Asian Voice by Asian Business Publications Ltd

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FIRST & FOREMOST ASIAN WEEKLY IN EUROPE

Health & Healing The benefits of Aromatherapy See Page - 18

BollyCat Mallika Sherawat goes under the knife See Page -21

VOICE

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

VOL 38. ISSUE 28

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Thousands greet Dalai Lama at Tawang India rejects Chinese charge of forcing Dalai Lama to visit Tawang

Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader on visit to

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Dalai Lama’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh has ruffled the Chinese feathers, but Beijing has deliberately given a subdued reaction, just expressing strong dissatisfaction to India. Dalai Lama on the other hand, criticised China for opposing his visit and rejected their claim on Tawang. China also said India forced him to visit Arunachal Pradesh, a charge that India has rejected. Thousands of Tibetans and locals lined up along the roads leading to the Tawang monastery on Sunday and gave a rousing reception to the Dalai

See Page - 24

14th November to 20th November 2009

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Arunachal Pradesh, bordering China.

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Racist attacks on Asian students in London Police investigated at least two racist attacks on Asian students outside a London university on Monday. A mob armed with metal poles, bricks and sticks ambushed students near City University in Islington on Friday evening. Four victims were stabbed and were treated in hospital before being released the same day. Police said two other men were also beaten in the violence. Witnesses said up to 30 youths were involved in the clash in St John Street. Three men, aged 17, 18 and 19, were arrested. Earlier in the day a gang of white and black youths was said to have

shouted racist abuse at a group of Asian students. Police are also investigating an attack earlier in the week when a gang surrounded and attacked an Asian student, leaving their victim beaten and bruised. On Monday an Islamic student group said the mob ambush was the culmination of a series of attacks. Evening Standard reports that the Federation of Student Islamic Societies has said that Islamophobic and racist abuse had been shouted at students. Racist offences in Islington have rocketed by 54% in the last year, figures have revealed. Continued on page 8

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Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

ONE ON ONE Keith Vaz MP with

Parminder Vir OBE Parminder Vir has over 20 years experience working with the BBC, ITV, Channel Four and Carlton Television. Her credits include Babymother, a reggae musical, with acclaimed documentaries such as Algeria Women at War, and The Sex Warriors and the Samurai. As the Managing Director of PVL Media Consultants, she specializes in accessing multi cultural markets and raising private equity finance for film and media businesses. Parminder is also on the board of several organizations, some which include Screen Writers festival, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Patron of Skillset, Young Vic Theatre, UK India Business Council and TiE Charter. 1) What inspired you to begin a career in film and broadcasting?

2) What are your proudest life achievements?

tors from the developing world. I am proud to have worked with some of the most talents actors including Meera Syal, Nina Wadia, and Archie Panjabi. I am deeply proud of my feature film Babymother. Making films is important, but I am also proud of my campaigning role to change the face of British television so that reflected the diversity both on and behind screen, especially with the establishment of Cultural Diversity Network in 2000, which I am proud to say is still continuing today.

I am proud of all the films I have made, especially those with direc-

3) What has been your favorite project to work on?

I wanted to tell stories from different cultural perspectives, to give voice to the voiceless through, to demystify the process of filmmaking which was seen as the preserve of the white, male, Oxbridge educated middle class. I was child of an immigrant, post office worker who dared to dream of making films and working at the BBC in the early 1980’s.

Co-founding the Cultural Diversity Network in 2000. Also, serving as Non Executive Director of Department of Culture, Media and Sports since 2006, has given me the opportunity to influence policy at the most strategic level in a government department. 4) You are the co-founder of Cultural Diversity Network. In your view, have the film and TV industries embraced cultural diversity? Embracing diversity is not a destination but a journey and both the UK film and TV industry remain engaged with the issue,

championed the case for funding “ethnic arts”. I then moved to television and learned on the job how to make television programmes to film production and over the past five years, I have moved in to Film and Media finance. There is always a new challenge.

reviewing strategies and approach with every five years. While the moral reason for embracing cultural diversity remains, I think it is the business case which is the most important. Te l e v i s i o n channels need to engage with its audiences/consumers. In the UK over 12% of that consumer base is culturally diverse. They expect diversity of programming and talent. But having said that the senior management and the Boards of both the film and TV industry in the UK still remain very white and predominantly male. That is what needs to change.

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

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

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

I am not sure that I have had obstacles in my career - I joined a community arts organisation and on the job learned about Arts and Cultural Policy and Funding in the UK,

Managing a portfolio career is what I love about my new role. It’s also scary because I am depended on the work I generate. But currently for example, I have just finished a report for Goldsmiths, University of London on how they can engage with India growing education sector. 7) And the worst? Managing it all in the 24 hours, 7 days a week. 8) If you were Prime Minister, what one thing would you change? For elected politicians to stop talking at the people and start talking with the people.

Mahatma Gandhi because I value his ability to connect with people, ordinary people.

People ! Britain’s only Hindu woman Minister Shriti Vadera will be flying the nest from No 10 via the G20 back into the City.

Shriti Vadera

A farewell party was organised by her immediate boss Lord Peter Mandelson at her Department on Friday last week. Will there ever be an appreciation of the huge role she played in helping the Banking sector through its crisis? We hope so. ! India’s Tourism Minister Kumari Selja was the guest of honour at a soiree at the Court House Hotel this week. The younger Sangar, Girish, was the host. ! The wedding of the year between Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra looks like being the wedding of the decade. We now know the true reason for the postal strike. The invitation card is so heavy no ordinary postie is able to carry it.

Inspiring progress by the Hindu community in the UK - an update

Subhash V Thakrar sthakrar@blackstones.co.uk

I wrote the article for the Asian Voice of 17th October which was later translated into Gujarati and covered in Gujarat Samachar of 31st October. I have had some interesting responses from a number of people in the community as well as received other comments via Asian Voice on this article. All I can say is that the response has been very constructive both from the point of view of casting doubt to the ideas that I have put forward as well as raising important questions on how best any idea of a panel as well as its operations would work. Questions have been

raised about the authority of such a panel, its mandate as well as terms of reference. Firstly, I am excited with the level of response and secondly, I am extremely pleased to find that there are community members who have taken heed to such an idea and are raising constructive and, indeed, very valuable points in how all this activity could work. All I can say is that this is exactly what I was looking out for as it is not a blueprint that I would like to present to our community but more of an initial debate that should take place and it is the members of the community who should develop this idea. I would very much like to keep receiving comments so that I can become a channel of communication of what are the points and suggestions with an overall objective of raising the bar of standards that our Hindu organisations can work with in this society of ours. The added objective is to create a level of

respect and achievement for posterity such that our Hindu youths can take pride and also actively participate in our Hindu organisations. As I said before, we have a number of very impressive Hindu organisations who deserve a high level of commendation. These include BAPS (Swaminarayen Temple, Neasden) Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan and other similar organisations who have set an impressive standard. But there are many other good organisations that our members ought to know more about so that they can participate with these organisations by making their contribution. Our Hindu community, at an individual level, is yet another wonderful body of people who regularly contribute in the form of time and money such that we now have a number of very successful Hindu organisations in the UK. One can only be proud about these achievements. We want to bring awareness of all the good things that are happening and help other Hindu organisations in a manner that

they can raise their standards. I welcome the comments made by CB Patel in his capacity as the Chairman of National Congress of Gujarati Organizations (NCGO) where he has offered the NCGO’s willingness to be amongst the first bodies for an independent panel to review and raise awareness as well as make suggestions for any improvements that they could make. I have been in consultation with The New Philanthropy Capital who are an independent charity reviewing and assisting to improve the standards of charitable organisations. I am exploring the possibility of carrying out an independent survey of all Hindu organisations so that we have an objective understanding of all the good work that is being conducted by these organisations. Asian Voice has kindly agreed to feature such organisations in future publications. However, in order to give objectivity to such work, I feel the process should be

as follows: (i) That we need to have a code of review that would include various checklists to better understand the standards and methods adopted by the individual charities. (ii) We need to have an independent panel of reputable individuals to review the findings of such a survey and perhaps proceed to interview the necessary organisations to produce the best out of them. (iii) Wherever there are organisations that need assistance, to make suggestions such as, trustees of a charitable organisation should undergo professional training so that they better understand their responsibility and what is expected of them. To achieve an appropriate panel, it should consist of worthy members of the community. I have no idea who these people should be but I would like to suggest that the readers and the community send any nominations that they feel are worthy people of becoming part of the panel. I have no desire to

impose a group of people for the panel, as this would be wrong. Good well run organisations are already adopting the following basic principles: (i) Ensure that their Board of Trustees are people who have undergone formal training about duties and responsibilities of trustees of charities. (ii) Register as a charitable entity with the Charities Commission. (iii) Have an external independent audit that is paid for. (iv) Produce regular reports in paper or in their websites providing financial reports as well as activities carried out. (v) Ensure all donations received qualify for tax refunds by adopting charity-giving procedures. (vi) Hold annual general meetings. Ultimately the intention is to raise the standards that we work with so that we as Hindus can become very proud of our organisations and can continue supporting them at levels beyond the current level.

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

COMMENT

Crumbling Berlin Wall broke the mould Twenty years ago to the week the Berlin Wall, which had divided a city for 28 bleak years, came tumbling down. With it ended the division of Europe, and its heartbreak and misery. The explosion of spontaneous, unalloyed joy in every corner of Berlin spread to the whole continent. The dark shadow of the Second World War and its tragic consequences was lifted at last and the sunshine of hope broke through. The Soviet armies started withdrawing, leaving the German people and the other peoples of a divided continent to begin their momentous journey into a new life of freedom without fear. German Chancellor Angela Merkel walked symbolically across a bridge that once separated East Berlin from West Berlin. She had first crossed this barrier as a citizen of the former East Germany the day the Berlin Wall came down. She was accompanied by the former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, whose landmark decision to permit the inhabitants of East Germany to become citizens of a reunified, democratic state is remembered today by all Germans and people everywhere. His

courage and imagination will surely never be forgotten. Nor should it be. It wasn't a time for victors and losers: it was a time for people of goodwill to rejoice that an unexpected miracle had come to pass. Mr Gorbachev, as head of a militarily mighty USSR, could have kept things as they were; the Soviet Union had the weaponry to keep going for another half century had it chosen to do so. Thanks principally to the Soviet leader, the Cold War ended and swords were turned into ploughshares. Blessed are the peacemakers, as the Good Book says. Europe and the world are the better for the abolition of the Berlin Wall. But the restorative peace has still to be carried forward to distant places, where organised conflict and mindless violence are tearing societies apart. The division of the Korean peninsula continues and the stand-off at the 38th parallel simmers dangerously. There are similar trouble spots in the Middle East Iraq and Afghanistan. We still await peace in our time. But the striving must go on. The celebrations in Berlin represent a beacon of hope for all humanity.

Death stalks the land Britain and America are grieving for their dead, the most recent being at a British base in Afghanistan, where an Afghan policeman billeted with with British soldiers suddenly opened fire on them, killing five of their number. Far away in Texas, a Palestinian American army major, Nidal Hasan killed 13 of his colleagues at Fort Hood and injured many others before being shot himself. He is believed to be in a coma. More significantly, he was an avowed Islamist jehadi whose views and murderous mindset found expression on his blog. Yet no inquiry was instituted and no action taken against him. These incidents have traumatized two nations in the forefront of NATO's war on terror. They are brutal reminders that despite much soothing talk things are not going well in Afghanistan. One reason for this is that the epicenter of the present conflict is Pakistan. The Sunday Times reporter Christina Lamb, with long experience of the region, spoke this truth during a BBC Television interview, even as her fellow panelists were waffling on about

Afghanistan and its myriad problems, about the corruption and ineptitude of the Karzai regime. The Zardari regime in Islamabad and its predecessors have escaped the sort of shrill censure that is usually Mr Karzai's lot. Ms Lamb pointed to the significant alQaeda presence in Pakistan, the nuclear weapons on its soil and the huge and ever expanding Jehadi base in the country. To pacify Afghanistan, the US,UK and their Nato allies must first tackle the problems arising from the Pakistani outreach. There is deep confusion among the Anglo-American great and good. Lapses in security are seeded in willful naivete, in the relentless compulsion to be all things to all men. This may be good PR, but it doesn't make for effective security. With so many heads in the sand, it scarcely surprising that the sightless and the partially sighted rule. Meanwhile, the assassins are having a field day. Throwing money and men in what is fast turning into a lost cause is of little help.

Remembering the victims of 26/11 November 26, 2008 was the day of Mumbai's crucifixion at the hands of 10 Pakistan terrorists who arrived by sea and set the city alight. Some 173 innocent Indians and foreign visitors, including a Jewish Rabbi and his pregnant wife, were killed in the carnage and many hundreds were injured. There were many examples of outstanding valour and selflessness, particularly from the staff of the famous Taj Mahal and Oberoi Hotels. However, the same could be said for some of the guests, none more so than Deepak Kuntawala, of Sutton, who was staying at the Taj with his father when the terrorists struck. He and his father together with 150 souls were herded into a room by the villains. Resourceful and courageous, Deepak engineered an escape for the entire group. Sir Gulam Noon was another lucky person who was forced to barricade in his room with his older brother and four of his col-

leagues from India, UK and USA. Deepak has got to work. His DVK Foundation is working with other charities such as the Tata Relief Fund to help the victims of terrorism and bring succour to those that have suffered and still suffer. Deepak has already met with the Chief Rabbi of Chabad in Mumbai and and the two will join forces to help the bereaved in every way possible. May the good work gather strength. Mumbai has withstood its trauma and surmounted it magnificently. It is unbowed. But the events of 26'11 will forever be etched in the city's collective memory. Here, in London, at The Orangery, Kensington Palace, the DVK Foundation is to hold the first commemorative anniversary of the Mumbai tragedy on 26 November with the HRH Duke of Kent as Patron. It promises to be a great and uplifting occasion, a monument to human endurance, an affirmation of life, and of good over evil.

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Thought for the Week We shrink from change; yet is there anything that can come into being without it? What does nature hold dearer or more proper to herself? Could you have a hot bath unless the firewood underwent some change? Could you be nourished if the food suffered no change? Is it possible for any useful thing to be achieved without change? - Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (121-180AD)

Barry Gardiner MP Member of Parliament for Brent North

Lets work together "Let's work together". That is the motto of the Shree Sorathia Vanik Association (UK) and last Friday evening the community was certainly doing just that. I was honoured to attend their Diwali function at Kingsbury High School in Brent and spoke with many people about this relatively young organisation and its aspirations to hold its own Ras Garbas and Navratris on a regular basis. The quality of the dinner was magnificent and I can only assume that they did not want anyone becoming too active on the dance floor later on as the quality was matched by the quantity. President Jayant Mandavia was a most gracious host and explained to me how so many of the community had come from Aden. This prompted a sweet memory of my very first girlfriend at the age of seven or eight, a lovely girl called Karen whose beautiful face suddenly came back to me, she was from Aden and had come to Glasgow in the 1960s where we went to school together. Sadly the President advised me that he only had two sons! But I must place on record that this was not the reason that I left before the dancing started. In fact I was leaving for the wonderful annual programme that Brent

Hindu Council was presenting at Brent Town Hall. Nirmala Patel really deserves a medal for the way in which she has guided Brent Hindu Council over the past two years and the programme we saw on Friday was quite stunning. Our two lovely comperes gave knowledgeable and witty introductions to each of the artists and they were not even phased when the stage curtain ripped and refused to close properly. Performers ranged in age from almost 5 to almost 50 and the hours of practice and dedication really showed. Thankfully this was not X Factor and we did not have to judge between them. We could just enjoy a wonderful programme of music and dance that set the feet tapping and the pulse racing. One guest was overheard to remark that the lady dancers were all so beautiful that if Brent Hindu Council ever started to serve alcohol then it would be precisely the sort of evening that his wife would forbid him from attending! All I know is that when I was lucky enough to be asked to have my photograph taken with some of the dancers at the end of the evening, I made it a condition that the photos should never be shown to Mrs Gardiner!!

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YOUR VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

Let us hear your own voice

Jawaharlal Nehru and his contribution

Are we moving backwards?

Corruption that eats away Indian Values

I agree entirely with you when you intimate that the letters in the “Your Voice” column should be versatile and within the word limit. I am an ardent reader of, and regular contributor to, the “Your Voice” column of Asian Voice. I note with dismay that where previously your readers were expressing their concerns on general and social issues which touched on our everyday life, lately I find that some seem to concentrate on political issues, re-iterating what the party leaders or other politicians said or did, and are thus churning out recycled material. Such matters have already been chewed over again and again in the media and in your own “Comment” page of the previous week. By the time we come to read these letters, the news may already have become stale or the matter may have blown over. Can we not ask the letter writers to focus on general issues which may be informative as well as interesting? It would be a change to read about people’s views on the burning questions which bother us all from time to time and what guidance or way forward they can suggest. Let the “Your Voice” column portray the reader’s own voice.

As a young student, I stood only one foot away from him when Pandit Nehru visited the Omdurman Indian School in Sudan in 1957. I remember gazing at him while anger was clear on his extremely handsome, fair almost red face, while criticising the Gujarati community for not teaching Hindi. He was Prime Minister of India for the first almost 17 years after independence. Mr Nehru is credited with non-alignment; Hindi as the official language of India; secularism: both individual and state; Five- year Central Economic Planning system but with freedom at State Level; introduction of IITs; building of other foundations and institutions. All alive today. Time has come for Hindi to become the official commercial language of banking, insurance and finance in India as Western English language gobbledygook in derivatives, hedging, etc. has almost destroyed the enitre world’s financial system. Other countries use their own languages.

After Australia, now UK Asians face racism. I read in Evening Standard that Islington has faced 54% of racism last year. Pretty appalling! I feel this incident outside the City University was much more than a just racist attack. I think it involves a proper gang rivalry, that unfortunately involves Asians. When we arrive to the UK years back, we could feel the difference in the attitude of the whites towards we browns. Still I would say, no other country has been more welcoming than the UK to keep and nurture us, the politically displaced refugees. Racism always existed in this country, but it was not always without a reason. When the British tried their level best to clean the environment, maintain a decorum, the refugees did not keep up to the standards. People also refused to accept the British culture and learn English. It was a challenge for the government. But slowly this country accepted all diversity and the non English, accepted the Britishness. The transformation has been slow but gradual. Now even Asian businesses are acknowledged in awards like Lloyds TSB Jewel Awards. But this news of racism has saddened me extremely. Are we moving backwards again? Are we going back from where we all started? Do we have to start from the scratch again?

It is a well known fact that Indian nationals held most Swiss accounts totalling Rs 7,000,000 Crores that is more than the rest of the world put together when it comes to illegal accumulation and hoarding of wealth. Switzerland is not the only country that facilitates such banking, illegal money laundering. Many islands in the West Indies, Channel Islands, as well as tiny principalities in Europe provide such facilities to their rich and influential clients. Now, to their enormous credit, the Swiss government has written to the Indian government, showing their willingness to release information if Indian government submit official request through proper, well established channels. This news has made headlines in many Indian newspapers. But it seems the Indian government is reluctant to make such a request. Worse still, the opposition parties who did promise to act, are keeping quite, do not show any interest in pressing the government to act, thus giving the government an easy ride. Indian media could do a great service if they could keep this news item in focus. It seems the expense claims of our MPs are a minor incontinence when compared to billions of pound loot by the Indian politicians of colour, shape and size?

Preeti Sudarshan Via email

Bhupendra M Gandhi Via Email

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Correction Liberal Democrat Friends of India dinner was hosted by the High Commissioner of India, HE Nalin Surie for the Labour Friends of India at the Liberal Democat Party Conference. Mr Nick Clegg, Leader, Lord Dholakia and many other members attended the dinner.

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Diwali Magazine I finally received your Diwali magazine early last week. I called and spoke to your customer service department and others and everytime I was told due to postal strikes it is delayed. I understand your predicament. However, other companies and organisations immediately made alternative arrangements to send out the posts when the strikes were announced. Anyway, I wish to thank you all for keeping the part of your commitment and it is aptly said, better late than never. I really liked your Diwali magazine this year. There are some good articles in English. However I do see that the magazine is still dominated by Gujarati articles. Your advert content has improved though it still has a skewed ratio of advertisements to articles. Maybe next time you should create a 50% Gujarati and 50% English magazine rather than haphazardly putting a mix of Gujarati and English articles. Finally I wish to congratulate you on publishing the Diwali issue.

