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Independence day celebrated in London See Page 6

Lanka bars entry to UN war crimes team

See Page 23

See Page15-18

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

VOL 43. ISSUE 17

Turban ban: Official complaint lodged with International Basketball Federation See Page 31

80p

30th August to 5th September 2014

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Clegg visits India with a 40 strong trade delegation

ing Labour’s Women’s Safety Commission, working with Vera Baird and Diana Holland, to develop proposals for legislation to tackle violence against women and girls, which will be prioritised by a Labour Government. This will include: Reforms to the criminal justice system, Measures to improve women’s safety and Prevention of violence against women and girls.

Continued on page 14

Asian Voice revives campaign for London-Ahmedabad direct flights by public demand

Seema Malhotra with Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition, Ed Miliband

Seema Malhotra has become Labour's first ever Minister in the Shadow Front Bench and Home Affairs team for preventing violence against women. Ms Malhotra will

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DPM Nick Clegg meets Indian PM Narendra Modi

Rupanjana Dutta The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, visited India for 3 days with a 40-strong trade delegation on Monday 25 August. The DPM met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday at his official res-

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idence, the Panchavati in New Delhi and extended an invitation to visit the UK in the months ahead.

He also met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and the delegation spent a day in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

Continued on page 8

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

The best aspect of my current role is the amazing people that I meet and there quality time that they spend in my restaurant.

Atique Choudhury

Atique Choudhury, son of Dabirul Islam Choudhury and Khaleda Choudhury, property developer, industrialist and social entrepreneur. Born in St Albans Hertfordshire in 1963.

Owner and Managing Director of the award winning restaurant Yum Yum Europe’s largest Thai restaurant with seating for up to 500 covers and owner of Oishiii Japanese Eatery, a new revolution in Japanese dining. With over 30 years’ experience in the restaurant sector Atique has been at the forefront of innovative practice in the restaurant trade and provides a service second to none. He has won many accolades and awards, featured in the media and throughout his career.

Atique is a very strong supporter of Youth Employment to that end he created the Asian Oriental School of Catering which specialized in training and finding employment for young people and providing a high level quality chefs throughout London and the UK and to that end he has set up a paid apprenticeship scheme which was launched at the House of Lords in February this year. One the original founders of the Thai Restaurant Association.

His many personal and business awards include; Caterer & Hotelkeeper Healthy Menu Award 1986, 1999, Winner of the Thai Food Festival, Egon Rhonay Oriental Chef of the Year 1999, Hackney Chamber of Commerce award for the best service in business 1999, Presented with the Thai Select Award for Thai Cuisine, UK Food Service award winner 2000, received an Arts & Business award in 2001, Thai Trade & Commerce Award for ‘Chef of the Year 2003, LBC 2003 Oriental Restaurant of The Year, Archant London Restaurant Award, Best Thai Restaurant 2007, Mayor of Hackney Business Awards, Best Business in Hackney 2009, 2006 presented by the Royal Thai Embassy and Buddhapadipa Temple an Honorary Certificate in recognition of his work for the Thai community in the UK, 1997 Finalist Best Thai Restaurant in London (Carlton TV).

1) What is your current position?

My current position is that I have hit 52 & it is a good time to look back and review my

work & achievements & start to enjoy so I am preparing to slow down and help my son Rishi to achieve his dreams of becoming a successful singer &

7) And the worst?

The worst part of my current role is the long hours and total focus that is needed.

8) What are your long term goals?

My long-term goal is to be recognized by the next generation in my borough to have been a key player in the regeneration of hackney.

music writer.

2) What are your proudest achievements?

My proudest achievements has been to create Europe’s largest Thai restaurant with my wife Moy and also the birth of my son Rishi.

3) What inspires you?

My inspiration comes from my customers who after 32 years are passionate about our cuisine & service so that helps me to do my best.

struck it and the bus overturned.

Family friend Mrs Vandana Deshpande reportedly said: 'Rupesh and Kavita lived for their daughter. They were wonderful parents...This is such an awful tragedy.'

Reports say police have arrested the bus driver on suspicion of causing death by negligence.

The couple's nine-yearold daughter Ananya remains critically injured and is being treated in hospital near Mohali.

The bus is owned by The Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) and was on its way to Delhi from Dharamshala when at 2:10am, a Swift car going towards Mohali, Punjab,

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

The biggest influence in my career has been my mother who is disciplined and hard working.

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

If I was marooned on a desert island I would love to spend time with Nelson Mandela as he will have some very interesting stories and a lesson on tolerance.

Two men charged over Tilbury container death

British couple killed, daughter fighting for life in India A British family have been torn apart after a couple were killed and their nine-year-old daughter was left critically injured while on holiday in India in a road crash which took five other lives.

The couple have been named as Rupesh Nawarkhele, 38, and Kavita Nawarkhele, 37, from Southampton.

The family had travelled to Dharamshala to meet Rupesh's brother and were travelling to meet another relative in Delhi in a luxury bus when tragedy struck on Saturday 23 August.

Three students were travelling in the car which collided with the tour bus.

Sadly, they were burned to death when their vehicle burst into flames. Fifteen others were injured in the incident.

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

The biggest obstacle has been the current government’s policy on work permits and the lack of bringing in world-class chefs from Thailand.

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

If I was prime minister I would help to bring practical study to school students to make them more competitive in the world employment market.

Two lorry drivers from Londonderry in Northern Ireland, have been charged with conspiring to facilitate illegal entry into the UK, after an investigation by Essex Police, into the death of a man found in a container at Tilbury Docks Timothy Murphy, 33, was charged alongside

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Stephen McLaughlin, 34, at Chelmsford magistrates’ court. They will be summoned to court again in November.

Meet Singh Kapoor, 40, from Afghanistan, was found dead inside the container at the Essex port on Aug 16. He was among a group of 35 immigrants, including 13 children, who

were all found dehydrated and cramped in the container. The group is believed to have fled Afghanistan after suffering persecution.

Essex Police reportedly said a post-mortem examination on Mr Kapoor had failed to establish the cause of his death and inquiries are continuing.

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

COMMENT

Augmenting India’s naval power

India was a land lubber under the Mughals, with their Central Asian origins and lack of knowledge and experience of the sea. They were concerned only with the security of the country’s passes to the north west, the traditional invasion routes for invaders from Asia’s continental heartland. The dominance of the high seas and oceans by the West commenced in the 16th century, with the Portuguese and Dutch leading the way. They were supplanted eventually by the British, who owed their global reach to the unmatched prowess of the Royal Navy. It was under British rule that the platform for the modern Indian Navy was laid. The Indian Ocean had by then become a maritime highway for transnational commerce, hence was also a theatre of rivalry and conflict among the emerging European great powers. The end of the Second World War and the emergence of Independent India was a regional landmark. Surrounded on three sides by water, the development of the Indian Navy was taken in hand with the seriousness it deserved.

Today, India is the domination regional force, with an ultra modern aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, and a supporting cast of destroyers, frigates, corvettes and submarines, one of them, INS Arihant, is nuclear propelled and armed. Barely a fortnight ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned the country’s latest destroyer INS Kolkata, which will be followed in due course by two similar vessels, INS Kochi and INS Chennai. Prime Minister Modi’s address to the crew of INS Kolkata carried a message to the wider region: Indian commercial interests would be defended if need be, and its security goals upheld. In other words, India would no longer be afraid of its shadow.

More than a century ago, the great British proconsul, Lord Curzon, defined India’s security perimeter as stretching from the Straits of Hormuz in the Arabian Sea to the Straits of Malacca in South East Asia, the aperture between Singapore and the Indonesian

island of Sumatra that connects the South China Sea to the Pacific Ocean.

On India’s west are a string of Arab nations and Iran with whom India has close trade ties. The waters around are infested with Somali pirates, whose activities are a threat to international shipping, and have, therefore, to be curbed in the national interest.

Furthermore, the region is now highly volatile, made worse by the dramatic appearance of the well armed, trained and funded ISIS jihadis, whose immediate ambition is to establish an Islamist caliphate stretching from Syria to Iraq, and beyond, whose murderous presence and advance, says US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, constitutes a menace to regional peace and stability. Against this incendiary background are the security uncertainties that might well confront Mauritius, the tiny island-state, the bulk of whose population are of Indian descent. In the mid-1970s, then prime minister Indira Gandhi sent an Indian naval task force to protect the Mauritian government from a coup. Indo-Mauritian defence ties grew apace.

India has a treaty obligation to defend Mauritius from external threat. Also, countries attending the last East African summit requested an Indian naval presence along the coast as a protection force.

On the east, India’s combined services base in the Andaman Islands is an insurance for the country’s trade links with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), but the base has also a critical security dimension as well following China’s rise.

Naval exercises between India, the US, Japan and Australia carry their own message. The Indian Navy is the world’s fifth-largest; its ships are increasingly designed and manufactured at home, as are its weapon systems. How to translate power into policy was the subtext of the Indian Prime Minister’s recent speech.

Paul Dirac, a professor at Cambridge University, was among the greatest theoretical physicists of the 20th century. The Dirac Medal awarded by the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) is a coveted honour exceeded only in prestige by the Nobel Prize. Of the three winners of the Dirac Medal for 2014 is Professor Asoke Sen of the Harish Chandra Research Institute at Allahabad. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) over a decade ago, so he has an international reputation. He received the Dirac prize for his work on black holes and symmetries in string theory, which is widely considered to be the most abstruse and challenging in the field of theoretical physics. In an exchange with the media, Kolkata-born and educated (topped off with a US doctorate), Professor Sen said he felt “very honoured and happy to receive this prize…..particularly important for me because this is given by the ICTP which has played a significant role in the development of science developing countries.”

When we get to his specialism, the going gets tough for the layman. Best to leave the floor to the Professor. “My work in symmetries of string theory is on what is known as strong-weak coupling duality or S-duality. A symmetry refers to a transformation under which an object looks the same. For example, a square has 90 degrees rotational symmetry: if we rotate it by 90 degrees about its centre, it looks the same. Before my work it was suspected that …..that

string theory, and its close cousin, quantum field theories, had some unusual symmetries which are not visible…..In my work, I showed how we can do concrete calculations…..which led to the discovery of many such symmetries…..string theorists came to realize that what people thought earlier as different theories are all different ways of describing the same underlying theory. This unified all string theories into one theory.” Explaining his work on black holes, Professor Sen dwelt on the connection between black holes and elementary particles. People were given to thinking of black holes as huge objects from which even light cannot escape. Professor Sen has shown that smaller and smaller black holes exhibit properties that are indistinguishable from elementary particles. “One of the main successes of string theory is that it has been able to unify the general theory of relativity, which describes gravity and quantum mechanics.” However, the experimental test of string theory would require colliding extremely high energy particles and evaluating the result of this collision. “Given that such energies do not exist today we…..use existing knowledge as best we can.” Mathematical consistency is an imperative. It has led to new results in mathematics. So far all such new relations found in string theory have been found to be correct, underlying its consistency. A mountain has been climbed.

What other peaks await exploration? Meanwhile, warmest congratulations to Professor Askoke Sen.

Indian cricket is the subject of much black humour.

Lack of fight and glaring absence of skill, not to speak of confused leadership, in the recent Test series in England, have left the BCCI – the Indian cricket board - gasping for air like a beached whale. In its moment of crisis, Board worthies issued a distress call to cricket commentator Ravi Shastri - the best captain never to lead India - to step into the breach and rally a ragged, woebegone team. Whether he, or any single individual, can cleanse the Augean Stables of Indian cricket is a moot point. The game’s culture is skewed, its administration a nest of vipers given to intrigue, are no better than moneychangers out to make a fast buck. The selectors have been a parody throughout this time of trouble, starting in 2011-12 with the sustained thrashing in back-to-back Test series in England and Australia. Then, midway, chairman of selectors, Mohinder Amarnath, dropped Mahindra Singh Dhoni as India’s Test captain. Dhoni survived, Amarnath did not. It didn’t take rocket sci-

ence to figure out that BCCI President N. Srinivasan (“Srini-sir” to his courtiers) engineered Amarnath’s fall. Recent Test tours of South Africa and New Zealand have ended in Indian defeat, although the results were not quite as acutely catastrophic as they’ve been in England this summer. The Dhoni Praetorian guard, including cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar, his erstwhile Test colleague, Dilip Vengsarkar, and former New Zealand coach Stephen Fleming defend the beleaguered captain tooth and nail on the flimsy ground that, as captain, he has no obvious successor. History is replete with examples of young untried men becoming outstanding leaders, men who with vision and resolve, brought out the best in those under their command, who crowned collective endeavour with glory, not once but many times over. Floundering Dhoni is not of that exalted number, not fit for purpose in Test cricket. It is time for him to make a dignified exit, while there’s time, and end India’s continuing ignominy.

Indian physicist awarded Dirac Medal

Indian cricket in the dumps

3 Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less travelled by.

And that has made all the difference.

- "The Road Not Taken",

by Robert Frost (1874-1963)

There is genius in boldness I write to you from Bangalore, which was supposed to rule the world when it was discovered to be home of outsourcing, of biotech.

But when an audience of the leading investors and entrepreneurs are asked if their fellow countrymen will build $50billion companies – the answer is no! India cannot make a Yahoo! But an Indian can work for Microsoft and Pepsi. Where is the boldness, the belief in our own genius, our ambition, the Indian spirit to match the American spirit?

How then does Britain, a mere 1% of the world population, have such an influence around the world?

It sees itself with a sense of destiny. It is a sense of destiny that comes from its poets who had the gall and boldness to write that Jesus Himself may walked these English lands. It is a confidence that comes from having the world’s largest Empire when you are only 1% of the world’s population. It is a boldness that comes from being on the United Nations Security Council. From knowing, even if others begrudge it, you saved the world from tyranny only 70 years ago.

Do not underestimate this. Do not underestimate it, when you hear speakers from India talking of ‘the Empire strikes back’ or that Britain is a spent force.

Your GDP does not measure your influence.

Your people and their ingenuity does.

Especially, when as with

the British they have a sense of heritage, a sense of history and a sense of destiny.

So why is sovereignty important? This is a country whose two unofficial national anthems have the lines “And did those feet in ancient time.

Walk upon England's mountains green: And was the holy Lamb of God, On England's pleasant pastures seen!” That is from Jerusalem. These people actually believe God walked here. On this tiny island. Aint no Central Bank telling them how to run their country.

Or take the lines from Rule Britannia, ‘When Britain first, at Heaven's command, Arose from out the azure main; This was the charter of the land, And guardian angels sang this strain: "Rule, Britannia! rule the waves: "Britons never will be slaves."

With next to no man power, on a secluded Island, with no natural resources, this land of barbarians, last invaded by the Romans, ruled the world – through self belief alone. An Indian will just have to go an make a $50 billion company before other Indians will follow in self belief.

Until then, the British PM will inaugurate the UK India British Council here in Bangalore to help British companies invest in India including Britains $50billion+ companies like Shell, BP, Vodafone, BT. Are Indians any less ingenious? No, except in their boldness.

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High Court awards Hindu volunteer £45,000 libel damages In a judgement lasting almost 90 minutes, Judge Maloney of the Queens Bench division of the Royal Courts of Justice awarded Mr Satish K Sharma, volunteer General Secretary at the charity “National Council of Hindu Temples UK”, the sum of £45,000 in libel damages and also all legal costs totalling almost a further £25,000.

The legal action, which Mr Satish K Sharma had started in May of 2013, was in response to two emails in which the defendant Dr Raj Pandit Sharma, describing himself as “General Secretary” of the National Council of Hindu Temples (UK), falsely and completely unjustifiably implied that the plaintiff was the custodian of funds from criminal activities.

Dr Raj Pandit Sharma, also known as Rajinder Pal Sharma and “Rajinder Pal Singh Seehra”, sent the emails to at least 28 British Hindu Temples, to members of the House of Lords such as Lord Dholakia, a number of MPs and also many civil servants and political and Community leaders, in what the Court agreed was a malicious attempt to tarnish the reputation of

Satish Sharma with Barrister Ian Stebbings

Satish K Sharma, who Judge Maloney described as a “gentle, scholarly and philosophical person of good standing in the Hindu Community.”

Satish K Sharma said “It’s an enormous relief to see this matter concluded and I am deeply grateful to Judge Maloney for the unexpectedly supportive and comprehensive judgement.”

“Judge Maloney emphasised that a campaign of such malicious and premeditated harm to reputation, could not be tolerated and the high level of damages should underline how seriously the High Court takes such acts of emotional and psychological aggression.”

In both of his defamatory and libellous emails,

Dr Raj Pandit Sharma, who appears to have previously used the name Rajinder Pal Singh Seehra, tried to connect Mr Satish K Sharma with a distant relative, Nirmal Sharma who in 2010 was imprisoned in a high profile £4million money laundering case.

Simon Smith, solicitor for Satish K Sharma, who did all of the preparatory work and research, commented “The Judge agreed that Satish K Sharma is a learned, influential and valuable member of the British Hindu community who for many years has been a volunteer worker, supporting several Hindu charities ranging from the internationally respected NCHT UK.'

Former Governor at Trojan Horse school 'hired guards to bar staff' A former governor of a school, linked to the Trojan Horse plot in Birmingham, is being sued over claims he stopped staff, who were brought in after an Ofsted inspection, from entering the school.

Waseem Yaqub is reported to have harassed staff put in place to 'reform' the AlHijrah School, according to a high court writ lodged by the city council for up to £100,000.

The writ also accuses

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Mr Yaqub of intimidation and trespassing on the Bordesley Green school site after the council removed the governing body he headed in May. The school, Birmingham's only Islamic school, is for pupils aged four to 16 and was once one of the most sought after in the country. But it was placed in special measures after Ofsted inspections found classroom standards were in decline. Al-Hijrah was also found to have a budget deficit of £889,000.

An Interim Executive Board (IEB) was drafted in but, according to the writ, Mr Yaqub successfully thwarted the IEB's work – denying members access to the school and even using security guards to threaten and intimidate them.

In June, the council banned Mr Yaqub from the school after he repeatedly returned there despite his dismissal. But the IEB was blocked twice from entering the school by protesters led

by Mr Yaqub.The writ seeks damages of between £50,000 and £100,000, claiming Mr Yaqub was repeatedly abusive to three IEB members. No date has been fixed for the damages hearing.

Attorney General calls Mayor's proposal to stop British jihadis 'too draconian' Boris Johnson's suggestion that Britons who go to Syria and Iraq from Britain should be presumed to be potential terrorists is "draconian" and would represent a "profound change" to British law, the former Attorney General has said.

Writing in The Telegraph on Sunday 24 August, Mr Johnson warned that police are finding it difficult to press charges against suspected jihadists without direct evidence of their “ghastly” activities.

He suggests there should be a “swift and minor change in the law” to introduce a new “rebuttable presumption” that those who travel to war zones without notifying the authorities have done so for “terrorist purposes”.

However Dominic Grieve, the former Attorney General, warned that Mr Johnson's proposals would "throw away

very important legal principles" by shifting the burden of proof onto the accused.

He reportedly told The Telegraph: "It would be a draconian step and although there are certain examples of reversing the burden of proof in this way I can't think of any for such a serious offence as terrorism. There have been a number of incidences of successful prosecutions of individuals going to prepare terrorism. We should seek to use those first

before throwing away very important legal principles."

He later told the BBC Radio 4's World at One: "There are going to be people who have perfectly innocent reasons for going to Syria, from seeing their families to taking medical aid."

In his article for The Telegraph, the Mayor of London also joins calls for jihadists to be stripped of their citizenship, despite opposition from Theresa May, the Home Secretary, who warned at the weekend that such a move would be illegal.

Mr Johnson’s intervention came as the British ambassador to the US said intelligence agents believe they have identified “Jihadi John”, the Briton responsible for beheading the American journalist James Foley, after employing voice recognition technology.

Tower Hamlets: Muslim voters told to 'vote for mayor or be damned’ Muslim residents in Tower Hamlets were reportedly told they would be rewarded in the afterlife if they voted for Lutfur Rahman.

The current mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman has been accused in the High Court of exerting unlawful “spiritual influence” over voters, who were allegedly told that it was their religious duty to vote for him.

Electors were reportedly told that they could expect rewards in the afterlife if they voted for Mr Rahman, but might be punished in the next world if they supported his Labour rival, documents filed at the court

claim.

Bangladesh-born Mr Rahman, an independent social democrat, was elected in May by 3,000 votes over John Biggs, of Labour, to be the executive mayor of Tower Hamlets in east London.

There are 65,000 Muslims in the borough.

A cross-party group of

four voters has filed a petition asking the court to declare his election corrupt and invalid. A trial is expected this year.

The mayor’s supporters allegedly told voters leaving prayers that the Labour candidate intended to close the mosques and that Islam would be safe only if Mr Rahman were re-elected.

Mr Rahman’s spokesman dismissed the claims. He said: “They repeat allegations made before and which have never been proven, despite thorough investigations by the Metropolitan police and Electoral Commission. We look forward to vigorously contesting them in court.”

Two teenagers arrested on suspicion of murdering 18 year-old man Two teenage boys, from Watford, have been arrested on suspicion of murdering an 18-year-old man in a daylight attack which took place on Friday 22 August.

Aqeel Khan was found with suspected stab wounds in Watford, Hertfordshire around 4.20pm and was taken to Watford General Hospital, but died a short time later.

Two of the suspects, aged 15 and 16, were detained overnight on suspicion of murder while a 21-year-old man was also arrested in connection with the incident.

All three men from Watford remain in police custody.

Detective Inspector Jon McAdam from the B e d f o r d s h i r e , Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit reportedly said: 'Our investigations into this incident are continuing and further arrests have now been made.

Aqeel's family are being supported by specialist

family liaison officers at this difficult time and I extend my condolences to them. I would like to renew my appeal for information. If you believe you witnessed the events yesterday afternoon, or have information which could assist the investigation, please contact police.'

Nick Lillitou, Safer Neighbourhood Inspector for Watford, reportedly said: 'This is an isolated incident for Watford. It is not a common occurrence in the town and I'm sure the community of Watford will have concerns about what happened.'

Tributes poured in for Mr Khan in messages posted on his Facebook page.

UK

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Independence Day celebrated in London

- Spriha Srivastava

Once again the Indian Independence Day was celebrated with much enthusiasm and fanfare at the Indian Gymkhana Club in London. The High Commissioner Shri Ranjan Mathai hoisted the Tricolour followed by singing of the National Anthem.

Every year on Independence day and Republic day Indians all over the world yearn to see their tricolour hoisted, followed by the national anthem that leaves goosebumps, reminding you that no matter how far you stay from your country, the patriotism and the love for the country will always be there.

Addressing the gathering of thousands of NRIs, Mr. Mathai welcomed the members of Indian community for joining the celebrations.

More than 50 Indian Associations in the UK representing different regions and communities of India participated in the celebration. Depicting the confidence and ambitions of the youth of the nation and the rich heritage of the country, the representatives of these Associations presented a

Indian flag hoisting ceremony by HE Ranjan Mathai, Indian High Commissioner in presence of other delegates

pated in the celebrations in a large scale.

The Indian High Commission has been hosting an event of this nature for the past four years now. A community event of this sort brings the NRI population in UK closer to the Indian government representatives in the UK. It is also a goodwill gesture on part of the Indian High Commission to Indian High Commissioner HE Ranjan Mathai, Deputy Indian High Commissioner Dr Virander Paul, Mr Joginder Sanger, Dr Rami Ranger, acknowledge the Mr Sukhdev Singh Sidhu, Minister (Coordination), Indian High efforts made by Commission, Mr Atul Pathak, Mr Ashok Verma and other guests the established NRI community in the senting Councillors of colourful cultural proUK. The high commission Indian origin, Captains of gramme which included also celebrated the day on Industry, Academia, patriotic songs and August 15 at India House Youth, Students and buddances. by unfurling the Indian ding artists who particiRegional delicacies and cuisine of India were offered at the food stalls set up voluntarily by these Indian Associations. The event brought together the Indian diaspora repre-

Slumdog Actor Dev Patel falls into River whilst filming Slumdog Millonaire actor Dev Patel had to rescued out of the River Cam by actor Jeremy Irons after he lost his balance while filming The Man Who Knew Infinity in Cambridge.

Shocked onlookers watched as the star lost his footing and fell in to the cold waters of the River Cam. Luckily, Irons jumped to his aid to give him a helping hand.

The pair were stood at the side of the river, playing onlookers, for their roles in The Man Who Knew Infinity in Cambridge.

As Irons played his

part, vigorously applauding a punting race, the 24-year-old actor lost his footing and slipped down the bank into the cold river while clasping his text books as part of his role and had to wait to be rescued by Irons.

The pair spent the day by the River Cam filming at Trinity College in the historic university city as they rehearsed and shot scenes for the Hollywood epic about Indian mathematician Srinivasa.

flag and listening to the President of India’s speech.

During his speech, the Indian High Commissioner Mr. Ranjan Mathai named a number of prominent NRIs who have through their work have made India proud.

Also broadcast at the event was the address to the Mr Sudarshan Bhatia with his wife, Mr Shamsuddin Aga, Mr Pritam Lal, First Secretary(Coordination), Indian High Commission, Lord Nation by the Meghnad Desai and Mr CB Patel Hon’ble President ty of India. Modi also Shivaji carries a message, of India, Mr. Pranab emphasised on women which is universal. It must Mukherjee. The President development issues and become a living testament in his third Independence saving the girl child. that guides our behaviour Day speech to the nation Among other things he today. said intolerance and viopitched for e-governance, These words were lence is a betrayal of the saying e-governance is broadcast for the entire letter and spirit of democeasy governance, effective NRI community present racy and slammed those governance and said he at the Indian Gymkhana who believe in the "poison wants broadband connecClub in Osterley. And drip of inflammatory tivity for all. Mr Mathai thus even though many provocation". also extensively quoted would have heard the "Though an ancient from and referred to PM speech a few days back, civilization, India is a Modi's speech during his the experience of hearing modern nation with modspeech to the gathered it among your own peoern dreams. Intolerance audience. ple, in front of your and violence is a betrayal More than 200 faminational flag is something of the letter and spirit of lies attended the event. totally different. democracy. Those who But the biggest applause This year was also believe in the poison drip is for the number of Prime Minister’s of inflammatory provocaIndian associations in the Narendra Modi’s first tion do not understand UK that participated in Independence Day event India's values or even its the event. Be it a restauat the Red Fort.

In his present political impulses. rant group or a temple speech he said “'Come, Indians know that association, those behind Make in India'.

Sell anyprogress, economic or the stalls had just one where but come and mansocial, is difficult without objective, serving those peace," Mukherjee who had come. From hot said. poori chole to lavish rice, He recalled daal and sabji, to dhoklas, Maratha king Shivaji's pakoras, sweets, juices, letter to Aurangzeb water and so much more, when he imposed the stalls were the biggest "jizya". He told the attraction. emperor that Shah An event like this is Jehan, Jehangir and always a product of team Akbar could also have work and dedication. And levied this tax "but that has been extremely they did not give place evident in the past three to bigotry in their years. The Indian High hearts, as they considCommission has introered all men, high and low, created by God to Gujarat Samachar News Editor Mr duced a new way of celeKamal Rao with HE Ranjan Mathai brating the Indian be examples of the at Asian Voice and Gujarat Independence day for nature of diverse Samachar stall in Gymkhana those so far away from creeds and temperatheir country. ufacture here, we have the ments".

