common among those who had been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. But the risk of developing an irregular heartbeat for the first time was 41 per cent higher among those who had been bereaved than it was among those who had not experienced such a loss, the findings indicated.

The risk seemed to be greatest eight to 14 days following a death, after which it gradually subsided until after a year the risk was similar to that of someone who had not been bereaved.

sleep apnoea

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Dr Bala Raju, Director of Advatech Healthcare has worked as a doctor for over 20 years and has been developing private healthcare services in India and the UK for the past 6 years. He is writing the columns on important topics in healthcare in association with UK Consultants and GPs who have good experience in these topics.

Dr Bala Raju Ricky’s loud snoring used to keep Seema awake most nights and the only immediate solution was to sleep in separate bedrooms. Ricky wasn’t overweight and therefore couldn’t understand why he snored so much. They were both embarrassed and did not know how to get it treated. It was only when Ricky appeared tired during the day and began to fall asleep while driving that they decided to get some help. An internet search led them to understand that snoring was quite common and that it could be related to Ricky having a sleep disorder called obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). It was caused by vibrations from the collapse of the upper airways during sleep and this temporarily caused the breathing to stop for a few seconds each time. Along with the NHS, there were many private clinics that could help and the treatments ranged from nose strips and mouth devices for simple cases, to certain types breathing equipment or even surgery of the palate for the most difficult cases.

There is a great deal of information on the internet about what to do for snoring and OSA. It is estimated that in the UK, as many as 40% of the population suffer from snoring and that 5% of the population may suffer from undiagnosed OSA. Most people including children snore sometimes and this does not need treatment. The snoring can become worse when they are suffering from a cold and will generally get better when they improve.

Although it is linked with being overweight, drinking enough alcohol can also trigger the snoring in adults. Men and women both suffer and it is important to check if the condition is OSA, where the breathing stops for a few seconds due to the blockage of the airway, many times during the night.

There are low oxygen levels during these periods of not breathing that cause the person to suddenly gasp for breath. Therefore they do not have a good night’s sleep and appear tired during the day time, even though they may claim to be sleeping more than seven or eight hours in the night. If this is not treated, in the long term it may increase the chances of developing high blood pressure and having a stroke.

As Ricky and Seema did not wish to wait for an NHS appointment through their GP, they chose a private clinic appointment. A good assessment of OSA involves a clinical consultation and an overnight sleep study that can be done with some simple equipment connected to the person while they sleep in their own home.

The specialists then study the readings on their computer about when the snoring starts, how severe it is, how long and for how many times has the breathing stopped, what the oxygen levels were during these times and so on. A good sleep clinic will initiate the treatment with patient education and support, regular follow up and long term management.

Ricky was told that he had severe OSA and needed continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment that prevented his airway from collapsing during sleep. He found that the service was affordable and made a big difference to his health as he stopped snoring and was not tired or sleepy during the day time. It improved the relationship between the couple and restored their confidence too. For many people hesitation or delays in seeking an assessment may lead to years of suffering and increase the chances of developing heart disease and strokes, road accidents and general ability to work.

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Amala Paul makes debut in Kannada films

Nayanthara in Balayya's landmark 100th film

Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

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ctress Amala Paul gave a matured performance in director Pandiraj's 'Pasanga 2' and she has wrapped up shooting for 'Amma Kanakku' produced

by Dhanush. The actress has been choosy about her acting ventures after marriage with director Vijay. Now the 'Myna' girl who has

acted in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films so far is all set to make her debut in Kannada film industry. She will be acting as the heroine in the Kannada film 'Hebbuli' directed

by Krishna. Kichcha Sudeep plays the male lead in this film and Amala will be his pair in the film.

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ayanthara rules Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films. Nayan has acted with almost all leading stars in Tamil and Telugu and is the most preferred actress in both Kollywood and Tollywood.

Nayan has, now, reportedly bagged the lead heroine role in veteran Tollywood hero Nandamuri Balakrishna aka Balayya's landmark 100th film.

The film will be directed by Krish

Aditi Rao Hydari in Mani Ratnam’s next AsianVoiceNews

O

ne (wo)man's loss is another (wo)man's gain.