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emails, can anyone realise how many parI read your article on congratulatory ticular days, months or perhaps years it emails being sent to the Indian origin will take to get rid of them? Its time nobel laureate. I admire his achievements Indians behave sensibly and acknowledge and like all Indians I also feel proud for such achievements in some other way his fete. At the same time, I understand rather than contacting the person directhis predicament when he received the ly and behaving as if they are his/her best emails from other fellow Indians. It is friend. No body likes their privacy invadtime that we realise that India is going to ed and too much of everything will create progress and prosper and there would be a backlash. many such achievements by other Be proud to be an Indian. I am! Indians who will be recognised. I want people to realise imagine you are appreciAnand Sharma ated and receive email from every Indian Via Email in the world i.e. almost more than 1 billion emails. Vande Mataram Though technically the emails will bounce back Vande Mataram expressed in Sanskrit, the ancient Vikram Bhatt but with technological language of India has no specific connection with any London advancements if the inbox will handle 1 billion new particular religion. It was the common slogan for all the followers during India's struggle for independence from British rule. It showed the utmost respect for motherland. It proved that such love for motherland could never 41056746.5'8'5691:6!6; be touched by religious bigotry.

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'(#)*&"+,-. /##.012.%3$ ‘Smile Pinky’ too gets the Oscar

Boyle says Mumbai dwarfed the statuette

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Karma Yoga House 12 Hoxton Market (Off Coronet Street)

Cricket crazy Indians for the first time was seen so euphoric on Monday morning, as they expected a couple of Oscars. British Indians in the UK, Dharavi slums, the shanty township of Mumbai, a village in Uttar Pradesh and almost the entire Bollywood waited in expectation, glued to their TV sets. They burst into celebrations as one by one, their heroes, the actors of the British Indian film and the music maestro, A R Rahman bagged the top awards in the world of entertainment. British actress Kate Winslett also won the Oscar after having missed it almost five times earlier. ‘Smile Pinki’, a short documentary on a cleft-lipped Indian girl in Uttar Pradesh directed by American director Megan Mylan, won the Oscar for the Best Documentary (Short).

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Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

Kapil’s

“Our London”

KHICHADI

CIIr Navin Shah AM London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow

Public Transport increase in fares London Mayor Boris Johnson’s way of helping people on low incomes and Londoners facing global recession is to kick them in the teeth with fare rises of up to 20%. Overall, bus fares will rise by 12.7 per cent, while Underground fares will increase by 3.9 per cent. This follows his inflation busting fares hike of 6% (in some cases more) on bus and Tube fares in the first year. TfL’s revenue was on the increase in previous years due to increased passenger numbers thanks to Ken Livingstone’s proactive approach and improvement in public transport. But, this year the use of public transport has decreased as a direct result of fares increase. The rises are an outrageous assault by the Mayor on commuters described as “unacceptable” by passenger watchdog for London ‘TravelWatch’. It is scandalous that the Mayor has ignored the negative inflation rate to impose some of the highest fare rises since the creation of Transport for London (TfL). Let’s look at the devastating impact of some of the rises. The Mayor is hitting London’s poorest residents by increasing

bus fares by as much as 20 per cent, while cutting schedules of buses at the same time. This is the same Mayor who said he would champion the causes of Outer London Suburbs to remove disparity. And what does he do? He reduces the frequency of buses for these areas. Suburbs require improved services for example ‘orbital bus routes’ to link all Outer London Areas, provide better access and reduce the carbon footprint by reducing reliance on the use of cars. The Mayor has tried to blame fares increases on his predecessor and claims Ken Livingstone left him with a funding “black hole”. The fact is this is a mere excuse for the lack of vision and commitment of the Mayor to keep the public transport affordable. This is a typical Tory ploy of reducing services and charging more. If the Mayor is really concerned about TfL’s finances he should have thought twice about scrapping the £25 higher charge for gas guzzling 4x4s, which has cost London £50 million of potential revenue there is also a matter of lost revenue of some 70Million from congestion charge. He has also failed to

reconsider his plan to bring back the Routemaster which is predicted to cost over £100 million and lost revenue of some 30 Million from bendy buses. None of this is consistent with the Mayor’s “value for money” and at a time when living costs are rising, Londoners now have to pay inflation-busting fare rises. Freezing precept (element of Council Tax paid by Londoners charged by the Mayor of London) makes sense and it is welcome provided there is no stealth tax levid through the backdoor. But the freezing of precept has become a gimmick by this Mayor because precept savings amount to 12p a week but the Mayor has introduced stealth tax by hiking fares in successive years at the detriment of the commuters and climate change agenda. The unprecedented public transport fares increase must be challenged and I’m pleased that Harrow Council has voted to condemn these fares increases. The question is, will this Mayor listen to the outcry and do the right thing e.g. scrap the fares hike? I won’t hold out any hope whatsoever.

CPS employee triumphs at British Asian Hafta Awards An employee of West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was named ‘Best Female Employee’ at the British Asian Hafta Awards Friday October 30. Parveen Hassan, 36, is an Equality, Diversity and Community Engagement Manager responsible for raising awareness of the CPS and improving community confidence. Mrs Hassan, who has worked with the CPS for 7 years, oversees various community engagement activities including the area’s Community Involvement Panel, which allows community members to comment on the way to CPS is run. Mrs Hassan, who lives in Birmingham, received her award at the New Bingley Hall in Hockley and was commended for her work with the voluntary sector. She said: “I was absolutely delighted to receive this prestigious

Parveen Hassan and Director Satpal from ‘Big Johns’ a chain of fast food outlets in Birmingham

award, which was kept secret on the night amongst such a strong category of contenders. It was very pleasing to hear that the work I am doing is being acknowledged.” Judges praised Mrs Hassan for going over and above her role by supporting voluntary groups such as the Asian Women Domestic Violence Forum

and the Muslim Women’s Network UK, where she is a board member. She added: “I was also thanked for the support I had provided to new migrant women and communities through my trustee work with various groups. Engaging with diverse communities like this is one of my favourite things about working for the CPS.” British Asian Hafta was launched by Women of Cultures chief executive Gurjeet Bains (OBE). The ceremony is intended to empower women of Black and Minority Ethnic communities and highlight the success of highly motivated individuals who are determined to go the extra mile and make a difference in their communities. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is responsible for prosecuting criminal cases investigated by the police in England and Wales. For more information visit www.cps.gov.uk

by Kapil Dudakia - email: kapil@abplgroup.com

Cameron’s European Paradox As predicted months ago in KK, David Cameron finds himself in a very unpalatable position with regard to Europe and what he has to do to keep the Tory right wing at bay. He has made great strides on many fronts but the most important, making the Tories look electable and guess what, even making them people friendly. All this hard work though is now on the line as the two contrasting contingents within the Tory Party fight for their corner. The left, with Kenneth Clarke can see the bigger picture and would like the Tories to become more Eurofriendly. However, those on the right – the Tebbit/UKIP friendly brigade are hell bent on making sure that their vision for Europe prevails. Mr Cameron’s announcement that within a parliamentary term he will get powers back from Europe and will certainly not cede any more did not help either. Within hours of the statement the French, Germans and even the Belgiansall came out in very robust undiplomatic language to damn the Tory proposals. In effect, they shot the plans downs with the precision of an exocet missile by reminding people that there is no appetite within Europe to open up any debate on the Treaty again for a long time. If you remember, recently the Tories also came out of an EU Pact of like minded parties to then end up joining what can only be described as the ultra right wing parties of Europe. The position adopted by the Tories on Europe is frankly a mess and untenable, no matter how you package it up. It seems to me that either Mr Cameron takes centre stage in Europe (and does a ‘U’ turn) or he allows for a full referendum on whether the UK should be in Europe, or not as the case might be. Both are fraught with danger, though at least it gives him a position that can be defended. The present scenario of trying to keep all sides of his party happy, and at the same time alienating the mainstream of Europe

seems very counterproductive. Surely this cannot be the climax of the David Cameron vision for Europe? This hot potato may well need a knob of European butter to calm things down a bit. I guess UKIP must be rubbing their hands, full of anticipation and no doubt their share of the vote will go up amidst the confusion that resides within the Tory ranks.

Hindu students lead again The National Hindu Students Forum do wonders with their annual conference. It has now become bigger, bolder and very contemporary in the range of topics it addresses. It seems they strive to enter the den that many others in our community find difficult to traverse. I would strongly urge all our youth (and adults) to check out their website – and make sure you look at the short video that gives a great introduction. The conference this year will be on Saturday, 21st November 2009 from 9am till 6pm at City University, Northampton Square, London, EC1V. For more information please log on to the NHSF website www.nhsf.org.uk

Remembrance Day – Indian Contribution 11/11/11 – or 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month is recognised as the day when we mark the end of World War I. At this time it is also impor-

tant that we remember the sacrifices of the millions who have perished in the many wars around the world. During that time, in India more than a1 million volunteered to fight for the cause. I also heard that even Mahatma Gandhi volunteered his services to work for the ambulance unit. Lest we forget, Indians also gave their lives so that humanity maylive to see a better day. It was of course a great sense of sorrow that even with such ultimate sacrifices, India was still not granted her independence after the first world war. You would have thought that this would have stopped people from volunteering again during World War II. However people had not understood the mentality of the Indians. Several million more volunteered yet again and this was a testimony to their core values of protecting good and fighting evil. The people of Bharat Varsha have several thousand years of history, culture and heritage that has taught them one simple lesson – in the face of evil; you must stand up and unite. Today we see the likes of the BNP and the far right parties in Europe that are more than happy to undermine and even ignore the massive contributions of our forefathers. Humanity it seems has still not fully understood the lessons of past conflicts. Let us hope and pray that humanity discovers its collective common sense, before nature finds an unpalatable solution for us.

Gurkha soldiers training near Neuve Chapelle

Punjabi soldiers sailing from Bombay.1914. Photo: Imperial War Museum. London

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

Leicester Voice MP wants more safeguards for violent videos Ministers must do more to protect young children from the dangers of violent video games, an MP has said. Keith Vaz, the MP for Leicester East, made the call, ahead of the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – a game which he described as containing “scenes of brutality”. The game, set in the near future against a backdrop of a war between the West and Russian ultranationalists, hits the shelves today and is expected to break sales records. Review websites report that in one sequence of the game, undercover soldiers pose as terrorists and are asked to help shoot civilians as part of a plot. Mr Vaz, the Home Affairs Select Committee chairman, said: “Whilst I appreciate that this game has been certified for those aged 18 and over, my principal concern is that it will fall into the hands of children. The level of brutality in this

video game is such that even the manufacturers have deemed it necessary to insert warnings allowing players to skip scenes.” The MP is a long-time campaigner against video game violence, having taken up the cause after Leicester 14-year-old Stefan Pakeerah was murdered in February 2004. The victim’s parents later said that the video game Manhunt acted as an “instruction manual” for the killer. Mr Vaz said: “The Government must do more to raise awareness of the potential dangers of young children playing violent games – parents must be educated on this issue and packaging must be clear. We must safeguard our children against avoidable dangers.” On Monday in the House of Commons Mr Vaz urged the Government to ensure such games were not played by children. However Labour for-

mer digital minister Tom Watson said it would be better for MPs to support the UK’s video gaming industry instead of creating “moral panic”. Mr Watson said he had seen the game and it “wasn’t pleasant, though no worse than many films and books”. He set up an internet Facebook group, called Gamers’ Voice. He wrote on the group’s web page: “Are you sick of UK newspapers and politicians beating up on gaming? So am I. The truth is, UK gamers need their own pressure group. I want to help you start one up.” The group so far has more than 400 members. Junior culture minister Sion Simon said the clearest recommendation of the Byron review – which last year looked into the risks faced by children from inappropriate video games – was that content suitable for adults should be labelled and sold as such.

The Prime Minister’s Global Fellowship 2009 – unlocking talent By Nimisha Thanki I was very honoured to be chosen for the PMGF trip 2009 by the British council in conjunction with the Prime Minister Gordon Brown. I was one of the 100 students who got selected for this amazing opportunity and had the chance to visit India, a developing country which is growing both economically and globally. I was apart of a group of 30 students from around the UK to visit this amazing country for 6 weeks. The trip was split up into 3 phases. The first phase, took place in the first 2 weeks was called cultures, contrast and change whereby we had visited many tourist sites and villages like The Qutab Minor, Taj Mahal, Lotus Temple, Akshardham New Delhi, The national museum in Janpath and many more. All 30 students were in New Delhi for the first week. We also got a chance to attend a reception at the British High Commisioners House in Delhi. The second phase, duration of 2 weeks was called family, education and Aspiration whereby I stayed with a host family and attended St.Xaviers

Nimisha arriving in India for the PMGF trip

College in Mumbai. The third and last phase was called ‘business on a global stage’. This is where I was placed with TCS in Mumbai and observed the businesses in India and how they differ from the UK. I have to say that this whole experience, from 1 week in Delhi to 5 weeks staying in Mumbai has been wonderful and I have enjoyed every single bit of it, especially the stay with the host family because doing that really opened my eyes into the real India. I also got a chance to attend the former president of India, A.P.J Abdul Kalams Speech at St.Xaviers College in Mumbai. I have to say that the

people of India have a heart of gold, everyone I have met from the street cleaners, drivers, hotel staff, shop keepers, people living on the street have been very hospitable and kind. India’s people have a very welcoming nature. I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone interested in getting to know an economically and globally growing company and to experience life in India as it is. This trip has made me realise that to develop something in life we must develop ourselves first and making a change in the world cannot happen sitting at home but can only happen if we put ourselves out there and do something about it. India has that magic to it, especially being in Mumbai for 5 weeks has made me fall in love with India. To see a country that has had its independence and still striving to be the best and become solely developed is truly amazing and very inspirational. One person can make a difference and I hope to make a difference in the world however small or big it may be because at the end of the day for something to change you must make a start on it.

Do you have any comments, news or photographs about Leicester? If you do, please send them to Leicester Voice at

leicester@abplgroup.com

Man in court after fight in nightclub A 28-year-old who allegedly injured a man in a nightclub brawl has appeared in court. Mohammed Tayab Khan pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding in an incident at Hush nightclub, Belvoir Street, in the city centre, on November

16 last year. The victim suffered a cut head needing six stitches. Khan, of Hyde Close, Oadby, further admitted two separate offences of common assault on his wife on November 20 and

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Opposition to newsagent's bid to sell alcohol A newsagent who has allegedly applied to sell alcohol has met opposition from neighbours, reports Leicester Mercury. Chandulal Shah, of Narborough Road Newsagents, in Leicester's West End, has applied to the city council for a licence to sell alcohol between 5am and 11pm, seven days a week. Allegedly two people have written to the council saying they have concerns. They said there were more than enough off-licences in the area and that the neighbourhood had a high number of alcohol-related incidents. A decision will be made at a hearing on Friday, at Leicester Town Hall.

January 5. The Leicester Crown Court case was adjourned until November 30 for the preparation of a pre-sentence report. Khan was released on conditional bail.

Priti Mattani, 50 yrs, Director of Sona Rupa Belgrave, Leicester 1, Favourite colour: Pink 2, Favourite food: Italian 3, Favourite film: Baghbaan 4, Favourite holiday destination: Caribbean 5, Favourite historical character: Mahatma Gandhi 6, Favourite period of history: 21st Centure 7, Favourite part of Leicester: Belgrave 8, Lucky number: 19 9, Favourite TV programme: Thriller/Dramas 10, Who is the person you admire the most: Amitabh Bachchan

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Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

Ugandan Indians: A Recollection of Memories

My name is Daniel Henry Mutibwa, originally from Uganda and a student at the University of Leeds pursuing a postgraduate research degree in Media and Communications Studies. Within this broad area of study, I chose to specialise in minority ethnic and religious media production, particularly focusing on British Asian media production. It is for this reason that I am currently studying and learning about how news and other information features at the Asian Voice and

Gujarat Samachar are produced – both newspapers with a very good reputation and long tradition. The rationale for this is not only to gain valuable insights into the production of news and other information features at both newspapers, but also to study and highlight their significance in the process of community building and empowerment, alongside other tasks of informing, educating and entertaining. While at both newspapers, I would like to know more about the present circumstances of those Indians, who were expelled from Uganda in 1972 during the the Idi Amin dictatorship. I am interested in knowing how they coped with this terrible situation both psychologically and materially. In the latter case, I wish to find out how they managed to adapt to an altogether

Racist attacks on Asian students Continued from page 1 The number of offences in a rolling 12-month period has risen from 292 last year to 450 this year, according to the Metropolitan Police. The increase is the biggest of any borough in London, and far exceeds the total rise of 6% across the capital. A Met spokesman said extra patrols were taking place around the universi-

ty as a result of the violence, and that officers were using special stop and search powers on potential suspects. "We are taking this matter very seriously," Det Insp Trevor Borley said. "We have put out 'reassurance' patrols in St John Street and the surrounding area. "In addition, we will also be carrying out Section 60 searches," he said, referring to the special powers, as reported by the BBC.

Midland Voice Dhiren Katwa is currently away

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new environment in Britain without any means, considering the fact that all their possesssions had been confiscated prior to their expulsion. Besides and more importantly, many were born in Uganda. Additionally, I would also like to know what they think about the circumstances prevailing in Uganda today, whether they would consider returning there and what they make of the relations between Uganda and India. Please contact me at the Asian Voice if you wish to share your experiences with me. I went to Nakasero Primary School and Mengo Senior School while in Uganda, so for those who went to the same, feel free to contact me for a chat via the following people: CB Patel, cb@abplgroup.com or Rupanjana Dutta, rupanjana@abplgroup.com

Asian presenter defends himself against drunken lout A drunken lout in Manchester got more than he bargained for when he tried to attack a reporter with a black belt in karate A BBC reporter fought for justice on the city streets, when he used his karate skills to floor a drunken yob who had been hurling abuse at him for more than 30 minutes. Paresh Patel had been followed around central Manchester by two thugs, gallantly walking away from their constant torrent of abuse and threats - until he was forced to defend himself. The reporter was trying to set up a live news report with his camerman, Steve Capstick, for North West Tonight - but the louts other ideas. They harass and taunt Mr Patel who can clearly be seen on CCTV footage attempting to shake them off and go about his business. The youths persist in their abuse, but what they don't realise is that Mr Patel has a black belt in karate. When one lout tries to attack him Mr Patel lashes out with a quick kick to the groin and a sharp punch to the face, sending his assailant to the ground. After the unsuspecting thug is floored, the police arrive and arrest them, while Mr Patel walks away. At the sentencing of the pair Judge David Hernandez said: 'He defended himself, he delivered a blow. I say good for Mr Patel. He had no reason to be subjected to that level of abuse and threat by you.'

The Hindu Times Conference National Hindu Students Forum (UK) To Change Politics By Kishan Bhatt, BSc, LLB The National Hindu Students Forum (UK) are taking a leaping initiative at their next annual conference entitled ‘Hindu Times: Be The News You Wish To See’ to be held on Saturday 21st November at the City University, London. The conference is to tackle the misconceptions of the Hindu faith that are commonly assumed by the wider world and to teach the future of our community the opportunities to act. The conference will be split up into workshops about spirituality, the Hindu community (samaj) and politics. The workshops on spirituality include educating students on whether or not the Ramayana and Mahabharata are still relevant or just myths based on fiction. The Hindu community workshops aim to explore caste discrimination, the inequality of men and women and whether or not our Hindu dharma is becoming too influenced by bollywood. The political workshops will speak out directly on the most current political

issues including the underrepresentation of Hindus in British politics, the rise of the BNP and its affect on the Hindu Community and the human rights and civil rights that should be invested to Hindus around the world. educating, The exploring and empowering form part of the core aim to get our students to stand up and speak up on some of the most important issues that will govern the future of our Hindu community. That to me is real politics! For too long now the Hindu community has been passive, silent and inactive. It is this inactiveness and passiveness that has resulted in the Hindu community being taken for granted on so many different levels from the misconceptions of Idol worshipping to caste discrimination and the misguided representation of Hindus in British political life. There are many choices and decisions that need to be made correctly and this conference will engage with these choices and decisions with the

people that influence this country. Baroness Verma, Virendra Sharma MP and Seema Malhotra (Former Chair of the Young Fabians) are all speaking on the day by giving workshops and taking part in a Question Time panel that will address the issues discussed at the conference and enable questions from the students. Keith Vaz MP, Barry Gardiner MP, Angela Watkinson MP and other senior politicians and figures are also attending on the day. Tony Blair, former Prime Minister, will be providing us with his views on the conference through a video link. The conference will pave the way for a variety of initiatives to engineer the Hindu community and its students to be more active on issues that affect us most. If you are interested in attending please visit www.nhsf.org.uk/hindutimes for further information and opportunities to register. Alternatively, please c o n t a c t hindutimes@nhsf.org.uk

Copland Community School dismisses Deputy Headteacher for gross misconduct Copland Community School last week concluded the disciplinary hearing of Dr Richard Evans, the school's Deputy Headteacher. In a press release issued by Brent Council Dr Evans was dismissed on the grounds of gross misconduct in relation to serious financial irregularities. The disciplinary panel, made up of three members of the school's Interim Executive Board (IEB), heard evidence from Brent Council's Head of Audit and Investigation before reaching its conclusion. Dr Evans, who chose not to attend the hearing, has the right to appeal against the board's decision.