Photo courtesy: Raj D skills and talent,” a stateMukherjee said the Bakrania, Prmediapix ment that was welcomed 17th-century epistle of by the business communi-

Mikaeel Kular: Mother jailed for 11 years for killing son Rosdeep Adekoya, 34, from Edinburgh, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for killing her threeyear-old son Mikaeel Kular.

Ms Adekoya admitted, last month, to beating Mikaeel before stuffing his lifeless body into a suitcase.

She was originally charged with murder but pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of culpable homicide.

Mikaeel died on the night of Tuesday 14 January after Ms Adekoya lost her temper and beat the toddler following a previous restaurant outing.

He was smacked and hit on the body and head with a clenched fist after vomit-

ing repeatedly.

Adekoya dragged him to the shower by his arms and "beat him heavily" on his back as he lay over the bath edge, causing internal damage. He was kept away from nursery as his condition deteriorated and by Tuesday night he was reportedly "listless".

When his mother discovered his body on the floor of their Edinburgh home, she wrapped it in a duvet cover, concealed it in the suitcase and drove 25 miles to Kirkcaldy, Fife, to hide it in a nearby forest.

A major search was launched for the toddler after Ms Adekoya called 999 and reported Mikaeel missing in an attempt to hide the crime. She later broke down and admitted to police that it was an accident and she panicked.

The final cause of Mikaeel's death was reportedly found to be "blunt force abdominal trauma" and the court heard he had more than 40 separate injuries to his body.

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

Chaos at UK Border Control Thousands of illegal immigrants are disappearing through the UK’s borders every year, raising questions about Britain's ability to monitor jihadist terrorist suspects returning to the country from the Middle East, figures show.

The Home Office data show a dramatic increase in the proportion of immigrants who disappear after being stopped at border checks for carrying false passports or incorrect visas.

Figures released by the Government under Freedom of Information laws showed that 3,527 immigrants absconded after failing border checks last year. Only 846 were found, meaning 76 per cent – about 2,700 – remained at large.

As the statistics show only those individuals who have been challenged by border officers, the true magnitude of illegal immigrants avoid-

ing security is likely to be far higher.

The date comes at a signficant time for national security, after David Cameron and Theresa May, the Home Secretary, reportedly warned of a "generational struggle" against British jihadists who had travelled to fight with terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

According to the Government, at least 500 Britons have travelled to fight with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isil), which released a video last

week, of a fighter with a British accent beheading the American journalist, James Foley.

Ministers have insisted that Britain faces a direct threat from battlehardened fighters who seek to return to carry out attacks on home soil.

The data showed that, although the total number of immigrants who had absconded after being stopped at the border had fallen – from 9,362 in 2010 to 3,527 last year – the record for catching those who disappeared was worsening.

In 2010, 58 per cent of absconders were subsequently caught, but by last year this figure had fallen to 24 per cent.

Separate statistics, also from the Home Office, showed that 12 illegal migrants absconded from immigration removal centres in the past four years and seven more escaped while under escort.

Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Commons home affairs select committee, reportedly told The Telegraph: “These figures are of real concern and a worry in the context of the current security situation. It is of particular concern given the threat from returning British jihadists. We should be getting better, not worse, at dealing with those who are absconding. I will be seeking an urgent explanation from the Home Secretary as to why this is happening.”

Conservatives need to woo young ethnic voters to win key seats Over 50% of new voters in some Conservative constituencies will be nonwhite at the time of the next year’s general election, putting further pressure on parties to woo the ethnic minority vote, a data study shows.

Thirty-five out of the forty of the Tories’ target seats, along with 25 of the key marginals they already hold, will see an increase in the proportion of ethnic minorities among firsttime voters, according to the data study by Ian Warren, the elections analyst.

In the previous election, less than one in six voters from non-white backgrounds supported the Tories and there has been little sign of progress in this demographic since.

Hampstead and Kilburn and Harrow West, two battleground seats held by Labour, along with another north London marginal, Tory-held Hendon, will have a minority of whites voting

they would never vote Conservative, compared to 35 per cent of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin, and 23 per cent of those mainly of Indian origin.

for the first time.

In Harrow West, where the Tories are targeting a 6.8 per cent Labour majority, 34 per cent of firsttime voters will be white, the lowest proportion of any battleground seat.

In Hendon, where the Tories are defending a 0.2 per cent majority, 66 per cent of over 45s are white but only 45 per cent of new voters are. Across all 65 seats analysed, 87 per cent of first-time voters were white, compared to 95 per cent of voters over 45.

Of the non-white firsttime voters in key marginals , 1.9 per cent were Indian, 1.9 per cent Pakistani, 0.5 per cent Bangladeshi, 2.2 per cent black and 0.9 per cent Chinese. Some 3.4 per cent were classified as mixed race.

Studies carried out since 2010 show little sign of progress for the Tories among ethnic minority groups. Lord Ashcroft, the Tory peer who has been conducting research, found that 45 per cent of black respondents said

Friends and family pay tribute to teenager Friends and family have paid tributes to a teenager who was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Hertfordshire.

16year-old Fazan Ahmed's friends have described him as "one of the best people you could possibly hope to meet" as they mourned his death. The schoolboy was knocked down in Jupiter Drive, Hemel Hempstead, at about

Fazan Ahmed

8.25pm on Friday evening.

He was taken to St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington but died from

his injuries on Sunday evening, Hertfordshire police said.

Writing on an online tribute page, one friend wrote: "One of the best people you could possibly hope to meet, always smiling and always found a way to make any situation funny."

Police are hunting for the driver of a damaged blue car, who failed to stop at the scene.

7

Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel's daughter Ms Anarben Patel visited our London office on Friday 22 August 2014.

Anarben who is in London for her daughter's admission in a UK university, spoke extensively on business, social work and gift economy.

An exclusive interview will be published in the forthcoming issues of Asian Voice.

Man whose nose was sliced off gives evidence in trial A man whose nose was sliced off by a meat cleaver in a street fight, which left his rapper friend dying, has given evidence at the trial of four men accused of the murder.

Shajidur Rahman, 20, was left permanently disfigured with deep scars to his face and head in the attack which killed 19-year-old Isaac Stone on the evening of Saturday, January 25 in Bedford.

The aspiring rapper was allegedly chased and trapped during the fight, before he was punched repeatedly, kicked and stabbed several times, with a wound which entered his left lung.

Giving evidence at Luton Crown Court, Mr Rahman said he thought the fight would only be a 'fist fight', and was shocked

when he spotted one of the defendants, Fahim Khan, 20, armed with a weapon.

K h a n , Mohammed Hussain, 22, 19year-old Rubel Miah and his 21year-old brother Javed Miah all deny murder and attempted murder, as well as two counts of possession of an offensive weapon.

The court was told Rahman had suffered four deep cuts to his face, and his nose was effectively sliced off, with the cut off part left at the scene.

Following the arrest, three of the defendants made no comment when questioned by detectives, while Khan said he was not responsible for the injuries and was acting in self defence.

The trial continues.

8

UK

Clegg visits India with a 40 strong trade delegation

Continued from page 1 He was joined by Ed Davey, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, who travelled separately to Hyderabad on Wednesday, making him the first British Minister to engage with the new state of Telangana created in June, exploring opportunities for UK companies and strengthen collaboration on energy and climate change.

Lord Dholakia joined the business delegation in a new role as the Deputy Prime Minister’s India Business Adviser. In this unpaid role, he had the responsibility for supporting the business leaders travelling in the delegation and helping them to achieve their commercial objectives for the visit. He also ensured that new deals and business links are followed through to a successful outcome once the visit is over.

The delegation included major British businesses from the retail, including major British brands like United Biscuits, Lush Cosmetics and Pavers Shoes, aerospace and education sectors, reportedly signed deals and explored new opportunities with their Indian counterparts.

The Indian retail sector is expected to grow by 25% a year over the next two years, and the delegation hoped to take advantage of an aerospace market which is expected to be

community, business, cultural and sporting life is hugely enriched by our links with India. Thousands of students take part in exchange programmes such as the UK-India Education and Research Initiative, and I look forward to seeing how we can forge even deeper and stronger bonds between our Deputy PM NIck Clegg visiting a Sikh temple in India with Ed people.”

Davey, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Clegg wore traditional Indian clothing Indian and UK businesses have furthered UK-Indian while on a visit to a Sikh who will form a winning relations in the fields of temple and community combination to share their commerce, culture and kitchen in New Delhi and expertise and boost UKeducation, will be able to also laid a wreath at a India trade. do so online.

World War One memorial.

The Deputy Prime He also announced major Minister said: “It is a great Meeting with PM new initiatives to deepen honour to name the Narendra Modi the historic links between awards after Dadabhai the UK and India on the Naoroji. The Grand Old DPM Nick Clegg met second day in Mumbai. He Man of India is one of my PM Narendra Modi on the established a new award political heroes, having first day of his three-day dedicated to Dadabhai broken down enormous visit to India with a 40Naoroji, the first Asian barriers by entering the strong business delegation Member of the UK British Parliament as the from the UK. They disParliament and the man first Asian MP and chalcussed a number of issues who brought the first lenging European prejuwhere there is a natural Indian business to the UK, dices about Indians. He is partnership between the for individuals whose outcelebrated for his achieveUK and India including standing achievements ments in India and in the PM Modi's ambitious have strengthened relaUK, and it is fitting that we plans for growth, including tions between the UK and should name these awards how the Indian diaspora in India. The Awards will be after him. the UK is keen to invest open to anyone who wish“Combined with the more in India and what es to apply and will have huge expansion of steps could be taken to three categories - people exchanges for young peohelp those investments. who have furthered UKple between the UK and The discussion also Indian relations in the India, this award shows focused on how the UK's fields of commerce, culture the real importance we in expertise in innovative cliand education.

Britain attach to our relamate change technologies He also launched the tionship with India. could help India become a filming of Veda by Vistaar In addition, he has also greener country. In particProductions at Taj Mahal announced a new ular, they discussed how exchange programme that the UK would share its will see thousands of experiences of introducing young people from the UK new technologies, policies travel to India to work and and incentives through study. The Deputy Prime robust climate change legMinister announced a new islation. One idea that was British Council scheme discussed was UK assisthat will see 25,000 young tance on cleaning the people from the UK visit Ganges in light of India over the next five London's successful years. This will unlock cleanup of the River new opportunities for Thames. They talked about young people in the UK, further cooperation in an benefitting British stuarea where India and the dents whose experience of Bollywood actress Juhi Chawla and former British UK already have very living and working in India cricketer Farokh Engineer with DPM Nick Clegg in Mumbai strong and historic links. will help equip them for Further to improve the jobs in the global marketbenefits of this partnerPalace Hotel in Mumbai among top three in the place. ship, they spoke about the and announced that world over the next ten prospect of bringing leadVistaar is to invest £13 years, with 7% annual Education UK ing teachers from the UK's million in the UK over the growth. top institutions to teach in Alumni Award next 18 months, including Speaking to Asian India and the opportuni£7.2 million in the new Voice, ahead of his trip ties for cooperation in Clegg also announced production- Guru Dutt, Deputy Prime Minister vocational training. a new Education UK which will be partly made said:“I am delighted to be Finally, they discussed the Alumni Award, that will in the UK. He further leading the first trade deleWorld Trade Organisation also open for nominations announced the launch of a gation to India since the talks and agreed that in October to recognise new post-production facilielection of the new governincreased global trade Indians who studied in the ty in Manchester which ment. Prime Minister should benefit all sections UK and made an impact will be used as a hub for Modi has been very clear of society, including the on their return to India. the editing of Indian films that his absolute priority is poorest.

The awards will demonbeing shot in the UK, creto get the wheels of the strate the benefits of a ating jobs and attracting Indian economy moving, British university educafurther investment from to create more jobs, boost Dadabhai Naoroji tion, both to the students the Bollywood industry. trade and pursue greater Awards themselves and to their On the last day of his prosperity. wider communities. tour, during a visit to “There is already £16 The Dadabhai Naoroji In addition, 25 India’s hi-tech capital, billion of trade every year awards will be presented Chevening Scholarships Bangalore, Nick Clegg between India and the UK. by the Deputy Prime were announced that will praised the special relaIndia invests more in the Minister at a Foreign be reserved for young tionship between UK and UK than it does in the rest Office ceremony in the Indian entrepreneurs.

Indian companies. of the European Union Autumn. Nominations will These scholarships will Opening a new Tech Hub combined, and no country open on 1 September: anyoffer highly enterprising and UK Indian Business in the G20 invests more in one who would like to individuals – Indian’s Centre in Bangalore, the India than Britain does. nominate an individual, future business leaders Deputy Prime Minister “In addition, there are either in the UK or in the opportunity to study a paid tribute to the technithe historic cultural links.

India, whose achievements one-year Master’s at any cal mix of innovative The rich tapestry of British

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

Clegg backs Indian students coming to UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, has backed leading Conservative Party politician in his suggestion to exclude foreign students from the government's plan to cut immigration to the UK. Michael Heseltine, the former Deputy PM, said the government risked damaging Britain's universities if students from outside the European Union are included in official immigration figures. He told the BBC that foreign students were "not the sort of people that are causing the anxiety about immigration" Mr Heseltine added that the public did not see students as part of the "immigration problem" and described foreign student as a "great asset financially and educationally" to the UK. Mr Clegg said that the UK needed a "tough but smart" immigration policy - tough on illegal activity such as gangs and bogus colleges, but smart in terms of attracting talented people from abroad.

Speaking about Indian students coming to study in the UK, DPM Nick Clegg in India said, “There is no limit on the number of Indian students who can come and study in the UK. We welcome them with open arms because in many ways our education sector is the engine room of our friendship. That is why I was so keen to bring universities and colleges with me as part of my delegation so they can extend the unique experience of a British education to more Indian students.”

The Home Office said students would continue to be counted in its figures.

UK university.

British company Global Education Management Ltd signed a memorandum of understanding with Amity University School of Hospitality enabling more students moving in both directions to undertake internships and work expe-

rience in the hospitality industry.

Bournville College in the West Midlands will also open a £500,000 Centre of Excellence in Kolkata at the end of the year to train local people in “soft skills”, technical education and healthcare.

UK's richest man calls for greater trade links with India Britain's wealthiest family have called for Britain to give India preferential immigration and investment status over other countries to boost bilateral trade.

Gopichand Hinduja, who along with his brother Srichand were number on the Sunday Times Rich List earlier this year, has called for PM David Cameron to relax immigration restrictions, which have caused ange among Indian business leaders, and help bring back dozens of major infrastructure projects stalled by lack of finance.

Gopichand Hinduja was speaking on Monday 25th August, as Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, called for the UK’s India visa rules to be relaxed as he arrived in New Delhi with a large trade delegation.

David Cameron made increasing trade with India a priority shortly after his election in 2010 and has visited India three times since then, while George Osborne, the Chancellor, and William Hague, then foreign secretary, also visited last month. But despite the intense focus, there have not been any reciprocal visits or major deals made for British companies.

Speaking to a national daily, Hinduja reportedly said Britain should seize the opportunity of Narendra Modi’s new leadership to make a practical demonstration of its support. In addition, the UK should make it easier for Indian students to stay longer in Britain after graduating, offer greater flexibility for Indian businessmen who want to bring their domestic servants during business trips to London and help finance and complete major infrastructure projects now languishing as non-performing assets with the banks which part-financed them.

Under Mr. Hinduja’s proposals, Britain could encourage some of its companies to finance and complete the construction of these projects in exchange for fast approvals from the Indian government and the prospect of operational power stations, roads and bridges within two years.

The Hindujas are willing to invest $10 billion in such projects, Gopichand Hinduja reportedly said.

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

Leading Lights

Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

A British Film Maker who loves his country Munsur Ali was born in Bangladesh and arrived in the UK at the age of two. He grew up in East London. He went to a Church of England school. After hours he studied Arabic and Bangla. He also taught himself to speak Urdu.

Munsur graduated with honours in ‘B.A. Film and TV Production’ and set up a film production company in 2003. He is the founder and CEO of the Limelight Film Awards. In January 2014 he was in the ‘British Bangladeshi Power and Inspiration 100’ list.

Munsur’s debut feature film “Shongram” (Struggle) is a romantic drama set during the 1971 Bangladesh liberation struggle. Munsur is the writer, producer and director of “Shongram.” It was in the LIFF, the first time a Bangladeshi based film has been selected for the London Indian Film

Munsur Ali

Festival.

The story tell how a reporter, Sarah (Asia Argento) interviews a Bangladeshi Londoner,

Karim (Anupam Kher) on his deathbed in 2014.

Karim shares his story of four decades ago. Asia has been in “Triple X,” star-

ring Vin Diesel and Marie Antoinette, and appears alongside Bangladeshi artists Aman Reza and Dilruba Yasmeen Ruhee.

The script editor Billy Mackinnon worked on “Piano,” and “Hideous Kinky,” starring Kate Winslet.

Munsur gave the Asian Voice an interview straight after a festival screening if his film at Cineworld in Shaftesbury Avenue.

He said that he had first thought of producing this film around 10 years ago, but had not felt ready.

He worked on other peoples’ films, built his confidence and then started work on the million pound project.

“You don’t need a lot of money to make a film,” he explained, “but without a certain set amount it is hard to hit a certain production level, look and feel. It’s an ongoing challenge for independent film makers. The budget was a mixture of cash, deferred payments, and loans.”

Munsur said that there were three big challenges making “Shongram;” “Money, distribution and PR, and Bangladesh is a beautiful country but the heat was unbearable.

We were always having to shade ourselves and keep ourselves hydrated. I lost 10 kgs out there. “ So how did he meet

the challenges?

“I decided to put some of my money down,” he explained.”I had a lot of friends who believed in me who put their money in. I spoke to suppliers and facilitators here and in Bangladesh

“I had a lot of friends who believed in me” who came on board.

Some facilitators had some really good offers but I’m trying to balance it out so the offer matches the film. For the heat, we had the cars on standby so the minute they said, ‘Cut,’ we dashed into the cars on air conditioning. I tried to go in the cold period in Bangladesh; October to November but even then it was warm for us.

We were filming in the northeast; it’s scenic and leafy with open fields and beautiful colours.

Because the film was set in the autumn of ’71 [the year that Bangladesh won its independence from Pakistan] we couldn’t shoot anywhere near the cities; they are too devel-

9

oped. I wanted an old feel to the film, it couldn’t look too modern.”

Munsur’s film generated a heated discussion during the festival’s Q and A session and he is clearly committed to his work. Like most creatives, he has projects on the go and has two films in the pipeline, he said.

“I have one film that is based on the film industry. It is about how an individual comes in.

From the outside, we see the amazement, the glitz and the glamour, how it mesmerises us, but this is about what actually happens behind the scenes to produce a movie; the challenges in making a film happen, told in a nice twisty, entertaining kind of way.

The second is based on the Bible and the Koran. It will be controversial; just by putting those two names into one sentence. It will definitely raise a few eyebrows.

It will take a little more time to happen. I have been researching comparative religion for the last 10 years. I have been speaking to scholars from different faiths, so I can make the film, [to show] that there is continuity within the ideology, the representations. This film is fiction but relies on the factual events of the Abrahamic faiths.

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10

YOUR VOICE

British Sikhs

You have a headline on page 15 of last week's Asian Voice - British Sikhs Demand a Special Monument to Remember the Fallen. I presume they mean the fallen Sikhs and not everyone from the sub-continent. I have never personally been in favour of separating groups who fought in either war such Muslims, Rajputs or Jats. They fought and died together and they should be remembered together.

However, if the Sikhs really want the monument there is no-one they can demand this from. All memorials and monuments in this country are built through public subscription. The Government will not pay for them and has never done so. The Sikhs will have to raise their own funds to build a monument and also find a location which is acceptable to them and to those who give permissions for monuments. We personally had a lot of trouble with English Heritage and that is another stumbling block which they will have to sort out. In other words it is not easy to build a monument of any sort and it takes a huge amount of effort and commitment to get something like this off the ground. I very much hope that they are aware of the difficulties before they launch into this.

Baroness Shreela Flather Via Email

Ideal Village

Narendrabhai Modi announced an Ideal Village project in his speech on our independence day. Each MP. should take responsibility of transforming one village into an Ideal Village. He has great vision and ideas how to achieve it. From my personal experience, I think the scheme can bring astounding results.

In 1953 our family moved to a small village with my father, who took charge of a newly opened high school. This was a very rural area without any basic facilities.

In short time, the village was transformed into an Ideal Village with efficient facilities in education, medical and transport. The high school and the boarding moved to new purpose built buildings, with all the facilities available then. The medical center with maternity unit opened to provide health care to the residents.

It had mobile unit to serve other small villages. Once a day bus service to a nearest town increased to a network of bus routes, every half an hour, connecting many villages and cities. A nursery, library, Mahila Mandal (women’s group), Ggruh Udyog, followed soon. The village brightened up with electricity. I remember, listening to speeches of leaders including President Eisenhower’s speech on the radio in the school assembly when he visited India.

We students successfully ensured each household used a container (big kerosene tin) to collect waste. The community, the leaders, the teachers and one member of state parliamen and school children voluntarily worked hard with enthusiasm. The initiative will sure to expedite the progress of the country.

Ila Kapadia Via Email

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

Independent Scotland

A 98 year old lady recently wrote a letter to the editor in the Financial Times. She suggested that if life expectancy in some parts of Glasgow is 45 compared to Iceland's 81, it is shameful of some Scottish people to vote no on 18 September. I was bemused by the TV Debate between Alistair Darling for no and Alex Salmond for yes vote. The debate about North Sea oil, or NHS, or currency and how that would evolve is a very narrow way at looking at the much wider picture.

May be Scotland should find the answer in the management theory of promoting people to the next level of incompetence. Scottish people may not be competent to run their "country" now; but if promoted to do so, they could rise to the occasion.

After a decade or two, the English who often follow a wait and see policy, could apply to join Scotland if they find them far more successful by then.

Westminster Parliament could then be moved to Edinburgh. Both nations then could live happily together. I wonder why Pakistan has not applied to join India again.

UK joined Eurobus as original European partner. When profits were low, they got out. When profits were high again they rejoined paying a higher price for their original share.

Nagindas Khajuria Via Email

Michchami Dukkadam

Last week, 22 August to 29 August, marked the most auspicious period in the Jain calendar. Jains all over the world celebrated Paryushana - the eight day period of fasting and religious activities. It is a period of repentance for the acts of the previous year and of austerities to help shed the accumulated karma. During Paryushana, most Jains fast and participate in religious activities like performing Samayik (a ritual practice during which we try to come closer to our soul) and Pratikraman (During Pratikraman we repent for our non-meritorious activities on a daily basis. We realize our mistakes and ask for forgiveness, which helps us to minimize the intensity of the “karmas” as well as it helps to get rid of the karmic bondage). We, members of Shree Jain Sangh East London and Essex, celebrated Paryusahana in the halls of Oaks Park School, in Newbury Park, Ilford.

On the last day of Paryushana, called Samvatsari, it is obligatory on Jains to fast and perform an extended version of Pratikraman. At the end of Samvatsari, Jains beg forgiveness from all by greeting them with the words “Michchami Dukkadam”. It means ‘may the bad deeds done by me become fruitless’. In other words, forgive me for all the bad deeds, actions, thoughts, or words that may have directly, indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally hurt your feelings. I too would like to take this opportunity to say “Michchami Dukkadam” to all readers of AV and GS. Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

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ASIAN VOICE

Mahatma’s statue

While I appreciate Amritbhai’s sentiments, I hope he shares our sadness, anguish and deep pain these foolish, aggressive, denigrated, unwarranted attacks on Gandhiji by some misguided forlorn individuals in national papers for few credulous readers. It should not be too difficult to judge reasons behind these ventriloquist dummies with depleted bunker mentality attacks on Mahatma who should have put their phraseological, pyrotechnics powers to better use.

Learned, well informed and highly intellectual, decorous people like Dr Ranger, Lord Desai, Lord Parekh have eloquently, truthfully answered all these malicious, mischief making allegations.

Gandhi’s life was an open book. He readily admitted his weakness, shortfalls, admitting that he left the bedside of his dying father to have sex with his teenage wife that hurt his conscious until his death.

He abstained from sex at relatively early age and his trial of strength against temptation may not contain conventional wisdom but it was genuine, open and well documented. Trying to make him out some kind of Jimmy Saville is vile, contemptuous and of spatial dimensions, beyond belief. He is the noblest soul to grace earth since Lord Jesus Christ.

If Nelson Mandela, Barak Obama, Martin Luther King, Archbishop Tutu with criterion worshiping Gandhi, then who are we to muddle, tarnish his name for few minutes of fame. Then we all suffer from debilitating corrosive mentality, subservient attitude; behave like colonial stooges, living under Raj? Let someone who has not committed single misdeed throw the first stone!

Bhupendra Gandhi Via Email

Gandhi's good side

I understand that Shri Amratlal Vara likes to sympathise with Kusoom Vadgama in his letter of the 23rd August.

Everybody is free to have his/her opinion.

We differ from hers as we dwell on Gandhi's good side.

British Chancellor Osbourne and ex Foreign Secretary Hague went to India for Business and Investment in the UK. Like our Tata, Mittal, Hinduja Brothers if some more Indians bring talent and investments to Britain, they will be happy to erect Gandhi's Statue in Parliament Square to please Modi's India. If they do, it's a great honour for India! Here I should also say Gandhiji didn't attend India Independence Day celebration because he was heartbroken to accept the partitioned India.

The Times of the 9th August also was happy picking up her controversial views.

Because of lack of unity and patriotism, India was invaded and ruled over by Muslims, British, French and Portuguese for centuries. Once Einstein said people will hardly believe in future that such a great man as Gandhiji ever walked on the face of the Earth!

Upendra Kapadia

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Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations

This week Hindus will celebrate festival of pre Hindu / Vedic deity Lord Ganesh. Invoking him to initiate all rituals and ceremonies has made him eternal.

Symbolic explanations about Ganesh are aplenty. As remover of obstacles, he is invoked before /and at all rituals/ceremonies, and personal ventures. His ears signify keen listener, stomach denotes storing information, and vehicle the mouse as nimble lightweight of his body.

His devotion to parents is illustrated by considering them as the whole world and circumambulating them. Marriage with skills and prosperity–Ridhhi/Sidhhi–is direct result of parental blessings.

This symbolism is accepted by faithful, without question. But can we convince youngsters armed with modern knowledge, technology, gadgets/brainwashed by multi cultural, religious environment/peer pressure?

Why all-knowing Shiva was ignorant that Ganesh was his son? How Ganseh can be created from sweat of motherParvati, in remote mountains, devoid of medical facilities? How can human body accept elephant’s head when human transplants are rejected? Elephant being an animal of flat grassland or forest cannot be expected to survive on mountainous Himalaya/Kailash! Could obese Ganesh ride a mouse, or did bull sized mouse existed then? Vedic/ Hindu scriptures must be re-invented to attract youth.

Ramesh Jhalla Via email

Lessons to be learnt

In any sports winning or losing is a part of the game. Success or failure, good time or bad time, happiness or sadness, ups and down are two wheels of chariot of our life's journey and we must balance this journey without ego of arrogance. By the grace of Almighty Lord and boon of our good 'Karma' we are very successful in businesses, jobs, sports, or in social and religious fields.

America's late President Abraham Lincoln faced so many hardship and defeats-some humiliations before becoming President of America and that too being son of a cobbler and was very instrumental for abolishing slavery and became very popular in the world and still remembered by everyone.

Last but not least British Asian of Indian origin must celebrate England's (their adopted country) winning gracefully and with sportsman spirit and accept India's losing with the same spirit.