Actress Aditi Rao Hydari has replaced Sai Pallavi as the leading lady in filmmaker Mani Ratnam's yet-untitled Tamil romantic-drama starring Karthi. The actor is tipped to be playing a pilot, who

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alls in love while on a trip to India. Not much is given away, however, media was lit when Ratnam changed his mind on the female lead.

Shooting for the film is expected to commence in June - music will be composed by Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman.

of 'Vanam' fame and his recent film 'Kanche' has received very good reviews. Balayya's 100th film will have a historical subject based on the life of Gauthamiputhra Satakarni, the greatest ruler among Satavahana Kings. This will be Nayanthara's second film with Balakrishna.

The first time they teamed up was for the mythological film 'Sri Rama Rajyam' based on the great Indian epic Ramayana.

Mammootty, Huma Qureshi pair up for first time

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alayalam films have come a long way, from 'mundu' wearing middle-aged heroes, to dapper young men romancing heroines in the now.

With a similar setting, Uday Ananthan has returned with 'White', featuring Bollywood actress Huma Qureshi, who will make her Malayalam film debut across ace actor Mammootty. The trailer of the film which is extensively shot in London and other European cities, shows Mammukka as millionaire Prakash Roy - suave and

Baaghi

stylish with his long trench coats and accent. Huma, a software engineer who moves to London, pretty much compliments the actor with a promising chemistry between them. While the trailer does not give out much of the plot, it sure has caused much interest with the mass.

Alia Bhatt slams 'Udta Punjab' critics

Ankita Lokhande to make Bollywood debut

railer for Abhishek Chaubey's 'Udta Punjab' is out and it looks promising!

With the story revolving around the state's rising drugs issue, actors include Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Diljit Dosanjh and Alia Bhatt.

While the trailer was much loved by the people, Alia's character as a Bihari wasn't received too well and the actress was criticised for stereotyping Biharis. While the issue is open to debate, the 23 year old sent a tweet out in response. She posted a picture that said 'hmmm' with a caption that read, “For every action, there is equal and opposite reaction plus a social media over reaction.” That is saying a lot with nothing at all, isn't it?

ost-break up, Ankita Lokhandwale has moved on from longtime boyfriend Sushant Singh Rajput, and is now gearing up to make her big Bollywood debut. A media report has stated that the actress has been meeting filmmakers and is keen to lock in on a script. It has also claimed that an announcement is soon to follow. A source was quoted in the report as saying that while Ankita had talks on for a few films when she was dating Sushant, she is going for the kill now.

The Man Who Knew Infinity

T A rebellious love story featuring Shraddha Kapoor and Tiger Shroff in the lead.

A biographical drama based on a book of the same name, TMWKI is based on Math genius Ramanujan.

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Katrina may skip Priyanka in Time's list of 100 Most Cannes film festival Influential People AsianVoiceNews

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t is a wonderful time for Priyanka Chopra, as the 'Quantico' actress finds herself featured in Time magazine's list of 100 Most Influential People in the World, matching shoulders with tennis ace Sania Mirza, RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. She also made one of the six cover pages of the magazine.

Others from the entertainment industry in the list included Leonardo DiCaprio, Adele, Aziz Ansari, Gael García Bernal, Taraji P Henson, Gina Rodriguez, C h a r l i z e Theron etc.

H e r 'Baywatch' costar Dwayne Johnson spoke highly of her in an interview.

He said, “Before ever m e e t i n g P r i y a n k a Chopra, I had heard her name coming out of Bollywood

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ctress Katrina Kaif is likely to skip this year's Cannes red carpet due to clashing dates. The festival and the actress' dates for the Moroccan schedule of 'Jagga Jasoos' coincide, making her choose between the brand she endorses and the movie.

Anurag Kashyap's ' J a g g a Jasoos' has been mired with controversies since long, right from delayed shooting schedules and lead actors Ranbir-Katrina's break up. The film's schedule and the release date of the film was pushed forward due to various reasons, including the unavailability of the stars to Ranbir not liking the portion which was shot and the break up. A source close to the actress had said Katrina wouldn't let her personal life affect her professional commitments. The source says, “If she has committed to something, she will make sure that she does it, no matter what personal issues she is facing. She is determined to concentrate her energies on the work commitments she has in hand.”

However, she didn't foresee that she might have to compromise on her appearance at the festival, for the brand that she's endorsing.