The school's Bursar Columbus Odukoro is due to appear before a disciplinary panel in December. The school's Head teacher, Sir Alan Davis was also asked to appear before a disciplinary panel this week. However, he formally resigned from his position on 14 October. The former Head of Human Resources at the School, Michelle Bishop, also resigned following her suspension in August this year. It is not possible to take disciplinary action leading to dismissal against staff once they have resigned. The school is taking legal advice on further action to be taken. As disciplinary pro-

ceedings are still pending, the Board is unable to make any further comment about the suspensions at this time. Roy Evans, Chair of Copland's IEB said: "The school's prime focus is the welfare and development of the students. Despite the recent events, the school's board and acting Headteacher are continuing to maintain good educational standards and have already made many improvements to the buildings and equipment. We have had strong positive support from Brent Council during this difficult period. Morale is high within the school and we will continue to move forward."

IFA institute of Financial Accountants Achievement awards 2009 This year’s IFA Institute of Financial Accountants Achievement Awards ceremony saw three awards being given to London Sam. These included: Highly Commended Business Entrepreneur Of the Year – Dr Dak Patel ; Highly Commended Top Training Centre of the Year – London SAM ; Winner Lecturer of the Year – Tony Surridge.

Julie Meyer, Dr. Dak Patel, Professor David Hunt, Nick O’Reilly

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

Gurkhas to fight again for their equal rights

Remembrance Sunday observed by Gurkhas at Whitehall

The British Gurkha Welfare Society (BGWS) has challenged the Gurkha Offer to Transfer (GOTT) in the Judicial Review proceedings held at the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand on Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th October. The case was heard by Mr. Justice Burnett. BGWS and two member representative claimants Major (retd) Tikendra Dal Dewan and Subarna Adhikari were represented by Counsel Declan O'Dempsey and Olivia Dobbie. The challenge was being made on behalf of those Gurkhas who retired before and those who retired after 1st July 1997, and was on the grounds that the GOTT was in breach of the Human Rights Act 2000 as being discriminatory on grounds of nationality and age. It was also argued that in

making the GOTT, the MoD had as a matter of process breached the statutory duty to have due regard to good relations between different racial groups. The Judicial Review on pensions took the whole two days allocated, but the Judge could not give an immediate verdict. On Tuesday, 10 November the members of BGWS and their other supporters from all over the UK held a central meeting where they met the MPs to discuss their equal footings as citizens. In an exclusive interview with the Asian Voice, Major (retd) Tikendra dal Dewan, Chairman of BGWS, explained their situation and stand. AV: Tell us something about the British Gurkhas Welfare Society. In brief British Gurkha

Welfare Society (BGWS) works for the welfare of all retired Gurkhas and remains an active body for integration of the overall Nepali community with the wider community. We warmly welcome those interested to visit our website at www.bgws.org and visits to the Gurkha Bhawan at Farnborough is also welcome. AV. Why do you think you are discriminated against other soldiers by British government? This is a question which the MOD should be in a better position to answer, but suffice to comment on the known fact that lack of equal treatment was instrumental in leading the fall of the mighty British Empire. AV. Do you think you will get the support from the British ministers and actress Joana Lumley once again like the earlier fight for the 'Right to stay in

British Gurkhas protesting for the equal pension rights

Britain?' We are sincerely pursuing the amicable route and have met over 30 MPs from the many political parties and they have all assured their support to our plea for justice. Joana Lumley is a busy lady and perhaps her schedule does not permit her the time required, and as the lead in Gurkha Justice, she is aware that the complete justice can only be claimed once this inequality in pension is resolved. AV. Are you planning to get an EDM signed? What is your exact plan of action to mobilise the mass for your cause? There are two EDMs in process the earlier motion has been signed by 97 MPs and the later by 46 MPs with the figures growing. AV. What will you do if the judicial review does not give fair judgement for the equal right of the pension-

India flaunts growth as the West fights recession By Spriha Srivastava & Rupanjana Dutta When Britain is struggling with unemployment and almost no economic growth, India’s Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee addressing a press conference at the India House, in London, on Sunday 8th November said, for India's youth and employment development the government has initiated the 'Right to Employment Act- that promises minimum 100 days job/Rs 100/per day. He ensured that Indian government is also working on the draft of 'Right to food'! The Finance Minister added, “The three stimulus packages that had been implemented between December 2008 and February 2009 had achieved the aims set out by his government. There is expected to be a shortfall in agricultural production (due to low rainfall followed by floods) to some extent, which will adversely impact the overall growth. Otherwise

Deputy High Commissioner Ashok Mukherjee, Indian High Commissioner HE Nalin Surie with Finance Minister of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee with a guest

I could have seen perhaps more than 6.7 percent growth," he said. He suggested that the government has to take adequate steps to ensure that the shortage of food grains due to bad monsoon this year is not repeated. On the recent issue of China and India border conflict, Mr. Mukherjee said, “I do not visualise any conflict on border dispute between India and

China. We have an institutional arrangement, though there are divergence of views. But in the form of special representatives of Prime Minister's from both the countries, they met regularly, until now; more than a dozen meetings have taken place. There has been an agreement on broad guiding principles and political parameters. But the actual resolution of the dispute is yet to take

place and there has been a still divergence of views and I do not visualise any conflict in that area." The Finance Minister also suggested that India has been taking strong steps to develop its border areas. He said that the development of our border areas is superior to that of the Tibetan autonomous regions. Finally, on the issue of climate change, Mr. Mukherjee indicated the need of developing countries to be funded with clean technological systems. He added that the arrangements for funding and other indications have been accepted in the Bali working plan of the climate change conference and it suggests that developed countries will have to contribute substantially. The conference was also attended by the Indian High Commissioner H.E. Nalin Surie, Deputy High Commissioner, Ashok Mukherjee and Press and Information Minister M Subashini.

ers? This quest for equality has been running for well over 19 years while many have died yet the dream lives on. BGWS therefore feels it important to draw a line of finality, if the British Justice fails we will knock at the doors of the European Court. AV. How many ex Gurkha officers are still in Britain? Including all ranks there are well of 4000 Gurkhas with their families in the UK. AV. Why are Gurkhas known for their valour and loyalty? It is perhaps in our blood and coming from a martial race valour is but natural while loyalty linked with honesty plays a pivotal role even in the day to day life of a Gurkha. Equally we do not claim to be the bravest of the brave, but brave yes as any other soldier.

AV. What is the future of the Gurkhas in Britain? The settlement has given our future generation the opportunity for a better future and a wider choice of profession. As for the Gurkhas themselves we are the longest serving ‘foreigners’ in the British Armed Forces going back to nearly 200 years, surely this in itself speaks of the future. AV. Do you think a change in the government can bring about some good hopes for the British Gurkhas? Early days to predict government change is the only hope. Though the Labour Government has reluctantly done a lot, but sadly only after the Gurkhas took persuasive legal challenges. We were hoping as a parting shot, they may want to clear this last but important issue of equal pensions.

India to go slum free? Union Minister for Indian Tourism, Kumari Selja held an exclusive press conference on Monday 9th November at the Bentley Hotel, London. The minister made a policy statement on Jagdish Chander, Director, tourism, now a burgeoning industry, as well as Ministry of Tourism, Govt of India and Union Minister Kumari Selja outlined where turnover Though the rate of foreign stands after a year of global tourists in India has fallen recession and future prospects. after the Mumbai carnage on As also a Minister for 26/11 and swine flu scare, Housing and Urban Poverty but things are looking up Alleviation, Kumari Selja once more. said, India now has a vision In order to promote difof a 'slum free' country. The ferent types of tourism, we government is dealing with have initiated heliport slum and housing improvetourism at places where ment in 63 major cities of roads or rails can't reach. India, as a part of the The states of India need to Jawaharlal Nehru National inform the central governUrban Renewal Programme ment which destinations started in 2005. This would they would want to be conensure that the basic ameninected through helicopters. ties are provided to the Airports in different cities urban poor including a including the metros are also decent living and housing. being upgraded. She added, “India is parHowever, for the comticipating at the WTM and monwealth games, if at all the theme is Commonwealth relocation of slums are to be games. This would promote made, they will be provided wild life, adventure, sports with alternative arrangetourism besides heritage and ments.” cultural tourism of India.

ART & COMMUNITY

Spriha’s

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

Rights

Corner

and Wrongs

By Spriha Srivastava

By Dr Raj Joshi

“Paa” brings Big B to London It rarely happens that you get an opportunity to meet and share some golden moments with the person whom you have admired all your life. Well, as far as I can remember, I grew up watching his films, dancing to his songs and speechlessly admiring him after every performance – be it a hit or a flop. I still remember clapping and whistling for his dance performance in the “say shava shava” song from Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham. And today he was right here sitting in front of me, talking about his upcoming movie and his experiences. It was Amitabh Bachchan – my childhood idol and one of the greatest actors in the Indian film Industry. But there are these moments in life when no matter how much you want to jump with joy; that tinge of professionalism within pulls you back. And today was one such day. I was definitely overawed by him initially. As soon as I entered the conference hall, I couldn’t miss the fact that he was sitting on the right hand side of the room facing the camera and talking about his film. Even as I sat on the far left hand side of the room, waiting for him to finish the ongoing interview, I could feel his voice filling the entire room. Yes, he was indeed the Big B as he is fondly known. He is here to promote his upcoming film titled “Paa”. Directed by R. Balakrishnan, the film casts Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Vidya Balan. Amitabh Bachchan plays a 13 year old boy named “Auro” who is suffering from Progeria, an extremely rare genetic disorder wherein symptoms resembling aspects of aging are manifested at an early age. The film where Abhishek plays a father to Amitabh, is the story of a father-son-sonfather relationship. The film is produced under the home banner of ABCL Corporation and is comparatively a low budget film (Rs 16 crores). But ten per cent

Big B with Spriha

of the entire budget was spent on Mr. Bachchan’s make-up. No wonder he mentioned that it took him four hours to put on the entire make-up and then another two hours to remove it. In course of my conversation with Mr. Bachchan, I asked him about his experiences while shooting for this film since this is one of the most challenging roles he might have done in forty years of his career in Indian cinema.

During the interview

Amitabh Bachchan: Actually Balki who made Cheeni Kum with me and Tabu suddenly one day came up with this idea of “Paa”. Of course as an artist you feel very challenged when something like this comes your way. Balki wanted the 13 year old kid to be a victim of progeria. After a lot of research and finding kids that were suffering from this, we came across with DVD’s and got in touch with the people in the medical profession. And then we called for a makeup artist from Los Angeles, Hollywood. Christian who is an Oscar winner makeup artist designed the prosthetics for the character of Auro that you will see in the film. So, if ever you like the performance, and I hope you do, I would give the maximum bene-

fit to the makeup because that is what really made me behave in that fashion. ! Mr. Bachchan, why specifically this disease as the basis of the film? Have there been cases of this disease in India? Amitabh Bachchan: Yeah, actually there are. In fact, after running the first promo, there have been number of cases that have suddenly sprung up. And I am aware now that there is a family in Kolkata where there are five kids, all afflicted with the same disease. ! And finally Mr. Bachchan, what makes this movie different from others? A m i t a b h Bachchan: Hindi film industry has been quite identifiable for the past few years. Viewers know what they are going to see even before they enter the theatre. Things have changed enormously in the field of television. And we in the film industry have to think from the perspective of the viewers. What would they like to see in a theatre, that they cannot see in their homes on a television? So now a new trend of film making has started which is not only good for the film industry but also for the viewers. Because they get to see something different. And that is what has been experimented in “Paa”. I hope you all watch the film and like it. Well, we surely will Mr. Bachchan. After all even at the age of 68, you are still young enough to play a 13 year old’s character. Not everyone’s cuppa tea – no wonder you are called a “living legend.”

Let us know what you think. Email Spriha at spriha@abplgroup.com

The Death of Mother Ganga I was sitting alone at home the other night in suburbia when I saw a news report which said that the Ganges, Ganga Ma, Mother Ganga, is dying. Scientists from India and elsewhere have been measuring the snow and ice on the Himalayas and have seen a steady decrease in the amount of snowfall year on year. When the seasons change and the snow melts, the snow feeds the source of the Ganges and the once mighty river starts its course. Less snow, less water, no more Mother Ganga. Downstream there is less water, less crops, less wildlife, less food, more death. The reporter was being shown how the water level has gone down through a variety of reasons including global warming, over utilisation for industry and intensive agriculture. The water of the Ganges was Amrita, purity in physical form able to offer a path to Nirvana. The quality of the water which used to be considered the equivalent of nectar and a cureall for illnesses and the ultimate oxi-cleanser for the soul, has deteriorated due to pollution. The prediction, said to be cautious, was that in the next twenty or so years, the once magnificent river, fabled for thousands of years, will run dry.

Who cares? In India, the 400 million who rely on Mother Ganga for everything from life to death either carry on complaining about the illnesses which they contract or the failure of their crops or express their gratitude for the work generated by the growth in factories or intensive farming. In the West, I’m really not sure these days if people give a damn about anything that is further than the end of their nose. And yes, I did say damn! Whilst we worry about the delivery time on an ordered pizza so we may argue that we get it free, very few of us care about the world outside the room or rooms we call our own. Having the attention span of a goldfish is a prized asset in society because it allows us to engage in the trivia of who’s going to win “X Factor” or “Strictly Come Dancing”.

When total mediocrities, whose claim to fame is not who they haven’t slept with but would like to, can top the list of bestselling authors, is it any wonder that the death of a river causes no ripples in polite or impolite society? As for our elected

realise that its life has a value which you would never have been prepared to pay. And for those of you who think that your piscatorial proclivities will allow you the luxury of increasing your brain cells because you love your omega 3 fish oils,

politicians, I think they’re a bit too busy concentrating on their travel and subsistence claims. As for the politicians in India, the reports I’ve read indicate that they’re too busy supporting the industries which carry out the pollution of Ganga Ma, probably in exchange for a little travel and subsistence of their own.

one simple equation: more polluted water equals sick fish fed upon by bigger fish which accumulate the pollution and when you eat those fish you’ve accumulated the pollution of all those other fish. Oh, and by the way virtually all the fish on the planet now has some level of chemicals and toxins.

Why bother? Simple. The death of the Ganges will not only affect the people in India, but sooner than you can imagine, the lack of snow and ice over the Himalayas will have a cataclysmic effect on weather all over the world. You may welcome the warmer summers now but not the lack of food on your table because the crops dried up. Of course if you’re a meat or fish eater you won’t appreciate the exponential rise in cost of putting those dead animals on your table. A slight digression: twothirds of all the agricultural land in the world is presently given over to breeding animals for slaughter. As water becomes unpredictably difficult to manage, crops will become more difficult to grow and the cost of bringing that pound of flesh to your plate will increase. Suddenly, the sex lives of the celebrities become less important than the ability of you and your family to live. That chicken whose life you couldn’t care less about now grabs your attention when you

What do we do? The simple realisation that we are all in this together is enough to make a difference. Finding out the facts is the first step – just Google “the Ganges” and not only will you be led to a plethora of sites that tell you in words and pictures why Ma Ganga is so important in religious and spiritual terms but also the ecological consequences of letting our most sacred river die. There are a number of individuals and organisations trying to save our Mother Ganges and it doesn’t take a lot to help. As for me, I’ve just told you another hard-luck story, and you’re probably thinking, in the words of Bob Dylan that every time you turn around, there’s another hard luck story to be found and no doubt you can go and grab yourself another beer. If you cannot be bothered to do any of that then for your own sake and that of your children consider this: What kind of a graveyard is your stomach and is your tombstone going to read “And all because you couldn’t care less”.

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

St Luke’s Hospice: Social work, family and bereavement support St Lukes’ Hospice cares for people whose illnesses are no longer curable, helping them to achieve the best possible quality of life during the latter stages of their illness. The Hospice provides all of its care free of charge, and is reliant upon the generous support of the community for over 70% of its funding. Family support When someone has a life threatening illness relationships may come under pressure. Support from outside the family can sometimes be beneficial to help everyone adjust to their new and changing situation. Patients, families and carers often need the opportunity to express and discuss their feelings, either individually or together. The hospice offers emotional and psychological support including life story work and preparing memory boxes. They also provide support and information relating to issues including: housing, benefits and discharge and care packages. The team liaises with other agencies and organisations and also assesses need for those who are particularly vulnerable, for example children, young people and

7th Lloyds TSB Jewel Awards held in London

Patraicia from St Lukes Hospice councelling a patient

those with special needs. Bereavement Support At some stage in their lives most people will face bereavement and the feelings and emotions that are associated with this. Bereavement is a very personal and often a traumatic event and may give rise to many painful and unexpected feelings. St Luke’s bereavement support team include a group of trained volunteers who work with staff to offer confidential, individual and group support with the emotional issues associated with bereavement. This free service is currently offered to family and friends of people who were known to the hospice. Sessions can take place at the hospice or at

home. The support sessions can last approximately one hour, with regular contact for periods of up to fourteen months. ‘Being able to work through issues with someone who had not been directly involved helped us to get things in perspective, and I feel we became much stronger as a family as a result’-Family connected with St Luke’s Find out more about services at St Luke’s St Luke’s is always happy to send a representative to talk to community groups about the work of the hospice. To arrange a talk, or to find out more about helping St Luke’s through volunteering or donating, please call Pam Russell or Chhaya Parmar on 020 8382 8000.

(L-R) Javed Husain, Saad Saraf, Fayaz Ghafoor, Rami Ranger, Navin Engineer (behind), Sheetal Mehta, Kamel Hothi – Asian Markets Director, Lloyds TSB (behind), Naaz Coker, Truett Tate – Group Executive Director Wholesale, Lloyds TSB, Dr. Kartar Lalvani, Diana Brightmore-Armour – CEO Corporate Banking, Lloyds TSB, Syed Qamar Raja (behind), Amar Maker, Surinder Arora (behind), Shanaz Husain

The much awaited seventh Lloyds TSB Jewel Awards for Asian businesses based in the South, was held on 7th November 2009 at the Hilton, Park Lane. Nine coveted awards were presented in categories including business and commerce, professional service, healthcare, education and public life. The winners were chosen from thousands of nominations from across the region, spanning business, education, politics and the charity sector. Judges of the Lloyds TSB Jewel Awards, including business entrepreneur and star of Dragon’s Den Caan,had a tough challenge selecting the final winners.

Winners of the Lloyds TSB Southern Jewel Awards include: Healthcare & Education Award: Navin Engineer, Founder of Chemidex Pharma Professional Award: Fayaz Ghafoor, Chief Operating Officer, ARY Digitali Public Service Award: Sheetal Mehta of Microfinance Business & Commerce Award: Rami Ranger,of Sun Mark and Sea & Land Forwarding Ltd Entrepreneur Award: Saad Saraf and Javed Husain, Joint Founders of Media Reach Advertising Amar Maker, Founder of Maker Properties. Retail, Food & Franchise Award: Syed Qamar Raza, Founder of Retail 24 Asian Women 100 Award: Shahnaz Husain, Founder and Chairperson of Shahnaz Husain Group Asian Corporate 100 Award: Surinder Arora, Chairman of Arora International Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Kartar Lalvani, President & Founder of Vitabiotics Ltd. Naaz Coker, Chairman, St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust.

Asbestos - The Hidden Killer

Rhaynukaa Soni Outreach Executive

Are you an electrician, plumber, heating and ventilation engineer or carpenter? If you work in a similar maintenance or construction trade then your future health is still at serious risk from asbestos. 1,000 people who worked in these trades die from cancer every year as a result of breathing in the tiny asbestos fibres. Not for nothing is asbestos called

the hidden killer. The deadly fibres are very small and large amounts of it were once used in new and refurbished buildings and often in places where you cannot easily see it. Asbestos is now banned but there is still a lot of asbestos material in buildings – any building built or refurbished before 2000 is still likely to contain asbestos. Asbestosrelated diseases still kill more people than any other work-related cause of disease. The danger arises when asbestos fibres become airborne and therefore breathable. The asbestos dust and fibres can cause serious damage to the lungs and cause cancer. Death is slow and painful because over a long time, the lungs become less and less able to expand and contract, breathing becomes difficult and painful.