Suresh and Bhavna Patel Ontario, Canada

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

Economist with a passion for Politics

Tanveer Mann

Abishek Sachdev is the CEO of Vedanta Hedging and has recently become the youngest Hindu councillor for Hertsmere. His new position, he hopes, will allow him to help the community of Hertsmere as much as he can. His company, Vedanta Hedging is an independent firm which assists clients in obtaining fairer Interest Rates and Currency hedge pricing, as well as advising them on what is most appropriate for their business from an impartial perspective.

Despite diverting to business more recently, Mr Sachdev has always had a passion for the world of politics from a young age.

Since his election, he has rejoined with a newfound enthusiasm and wealth of experience, ready to tackle the problems of today. “It feels fantastic, and I feel greatly honoured that I’m able to serve my community having lived here since a young boy. I’m also very appreciative of my family, friends, and fellow Councillors who helped me to campaign successfully,” he said enthusiastically.

Why now and why Potters Bar? “The key reason is that as a Hindu, we are taught that service to community or 'seva' is a fundamental part of daily life.

Having lived in Potters Bar for 26 years, I thought that this was the ideal community for me to start helping. I've worked with dozens of MPs, Ministers and Lords across all parties in the last three years and have seen first-hand the real change that political pressure can bring about.”

The road to being elected did not come easy, particularly because he was the youngest councillor in his area and did not

have previous direct campaigning experience. “To be elected, I had to apply and demonstrate why I would be a good community advocate for my local area, as well as promote and accept the key policies of the Conservative Party.

I had an interview with the Leader of the Council, and also a panel interview by five different existing Councillors. I was open and candid about my experience during my interview process, and explained that I had held several elected positions at University which involved democratic elections.”

Discussing the benefits of the invaluable experience he has gained over the years, he said: “Having studied Economics, worked at HM Treasury, and working in banking and financial services, I am able to bring numerical analytical skills to my role. A key passion for me is explaining complex financial concepts in simple terms. For example, I have already contributed to both Audit and Financial Scrutiny committees which have a powerful role as a 'check and balance'.”

As with most councillors, Mr Sachdev has an agenda which he would like to tackle – one which directly relates to engaging the younger voters who live in Potters Bar and

Hertsmere, as well as more ethnic minorities.

He added, “I also want to ensure that at every opportunity, we promote and support SMEs to grow and develop. There has been some recent work done to help provide flexible, subsidised office space for start-ups and this is exactly what I want to build upon. This is because SMEs are vital to generate growth and employment.”

As a successful CEO and an ambitious councillor, it is evident Mr Sachdev's passion runs wide and deep. One must ask how he manages to achieve a balance between the two. Admittedly, he muses, “throw an active two-year old into the mix and it really tests your work-life balance! It has not been easy, particularly since a lot of the meetings are in the evenings.

However, I have a close support network of family and a superb wife who helps me to manage this!

In addition, I am able to conduct a lot of work remotely for both constituents and the Council.”

Politics is often considered foreign to many Asians, with many dominating the more 'traditional' fields of medicine or accountancy. Mr Sachdev has shown his enthusiasm for both and hopes he can encourage more younger Asians to do the same. Mr. Sachdev said: “Attitudes are changing fast amongst young Asians. Asians love to network and talk, and learn a lot from watching what others do in their community. I hope to engage younger Asians by helping them understand that the very things they care about such as education, employment, business growth are all influenced by politics.”

Swaminarayan School pupils break new boundaries The publication of the GCSE results of 2014 has delivered another record breaking year for pupils at The Swaminarayan School. The percentage of pupils achieving 5A*-C is 100% once again; the percentage of pupils achieving A*-C is 96% (national average 68.8%) with 81% of the grades at A*-B. 98% percentage of the pupils achieved 5A*-C grades with English and Mathematics.

The performance score per pupil of 660 has broken all previous standards at the school.

The most outstanding

result for a pupil was for Vishali Pala who achieved a phenomenal 15A* and 2A grades, a staggering 17 GCSEs; Anushri Pindoria achieved 12A*and 4A grades; Samanta Zahir achieved 12A* and 1A grades; and Eeshaan Verma achieved 8A* and 6A grades. Aditya Venugopal achieved 7A*and 7A and Monique Amin achieved 6A* and 8A grades.

Headteacher Nilesh Manani said, “The government has imposed a lot of changes on the current cohort. It is pleasing to deliver another fine set of results for the pupils despite the pressures of these changes. We didn’t make it easier for them by introducing International GCSEs in the sciences. Yet with a clear strategy that focuses on what is best for the pupils, we have managed to deliver another outstanding set of results. We are all very proud of the pupils and congratulate them for another superb year.”

EDUCATION/COUNCIL VOICE

11

Mum’s joy over cancer daughter’s GCSE success

- Dhiren Katwa

to Congratulations Mohini Radia Samani from Birmingham on passing her GCSEs with flying colours.

Cancer patient Mohini, 16, got grades six A, three A-star and a C. She did her at King GCSEs Edward VI Handsworth School where she will return next month to do A’ Levels in Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Economics. Her proud mum, Urvashi, said: “I’m thrilled at Mohini’s results.

She’s worked very hard to get to where she is now and a great source of inspiration to me too.”

Mohini, pictured, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a form of blood cancer,

exactly seven years to the day of her GCSE results.

Mohini, from Smethwick, said: “When you are diagnosed with cancer your life is turned upside down. It was a very scary time and I was not sure what life had in store for me. I had to grow up very quickly and I almost felt that I had to turn into an adult overnight. One of the biggest changes I faced after starting treatment was school. Due to the

treatment I was often not well enough to attend school. I found this very isolating because school is such a big part of life and all of a sudden it was just gone.”

Cancer remains, still, a taboo theme within the Asian community. “One should not fear or be ashamed of having cancer, “ says Mohini. “You can still live life to the full and make the most of each day.”

Every day, 10 children and young people in the UK hear the shocking news they have cancer.

Although survival rates are over 80 per cent, cancer remains the single largest cause of death from disease in children and young people in the UK.

Harrow Mayor visits Hare Krishna Temple on Janmashtami The mayor of Harrow Cllr Ajay Maru, joined thousands of people at the Hare Krishna temple for the annual Janmashtami festival to celebrate birth of Lord Krishna. The Mayor, who was joined by the council's deputy leader Cllr Keith Ferry, said: “This is one of the most special days in the Hindu calendar and I am honoured to have been able to attend and celebrate the birthday of Lord Krishna with the thousands of people

that attended.

“For many Harrow residents this is their local temple and I hope they enjoyed the festival which this year focused on the values of hope and peace which is relevant and important in today’s society.

“It was also amazing to see how the grounds were transformed and brought to life by the thousands of volunteers who helped.”

Culture

Nadia Manzoor brings 'Burq-Off' to London

As the debate about immigration and integration rages on in the UK, one young BritishPakistani Muslim woman is set to provide a unique insight into the challenges faced by immigrants themselves in an alien land.

'Burq-Off!' is an hilarious new onewoman show by writer and stand-up comic Nadia Manzoor, who is daring to explore the eternal migrant tussle between the need to better integrate and the religious and cultural demands of their own communities.

After a series of soldout performances in the United States, the show arrives in Nadia's hometown of London this September.

Written, produced and performed by the 31-yearold, 'Burq-Off!' is an autobiographical 'variety' show in which Nadia draws on her own life experiences to play 21 different characters - from her domineering Pakistan-born father and radicalised twin brother, through her saucy school friend and overbearing aunts, to the Islamic studies teacher with a sideline in pornog-

raphy.

The show explores the myriad conflicts of identity, sexuality and culture Nadia had to contend with growing up in a conservative Pakistani family in Hertfordshire, and provides a rare woman's perspective into the eternal quest to belong to two wildly opposing cultures.

Born in Chicago, Nadia Manzoor grew up in Hertfordshire.

Her Muslim parents, originally from Sindh province in Pakistan, were deeply conservative, imposing myriad restrictions on their daughter.

She was required to wear loose-fitting clothes; the accidental uncovering of an ankle inside the house was considered 'Haram' and contact with boys was forbidden or carefully monitored. As

she grew up, Nadia - as with countless other children of immigrant families who choose tribalism over integration - struggled with the rigidity at home and the strange 'freedoms' the outside world offered.

At university, her shackles began to break as Nadia refused her parents' plea to join a Muslim women's association and instead took up theatre and fell in love with an Irish Catholic.

After university, as her identity conflict intensified, Nadia fled to Boston amid threats to her and her partner. In the land of the free, her relationship faltered and her estrangement from her family deepened.

She later moved to New York where she dealt with the turmoil in her life by penning a poignant and funny memoir in-between teaching improvisational skills to women in the Big Apple.

The memoirs later became 'Burq-Off!': one woman's poignant and inspirational journey of self-discovery.

12

MEDIA WATCH

Enough was enough. Indian Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh called on Basit Ali, Pakistan’s High Commissioner in Delhi, to postpone, not cancel, his meeting with Kashmiri separatist leaders in the Indian capital in view of the forthcoming IndoPakistan talks between their respective foreign secretaries (heads of department) on August 23 in Islamabad. Her appeal fell on deaf ears and the meeting went ahead as planned. The Indian response was swift and commendably firm: the IndoPakistan talks were cancelled. Hurriyat leader Mirwaz was truculent, warning India of confrontation and violence in the valley.

His colleagues in the separatist leadership echoed the threat.

The chapter of shadow boxing was over, with both sides in a position to take stock of the situation. There was the customary breast-beating from veteran performers of this self-chosen art by the Telegraph’s Diplomatic Correspondent K.P. Nayar, who averred that the decision had less to do with Indian foreign policy and more to do with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) internal politics. As foreign policy does falls within the remit of the government, Nayar’s claim, present without supporting evidence, was strange, to say the least. Nayar shouldn’t confuse his personal preference with that of the Indian public. The Hindu (August 20) paraded the Hurriyat’s great and good to vent their apoplexy on its pages. Such phenomena must be allowed to pass as the usual political theatre designed to intimidate the Indian people. The ultimate goal of the Hurriyat and its jihadi affiliates is making the valley and its surrounds an Islamist entity in a bid to cleanse the land of the Hindu Pandit presence, as happened several years ago when the Pandits were forced out of their ancestral homes for the sanctuary of refugee camps. Stephen Sackur’s searching interview on BBC Television’s Hard Talk - with a senior Coptic cleric in Cairo on the dire situation facing the Christian community in Egypt and the entire Middle East - is well worth watching, it will tell you all you would wish to know about Islamism and its treatment of minority faiths..

Intimidation During the Hurriyat-backed insurgency in the Kashmir valley in 1989, the insurgents and the New York Times Barbara Crossette, proclaimed ringingly that a fundamental shift in the

the technology of production.”

Hence past Indian governments, from Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Manmohan Singh, backed off when faced with terrorist outrages from across the border because of fears that the Indian economy would suffer damage

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

of the Planning Commission… ..We envision the proposed institutions one that caters to the aspirations of 21st century India and strengthens the participation of the States,” he said.

(Hindu August 20)

State focus on foreign links

India’s foreign policy will focus on business and cultural ties, hence the States are set to play a critical role in the making of Indian foreign policy. The Union Government in Delhi will give more space to the States to in their endeavours to attract investment from abroad and promote business ties with foreign partners. Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj outlined this new approach on her recent visit to Singapore, where she was followed by a succession of chief ministers, starting with Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee, then to come Rajasthan’s Vasundhara Raje, Telangana’s Chandrasekhara Rao and Andhra’s Chandrababu Naidu. (Times of India August 18)

Magnetic levitation for high-tech trains

India is on course to build a network of high speed trains by opting for magnetic levitation technology with the wheels of trains floating a few inches above the track. As the train surges to top speed, WiFi and mobile phone connections will continue to work seamlessly, for the entire eco-system will be in electronicsintensive and microprocessor controlled so that wayside signals will be reflected on the locomotive’s control panel. During his Japan visit and his conversations with China’s prime minister, Narendra Modi will explore complete financial options at close to zero interest rates.

(Hindu August 20)

TCS, Bharti join Clean India call

Sujatha Singh (Forein Secretary), Mirwaiz (Kashmiri Hurriyat leader)

Subcontinent’s power equation was in progress. No such luck .The chastened jihadis wee put back in their box. .The Business Line (August 20) front-page headline opined that “Uncertainty looms over future of India-Pakistan trade talks.”

Such talks in the past have gone nowhere, and there was little sign that it would be any different this time. With Pakistan in political lock-down, IndiaPakistan are in lock-down too.

Strategy required

The Mint editorial headline (August 20) – “India should stop appeasing Pakistan” - was bang on target. Pakistan, it said, is hostage to the “technology of conflict,” while India holds to

from a conflict with Pakistan, where guns have always had precedence over butter.

New forum, for old

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done away with the 64 yearold Planning Commission and decided to set up a new body fit for 21st century purpose. His tweet asking the public to send in their suggestions reflects a common touch, and no doubt, some of the ideas sent in may be useful. That said, this is an area for specialist knowledge, so the final call will have to be made them in the driving seat. In his Independence Day address, he said: We need to have a new soul…..Very soon this new institution will start working in place

TATA Consultancy Services (TCS) and Bharti Enterprises have responded swiftly to Prime Minister Modi’s Independence Day call for a sweeping improvement in India’s sanitary facilities, with the former announcing plans to invest Rs 100 crore erecting toilets in 10,000 schools across the country, especially for girl pupils. Bharti’s Rs 100 crore goal is to target Ludhiana district in Punjab, particularly government schools in rural areas for the construction of toilets.

The company’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Sunil Bharti Mittal undertook to complete the project within the current term, at the end of which, it is hoped, every household and school would be equipped with toilets. (Business Line August 19)

Chennai liver saves Coimbatore life

A commendable emergency airlift involving multiple agencies, the liver of a 27 yearold Chennai man, declared brain dead, following a road accident, his liver was transplanted onto a patient to a patient in the textile city of Coimbatore. The organ was retrieved by as team of surgeons West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited Singapore at the Koval Medical Centre Chemis said the church preand Hospital in Coimbatore, ferred to take Mr Modi’s call for where the organ had been disa ten-year moratorium on compatched by the Tamil Nadu munalism policy applications Cadaver Transplant Registry, before the government’s record which monitors such cases and is subjected to close critical coordinates donor dispersal to scrutiny. “It is sensible and legitthe right patient in the right imate that any government area. It is a tribute to good needs time to settle down and organization and medical care. work out his policies. He has (Hindu August 18) been elected……We are opti-

Sanitary sales soar

Buoyed by investor confidence, Ahmedabad-based bathroom company, Cera Sanitaryware, has witnessed a quantum jump in sales equaled by a steep fourfold rise in share value. The Indian government’s determined push to improve sanitation, coupled with the housing boom across the country have done the trick. Cera, which has an integrated business portfolio of bathroom solutions, has by far outperformed the industry growth of 36 per cent, where the former has grown by 15 per cent.

Cera’s distribution network in the past two years has increased from 500 distributors and 5000 retailers to 5,000 distributors and 14,000 retailers.

Church accord with Modi

The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) has said the church would not prejudge Prime Minister’s Modi’s record of inter-faith inclusiveness on the basis of the happenings in Gujarat over a decade ago, when he was the state chief

mistic,” he said (Hindu August 20)

Parsis celebrate New Year

The Delhi Parsi Anjuman celebrated the Parsi New Year, Nowruz, with appropriate gusto.

There was a lavish celebratory Nowruz dinner at which Parsi cuisine, such as Dhansag, did the rounds. With dwindling numbers pointing to an uncertain future, many in the Delhi Anjuman support inter-community marriages, said Dadi Mistry, its President. India could do with more Tatas, Bhabhas, Sethnas and Manekshaws (Hindu August 19)

B.K.S. Iyengar dies

Legendary yoga guru, B.K.S. Iyengar, died, aged 96, at a hospital in his hometown Bangalore on August 20. He made yoga accessible to all humankind regardless of class or faith. He was instructor to Yehudi Menuhin and his large following (particularly in the West) extended across 70 countries.

He became a legend in his life-

Yoga guru BKR Iyengar

minister. A day after he met the Prime Minister in Delhi, CBCI President Cardinal Basilios

time, a luminous and inspirational figure wherever he went (Hindu August 21)

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

1400 children sexually exploited due to social workers fearing being seen as racist

L-R: Adil Hussain, Zafran Ramzan, Umar Razaq, Razwan Razaq and Mohsin Khan

1400 children were sexually abused and exploited by several Asian men over a period of 16 years and were allowed to go unreported because social workers feared they would be seen as racist, a report said on Tuesday 26 August.

Children as young as 11 were trafficked, beaten, and raped by large numbers of men between 1997 and 2013 in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, whilst agencies turned a blind eye, the council commissioned review into child protection revealed.

According to the report's author, Professor Alexis Jay, 'several staff described their nervousness about identifying the ethnic origins of perpetrators for fear of being thought racist'. Mr Jay condemned the 'blatant' collective failures by the council's leadership, concluding: 'It is hard to describe the appalling nature of the abuse that child victims suffered.'

Fears had also been raised by schools over the 16 years but the alerts were not reported.

Teachers reported seeing children as young as 11, 12 and 13 being picked up outside schools by cars and taxis, given presents and mobile phones and taken to meet large numbers of unknown men in Rotherham or other local towns and cities.

Analysing the case studies, Prof Jay said many of the children came from dysfunctional families, had parents with addictions, and had suffered domestic or sexual abuse as a child.

The cases in Rotherham first came to attention in 2010 when five men, reportedly described by a judge as 'sexual predators', were given long jail terms after they were found guilty of grooming teenage girls for sex.

The five men - Umar Razaq, Adil Hussain, Razwan Razaq, Zafran Ramzan, and Mohsin

TRAVLIN

Khan - preyed on their victims over several months and threatened them with violence if they refused their advances.

The men, all Britishborn Pakistanis, attacked the four girls in play areas, parks and in the back of their cars, Sheffield Crown Court heard.

The girls, who were being monitored by social services, were eventually rescued by police and removed from their homes after growing concerns for their safety.

Jewish comedian highlights vast Muslim-Jewish culture clash Noted Jewish comedian David Baddiel has said that Britain’s Muslim and Jewish communities are now so radicalised they have gone from being “in perfect harmony” to complete opposites.

Mr Baddiel reportedly said that over the past 20 years, the two communities have become “opposites” and the gap between them is similar to that between rich and poor.

Mr Baddiel made his comments on the Radio Times before the opening of a musical version of The Infidel, based on a film he wrote about a Muslim who discovers he was born a Jew. He reportedly said: “Like any concerned rightthinking person, I’m

Comedian David Baddiel

hooked to the 24-hour news channels at the moment, doing my best to absorb the troubling news about the Middle East.

These days, Muslims and Jews are seen as opposites – like old/young or rich/poor. But when I was growing up, that wasn’t the case – it’s happened over the past 20 years, with increasing radicalisa-

The Muslim group Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (Minab), set up after the 7/7 terrorist attacks in London, has cut its ties with the government, after a dispute with the Home Office. This comes in the wake of a wider level of a souring of relationships between Muslim organisations and ministers.

Minab was founded with ministers’ support in 2006 to create foundational standards and promote good governance in mosques and Islamic centres. However, the group has now stopped receiving public money after

FAR EAST

refusing to bow down to government pressure to break its ties with certain groups.

Leading Muslim organisations reportedly told The Times that relations with the government have taken a turn for the worse under the coalition. They said that ministers were reluctant to engage, raising doubts about the coalition’s ability to work with grassroots groups and stop the flow of Britons travelling to the Middle East.

Mustafa Field, an adviser and spokesman for Minab, reportedly

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said that it had “very, very limited level of engagement” with ministers.

He said that the group — an umbrella body that sets out guidelines for more than 500 mosques, imams, and religious training centres — reached an intense point in 2012.

Minab, whose members include the East London Mosque, which has come under fire for hosting radical preachers, felt unable to cut ties.

James Brokenshire, minister for immigration and security, reportedly said: “Extremism of any kind has absolutely no place in our society.’

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tion on both sides.”

Mr Baddiel said that the two cultures have lived in “as the New Seekers would have it, in perfect harmony” for centuries and points to the similarities between them. But he recognises an “enmity” between Muslims and Jews and used that as a basis for his musical.

He added, “It creates an opportunity, because if two cultures come to be perceived as oppositional, then you have the grounds for a culture-clash story.

The best way to subvert that idea of difference is through laughter. At the premiere of the movie in 2010, I saw Muslims and Jews – and Christians and Hindus and Baha’is and atheists and Scientologists (probably) – all laughing as one.”

Government loses vital link to mosques as Muslim groups are alienated

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UK

Bollywood stars come together in London to support children's education in India

Bollywood actress and UNICEF India Goodwill Ambassador Sharmila Tagore and actress and UNICEF Celebrity Advocate, Kareena Kapoor Khan are pictured with former BBC war correspondent and UNICEF UK Ambassador, Martin Bell OBE, and UNICEF UK Deputy Executive Director, Anita Tiessen at The Ritz on Wednesday evening (20th August) for a dinner to support UNICEF’s education work for children in India.

Speaking at the event, Sharmila Tagore, who is celebrating ten years as a UNICEF India Ambassador, said; “Over the last ten years, I’ve seen first-hand, the work UNICEF does to ensure that the rights of every child are realised.

Education is one such right. It is the passport to life; without it children are less healthy, less skilled, have fewer choices and less hope for their future.

Yet, sadly, access to education still remains a chal-

lenge, for millions of children in India. I am privileged to be associated with UNICEF and support their work to improve the lives of children in India.”

UNICEF India Celebrity Advocate, Kareena Kapoor, urged guests to pledge their support for UNICEF, commenting; “I recently visited Rajasthan with UNICEF to see child friendly schools and to meet some of the girls and

boys that are benefitting from these programmes. I was inspired to see spaces which are child friendly.

These are places where children are full of joy when they interact with teachers, where children feel safe and secure and where interactive and creative tools are used to ensure that children are happy and learning.”

Anita Tiessen, UNICEF UK Deputy Executive Director, said;

“Sadly quality education still remains a challenge in India, particularly for girls – where the dropout rate at primary level is 41%.

This is often because of attitudes towards the value in girls having an education or schools not having adequate and safe sanitation facilities. When girls drop out of school they become more vulnerable to child marriage, early and unsafe pregnancies, and it has a lasting impact on their future earning power.

“By working with the Government and partners to roll out our education programmes in India, UNICEF can ensure more children, both boys and girls, are going to school, learning, and have a better chance of reaching their full potential.”

For more information about UNICEF’s work in India please visit www.unicef.org/india.

For more information about UNICEF UK please visit www.unicef.org.uk

Temple raises £30,000 for local Hospice

The Shree Swaminarayan Mandir in Kingbury’s grand opening festival last week also included a trip to St Luke’s Hospice, where a cheque for £30,000 was donated from the Temple to the hospice.

The Temple had chosen St Luke’s as their official main charity partner over the past year, with their members having done an immense amount of fundraising for the hospice. The temple’s fundraising activities included taking part in the hospice’s Midnight Walk, Great North Swim and their Skydive event.

The Swaminarayan Gadi’s spiritual leader, Acharya Swamishree Maharaj presented the cheque on behalf of the Mandir to Lord Dolar Popat, the Founding Director and Patron of St Luke’s Hospice. The short ceremony at the hospice was marked by a performance by the Temple’s very own Indo-Scottish

bagpipe band and a series of dances from the Temple’s youth team, ahead of a grand parade along Kenton Road to the Temple in Kingsbury.

Speaking at the event, Acharya Swamishree presenting the cheque to St Luke’s A c h a r y a Founding Director and Patron, Lord Dolar Popat and to the Maharaj said, Hospice’s Trustees, John McDonald and Ramesh Bhanderi ‘dedicating one’s rooted and a part of the community life to the service of others is the that it serves.” truest celebration of a festival.’

“St Luke’s provides free care for Lord Popat who accepted the local people and relies on the comcheque on behalf of the hospice said, munity for 70% of its funds. We are ‘the aim of any Temple is to integrate tremendously grateful to the Temple and contribute to their local commufor all the fundraising that they have nity, and the Shree Swaminarayan done for the hospice and look forMandir has done just that, by ward to working with them over the demonstrating that it is very much next year.

Seema makes it to the Shadow Cabinet

Continued from page 1 Ms Malhotra is joining the Shadow Home Affairs team after Helen Jones MP stepped down from her position as Shadow Crime Prevention Minister at the end of July.

Perhaps this move was triggered by a criticism of the party made by Asian Voice Publisher/Editor Mr CB Patel in the foreword for our annual British Punjabi magazine.

Seema Malhotra MP, in response to her appointment, said: “I feel very proud to have been appointed as the Labour Party’s first ever Shadow Minister for Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls. It is significant that Labour has made this issue such a priority and I look forward to working with colleagues to try and make a real difference to women who have experienced huge trauma in their lives.

“The level of violence against women in Britain and indeed the world is shocking and too little is being done to prevent these crimes, support the victims and bring the perpetrators to justice. I will be looking

to change this and look forward to working with Ed and Yvette to make sure a Labour Government offers a real alternative to women and children trapped in cycles of violence.”

Yvette Cooper, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, said: “Seema will be a huge asset to the Shadow Home Affairs team. She has always been a champion of women’s equality – from her campaigns promoting the work of women in business, to her hugely successful Presidency of the Fabian’s Women’s Network, which has done so much to improve representation of women and ethnic minorities in politics and public life. I know she will bring all her experience and energy to lead our important work developing a strong policy platform to tackle violence against women and girls.”

Ed Miliband, Leader of the Labour Party said: “I am delighted that Seema has agreed to become Labour’s first ever Shadow Minister for Preventing Violence against Women and Girls. She undoubtedly brings real expertise to this important role. Her appointment is another indi-

cation of the importance a Labour government will place on tackling violence against women and girls.

“Yvette has rightly put this at the heart of her vision for the Home Office and I look forward to continuing working with her and Seema to ensure a Labour government can make a real difference to the lives of the victims of these terrible crimes.”

Speaking to the Daily MailOnline on Tuesday, Seema said, husbands who constantly criticise their wives over their weight or appearance may be guilty of domestic abuse. She said: ‘It can be part of a pattern of controlling behaviour that leaves people feeling fearful and terrorised in their own homes.’

She also told the Times that said domestic abuse ‘affects women and men of all backgrounds — rich and poor, white and black and ethnic minority’ and needed to be tackled.

But she said it was often misunderstood.

Ms Malhotra, who entered the Commons in 2011 after winning a byelection in the London seat of

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

What about the Hindus?

Prinal Nathwani The ongoing crisis in Gaza has captured the hearts and minds of people across the world and attention has (rightly so) been on the human suffering caused by the conflict. What has been outstanding is that the conflict has drawn attention from all quarters, with organisations from across the board, and leaders of all faiths, recognising that those caught in the middle are the biggest sufferers whilst the conflict is played out to its end by both sides.

Indeed, the suffering of the Yazidi and Christian minorities in Iraq has compounded this concern, with fears raised that the spread and growth of the extremist group, Islamic State (previously ISIS), may result in another genocide of yet more minority communities.

From a personal point of view, what has been the most surprising is the level of attention the conflict has drawn from the Hindu community and so many friends and colleagues who follow the Hindu faith.

Whether this be through Facebook posts, attending protest marches or even encouraging the boycotting of organisations purportedly allied to one of the conflicting sides, Hindus have been seemingly very active in raising concerns about the members of the public bearing the true burden of war and conflict.

Now this is of course a natural reaction from the followers of a faith which does not draw a distinction between believers and non-believFeltham and Heston, said that victims were often let down by police.