A friend close to the actress says that she chose to finish the Moroccan schedule of her film though she was very keen on being part of the Cannes festival.

Dev Patel and Freida Pinto still friends

A

ctors D e v Patel and Freida Pinto who first met on the sets of 'Slumdog Millionaire' and instantly hit it off, dating for six years, until they separated ways, are still on very good terms and as per Dev, still very close friends. Talking about the actress, the 'The Man Who Knew Infinity' actor said, “Oh, she's great. She's awesome, dude.

She has been one of the most impactful people on my life. We shared a very beautiful experience together, not only cinematically but personally, so I'll always have a great respect for her.”

Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

I look at her success from the 50,000 feet view and see everything that Priyanka has already done, is currently doing and has the desire and the bandwidth to do, I can see that her impact is going to be invaluable,” Johnson said.

The list also included Pope Francis, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla, Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Barack Obama, French President François Hollande, Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

and was impressed: she was beautiful, talented, had made nearly 50 movies, earned multiple awards - a massive star.

When we connected around the time she started 'Quantico', we immediately hit it off. She has drive, ambition, self-respect, and knows there's no substitute for hard work.”

He also called himself “lucky enough” to be working with the actress. “It’s an amazing time to watch as she pierces the US market.

She has an ability to inspire people to do more and achieve more. When

Sallu's five-year-old die-hard fan from Bahrain

Salman Khan whose love for children is widely known, has a new 'Munni' in his life. One who goes dirtbiking with him and sits on his lap between shots. Five-year-old Suzi Ahmed Khan from Bahrain who is a die hard fan of the actor, already has 'Bhai' dancing to her tunes.

Well, it all started with a video posted online of a young Suzi crying her heart out while watching the climax of 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan'.

Her mother Madida Arai, posted the video of the child crying and muttering, “I love

Kareena in a fix over two projects

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areena Kapoor Khan is in an unusual spot as she needs to decide between two projects. The actress who is choosy about her films and mostly does just one a year, has now been offered 'Golmaal 4' by Rohit Shetty, and an untitled thriller by director Ribhu Dasgupta. Sources close to the actress confirm that she is currently considering both the films but hasn't given a thumbs up to either as she wants to ensure her dates are managed well and none of the films' schedule goes for a toss.

you Salman Khan... I love you,” in the theatre. The power of the internet blazed as the video went viral with over 900 thousand likes and at least 10 million views. Khan too, watched it and tweeted, “I love you too!” in reply, only to set off #DontCrySuziSalmanLovesYou trending. Also known to go out of his way to show his appreciation, it didn't surprise people to know the 'Sultan' star got in touch with the little girl.

On meeting her, Sallu instantly decided Suzi was the perfect fit to play his daughter in 'Sultan', and that, dear readers, is how a sweet little Salman fan, got a chance to act with the man himself. However, Suzi's goals lay far ahead. “I love Salman Khan, I want to

'Sarkar 3' in the offing: Ram Gopal Varma

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ational Award w i n ning director Ram Gopal Varma, who is r e c e n t l y unveiled the trailer for his upcoming 'Veerappan', has already confirmed 'Sarkar 3' with Amitabh Bachchan. Based on late politician Bal Thackeray, while the veteran actor was hesitant to talk about the third instalment of the franchise, RGV excitedly revealed he is gearing to shoot in London and Mumbai. “I am as excited as a teenager on his first date because I take 'Sarkar 3' as an opportunity to redeem, reinvent and redefine myself. Since it's a 10 year old franchise, it's a lot of work. We are keeping the essence of 'Sarkar' intact but are working on updating the issues. Amitji will be styled pertinent to today's fashion trends.”

marry him so that he can be my husband,” the young queen quipped.

Watching Bachelor Khan married, well, isn't that a dream!

Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor on kissing spree

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o Behold! The film with the highest number of kisses will soon raise the temperature in B-town. In no surprise to us, Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor get all passionate and steamy in 'Befikre', the Indian version of Bernardo Bertolucci's 'Last Tango In Paris'. A 'hatke' love story, a source revealed the actors will lock lips 23 times, possibly breaking serial kisser Emraan Hashmi's record. Makers of the film have however, made sure they have not over done or under done the physical intimacy between the real couple, and, the shots will be aesthetically shot.