There is no cure Until recently, it was thought that fatal asbestos-related diseases were caused by regular exposure to large amounts of asbestos. It is now known that repeated low levels of exposure can cause asbestos-induced

cancers but the exact levels are not known. There is no ‘safe’ level of exposure so precautions must always be taken. Workers such as plumbers, electricians and heating engineers may not consider that they work with asbestos but they may regularly drill, cut or handle materials containing

asbestos. If asbestos dust is taken home on clothes or boots then family members are also put at serious risk. Do not work if you are unsure whether asbestos is present. Your boss or the customer should tell you whether asbestos is present or not. Since May 2004 anyone responsible for the maintenance or repair of a commercial or industrial property has a legal duty to identify asbestos in the premises and control the risk. This means they must check whether asbestos is present; check on its condition; assume the material contains asbestos unless there is strong evidence to show it does not contain asbestos; assess the risk from asbestos; take action to control the risk so that nobody will unknowingly disturb it; and they must provide information about the material to anyone

likely to disturb it. Of course, any contractor involved in the demolition or refurbishment of buildings must make sure that asbestos is not present before the work starts. Some of the most common materials containing asbestos are: coating and lagging around boilers or pipes; sprayed coatings to prevent fire or noise; insulation boards; cementbased sheets and products like gutters, soffits and downpipes; ceiling tiles. It is illegal to remove

Helpline: 0207 556 2181 e-mail: desi@hse.gsi.gov.uk Website: www.hse.gov.uk/construction/gujarati

asbestos such as this without a special licence. Only a licensed asbestos removal contractor should be employed to remove asbestos under highly controlled conditions. This is a very specialised operation which requires proper training and the use of expensive protective equipment. There are very small amounts of asbestos fibres in asbestos cement sheeting which is often used for roofing. A licence is not necessary to remove this but great care should be taken to ensure that it is not broken up, not sawn or drilled and it should be kept wet. All such material must be carefully wrapped and sealed, and disposed of at special sites organised by local authority councils. In conclusion – if asbestos is present, stop work to check it out. Why take the risk?

MEDIA WATCH

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

Scrutator’s George W. Bush's recent visit to India reminded one of Shakespeare's famous lines: “The evil that men do lives after them,/the good is oft interred with their bones....” The former US president's name is associated with the debacles of Iraq and Afghanistan; as the architect of the Indo-US civilian nuclear accord, he has cause to be remembered in India with gratitude. He was a guest at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, where he referred warmly to US ties with India. The nuclear accord, he said, had brought India in from the cold in the international commerce of nuclear technology.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh welcoming George W. Bush

It would empower the Indian economy and was “India's passport to the world.” The implications for India's future as an industrial power are indeed huge. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, at a lunch in his honour, described Mr Bush as a true friend of India. Speaking earlier, Mr Bush recalled the liberalisation of the Indian economy initiated in 1991 under Dr Singh's stewardship as finance minister as a momentous development that had seeded a transformed Indo-US relationship. “Three years back, Laura and I came here and were dazzled by India.... I was looking forward to coming here to say 'namaste'.... America feels a special kinship with the world's largest democracy,” Mr Bush said. He told his audience at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit that America welcomed more students from India than any other country. Very true. Long may the new Indo-US relationship endure.

Indian space taking-off The Washington Post report by Emily Wax on India's space programme was a fascinating read (November 4). Writing from Pannithittu in Kerala, she opened thus: “In this seaside village, the children of farmers and fishermen aspire to become something that their impoverished parents never thought possible: astronauts. Through community-based programmes, India's space agency has been partnering with schools in remote areas....helping to teach students about space exploration and cuttingedge technology. The agency is also training thousands of young scientists and, in 2012, will open the nation's first astronaut-training centre in the southern city of Bangalore.” Said G.Madhavan Nair, the outgoing Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO): “More and more bright young Indian scientists are calling us for jobs. We will look back on this as a turning point.” Emily Wax again: The ascendancy of India's space programme highlights the country's rising

ambitions on the world stage, as it grows economically and asserts itself in matters of diplomacy. “Last year, India reached a milestone, launching 10 satellites into space on a single rocket....India now has the world's largest constellation of remote-sensing satellites. They are sophisticated enough to distinguish healthy cocoanuts from diseased ones.... In September, a NASA device aboard India's first lunar probe detected strong evidence of water on the moon” points surely to a developing space partnership between the two nations.

BARC centre An incubation centre for new technologies is being set up by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) which will work with Indian industry on technology spin-offs that could be of benefit to the latter. The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre for Incubating Technologies (BARCIT) will enable scientists and industrialists to work in close partnership. The work on four technology incubation has been initiated in the area of water, biotechnology, scientific and medical equipment and electron

beam applications (Business Standard.com November 3).

Dalai Lama stand lauded A Wall Street Journal editorial (October 28) lauded New Delhi's firm stand with China on the Dalai Lama's presence and movements in India. Prime Minsiter Manmohan Singh had informed his counterpart Wen Jiabao at a regional summit in Bangkok that the Tibetan dignitary was an “ honoured guest in India and was free to travel where he pleased.” The paper said that “Mr Singh's stance stands in sharp contrast to Mr Obama's decision not to meet with the Dalai Lama earlier this month. His cave-in broke Presidential precedent and emboldened Beijing to step up anti-Dalai Lama rhetoric, particularly in - guess where - India, which has hosted the Tibetan government-in-exile for more than 50 years.” Contested borders and much else besides had strained Sino-Indian relations; however, “These irritants are more reason for Mr Singh to stand firm on the principles for which India stands – the very same principles of democracy and freedom that America holds. Therein lies a lesson for Mr Obama,” the Journal concluded.

IAF tests Astra The Indian Air Force (IAF) has tested the Astra Beyond Range Air-to-Air missile (domain-b.com November 2), thereby taking the country's missile development programme a vital step forward. Reports state that the trials are being carried out on the Sukhoi-MKI 30 combat aircraft. The missile has been subjected to supersonic speeds and pressures of 7Gs. The fully Mark II active radar homing Astra will lock-on and shoot down enemy aircraft about 80 km distant. Under development at present is the Mark I 44 km version. Part of the ambitious Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), the Astra is under development at a number of defence laboratories, led by the Hyderabad-based Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL). According to defence scientists the present tests will cover the entire flight envelope of the SU 30MKI, including attaining the plane's altitude ceiling of 18 km and a 1.8 Mach speed. DRDL scientists con-

fess that matching an Indian missile with a Russian fighter's avionics is a complex undertaking. They hope to have an easier time with the indigenous Tejas aircraft.

Chairing IIT panel A five-member committee, to be chaired by Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar, will submit its report with-

The CPSEs would enter the market at an appropriate time,” said Home Minister P.Chidambaram after a CCEA meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (The Hindu, November 6). Mr Chidambaram said the proceeds of the disinvestment would go to meeting the capital expenditure of the social sector programmes. Government has offloaded its stake in the

to have been cured of the disease with comparatively lesser side effects, said Dr Naresh Patel, a Cadila consultant. Risorine, he added, offered a cost-effective solution for treating huge numbers of TB cases detected annually. The drug is the result of research of a privatepublic partnership between the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, a Jammu-based unit of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and Cadila.

Building glaciers

Anil Kakodkar Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission of India

in six months, outlining the broad area of reforms required for the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) to make them global brands. “They will suggest how the IITs need to move forward. The committee will specify on how to give more emphasis on research and how the IITs can be involved in national projects for development,” said Human Resources Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal after the IIT Council meeting. He said the committee would come up with a vision document for 2020 for the IITs. The document would suggest measures for IIT-private sector collaboration in biotech and the emerging sciences.

hydro power sector NHPC and Oil India Ltd. It has unveiled plans to reduce its shareholding in the National Thermal Power Corporation and the Rural Electrification Corporation.

TB drug launched Cadilla Pharmaceuticals Ltd has launched Risorine, the first indigenously prepared drug for the treatment of tuberculosis in India (domainb.com). The launch of Risorine, which is the world's first boosted Rifampicin-containing fixed dose combination,

The Daily Telegraph's Dean Nelson, reporting from New Delhi (October 28), told how Chewang Norphel, 76, a retired engineer from Ladakh, had built 12 new glaciers and was racing to create five more before he died. By then he hoped to have trained enough 'icemen' to continue his work and save the world's 'third icecap' from turning into rivers. “His race against time is shared by Manmohan Singh, India's prime minister who called on the region's Himalyan nations, including China, Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan, to form a united front to tackle glacial melting,” writes Mr Nelson. Chewang Norphel believes he has the answer. By diverting meltwater through a network of pipes into artificial lakes in the shaded side of mountain valleys, he claims to have created new glaciers. A dam or embankment is built to hold the water, which freezes at night and remains frozen until March, when the start of the summer melts the gla-

Listing PSUs In a major push to the disinvestment programme, India's Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has decided that all listed Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) would offload 10 per cent of their holding in the public domain and all unlisted profitable state-owned entities should go public. All profitable listed CPSEs should need the mandatory listing of 10 per cent public ownership. The government has also decided that all unlisted CPSEs, which have made a profit in the past three years and have a positive net worth, should get listed on stock exchanges.

Siachen Glacier is melting

promises to alter the way tuberculosis is treated at a global level,” said Cadilla Pharma Chairman Indravadan Modi. In widespread trials conducted across the country in patients with radiologically confirmed diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis, more than 90 per cent of patients treated with Risorine were found

cier and releases the water into the rivers below. The plan has been a major success and the work now receives funds from the Delhi government. Mr Norphel said: “I'm planning to train villagers with instruction CDs that I have made, so that I can pass on the knowledge before I die.” Long may he live.

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

www.abplgroup.com

FINANCIAL VOICE £ 25bn to be pumped in to fight recession

Alpesh Patel Consultant Editor Financial Voice

Bank of England decides to create new cash to boost lending

Dear Financial Voice Reader, The financial facts and figures to catch my eye this week include the Warren Buffett trade on Burlington Sante Fe. He has bid $100 per share for the stock. But as with most takeovers the stock is not trading at the price yet. It is trading at $97. So you could buy the stock and make $3 per stock by the time of the transaction closing – say in a couple of months. Of course the risk with such ‘merger arbitrage’ is that the takeover may not occur – but that’s rare for Buffett deals. I did the trade through a spreadbet on SterlingMarkets.com so that capital is not tied up because it’s a ‘leveraged’ trade. What else? Money is not chasing returns in the closing weeks of the year. Expect a flat market. The weak US dollar thanks to near zero interest rates means equities will outperform bonds. So if you are looking for returns US companies earning abroad will do best due to the weak dollar. As US unemployment tops 10% don’t expect the US consumer to keep fuelling growth. It will be cautious company investments and more so the government spending. What of China? It has no plans to slow down its loose monetary policy of pushing government money into the economy to boost growth. Banks? Well Barclays has tripled in market capitalization since the start of the year. It, like the broader economy, is fizzling and likely to take a breather before continuing upwards. I said in this column at the start of the year Apple would reach $100. Well it’s at $200 now. And the rate at which I buy from Apple – they will continue growing. As for UK stocks the names ranking highest on my ‘value-growth-income’ monitor: Babcock, BT Group, Carillion, Cobham, Dechra, QinetiQ. Finally, I have a problem. I am often asked, very nicely by people to promote their financial services or businesses. And my heart goes out to them. Everyone needs a break. But what do you do if they’ve invested a fortune in their business and you just aren’t sure about it? Yet they are very kind and keep calling? I give you the example of www.stockmarketbargains.co.uk. It’s simply not a site or service I could endorse. For a start I don’t know how good the picks are because there is no track record. So what do I do? Do I say, ‘Look I can’t help you?’ But them I am told it’s been their life’s work and a way of beating the recession. I don’t want to hurt someone’s entrepreneurial spirit, but what if I think they’re on the wrong track? So there you have it, it’s a lot easier picking stocks. If anyone has ideas on how to solve such problems – let me know. So what then of gold? Long term the Chinese need it to hedge against the fall in value of the $2 trillion they hold. As for the dollar – as mentioned before focus on US multinationals. Unusually the Buffett trade in Burlington Sante Fe railroad company breaks that rule for the reason that he is betting on the whole country growing. I have always argued that until you see some resumption in Microsoft stock moving upwards you will not be able to say we are in the midst of a recovery? Well we are, but it will be ‘w’ or ‘l’ shaped unless the US and European governments keep interest rates low and pumping money into the system and allow inflation to climb. Why Microsoft? Well, its of course a reflection on the global economy – I am sure they use it even in Zimbabwe. Moreover, its cash rich so it wont be unduly pressured by fears of going bust. So the only key factors will be how it is doing and the broader economy is doing. Since it is a global company, those two factors should be closely linked and it is therefore a good barometer for the rest of the world. If you want to follow my CNBC appearances go to www.cnbc.com and search under my name.

Bank of England last week decided to put in 25 billion pounds in the economy to ease recession. A decision in this regard has been finalised on Thursday last. It has been anticipated for long that the Bank of England will take decision on British interest rates and also pump billions of extra pounds to help Britain out of a deep recession. The bank's monetary policy committee

Bank of Baroda ED on a Europe visit

Rajiv Kumar Bakshi

Bank of Baroda’s Executive Director Mr. Rajiv Kumar Bakshi is visiting the Bank’s European Operations in UK and Belgium early next week. During his visit, Mr. Bakshi would have several engagements including meeting Regulators, Bank’s Customers and JV Partners. Mr. Bakshi is a seasoned banker and has wide overseas experience having worked at London & Singapore. He also has a rich experience of working as Head of Treasury as also of Large Corporate Credit. Bank of Baroda marked impressive business performance even in recent times of financial turbulence and has acquired the position of 3rd Largest Public Sector Bank in India in terms of Net Profit and Total Business for fiscal 2008-09. For the current year, the Bank is looking at credit growth of 23-24% and profits to rise at least by 20%. The Bank also plans to continue its overseas expansion drive in 2009-10.

announced the outcome of its monthly meeting.

The Bank of England has created 175 billion

pounds in new cash to boost lending to businesses and individuals. However, this programme of asset purchases was completed last week. In March, the Bank of England had launched a radical policy of quantitative easing - a process effectively seen as printing new money - as it sought to lift Britain out of a steep downturn that was caused by the global financial crisis.

ArcelorMittal assures of no shutdown in Europe

All plants to be restarted, no compulsory redundancies None of the ArcelorMittal plants in Europe will be shut down, the company has assured trade unions last week. In fact, an agreement signed with the workers’ representatives and the company says no compulsory redundancies will take place in the group and all the plants will be restarted. ArcelorMittal SA, employs 115,000 people in Europe. It shuttered plants and temporarily laid off

workers in France, Germany and Belgium earlier this year to reduce output by half while steel demand slumped. It is now starting to reopen facilities as steel orders increase. French and Belgian workers, angered by the company's failure to say whether some plants had a future, attacked the company's Luxembourg headquarters during a shareholders' meeting in May. In the agreement, ArcelorMittal committed

to the upkeep of mothballed plants or tools and promised to put workers on shorter hours or provide training during the economic downturn. It said it “intends not to resort to compulsory dismissals'' and any redundancies would be negotiated with trade unions. The steel maker last week said a voluntary redundancy program had helped it shed some 40,000 workers since the start of the economic crisis.

Megha Mittal is the new owner of Germany’s Escada

ferred to the the deal. The acquisition Trust.” Escada employs spree in the Mittal The deal around 2,300 people family has spread includes global worldwide. The company down the line, brand rights, prowas forced to file for insolwith the latest duction facilities vency in mid August. member getting and sales outlets, German press reports involved is his must still be have estimated the sale daughter-in-law, approved by comprice at around 30 million Megha Mittal. She petition authorieuros, to which might be has concluded a Megha Mittal ties, even as the added another 100 million deal for buying German company’s main in necessary investments Europe’s famed fashion creditors have approved over the next two years. brand, Escada clothing group of Germany. Escada disclosed the deal, but did not give any financial details for the same. ,-'*./012.340'(510056'#728726'$%9:',:: A statement by the firm said, “An insolvency :22.'!.504''##;'<=72>? administrator signed late &.@A4B'#.C'(74A3A571' on Thursday a contract &4D025'A2'EDF.1.5A with Mittal Family Trusts, which represents Megha (G03A.4A>5'A2'8AH71306'3IA48102'.28'87@0>5A3'HA740230 Mittal interests. All key assets of Escada AG's !"#$%$&''())*%$+,#$+-'.".%/.0/# operative business as well %.44'A2'372JA80230'72''KLMNM',O9-LL as shares in Escada AG's subsidiaries will be trans!"#$%&'($))$*+$,-&.+/&&-0/11&$2*0/#

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FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

Forster is likely to head JLR Carl-Peter Forster is all set to take charge of Tata group-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) in the next few months, media reports said. At present he is the boss of General Motors Europe and is expected to leave the job soon. According German sources, “Forster was likely to be appointed to a senior role at Tata Motors,

owner of Jaguar Land Rover, and would take charge of the group’s British operations.” Tata Motors bought Jaguar Land Rover, which employs 15,000 people, from Ford for £1.3 billion in June 2008. The report, citing senior sources in Frankfurt and Detroit, said: “Forster...was sounded

out about the job earlier in the year, and is expected to join within a few months.” Forster was responsible for leading GM Europe through its recent turbulent negotiations with the German government and would-be buyer Magna. Besides, he has had some success in moving the Opel brand upmarket. On

November 6, GM Europe, owner of brands like Opel and Vauxhall, had said that Forster was leaving. Forster, 55, made his name as a fast-rising star at BMW in the 1990s and was head of production at the German car maker during its ownership of MG Rover and Land Rover. The Tata Group declined to comment.

Two Harrow paan sellers fined £400 each They ignored advice, sold tobacco products without statutory health warning Two traders selling Paan tobacco products without the statutory health warning were each ordered to pay £400 by Brent Magistrates on 3 November. Company director Bhavesh Vyas of Thurlby Road, Wembley, his company, Shivam Sweet Mart Limited, trading as Shivam Paan and Sweet Mart, Kenton Road, Harrow, and Harkishan Bhimji, of Greenford Road, Harrow, sole proprietor of Krishna Paan and Video, High Road, Wembley, pleaded guilty in two separate hearings to supplying a tobacco product without the statutory warning. Both Shivam Sweet Mart Limited and Bhimji were each fined £200 and ordered to pay £200 costs to Brent and Harrow Trading Standards. Vyas was given a six month

conditional discharge. Tobacco paan is a mix of tobacco and nuts or spices wrapped in Betal leaf, chewed by the Asian community as a palate cleanser and a breath freshener before being spat out. The spitting leaves brown stains frequently seen on pavements and other public areas. In both cases the court heard that Trading Standards officers visited Brent paan traders last April to advise them that all tobacco products must be accompanied by a statutory health warning stating; "This tobacco product can damage your health and is addictive". Trading Standards also supplied 100 paan spitting bags free of charge to each trader with the required statutory warning preprinted on them so that retailers could comply with the law, and their

customers could spit out and dispose of the paan remains hygienically. On 20 May undercover test purchases of tobacco paan were carried out at both premises. When officers returned to Bhimji's shop after the test purchase, they found a large quantity of Paan spitting bags that they had previously supplied sitting unused behind the counter. The Magistrates gave Bhimji credit for his cooperation and early plea of guilty and fined him £200 with prosecution costs of £200. Vyas, who made the sale of the product, told the Magistrates his failure to use the bags was a mistake and he would in future ensure that tobacco paans were supplied with the correct warning. After the case Bill Bilon, Head of Brent & Harrow Trading

Dollar declines, gold galloping

Ambani cases delayed as 2 SC judges withdraw After keeping a judgement reserved for almost two months, another Supreme Court judge Justice Markandey Katju withdrew from a dispute between Mukesh Ambani group firm Reliance Industries Ltd and BPCL over price differences in naptha supplied by state-

run company to RIL plant in Raigad. Katju recused himself from the matter saying his wife held shares of Reliance Industries. While the Bench headed by Justice Katju had on September 1 this year reserved the judgement on the issue, another bench

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Standards, said: “Both traders chose not to heed the advice they were given. If they had used the paan spitting bags my officers gave them, which carry the statutory health warning, they would have avoided legal action. There are serious health risks involved in chewing tobacco paan and the law quite rightly requires users to be made aware of these dangers at the point of sale by means of statutory warnings. The omission of the warning gives users no opportunity to make an informed and educated decision. Furthermore, paan spitting damages property and is anti-social. It costs taxpayers thousands of pounds a year to clean the mess that is left behind which could otherwise lead to the spread of infectious diseases,” he said.

in its interim order in June last year had asked RIL to pay Rs 500 million against BPCL's demand of Rs 1.1 billion within two weeks to BPCL for the price difference in naptha supplied by the state-run company to RIL plant in Raigad. The court had, however, directed BPCL not to execute the decree allowed earlier by the Bombay High Court in the case. Justice R V Raveendran, who was a part of the three-judge Bench hearing the ongoing gas dispute between the Ambani brothers, also recused himself from the matter saying his daughter Sunitha Rajesh is a partner with Mumbai-based solicitors firm which is advising RIL in global acquisition matters.