She also said that figures showed there were 12 million women and 2.5 million men that had been the victims of domestic abuse – but the number of prosecutions was nowhere near that figure.

Ms Malhotra explained that her new position of anti-domestic abuse spokeswoman was created because ‘victims need a greater voice at the heart of the system’.

ers, and encourages its adherents to pray for the welfare of all of those around them (and not just “believers”) on a daily basis. However, what has been glaringly obvious is that many of these Hindus have omitted to make mention of the suffering of other Hindus around the world, and not for the first time.

Notwithstanding the fact that sections of the media, both here and in other countries, seem perpetually oblivious to the discrimination and persecution of Hindus, what is most disconcerting is that many Hindus themselves seem to have shut their eyes to the suffering of their co-religionists in countries such as Pakistan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and indeed even in the birthplace of the Hindu faith itself, India. Whether this be with the forced expulsion of the Kashmiri Pandits in the 1990s or the gradual and sustained forcible decline of Hindus in Pakistan, Hindus have been quick to show their humanitarian credentials when it comes to supporting those in need, but have notably ignored other Hindus in their times of crisis.

In times of such upheaval and conflict, this is a heartfelt plea for Hindus to maintain their humanitarian concerns, supporting any activity that alleviates the suffering of those in need, but at the same time not forgetting that charity does indeed start at home, and there are many Hindus across the world who also need their help.

As the major powers commence their involvement in Iraq to save the minorities currently trapped on a mountainside, this is a reminder that it is natural for Hindus to care and support those in need, but also that it is now necessary for these very same Hindus to wake up to others suffering around the world, not least other Hindus in what are not so far-flung places.

She will work on a variety of issues – including forced marriage, genital mutilation abusive porn.

She said: ‘Porn is now easily available on mobile phones. Young people are accessing it who are sometimes not even in their teens.’ Such images were often violent and offered unhealthy portrayals of sex and relationships, she said.

Ms Malhotra also revealed that Labour would introduce mandatory sex and education in all state schools.

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Produced by

Produced by

Programming by

Funded by

Sole Asian print media partner

Additional funding with Hounslow Youth Service

Other partners

Embassy of Nepal

Additional media partners

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London Mela Back in Gunnersbury With A Fantastic Line-up!

The London Mela - Europe’s largest outdoor South Asian festival - returns to Gunnersbury Park, Acton, on Sunday 31 August for a spectacular line up of live music, dance, visual arts and food from South Asia. 80,000 people enjoyed last year’s cre-

ative triumph and this year the festival is set to be even bigger and better than ever, with nine zones including the Main Stage, The BBC Asian Network New Music Tent, The Community Stage, The Magic Mela Family Area, spectacular Outdoor Arts performanc-

PROGRAMME

es, Tastes of South Asia Food market, Funfair, craft and exhibitors market, plus new for 2014, The Oxfam Global Local Stage.

For the third year, Oxfam have partnered with the London Mela to highlight its work with women in South Asia.

BBC Asian Network New Music Asian Network New Music stage is hosted by Nihal and Yasser, with specialist DJs Panjabi Hit Squad and KandMan / DJ Limelight (Programme subject to change – see boards on the day)

MUMZY STRANGER feat.

Junai Kaden, Charavell, Rameet and Tasha Tah 7pm Mumzy Stranger is an MC, singer-songwriter and producer who hails from East London. He was one of 3 finalists in BBC Asian Network’s Unsung competition in 2005. After completing his studies, he caught the attention of Rishi Rich and released his debut single “One More Dance” with him in 2009. He’s continued to work with British Asian artists – H-Dhami, Preeya Kalidas, Junai Kaden, Nafees, Malkit Singh and most recently his track “Kurbaan” with Tasha Tah featured in a Bollywood film.

YASSER, KANDMAN & LIMELIGHT 6.40pm

KHIZA, SONI J, ZACK KNIGHT 5.25pm

LOST SOULJAH 3.30pm

Dancer turned producer, Khiza, has successfully paved the way for a string of releases combining his Bollywood, reggae, Pakistani Pop, Garage, R&B and Bhangra. In this exciting collaboration he takes to the stage with Soni J, who was propelled into the mainstream music scene when a fan published a viral video, featuring the Jackson 5 and Zack Knight, whose early musical influences, such as the legendary, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, promises to make this a show not to be missed.

A North London thouroughbred of I n d i a n / We s t - I n d i a n descent, she recorded an underground joint with Lewis Parker, Blood, in 2003, making it into the top playlists of Disorda and Shortee Blitz. Hot on the heels of this success she supported Jehst and Terra Firma on tour.

PUNJABI HIT SQUAD 5.00pm TAZzZ Presents IMMI & Rita Morar 4.40pm KANDMAN & DJ LIMELIGHT 4.20pm

ARJUN 6.20pm

SALIQUE 3.00pm This 24 year old Londoner is a multi-talented singer-songwriter and fitness model. Last year, Salique collaborated with Mumzy Stranger on his debut single “Let Me In” in 2013 and earlier this year released “Call On Me”.

DJ SURINDER RATTAN 4.00pm COLDFEVER 2.40pm

AZIM AZHAR 6.05pm NESDI JONES 3.45pm Asim Azhar, is a 17 year old heart throb, known to some as the Pakistani Justin Bieber. He began his career with cover versions of songs like ‘The A-Team’ which was tweeted by British songwriter, Ed Sheeran himself. Asim is no stranger to music, his father is the world famous pianist, Azhar Hussain, an influential figure on the Desi music scene since the ‘70’s Catch Asim perform his latest release, ‘Maahi Aaja’ on stage.

It’s been a huge year for Nesdi Jones, a singer/songwriter from North Wales.

She became a viral sensation with her covers of songs such as “Tum Hi Ho”, “High Heels” and “Brown Rang” which caught the attention of Yo Yo Honey Singh, who then featured her on the song “London” with Money Aujla. She’s gone on to release her debut solo Punjabi single “Tere Naal” and also worked with Northern Lights on the first female version of Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s famous qawwali “Akhiyan Udeek Diyan”.

Outdoor Arts

Fed on a diet of reggae, jazz and soul by his Jamaican father and Indian mother, Coldfever’s imagination was harnessed by hip-hop and UK Grime, drawing the young radical to a fondness for storytelling through rhyming couplets. He’s shared the stage with artists such as Example, Wretch 32, Skepta, Lawson, The Wanted and Olly Murs.

PKC the first 2.00pm

The Mela Carnival: Mahogany presents Utsava

Nutkhut’s Navrattan 1:30 -8:00pm The mysteries of the Mughal Empire unfold with Nutkhut’s ‘Navrattan - A Quest for the Lost Gems’, by Simmy Gupta.

Nutkhut is an established yet innovative performing arts company dedicated to animating outdoor spaces in a mischievous and engaging way. Nutkhut was founded by Ajay Chhabra, the co-founder and Artistic Director of London Mela.

Chutney in the Street!

Kuljit Bhamra’s specially-formed troupe of professional musicians, singers and dancers performing an original piece with new songs inspired by the popular musical style of the Indo-Caribbean communities of Trinidad, Guyana and Suriname. The group presents a charming love story of a stranger who, with some audience assistance, lifts the demon's curse over a lost village and eventually wins the love of the Princess. 3pm - 6.30pm.

The London Mela has commissioned Mahogany, an internationally renowned company from the heart of Notting Hill Carnival, to create 2 spectacular Carnival processions for this year’s Mela.

Inspired by ancient mythology from the sub-continent and the countryside setting of Gunnersbury Park, and drawing on Indian-Caribbean influences from Trinidad and Tobago, Mahogany will create a processional spectacle that will weave its way through the Mela. With amazing costumes of luminous flowers, elephants and tigers the procession will be led by a spectacular eagle that will climax on and around the Main Stage. Then the grand finale begins with a musical soundtrack created by popular DJs Punjabi Hit Squad, accompanied by 20 dhol drummers provided by the Dhol Academy. The theme of the Carnival is Utsava -a Sanskrit word meaning both celebration and the removal of worldly sorrows .

There will also be a second procession aimed at children and families that will close activities in the Magic Mela area earlier in the day.

Why not take part? Check out the Mahogany Carnival tent in the Magic Mela Area!

Children and Families Carnival 5:30PM Utsava Carnival 8:30PM

HOSTS NIHAL Nihal has rapped with Fun DaMental, Sona Family and Badmarsh & Shri, DJed all over the world, and written for Asiana, Eastern Eye, Mixmag and the Observer. He has appeared on ‘Never Mind The Buzzcocks’, Channel 4 documentaries, as well as presenting BBC 2’s Desi DNA. In 2007 Nihal began presenting the mid-morning phone-in show on BBC Asian Network, before moving to his current afternoon slot. In 2010 his show won a Sony Gold Award for ‘Best Speech Programme’.

He also presents The Review Show and Nihal on BBC Radio 1. Weekdays 10am-1pm on the BBC Asian Network YASSER Yasser DJs with weekly residencies at some of the biggest clubs in the country.

On YouTube, ‘Mr Yazzur’ (as he is known online) has a unique presenting style, quick wit and sense of humour that attracts thousands of hits across the world. Yasser now presents a flagship new music show on Friday night. Fridays 9pm-midnight on the BBC Asian Network PANJABI HIT SQUAD Having started their broadcasting career on BBC 1Xtra they now host an extremely popular Saturday night show for BBC Asian Network. Their work has won much acclaim, producing for many popular artists including Jay Sean, Raghav, Mariah Carey, Ashanti, Beenie Man. Saturdays 6-9pm on the BBC Asian Network KANDMAN & DJ LIMELIGHT London-born KandMan released The Undergraduate in 2005.

Along with DJ Limelight, he is a member of the collective ‘Chronicle Entertainment’ consisting of London’s Asian Youth MCs, including Raver and Spitfya.

East Londoner DJ Limelight has hosted, mixed and presented a series of compilation CDs, working with MC Ghetto, Triggs Vega and Dawn Penn.

Saturdays 9pm-midnight on BBC Asian Network

Main Stage BBC Asian Network are proud partners with London Mela for the 9th successive year – programming another spectacular line up on the Main Stage and offering a host of other activities on the day! Catch all of the day’s action, interviews and performances as the station broadcasts live from backstage at the event between 1–9pm. Don’t forget to MAIN STAGE LINE-UP (Programme subject to change – see boards on the day) MISS POOJA 7.25pm Headlining the Main Stage will be the largest selling female Bhangra artist in the world, Miss Pooja.

Credited with reviving Punjabi duet songs, Miss Pooja rose to fame with ‘Petrol’ and ‘Seeti Marke’. Since then she has released over 1,500 songs and 300 albums. Miss Pooja’s talents far outstrip her performances on the stage. As an established actress she has appeared in many films including the hugely popular, ‘Panjaban’ and ‘Pooja Kiven Aaa’.

RAGHAV 6.45pm Canadian singersongwriter, Raghav has a string of chart topping singles, including the popular ‘Mawali Qawwali’, from the film ‘Lekar Hum Deewana Dil’.

This versatile artist’s breakthrough came in 2004 with the album ‘Storyteller’, featuring chart topping singles, ‘So Confused, ‘Can’t Get Enough and ‘Let’s Work It Out’. In 2012 he made his debut in Bollywood working with, A R Rahman, for the song, ‘Ishq Shava’ in the film, ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’, starring Shah Rukh Khan.

PUNJABI HIT SQUAD 6.15pm Having started their broadcasting career on BBC 1Xtra they now host an extremely popular Saturday night show for BBC Asian Network. Their work has won much acclaim, producing for many popular artists including Jay Sean, Raghav, Mariah Carey, Ashanti, Beenie Man. SURJ SAHOTA 6.15pm Surj Sahota is the lead singer, song-writer and music producer of the band Sahotas whose work combines the Bhangra genre with Pop, House, Reggae and Rock. His musical journey has taken him around the world and over the last few years he’s been working with Urban Tribe, a Swedish reggae band and Basil Gabbidon, founder of UK reggae band Steel Pulse

look out for your favourite presenters, on the Main Stage and in the BBC Asian Network New Music Tent.

Follow @bbcasiannetwork on Twitter and use #MelaMagic to catch all the action with exclusive photos and videos of your favourite artists plus a peek backstage

throughout mela day. Tell us about your London Mela experience too!

What are you doing right now? Use #MelaMagic to join in the conversation. Go to bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork on your mobile for more details.

For full information go to: www.bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson: 'I am delighted to support the London Mela, which is one of the city's most colourful and exuberant events. It is a highlight of the summer, which draws people to the lovely Gunnersbury Park from across the capital and beyond. This year promises another fantastic line up of artists and performers from around the world, delicious food and plenty for the kids to enjoy. If you are looking for an upbeat end to another exciting summer in the capital, head to the London Mela.'

Leader of Ealing Council, Councillor Julian Bell: ‘We are proud to co-host this fantastic event again. The Mela is a great opportunity for residents and visitors to come together and celebrate the best of South Asian arts and culture. Set in one of our most historic parks the Mela combines English Heritage with the borough’s cultural bond with Asian communities across the world.’

ON STAGE MOMENT 5.25pm FEMALE TAKEOVA feat. Tasha, Rameet &Nesdi This all girl line-up includes, Tasha, a remarkable songwriter who draws her inspiration from her Indian background and childhood memories; Rameet who first released her debut album at the tender age of 11.

In 2012, she gave us her first solo single, “Peengh” and was also crowned , Miss India Scotland and the amazing singer/songwriter from North Wales, Nesdi. She became a viral sensation with her covers of songs such as “Tum Hi Ho”, “High Heels” and “Brown Rang”.

AZIM AZHAR 4.20pm Asim Azhar, is a 17 year old heart throb, known to some as the Pakistani Justin Bieber. He began his career with cover versions of songs like ‘The A-Team’ which was tweeted by British songwriter, Ed Sheeran himself. Asim is no stranger to music, his father is the world famous pianist, Azhar Hussain, an influential figure on the Desi music scene since the ‘70’s Catch Asim perform his latest release, ‘Maahi Aaja’ on stage.

ARJUN 3.50pm He’s a multi-talented musician, singer-songwriter, producer and actor who has received huge success with his own brand of R&B. Born in Sri Lanka and brought up in London where he honed his musical talents his versions of, “Why this Kolaveri Di”, “Chammak Challo”, “Teri Meri” and most recently “I’ll Be Waiting (Kabhi Jo Baadal) have begun to make him a household name.

YASSER 3.30pm

B21 2.40pm The London Mela proudly presents the comeback of one of the UK’s most popular Bhangra bands, B21. After over a decade away from the live stage, the Jagpal brothers, Bally and Bhota, are back with 1-2-B, a twelve track album featuring the vocals of Miss Pooja, Shazia Manzoor and introducing Baljinder Bilga.

COLDFEVER 1.45pm DJ SURINDER RATTAN 1.15pm/4.45pm Surinder Rattan singlehandedly changed UK Bhangra in 2000 through his Garage-fusion Tappe (The Lick) Pioneering House Music with UK Bhangra and the inclusion of UK MC's on Bhangra Music.‘Tappe’ from ‘The Lick’ was and still is widely regarded as a pioneering track.

CARE PAKISTAN MAGIC MELA FAMILY AREA Come and meet the first British-born Pakistani to play professional cricket in England. You can find him throughout the day at the Care Pakistan Magic Mela Family Area.

"CARE'S presence at the London Mela is representative of the unique synergy between being British, and being Asian. CARE Pakistan is the optimal channel through which those British Asians wishing to contribute back home can make the greatest impact. Not only is this because it is dedicated to addressing the root cause of many of the problems affecting our countries of origin, but because it is able to do this for the greatest value for money and with the most impressive results possible. The Mela is a wonderful opportunity for the British Asian community to make the most of a family day out, where they can learn about and participate in this worthwhile cause."

"CARE'S presence at the London Mela is representative of the unique synergy between being British, and being Asian. CARE Pakistan is the optimal channel through which those British Asians wishing to contribute back home can make the greatest impact. The Mela

is a wonderful opportunity for the British Asian community to make the most of a family day out, where they can learn about and participate in this worthwhile cause."

WASIM KHAN

Young people working with Hounslow’s Youth Service and the award winning Voice Youth Project have created this year’s Care Pakistan Magic Mela Family Area. Their bright ideas have been encouraged and supported by professional artists from acclaimed outdoor arts company Emergency Exit Arts and the London Mela’s artistic team.

Together they have conjured up an enchanting space for all the family to enjoy, with storytelling, arts and crafts, games, music making and all sorts of awesome characters.

Whether you are very young or young at heart you can get involved and active with

dance demonstrations and circus skills workshops or marvel at the talents of traditional and contemporary performers on the Magic Mela’s Youth and Community stage.

NAUMATI BAJA

Naumati Baja is a Nepalese band that performs with traditional musical instruments and has been used to mark special or auspicious occasions.

History states that Naumati baja were used to celebrate king’s victory and other royal celebrations and in modern times it is in use to celebrate festivals and marriages. First Naumati Baja Gulmi UK is the first traditional band established outside Nepal.

PRESENTERS BOBBY FRICTION

Renowned for his specialist knowledge of British Asian & South Asian music worldwide, Bobby currently presents the Drivetime Show with a mix of entertainment, desi, Bollywood and bhangra.

Weekdays, from 5.30pm SUZI MANN

Suzi has presented a number of flagship shows including Breakfast, and hosted live events with Asian stars.

She also worked with ITN’s multi-media division ITN On – presenting weekly show ‘Bollywood Insider’ and now presents the Official Asian Download Chart Show.

Saturdays, 3pm–6pm TOMMY SANDHU

Once described as a ‘human caffeine shot’ by Radio 4, Tommy is guaranteed to get you going with his mix of classic favourites alongside brand new bhangra and Bollywood tunes.

Weekdays, from 6am on the BBC Asian Network NOREEN KHAN After touring the world as a musician, Noreen joined the network in 2007 and has hosted the Chart Show, the Weekend Breakfast Show and Drivetime.

Now catch her in the afternoons.

Weekdays, from 1.30pm–5pm

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SPECIAL

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

17

London Mela Back in Gunnersbury With A Fantastic Line-up!

The London Mela - Europe’s largest outdoor South Asian festival - returns to Gunnersbury Park, Acton, on Sunday 31 August for a spectacular line up of live music, dance, visual arts and food from South Asia. 80,000 people enjoyed last year’s cre-

ative triumph and this year the festival is set to be even bigger and better than ever, with nine zones including the Main Stage, The BBC Asian Network New Music Tent, The Community Stage, The Magic Mela Family Area, spectacular Outdoor Arts performanc-

PROGRAMME

es, Tastes of South Asia Food market, Funfair, craft and exhibitors market, plus new for 2014, The Oxfam Global Local Stage.

For the third year, Oxfam have partnered with the London Mela to highlight its work with women in South Asia.

BBC Asian Network New Music Asian Network New Music stage is hosted by Nihal and Yasser, with specialist DJs Panjabi Hit Squad and KandMan / DJ Limelight (Programme subject to change – see boards on the day)

MUMZY STRANGER feat.

Junai Kaden, Charavell, Rameet and Tasha Tah 7pm Mumzy Stranger is an MC, singer-songwriter and producer who hails from East London. He was one of 3 finalists in BBC Asian Network’s Unsung competition in 2005. After completing his studies, he caught the attention of Rishi Rich and released his debut single “One More Dance” with him in 2009. He’s continued to work with British Asian artists – H-Dhami, Preeya Kalidas, Junai Kaden, Nafees, Malkit Singh and most recently his track “Kurbaan” with Tasha Tah featured in a Bollywood film.

YASSER, KANDMAN & LIMELIGHT 6.40pm

KHIZA, SONI J, ZACK KNIGHT 5.25pm

LOST SOULJAH 3.30pm

Dancer turned producer, Khiza, has successfully paved the way for a string of releases combining his Bollywood, reggae, Pakistani Pop, Garage, R&B and Bhangra. In this exciting collaboration he takes to the stage with Soni J, who was propelled into the mainstream music scene when a fan published a viral video, featuring the Jackson 5 and Zack Knight, whose early musical influences, such as the legendary, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, promises to make this a show not to be missed.

A North London thouroughbred of I n d i a n / We s t - I n d i a n descent, she recorded an underground joint with Lewis Parker, Blood, in 2003, making it into the top playlists of Disorda and Shortee Blitz. Hot on the heels of this success she supported Jehst and Terra Firma on tour.

PUNJABI HIT SQUAD 5.00pm TAZzZ Presents IMMI & Rita Morar 4.40pm KANDMAN & DJ LIMELIGHT 4.20pm

ARJUN 6.20pm

SALIQUE 3.00pm This 24 year old Londoner is a multi-talented singer-songwriter and fitness model. Last year, Salique collaborated with Mumzy Stranger on his debut single “Let Me In” in 2013 and earlier this year released “Call On Me”.

DJ SURINDER RATTAN 4.00pm COLDFEVER 2.40pm

AZIM AZHAR 6.05pm NESDI JONES 3.45pm Asim Azhar, is a 17 year old heart throb, known to some as the Pakistani Justin Bieber. He began his career with cover versions of songs like ‘The A-Team’ which was tweeted by British songwriter, Ed Sheeran himself. Asim is no stranger to music, his father is the world famous pianist, Azhar Hussain, an influential figure on the Desi music scene since the ‘70’s Catch Asim perform his latest release, ‘Maahi Aaja’ on stage.

It’s been a huge year for Nesdi Jones, a singer/songwriter from North Wales.

She became a viral sensation with her covers of songs such as “Tum Hi Ho”, “High Heels” and “Brown Rang” which caught the attention of Yo Yo Honey Singh, who then featured her on the song “London” with Money Aujla. She’s gone on to release her debut solo Punjabi single “Tere Naal” and also worked with Northern Lights on the first female version of Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s famous qawwali “Akhiyan Udeek Diyan”.

Outdoor Arts

Fed on a diet of reggae, jazz and soul by his Jamaican father and Indian mother, Coldfever’s imagination was harnessed by hip-hop and UK Grime, drawing the young radical to a fondness for storytelling through rhyming couplets. He’s shared the stage with artists such as Example, Wretch 32, Skepta, Lawson, The Wanted and Olly Murs.

PKC the first 2.00pm

The Mela Carnival: Mahogany presents Utsava

Nutkhut’s Navrattan 1:30 -8:00pm The mysteries of the Mughal Empire unfold with Nutkhut’s ‘Navrattan - A Quest for the Lost Gems’, by Simmy Gupta.

Nutkhut is an established yet innovative performing arts company dedicated to animating outdoor spaces in a mischievous and engaging way. Nutkhut was founded by Ajay Chhabra, the co-founder and Artistic Director of London Mela.

Chutney in the Street!

Kuljit Bhamra’s specially-formed troupe of professional musicians, singers and dancers performing an original piece with new songs inspired by the popular musical style of the Indo-Caribbean communities of Trinidad, Guyana and Suriname. The group presents a charming love story of a stranger who, with some audience assistance, lifts the demon's curse over a lost village and eventually wins the love of the Princess. 3pm - 6.30pm.

The London Mela has commissioned Mahogany, an internationally renowned company from the heart of Notting Hill Carnival, to create 2 spectacular Carnival processions for this year’s Mela.

Inspired by ancient mythology from the sub-continent and the countryside setting of Gunnersbury Park, and drawing on Indian-Caribbean influences from Trinidad and Tobago, Mahogany will create a processional spectacle that will weave its way through the Mela. With amazing costumes of luminous flowers, elephants and tigers the procession will be led by a spectacular eagle that will climax on and around the Main Stage. Then the grand finale begins with a musical soundtrack created by popular DJs Punjabi Hit Squad, accompanied by 20 dhol drummers provided by the Dhol Academy. The theme of the Carnival is Utsava -a Sanskrit word meaning both celebration and the removal of worldly sorrows .

There will also be a second procession aimed at children and families that will close activities in the Magic Mela area earlier in the day.

Why not take part? Check out the Mahogany Carnival tent in the Magic Mela Area!

Children and Families Carnival 5:30PM Utsava Carnival 8:30PM

HOSTS NIHAL Nihal has rapped with Fun DaMental, Sona Family and Badmarsh & Shri, DJed all over the world, and written for Asiana, Eastern Eye, Mixmag and the Observer. He has appeared on ‘Never Mind The Buzzcocks’, Channel 4 documentaries, as well as presenting BBC 2’s Desi DNA. In 2007 Nihal began presenting the mid-morning phone-in show on BBC Asian Network, before moving to his current afternoon slot. In 2010 his show won a Sony Gold Award for ‘Best Speech Programme’.

He also presents The Review Show and Nihal on BBC Radio 1. Weekdays 10am-1pm on the BBC Asian Network YASSER Yasser DJs with weekly residencies at some of the biggest clubs in the country.

On YouTube, ‘Mr Yazzur’ (as he is known online) has a unique presenting style, quick wit and sense of humour that attracts thousands of hits across the world. Yasser now presents a flagship new music show on Friday night. Fridays 9pm-midnight on the BBC Asian Network PANJABI HIT SQUAD Having started their broadcasting career on BBC 1Xtra they now host an extremely popular Saturday night show for BBC Asian Network. Their work has won much acclaim, producing for many popular artists including Jay Sean, Raghav, Mariah Carey, Ashanti, Beenie Man. Saturdays 6-9pm on the BBC Asian Network KANDMAN & DJ LIMELIGHT London-born KandMan released The Undergraduate in 2005.

Along with DJ Limelight, he is a member of the collective ‘Chronicle Entertainment’ consisting of London’s Asian Youth MCs, including Raver and Spitfya.

East Londoner DJ Limelight has hosted, mixed and presented a series of compilation CDs, working with MC Ghetto, Triggs Vega and Dawn Penn.

Saturdays 9pm-midnight on BBC Asian Network

Main Stage BBC Asian Network are proud partners with London Mela for the 9th successive year – programming another spectacular line up on the Main Stage and offering a host of other activities on the day! Catch all of the day’s action, interviews and performances as the station broadcasts live from backstage at the event between 1–9pm. Don’t forget to MAIN STAGE LINE-UP (Programme subject to change – see boards on the day) MISS POOJA 7.25pm Headlining the Main Stage will be the largest selling female Bhangra artist in the world, Miss Pooja.

Credited with reviving Punjabi duet songs, Miss Pooja rose to fame with ‘Petrol’ and ‘Seeti Marke’. Since then she has released over 1,500 songs and 300 albums. Miss Pooja’s talents far outstrip her performances on the stage. As an established actress she has appeared in many films including the hugely popular, ‘Panjaban’ and ‘Pooja Kiven Aaa’.

RAGHAV 6.45pm Canadian singersongwriter, Raghav has a string of chart topping singles, including the popular ‘Mawali Qawwali’, from the film ‘Lekar Hum Deewana Dil’.

This versatile artist’s breakthrough came in 2004 with the album ‘Storyteller’, featuring chart topping singles, ‘So Confused, ‘Can’t Get Enough and ‘Let’s Work It Out’. In 2012 he made his debut in Bollywood working with, A R Rahman, for the song, ‘Ishq Shava’ in the film, ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’, starring Shah Rukh Khan.

PUNJABI HIT SQUAD 6.15pm Having started their broadcasting career on BBC 1Xtra they now host an extremely popular Saturday night show for BBC Asian Network. Their work has won much acclaim, producing for many popular artists including Jay Sean, Raghav, Mariah Carey, Ashanti, Beenie Man. SURJ SAHOTA 6.15pm Surj Sahota is the lead singer, song-writer and music producer of the band Sahotas whose work combines the Bhangra genre with Pop, House, Reggae and Rock. His musical journey has taken him around the world and over the last few years he’s been working with Urban Tribe, a Swedish reggae band and Basil Gabbidon, founder of UK reggae band Steel Pulse

look out for your favourite presenters, on the Main Stage and in the BBC Asian Network New Music Tent.