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Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

Exam board Pearson to offer Gujarati GCSE in the future Last year it was announced that certain languages were going to be scrapped by UK exam boards and included Gujarati, Punjabi and Bengali. At the time shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt called on the government to 'rescue' these subjects saying “Precisely at the time we need to be harnessing our entrepreneurial capital and soft power in the new emerging economies, the Government’s actions will lead to fewer young people being able to take A levels in Portuguese, Turkish, Gujarati and Punjabi."

At the time a spokesperson for AQA said: “We completely understand and respect the importance of these languages, and we still intend to offer all of them at GCSE. With language Alevels changing to include speaking and listening as well as reading and writing, it’ll be extremely difficult to recruit enough examiners in

these subjects to cope with double the amount of assessment. In addition, the small number of students choosing to study these subjects at A-level makes it very hard to set appropriate grade boundaries.”

Following much debate both within the media and within the education system a campaign led by Jayant Tanna, Chairman of the Consortium of Gujarati Schools kept the flame burning for these languages to remain. Mr Tanna recently received a letter by Paul Steer, Head of Policy at OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations) which stated: "OCR has been in lengthy dialogue with the DfE, Ofqual and the other exam boards for some time in an attempt to find a satisfactory way forward.

"Although OCR will not be offering GCSE and A Level Gujurati beyond our current commitments, we

Bhaktivedanta Manor granted Planning Permission for community hall

The local Hertsmere Borough Council's planning committee officially granted planning permission for a new development on the grounds of the Manor, in Aldenham north of London, last Thursday.

The temple applied to build to build a two storey community building or a

are grateful that the exam board Pearson has agreed in principle to offer these qualifications in the future. This will secure the continued availability of both GCSEs and GCEs in Gujarati."

He continued: "We will, of course, be working closely with Pearson to secure a smooth handover and we will be waiving all relevant intellectual property rights, and communicating with assessors and centres etc, in order to allow this to happen. Obviously, it will take some time to finalise the arrangements and there is much detail yet to be worked through.

"The practical consequences of our decision are that, for Gujarati, the final OCR courses will start in September 2017 with final examinations taking place in the summer of 2019 with a re-sit opportunity for A

Levels/AS Levels in 2020."

Jayant Tanna responded by saying: "This is excellent news!! I would like to thank each and every one of you for your wonderful cooperation, support, advice and commitment to Gujarati language for our future and that of our children.

"I must mention my particular thanks to Gareth Thomas and Bob Blackman for their unstinting support and wonderful advocacy role in Parliament and with DfE colleagues. But this is also a time when we have got to continue with our efforts to work hard with our parents, children, community groups and of course teachers and examination boards. Yes we can take a great deal of pride in our success but we must not forget that the challenge before us remains."

Bake Off winner to open the Asia House Literature Festival

Nadiya Hussain, the winner of the BBC’s Great British Bake Off in 2015, will open this year’s Asia House Bagri Foundation Literature Festival with a discussion about integration and identity in the UK. Hussain will be in conversation with journalist Yasmin AlibhaiBrown about her experience of growing up as an Asian in the UK and what it was really like to win the BBC’s Great British Bake Off. The Festival

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as Mercury turns retrograde in your second house of finances. This is a good time to re-assess your money matters. In spite of that, all sorts of things could go wrong especially if people owe you money. Have patience as business matters move slowly or get delayed.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 Mercury turns retrograde

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

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 With Venus embracing

your 11th sign, this should be a good time for love and relationships. Unfortunately, Mercury turns retrograde for the next three weeks. Be patient with your loved ones as your communications are going to be garbled and misconstrued. Saturn will also prove to be frustrating.

It's a lovely week for a romantic encounter through work, as Venus embraces your solar 10th house. Bear in mind that Mercury turns retrograde in your eleventh house of friends and associates as well.

The next three weeks would serve you well if you spend more time listening than speaking.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

Mercury turns retrograde in your tenth house of career and status, slowing down your progress at work. It is important for you to be steadfast and focused as misunderstandings and confusion reign. Stay as organized as possible while Mercury, the planet of communications does its best to trip you up.

Nadiya Hussain

will run from Wednesday 4 May until Wednesday 18 May, with the majority of events taking place at Asia House’s central London headquarters.