As the US Dollar showed no signs of recovery, prices of gold at all the major international markets galloped to a new record high on Monday. The greenback went down following expectations of borrowing costs going down to a record low in the USA. Gold prices went up as a fallout of twin reasons – the weak US$ as well as the RBI buying huge stock of the yellow metal from IMF, as that has raised speculation of some other countries may follow suit. In India, gold for December delivery at MCX futures market climbed a new record of Rs 16,692 per tem grams. At the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange the yellow metal climbed to $1,105.40 an ounce. The prices of gold have also went up at London, Hong Kong and Singapore markets.

LEGAL VOICE

Shahzea Abbas Tahir

Cruelty to wives – not just a ground for divorce, but also a reason for imprisonment under Indian Law British men eager to marry in India can have quite a shock when they discover that a specific ground for divorce in their ancestral homeland can land their entire family in prison. An increasing number are choosing to travel to India to marry because they are looking for a “nice traditional bride”, adhering to parental wishes or simply following their heart. But if they are subsequently accused of cruelty to their wife, they can find themselves behind bars under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code – even if the accusation is untrue. The relevant section states: “Whoever, being the husband or the relative of the husband of a woman, subjects such woman to cruelty shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine.” Cruelty is defined as: (a) Any willful conduct which is of such a nature as is likely to drive the woman to commit suicide or to cause grave injury or danger to life, limb or health whether mental or physical of the woman; or (b) Harassment of the woman where such harassment is with a view to coercing her or any person related to her to meet any unlawful demand for any property or valuable security or is on account of failure by her or any person related to her meet such demand. Although introduced specifically to address the countless incidents of “dowry” abuse, where husbands and their families would display cruelty to the wife for failing to bring “dowry” into the marriage, in an increasingly number of cases it is being used as a “bargaining tool” by wives in India going through a failed marriage to seek their own selfish, often financially motivated, gain. Section 498 (A) makes it mandatory for police to arrest the husband and/or his parents and other relatives, including elderly parents and unmarried sisters if there is a complaint about them by the wife or her close relatives and sometimes to keep them imprisoned pending investigations. Unfairly there is no system for immediate bail, and once the complaint is made it cannot be quashed. There is no penalty (even a fine) for filing a false case. It is estimated about 30,000 false dowry cases are filed in India every year and, significantly, it is estimated that up to 80 per cent men charged under Section 498-A are innocent. If a British raised man is planning to marry in India, they should take legal advice to ensure they are clear on exactly what the consequences are – and look at any ways in which they can protect themselves. A specialist family lawyer, experienced in dealing with cross-border marriages, should be consulted. Shahzea Abbas Tahir is a family law specialist with Woolley & Co Solicitors. Shahzea can offer free initial telephone consultations on all aspects of family law.

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Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

Alpesh Patel’s Political Sketchbook: Honouring the War Dead and Immigration “It is nothing short of a miracle…which has called men from the uttermost ends of the earth… and which has caused human beings to do the most incalculable, improvident and, from a narrow point of view, profitless things.” This was Winston Churchill describing to the House of Commons the support for the war effort from the people of what was then the British Empire. This past week, the attack on the Prime Minister by the Sun newspaper highlights the issue of how to honour the war dead. Not only did we also have Armistice Day on 11th November but also reunification commemorations in Berlin in the same week. Berlin - which could have been during the Cold War the trigger for World War 3. And indeed would have made Germany at the heart of a third consecutive global War – and why recent papers released in Britain show Margaret Thatcher was not exactly thrilled about a unified Germany twenty years ago. For the soldiers of the British Empire (as it was) during the two World Wars and subsequently the Commonwealth, Lady Flather, led the campaign to have erected stone pillars (the Memorial Gates) off Buckingham Palace. I know one other member of the House of Lords told me in confidence that he did not contribute a donation towards the Gates at the

time as he felt it was ‘time to move on’. He was wrong. In the First World War almost two out of ten soldiers were volunteers from India, Africa and the Caribbean, the second World War that was three out of ten. Moreover, Jamie Janes (the soldier who lost his life and is at the centre of the controversy surrounding the alleged misspelling of his name by the PM) is evidence of the fact that when young people are fighting our fights for us, no matter how many years pass, we must honour them by remembering them. Jamie Janes was 20. A boy doing a man’s job. The other big political issue this week, other than the PM’s handwriting, has been whether immigration policy was secretly relaxed several years ago to clear immigration back-logs. There is a part of immigration policy connected to military service of course. Just ask the Ghurkas who are able to now reside in Britain because of their military service, or indeed myself as the off-spring of a member of the British Army having the same privilege when the laws were different. But the worst sight to see is a politician, without sense of history, commenting on how they want to remove from social service pamphlets Hindi or Urdu. Of course coming into this country today the ability to speak the language is of critical importance. But when a nurse recently asked my grandmother, ‘have you not picked

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up any English’ that I had to remind the nurse, actually her grandchildren can ‘wipe the floor with you in their ability to speak English and when my grandfather was in the British Army, no one asked him during the second world war about his linguistic skills.’ Immigration policy in this country and our attitude elderly immigrants needs to have as much honour as we do for our war Dead. If you visit www.bgfl.org you will see a pack for schoolchildren entitled, ‘We also served’. In it is recounted one quote to catch my eye: ‘I was a little coloured boy from the Caribbean and I instinctively call him Sir. “No Sir,” he hastily corrected. “It is I who call you Sir”, Flight Lieutenant Billy Strachan on being introduced to his newly appointed batman. Of course little did Churchill know that as he spoke those words in tribute to the peoples of the Empire, it would be one of them, the one he termed a ‘half-naked fakir’ from Gujarat who would both support the War effort, and ensure the demise of the Empire peacefully too. The columnist is a former Visiting Fellow at Corpus Christi College, Oxford. He read Philosophy, Politics, Economics at St Anne’s College, Oxford when he also interned in the US Congress and read Law at King’s College, London, qualifying as a barrister.

India to embark on a massive disinvestment programme Rs. 300 billion likely to raised from sale of PSU shares The government of India made a key decision last week that could unlock as much as Rs. 300 billion worth of money. The union cabinet decided that all central government owned Public sector undertakings that are making profits should be listed. As Sebi rules prescribe that listed companies should have atleast 10 per cent of their shares held by the public. It was also decided to list all unlisted PSUs which made profits during the past three years. In a major policy shift, the Cabinet also decided to mend rules that will allow the government to dip into the disinvestment corpus and fund its ambitious social sector programmes. The decision to use the money raised from stake sale in PSUs will help the

government tide over the immediate crisis on the fiscal front. A high fiscal deficit, estimated at 6.8 per cent of the gross domestic product in 200910, had posed huge challenges for the government, forcing it to borrow more from the market, and threatening to undermine the growth prospects in the medium term. Such a massive disinvestment of government stake in listed and unlisted PSUs would not only bring huge volumes to the trading activity at stock exchanges, deepen the market and broaden its base but also lend flexibility to the government to continue spending on bigticket schemes such as National Rural Employment, National Rural Health Mission and Pradhan Mantri Gram

British Airways to cut 1,200 more jobs Losses going up for BA while Ryanair, Alitalia report profits Even as British Airways is reeling under heavy losses, two of its competitors have reported profits. BA has said it will go for 1,200 more job cuts. British Airways on Friday the company's net loss more than quadrupled during its first half. The situation is in contrast with Ryanair and Alitalia, who have reported profits. BA posted a loss after tax of £217 mn during the six months to September

30 compared with a loss of £ 49 mn during the equivalent period in 2008. British Airways said it would cut an extra 1,200 jobs, taking the total planned reduction to 4,900 by 2010. Most of the new losses would be outside Britain and follows a high response from staff agreeing to work part-time or take voluntary redundancy to help secure the airline's future.

BA also announced that group revenues dropped nearly 14 per cent to £4.1 bn in the first half. Irish low-cost airline Ryanair on Monday said its net profit had shot up 80% to 387 mn euros in AprilSeptember compared with the same period a year earlier. On Thursday, Italian flag carrier Alitalia reported its first operating profit since its takeover by an alliance of Italian business interests last January.

Vimal Trade & Spread Co of UK enter into a strategic partnership Vimal Stocks Ltd., an Ahmedabad based brokerage house has announced a strategic partnership with Spread Co of UK to offer an opportunity of Forex trading as well as a chance to explore investing in global stock markets for their clients. Darshan Shah, CEO of

Vimal Stocks, giving details of the new venture said, it will be known as “Vimal Trade”. They have devised a special product – Indian Premium Securities through which investors and HNIs can go for Forex trading. Mr. Selvan Saha, head sales of Spread Co, UK described their tie-up

Largest hedge fund scam in US has 4 Indians among 20 charged The US$ 53 million insider trading scam, unearthed last month by the FBI has led to charges against a total of 20 people, including 4 Indians. The scam came to light last month with the arrest of Sri Lankan Tamil-origin billionaire Raj Rajaratnam, founder of the Galleon Group founder and hedge fund operator, and five others, two of whom were Indians. Deep Shah, a former analyst at the Moody's Investor Service, and Gautham Shankar, a former proprietary trader at Schottenfeld Group in New York, were charged.

Sadak Yojana. “The corpus comprising deposits from April 2009 till March 2012 would be available in full for investment as capital expenditure in specific social sector schemes determined by Planning Commission and Department of Expenditure. The status quo ante of NIF will be restored from April 2012,” the official communiqué stated after the Cabinet meeting on Thursday. Currently, listed PSUs account for a total market capitalisation of Rs 15.77 lakh crore, which is about 30 per cent of the total market cap of listed companies on the Bombay Stock Exchange. There are as many as 100 unlisted PSUs with a positive net worth and making profits in past three consecutive years.

Shankar has pleaded guilty, while Shah is still at large. Anil Kumar and Rajiv Goel (both 51) are the two other Indians who were were arrested last month for allegedly committing the fraud. US Attorney Preet Bharara and New York's assistant FBI director Joseph Demarest said the accused took part in insider trading schemes that "generated more than 20 million dollars in illegal profits." The people charged included hedge fund managers and trading firm executives, lawyers and corporate insiders, the prosecutor and FBI officer

said in a statement. Of the 14, eight were arrested last week, while a ninth man was being sought, and later released on bail. Five others had already been charged and have pleaded guilty in a court in New York. A t h e r o s Communications Inc executive Ali Hariri has been charged with passing on confidential information to a hedge fund manager Ali Far who has pleaded guilty of fraud and is now reportedly cooperating with the investigators. Rajaratnam received 13 charges, four counts of conspiracy and eight counts of security fraud.

with Vimal Stocks as a milestone, as he said they are glad to have entered the rapidly growing economy of India. Clients of Vimal Trade, through their online trading account will also be able to invest in Shanghai stocks. Vimal Trade has their own office in London and Singapore.

RIL strikes oil in Cambay basin

India’s energy major Reliance Industries has made its first oil find in a western India block. The company said it made the discovery in its onland exploratory block in the Cambay basin in Gujarat. Five wells had been drilled in the area, and the fifth well flowed at a rate of 500 barrels of oil per day (bopd), the company said on Tuesday. "This discovery is expected to open future potential within the block," Reliance said in a statement.

FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

Suresh Vagjiani is the Managing Director of Sow & Reap, a Property Investment & Financing company.

Plain Vanilla or Tootie Fruity? We are currently working on a deal described in one of my previous articles which is still on the burner. Rarely does a property transaction go totally to plan, as they say you have your plans and destiny has hers. This one in fairness was not a plain vanilla transaction to begin with, but now it’s become a real Tootie Fruity deal. It all started when I met a Jewish property developer who in the course of his dealings amassed a property portfolio worth 90 million. This was last year, however now he is bankrupt, a product of the credit crunch. He was in the middle of a few developments in prime sites around London when he was threatened with bankruptcy from a seller whose deal he failed to complete. He thought he would save them the trouble and instead bankrupted himself. So currently the situation is he - or rather the trustees in bankruptcyhave some very lucrative sites which he was in the middle of developing all around prime central London. Originally we were only interested in a row of mews houses all next door to each other. After several meetings with the lawyers and the sellers we finally put forward an offer. Not wishing to go through the receiver we made the offer directly to the lender, offering to redeem the mortgage and become the principal lender ourselves, we were fairly confident this was a simple matter and we could close the deal as the borrower would simply be remortgaging. However the lender knowing the lucrative nature of the site opted to use it instead to offset another development they had also lent money on to the same borrower. The lender had taken cross guarantees. The other site has more variables as it is a block of flats without planning permission. This borrower of ours likes to do things back to front. So typically he con-

verts properties and then applies for planning permission and fights it through to the end. The property in question was a HMO in West Hampstead which has been converted from a single house into seven flats. After doing this, he then decided to apply for the planning. The council declined the application on the grounds it was a HMO and they wished to keep it as such to meet the needs

of the borough. He appealed, on the appeal it was discovered it actually had been granted permission to have three flats and that this planning had been loosely implemented. Therefore it was not a HMO and had never been one. So the planning officer held it was indeed three flats. The option to convert this from three flats to seven flats is not very far apart, so another application was lodged for conversion from three flats to seven flats. This is close to the original make up of the block and so following the appeal the application would have a stronger chance of success. Hence a new application had been filed for seven flats. In the interim both the sites, the row of Mews houses and the block of flats had been placed with the receiver. At this point the former owner decided to remove his application for the seven flats and get his fees back of £1,500. This did not go down well with the receiver, as they are now a little confused as to what they are selling. Precisely the reason why

the application was removed! This unknown variable strikes fear in the purchaser and will substantially reduce the selling price, which was the actual aim. So now instead of going for the Mews deal in isolation which really is a no brainer: with a purchase price of £1.4m and £350,000 for refurbishment costs and an end value of £3m, we now were faced with having to

purchase a block of flats with unknown planning. The flats are generating £100,000 per year. So until the planning is confirmed we will have the benefit of this level of income. However the down side is until planning is given money will be stuck in the property and financing it externally will be limited. In a nut shell the deal has changed from £1.75m in and getting £3m in 3 months out to now having an extra £1m buried in for an unknown time frame. This reduces it from a 42% return in a matter of months to now a 38% return which isn’t too bad a drop in isolation, however this adds two more variables. One is whether the planning issue will be granted for the seven flats and the other is the time period involved in obtaining it. Until this happens the £1m will be stuck in the property thereby blocking money in an environment where it can be put to very good use. The opportunity cost of £1m being buried will be £4m of purchasing power. It would not be difficult to

Mortgages Commercial Finance Gujarat Properties - Sale & Resale Property Sourcing

invest this and get a return of at least 10% in a year. This would return £400,000, from this perspective the added block has diluted the original deal substantially. Once planning does come through the properties can be financed in a matter of weeks. If the purchase goes ahead we will need to pay

attention to the small print, as ensuring we have full control of the property will be paramount, especially in view of the borrower now being bankrupt. This could open up the door potentially to other creditors before us. The way around this is to ensure all the expenses have been increased to such an extent that there

will be no meat on the bone left for other creditors. This can be done by increasing the build cost, interest rates, redemption fee and set up fees. If you would like us to source property deals for you and provide a total turnkey solution call Sow & Reap now 0207 706 0187.

4 Broadwalk Court, 79 Palace Gardens Terrace, W8 4EG Occupying the ground floor of a fine Art Deco portered purpose built block, this studio apartment could be ideal for a first-time buyer/buy tolet investor. Broadwalk Court is located within a short stroll from the wide open leafy spaces of K e n s i n g t o n Gardens and a wealth of shops, bars and restaurants of both Notting Hill Gate & Kensington Church Street. The n e a r e s t Underground Station is Notting Hill Gate (Central, District & Circle Lines).£250,000 Subject To Contract Our View: The property is called an - Art Deco. The name Art Deco comes about in

the 1960’s is actually the name of an exhibition which took place in Paris in 1925 called the Paris Exposition of Decorative Arts, where this particu-

lar style reached its apex. The practitioners of the style attempted to describe the sleekness they thought expressive of the machine age. The growing impact of the machine can be seen in repeating and overlapping images from 1925

and in the 1930s, in streamlined forms derived from the principles of aerodynamics. The point being there is a strong demand for this type of building and the uniqueness and location will always serve as strong under pinning factors to hold the value in any market. According to us property is very desirable and underpriced in prime Notting Hill and it is a must buy. Rentals on the property are more than enough to cover mortgages and all other expenses like service charge, etc. Moreover the property has a huge potential for capital growth in the near future.

SALES MANAGER REQUIRED Can you provide excellent customer service and close sales? If so we want to hear from you! We are looking for a sales manager for our India Property Sales. Previous property sales experience is required, as is fluency in Gujarati. Email your CV to eana@sowandreap.co.uk with a covering letter explaining why you would be suitable for this role.

Sow & Reap Call On: 0207 706 0187 Email at: info@sowandreap.co.uk

Sow & Reap Properties Limited is trading as Sow & Reap. Registered in England No. 05083823 Registered Office Address: 31 Southwick Street, Paddington, W2 1JQ

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Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

The Parlour

SWATI BHAN

The benefits of Aromatherapy You have been hearing about aromatherapy and now want to know how to benefit from aromatherapy in your life, a detailed look into the benefits of the therapy will enable you to satisfy your curiosity levels. Aromatherapy is the process in which particular plants have oils extracted from them, and then those oils serve a physical and psychological purpose in the way of increasing health in an individual. There are nearly one hundred oils that are often referred to

as essential that are used in aromatherapy. Here is a detail on how to benefit from aromatherapy. When starting aromatherapy, the first thing that you should know and understand is that there are two main types of oils. The first type is considered to be an essential oil that works to benefit an individual mentally and physically. The second type is called a perfume oil. The oil that is considered to be perfumed actually carries no known physical or psychological benefits to the health. If you are seeking to learn how to benefit from aromatherapy, it is important to know and understand that only those products

with completely natural ingredients are appropriate for your endeavors. When using essential oils, several people elect to place them on the

skin. While you should be cautious as to which oils you place on the skin, doing this can be extremely beneficial. The oil will be pulled into the bloodstream and result in the desired outcome. For example, placing a dab of lavender oil on the skin can result in complete relaxation throughout the entire body. This is just one example, but a common type of aromatherapy. It is important to remember, prior to placing an essential oil on the skin

directly, you should dilute it a bit with pure water. The use of aromatherapy has been found to be beneficial in assisting a person psychologically. The smell of these oils can trigger specific emotions, reactions, and more in an individual. This is why you will often come across aromatherapy candles, home air sprays, and more. There are some oils that may enhance concentration, and others that may enhance relaxation. There are a large number of benefits associated with these oils that are psychologically based. Believe it or not, several of the essential oils that are used in aro-

Situated inside of 1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf (near the DLR station), this is the probably one of the best places to dine in the docklands. The food is sumptuous, tasty and well presented. Though, I believe it is definitely meant for the local crowd, especially for the people working in and around Canary Wharf. The Parlour offers an all day menu, from breakfast to dinner, offers variety and depth, with a choice of locally sourced seasonal dishes alongside fresh seafood delights. Sharing boards include an enticing seafood choice, though the menu is very limited. Gourmet club sandwiches and hearty burgers with home made beer battered onion rings sit alongside lighter salads and make ideal lunch options. Sides are not overlooked as well. To finish, the parlour focuses on old

favourites with apple crumble, crème brulée and brownie with icecream. Out of all the desserts served, I would highly recommend the crème brulée, which has the right blend of sweet and the smooth crème. If you do not have a sweet

tooth, it is better to avoid the chocolate brownie, which is way too sweet and buttery for the average. This restaurant has wide range of wine to offer. The list is simply divided, allowing diners to find their way from vintage to vintage.The Parlour specialises in cocktails which are slimmed down to create

‘skinny’ versions for connoisseurs that want to cut the calories. The open plan kitchen reveals the parlour’s chefs in action and is complemented by a fresh seafood counter laden with lobster, king prawns, clams and mussels as well as the catch of the day. Towards the alfresco terrace, the dining area becomes more like a conservatory featuring low-slung rocking chairs and white iron furniture with fabulous views across Canada Square Park. The restaurant definitely needs more space, as it tends to get very crowded in the evenings. The tables are close enough to give it a canteen feeling, which needs a change. However the low pricing of the excellent food served, is the best catch for this recently opened restaurant. Ratings

Food Taste: Food Quality: Hospitality / Service: Food Quantity: Décor:

!!!! !!! !!!! !!! !!