Follow @bbcasiannetwork on Twitter and use #MelaMagic to catch all the action with exclusive photos and videos of your favourite artists plus a peek backstage

throughout mela day. Tell us about your London Mela experience too!

What are you doing right now? Use #MelaMagic to join in the conversation. Go to bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork on your mobile for more details.

For full information go to: www.bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson: 'I am delighted to support the London Mela, which is one of the city's most colourful and exuberant events. It is a highlight of the summer, which draws people to the lovely Gunnersbury Park from across the capital and beyond. This year promises another fantastic line up of artists and performers from around the world, delicious food and plenty for the kids to enjoy. If you are looking for an upbeat end to another exciting summer in the capital, head to the London Mela.'

Leader of Ealing Council, Councillor Julian Bell: ‘We are proud to co-host this fantastic event again. The Mela is a great opportunity for residents and visitors to come together and celebrate the best of South Asian arts and culture. Set in one of our most historic parks the Mela combines English Heritage with the borough’s cultural bond with Asian communities across the world.’

ON STAGE MOMENT 5.25pm FEMALE TAKEOVA feat. Tasha, Rameet &Nesdi This all girl line-up includes, Tasha, a remarkable songwriter who draws her inspiration from her Indian background and childhood memories; Rameet who first released her debut album at the tender age of 11.

In 2012, she gave us her first solo single, “Peengh” and was also crowned , Miss India Scotland and the amazing singer/songwriter from North Wales, Nesdi. She became a viral sensation with her covers of songs such as “Tum Hi Ho”, “High Heels” and “Brown Rang”.

AZIM AZHAR 4.20pm Asim Azhar, is a 17 year old heart throb, known to some as the Pakistani Justin Bieber. He began his career with cover versions of songs like ‘The A-Team’ which was tweeted by British songwriter, Ed Sheeran himself. Asim is no stranger to music, his father is the world famous pianist, Azhar Hussain, an influential figure on the Desi music scene since the ‘70’s Catch Asim perform his latest release, ‘Maahi Aaja’ on stage.

ARJUN 3.50pm He’s a multi-talented musician, singer-songwriter, producer and actor who has received huge success with his own brand of R&B. Born in Sri Lanka and brought up in London where he honed his musical talents his versions of, “Why this Kolaveri Di”, “Chammak Challo”, “Teri Meri” and most recently “I’ll Be Waiting (Kabhi Jo Baadal) have begun to make him a household name.

YASSER 3.30pm

B21 2.40pm The London Mela proudly presents the comeback of one of the UK’s most popular Bhangra bands, B21. After over a decade away from the live stage, the Jagpal brothers, Bally and Bhota, are back with 1-2-B, a twelve track album featuring the vocals of Miss Pooja, Shazia Manzoor and introducing Baljinder Bilga.

COLDFEVER 1.45pm DJ SURINDER RATTAN 1.15pm/4.45pm Surinder Rattan singlehandedly changed UK Bhangra in 2000 through his Garage-fusion Tappe (The Lick) Pioneering House Music with UK Bhangra and the inclusion of UK MC's on Bhangra Music.‘Tappe’ from ‘The Lick’ was and still is widely regarded as a pioneering track.

CARE PAKISTAN MAGIC MELA FAMILY AREA Come and meet the first British-born Pakistani to play professional cricket in England. You can find him throughout the day at the Care Pakistan Magic Mela Family Area.

"CARE'S presence at the London Mela is representative of the unique synergy between being British, and being Asian. CARE Pakistan is the optimal channel through which those British Asians wishing to contribute back home can make the greatest impact. Not only is this because it is dedicated to addressing the root cause of many of the problems affecting our countries of origin, but because it is able to do this for the greatest value for money and with the most impressive results possible. The Mela is a wonderful opportunity for the British Asian community to make the most of a family day out, where they can learn about and participate in this worthwhile cause."

"CARE'S presence at the London Mela is representative of the unique synergy between being British, and being Asian. CARE Pakistan is the optimal channel through which those British Asians wishing to contribute back home can make the greatest impact. The Mela

is a wonderful opportunity for the British Asian community to make the most of a family day out, where they can learn about and participate in this worthwhile cause."

WASIM KHAN

Young people working with Hounslow’s Youth Service and the award winning Voice Youth Project have created this year’s Care Pakistan Magic Mela Family Area. Their bright ideas have been encouraged and supported by professional artists from acclaimed outdoor arts company Emergency Exit Arts and the London Mela’s artistic team.

Together they have conjured up an enchanting space for all the family to enjoy, with storytelling, arts and crafts, games, music making and all sorts of awesome characters.

Whether you are very young or young at heart you can get involved and active with

dance demonstrations and circus skills workshops or marvel at the talents of traditional and contemporary performers on the Magic Mela’s Youth and Community stage.

NAUMATI BAJA

Naumati Baja is a Nepalese band that performs with traditional musical instruments and has been used to mark special or auspicious occasions.

History states that Naumati baja were used to celebrate king’s victory and other royal celebrations and in modern times it is in use to celebrate festivals and marriages. First Naumati Baja Gulmi UK is the first traditional band established outside Nepal.

PRESENTERS BOBBY FRICTION

Renowned for his specialist knowledge of British Asian & South Asian music worldwide, Bobby currently presents the Drivetime Show with a mix of entertainment, desi, Bollywood and bhangra.

Weekdays, from 5.30pm SUZI MANN

Suzi has presented a number of flagship shows including Breakfast, and hosted live events with Asian stars.

She also worked with ITN’s multi-media division ITN On – presenting weekly show ‘Bollywood Insider’ and now presents the Official Asian Download Chart Show.

Saturdays, 3pm–6pm TOMMY SANDHU

Once described as a ‘human caffeine shot’ by Radio 4, Tommy is guaranteed to get you going with his mix of classic favourites alongside brand new bhangra and Bollywood tunes.

Weekdays, from 6am on the BBC Asian Network NOREEN KHAN After touring the world as a musician, Noreen joined the network in 2007 and has hosted the Chart Show, the Weekend Breakfast Show and Drivetime.

Now catch her in the afternoons.

Weekdays, from 1.30pm–5pm

SPECIAL

Running Order

14:40 15:15

15:40

15:50 16:10

16:20 16:50

17:00

17:20

17:25 17:35

17:40 18:30

18:45 19:15

19:25 20:25

20:30

DJ: Surinder Rattan COLDFEVER Hosts: Bobby Friction / Suzi Mann DJ: Surinder Rattan B21 Hosts: Bobby Friction / Suzi Mann DJ: Surinder Rattan Hosts: Bobby Friction / Suzi Mann DJ: Yasser ARJUN Hosts: Bobby Friction / Suzi Mann DJ: Yasser ASIM AZHAR Hosts: Bobby Friction / Suzi Mann DJ: Surinder Rattan FEMALE TAKEOVER with NESDI JONES, TASHA and RAMEET Hosts: Tommy Sandhu / Noreen Khan DJ: Surinder Rattan Onstage Moment Hosts: Tommy Sandhu / Noreen Khan DJ: Surinder Rattan SURJ SAHOTA Hosts: Tommy Sandhu / Noreen Khan DJ: Panjabi Hit Squad RAGHAV Hosts: Tommy Sandhu / Noreen Khan DJ: Panjabi Hit Squad MISS POOJA WITH THE LEGENDS Hosts: Tommy Sandhu / Noreen Khan DJ: Panjabi Hit Squad PARADE: Mahogany presents UTSAVA CARNIVAL

NEW MUSIC STAGE 13:30 14:00 14:25 14:40 15:00 15:15 15:30 15:45 16:00 16:20 16:40 17:00 17:25 17:45 18:05 18:20 18:40 19:00

19:25

MAIN STAGE

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LYCAMOBILE COMMUNITY STAGE

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BBC ASIAN NETWORK NEW MUSIC TENT

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NAVRATTAN

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CARE PAKISTAN MAGIC MELA FAMILY AREA & CARNIVAL START POINT

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OXFAM GLOBAL LOCAL STAGE

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FOOD MARKET

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SPORTS AREA

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CRAFT MARKET & EXHIBITORS

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First Aid G Blue Badge Parking

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Gate 6 Pedestrian access Gunnersbury tube Kew Bridge station H91, 237, 267, 391 buses

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Disabled Toilets

Lost Persons & Police Station

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Gate 5 Pedestrian access

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BAR Info point

Gate 4 Pedestrian access Acton Town tube

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Sports Area In the Sports Area you'll find a range of activities hosted by Sporting Equals, from football to tennis to boxing, golf and cricket, plus the opportunity to meet elite levels sportspeople.

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Sporting Equals is breaking down barriers to sport, whether it is about participating through community based activity, getting involved in elite sport, are considering a career in sport or want to transfer your professional skills and experience at a senior level within the sport sector.

COMMUNITY STAGE 13:00 13:15 13:30 13:45

14:00 14:05

Yasser PKCTHEFIRST Nihal COLDFEVER SALIQUE Nihal LOST SOULJAH NESDI JONES Surinder Rattan Kan-D-Man & DJ Limelight TaZzZ Presents IMMI & RITA MORAR Panjabi Hit Squad KHIZA / SONI J / ZACK KNIGHT Nihal ASIM AZHAR ARJUN Yasser / Kan-D-Man & DJ Limelight MUMZY STRANGER / JUNAI KADEN / CHAR AVELL / RAMEET / TASHA TAH Closing with Yasser & Kan-DMan & DJ Limelight

Gate 1 Car access South Ealing tube E3 bus Shuttle service to Ealing Broadway

L Gate 3 Car access

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13.15 13:45 14:15

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L Gate 2 Pedestrian access E3 bus to and from Acton High St

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In partnership with

MAP KEY

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MAIN STAGE

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

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14:10 14:20 14:30 14:35 14:40 15:00

15:30

16:00

16:10

16:40

17:00

Introduction by Jay Kumar ALIA FAWCETT PUNGRA with Ravi Sandhu and his team teaching Bhangra ZUMBA KI RANI - Sonia Riat teaching a Bollywood / Bhangra / Arabic Zumba session STAR GROUP UK Bollywood dance team SELINA MIRPURI Solo Bollywood dancer Sangeet College Tabla performance Dheem! Bharatnatyam fusion dance team Star Group Uk Bollywood dance team Dheem! Bharatnatyam fusion dance team Kosheli Nepalese dance performers RUBICON presents Navin Kundra - cheque presentation to Asian Trust and short performance MELA’S GOT TALENT Acts to be confirmed plus opportunity for audience to perform. Cohosted by comedian Salman Malik JAY KUMAR & DANCEASIA Jay Kumar and dance students perform JAY KUMAR INTERACTIVE Bollywood session to involve the audience Compere Ashanti Omkar PUNGRA - Ravi Sandhu and team back on for more Bhangra MELA’S GOT TALENT Acts to be confirmed plus opportunity

17:30 17:50 18:00

for audience to perform. Cohosted by comedian Salman Malik Tabla and DHOL ACADEMY Tabla session ALIA FAWCETT CARNIVAL arrives at Community Stage. DHOL ACADEMY play as finale

OXFAM GLOBAL LOCAL STAGE 1:00 1:30 1:40 2:40 3:00 3:30 4:00 5:00 5:30 6:30 6:45 7:00 7:30

DJ: Muzz Khan BOLLYWOOD DANCERS / TRIVEDI PRODUCTIONS KHIYO DJ: Muzz Khan NADIA MANZOOR - BURQOFF! DJ: Muzz Khan NEELOFER MIR - WAR ON WOMEN DJ: Muzz Khan SHEEMA MUKHERJEE DJ: Muzz Khan BOLLYWOOD DANCERS ETERNAL TAAL DJ: Muzz Khan

OUTDOOR ARTS 13:30

NAVRATTAN All day from 1.30-8.30pm: Continuous loop of 25min performances 13:30 MAILOUT 1.30-8.30pm 15:00 CHUTNEY IN THE STREET! 17:30 CHILDREN’S CARNIVAL starts in the Magic Mela area 18:30 CHUTNEY IN THE STREET! 20:30

FINALE: Mahogany presents UTSAVA CARNIVAL

Travel For the best way to plan your journey in London visit www.tfl.gov.uk/journeyplanner We strongly recommend you come to the London Mela by public transport. Buses E3 and H91 will operate extra services to make your journey quick and easy. A special express shuttle bus will operate between Ealing Broadway and Gunnersbury Park (Popes Lane) every 10-12 mins.

Tube Acton Town (District Line / Piccadilly Line) 5 minute walk South Ealing (Piccadilly Line) 10 minute walk Gunnersbury (District Line) 10 minute walk

Train Gunnersbury, Kew Bridge, Ealing Broadway

Bus E3 serves Popes Lane. Enhanced service every 5 mins between Greenford and Turnham Green.

H91 stops on south side of the park. Enhanced service every 10 minutes. 65 stops in South Ealing Road.

70, 207, 266, 427, 440 to Acton High Street, then E3 to Popes Lane.

83, 112, 207, 226, 297, 427, E1, E2, E7, E8, E9, E10, E11 to Ealing Broadway, then special express service. 237, 267, 391 at Chiswick High Rd

By Car Limited parking available at a charge of £10 per vehicle. Gunnersbury Park and the surrounding areas will be a controlled parking zone. ALL cars illegally parked will be towed.

Disabled Parking Free parking on-site provided to Disabled Blue Badgeholders.

REAL ESTATE VOICE

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

19

Gherkin causes a pickle Suresh Vagjiani

Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

I met an eccentric mad professor on a recent trip to Glastonbury, unsurprisingly he designed robot arms for a living. He in turn asked what I do and then we started speaking about property. He hasn't really focused on buying any property but realised the need to do so.

His business has been doing well and running for over 20 years with orders coming in from all around the world, people wanting robotic arms designed for a variety of weird uses.

He has been coming to Glastonbury for just as long as he had been running his business. Ten years ago he decided to invest in a property in Glastonbury, which he purchased for £140k. The current price of this property is now £175k.

It’s d one a lot bette r than the property I purchased in City Cen tre Birming ham. It was sold by a sou rc in g age nt who reported ly had a 15% d iscou nt off t he ‘market pric e’ of £165k, this comes t o £140k. This was boug ht abou t 12 years ago , with no mon ey down apart from the legal fee s and sourcing fees. I was told to put these fe es o n a cred it c ard and the n transfer it t o an other cre dit card therefore q ualifying fo r a 0% rate fo r the life of the transfer.

This was in the good old days of bountiful credit.

Birmingham was ‘sold’ as the second city of Europe with its new shopping centres and the new speed Rail link and the development which was occurring all around the town.

So with no money down I had bought my first apartment. It rented quite quickly for £650pm, every time it gets empty it rents quickly, for £650pm! For twelve straight years the rent hasn't increased! We got lucky once on a corporate let of £750pm but that was the only fluctuation. After the mortgage and the service charge it was an investment which swallows money rather than produces.

The property is currently worth £135k. So over a 12 year period it has decreased in value. This deal made what my new friend had done pretty impressive. In actual fact his deal wasn't sooo bad, I assume he would have put down the usual deposit of 25% this equates to £35,000 so a return of roughly 10% per annum on the money he's invested isn't terrible. It seems his purchase was done on the basis of sentiment.

Price is dependent on supply and demand, if the demand rises and the supply is fixed the price rises. You could pretty much assume the supply of property is almost fixed, since they aren't building very many more.

Therefore two things could have happened with regards to the Birmingham property, the demand is not there and supply is fixed, or there has been an oversupply of property and the demand is static or a combination of the two.

My in clination is there simply isn' t enou gh de mand to justify a price hike in property prices.

Unsure how great Birmin gham City is, howe ver it s growt h hasn 't refl ected on this apartment ver y wel l. Th e property is slap ban g in the City Ce ntre so one would expec t any u plift in the city to be reflec ted in the price of the property.

In stark contrast to this is the demand for the Gherkin which has come up for sale this week, where upwards of 200 parties have registered their interest to purchase this iconic landmark building which is on the market for £650m. This means there is in total £130bn from 40 different countries chasing this one asset; there is no comparison to this asset probably in the world.

The countries leading the bidding are from Asia, in stark contrast to when the building was put up for sale in 2006 when there was zero interest in the building from Asia. Then the interest came from North America, Germany and Ireland, this time there was no interest from the Irish.

There has been a dramatic shift in the buyer profiles, in a relatively short time of 8 years. This is testimony to the global appeal of the London market. Even if one sector goes down the demand is variegated enough to allow another sector to pop up and fill its place keeping the overall demand robust.

The building is a receivership sale, it is owned by two parties Evan Randall being one, they are trying in a last ditch attempt to raise finance and come to some agreement before an interested party comes in and snatches the deal away from them.

Most investors purchase close to where they live purely out of sentiment, with some vague notion that their off spring will one day live there and the perception the investment is easier to control. The other popular idea is to purchase the property next door to you as soon it comes up for sale. Why? When you analyse the reasons they do not make any sense, apart from some emotional or sentimental reasons, which have no basis in reality when you look at it from an investment point of view.

The Real Deal

St John’s Wood, London, NW8 Purchase Price: £1.35m

l l l l l l l

A cle ve r approach I wou ld h ave thoug ht is n ot to approach the selling ag ents De loitte an d Savills who have bee n appointe d by t he lend er, and instead approac h the existing own er and work out a refinancing package. Th is way the inte re st ed party would circu mven t all t he other 199 int erested parties and the ag ent s, wh o probably have a short list of their preferred buyers.

A large three bedroom flat in a beautiful block Very long lease Great natural light Near High Street Around 1,150 sq. ft. area Requires modernisation Very good long term buy and hold opportunity

This would involve more creativity but would offer a sure chance of grabbing the asset away from the agents.

There is nothing to say you cannot refinance at any point before the property has been sold. This is a very good method to grab back assets which have reached the hands of the receiver.

Call us now to secure this deal!

0207 993 0103

We provide a turnkey solution. Contact us now:

Specialists in

Central London Property Sourcing

info@sowandreap.co.uk

www.sowandreap.co.uk

55 Bryanston Street, Marble Arch Tower, London, W1H 7AA

Follow us online:

Sowandreapuk

SowandReapProperties

Tips of the Week

l Research the market: Before investing in a property do proper research about the market and growth prospects. But remember the internet has its limits, nothing beats local knowledge.

lWhen trying to sell your property try not to put it on the market during holiday seasons. Your property may not easily sell during this period and after sometime it may become stale.

BUSINESS

20

Dear Financial Voice Reader,

I write to you from Bangalore where the Deputy Prime Minister will inaugurate the UK India Business Council centre here. I gave a speech to leading Indian investors and entrepreneurs today, where very few believed that India would produce a $50billion company any time in the future.

If Indians don’t believe if it of their own countrymen, then why should any investors? If India cannot do it, then who can? Well Britain with only 1% of the world’s population has twenty $50 billion dollar companies. So, with this poor level of self-belief Indian’s should all migrate still to the UK. Tata of course makes a £1billion in profits from owning Jaguar, so clearly some, few, very few Indians, have a global belief. And international belief – and they seem to be booming. If an Indian is at the Head of Pepsi, Microsoft, Mastercard, then why can they not be the founders of those companies? They can is the simple answer, and they will. It’s just their peoples don’t believe it.

How important is belief?

So I asked my audience, why is it the West is so rich? Their companies so large? It is not that the West stole from the East. The winds that blew the West to the East, also blow the other direction. No the West built an infrastructure to make doing business easy.

They built the railroads, the laws, the buildings, yes even the air conditioning machines, the offices, the phone lines, the electricity lines.

So if I look for foreign companies, with belief to be global and billion dollar outfits, then I look for companies in the US to invest in. Then I look at companies like Hologic in imaging and detection of diseases – a billion dollar company, or Intuitive surgical with $17billion in value, or Biogen in auto-immune diseases, valued at $80billion, or Gilead in infectious diseases $157billion.

All these American companies – which are listed on the stock market and you could invest in. All of them founded by Americans who believed in their ability to go global, to be multibillion dollar companies.

That DNA is why I was in India. To look for that DNA, that belief in India. I’ve yet to find it. The lack of confidence of Indians. Maybe it is why even their Prime Minister does not seem comfortable on the global world stage.

Of course Tata, Infosys are clear exceptions to the rule. But mainly, the most confident Indians are the ones overseas by the looks of it.

India to tighten up banking risk management: Jaitley

India’s finance minister Arun Jaitley said that the government was working to tighten up risk management in the banking sector, responding to recent scandals that have raised doubts about lending practices at state banks.

Jaitley did not name any bank, but his comments followed the launch of an investigation into whether the head of statecontrolled Syndicate Bank ¿ЬєઅЦ´ ╙¾» ¶³Ц¾¾Ц ╙¾¥ЦºЪ ºΝЦЦ ¦ђ?

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took bribes to roll over a loan to family-controlled Bhushan Steel. "Some recent instances have been disturbing," Jaitley told a banking audience in New Delhi. "I would only hope that they are a drop in the ocean and we have all learnt the lessons from such incidents, and there will be no repetition of them." The investigation into Syndicate Bank has raised broader concerns about weak oversight, corruption and politically directed lending at India's dominant state banks, which are weighed down by bad loans. In his maiden budget last month, Jaitley said state banks would need $40 billion in fresh capital by 2018 to meet international capital adequacy standards. Much of this cash is expected to be raised on financial markets.

The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested the chairman of Syndicate Bank and is questioning the head of Bhushan Steel, which owes $6 billion and was this week put under tighter scrutiny by its creditors.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

Indians keep faith with Modi to put economy back on track

More than 70 per cent of Indians are satisfied with the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi since he took office nearly three months ago, an opinion poll showed, seeing in him the best hope to put the economy back on track.

The 'Mood of the Nation Poll' by India Today-Hansa Research stands out in contrast with the disappointment that top political economists, including those who advised the Modi campaign, have voiced over his failure to announce big bang

Narendra Modi reforms.

The poll of 12,430 people conducted across India found that support for Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party had increased since it won the biggest election mandate in three decades.

The vote share of the

BJP and its allies would jump to 40 per cent from 31 per cent if a fresh election were held now, the survey showed, in a break from tradition in India's volatile politics where discontent with incumbent governments quickly sets in, especially when expectations are high.

After assuming power, Modi has repeatedly vowed to fire up the bureaucracy by cutting red tape and curbing corruption, as his government

India likely to have 7.5 pc GDP growth in 2015-20: D&B

India is likely to achieve an average growth rate of around 7.5 per cent during financial years 201520, global business information provider Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) said in a report.

"India is likely to achieve a higher average growth rate of around 7.5 per cent during FY15-20, spurred by large infrastructure investment by the Government along with increased investment activity by the private sector," said D&B India senior economist Arun Singh.

"The present government's incremental effort to expedite major reforms and its successful implementation should push India's GDP (at market prices) to more than $4.5 trillion by FY20," Singh added. The successful implementation of major reforms by the NDA government could push India's gross domestic product (GDP) to over $4.5 trillion by fiscal

2020, the report said.

"These are exciting times for India with the ushering in of a new majority government at the centre after three decades," Singh said.

According to D&B, the Indian economy is expected to recover from the current phase of slowdown towards the second half of fiscal 2015 and gather pace by the year after.

For the first quarter of the current financial year, the country is expected to have a GDP growth rate of around 5.2 per cent

and in 2015-16 the rate is likely to be 5.5 per cent D&B's "India 2020: Economy Outlook" evaluates the growth of the Indian economy in the next six years based on its strengths and weaknesses. The report is divided into five sections - forecasts for key macroeconomic variables, growth prospects for some Indian states, potential growth drivers of the economy, major policy initiatives to facilitate India's economic journey and challenges to growth during the next six years.

RBI planning to introduce plastic currency notes next year

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is planning to introduce plastic currency notes next year on a pilot basis and improve security features to defeat the efforts of counterfeiters. It also aims to set up a national bill payments system that could eliminate middlemen and bring in efficiencies.

"The Reserve Bank of India is also looking at other alternatives for improving the life of bank notes,'' the central bank said in its annual report for 2013-14. The central bank floated a tender for plastic currency notes in January after years of deliberation. Depending on the trial, the notes should be introduced widely next year.

"Plastic notes are coming... Tender bids have come for 1 billion notes.

Raghuram Rajan

In five cities, pilot testing would be done, including Shimla," RBI governor Raghuram Rajan said in May after a board meeting in Shimla. "In 2015, it would be launched based on the results of pilot testing." Plastic notes are stain proof and don't tear easily. Several countries have tried using polymerbased currency notes, although these are costlier than cotton-fibre based

paper currency.

The plastic notes may be introduced in Kochi, Mysore, Jaipur, Bhubaneswar and Shimla - centres with different weather conditions. Notes of low denomination will be used in the pilot project. To further the cause of financial inclusion and protect consumers, the central bank is also planning to review Know Your Customer (KYC) norms without weakening antimoney laundering requirements. It will also review priority sector guidelines, according to changing economic priorities.

To make payment mechanisms more efficient, the central bank is also planning to consolidate systems which offer similar services or cater to the requirements of same market segments.

attempts to revive Asia's third-largest economy from its longest phase of sub-par growth in decades.

While some visible signs of recovery have emerged, Modi has not announced any sweeping market reforms, with critics saying he has scored high on oratory but low on delivery of his election campaign promises.

But 65 per cent of those surveyed believed Modi will put the economy back on track in six months and that his party was the best bet for development.

US retailer Gap to enter India with Arvind

India’s textile major Arvind's Lifestyle Brands arm has tied up with the US iconic retailer Gap Inc. to franchise its apparels in India through retail format. "We will open about 40 Gap stores to franchise its apparels across the country starting with Mumbai and Delhi early 2015," Arvind chairman Sanjay Lalbhai said in a statement.

Arvind, which has been a Gap vendor for long, is extending the partnership to retail for adding the latter's portfolio of brands to retain its leadership in the growing Indian apparel market.

As the world's second most populous country, India represents an important platform for Gap to bring its casual style to the upwardly mobile Indian consumers. "India is an emerging, vibrant market and an important next step in our global expansion strategy," Gap's global president Steve Sunnucks said on the occasion.

Gap will ship its summer 2015 collection for adults, kids and babies to promote its well-known brands in the Indian market.

With more than half of the country's 1.2-billion people being under 25 years and the younger generation embracing fashion as never before, Gap plans to cash in on its brand awareness.

"We look forward to understanding the Indian market place and consumer needs to create our brand experience among the local consumers," Gap global franchise vice-president Ismail Seyis said in the statement.

As Gap has a huge recall in India and being a favourite among Bollywood stars, Arvind plans to leverage the former's brand awareness to scale up and expand its franchise business.

CURRENCY VOICE

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

21

Foreign Exchange

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

Second Quarter GDP Shows Growth Britain’s economy kept up its strong growth in the second quarter of 2014 and its yearly pace of expansion was revised up to 3.2 percent, its best performance in more than six years.

GDP met forecasts and expanded by 0.8 percent in the April-June period, as reported in preliminary data last month and the same pace as in the first three months of the year.

Compared with the second quarter of last year, the economy expanded by 3.2 percent, up slightly from an estimate of 3.1 percent, which was the fastest yearly growth since the end of 2007.