Haveli, as well as relocating the existing poly tunnels, greenhouses and playground.

The originally planning application was submitted in December 2014 and a number of changes have been made to the application over the past 16 months.

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ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 You may need to take care

Mercury turns retrograde in your ninth house of travel and adventure, slowing down your pace for the next three weeks. Your mental focus could be anywhere other than your normal routine - find a way to break up the monotony. Don't be afraid to take on extra responsibilities as it could lead to better prospects.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

The planet Mercury turns retrograde in your eighth house of joint resources, taxes, wills, legacies and alimony, creating confusion and complications for you during the next three weeks. Travel could also prove to be problematic, so make sure you have plenty of time to get where you need to go.

Your closest relationships come under scrutiny as Mercury, the planet of communications goes retrograde in your seventh house of marriage and partnerships.

There can be a lot of misunderstandings and confused signals. You'll need to listen carefully to what your partner is saying during the next three weeks.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

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The next three weeks may bring confusion and misundertandings at work and troubles with your health as Mercury turns retrograde in your sixth house.

You'll need to pay more attention to detail and double check everything before finalising important matters.

Close relationships need to be re-assessed.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

Mercury goes retrograde in your fifth house of romance for the next three weeks. This is a good time reflect and analyze current situations.

Pressure begins to build as there will be a lot of demands in your daily work. Some of you will prefer to get away and seek solitude and avoid social events.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

As Mercury turns retrograde in your fourth house, you need to watch out for extreme changes in peoples attitude and behaviour at home. Strong emotions may spill out with your loved ones, but it is alright to reveal your fears and insecurities sometimes. It's a cosmically testing time, so try not to tread on each other's toes.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

Mercury turns retrograde in your third house of communication, making it difficult to express yourself clearly for the next three weeks. Misunderstandings and confusion could waste a lot of your time. This is also a good time to read into the unspoken rather than what is being said to make any sense.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

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India to play day-night Test against New Zealand

AsianVoiceNews

India will play a day-night test against New Zealand later this year, Anurag Thakur, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said. Thakur also mentioned that Duleep Trophy, the domestic tournament, will serve as a dress rehearsal, to give the board an idea of what factors need to be accounted for hosting such an event.

"While we have not zeroed in on the venue, there are lots of factors that need to be taken into account. Things like dew factor, how the spinners

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bowl with the pink kookaburra on Indian pitches.

These things we will get an idea during the Duleep Trophy," Thakur said.

Test matches in India

are played with 'SG Test' balls but an exception will be made for the day-night game, where the 'pink kookaburra' ball will be used. "We may ask 'SG' to

manufacture pink balls later but that has to be of the quality of pink balls that 'kookaburra' produces," Thakur said.

The first-ever day-night Test match, played out by Australia and New Zealand in 2015 at the Adelaide Oval was well-received by both sets of players.

However, there are still a lot of reservations regarding the same, with South Africa said to be wary of playing a day-night Test against Australia in Adelaide that is earmarked during the Australian summer of 2016-17.

London Olympic Stadium likely to be named after Mahindra group The Olympic Stadium in London is likely to be named Mahindra Stadium after the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) almost finalised a deal worth around £6 million a year with Mumbaibased technology giant and car maker Mahindra Group. The present title holder West Ham United's tenancy will end soon. Out of £6 million deal, £1m will go to West Ham. An announcement is expected before West Ham say farewell to Upton Park at the end of this season, after which they will become anchor tenants of the £701m Olympic Stadium on a 99-year lease.

Dravid's son scores a century

Samit

Former India cricketer Rahul Dravid's son Samit seems to be following his father's footsteps. All of 10 years of age, Samit scored a century in an Under-14 club cricket match at the Loyola ground in Bangalore.

Representing Bangalore United Cricket Club (BUCC), which his father serves as a President, Samit stroked 125 against Frank Anthony Public School in the Tiger Cup cricket tournament. Samit's 125, which was decorated with 12 boundaries, was the second-highest score since his team-mate Pratyush G remained unbeaten on 143.

Samit and Pratyush's combined effort resulted in a emphatic 246-run win for the BUCC.

Although Mahindra is not a household name in Britain, it has annual sales of £11 billion and businesses spanning energy, defence and farm equipment.