The Parlour, Cost: £20-25/head The Park Pavilion, 40 Canada Square London E14 5FW, T: 0845 468 0100

If you want to get your restaurant reviewed call Rupanjana at 020 7749 4098 or write to rupanjana@abplgroup.com

kitchen

Treats

Indian Lentils recipe matherapy have been found to be a wonderful means of repelling insects away from the body. As a matter of fact, many pesticides that have been created throughout the years for the home and lawn are found to contain many different types of essential oils in the ingredients. Insect repellents that are sold over-thecounter are created in one of two ways – one being with plant based oils, and the other being with chemicals. This is considered to be a benefit to many individuals. If you are seeking how to benefit from aromatherapy, there are several different ways. Here, you have been introduced to the most common methods. If you are interested in seeing the different types of aromatherapy products out there today, as well as the functions of these products, be sure to check out the resource section listed below to do so.

Lentils, popularly known as dal , are not only delicious and economical but are also low calorie, low fat, and cholesterol free. Even if you think you don’t like lentils, this tasty Indian variation may change your mind! It’s delicious and quick and easy to prepare. Easy Indian Lentil (Dahl) Recipe: Ingredients: • 1 cup of any type of lentils • 1 1/2 tablespoons oil • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds • ½ teaspoon salt • ¼ teaspoon turmeric • ½ teaspoon dry mustard • 2 cloves garlic, minced • A pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes • 2 cups cooked white rice Directions: 1. Rinse the lentils and place in a medium saucepan. Add about one quart of water. Bring to a boil and simmer until done, approximately 45 minutes. The lentils should be soft, but not mushy. 2. Over medium heat, heat the oil in a small saucepan. Add the cumin seed and stir. Cook and stir for approximately one minute. The cumin seeds will turn a reddish brown color and will emit a wonderful aroma. 3. Add the garlic to the oil and cumin and cook and stir for approximately one minute. Add the remaining spices to the oil and continue cooking and stirring for an additional

minute. 4. Stir in a half a cup of liquid from the lentils and simmer for a couple of minutes to blend the flavors. 5. Stir the spice mixture into the lentils. Serve over rice. Note: In order to have the authentic Indian flavor, it is absolutely essential to cook the spices in the oil as described above. Do not skip this important part of the recipe! Putting the spices into the lentils directly will not yield the same delicious characteristically Indian flavour.

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

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Big B felicitated with lifetime achievement award Amitabh Bachchan was felicitated with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 11th Mumbai Film Festival last week for completing 40 years in the film industry. Over 200 film from 56 countries were exhibited during the festival. "White Lightning" directed by Dominic Murphy was adjudged the best film at the festival. The annual event's budget was boosted with 40 million rupees from Reliance Big Entertainment, a division of the Reliance ADA Group. Greek filmmaker Theo Angelopoulos was also honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award. Fellow actor Dev Anand's production house Navketan Films, was also felicitated for

completing 60 years in the film industry. Speaking to media on receiving the award, an excited Bachchan shared the award with his colleagues of the film industry.

"No person can rise in his talent without others support, especially in this industry. Unless you have the support of others, you are nowhere. So, I would like to congratulate everybody of the film

industry, who supported me from director to music director, assistant, spot boy, all my leading ladies and all my leading men that I had the good fortune to work with, because of whom I was able to spend so many years in the industry," said Bachchan. He also thanked people for their unconditional support and love. "I do want to thank primarily the people of my country for giving me their love, their support, their affection and their prayers on many an occasion, trial and tribulation that I have gone through and I truly feel very, very humble in their presence. May they continue to like what we do and hopefully the few years that are left in my career, may they continue to enjoy what we do," Bachchan added.

Ranbir is Bollywood’s latest blue-eyed boy Ranbir Kapoor is Bollywood’s latest blueeyed boy. In just three years, he has achieved something that took Shah Rukh Khan eight years. He is raking in pound 6.42 lakh film, compared with pound 3.86 lakh last year when his second film, “Baachna Ae Haseeno,” w a s released. The man, who made a disastrous debut with Sanjay Leela B h a n s a l i ’ s “Saawariya,” hasn’t looked back after his second film did decent business. And “Wake Up Sid,” produced by Karan Johar, has seen

renowned filmmakers noting the latest Kapoor sensation’s box office appeal. Apoorva Mehta, CEO, Dharma Productions, the producer of “Wake Up Sid,” says Ranbir’s performance has made the film a success. “He has all the qualities an average Indian seeks - an obedient son, talented actor, great looks. He is vivacious and that connects him with today’s youth.” His brand endorsement value has also zoomed. Kapoor is now getting pound 3.86 lakh for each endorsement, from roughly half that amount two years earlier, when he signed up for Pepsi. “He has a universal appeal which works well for any brand. Ranbir is God’s gift to advertisers but he has to

Khans do not rule Bollywood: Ajay Devgan Actor-producer Ajay Devgn, who is riding high on the success of his latest flick “All The Best,” does not believe that Khans (Shah Rukh, Salman, Aamir) rule the Bollywood. “It is totally wrong to say or assume that the Khans dominate the Bollywood film industry. I try to do the best I can,” Devgn said. The actor added that he detests going to award functions and would rather prefer his work to speak for him. “All the Best has just

made a mark at the box office...I am only focused on my work which is my mantra to success,” he said. “I give lots of importance to my work for which I can do anything,” Devgn added. The National Award-winning actor will next be seen in Prakash Jha’s “Rajniti.” However, the actor declined to reveal any details about the film stating it was too early to talk about it. “Rajniti,” which also stars Ranbir Kapoor,

Katrina Kaif, Nana Patekar has been directed by Prakash Jha and is slated to hit the theatres May next year. Devgn, who recently dropped an ‘A’ from his surname, said that his mother believes in n u m e r o l o g y, which prompted him to change the spelling of his last name.

sustain himself,” believes ad guru Prahlad Kakkar. With big-ticket flicks like “Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani” opposite Katrina Kaif and Yash Chopra’s “Rocket Singh,” Prakash Jha’s “Rajneeti” and “Anjaana Anjaani” with Priyanka Chopra, Kapoor is miles ahead of other actors in his age group Imran Khan, Neil Mukesh and Harman Baweja. “Ranbir is a youth icon and has a bright future. He has the privilege of working with the best in the industry - be it filmmakers or stars,” says film analyst Komal Nahata.

Little Jamal is leading star in a Swiss production MTV nominated Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, 11, who jumps into pooh in “Slumdog Millionaire” as the youngest Jamal, is playing leading star in Swiss film “Shyam’s Secret”. Set in India, it is the story of an eight-year-old European girl and her friendship with an enigmatic Indian boy Shyam. Also known as “Le secret de Shyam”, it will be made in French and English. To be released next year, this adventure film is reportedly being shot in Goa. Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed, welcoming this Swiss-India joint venture, has urged its makers to handle the India portion of the film with cultural sensitivity. Directed, produced, and written by Deborah Mangola, its other producer is Adam Bedi (Superconscious), and writer Lalit Ajgaonkar (The Whisperers). Other cast include Marianne Borgo (8th Wonderland), Benjamin Feitelson (Le missionnaire), Kabir Bedi (Take 3 Girls), Nisha HaraleBedi, etc.

Riteish Deshmukh to open tea chain Riteish Deshmukh is planning to open a chain of tea centres after being inspired by the café chains in Mumbai. The tea centres will first open in Mumbai and then spread to other parts of India. Called Chai Piyo Ji, the tea centre will have national and international types and varieties of tea, including tea from Assam, green teas and masala chais. Riteish, who has studied architecture, will be designing it himself. The first centre will be in South Mumbai and it will be done by early next year. He will then tie-up with a firm that will take care of the chain. Riteish had this idea for over two years but the name came to him when they were shooting for Aladin in a college canteen that was called Chai Piyo Ji. He liked the name a lot and asked the people there if he could use the name. He then got a trademark and registered the name and logo. He is still unsure of which firm he wants to tie up with. When asked about the kind of tea he likes, he asserted that while he liked green tea the most, Fardeen Khan has given him a few options of experimenting with different flavours.

Shahid’s swanky new ride Many men, we’re sure, would do much to be in Shahid Kapoor’s shoes right now. Not only is he rumoured to be dating the most au courant actress in the country, Priyanka Chopra, but he was also gifted the first model of the Range Rover 2010 by Ratan Tata himself. This is Kapoor’s first Range Rover and he’s in good company—owners of the famously tough SUV include Saif Ali Khan, Ranbir Kapoor and Sushmita Sen. The actor received the keys to his new ride at the Range Rover showroom in Worli on Monday. Tata Motors, of course, probably views this association as a great way to boost its sales—post Kaminey, Shahid is still hot property. Bummer We think Shahid’s hair continues to look great, but will actors outgrow distressed denims?

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Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

Shilpa - Raj wedding on Nov 22

Kanden Kadhalai

rocking the box office

Ninaithale Innikum, Unnaipol Oruvan and now Kanden Kadhalai, though each movie is different in terms of story and treatment, the underlying common thread is that they are all remakes of hit films: Classmates, A Wednesday and Jab We Met respectively. These films have proved that to make a remake successful, just copying the original is not enough. The stories have to be adapted and tweaked to suit the target audience. With Kanden Kadhalai having received such a good response, Sun Pictures and Moser Baer are definitely happy to be part of a good family entertainer. Bharath who has tried his

hand at action roles for some time now, is now the next romantic hero on the block. (You can read more about him in the latest issue of Galatta Cinema) And Tamannaah continues her hit run.

What’s delaying Aayirathil Oruvan?

Selvaraghavan is taking his own pet sweet time in completing his ch whi , ven Oru il project Aayirath in hit cult a be will es hop he ana Indi the as just Indian cinema, od. Jones series was in Hollywo the in n bee has Aayirathil Oruvan , now rs yea two rly nea for ing mak s. our rum ase rele with periodic the Even recently, it was said that ali Diw 9 200 a be movie was to r afte , ase rele 9] 200 17th r tobe [Oc lier ear missing its release announced date of Independence Day [August 15th]! in up Coming is er emb Nov Children’s Day and since the movie fits in the action adventure genre,this would be a good date to release it. But will that happen?

too At this point, even Selva is not ucsure, because the post prod he than er long ng taki is k tion wor the for g rdin anticipated. Re-reco in movie is on at a reputed studio is k wor hics London while grap still With bai. Mum in ing happen it one-third of the work remaining, till e tinu con will t wai the appears it Pongal 2010 [January 14th] and or ran aika Vett with ase rele may Selva!

Yogi releasing on November 27 Director-turnedactor Ameer’s Yogi, set in the slums of Chennai, is expected to release on November 27. Directed by Subramania Siva, the movie also stars Madhumita and Swathi. C u r r e n t l y, the film is in final post production stage. It is also heard that the screening rights have been sold for a very fancy price. The music, composed by

Yuvanshankar Raja, is a hit, thus raising audience expectation.

Well it's finally confirmed. Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra will tie the knot this November. The wedding which is scheduled for the 22nd of this month will surprisingly be devoid of the usual Bollywood friends and glitter. This comes as Shilpa and Raj arrived at a joint decision to keep the affair short and sweet. However, two days after the actual wedding reception, Shilpa will be hosting another party for her colleagues from the industry, while the marriage itself is to be con-

ducted at her business partner Kiran Bawa's

farmhouse in Khandala. The venue of her wedding reception however, is still being kept under wraps. Shilpa's sister who missed the engagement ceremony while being locked away in the Bigg Boss house apparently might also miss the wedding as the show isn't scheduled to end till the date. The only option left is that she be evicted from the Bigg Boss house in time to make it for her sister's wedding.

No chaddi ads for Saif, no non - veg brands for Kareena Kareena Kapoor is clear she will never endorse food chains like McDonald's or Burger King, known for their beef burgers and the like, while co-actor and boyfriend Saif Ali Khan says he can't think of doing an underwear ad. "I will not endorse non-vegetarian products like McDonald's or Burger King. I won't endorse alcohol or tobacco. This is the policy I always follow because if I don't relate to such things, I should not advocate them either," Kareena said at the HT Leadership Summit. "Endorsing a brand is not only fun but it does add to the bank balance. Apart from that endorsing a good brand helps you in connecting with your fans. Given this, I have to be very choosy about my endorsements because they also help a lot in branding," she added.

Kareena is the face of many leading brands like Kurkure Desi Beats and Vivel soap among others. Saif, who promotes several brands including Head and Shoulders and Asian Paints, says it is

important for him to connect with the brand he endorses. "For me, brand name is very important. I feel I should represent a brand that I can connect with. This also helps me to reach out to my fans because they can associate with me through that brand. I won't endorse something I don't connect with... like underwear ads. I can do a baniyan (vest) ad, but no chaddis for me. "It's not the finances always. When a brand approaches us, they do a lot of research before they come to sign us. And when they come to sign, that means you represent something. It also helps visibility," he added.

I enjoyed playing Paa’s Paa: Abhishek Bachchan It is a reversal of roles for Abhishek and Amitabh Bachchan in this film. Here the son literally is the father and switch their real and reel roles. The premise sounds confusing, until the exclusive preview of “Paa” at the Screen Preview last week cleared up doubts. Present at the event were the director of the film, Balki, and the two main protagonists, Abhishek Bachchan and Vidya Balan. “Paa,” which is based on the life of a patient who suffers from progeria - a condition in which aging is accelerated - is a tribute from Abhishek to his father. “I just wanted to make this film for my Paa,” he says, referring to the Big B. When Balki first came to the Bachchans with the script about a father-son relationship, they did not

think it was particularly unique. “But when Balki told me that I would be playing Amitji’s father I was completely taken aback. It was an opportunity of a lifetime and I must say I enjoyed playing

Paa’s Paa,” said Abhishek. For Balki, who had worked with the Bachchan Sr in Cheeni Kum, the main aim was to get the father-son duo together in a film. “It was then that I read up about progeria, did research and came up with this script,” says Balki. For Vidya Balan, too, the film was a unique experience. “I did not know how I would pull off playing a mother on screen. But when Amitji got his make up done and came on to the sets, we just clicked. It was wonderful.”

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

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BollyKats Mallika Sherawat goes under the knife Mallika Sherawat seems be our latest export to Hollywood. The bindaas bombshell has had some lip surgery for new Hollywood role and as a result her lower lip now appears fuller and her upper lip seems distorted. She was waiting for the shooting of “Hissss” to end. After that, she was to start shooting for her new Hollywood film. Mallika wants to

look the part and that's why she had her lips done, while she was in India. She was in India for more than a month. All set for a new Hollywood venture Mallika Sherawat made her triumphant return to Los Angeles last week in charitable fashion along with Oscar winner Marisa Tomei, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to support American Pulitzer Prize winning NY Times journalist Nicholas Kristof’s charity CARE at LA’s Pacific Design Centre. Mallika said, "Nicholas

Kristof is a world treasure. The work he's done around the globe in support of women's rights and those-inneed is an incredible inspiration to me." Mr. Kristof and Mallika were overheard discussing working together for one of his charitable associations in India, as well as the feature film production based on his new book, "Half the Sky".

Preity leaving Bollywood for Harvard Preity Zinta is leaving Bollywood for Bschool. “Yes, I’m going to the Harvard Business School to study a short executive course in negotiating and deal-making,” she says. “I thought that since I spend so much time in the US, I might as well use the experience better. I applied to Harvard and got accepted, so I’m quite kicked about going there next month.” So does this keen interest in business mean we won’t be seeing her much on the big screen? “Not at all,” she says, “I want to make sure that I can balance acting and business. In fact, I’m currently buried under a pile of scripts and am reading each one to make sure that I don’t miss out on anything good. I want to do a role that I’ve never done before.” She’s also busy

with the television show “Behind the Seams” which she is hosting and producing. But Zinta admits that she hasn’t watched television for the past two months. “TV soaps have these closeups of people in dark black kohl and it really scares me,” she says. “Reality shows are also staged, so there’s nothing real in them. So what’s there to watch?” Behind the Seams too is a kind of reality show as it takes you through the journey of the Kings XI Punjab team.

Cautious Asin ditches Abhishek Asin's Bollywood dream has taken a slight hit after her latest film “London Dreams” got only the lukewarm response at the box-office. That was reason enough for her to chose her films more wisely and the first person to get affected by her decision is Ashutosh Gowarikar who had signed her

for his film “Khelenge Hum Jee Jaan Se” opposite Abhishek Bachchan. Asin backed out of the project by citing a date problem. Nevertheless, sources state otherwise. According to reports, the sizzling siren walked out of the film as she was not too happy with the significance her character was given. Confirming the news a daily quoted a source as saying, “Asin was excited about working with Ashutosh Gowariker, but after hearing the script, she mulled over it and opted out. She has said that she has date problems, whereas

actually, she is not happy with her character in the film. And after the lukewarm response to her last film “London Dreams,” Asin wants to be absolutely convinced of what she does next. Also, recently, Ashutosh delivered a turkey in the form of What’s Your Raashee? So, Asin does not want to take anymore chances."

Katrina Kaif chased by a mob of 5,000 Gujarati fans gave a scare to Katrina Kaif in Ahmedabad while she was promoting her film “Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani” at a mall in the city. The venue where she was to make an appearance was packed with thousands of fans who screamed her name, whistled, hooted, teased, and pushed around. Kat remained on stage to avoid mingling with the frenzied fans, but then, to her shock, the stage started to shake. It seemed the stage would collapse. Says a source, " Soon it became chaotic with fans screaming her name and threatening to break the security cor-

don. The pretty lass even hurt her leg as it got stamped upon by people on stage while she was trying to escape the enthusiastic crowd." But her woes did not end here. She not only got mobbed but also got chased by bikers right up to the hotel she was staying at, and refused to leave until the actress met them. Confirming the incident, Katrina said, "It was pretty scary as they were all screaming our names. They were over-excited. It was the most terrifying moment of my life the stage crashing down in front of the fans and I getting swallowed by

the crowd! The feeling of suffocation gets to you. Fortunately, there was one particular massively built security guard who rushed me out of the stage and back to the hotel so well that I was able to breathe a sigh of relief when I entered my hotel room. He didn't allow any persistent fans to enter the lobby, too."

Another romantic film from Mahesh Bhatt, ‘Tum Mile’ is set in the background of the worst of monsoon deluge that the Indian mega city has experienced – the 25th July, 2005 floods. But that apart, it is an intense story of a reunion of two lovers after 6 years and what happens after that. “Somewhere in this storm a girl runs into her past. Somewhere in this storm a man sifts the embers of a burned out love. Somewhere in this storm death waits for them.” The Mumbai floods ring an ominous bell for most... but amidst the deluge, it reunites two star crossed ex-lovers. Two people who meet after a hiatus of 6 years now occupying different worlds. Evidently, they have moved on… What starts off as a seemingly innocuous yet awkward encounter on a flight back to Mumbai ends up as a rollercoaster ride through some of the darkest hours of Mumbai as they see the city get swamped with disaster and loss and are forced to stick together in this time of crisis. The story shifts perspective between their past and present. A glorious but crazy past of two starkly different people falling in love, the differences at first being new and exciting. Gradually with time, they journey through the emotional pitfalls attached, the constant bickering, the frantic and urgent making up, and irreconcilable differences that give way to an inevitable separation. And a formidable present, where the two come together, their fears and insecurities and past demons revealed while struggling to make their way through Mumbai's stormiest night. As emotions run high and disaster reigns supreme, will they survive the night that threatens to take over the city and all in it? Produced by Vishesh Films and Sony Music, the film is directed by Kunal Deshmukh. The cast of the film consists of Emraan Hashmi, Soha Ali Khan and Mantra. It has Music by Pritam, lyrics by Sayeed Quadri and Kumaar while playback is rendered by Neeraj Shridhar, Kay Kay, Javed Ali, Shadab, Irfan Ashraf, Mohit Chauhan and Shafqat Amanat Ali.

New Hindi movies releasing this week 1. Tum Mile 2. Aao Wish Karein

Top 5 Bollywood movies for the week ended 5th November

No. Film 1 2 3 4 5

London Dreams Aladin Wake Up Sid All The Best Blue

No. Last Week New New 3 1 2

Total weeks 1 1 6 3 3

INDIA

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

Chicago peace award for a Gujarati film ‘Harun-Arun’ is produced by the Children’s Film Society of India humans at par,” said Ragini, popular Gujarati actress who plays Valbai in the film. “The prize is given to a film which positively addresses (for children) difficult topics such as racism and prejudice; abuse and conservation of the planet; alternative dispute resolution (of individuals, organiza-

tions, and/or countries) or the exploration of any topic which brings children closer to understanding the global culture in which they function,” says the festival jury. Screening of HarunArun was very well received in Chicago with a full house attending it.