Wholesale prices in the U.S. rose at a slower pace in July due to a drop in fuel costs. The 0.1 percent increase in the producer price index matched forecasts and followed a 0.4 percent gain the prior month, Labour Departments reports showed today. The so-called core measure, which strips out volatile food and fuel, increased 0.2 per-

cent. U.S. consumer sentiment fell in August to its lowest since last November while a barometer of current economic conditions rose to its highest since July 2007.

The Dollar’s recent gains slowed on Monday despite a survey revealing a surge in US home builder confidence. A monthly index from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) measuring confidence among single-family home builders rose 2 points to

55; analysts had expected the index to hold unchanged at its July level, after steep drops in new home sales and housing starts from June to July.

Dominating the Eurozone headlines were warnings from Germany's Bundesbank regarding global tensions such as the Ukraine crisis and its potential impact for Europe’s largest economy, putting earlier assumptions about the strength of the country's growth at risk.

Consumer prices rose 1.6 percent on the year in July the Office for National Statistics said, economists had expected inflation to fall to 1.8 percent.

Separate data from the ONS showed house prices in Britain had started to moderate, adding to signs from other surveys that the rapid pace of house price growth is starting to calm.

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee was yesterday split about when to raise interest rates. Two members, Martin Weale and Ian McCafferty, broke with consensus and voted to raise borrowing

costs by 25 basis points, to 0.75%. They believe that the UK economy is strong enough to justify an immediate rise in the interest rate and that earnings across the UK economy are likely to pick up in the months ahead, meaning the Bank of England should start to tighten monetary policy now.

British retail sales for July grew at the slowest annual rate since November of last year, while the government failed to make much of an inroad into public borrowing, data showed on Thursday.

The figures add to signs that Britain's consumer-led recovery might be starting to slow, which leaves the government with a lot of catching up to do to meet fullyear borrowing targets before May's national election.

The US Dollar continued to strengthen after jobless claims declined more than forecast last week, a sign the U.S. job market is making progress as the world’s largest economy grows.

Jobless claims fell by 14,000 to 298,000 in the week ended August 16th and employers are holding the line on dismissals as second-half economic growth is projected to pick up, setting the stage for more hiring to meet demand.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 26th August 2014 @ 4pm

GBP - INR = 100.17 USD - INR = 60.40 EUR - INR = 79.73 GBP - USD = 1.66 GBP - EUR = 1.26

EUR - USD = 1.32 GBP - AED = 6.09

GBP - CAD = 1.82

GBP - NZD = 1.99

GBP - AUD = 1.78

GBP - ZAR = 17.71

GBP - HUF = 393.32

www.rationalfx.com

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

22

LONDON - USA

More than 1,500 UK Muslims fighting for jihad

London: When the British army has failed to attract more than 560 Muslims into its fold, more and more Muslims have joined the jihadists in Syria and Iraq. While the police claimed that 400 to 500 British Muslims were fighting Islamic state (ISIS), one MP said that more than 1,500 Britons were fighting to create a caliphate. The Muslim community leaders put the figure between 600 and 1,000. This shows that the jihadists were able to attract more to its cadre than the British army. The debate over the number intensified after it was revealed that a British jihadist had beheaded American journalist James Foley.

A former French hostage said he believed that he knew the identity of the suspected killer, dubbed Jailer John.

Meanwhile, US warplanes continued to bomb Islamic State positions in Iraq despite a warning that a second US hostage would be killed unless they stopped.

The stark difference in the number of British

Muslims waging jihad and those joining the armed forces was attributed, in part, to glamorisation of jihad on social media.

Online brainwashing against the West by radicalised individuals was making Isis increasingly attractive, MPs and leading Muslim figures said.

Foreign policy in Iraq and Afghanistan, where Britain played a leading role in the two wars, and inaction over Muslims killed by President Assad in Syria has turned some Muslims off the military, it was said. There was also a fear of being labelled a traitor by fellow Muslims for joining a force that had operated in Muslim countries.

Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the antiextremism Ramadhan Foundation, said: “There is a concerted effort from these extremists to groom young people into thinking when they are going out to Syria and Iraq to fight a just war.”

Ministry of Defence figures show that 220 Muslims joined the British Army, Royal Navy and RAF between April 2011 and March 2014.

This represented a fraction of the total intake. An unknown number of recruits who chose not to declare their religion may also have signed up, the MoD said. The total number of Muslims in the military has risen slightly

Wa s h i n g t o n : American freelance photojournalist James Foley, who had been missing for nearly two years after he was believed kidnapped in Syria, has been beheaded by the socalled Islamic State extremists in Iraq.

Foley's family James Foley confirmed his friends, family and loved death after ISIS released a ones to rise up against my video of the beheading real killers – the US govand it was briefly posted ernment – for what will on YouTube before being happen to me is only a taken down. It elicited result of their complacent strong condemnation and criminality,” he says, in a outrage all around even as statement he is ostensibly ISIS threatened to kill tutored to make. He says Steven Sotloff, another when American soldiers hostage it said it had in its began dropping bombs on custody.

Titled “A Iraq this month, “they Message to America', the signed my death certifivideo shows Foley, clad in cate.” an orange jumpsuit of the Foley’s family left little kind work by doubt that they believed Guantanamo Bay prisonthe video to be true, issuers, kneeling in a desert ing a brave and heartrendlandscape. A masked ISIS ing statement. “We have terrorist standing to his never been prouder of our left says Foley's execution son Jim. He gave his life is in retaliation for the trying to expose the world recent American airstrikes to the suffering of the ordered by President Syrian people. We implore Barack Obama against the the kidnappers to spare extremist group in Iraq. the lives of the remaining “As a government you hostages. Like Jim, they have been at the forefront are innocents. They have in the aggression against no control over American the Islamic State… your government policy in Iraq, strikes has caused casualSyria or anywhere in the ties among Muslims,” the world,” his mother Diane terrorist in the Foley video Foley said on the says. Foley himself is Facebook page the family heard speaking in the had created to publicize video. “I call on my their son’s disappearance.

Washington: The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isil) reportedly demanded the release of a female Pakistani scientist Dr Aafia Siddiqui with ties to al-Qaeda in exchange for James Foley, the American who was killed by the jihadists. According to the New York Times, Isil sent the list of demands to the United States which included the release of Dr Siddiqui, an MIT-trained neuroscientist currently incarcerated in a prison in Texas. In the US she is considered as an al-Qaida courier and fundraiser involved in bomb making, but in Pakistan and Afghanistan, she is seen as an Islamic ‘damsel in distress’ who has been persecuted for her faith.

Sympathy for Dr Siddiqui over her arrest, detention and extradition to the United States is so widespread in Pakistan that its government offered to swap her for a CIA contractor who shot dead two alleged robbers in a Lahore street in 2011.

Dr Siddiqui, a UStrained neuroscientist, was arrested in Ghazni, Afghanistan in 2008 and found to have documents on chemical weapons, dirty bombs and viruses indicating she was planning attacks against American enemies.

When she was interviewed by American soldiers and FBI officers, she allegedly grabbed a rifle

Extremists kill US journalist

over the past two years but remains at just 650 service personnel across the three services, or 0.4 per cent of the armed forces. The national census for England and Wales in 2011 found that 5 per cent of the population was Muslim. The MoD was trying to correct the discrepancy, a spokeswoman said. “It has never been more important that our armed forces represent the breadth of the society we serve and we are very proud of the crucial contribution that British Muslims play in our armed forces, both past and present. A new initiative, the Armed Forces Muslim Forum, began last month to help to strengthen ties between the military and the Muslim community. Khalid Mahmood, a Labour MP in Bimingham Perry Barr, said the MoD needed to work harder at attracting Muslims. By contrast he said that the macho image portrayed on websites of joining Islamist militant groups was proving a successful recruitment tool that needed to be addressed.

ISIL demanded release of Pak scientist for Foley

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

In Brief

Many Britons travelling to Switzerland to end their lives

London: Latest figures have shown that terminally ill Britons now make up nearly one quarter of users of suicide clinics like Dignitas in Switzerland. Between 2008 and 2012, 126 Britons chose to die in Zurich, the majority at Dignitas. In 2012, 29 people from the UK travelled to Switzerland to end their own lives.

Experts from the University of Zurich used data from the Zurich Institute of Legal Medicine and the figures were analysed by Oxford University. They found that the number of people travelling to Switzerland to take their own lives had risen by 40 per cent in four years. In 2008 there were 123 cases of suicide tourism which had increased to 172 by 2012.

BoA pays $17bn over toxic mortgage debt

New York: Bank of America has paid nearly $17 billion to close an investigation brought by prosecutors over claims that it knowingly sold toxic mortgage debt to investors in the largest settlement between an American company and the US government. Preet Bharara, US attorney for the southern district of New York, said: “This office has obtained a jury verdict of fraud and a judgment for over a billion dollars against Countrywide and Bank of America for engaging in similar conduct.”

Bedford is UK’s ‘most generous town’

London: Bedford has been named the most generous town in the UK based on donations given through charity site JustGiving. A total of 41,631 people in Bedford donated £1,145,970 to charitable causes on the JustGiving site in the year to May 2014. Bedford’s donations equated to 52 per cent of the town’s overall population, according to JustGiving. Charlie Wells, chief marketing officer at the online donation site, praised Bedford residents for their generosity.

British-born Muslim convert planned atrocity

London: A Muslim convert Brustchom Ziamani, 19, was arrested in East London last week with a rucksack containing a knife and hammer wrapped in an Islamic flag. Ziamani of Camberwell, south London, who appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court was charged with engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts contrary to section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006. Prosecutor Mark Dawson said Ziamani had extreme ideological material in his rucksack. Dawson added that Ziamani told a female teenager that he was going to commit a terrorist atrocity either on troops or members of the government.

Hospital shop’s selling tactic causes outrage Aafia Siddiqui

and shot at her interrogators. She was treated for gunshot wounds suffered in the struggle and later sent to the United States where she was convicted of attempted murder and jailed for 86 years.

A call for her release would indicate Isil has a contingent of Taliban veterans from Afghanistan and Pakistan, a leading terrorism expert said. “One explanation is that people from the Afghan-Pakistan theatre have transferred to Iraq and Syria and her cause is part of their baggage. Isil is trying to mobilise people in righteous condemnation of what they see as oppression of the Muslim nation at the hands of the West,” he explained.

“Muslims all over the world, especially in Afghanistan and Pakistan, have great sympathy for her, regardless of her case,” Ghairat Baheer, the son-inlaw of Afghan insurgency leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar said.

London: The Ninewells Hospital in Dundee has caused outrage after it was found that a shop on its premise was selling a pie so calorific it has been dubbed ‘a heart attack on a plate’. The shop has been found to sell the ‘Fry-Up pie’ which contains 600-800 calories and is approximately a third of a man’s daily requirement. Professor Mike Lean, the chair of Human Nutrition at the Glasgow University, said of the news: ‘It should never be anywhere near a hospital.

Viagra prices go down by 93 per cent

London: The price of Viagra, the drug used to help with male erectile dysfunction, has dropped by 93 per cent. According to a report, Pfizer, the US company, has been selling a pack of four pills at £21.27. But after the patent expired in June 2013, other companies have been able to produce ‘generic’ copies of the blue pill and sell four pills for £1.45.

This massive price drop has led to the NHS widening its prescription of the drug to all men who are suffering from serious erectile dysfunction.

House buyers go for 30-year mortgages

London: As a result of spiralling house prices, a record number of people are going for 30-year mortgages. One in five of the 171,000 new loans sanctioned between April and June were for terms of more than 30 years, compared with 18 pc of 148,000 loans in the first quarter, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders. The CML said the number of firsttime buyers taking out a mortgage with a longer repayment period jumped to 28 pc of all new loans, from 26 pc in the first quarter. Ten years ago, just 4.5 pc of all borrowers took out loans of more than 30 years, rising to 11pc at the end of 2007, before Northern Rock collapsed.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

In Brief

Strong pound denting profits of UK companies

London: As pound has become dearer compared to dollar over the past year, the profits of UK-listed companies with global presence has come down. In the past year sterling has risen as much as 12 pc against the US dollar, hitting a high of $1.7166 in early July although it has recently slid back, meaning UK-listed companies with a global presence have seen their profits hit by the currency’s strength.

Deadline looms over card holders to claim compensation

London: The deadline to claim compensation for almost five million British card holders is looming over.

They have to make the claim before the August 30 deadline. But there's still time to make a claim. Anyone who thinks they might be eligible should act now to avoid losing out on a redress of up to £625.

Cost of going to cinema has soared

London: The cost of going to cinema has soared in recent years, leaving a family visit now approaching the £100 mark. An analysis has found that a single ticket in some venues costs more than £20, while a box of popcorn can be as much as £5.

British Christians forced to hide belief

London: Former attorney general Dominic Grieve says that an “aggressive form of secularism” in workplaces and public bodies is forcing British Christians to hide their beliefs. Grieve said he found it “quite extraordinary” that people were being sacked or disciplined for expressing their beliefs at work. He described Christianity as a “powerful force for good” in modern Britain and warned that Christians should not be “intimidated” and “excluded” for their beliefs.

111-year-old from Japan recognized as oldest man

Tokyo: A 111-year-old retired educator from Japan who enjoys poetry has been recognized as the world's oldest living man. Sakari Momoi received a certificate from Guinness Book of World Records. He succeeds Alexander Imich of New York, who died in April at the age of 111 years, 164 days. The world's oldest living person is also Japanese: Misao Okawa, a 116-year-old woman from Osaka. Momoi was born on Feb 5, 1903, in Fukushima prefecture, where he became a teacher.

He later moved to the city of Saitama, north of Tokyo, and served as a high school principal there until retirement. Momoi says he enjoys reading books, especially Chinese poetry. He has five children and now lives at a nursing home in Tokyo.

Pak Taliban commander killed

Peshawar: A Taliban commander was killed on Monday in a remote controlled IED blast in Pakistan's restive tribal region bordering Afghanistan. The Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast took place outside the house of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander, known as Khabare, in Mehraban Kalay area of Tirrah Valley in Khyber Agency, sources said.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. In another incident, a truck driver and a cleaner were killed when unidentified militants attacked a NATO tanker in Jamrud tehsil area of Khyber Agency.

US diplomats banned from Ice Bucket Challenge

Washington: It is the charity stunt that has got everyone from billionaires to pop stars and even former US presidents drenched by buckets of freezing water.

But American diplomats were banned from going for the challenge in support of Lou Gehrig's disease research. The State Department has issued an internal telegram forbidding US ambassadors and other highprofile foreign service officers from participating in the forfeit, in which people either pledge $100 to ALS research or record themselves getting soaked by frigid water, then post it online and challenge others to do the same.

WORLD

23

Anti-govt protests continue amid deadlock over talks in Pakistan

Islamabad: The anti-government protest in Pakistan continues amidst serious differences between the negotiators and protest leaders, who are demanding nothing less than Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's resignation as a pre-condition for talks.

Sharif, meanwhile, said that neither he would launch a crackdown on the mass protests nor will he quit while protest leaders - Imran Khan and Canada-based cleric Tahir-ul Qadri - have vowed to remain in the capital until the prime minister resigns.

The protests were launched last Thursday from Lahore and later marched to Islamabad where protesters entered the high security 'Red Zone' that houses impor-

tant government buildings including the parliament house, prime minister house, president house, and the supreme court besides embassies.

Since then, thousands of supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-i- Insaf chairman Imran Khan and firebrand cleric Qadri have been demonstrating outside the parliament building here.

In his overnight speech, Khan asked peo-

ple to come in big numbers and promised a change of government soon. Qadri also said that the end of the government was not far away. The protests at night have become quite a spectacle due to live music and the dances.

Khan's camp was entertained by rock star Salman Ahmad while Qadri arranged live Qawali show for his audi-

ence. A large number of people enjoyed the live performance till late at night. Between the songs and music, the leaders continued to address the people, exhorting them to stay put till Sharif is removed. Meanwhile, the government has expressed willingness to talk to the protest leaders but so far there is no positive response. "We are ready to resolve their problems but for it they should talk to us," development minister Ahsan Iqbal said.

Sharif enjoys support of 11 political parties as only Khan's Pakistan Thereek-e-Insaf is against him. It is expected that Sharif will address lawmakers and may announce some measures to deal with the protests that have paralysed the capital.

Colombo: Sri L a n k a n P r e s i d e n t Rajapaksa has denied visas to UN investigators of alleged war crimes on the island. Rajapaksa said UN officials would be barred from the country, stopping them from conducting face-to-face Mahinda Rajapaksa interviews with co-operating with UN victims of alleged abuses mechanisms.” He said conducted by both sides barring entry to UN during a bloody civil war investigators would not that ended in 2009. prevent them from doing “We will not allow their job. them into the country,” Ban Ki-Moon, the UN the president said. “We secretary-general, and do not accept the probe. other global leaders We are against it.” including David Cameron The UN Human have called on Colombo Rights Council voted in to co-operate with the March to launch an invesinvestigation.

Up to tigation into allegations 100,000 people died durthat up to 40,000 civilians ing the 30-year conflict were killed by Sri Lanka’s and the council says it is military during the last investigating 19,471 months of the war with cases of missing people.

Tamil separatists.

Sri Lanka has sought Sri Lanka has refused to deflect criticism of its to accept the authority of record by appointing its the council, but it is the own presidential inquiry first time that it has into the alleged crimes. barred entry to investigaForeign legal experts, tors. Fred Carver, director including the British of the Sri Lanka lawyers Desmond de Campaign for Peace and Silva and Geoffrey Nice, Justice, said: “I am disapare advising the inquiry, pointed but not surprised. which critics say is a The government has white-wash. never been serious about

London: While the ministers faced accusations for failing to stop radicalisation of British Muslims, there were growing public support for UK airstrikes against Islamist militants in Iraq and Syria.

The concerns came as David Cameron and his ministers decided that no policy changes were required in the wake of the killing of American journalist James Foley by a militant believed to be British.

However, it emerged that key recommendations handed to Downing Street to tackle radicalisation in Britain are yet to be implemented. The recommendations were drawn up by an antiextremism task force set up after the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby on the streets of London last year.

In its report the government pledged to “close these gaps” in current laws around promoting extremism. It pledged to examine proposals to create a new type of order banning groups that “seek to undermine democracy or use hate speech”.

It also promised to consider introducing a new type of antisocial behaviour order aimed at “the behaviours extrem-

ists use to radicalise others”. The measure could yet see extremist preachers barred from mosques or community centres.

However, no firm plans for either proposal have emerged.

A Whitehall source said that work was “ongoing across government” on both measures. Many MPs were still pushing for parliament to be recalled to debate Britain’s current strategy in Iraq.

Cameron has ruled out sending British troops to fight, but the UK is willing to train and equip Iraqi fighters.

A poll revealed that public support for allowing Britain to participate in airstrikes against Islamic State (Isis) targets is edging upwards as the crisis deepens. It found that 43 per cent now back the idea of airstrikes, up from 37 per cent at the start of last week. More than a third (36 per cent) now favours arming Kurdish forces fighting Isis, up from 28 per cent over the same period.

Ministers have ordered more work to be done combating radicalisation in prisons, schools, universities and online.

However, they came under fire for failing to act fast enough.

Lanka bars entry to UN war crimes team

Ministers blamed for failing to tackle Muslims radicals

24

INDIA

Cong wins 2, BJP 1 in Karnataka by-elections

Bangalore: The ruling Congress in Karnataka has registered a big win in the assembly by-polls. It has won two of the total three seats that went to polls on August 21. The BJP has won one seat. The Congress has wrested the prestigious Bellary Rural seat from the BJP. The seat was earlier held by MP B Sriramulu.

The Congress candidate NY Gopalakrishna has won the seat by 34,000 votes. The defeat in Bellary Rural is being seen as a huge setback for the BJP. The Congress has retained Chikkodi-Sadalaga assembly seat. Ganesh Hukkeri, the Congress candidate and son of local MP Prakash Hukkeri has won the seat comfortably.

In the prestigious Shikaripura assembly seat in Shimoga district, the BJP candidate BY Raghavendra has won by a slender margin of just 4,000 votes. Earlier the seat was held by former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, who went to Lok Sabha in last May.

DMK seeks Bharat Ratna for Annadurai

The victory margin of the BJP in Shikaripua has shocked the party leadership. In the 2013 Assembly polls, Yeddyurappa won the seat by almost 50,000 votes and in the last Lok Sabha polls, he was leading by over 70,000 votes in the same seat. His son won the seat by a great difficulty, this time.

The Congress which has lost the seat by just 4,000 votes is claiming that the verdict is against the BJP. The shocking defeat in Bellary Rural has diminished the clout of B Sriramulu. The chief minister Sidaramaiah said that the result is the indication of waning influence of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.

Chennai: At a time when various names being considered for the Bharat Ratna have stoked a controversy, DMK president M Karunanidhi has made a strong pitch for conferring India’s highest civilian award on C N Annadurai, party-founder and first nonCongress Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu after Independence. “He is a great social reformer, great writer, orator and litterateur. His literary and political works, both in Tamil and English, have been acclaimed as one of the best in the State,” Karunanidhi said in a letter to President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday. Karunanidhi, who succeeded Annadurai as Chief Minister in 1969 after his untimely death, said his leader and political mentor fully deserved the honour.

“We understand that the Union government is considering conferment of the Bharat Ratna on some of our national leaders. Anna may be given the award on the

Preneet Kaur the Akali Dal. He has defeated his Congress rival Harminder Singh Jassi.

Voting for both seats took place Aug 21. The opposition Congress and AAP have accused the Akali Dal of misusing the official machinery to manipulate the polls.

In the 117-member Punjab Assembly, the Akali Dal has a strength of 56 legislators, its ally BJP has 12, the Congress 44 and independents three.

To gain a simple majority, the Akali Dal needs two more members to take its tally to 58.

New Delhi: The Central Board of Film Certification in India has blocked the release of a film on the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, saying it glorifies her killers and could trigger violent protests.

The board said the film glorified the Sikh bodyguards who killed Gandhi to avenge her suppression of an insurgency that culminated in an army assault on the Golden Temple, Sikhism's holiest shrine.

"Kaum De Heere," or "Diamonds of the Community," was scheduled for release in theaters across northern India on Friday.

Certification board chief Leela Samson said panel members saw the film and decided it could not be released as it posed a threat to public order. India's Home Ministry had expressed concern about a clearance earlier given to the film and had asked the panel to review it, Samson said.

The ministry had received intelligence

Cong, Akali candidates win Punjab by-elections

Patiala: Former union minister and Congress leader Preneet Kaur has won the Patiala assembly constituency, while Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu of Akali Dal retained the Talwandi Sabo seat in Punjab where by-elections were held last week.

The Congress had pulled out all the stops to retain Patiala, a prestigious seat held earlier by Preneet Kaur's husband and Patiala royal Amarinder Singh, now a Congress MP. Amarinder defeated Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Amritsar in the national election three months ago. Preneet Kaur won by a margin of over 23,000 votes, an election official said.

She had lost the Lok Sabha election from Patiala to Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). This time, AAP's candidate Harjeet Singh has lost badly from the Patiala seat and lost his deposit, having won only about 5,700 votes.

The by-election in Talwandi Sabo was necessitated after Sidhu quit the Congress to cross over to

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

ASIAN ACHIEVERS

AWARDS

The people’s choice awards

C.N. Annadurai with M. Karunanidhi Republic Day,” Karunanidhi said.

When contacted, Anna’s biographer R Kannan said he was delighted. “One of modern India’s most gifted leaders, Anna symbolises India’s aspirations for ‘unity in diversity.’ He made Tamils tall and India proud. It is my hope that the political parties in Tamil Nadu would unite on this honour to one of its greatest sons,” Kannan, a senior United Nations Official now in Baghdad, said ‘It’s redundant’: However, noted historian A R Venkatachalapathy that conferring awards on leaders who were already recognised and revered by the people was redundant and superfluous.

Film on Indira Gandhi’s assassination blocked

reports that the film, in the Punjabi language, could trigger feelings of enmity between India's Hindu and Sikh communities, she said.

"We saw the film and decided it could not be released as it was, due to fears that it would lead to

disruption of public order," she said.

"The film is double trouble. It glorifies Indira Gandhi's assassins who took the law into their own hands and it glorifies the hanging of the two men," Samson said.

The film is based on the lives of three Sikh men, including two bodyguards who shot and killed Gandhi against the backdrop of an insurgency that gripped the northern state of Punjab through the late 1970s and early 1980s when Sikh militants demanded a separate Sikh nation.

South Brief

Jnanpith Award winner Ananthamurthy passes away

Bangalore: Kannada writer and one of India’s most acclaimed public intellectuals, U.R. Ananthamurthy passed away at a private hospital on Friday last. He was 82.

Ananthamurthy, a Jnanpith award winner, had a kidney ailment and had been on dialysis for a long time. He was put on ventilator on Thursday night. Manipal Hospital director H. Sudarshan Ballal said Ananthamurthy’s condition worsened on Thursday night. “There was a sudden drop in his blood pressure on Friday following which his heart stopped functioning.

Teen’s hand chopped off for not showing ‘respect’

Madurai (Tamil Nadu): Three men allegedly severed the hand of a 17-year-old teenager in Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu because he did not show “respect” to one of them - the husband of a village panchayat president. Police said Karthik apparently did not stand up when Krishnan, whose wife is the village panchayat president, crossed him two days ago. The two entered into an altercation, and villagers intervened and brokered peace. But, later they waylaid the yuth and chopped off a portion of his left hand.

Woman stops husband from getting married for 3rd time

Tiruchendur (Taml Nadu): Taking up the challenge thrown by her husband to try and stop his third marriage, his 30-year old wife, a divorcee, stopped him from tying the nuptial knot in the nick of time, police said. They said Sivanandhan (30) had got married a few years back, but got separated due to differences.

Then he married the divorcee, hiding facts of his earlier marriage. He threatened to divorce her and get married for a third time when she berated him. After few days Sivanandhan informed his wife that he was going to marry for the third time. The woman with the help of the police intervened and foiled his plans.

North Brief

Punjab to set up 10 more deaddiction centres

Phagwara: The Punjab government will set up ten more drug de-addiction centres in the state, taking their number to 31. Vikas Garg, Special Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, Punjab, said this after visiting local de-addiction centre in Civil hospital and interacting with patients. He said five new centres, with each having 50-bed capacity, will be set up in state's Government Medical Colleges and Hospitals in Bathinda, Jalandhar, Faridkot, Patiala and Amritsar. The remaining five will be set up at other places which he did not specify.

Cricketer Yuvraj Singh’s father arrested after late-night brawl

Panchkula: Haryana police on Sunday night arrested Yograj Singh, father of cricketer Yuvraj Singh, in a case of late-night brawl over a car parking in Panchkula town. Yograj, a former cricketer who has also worked as an actor in Punjabi movies, was arrested following violent clash between a group of his friends and NRI relatives and their neighbours. They allegedly attacked a former deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and his two sons.

Asian Achievers Awards is organised every Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar to honour

Venue: Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London W1K 7TN

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Modi the visionary - Pradhan Sevak

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

By Ashwin Sanghvi (Vadodara)

It has been the precedent over the years that the Prime Minister of India, while unfurling the National Flag at Red Fort in New Delhi used to announce his action plan for the year and also his vision on foreign affairs.

He used to address the nation and talk of his achievements and of his works ahead. This year this was not to be.

One is all praise for Modi’s extempore speech which was yet another example of Modi the Orator. The issues he highlighted are indeed very important for the nation. For the first time in more than 30 years, an Indian Prime Minister, born after the independence of India addressed the nation without the customary bullet-proof glass shield from the ramparts of the Red Fort, he spoke extempore without any notes, he did not make use of the lift for going up the Red Fort, and asked the audience to join him in saying “Vande Mataram” at the end of his speech.