The terms of West Ham’s tenancy of the

Olympic Stadium, which were finally published last week following a long legal battle, revealed that the club are entitled to 50 per cent of the annual revenue from naming rights above the initial £4m. A deal with

Mahindra would also end the LLDC’s tortuous search for a title sponsor, which saw sports marketing giant IMG initially target a £15m-a-year backer.

Critics claimed the club had been handed “the deal of the century” by the LLDC and there were calls for the matter to be investigated by Parliament’s financial watchdog. The contract confirmed West Ham would not only be charged just £2.5m per year in rent, but would not pay a penny towards the upkeep of the stadium, including towards pitch maintenance, goalposts and goal nets and corner flags.

Leicestershire turn to Wasim Khan to revive fortunes

Wasim Khan, first English player of Pakistani origin to play county cricket, has been appointed as the chief executive of Leicestershire county cricket club. He is trying to revive the the fortunes of the county. He wants to capitalise on the passion for cricket among its large non-white community, a formidable task for Khan.

The signing of Pakistan's Umar Akmal is an important step in this process, as is the cultivation of exciting local Asian talent such as Aadil Ali. "It is a tremendous honour to be appointed as chief executive officer of Leicestershire County Cricket Club and Leicestershire and Rutland Cricket," Khan said. "I am really looking forward to working with all of the staff and the board because I know there are terrific people at Grace Road. It is an exciting opportunity for me.”

A player with Warwickshire and Sussex, Khan moved into cricket administration after

Wasim Khan

retirement. His work with the Cricket Foundation, which included setting up the Chance to Shine scheme aimed at getting more children into cricket, has been highly regarded and earned him an MBE in 2013.

He replaces Mike Siddall, who announced his intention to stand down after four years in the job. Leicestershire finished 2014 without a win in the Championship for the second season running - the first club to do so since the 1930s - and subsequently removed Phil Whitticase from his role as director of cricket.

Andrew McDonald, the former Australia allrounder and overseas

player with Leicestershire, has been tipped as their new coach.

As well as building greater links with the local Asian community, Khan will also be tasked with addressing the drain of talent from Grace Road.

Shiv Thakor, Josh Cobb, Nathan Buck and Greg Smith all left at the end of the season, following the likes of James Taylor, Harry Gurney and Stuart Broad in seeking brighter futures away from the county that developed them.

Essex want to stage T20 under lights Essex made elaborate plans to exploit T20 interest among the public and plan to stage matches at the Olympics Park in Stratford.

Newham Council supports the idea and may be willing to fund the biggest outlay, the cost of a drop-in pitch, believed to be £500,000. Drop-in pitches have not been tried in England and present a challenge, although it should not be insurmountable.

SPORT Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

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Vaz welcomes award for Riyad Mahrez

Keith Vaz, Indian origin MP, has welcomed the announcement to honour Riyad Mahrez, Leicester City Football Club striker, with Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year award on 24th April 2016. Leicester is the centre of the Asian community in the United Kingdom, with 34% of the community coming from Indian, Pakistani and other Asian backgrounds. On 10th March 2016, Mahrez was also honoured as Sportsman of the Year by the largest ethnic minority newspaper in the UK, Asian Voice, at a ceremony at the House of Commons. Keith Vaz was the host on that occasion. Keith Vaz said: “This has been an outstanding season for Leicester City and their star player Riyad Mahrez. The whole city has united behind the team and is so proud of what they have achieved, qualifying for Champions League football next season and are leading the Premier League, chasing an historic title win. I have had messages from Goa and other parts of Indian sending me best wishes for the team. Players like Mahrez have become role models for the local community and across the world. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of the PFA Player of the Year award.”