Maulik – Ishira perform their unique Kathak dance at the Cairo International Film Festival

Maulik Shah and Ishira Parikh alongwith their dance troupe of ‘Anart’, an Ahmedabad based group will have the honour to perform at the opening ceremony of the Cairo International Film Festival on Tuesday, 10 November, 2009. India is the guest of honour country at this year’s festival. The festival is also to open with an Indian film, New York. Ishira and Maulik are internationally recognized as virtuoso Kathak dancers and choreographers. They have received the prestigious Gaurav Puraskar from the Government of Gujarat and many other awards for outstanding achievement in the field of dance. They have been cultural ambassadors to more than 30 countries across the world.

In divine light

BY RAJEN VAKIL

Mr. Rajen Vakil is an arts graduate from the Bombay University. He came in contact with spirituality at an early age and studied under enlightened teachers such as Osho, Swami Brahmavedantji, Swami Ram Dulare Bapu, Didi Vimala Thakar before finally meeting his master, Sri Tavariaji. He has learnt many sciences, such as Yoga, the readings of Gurdjieff, and has acquired a deep understanding of the Bhagavada Geeta as well. Mr. Rajen Vakil leads a balanced life as a spiritual teacher and a good householder - spending time with his family, giving lectures/talks, and devoting time to the ashrams at Madhavpur and Janakeshwar in Gujarat. He has also published “Vishadyoga” – based on the first chapter of the Bhagavada Geeta. A book on the exposition of the Gayatri Mantra is under publication. His lectures from the last 15 years are available on DVD/CD – topics such as and not limited to ‘Events in Life: their causes and effect’, ‘Yoga Sutra’, and ‘Achieving Conscious Death’.

Mahabharata is perhaps the oldest epic tale The Mahabharata is perhaps the oldest epic tale. It tells the story of a great family war. There are two ways of looking at it - the first is that of an event which took place many thousands of years ago, and the other of something happening every moment in our lives. My teacher always told me that every aspirant on the spiritual path has to fight his own inner Mahabharata and that all the characters in the drama are lying within our minds or our psychic nature and the great book shows the spiritual science of how to recognise each one of them within us and to free our consciousness from them. The first recorded date in human history is 326 B.C. when Alexander stood on the banks of the river Jhelum ready to start his conquest of Bharata. A story goes that one day Alexander lost his way in the jungle. He followed the flow of the river and came upon an old man lying completely naked enjoying the rays of the sun by the riverside. Alexander stood by his side figuring out who it was, the old man opened his eyes, looked at Alexander and told him to step aside as he was blocking the rays of the sun. Alexander was shocked, he was the king of nearly the whole world and here a naked fakir was talking to him in this way. Then Alexander looked into his eyes and all his vanity vanished, the fakir’s name was Diogenes. Alexander said ‘I am the king of the world and you an ordinary beggar, but when I look in your eyes it seems to me that you are the emperor and I, just an ordinary beggar.’ To this, Diogenes replied that ‘all men spend their whole lives asking, and you desire the whole world, and so you are the greatest beggar. I am free of desire, and so I am an emperor who has the greatest treasure of all.’ Alexander asked him to give him this treasure,

Divine Creation

It’s the story of a small courageous Muslim boy who takes the journey from Pakistan to Lakhpat in Kutch to fulfil his grandfather’s dream. Harun-Arun, a Gujarati film made in the backdrop of Partition, won the Ullmann Peace Prize at Chicago international children’s film festival. Directed by Vinod Ganatra and produced by the Children’s Film Society of India, it was completely shot in Kutch. In the story, Harun comes across three children in India who take him under their wings and hide him without the knowledge of their mother Valbai. These children misunderstand his name and ‘Harun’ turns into ‘Arun’. Valbai is a courageous woman who has brought up her three children in the harsh terrain of Kutch and accepts Arun as her fourth child. Valbai, however, has to go through various problems, face allegations and at one time even inhuman treatment. However, because of her bold nature and with the help of genuine supporters, she comes out clean and victorious. “It’s definitely a moment of pride for Gujarati film. The movie is based on human emotions and treats all

and Diogenes told him to take off his clothes, lie down and enjoy the sun. But Alexander said that ‘I still have to conquer China, I will do so quickly and come back to learn from you.’ It is said that Diogenes looked at him with great compassion and told him that by then it would be too late. Alexander’s men felt homesick and he turned back without conquering China. A few days later on the borders of Persia, he fell victim to a great fever, and it is said that in his dying hours he remembered Diogenes and of the great opportunity he lost, and he gave instructions that ‘when I am buried keep my two empty palms outside the grave, that I was the king of the whole world but died an ordinary beggar.’ See the mind of Alexander who wanted every inch of the world and see Duryodhana who was not willing to part with even a pin point of land to the Pandavas. In all of us, this Duryodhana is present. The Sanskrit derivative, Duhyuddham-sah means the warrior who cannot be defeated. Desire to own things can never be satisfied but we all feel that, in this life we will fulfil all our desires, knowing fully well that no one has ever fulfilled theirs. But we can free our consciousness from desire and then kill the ego that wants more and more, who in everyone is Duryodhana. What did Alexander see in Diogenes’ eyes - he saw the epitome of human consciousness

which in the Mahabharata is called Krishna. These are the two poles open to all humans, either one can let oneself fall to the level of Duryodhana or one can rise in consciousness and be one with Krishna. All the other characters fall in between these two. The Mahabahrata brings to light all the people living in our minds. They all lie in our lower psychic nature; when we are cunning, we are Shakuni; when we are angry and animal-like, we are Dushashana; when we are jealous and covet other peoples’ things, we are Kritvarma - Krishna’s kinsmen who desired Satyabhama - Krishnas wife; when we are obstinate about anything (even truth), we are Bhishma whose pratigya was the cause of the whole war - the world is full of Bhishmas who invite pain and downfall through their obstinacy. Arjuna is the inner seeker who through hard work has come in contact with his inner guru, Krishna. Once the inner teacher reveals himself to the disciple, he takes the reigns of the chariot of his life in his hands and leads him to conquer the lower psychic nature which is done in a symbolic 18 day war. Krishna is our inner teacher who is waiting for us to call upon him. The Mahabharata can become a work-manual for all of us to reach that highest state of individual consciousness which remains as a potentiality in all of us.

INDIA

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

Govt planning to declare Gandhi’s articles as antiquities Waking up to preserve the rare belongings of Mahatma Gandhi after auction of some of them, the government of India is planning to declare articles owned by him as antiquities that will entail compulsory registration of such items by whosoever possesses them. A proposal to amend the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act 1972 has been prepared by the Culture Ministry to declare Mahatma Gandhi's assets as antiquities and bar their auction or sale. Once an article is declared as an antiquity, a person who possesses it has to register it with the Government and would be barred from selling these. The bill has been prepared in consultations with Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Gandhians, official sources said. The sources said the Government may also request "friendly countries" and nations with whom India has reciprocal arrangements to ask

Gorkhaland diktat says no liquor in Darjeeling Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) has issued a diktat banning the sale of liquor in Darjeeling from November 7. The GJM diktat would, apparently deprive the state government of the revenue it earns from liquor sale in the Hills. Bars, restaurants and liquor shop owners in Darjeeling have little choice but to toe GJM’s line, even if it means giving up their sole means of livelihood. This means no more Kangchenjunga sunsets, nursing a glass of whiskey. Locals have it worse - a bitter winter without spirits. Gurung’s claim that he wants to stop the flow of liquor revenue to the state coffers has no logic, say excise officials. Gurung insists the government made pound 5.14 million through sale of liquor during Puja alone. Last month, he announced closure of licensed liquor shops as part of the ‘noncooperation movement’ against the state. Import of liquor from Sikkim too, was stopped. Gorkhaland Personnel have been deployed on NH-31A to check vehicles for liquor. The real losers will be those who depend on the liquor business to run their family. In the three Hills subdivisions, there are 53 licensed bars and restaurants, 19 licensed shops and 24 country spirit outlets. Licensed shop owners refused to talk on the issue.

people who possess such items to register and prevent auctioning of such items. The Government move comes eight months after some rare personal belongings, like iconic round glasses and pocket watch, of the apostle of peace went under the hammer in New York.

Rajasthan on the lookout for priests Here’s some good news for unemployed temple priests. Rajasthan government is on a lookout for priests trained in all kind of vedic pursuits and karmkand. According to sources in Devasthan department, the government is likely to hire more than 100 priests to man temples located in various parts of the state. This is probably for the first time

that the state government is hiring priests formally at such a large scale. Rajasthan minister for Devasthan Braj Kishore Sharma said that the state government is concerned about the dilapidated condition of various temples in the state. “There are several temples in far flung areas with no one to look after them. We are hiring young priests and helpers

who can take care of these worship places,” he said. According to officials, preference would be given to those who are armed with degree or diploma in vedic sciences. “Rajasthan Sanskrit University offers a one-year diploma in karmkand and priestship besides conducting various degree and doctoral courses in Sanskrit education. Preference would

definitely be given to those who are trained in all kind of vedic pujas and karmkand. However, practicing priests with no formal education would also be considered,” they said. The state Devasthan department controls and manages 994 temples across the country. It has 243 permanent and 143 part time priests on its roll.

INDIA

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

Marathi row leads to fight in Maharashtra assembly EU, India ink Four MNS legislators suspended for assault on Abu Asim Azmi atomic energy pact India and the European Union (EU) signed a major accord for cooperation in the civil atomic energy field and pledged to conclude an ambitious free trade agreement (FTA) between them within a year. The agreement, aimed at facilitating India’s participation in the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) project for fusion research, was signed by Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chairman Anil Kakodkar and European Commissioner for External Relations and Neighbourhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner at the end of the day-long 10th India-EU Summit in New Delhi. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh led the Indian side at the summit while the EU was represented by Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, in his capacity as chairman of the EU Council and EU President Jose Manuel Barroso. The ITER project on fusion energy is said to be the costliest experiment of its kind that will cost

some 10 billion euros. The first fusion reactor is expected to be operational in Cadarche in southern France by 2016. India and the EU have been negotiating an FTA since 2007 but have not been able to firm up the accord due to differences over the EU’s attempts to link trade with climate and other extraneous issues. Both sides are of the view that a political push was need for the agreement to be wrapped up by next year. Meanwhile, in a joint statement, the two sides shared the understanding that the development of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes should take place in conformity with the highest standards of safety, security and nonproliferation. The joint statement said India and the EU welcomed the renewed momentum in global disarmament talks while reaffirming their shared interest in working together for disarmament and for countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.

Landslide kills 39 in Tamil Nadu At least 39 people were killed in landslide caused by torrential rains that hit the hilly region of Tamil Nadu, officials said on Tuesday. The landslide demolished nearly 300 tin-roofed mud huts Monday in the Ooty and Coonoor region of Tamil Nadu, a state flood control official said.

Rescuers found 14 bodies in the debris on Monday and another 25 on Tuesday, the official said, adding that eight injured people were hospitalized. Ooty is a popular tourist destination, but none of those killed or injured were foreigners, he said.

Four legislators of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) were Monday suspended for four years by the Maharashtra assembly for assaulting Samajwadi Party lawmaker Abu Asim Azmi for taking the oath as legislator in Hindi. Besides the stringent punishment of suspending them for four years, the house also barred the four legislators - all first-timers - from entering Mumbai and Nagpur whenever the assembly sessions are held in these cities. The four legislators are: Shishir Shinde, Ram Kadam, who had slapped and punched SP member Azmi, Vasant Gite and Ramesh Banjle. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshavardhan

Abu Asim Azmi

Patil moved the proposal to take action against the rampaging MNS members for attacking Azmi inside the house, an unprecedented happening in the state's history. The proposal was moved Monday evening and passed by the house,

Protem Speaker Ganpatrao Deshmukh announced. The developments come as the state of Maharashtra celebrates its golden year of formation this year, and the new assembly holds its first three-day session after the October elections. Kadam was seen on live television slapping and punching Azmi, even as the other MNS legislators indulged in fisticuffs, pushing around Azmi and others who attempted to come to his aid. Softening his stance, MNS group leader Bala Nandgaonkar Monday evening apologized to the members for insulting the dignity of the house. The MNS legislators

attacked Azmi for defying the party's diktat of taking the oath only in Marathi. Petition in Supreme Court against Raj Thackeray One Salek Chand Jain has filed a case in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, seeking registration of an FIR against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray after his partymen assaulted Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi in the Maharashtra Assembly for taking oath in Hindi instead of Marathi. The petition also sought a direction to the Election Commission to de-recognise the MNS for sparking violence "throughout the country" by whipping up parochial feelings.

Congress, Mayawati steamroll by-elections in 7 states Left almost blanked out in West Bengal, routed in Kerala Congress in company with ally Trinamool Congress made an impressive show at the recently held byelections to 31 assembly seats across seven states, even as the ruling Left Front was blanked out in Kerala and had just the consolation of winning one seat in West Bengal. In Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati’s BSP recorded surprise victories. Congress won 10 of 31 assembly seats. Cine star turned politician Raj Babbar bagged the lone

Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh for the Congress, beating Ms. Dimple Yadav, daughter-in-law of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav. Of the 11 seats, the SP could win only one. Mayawati romped home with 7 seats. The BJP could win only two seats in the byelections - one each in Rajasthan and Himachal. The by-elections were held in UP (11), West Bengal (10), Kerala (3) and two each in Assam, Himachal and Rajasthan,

besides one in Chhattisgarh. The Left Front led by the CPI(M), or CPM, suffered yet another poll setback as the coalition managed to win only one out of 10 assembly seats in West Bengal. Railway minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC), a part of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) at the Centre, won all the seven seats in which it contested, and its partner the

Congress could win only one. Two seats went to independent candidates one backed by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, a regional party based in northern West Bengal, and the Forward Bloc, an ally of the CPM. The CPM was also routed in Kerala, where the elections were considered to be a referendum on the Congress-led UPA’s economic policies. The state’s ruling LDF, led by the CPM, lost all the three assembly by-elections.

Clerics leave ‘Vande Mataram’ singing to Muslims Sri Sri Ravishanker’s intervention leads to softening of stand

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Globally known spiritual guru, Sri Sri Ravishanker visited Deoband on Sunday and met the Jamiat-e-Hind leaders on the issue of singing of Vande Mataram by Muslim. After a discussion that lasted almost an hour, the Muslim clerics

have softened their stand, leaving the choice of singing of the national song to the Muslims. The issue was discussed with Maulana Margub Ur-rehman of Darul-Uloom, Darul Iftah in charge Mufti Habibur Rehman, Mufti Ehsaan

Qasmi and Usman Mansoorpuri of the Jamiat. At the end of it, the ulemas said they did not have any objection to the national song and had left it to the conscience of Muslims who could decide for themselves whether they wanted to sing the song or not.

A cross at a Mumbai church has water oozing People throng to see the occurrence at St. Joseph Church A church in South Mumbai was thronged by thousands of people to see and even collect water oozing out from a cross, as they believed it was holy water. The church officials did not want to give the oozing any name. The 72- year- old St. Joseph Church in Umerkhadi area has a cross that is more than 150 years old. The head of the Church, Father Dominic Pereira admitted that he also saw the water but said he had no explanation absolutely about the occurrence.

The news spread like wildfire during the night and thousands of Christians and people from other faiths rushed to the church to get their share of what they believe could be holy water. Some enterprising youths got small vessels and filled it with the "holy water" and they distributed it to people in tiny plastic cups. Father Anthony Charanghat, spokesperson for the Archbishop of Mumbai, said it was too early to say anything or explain the development.

"Before we give it any name, we have to first scientifically verify the phenomenon and that is a long process. However, if it helps people in coming closer to god, we welcome it. Though we don't want religion to be reduced to such incidents alone," Charanghat said. He recounted a similar incident in Vasai (Thane district) a few years ago, when water was seen oozing out of a large iron cross. Later, the cause was found to be simple - it was only some rainwater that had accumulated inside the cross.

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

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WORLD

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

Africa Focus Nigerian court nullifies expulsion of India-born British businessmen Abuja: A Nigerian court has quashed the deportation order of three India-born British businessmen brothers, who were deported by the government in April after the country's anti-graft agency sealed one of their companies over a fraud petition. The Federal High Court also rejected repatriation of expatriate staff of their company and restored the withdrawn expatriate quota for Stallion Group owned by Sunil Vaswani, Haresh Vaswani and Mahesh Vaswani. Justice A M Liman ruled that Vaswanis cannot be deported, government cannot withdraw their expatriate quotas and repatriate their staff without complying with Nigerian laws. The Judge held that failure of the relevant authorities to seek and obtain representation from Stallion Group before the prejudicial action against them is a breach of their fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution.

China offers loan to Africa Sharm El-Sheikh (Egypt): Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao offered Africa $10 billion in concessional loans over the next three years saying China was a true and trusted friend of the continent and its people. The aid offer is double that unveiled by President Hu Jintao at the last summit in Beijing in 2006 to the discomfort of some in the West. "We will help Africa build up financing capacity," Wen told a summit in the Egyptian resort of Sharm elSheikh, laying out China's assistance to the continent for the next three years. "We will provide $10 billion in concessional loans to African countries." Blossoming trade and business ties have drawn Western criticism that Beijing is only interested in African resources, while Chinese commentators retort that envious Europeans still treat the continent like a colony.

Myanmar’s Suu Kyi ‘may be freed’ Yangon: Detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi may be released soon, a senior diplomat from Myanmar has hinted. Min Lwin, the director-general of Myanmar's foreign ministry, said on Monday that the military government intended to allow Suu Kyi to play a role in next year's general elections. The 64-year-old Nobel laureate has been in detention for 14 of the past 20 years, and recently had her house arrest extended for another 18 months. Despite the remarks, the country's constitution

for Suu Kyi, said that she had not received official notification that she may be freed. US envoy holds talks with Suu Kyi Last week, Kurt Campbell, the US assistant secretary of state, and Scott Marciel, his deputy, became the most senior US officials to visit Myanmar Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi, right, since 1995. walks with U.S. Assistant Secretary The two envoys of State Kurt Campbell held talks with senincludes provisions that ior figures from the govbar her from holding ernment, including office. Nyan Win, a lawyer Myanmar's prime minister,

Thein Sein, but not Than Shwe, the general who has ruled the country for the last 17 years. They also held talks with Suu Kyi. On Monday, Suu Kyi, expressed hope that US engagement with the county's military rulers could spur democratic reforms, her lawyer Nyan Win, said. In rare praise, Suu Kyi thanked the government for allowing her to meet the US envoys. "She told us she was quite satisfied with Mr Campbell's visit ... she said he's the sort of person we can work with," Nyan Win told reporters.

Japanese actress jailed for drug use Tokyo: Noriko Sakai, a highly popular Japanese singer and actress was given a suspended jail term of 18 months after being held guilty of using illegal stimulants. Sakai shot to fame in late 1980s with her pop songs and later she also became an actress. Sakai hit the media headlines in Japan as well as in some other parts of Asia where she has a large fan following. She and her husband Yuichi Takaso were arrested in August

Noriko Sakai

for possession and use of drugs. She remained in detention for almost 40 days before being released on bail.

Her trial has attracted intense media and public attention, as more than 3,000 people queued up in a park near the courtroom for one of the 21 gallery tickets to see the verdict, while hundreds of others jostled with the media to get a glimpse of the actress as she was entering and leaving the building. Sakai's case follows the arrest of other highprofile personalities on substance abuse charges, including a Russian sumo

wrestler who was later expelled from the sport. While legalising marijuana or using it for medical purposes has been debated and approved in some western countries, such ideas haven't caught on in Japan. In one of the country's most infamous busts, Beatle Paul McCartney spent nine days in a Tokyo jail in the 1980s after arriving at the airport with a bag of marijuana in his suitcase.