He was the first PM of India who put on the traditional SAFA in beautiful colours.

His speech was about an action plan for the welfare of our womenfolk, development, public hygiene and skill development and sanitation. Modi began the speech by acknowledging the contributions of his predecessors in nation building and said his government wanted to do the same.

Politicians haven't made this nation, parties haven't made this nation and governments haven't made this nation. Instead it is the farmers, scientists and common man who have built this nation.

India's sex ratio is 1,000 boys for 940 girls.

Modi asked, why this disparity? He advised the doctors not to make money by female infanticide. People feel that sons will take care of them when they are old. But there are cases of aged parents in old-age homes or single daughter taking care of old parents. Steps must be taken to root out

the evil of rapes. He asked parents, when daughters turn 11 or 14, they keep a tab on their movements.

Why these very parents never ask their sons as to where they had been, who they have been meeting?

Rapists are somebody's sons as well! Parents must take the responsibility to ensure that their sons don't go the wrong direction. On the issue of rape too, the PM asked parents why they don't take their sons to task. Nobody speaking from Red Fort has ever called Indian parents hypocritical.

Here is a Prime Minister who criticized rapes, as against another national leader Mulayam Singh Yadav who tried to take these cases very lightly by saying that the “ … the boys make mistakes… ” This is the culture of our leaders. He advised people to abhor communal violence, as no one has ever gained by violence. He also called for a 10 -year moratorium on caste and communal violence in the country.

He made announcements about “The Jan Dhan Yojana,” including an insurance scheme for millions of Indians living below poverty line. Modi also addressed on the topic of sanitation and asked why we are not keeping the country clean and not being able to give mothers a toilet. If billions of Indians pledge to keep the surroundings clean, this nation can be cleaner.

He asked the country to start a sanitation project from the Mahtma Gandhi's birthday on October 2, which will be a

tribute to the Father of the Nation. Yes, hygiene and toilets are extremely important and there is no doubt that in the toilets versus temples debate, toilets are indeed of urgent importance.

People's participation is necessary to ensure that our schools, hospitals, roads and infrastructure are clean. We can arrange clean public toilets. Our womenfolk need not wait till dark to use the toilets.

Modi gave "Make-InIndia" mantra, something that is certain to catch on.

He gave skill developments mission to equip Indian youth with skills ranging from technology to art, with a view to job creation, a thrust for manufacturing and a direct invitation to foreign investment in manufacturing. He invited investors from around the world and overseas Indians to “Come Make in India.”

The mantra of our country's youth should be to at least make one product that we import. Don't compromise on quality; Stress on Zero defect, Zero effect (impact on environment).

India has to head towards a digital era. India today imports a huge proportion of electronic items. In a digital India let one dream of good governance via e-governance, both in terms of manufacturing hardware that is currently imported and in terms of greater use of information technology for e-governance, e-service delivery and more. Today, Indian IT professionals have left the world spellbound.

year by UK’s leading news weeklies British Asian par excellence

Expectedly, he also made a mention of SAARC towards the end of his speech. He asked SAARC nations to join hands for the eradication of poverty. He asked SAARC neighbours to give up fighting each other and instead work to ensure as a unified force.

He made announcement of scrapping of the Planning Commission with an institution that will be more suited to the times. The Prime Minister called him an outsider in New Delhi. He was astonished to see one department fighting against the other. “We want to have one mission and target: Take the nation forward.

One should come out of the 'Why should I care' attitude and dedicate oneself to the nation's progress.”

He proposed to start from October 2 a 4- year target to bring about a change. MPs must use their MPLAD funds to set up toilets in schools. He announced a Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana. “Let each MP adopt a village and take care of its sanitation, education and other needs and make model villages.” He said that he would place the blueprint for the programme before MPs and state government on October 11 Jaya Prakash Narayan's birth anniversary. He asked the Naxals to abhor the path of violence and take the path of peace.

“Enough divisiveness and communal wounds have been inflicted on Mother India. Peace and brotherhood will give strength to take the country for-

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ward.”

He assured people that if they work for 12 hours, he will work for 13 hours.

Why? Because he called himself not a Pradhan Mantri, but a Pradhan Sevak. However, it is also a considered opinion that Modi ignored three key areas: internal security, defence and space, the last two being such areas where India has progressed by leaps and bounds. Modi himself has taken up the defense issue after becoming the PM. He asked his critics as well as supporters not to politicise his Independence Day speech and insisted that the huge majority he enjoys in Lok Sabha will not mean this government does not care for the views of the Opposition. Instead, he said, he would work towards consensus-building and unanimity in major decisions. “We don't want to go ahead with the strength of numbers; we want to go ahead with unanimity. This could be seen in the just concluded Parliament session. We have taken the Opposition in agreement at every step.”

I have heard Narendra Modi twice, once while he addressed his party colleagues in the parliament hall immediately after he won the Lok Sabha elections and also his speech in the Lok Sabha during his reply to President’s speech. However, I felt he was, at his best on 15th August from the rampart of Red Fort.

The PM instead of addressing the nation, communicated with the people on India, who were present in great numbers and many more were hearing him on TV/AIR. He established an eye to eye contact with the people present by removing the bullet-proof enclosure and talking to them and gave number of suggestions just as a head of the family would give for the progress of India. Here, there was a head of the family advising his family members to heed to the need of the hour and to eliminate poverty. Come, let a billion countrymen promise to eradicate poverty.

Ph Hos illi ted pp a T By om son Media Partners

25

Delhi boy wins gold at Informatics Olympiad

Akshat Bubna

A New Delhi school boy Akshat Bubna has become the first Indian student to win a gold medal in the International Olympiad in Informatics in Taiwan.

The 18-year-old Bubna passed his CBSE (12th) exam from Amity International School in New Delhi with over 96 per cent marks and is heading for the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to do a double major in Mathematics and Computer Science.

Incidentally, this was Bubna's second medal, having won a bronze in the Informatics Olympiad in 2013 in Brisbane (Australia). "I had actually applied for MIT much before I got this gold medal in Taiwan. In fact, my bronze medal winning performance last year, did help me a lot in securing a berth in MIT. We were prepared for this Olympiad by IITians who have participated in the event earlier," Bubna said.

In fact, Indian students have done really well this time with Malvika Joshi, schooled in Chashak Gurukul, Mumbai, becoming the first girl from India to bag a medal at this prestigious event, winning a silver. Among the bronze medal winners across various nations was India's Pushkar Mishra of DPS (RK Puram).

The International Olympiad in Informatics is one of the five international science Olympiads, organised all across the world. The primary aim of the IOI is to persuade students to take interest in Informatics and Information Technology.

26

INDIA

Asian Voice revives campaign for LondonAhmedabad direct flights by public demand

On public demand, Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar have revived their campaign for London-Ahmedabad direct flight. Publisher/Editor of the leading newsweeklies CB Patel has written letters to Asian peers, Lord Meghnad Desai, Lord Bhikhu Parekh, Lord Gulam Noon and Keith Vaz MP (amongst others) have pledged their full support for this just demand and to create a Committee in the UK along with Indian MPs. CB has also written letters to India’s Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju and also to Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel seeking their support for the direct flight. In a letter, Lord Noon thanked CB for reviving the direct flight issue. He said that he fully supported the campaign as there are many Gujarati families who would love to have a direct flight without the inconvenience of halting in Dubai, Mumbai or Delhi.

“I think it is high time that the government of India takes the cognisance of this fact and organises this as soon as possible, particularly as Prime Minister Narendra Modi hails from this region,” Lord Noon said in his letter. Lord Noon offered all help in attaining this objective.

Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel's daughter Anarben, who travelled from India to London by Emirates, in an exclusive interview told Asian Voice that she would do whatever possible in her capacity to support this campaign.

The need for direct flight With nearly one million people of Gujarati origin

residing in the UK and with the state of Gujarat developing rapidly, there is a large traffic flow between UK and Gujarat. There is no direct flight, hence, the travellers to Gujarat, South Rajasthan, Western Madhya Pradesh have to change their flights at Delhi or Mumbai in India or Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and other places in the Middle East.

This adds some 4 to 5 hours to the flying time between London (Heathrow) and Ahmedabad (Sardar Patel International Airport).

This is more agonising and full of hardships to elderly passengers, pregnant woman, families with children, passengers with physical hardships as well as business passengers for whom time is very precious.

Twelve years ago, Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar news weeklies launched a campaign due to public demand for direct flights between London and Ahmedabad. Many thousands people signed the petition which included several Members of the house of Lords, MPs, councillors, several business men and women and leaders of community organisations.

Our petition was supported by the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Sri Narendra Modi who recommended the civil aviation minister in the Vajpayee government to do something in this matter.

Air India started with one flight per week in 2003. With an increase in passenger numbers, eventually four flights were available a week for passengers on this route.

With the advent of

UPA government, without consultation and advanced notice, suddenly the direct flight was cancelled. Again due representations to the Civil Aviation Minister, Mr Praful Patel, in the Manmohan Singh government were made but our efforts proved to be futile.

Eventually another petition campaign was launched which was supported by the then Chief Minister of Gujarat Sri Narendra Modi, three members of the Congress led central government (including Bharatsinh Solanki, Dinsha Patel and Tushar Choudhary) as well as several MPs from the state of Gujarat as well as members of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly.

In July 2010, at the inauguration of the new Ahmedabad International Airport, the then civil aviation minister Praful Patel publicly announced that the direct flights will be resumed in October 2010 between Ahmedabad and London. This news was well reported in the media in Gujarat as well as in the UK. Somehow, the promise was not kept.

In 2011/2012, another petition campaign was launched by Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar and the petitions were handed over by Mr. Manoj Ladwa, an International lawyer and the chairman of the Community Engagement Forum of the Labour Party, along with Bollywood Actor Mr Paresh Raval (now Member of Parliament from Ahmedabad) to the then Chief Minister, Sri Narendra Modi in June 2013. Mr Modi supported the direct flight demand and assured to recommend it to the UPA government.

In the meantime, fortu-

nately a direct flight was launched between Birmingham and Delhi/Amritsar in August 2013. Weekly one flight was so successful that now four flights a week are flying on the route. Mr. Pankaj Srivastva, the Commercial Director of Air India announced at their first anniversary function at the Birmingham Airport on first August 2014 that the direct flights have been going well with 74% passenger load per flight and consequently Air India will introduce by November 2014, a daily direct flight with their new Boeing Dreamliner planes.

This is a very welcome news for the passengers as well and will increase commercial and social connectivity between Indians from the Midlands of the UK and those back home in the Punjab.

Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar have congratulated Air India and Indian authorities for Birmingham to Delhi/Amritsar direct flights and we have noticed the manifold advantages.

Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar have written to Civil Aviation Minister Shri Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati in Mr. Modi's government requesting the earliest restart of the direct flight between Ahmedabad and London Heathrow.

Mr. Bhupatrai Parekh, a senior journalist based in Ahmedabad, is coordinating the campaign in Gujarat. He has been in touch with several Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs from different parties and a committee will be formed soon to present the direct flight request to the Indian government.

and offer my condolences to his followers all over the world," Modi tweeted.

Born Dec 14, 1918 in a poor Brahmin family of Bellur in Karnataka as Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar, he was a sickly child, having fallen victim to malaria, typhoid and tuberculosis in his early childhood.

In 1934, when he was 16, the young Iyengar was introduced to yoga by his teacher T. Krishnamacharya as a cure for all his childhood illnesses, and after two years sent to Pune to propagate yoga as he understood some English.

Gradually, he developed the 'Iyengar Yoga', exploring the meaning of yoga sutras by his practical search and practice of Yoga, integrating the body, mind and emotions. This 'astanga style' is now recognized and followed by certified yoga teachers globally.

In 1943, he married 16-year old Ramamani and the couple had six children - daughters Geeta, Vinita, Suchita, Sunita, Savitha and son Prashant.

Geeta and Prashant worked with Iyengar in teaching and propagating yoga till his end.

Over the years in his yoga practice, several eminent personalities became his disciples, including J. Krishnamurti, Jaiprakash Narayan, and Achyut Patwardhan.

In 1952, he had a chance meeting with the legendary violin maestro Yehudi Menuhin who

introduced him to the western world and helped conduct a series of yoga lectures and demonstrations in Europe, US and other countries.

Among his prominent international students was Queen Mother Elisabeth of Belgium, whom he taught 'sirshasana' (head stand yoga posture) at her age of 80.

China's Beijing Post issued a commemorative stamp in his honour in 2011, while Oct 3, 2005 was celebrated as B.K.S. Iyengar Day by San Francisco.

In 1975, Iyengar started the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune in memory of his wife who died in 1973.

Among the books he penned were "Light On Yoga", "Light On Pranayama" and "Light on the Yoga Sutras Of Patanjali", all of them bestsellers.

B.K.S. Iyengar who took yoga to world is no more

World renowned Yoga guru B.K.S. Iyengar, who founded the 'Iyengar Yoga' died at a private hospital in Pune last week, an aide said. He was 96. A widower, he was suffering from age-related ailments and breathed his last on Wednesday last and cremated later.

Author of several books on Yoga, its practice and techniques, Iyengar was conferred the Padma Shri in 1991, the Padma Bhushan in 2002 and Padma Vibhushan in 2014 and was in 2004 named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential personalities, among his many other national and international honours.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled Iyengar's death and said he would be remembered as a fine guru and scholar.

"I am deeply saddened to know about yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar's demise

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

In Brief

Surgeon warns against brow implants

London: Dr Bessam Farjo, a medical director at the Institute of Trichologists, said that beauty services should be restricted to women aged 18 and above to avoid permanently damaging their eyebrows. Earlier this year Megan Billingsley, 13, suffered chemical burns after using tinting dye on her eyebrows. Dr Farjo said the transplants were becoming increasingly common, with almost 3,000 carried out in Europe in 2012. They typically involve removing hair follicles from the patient’s head which are stitched onto their brows.

Flexi-workers seen less dedicated

London: A study suggests that one in five employees believes that colleagues who work flexible hours are less committed to the job than those work full time.

Suspicions that those who work from home have a weaker work ethic are highest among younger workers. Almost a third of workers in their twenties and early thirties, dubbed Generation Y, said they thought people who worked flexible hours were not as committed to their jobs.

100-year-old Scottish paperboy

London: Walter Sharp, the Scottish Second World War veteran, is the oldest paperboy in Britain. After he retired in 1979, he gets up at 6:30 am every day to pick up the papers for his neighbours from the local newsagent. The pensioner said that his job was helping him reach his 100th year. He said: “If you keep walking, you’ll keep living. I’m up with the larks picking up papers for the neighbours. I certainly don’t feel 100.” Despite having to take ten heart and blood pressure tablets a day to keep him ticking along, Sharp is undaunted by the weather, and come rain or shine he picks up the day’s papers for his neighbours accompanied by his West Highland terrier, Harry.

Happy wives have fewer bed partners

London: Researchers have found that women who have multiple sexual partners before tying the knot have less happy marriages, while men can play the field without any evidence that it harms their contentment. More than half (53%) of those wives who had only ever slept with their future husband felt highly satisfied in their marriage, but those who had embarked on other sexual relationships fared significantly worse. Galena Rhoades, co-author of the report for the National Marriage Project at Virginia University, said the findings suggested society judged men and women by a “double standard” regarding sexual experience and indicated how important it was for women to be aware of the consequences of their decisions.

Housing boom makes more 'property millionaires'

London: The number of ‘property millionaires’ in Britain has risen by 50,000 – a jump of 60 per cent in just one year. There are more than 10,000 streets across the country where the average property price is in seven figures. There is even one street in London where the 'average' price of a home is nearly £43 million. Property website Zoopla said there were just under 200,000 'property millionaires' in 2009. Today there are 484,081, up from 300,142 last year.

Unsurprisingly, London dominates the 'property millionaires' list.

UK embassy apologises for 'burning White House' tweet

Washington: The British embassy in Washington has apologised for “commemorating" the burning of the US presidential building 200 years ago after tweeting a picture of a White House cake surrounded by sparklers. The US presidential residence was set on fire by British forces in 1814 during the "War of 1812" with the United States. A number of Twitter users said the embassy's tweet was "in poor taste". The embassy later said: "Apologies for earlier Tweet."

White students now a minority in US

Washington: White students have become a minority in America’s state schools for the first time, marking a major milestone in the nation’s history. Pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds now outnumber whites in the classroom - a demographic shift that is fuelled primarily by the rapid growth in the number of Hispanic and, to a lesser extent, Asian children born in the United States. Although white pupils still outnumber any other single racial or ethnic group, they now represent 49.7 per cent of America’s 50 million state school students compared with 63.4 per cent in 1997, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

27

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

HEALTH WATCH

S

insulin.

Eight were randomly assigned to a control group, 12 to a continuous walking training group and 12 to an interval walking training (IWT) group.

The two walking groups were instructed to train for one hour, five times a week, during the four-month study period.

Their activity was tracked using a heart rate monitor

and a training computer that included an accelerometer to measure their speed and movement.

I W T consisted of walking quickly for three minutes t h e n slowly for t h r e e minutes, and repeating this throughout the session.

The aim was to achieve 70 per cent of peak energy expenditure during fast walking and 40 per cent during slow walking. Those in the continuous-walking group walked at the same moderate speed throughout each session.

The aim was to achieve 55 per cent of peak energy expenditure.

Improved blood sugar control was found only in the IWT group, resulting in lowered glucose levels after exercise and probably caused by increased insulin sensitivity. No changes occurred in the continuous walking group or the control group.

In a previous study from the same

research team led by Dr Thomas Solomon, interval walkers lost an average of half a stone in weight, while the weight of continuous walkers did not change.

The weight loss was thought to be caused by ‘post-exercise oxygen consumption’ – a phenomenon by which the body burns more fat after intensive exercise. The researchers said: “Whether these beneficial effects of IWT continue and result in better health outcomes in the long term must be determined in order to justify the clinical utility of interval training for people with type 2 diabetes.”

Dr Richard Elliott, of the charity Diabetes UK, said: “This small study builds on previous evidence to suggest that interval training might help people with type 2 diabetes to manage their blood glucose levels. It found that interval training seemed to be linked to improvements in insulin sensitivity around the body.

Further research is needed to find out if this form of exercise yields greater long-term health benefits … and of course it might not be suitable for everyone with the condition.”

diabetes and strokes," said John Sievenpiper, a physician at St Michael's Hospital in Toronto.

However, the greatest benefit can be reaped only if they are consumed daily.

The study found a "modest decrease" in blood fats known as triglycerides and blood sugars among people who added tree nuts to their

diets compared to those who ate a control diet. To reach this conclusion, Sievenpiper screened 2,000 articles published in peer-reviewed journals and found 49 randomised control trials with 2,000 participants.

Sievenpiper says that the largest reductions in triglycerides and blood glucose were seen when tree nuts replaced refined carbohydrates rather than saturated fats. He also added that there was no adverse impact on the other risk factors for metabolic syndrome or weight gain, even though nuts are high in calories. "Fifty grams of nuts can be easily integrated into a diet as a snack or as a substitute for animal fats or refined carbohydrates," Sievenpiper noted.

diabetic s

burs t r t o Sh

ing he k l a l w

ps

hort bursts of fast walking could hold the key to managing diabetes, according to a study.

Researchers found that patients who alternated b e t w e e n three minutes of rapid walking and three minutes of slow walking over an hour had better control of blood sugar levels than those who walked at a constant pace.

Traditionally, those with diabetes have been advised to stick to walking at a moderate pace and avoid high-intensity exercise in case it causes injury and discourages them from keeping active.

But scientists from Copenhagen University found interval walking training – or alternating between fast and slow walking – had greater health benefits and led to better control of blood sugar levels, a key marker for type 2 diabetes.

The Danish study involved patients aged between 57 and 61 who had type 2 diabetes and were receiving a variety of medications except

Sushma’s Health & Beauty Blog

Eat nuts to control blood sugar and fat

Nuts contain unsaturated fats, protein and a range of vitamins and minerals that lower cholesterol, inflammation and insulin resistance.

A recent study suggests that you should include at least 50 grams of a l m o n d s , cashews, chestnuts, walnuts or pistachios in your diet to control blood fats (triglycerides) and sugars - two of the five markers for metabolic syndrome.

Tree nuts tend to be healthier than others.

Family of tree nuts includes almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts,

To Our Readers

We are publishing these items in good faith, kindly consult your Doctor before you try to implement it. We do not hold any responsibility for its efficacy...

hazelnuts, hickory nuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts amongst others.

A person develops metabolic syndrome if he or she has three of the following risk factors - low levels of "good" cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and extra weight around the waist.

"Eating tree nuts is good for lowering risk for heart disease and other health problems such as

Recruiting Now

What does your tongue say about your health?

Feeling unwell, just stick out your tongue – it can give away more than you think. The colour, texture and moisture of your tongue can provide signs of what's going on inside your body. Certain areas of the tongue correlate to specific organs of the body.

The tongue of a healthy person is pinkish in colour, moves freely and is gently Sushma Bhanot moist with a light coating.

Pharmacist, Ayurvedic and If the tongue or mucous Homeopathic Consultant, membranes looks pale Lecturer and Author. Heads this could mean that your Research and Development blood is lacking in haemoat Coolherbals globin. This will often result in tiredness and lethargy. Eat a well-balanced diet containing plenty of iron.

A pale tongue could indicate problems in the lungs or colon. Treat with warming herbs such as garlic, ginger and cinnamon or take a supplement such as Coolherbals Garlic with Ginger Capsules.

A red inflamed tongue could indicate a lack of certain nutrients, especially iron and B vitamins. Iron, found in red meat, shell fish, nuts and apricots, is necessary for energy and vitality. Alternatively use a vegetarian source supplement such as Coolherbals Advanced Multivitamin and Minerals with Protein. B vitamins are needed for energy metabolism, cell growth and the proper functioning of the nervous system. Lean meat, shellfish, nuts and dried apricots are all rich sources of vitamin B. A red tongue shows heat. The colour of the tongue may appear darker in different parts of the tongue relating to various organs in the body. The root of the tongue could indicate excess heat in the intestines. Regulate heat with cooling foods such as cucumber, water melon and green tea. Try massaging with Pitta Oil to cool down the body.

A purple tongue could mean high cholesterol, chronic bronchitis or poor blood circulation. For cholesterol control try Coolherbals Guggul capsules and e mail us for our cholesterol reducing diet sheet.

Poor circulation could be due to too much sugar in the body. This can makes you feel tired and cold. Add warm ingredients to your diet such as garlic, ginger and coriander. Alternatively use Kapha Spice Mix sprinkled on food for healthy digestion and warming spices.

Patches of spots on the tongue reflects an allergic constitution, such as eczema and asthma. Ask us for an Allergy test.

Dryness of the tongue is often caused by swelling of the salivary glands. This could be due to increased stress. Try relaxation exercises.

A dry furry tongue could indicate excessive mucus in the body. Reduce dairy and sugar in the blood and eat a well-balanced diet.

A heavy white plaque however could indicate candidasis or oral thrush - a fungus infection of warm, moist areas of the body. This could be caused by an over-use of chemical mouthwashes or antibiotics. Clean the tongue with a natural mouthwash twice a day such as Coolherbals NEEM Mouthwash, which is antibacterial and helps fight bad breath.

If the tongue lacks coating, it could mean the stomach enzymes which break down food in the digestive system are not functioning properly.

Increase on eating fruits and vegetables.

If your tongue has any of the above for a period of time seek medical advice.

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

Shruti Haasan turns an 'item girl'

M

uch like her celebrated father, the multifaceted Shruti Haasan is also emerging as a pan-Indian star. She has tasted success in Tamil and Telugu, and is also on the lookout for plum offers in Bollywood, where she has started to establish her credentials.

Her latest assignment in Bollywood would be in the Arjun Kapoor - Sonakshi Sinha starrer, “Tevar,” where she has been roped in for a special 'item song' titled 'Madamiya'. A still of Shruti from the song is doing the rounds on the Internet and she looks as hot and happening as ever. “Tevar” is the remake of the Mahesh Babu blockbuster “Okkadu,” which also turned out as a mega hit for Vijay in Ghilli.

In Hindi, Shruti would also be seen in the Akshay Kumar starrer “Gabbar,” which incidentally is the remake of “Ramana.”

‘Raja Natwarlal’

Raja Natwarlal is a crime comedy film directed by Kunal Deshmukh and produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur under UTV Motion Pictures.

The film features Emraan Hashmi in the title role, alongside Humaima Malik, Paresh Rawal, Kay Kay Menon and Deepak Tijori. Yuvan Shankar Raja has composed music for the film.

Andrea for Simbu

“I

dhu Namma Aalu” being directed by Pandiraj is steadily nearing the finish line.

The film stars Simbu and Nayanthara in the lead and for the first time, comedian Soori will be on board a Simbu film.

Besides the lead lady Nayanthara, the script is said to offer a meaty role for one more heroine and many names like Taapsee and Bindu Madhavi were heard. However, the mantle has now fallen on the beautiful Andrea. It has to be noted that Andrea was earlier seen in a cameo in “Inga Enna Solludhu” with Simbu.

Sources aver that the second heroine will appear in the flashback sequence. The film will have the musical debut of Simbu’s younger brother Kuralarasan and the film would be based on romance and sentiments.

‘Identity Card - Ek Lifeline’

It is film on the happenings in Kashmir. The film directed by Rahat Kazmi tells the story of a Delhi-based journalist who arrived in Kashmir to make a documentary. The film highlights the issues plagued both India and Pakistan since partition. The film features Tia Bajpai, Saurab Shukla, Raghbir Yadav, Vipin Sharma, Brijendra Kala etc.

Suriya zooms Dhanush is back ahead of in the reckoning Superstar Rajini and the rest S

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hat “Velai Illa Pattathari” is an outright blockbuster is a known fact by now. The entire team is on cloud nine and Dhanush is back in the reckoning as a commercially viable young star. The expectations on his next “Anegan” are already rising.

Dhanush recently updated in his Twitter space that “VIP” has netted more than 500 million worldwide, which is a mammoth figure for any Tamil film. He also admitted that the movie is his biggest blockbuster till date. In Chennai city meanwhile, “VIP” is this year's highest grosser till date, with a gross of more than 60.5 million. Also in Twitter, Dhanush is inching towards the elite 1 million followers mark and has already crossed 900000.

Aamir Khan covers up for second ‘PK’ poster

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fter sending fans in a tizzy over his first ‘PK’ poster which had Aamir Khan wearing absolutely n o t h i n g , except for a transistor to cover his modesty, the ‘Dhoom’ actor has gone all out when it comes to covering up for the second one. The makers of the much-awaited flick launched the second ‘PK’ poster in Mumbai.

The new poster shows Aamir Khan wearing a red Gujarati kurta called a Kediyu or Angarakhiyu paired with a white pyjama bottom. He’s also sporting dark glasses and holding onto a brass tenor. Aamir Khan can once again be heard speaking in Bhojpuri language in the new motion poster .

uriya's “Anjaan” has taken a gargantuan opening across Tamil Nadu and particularly in Chennai city on the back of strong advance bookings in all the leading theaters and multiplexes.

The opening weekend Chennai city gross has been estimated at close to 23.6 million. According to sources, “Anjaan's” first 3 days box office gross in Chennai city is the highest among 2014s releases, by far. The Top 5 opening weekend grossers this year are as follows. These numbers are not official and have been estimated after meticulous tracking and analysis.