Rahul Johri appointed BCCI CEO

Board of Control for Cricket in India has appointed Rahul Johri as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Johri was last serving as Discovery Networks Asia Pacific's Executive VicePresident and General Manager for South Asia and had stepped down from the position earlier this year. He will take on his new role starting June 1, 2016 onwards, reporting to the Honorary Secretary BCCI and will be based at the board's Mumbai office. Johri brings with him immense experience and knowledge on board and will be responsible for the smooth functioning of operations, stakeholder management and building robust strategies for further promoting the sport. He will be the first person to hold such a position in BCCI. Commenting on the appointment, BCCI President, Shashank Manohar, said, "We are pleased to have Rahul with us and are sure his vast experience and knowledge will benefit the board. His vision, guidance and support will contribute towards the successful working of the BCCI." BCCI Secretary, Anurag Thakur said, "We welcome Rahul aboard and wish him luck for his new role at BCCI. In the past one year, BCCI has undertaken various initiatives aimed towards transforming the working of BCCI in order to make the functioning more robust. This endeavour is another initiative of the board aimed in the same direction and will mark as one more milestone towards strengthening the professional working of the BCCI."

IPL 2016 points table

Team Knight Riders Gujarat Lions Daredevils Sunrisers Indians Royal Challengers Rising Pune Supergiants Kings XI

M 5 5 4 5 7 5 5 6

W 4 4 3 3 3 2 1 1

L 1 1 1 2 4 3 4 5

NRR 0.922 0.034 0.32 0.276 -0.268 0.23 0.003 -1.174

Pts 8 8 6 6 6 4 2 2

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Asian Voice | 30th April 2016

Virat Kohli ton not enough to tame Lions

The maiden T20 century by Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli was not sufficient to deny Gujarat Lions their deserved glory in the form of a six-wicket victory. The Bengaluru side recovered from two early jolts, thanks mainly to a quickfire century stand between Kohli and KL Rahul, to post a seemingly daunting total of 180 for 2, the highest in three matches played at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. However, the Lions got back to doing what they do best - chasing. The debutants have won all their previous matches while chasing and Sunday was no different. Brendon McCullum extracted 25 runs in the sixth over by Kane Richardson as the Lions finished their powerplay with 62 runs, losing the other opener Dwayne Smith (32 runs, 21balls)

who was playing his first match of IPL-9. The 47 runs they added together would set the tone for another successful run chase.

However, it was the crucial 53-run third wicket stand between skipper Suresh Raina (28) and Dinesh Karthik that took them to the cusp of victory. Finally finding form, Karthik smashed an unbeaten 50 to ensure the Lions crossed the finish line with three balls remaining to register their fourth victory in five matches. Kohli's key man Tabraiz Shamsi, the chinaman bowler from South Africa, did pose a few problems for the hosts, as he picked up the wicket of the dangerous McCullum, but the lack of support from the other end resulted in RCB's downfall.

Richardson was the biggest culprit for RCB,

leaking runs at an economy rate of nearly 14. Iqbal Abdulla, Yuzvendra Chahal and Shane Watson all proved costly.

Earlier, the Lions showed they had done their homework in getting rid of two of Royal Challengers' dangerous batsmen -Shane Watson and AB de Villiers cheaply, but ran into a sublime Kohli who played a captain's knock by smashing an unbeaten 100, his first in T20s.

Having lost both Watson and De Villiers with the scoreboard reading just 59, Kohli, along with Rahul, added 121 runs in just 74 balls. Both batsmen took their time to settle down but once they did, they tore into the Lions attack, amassing 52 runs from the 14th to the 17th over. Kohli saved his best for the end as he smashed Dwayne Bravo for a six and two fours in the final over which took him to his historic threefigure mark.

Virat Kohli

Row over Salman as goodwill ambassador for Rio Olympics

Salman Khan

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s appointment as the Indian Olympic contingent’s goodwill ambassador kicked up a storm with star wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and sprint legend Milkha Singh questioning the move even as the IOA and some other athletes backed the decision. The Indian Olympics Association (IOA) which stood firm on the decision said that it would rope in more icons from music and cricket to motivate the Rio-bound athletes.

“We are very happy and thankful on Salman’s offer to support Olympic Sports in this country. This association is only a gesture and

does not include any monetary consideration,” IOA Secretary General Rajiv Mehta said in a statement. “…our key objective of bringing him on board is to draw maximum attention from the masses, due to which there will be more eyeballs and viewership which will eventually result in popularising Olympic sports in the country.”

Earlier, Yogeshwar said Salman has done nothing to merit such an appointment. “Everybody has the right to promote movies in India, but Olympics is not a place to promote films,” Yogeshwar tweeted.

Yogeshwar felt a sportsperson would have been more apt for the position.