Anjaan - 2,35,93,522 - 573 tracked weekend shows, 2. Kochadaiiyaan 1,80,88,214 - 432 tracked weekend shows, 3. Velai Illa Pattadhaari 1,67,75,253 - 360 tracked weekend shows, . Maan Karate - 1,41,41,844 303 tracked weekend shows, Jilla 1,32,45,910 - 321 tracked weekend shows.

Akshay Kumar turns lyricist, writes rap song

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ollywood actor Akshay Kumar, who returns to the small screen with dance reality show ‘Dare 2 Dance’, has written lyrics of the title track and even rapped it. Akshay Kumar will be mentoring the contestants on the show, shot in Cape Town, South Africa. It will air on Life OK soon. He wrote the lyrics in a day’s time. The rap matches the content of the show, which is about pushing oneself to the extreme to do the impossible, read a statement. The participants will be seen dancing everywhere - on land, sea and even mid-air.

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

Jon Hamm: ‘Opportunity knocks in unexpected places’

Charusmita

For someone who is unfamiliar with Bollywood cinema, a film like “Million Dollar Arm” was certainly an experience closest to it for Jon Hamm, who plays the role of J. B. Bernstein in the film. The movie, based on real events, is an inspirational and uplifting journey packed with funny moments that celebrates teamwork, commitment and what it means to be a family.

With businesses falling, struggling US sports agent, J.B. Bernstein (Hamm) travels to India in a last ditch effort to save his career by finding a young cricketer to turn into a major sports star. With the help of a bad-tempered retired talent scout (Alan Arkin), J.B. sets up a national contest called the Million Dollar Arm and discovers Rinku (played by Life of Pi’s Suraj Sharma) and Dinesh (Slumdog Millionaire’s Madhur Mittal), two 18 year old boys who have a knack for throwing a fast ball, hoping to make a quick buck, he brings them to LA to train. However the boys, who have never left their villages before, struggle as they try to adjust to their new life and cope with the pressures being heaped on them. His livelihood on the line and relationship with the boys at stake, with the help of his friend Brenda (Lake Bell) J.B. realises that family and friendships are more important than sealing the deal.

“Bernstein in real life is particularly inspirational, not only did he pioneer this concept of baseball-in-India, he has gone back to it every single year, because he loved the place”, says Hamm who describes, in his interview for Asian Voice, his India experience in one word- ‘hot’. “Indian subcontinent has an amazingly rich tapestry, not only in religious, colourful and culinary aspects but also in terms of landscape.

It would send me to Wikipedia everyday”, he quips. The film has noteworthy performances by the whole star cast and apart from Hamm, Sharma and Mittal, another performer to

Rahman’s musical score, one can only expect a mesmerising soundtrack with a few repeated ones like ‘Ringa Ringa’ from “Slumdog Millionnaire” and ‘Nimma Nimma’, which he had composed for London Olympics 2012.

Writer Tom McCarthy and director Craig Gillespie’s powerful pairing gives the audience an apt dose of entertainment but the film does little to distinguish itself from other such sports based movies with manJon Hamm with Charusmita agers or sportspersons at watch out for is Pitobash their wits end to make their Tripathy, who essays the role of career a success and their life is Amit Rohan, the baseball turned 180 degrees by a chalenthusiast who accompanies lenging client or a mentor, Dinesh and Rinku to the States respectively. It seems that one’s and is integral to the film’s plot watching the same old sports in the second half. His acting formula film with a stronger prowess brings tears to one’s star cast, which, by the way, eyes with his warm and heart- does not disappoint. The cold felt portrayal of his character. hearted businessman discoverThe film has other memorable ing love and cultural collision characters but its most crucial and two Indian kids discovermessage is for the youth. As ing a grand dream that they Hamm rightly puts, “Mostly, never thought they had turned you don’t need the greatest out to be enough for the auditraining sets and equipment, ence to get their hearts you just need the talent and the warmed. Highly recommended work ethic. People in Brazil for viewers who are seeking a and India play soccer and crick- biopic movie or a cross-over et with rolled up socks, not cinematic experience. On an much of a bat and barely a encouraging note, as Jon wicket. Talent and work ethic is Hamm says, “Opportunity vital.” knocks in unexpected places”, ‘Million Dollar Arm’ at its we hope that the film inspires core, is an inspirational as well the youth and sends its mesas aspirational film. With A.R. sage across borders.

Jackie Shroff to star in ‘Warrior’

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f t e r “Agneepath” director Karan Malhotra is gearing up for his next flick “Warrior,” an adaptation of 2011 Hollywood film, starring S i d h a r t h Malhotra, Akshay Kumar, Jackie Shroff and Jacqueline Fernandez in the lead roles. While the film is yet to hit the floors, it has been learnt that Jackie Shroff is all set to start the shoot for his part from September 10. Jackie will reprise the role of Nick Nolte from the original. Sources said that Jackie will play a retired fighter, who is very emotional person by nature. The film is jointly produced by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions and Endemol India.

Ranveer and Deepika get married!

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anveer Singh and D e e p i k a Padukone are finally married although strictly on screen! The alleged real life couple is coming together in Homi Adajania's most talked about film 'Finding Fanny'. The two feature as a newly married Christian couple in the movie's new poster. Ranveer is seen throwing away a wine glass in celebration whereas Deepika looks beautiful in a white bridal gown. Ranveer Singh plays the role of Gabo whereas Deepika will be seen as Angie in the film. 'Finding Fanny' is about five peculiar people who go on a trip to find Fanny Fernandez with an excuse of breaking out from their mundane lives. However, Deepika loses her husband (Ranveer) soon after the wedding and is paired opposite Arjun Kapoor in the movie.

Anushka denies marrying Virat

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ollywood actress Anushka Sharma's representative has rubbished reports that she is planning to tie the knot with Indian cricketer Virat Kohli. There were reports that BCCI had allowed the 26-year-old actress to stay in the same hotel as Kohli during the tour of England as they were going to tie the knot soon.

But, now the actress' representative has released a statement saying there is no truth to the story. "There are several stories online about Anushka Sharma's impending wedding.

However, I would like to set the record straight that there is absolutely no truth to these rumours and I would like to request you to refrain from conjecturing about the same," her representative said. Kohli and Anushka have been grabbing headlines ever since they were first spotted together during the tour of New Zealand.

Katrina an old friend, says Ranbir Kapoor

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ollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor has said that his co-star Katrina Kaif is his "old friend" and also scotched reports of his marriage with her anytime soon.

Reacting to reports that he and Katrina may tie a knot in 2015, Ranbir said, "I am not thinking of marriage...I am married to films.

I am not getting married this year or next year."

Ranbir also rubbished reports that he met Katrina's mother in London recently. "I have known Katrina for many years now. She is an old friend. It's wrong (rumour of him meeting Katrina's mother)," he told reporters at an event.

Though Ranbir's cousin actress Kareena Kapoor Khan is quite open about her personal life, the actor prefers to love his personal space. "To each to his own. She (Kareena) is ok (talking about personal life) but that does not mean I would also share the same view. I would not like talking about my personal life," Ranbir said.

It became apparent that Ranbir and Katrina are in a relationship after photographs showing them together holidaying at a beach in Ibzia, Spain, went viral last year.

However, both of them never come on record saying they are in any relationship.

Sonakshi’s Ice Bucket Challenge with a twist

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c t o r s Ashton Ku c t h e r, Abhishek Bachchan and media m o g h u l S i m o n Cowell have joined the increasing number of celebrities taking up the Ice Bucket Challenge. ‘Holiday’ actress Sonakshi Sinha shared a video of herself on Instagram participating in the Ice Bucket Challenge. However, instead of dumping icy cold water on her head, the actress overturns an empty bucket. “So I just saved a lot of water and now I’m going to go donate the money,” she says in the video.

Jacqueline gets cosy with a body builder?

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ollowing her bitter break up with Sajid Khan, the very pretty Jacqueline Fernandes has moved on to a happier phase in her life. With the success of “Kick” (yes, she's in it too) paving the way for better things professionally, Jacqueline's personal life too seems to be looking up. Or so it seemed to one who frequent Mumbai’s various nightspots. The actress was spotted getting rather cozy with a young and good looking body builder who has a penchant for older actresses. Earlier the body builder has been linked to Sushmita Sen. Perhaps in all those rumours of Sallu gifting Jacqueline a house, we've been looking at the wrong gift horse.

30

UK

Coming Events

l Friday 29th August 2014 – Ganesh Chaturthi Pujan Aamantran from 10am at 16 Alington Crescent, Kingsbury NW9 8JN. Contact 020 8200 0021. l Friday 29th August – Sunday 9th September – Ganesh Chaturthi and Ganesh Visarjan at Gujarat Hindu Society, South Meadow Lane, Preston PR1 8JN. Contact: 011772 253 901. l Friday 29th August 2014 – Rock On Music with Arijit Singh Live in Concert at o2 Indigo. Contact 0208 463 2730. l Saturday 30th August 2014 – Indian Cultural Society hosts Independence Day Celebrations at The Main Hall, The Mandeville School, Ellen Road, Aylesbury, HP21 8ES. l Sunday 31st August 2014 – Hanuman Chalisa at Social Club Hall, Northwick Park Hospital, Watford Road, Harrow HA1 3UJ from 11am till 5pm. Contact 020 8459 5758. l Sunday 31st August 2014 – Jagannatha Rathayatra Chariot Festival from 12pm onwards at Croydon High Street, CR0 1TY. Contact 07947820873. l Sunday 31st August 2014 – Patotsav pre-garba and dance performance at Canons High School, Shaldon Road, Edgware HA8 6AN from 11am onwards. l Sunday 31st August 2014 – Bexley Gujarati Samaj has organised a coach trip from Bexleyheath Central Library departing 9am sharp to Shoeburyness (Southend on Sea). Contact 0208 301 5598.

Dear Readers, Diwali is now two months away. Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar will be publishing the ‘Diwali Special’ Magazine for our fabulous readers. l If you are between 7-25 years of age, write an article in English on 'how you celebrate your Diwali every year' or 'your most memorable Diwali with friends and family' in no more than 700 words, along with a suitable photo. l or if you an organisation, which has a youth wing or support youth activities, tell us how your young members or youth wing celebrates Diwali in 500-600 words with 2 pictures (in no less than 300dpi).

Please email your article to aveditorial@abplgroup.com with your full name, age and contact number Sunday 20

COMPETITION

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

HMRC publishes 5 photos of Britain's Most Wanted tax fugitives HMRC has published five more photos of Britain’s Most Wanted tax fugitives, including Murugasan Natarajan from West Drayton, Greater London, and asking for the public to play their part in helping to track these criminals down.

Murugasan Natarajan evaded around £2 million in customs duty on imports of Chinese garlic. He was found guilty in his absence at London’s Central Murugasan Natarajan Criminal Court and sentenced to six years in jail in December 2012. Natarajan is believed to be in India.

HMRC’s updated Most Wanted list, including updated profiles and new additions to the list of fugitives, can be seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmrcgovuk/sets/72157631087785530/

MISSING:

Police appeal for public's help to find 7-year-old boy from Southall

Police in Ealing are appealing for the public's assistance to trace a missing 7-year-old boy.

Aymen Elmi was last seen in Southall town centre at 12:20pm on Tuesday, 26 August, heading north from Southall Train Station after running off from his mother.

He has not gone missing before.

Aymen is described as a black boy, 4 foot 5 inches tall and of medium build.

He was last seen wearing a dark coloured baseball hat with NY in red letters, dark blue hooded top, purple Tshirt, black tracksuit bottoms and grey running shoes.

Anyone with information should contact Ealing police on 101 quoting reference number 14MIS030373.

Two tickets are up for grabs to see legendary Paresh Rawal in 'Dear Father' on Sunday 12th October 2014 at Apollo Hammersmith, London. All you have to do is answer the following question to have a chance of winning. The winner will be chosen from all correct entries on a lottery basis. All entries need to be sent to aveditorial@abplgroup.com by no later than Saturday 13th September. Good luck!

What was the last film that Paresh Rawal starred in?

1) Raja Natwarlal 2) Rabba Main Kya Karoon 3) Himmatwala Editor: CB Patel Associate Editor: Rupanjana Dutta Tel: 020 7749 4098 - Email: rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com Editorial Executive: Tanveer Mann Tel: 020 7749 4010 - Email: tanveer.mann@abplgroup.com Senior News Editor: Dhiren Katwa Freelance Correspondent: Rudy Otter Chief Operating Officer: Liji George Tel: 020 7749 4013 Email: george@abplgroup.com Chief Financial Officer: Surendra Patel Tel: 020 7749 4093 Mobile: 078712 229 220 Email: surendra.patel@abplgroup.com Chief Accountant: Akshay Desai Tel: 020 7749 4087 Email:accounts@abplgroup.com Business Manager: Alka Shah Tel: 020 7749 4002 - Mobile: 07944 1121 893 Email: alka.shah@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Kishor Parmar Tel: 020 7749 40912 - Mobile: 078712 229 088 Email: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com Business Development Managers: Rovin J George - Email: rovin.george@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 - Mobile: 078712 229 219 Urja Patel - Email: urja.patel@abplgroup.com Graphic Designers: Harish Dahya & Ajay Kumar Tel: 020 7749 4086 Email: graphics@abplgroup.com Customer Service: Ragini Nayak Tel: 020 7749 4080 - Email: support@abplgroup.com (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd. 207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad.

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If lately you have had all sorts of demands being placed on you from all sides, don't despair; take some time out to reflect. Once you know, don't hesitate to implement it systematically. A tremendous amount of planetary activity in your chart signals a time of mixed emotions as well as personal issues to be dealt with.

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20

Do not kid yourself that emotional problems can always be solved by material means. This only covers the cracks and does nobody any good in the end. If love has left you feeling rather dejected or cynical, it looks as though soon events will pull you out of this mood of despondency.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21

The prevailing cosmic

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 pattern packs a powerful

punch early this week. Having such potent energies, make you feel positive and confident in whatever you do. This is not the time to hold back or underestimate your potential if you wish to further an important aim. Some of you will try to get away from the routine chores.

You will have the distinct feeling that everything is moving ahead at a very satisfying pace. You will be in a forward-looking mood, more inclined to reflect on the future and its potentials.

The power of destiny is very much in your own hands and that any major decision you make will have a profound effect on your future.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

With Venus traversing your sign for some time to come, it will put you in the right mood to indulge your pleasure-loving instincts. Venus, the planet of love and romance throws a pleasing light on affairs of the heart. Existing emotional differences can be easily sorted out now. Your creativity is also riding high.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

Amorous affairs continue to be highlighted whether or not this leads to a lasting relationship depends much on your own personal maturity and circumstances. Efforts to restructure and transform your lifestyle are more likely to meet with success.

Experience you have built up in the past will now stand you in good stead.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

Sun's transit of your 12 th Solar House indicates that experience will put you in a deeply reflective mood. This is a favourable time for getting away from usual routines and seeking a retreat for a few days. All the better if you are interested in such things as meditation, yoga and therapies that help you to get in closer touch with your inner self.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

You will feel energetic and confident as the week begins. New beginnings are favoured around now, as long as you do not bite off more than you can chew. Your thinking is inspired, so listen to your thoughts. This may be a time of expansion and improved opportunity and it would be unwise to let yourself become complacent.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

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You stand to gain through partners, friends and others you may meet socially or on your travels. With Venus in your travel sign, this is a good time for your social as well as your love life. If you’re single you are likely to meet the person of your dreams and this could lead to a permanent relationship for some of you.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

Having all the major planets above the horizon chart shows that the general pattern of events will focus your attention on the need to make an impact on the world. Although the very practical affairs of life continue to be highlighted, this does not mean that there will be all work and no play. In fact, you will be very much in demand socially.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

It is a particularly favourable time for dealing with financial interests with a long-term basis.

You will be able to sort out any difficulties by taking immediate action. There may be a certain amount of unfinished business to be dealt with. Therefore, you need to be flexible in order to accommodate the odd twists and turns of everyday life.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

You’re likely to receive insights into where everything is going and this may shape your life for months to come. There are opportunities to expand your sphere of operations and you and a partner could really go places. Professional and financial pressures will begin to ease.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

Turban ban: BFI lodges official complaint with Fiba

A day after Sikh cager Anmol Singh was humiliated at the Asian U-18 Basketball Championship in Doha, the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) has lodged an official complaint with the International Basketball Federation (Fiba).

Anmol was asked to remove his patka during India's preliminary round game against Malaysia.

The incident led to many from the sports fraternity, including legendary athlete Milkha Singh and former Indian cricket team captain Bishan Singh Bedi, slamming Fiba Asia officials.

In a letter addressed to Fiba secretary general Patric Bauman, BFI lodged a strong protest while requesting the governing body to amend the rules regarding the headgear immediately so that the discrimination and humiliation faced by Sikh Indian players is not repeated.

The letter states, "The BFI is shocked to read the news involving Anmol Singh, who after being allowed to play with turban was asked to remove

players should not have been disturbed."

The letter, which was also forwarded to Fiba Asia secretary Hagop Khajirian and under secretary government of India, MYAS, AK Patro, further states, "Basketball rules say that player shall not wear equipment or object that may cause injury to other players while playing. Patka is made of thin cloth which Sikh athletes participating in various sporting disciplines at international levels in hockey, cricket, football, handball, athletics etc are allowed to wear, which is in no way injurious to any player."

"If Fiba and Fiba Asia does not take immediate action over this it may explode into an international and human rights issue."

Surprised with yet another incident, Milkha said, "I have run in different countries of the world with my turban on. All the other sports like hockey, cricket allow the turban, then why not basketball?

Upset with the incident, Bedi said, "I feel pretty concerned and also very upset that our basketball players were humiliated.

Sports shouldn't interfere with faith. This should be condemned."

Popular rapper Yo Honey Singh too joined the chorus against the incident. He said, "I request all of my fans to stand against this and show their solidarity so that this patka ban can be lifted."

Deputy CEO of BFI Prem Pal Singh has condemned the issue, "We are surprised that this discrimination by Fiba Asia is being repeatedly imposed on Indian Sikh players. The BFI strongly condemns the unwarranted action of technical commission taken against Anmol and asks them to stop the discrimination immediately."

Walsh said, "It's fair to call India one of the favourites at the Asian Games but that does not mean anything. We might be regarded as one of the medals prospects but we have to earn that."

The last time India won a gold medal at the Asian Games was in 1998, but Sardar feels they have a realistic chance of winning gold this time.

"Our training has been very good and I am confident that this time we will be able to achieve our tar-

get. Our confidence level is high. We got to play some top teams during t h e Commonwealth Games. Leaving Australia, we beat all the other teams. Our aim is to become the No.1 team in Asia."

Walsh is satisfied with the progress India have made under him so far and feels the team is in a position to fight against teams outside the top-four bracket in the world.

"The team is improving and getting to a better place. We are probably now in a position where we can justifiably play and expect a result with teams outside the top four in the world and that's a very

good place for us to be. We still have some work to do before taking the top 2-3 teams in the world," he said.

He, however, said there are plenty of grey areas the players needed to work on. "We have to get much better at creating corners, converting our chances. Our ability to play forward out of the midfield is a problem and we have to get better at that. Giving away careless penalty corners is still an issue," Walsh said.

"We have been working on our shortcomings. We would not like to concede a goal in the last few minutes of the game, improve the communication between our players and also improve our penalty corner conversion rate," added Sardar.

young kids going through that, it really does upset you," Amir said.

The foundation hopes to make an impact across the globe and the Olympic medal winner has been

out in Gambia recently, getting first-hand experience of the poverty that still affects large parts of the world. As unpleasant and "heart-breaking" as Khan found the experience, he is determined to take up the fight to improve conditions for people living there. Khan saw the site where an orphanage will be built, where a school is on the list and where the youngsters in particular will benefit from his charity's work. In addition, another

his patka during India's game against Malaysia.

After the Wuhan episode last month, where two Sikh players - Amritpal and Anmol Singh - were asked to remove their turbans, the Fiba Asia Congress on July 24 had assured to resolve the issue once and for all during the board meeting at Sevilla, Spain. Till then,

Asian Games gold medal within our reach: Sardar Singh

India have a strong chance of winning the gold medal at the 17th Asian Games to be held in Incheon, South Korea from September 19 to October 4, said India’s hockey team captain Sardar Singh. India have been clubbed alongside Pakistan, China, Sri Lanka and Oman in the 10nation men's hockey competition. "We are one of the favourites for the Asian Games. However, we cannot take any team lightly.

It's not going to be a cakewalk for us. Our aim is to take one game at a time," Sardar Singh said.

Talking about the Pakistan game, he said, "The game against Pakistan is like any other game and there will be no additional pressure on us."

Chief coach Terry

Boxer Amir Khan launches The Amir Khan Foundation British boxer Amir Khan has launched The Amir Khan Foundation following his recent trip to Gambia. The charity aims to help youngsters from the deprived parts of the world with orphanages, schools and clean waters for starters.

"We are very fortunate to live in Britain and have a good life yet there are people around the world really suffering; they don't live under a roof, they don't have food or water and when you see the

orphanage in a deprived area of Kashmir in Pakistan and a school in Sudan are already in the pipeline and Khan says he will continue travelling to the deprived areas to see how he can make a difference and the impact the foundation is having.

The launch of The Amir Khan Foundation charity was confirmed at the Hilton Deansgate hotel in Manchester, where 500 guests attended, with a knockout ÂŁ218,000 raised.

SPORT WORLD

31

Pakistan stun India to level series in football

Pakistan's U-23 football side made a mockery of the world rankings as they thumped India 2-0 to draw level in the two-match series in a match which saw emotions run high in the packed stands and tempers fray in the field at the Football Stadium in Bangalore last week. In the end, there was no doubt that the visitors emerged deserving victors as they caught the Indian defence napping once in each of the two sessions. The defeat was a big set back for the Indian team preparing for the Asian Games where tougher opponents are expected. India almost went ahead in the 37th minute when striker Haokip Thonhkosiem played wall with his skipper Sunil Chhetri. It was all clear for the youngster but he only managed to shoot straight to the advancing Pakistan `keeper Muzammil Hussain. Pakistan response was precise as the ball reached their skipper Kaleemullah, who advanced quickly and menacingly into the box. The Indian defence panicked and challenged the skipper that resulted in a free-kick with a full view of the goal from around 20 yards.

The 22-year-old Pakistani, who plies his trade in Kyrgyztan, came up with a beauty that thundered into the near post giving no chance to Indian custodian Amrinder Singh. The goal seemed to have an immediate effect on the Indians psyche as they looked to restore parity. Only that the players were making basic mistakes and Pakistan showed clearly that locking Chhetri out was enough to trouble the Indian plans. The Indian skipper, playing in a withdrawn role, was constantly shadowed by substitute Sher Mohammed Baloch who came on in the 26th minute. The Indian midfield was in tatters despite the occasional burst of brilliance by Lalrindka Ralte.

Senior player Fransico Fernandes had another dismal game till he was taken off at the break. Play was in the Pakistan half for most of the last 45 minutes but the Indians failed to get enough passes into the box to force the issue. The Indians were frustrated and play got rough with each passing minute.

Pakistan never shifted their focus from Chhetri and the Indian skipper was brought down time and again. Referee Rahul D'Sa tried to calm things down but on several occasions it went on the boil and the players nearly came to blows.

Di Maria to join Manchester United

Manchester United have agreed a British record transfer fee of 59.7 million pounds to secure Angel di Maria from Real Madrid.

The Argentina winger arrived in Manchester on Monday and would have a medical test, British newspapers said.

The transfer fee outstrips the 50 million pounds English Premier League rivals Chelsea paid Liverpool for Spain striker Fernando Torres in 2011.

Di Maria cost Real 20 million pounds from Benfica in 2010 and he was a key part of the team that won the club's 10th European Cup last term but he was omitted from the squad for the Spanish Super Cup last week. The 26-year-old turned down a new deal at the Bernabeu and Real coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Sunday he had bade farewell to players and staff.

Squash great Hashim Khan dies

Hashim Khan, one of the greatest squash players of all time, died of congestive heart failure last week at Aurora, Colorado. He was believed to be 100. His youngest son, Mo, said in a phone interview that Khan died in his home with family by his side.

Khan was the patriarch of Pakistan's squash supremacy, winning seven British Open titles, including his first in 1951 at an age when most players retire. Khan brought his family to the United States in the early 1960s after being offered a lucrative deal to teach squash in Detroit. He later took a pro position in Denver and played the game into his 90s.

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 30th August 2014

BCCI puts Ravi Shastri in charge for ODI series

The Indian cricket board (BCCI) cracked the whip on Team India's support staff following the MS Dhoni-led squad's horror show in England.

It appointed playerturned-commentator Ravi Shastri as `director' of the team for the ODI series against Cook and Co. The move is aimed at clipping the wings of head coach Duncan Fletcher, who remains in his post but will now report to Shastri, who will be the overall in-charge of cricket affairs.

The U-19 assistant coach R Sridhar, who was previously part of the defunct National Cricket Academy (NCA) and fielding coach of Kings XI in the last IPL, will join as fielding coach for the ODIs in England.

The BCCI decided to enroll former India allrounder and Kings XI Punjab coach Sanjay Bangar and former fast bowler and India under-19 coach Bharat Arun as assistant coaches. The board fell shy of taking action against captain Dhoni, whose role as Test captain has again

come under increased scrutiny, with BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel saying, “There is no need to remove Dhoni as captain. Our full support is with him for the entire series.

The rest of the decisions will be taken by the selection committee.”

While the official pronouncements on the issue seemed to suggest that Dhoni has the full backing of the establishment, sources within the board indicated that his position is secure for the moment only because there seem to be no viable options.

With the other core members of the squad, particularly the batsmen, also failing on the England tour, any potential contenders will have to bide their time, the sources said.

For someone who started his Test career batting at No 10 and ended up being one of India's most successful openers, life has always been a challenge for Ravi Shastri.

Shastri is ready to put his best foot forward in a bid to turn around India’s cricket fortunes. “I got a call from BCCI secretary on Monday.

When they gave me the brief,

I could not say no because it was for the cause of Indian cricket which has given me everything,” said Shastri, who agreed to put his TV commentary assignments on hold for the moment.

Asked about his role, Shastri said: “My brief is to work with Duncan Fletcher and find out why a team that posted a splendid victory at Lord's collapsed in the last three matches. Like the BCCI, I too am eager to find out what went wrong and how it can be set right.”

Would he be interested in taking up the job fulltime? “I can't talk about the future because the situation is quite fluid. My first job is to find out what went wrong and file a report to the BCCI. It will be up to the board to act on it and take it forward.”

Shastri hopes to achieve his objective by working closely with the players, most of whom he knows very closely. Shastri is an allrounder in the true sense.

From being a player to now the Indian team director, he has essayed all roles.

Aaron keen to join county cricket

Indian pacer Varun Aaron is keen to play county cricket in England. He said that playing domestic cricket in England was “high on my priority list” although it would depend on his commitments with the Indian Premier League.

The fast bowler said: “If we have an early IPL next time, then I would definitely look forward to playing county cricket, at least for half a season. I think I’ve played enough in England so I have a decent understanding of English conditions. English conditions are quite testing for everybody - for bowlers and batsmen.

So I’m really looking forward to playing in England as it will help me develop as a cricketer.”

His comments follow Derbyshire’s announcement that they have agreed a short-term contract with batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, who will play for them in the final months of the County Championship season.

Pujara, who played in the recent Test series in England, is due to arrive early next month as a replacement for Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who is on international duty with the West Indies.

Pujara’s first stint in county cricket is still subject to final approval from the Board of Control for Cricket in India.