Deepak: The Mumbai Hero who has turned tragedy into a charity mission Last weeks AV generated a lot of interest in one story related to Mr Deepak Kuntawala who was in the Taj at the time of last years attacks in Mumbai. We caught up with the busy schedule of Mr Kuntawala to ask a few questions: a. Can you tell us something about your family background and how you came to this country? My Grandfather, Keshavji Kuntawala emigrated in the early 1900’s to Kabwe, in Zambia from his home in a village called Daman in Gujarat. He built a successful business up from scratch and was highly respected both in business and by our community. My father, Vinay Kuntawala, along with his to brother, Suman and Uday collectively decided to emigrate from Zambia to the UK in 1977. They established Kaysons Trading Company which was acquired by DK in 2006 and then merged to become part of the DVK group. I was born in Kabwe, Zambia and came to the UK in 1977. I am married to Rupal Patel, have three sisters and live in Surrey. b. When you were growing up, what was your dream in life? My aspirations have always been to create a business with a brand that stands to add value in society with core principles aligned to family values (we would not be involved in tobacco, alco-

hol or meat products or associate with organizations involved in child labour). A cornerstone within our corporate and social responsibility policy is ‘contributing to society’ by allocating a percentage of our profits to good causes. c. What is it that you do currently? I began my career as an analyst in Legal & General Pensions Division and then onto corporate strategy within Lombard Business Finance. I was head hunted by Credit Suisse First and have also worked with UBS and Warburg’s. Business is in my blood and once I joined the family firm, it was not long before I was involved with imports from the fareast. In fact, within 14 months we were importing around 46, 40 ft containers of goods from the Far East. In 2007 we decided to focus more on corporate clients requiring volume orders. The UK operation was groomed in order to orchestrate a management buyout which also enabled us to focus on the finance industry and opening an office Hong Kong. DVK has since leveraged infrastructure in India, China, Hong Kong, Panama, Ghana as well as very powerful finance and banking relationships to offer supply chain finance solutions to clients worldwide, across an array of sectors including commodities such as oil,

Deepak Kuntawala

metal, coffee, cement, sugar as well as industries like motor and textiles to name a few. My current team consists of specialist finance and investment banking experts and includes the ex-head of securitization of Commerzbank, the exCEO of Trade Finance Chase Manhattan, JP Morgan Real Estate, Barclays capital real Estate, head of PWC structured products Luxembourg, ex-head of corporate finance at Fair Fax PLC, Head of the Embassy of Qatar, Head of National Commercial Bank of Saudi Arabia trade finance division, an ex-advisor of trade finance to Hinduja bank and the ex-director of HSBC Alternative Investments in Cayman Islands. d. You have had a very traumatic experience last year when Mumbai came to a standstill with the attacks by the terrorists. How has that affected you? Firstly, the attacks resulted in my father being injured, having his legs crushed and leading him

to be disabled. Watching him free fall 24 odd feet and landing on his back is unexplainable and traumatic. Within days after returning back from Mumbai I became very ill to the point where I was unable to stand, had uncontrollable shivers and felt as if I had run 10 marathons. I was hospitalised for several months. As strange as it sounds – the experience has been life changing and very rewarding. I am reminded of the words of Bruce Barton, ‘Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside them was superior to circumstance.’ e. Can you tell us a bit more about the patrons and trustees of the DVK Foundation? The idea of the DVK Foundation was to raise funds for victims of atrocities that take place around the world, as well as other worthy causes. HRH Prince Michael of Kent GVCO is the Chief Patron and has close links with India and a long association with the Taj Hotel. We have some very powerful trustees that include: Oliver Felstead who is now the CEO of DVK . Oliver was cofounder and CEO of Cornhill Property Investment Limited and has worked for a Singapore Bank, Phillip Securities, and Refco, a director of CCKL, a Malaysia Development Company and a

Consultant to Mercury Global Holdings. Edward Lawson Johnston - is CEO of LJ Capital Ltd and was Founder and Managing Director of Cornhill Property Investments Limited. Over the last few years he has built up an indepth knowledge of the emerging markets including Eastern Europe, Russia, CIS, India and the UAE. Harry Lawson Johnston is Managing Director (UK) of Guggenheim Partners which is a global independent privately held diversified financial service. Jamie Reuben Director of the Reuben Foundation which is committed to many charitable projects. Navin Fabiani is involved in private equity and venture capital businesses. Sanjay Dhir, a very successful young entrepreneur. f. That is a very powerful list of key individuals. What does the DVK Foundation wish to achieve say over the next 5 years? We aim to support good causes – we have recognized that that victims of terror need support due to my direct experience. For example we would like to work in partnership with the Chabad in Mumbai to assist in their rebuilding operation. Recently my attention has been drawn to a unique charity, ‘Food for Life’ that is currently embarking on a major project in Vrindavan to look after educational and welfare

needs of thousands of children. Such worthy causes will attract the attention of the DVK Foundation. g. You have been successful in business and now you are embarking on a major venture with DVK Foundation, who is your inspiration? People who I admire are the ones who have developed and aspired despite the odds. For example, Karan Billimoria – who often says, ‘punch above your weight!. Richard Branson, who has built an entire empire from scratch. Nelson Mandela who despite being classified as a criminal and imprisoned for 26 years still found the gift of forgiveness and rose to become the President of South Africa. h. I understand you are a vegetarian, in your line of work is this not surprising? A good point – I sometimes wonder if people really enjoy some of what they drink and eat? I have been brought up to be a lacto - vegetarian (no meat, fish or eggs) – this has been a family tradition and I have found it easy to maintain. I would say that it is important that one maintains what is comfortable to them and not follow the crowd for the sake of acceptance – I have found most people respect my values. i. If you had one wish in hand, what would that be? Peace of mind, body and soul.

PAKISTAN

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

Afghanistan under influence of Indian intelligence: Musharraf ISI has ‘an ingress in every terrorist group’, says former Pak president Washington: Acknowledging that there is "an ingress of the ISI in every terrorist group", former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has alleged Afghanistan is under influence of Indian intelligence agencies and he has documentary evidence to prove it. "Afghan intelligence, Afghan President, Afghan Government. Don't talk of them. I know what they do. They are, by design, they mislead the world. They talk against Pakistan, because they are under the influence of Indian intelligence, all of them," Musharraf said in an interview on Sunday. "The Afghan intelligence (is) entirely under the influence of Indian intelligence. We know that," Musharraf said when asked that Taliban leader Mullah Omar is in the

Quetta city of Pakistan. "Whatever I am saying, I am not saying it here (for the first time). I have given documentary evidence of all this to everyone. There is the documentary evidence. And we know the involvement of Indian intelligence, in India, with their intelligence," Musharraf, currently in London, charged. "I have given documentary evidence to everyone from top to bottom. Everyone knows it. And we have the docu-

mentary evidence," the former Pakistan Army chief said. Musharraf denied reports and statements coming from the US leaders that ISI still has contacts with the terrorists. "They (ISI) will not support it (terrorists). That was not the government policy. That was not the military policy. However, there was ingress," he said. "Always, in every group, there is an ingress of the ISI. And that is the efficiency, the effectiveness of the ISI. You must have ingress, so that you can influence all organisations. And it is this ingress of theirs, which doesn't mean that they are supporting them, but they have ingress. They have some contacts, which can be used for their own advantage," Musharraf

said. He said foreign troops are not welcome in Afghanistan, but now since they are there, they should win the battle against al-Qaida and the Taliban. "Foreign troops are not welcome there (in Afghanistan). But now that they are there, we have to win. And quitting is not an option at all," he said. "Anyone who is talking of quitting doesn't understand the ramifications of quitting. He must sit down and analyse what will happen if he were to quit there without a solution. We have to defeat the al-Qaida, we have to dominate the Taliban, and we have to introduce a credible, legitimate government in Afghanistan. But we cannot leave before that," he said.

Karachi: Bare shoulders, backless gowns and pouting models are wowing Pakistan's glitterati as Karachi fashion week shows the world a different side of the Talibantroubled nation. While women in much of Muslim, conservative Pakistan opt for headscarves over baggy shalwar khamis or even burqas, on the catwalks of financial capital Karachi, designers are exposing midriffs and flashing cleavage. The fashion week which took pace last week, was delayed by three weeks because of security jittery and as a mark of respect for more

tants last month. Fashionistas in Karachi, however, shrug off security fears in the southern city of 14 million people, known for its glitzy malls and thriving cafe culture a two-hour flight away from militant hubs in the northwest. "We, the members of Fashion Pakistan, feel great to be hostA model presents a creation by ing this colourful designer Neelo Allahwala during the event at difficult Pakistan Fashion Week times in our history, when the entire than 300 people who pernation is waging a battle ished in a string of attacks against militancy," one of blamed on Islamist mili-

the designers said. The eight local designers who opened the event experimented with twists on traditional Pakistani dress and western styles. Intricate and colourful fabrics lit up the catwalk, while a towering black feather hat, off-the-shoulder dresses and halterneck gowns graced the frames of sultry models strutting in high heels past an awed audience. "My design philosophy is as diverse as my collection, (which) shows a mix of eastern and western inspirations," said upcoming young designer Fahad Hussain, known for edgy accessorizing and striking silhouettes.

LeT man planning to attack National Defence College in Delhi

Majority support action against militants

Pervez Musharraf

The glamorous side of Pakistan

Indian team not allowed to interrogate Headley Washington: US citizen David Coleman Headley, 49, and Pakistani-born Canadian citizen Tahawwur Hussein Rana, 48, who were arrested by the FBI were planning to attack National Defence College in New Delhi, two leading boarding schools located in prominent hill stations in a North Indian state and a few five-star hotels in popular tourist spots. They were planning the terror attacks in India at the behest of Pakistanbased Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). Meanwhile, a team of Indian intelligence officials left the US disappointed after a week-long stay here as they could not question Headley. Sources familiar with the visit of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)

officials termed "bureaucratic" and "procedural" hurdles as the main reason for them not being successful in interrogation of Headley, who is now lodged in a Chicago jail. As per the latest news report, extradition chances of Headley and Rana to India are grim as the case is in the US court and a number of legal hassles are attached to it. In the meantime, US media has reported that Headley and Rana have, during interrogation, confessed to receiving training from LeT. The duo has reportedly revealed that they conspired with LeT commander Ejaaj Kashmiri to hit the facilities as well as employees of a Danish newspaper that published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in 2005. Kashmiri, closely asso-

ciated with the killers of American journalist Daniel Pearl, lives in the Pak Occupied Kashmir. He currently holds the number two position in the Lashkar-e-Toiba followed by Abu Sayeed. Kashmiri, who is also known as the next Osamabin-Laden in LeT circles, is also a known expert in the guerrilla warfare. Pakistan hid truth? Pakistani media said that the Pakistan government had taken into custody the key suspect behind the plot to attack the National Defence College in New Delhi, adding that it led to the exposure of the LeT plan. The question arises if Pakistan had prior information regarding the Delhi terror attack. If yes, why Islamabad concealed it from New Delhi?

Islamabad: A majority of Pakistanis support military action against Islamist militants although more people blame the United States for the violence than blame the Taliban, a poll released last week showed. Pakistan's army launched an offensive against Taliban militants in their stronghold in the South Waziristan region on the Afghan border on Oct. 17 after a string of militant bomb attacks and commando raids on urban targets. The militants are being squeezed out of their strongholds but have retaliated by stepping up bomb attacks. Many Pakistanis are suspicious of the government's support for the USled global campaign against violent militancy and many have long opposed military action against Islamists.

US to train Pakistan police force Islamabad: The US will help train police personnel in Pakistan's Punjab province which has faced terror strikes by the Taliban, a media report said Wednesday. Carol M. Sniegowski, US embassy assistant legal attache, held a meeting with Punjab Inspector General of Police Tariq Saleem Dogar Tuesday in Lahore during which prospects of mutual cooperation in the fields of police training and investigation were reviewed,

The News International reported Wednesday. Sniegowski said the US would provide technical assistance and training to the Punjab police. The official said that in order to upgrade the investigation wing, vehicles equipped with latest investigative equipments would also be provided. Pakistan has been hit by a spate of terror attacks, including massive bombings. Over 200 people have been killed in the terror strikes since Oct 5.

3 suspects in Iranian bombing arrested Quetta: Pakistani security forces on Thursday last arrested three Iranians suspected of planning a suicide attack in Iran's southeastern region last month which killed 42 people, officials said. Mainly Shi'ite Iran says the Sunni rebel group Jundollah (God's Soldiers), which has claimed responsibility for the October 18 attack, operates from across the border in Pakistan.

The attack in Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province killed 15 Iranian Revolutionary Guards, including six senior commanders, and 27 others. The ethnic Baluch men were arrested by the paramilitary Frontier Constabulary troops in a raid on Thursday in Turbat, a district in Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province on the Iranian border, intelligence and paramilitary officials said.

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Coming Events

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

This week at CB Live meet Chandubhai Mattani of Sona Rupa stores and Shruti Arts from Leicester with CB Patel, Publisher and Editor of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar

Sneh Joshi - 020 8518 5500

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Week commences 14th November 2009 ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20

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Thursday 7pm to 8pm

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This week you will make your best progress by focusing your mental and physical energies on what you want to achieve. Intense focus is what is needed now. The underlying trend seems to be pulling you into a much wider social circle now. This is bound to enrich your life and give you a deeper sense of purpose. The prevailing pattern of planets gives you a marvellous opportunity - take advantage. 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. Try and work out where you want to make changes in your busy life. 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.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21

1. Harrow Mencap AGM Saturday 14th Nov 2009, 7pm at Shaftesbury high School, Hatch End, HA3 6LE Contact: 020 8869 8484 2. Kingston Memorial Evening by Sarvoday Hindu Association to mark Rememberance Day and Hindu period of Shraad Sunday 8th November 3:30pm-9pm. Historic Royal Palaces Garden Room Hampton Court KT6 9AU Contact: info@sarvoday.org.uk or Mahendra Thakar at 07989244065 3. Nehru Centre, 8 South Audley Street London W1k 1HF Contact: 020 7491 3567 ● Saturday 14th November 3:30pm Children's Day: Storytelling Niru Desai ● Monday 16th November 6:15pm: Celebration of New Departures ● Tuesday 17th November 6:15pm: Retrospective Exhibition of Artworks ● Tuesday 17th November 6:45pm: Odissi by Sooraj Subramaniam ● Wednesday 18th November 6:30pm: Lecture series: India in the 16th Century (8) Resistance: the Uprising of 1857 ● Thursday 19th November 6:30pm: An Evening with Foreign Correspondents, John Elliot and Bernard Imhasly ● Friday 20th November 6:30pm: Celebrating

Amazing predictions Sneh Joshi, the UK’s leading Vedic astrologer, writer and TV personality can answer questions on: ! Health Problems ! Investments ! Married Life ! Children’s matters ! Marriage Compatibility ! Love Affairs ! Court Cases ! Any other problems

India and its diversity 4. Sadler's Wells presents Svapnagata: A Festival of Indian Music and dance curated by Akram Khan and Nitin Sawhney Monday 16- Saturday 28th November, Sadler's Wells, Rosebery Avenue, Islington EC1 Contact: 0844412 4300 5. National Conference of Gujarati Organisations by NCGO Sunday 6th December, kadwa Patidar samaj hall, Kenmore Avenue, Harrow Middlesex HA3 8LU Contact: C B Patel at 020 7749 4080 or cb@abplgroup.com. 6. Nadiad Nagrik Mandal presents Sangeet Sandhya with dinner, 5pm till late, Sunday 15th November at Kingsbury High School, London NW9 9AT, Contact: G P Desai 020 8452 5590 7. Asia House, 63 New Cavendish Street, London W1G 7LP, Contact: 020 7307 5454 ● Pakistan Now presented by Asia House and Ylva Taseer, 12th November-8th December ● Women and Microfinance, Lecture by Roshaneh Zafar followed by Canape reception, 18th November, 6:45pm ● The Reel: Lecture bu Shireen Pasha, followed by canape reception, Thuesday 26 November, 6:45pm ● HSY: Couture de Force, talk and Fashion showcase by hassan Sheheryar yasin followed by buffet reception, Thursday 8th December, 6:45pm

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GEMINI May 22 - June 22 You will probably have little cause to complain this week. Expect everything to run smoothly and luck to attend your efforts. However, underneath this positive surface you may be plagued by a feeling of restlessness, an uneasy feeling that something is not quite right. Try to srike a balance between material and emotional affairs ! The powerful combination of planets in your chart throws a significant light on material concerns. The cash situation continues to be rather erratic. However, problems can be avoided if you can curtail extravagant impulses and keep everything well organised. However, there are indications of favourable changes and developments in the areas of career and employment. Keep away from any emotional tensions with your partner.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 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. Affairs of the heart are likely to flourish. VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23 All close ties of love and affection will benefit from the gentle influence of Venus. If you are married or have a well-founded relationship, it seems that the pattern of events will somehow draw you closer together emotionally. Virgoans who are not yet wholly decided on what direction to take careerwise, this is a fine time to do some serious thinking. LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23 If you're currently romantically involved, your lover could well go from strength to strength in the area of passion. The work that you are involved with at this time is likely to demand a great deal of energy and initiative from you. This will also involve a lot of moving around and a need to establish a wider network of contacts. You will find your friends willimg to help you in any way. SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

You will have the distinct feeling that everything is moving ahead at a very satisfying pace. Indeed, you will be in a forward-looking mood, more inclined to reflect on the future and its potentials. There is a great deal to suggest that the power of destiny is very much in your own hand and that any major decision you make will have a profound effect on your future.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21 Sun's transit of your 12th 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. CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20 This is not a time to take undue risks with money yet it is certainly favourable for those who are working towards improving their earning potential. It is not only career and employment that come under this fortunate trend because your creative energies will be very much to the fore, too. Tread carefully where legal matters are concerned. AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19 Having all the major planets above the horizon in your solar 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. It is a particularly favourable time for dealing with financial interests with a long-term basis, such as investments, insurance and pension schemes, legacies and all jointly held resources. 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 will need to adopt a fairly flexible policy in order to accommodate the odd twists and turns of everyday life.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

TIME

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

C R O S S W O R D - 62 1

36 40

43 47

30 31

32 33

62 65

Blood-typing letters Vitality Acted as leader Comic costello Top pitchers Nobelist Fermi Israeli gun Seasonal theater Voodoo charms City near Nancy Got it! Stge whisper ‘Bonanza’ role ‘Hedda___’ Pennypincher Melville book

35 Classic saga 37 Electric gill information 38 Ms. Thurman 39 Foul-shooter’s miss 41 Hammarskjold of the U.N. 42 “Ninotchka” star 44 Sea shockers 45 Sphinx location 46 Risk harm to 48 Dress shapes 50 Appear to be 51 Coach Amos Alonzo__ 52 Terrier breed

39 40

How many words of four or more letters can you make from the letters shown in today’s puzzle? In making a word, each letter may be used once only. Each word must contain the central letter. There S should be at least one R O seven-letter word. Plurals, H foreign words and proper K names are not allowed. C E British English Dictionary is used as reference.

Solution of Spellathon - 61 ANSWER : meld, muddle, MUDDLED, mule

T U B E

O N E A

I M A G O

W A S U P

T R I M

R I G A

R I F T

M O O N

E N R O L I L L T E S S T M R E R A O R I B E D E O R L T

Sudoku-62 4 4

6 3

54 56 58 59 61 62

E M A G

A P I E C E

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5 Solution of sudoku-61

HOW TO PLAY Each row, column and square 3x3 box is a sub-grid of 9 cells. Fill in the grid so that each subgrid contains the digits 1 to 9. Every puzzle has one solution.

S P A M

O U E T N D C O

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Solution of 61 :

I A G O

Income Tax

1 4

H E L M

Two cyclists are racing around a circular track. Pierre can ride once around the track in 6 minutes, Louiss Takes 4 minutes. How Many minutes will it take for Louis to lap Pierre?

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C L A R O S

MINDBENDER - 62

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sorts Glasgow girl Hosp. Area “La__Nikita” Salinger girl Director Werner Nixon has two Monet and Manet God of Spain Behold, Nero! Okey-___ Part of PETA Capital on the Aker Eins, Zwei,___ Synagogue Overcharge Capital on the Jabbok Roman river Non-swimmer’s hangout Transfixed “Woman Drying Her Feet” artist Prevent by anticipatory aciton Top-of-the-line Wannabe atty.’s test Standard salary Caron title role Equipped Ran out Asparagus unit Lose contorol Deborah of “Quo Vadis” Org. founded in 1858 Working in a mess? Old lab burmer Word that can follow 18A, 39A, 60A, 3D and 31D Poetic tribute Colo. neighbor

Solution of Crossword-61

Today’s Ratings: 12-average | 14-good | 16-outstanding.

55 Per unit 57 Pickled-Peppers picker Peter 60 City near Norfolk 63 Of the ear: pref. 64 Games area 65 comic Danny 66 Lennon’s love 67 Talked to God 68 Rouse to action 69 Quick getaway Down 1 College grad 2 Knucklehead 3 Forecaster, of

SPELLATHON - 62

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By Dr Anil Mehta

Battle of Britain II : The aftermath Greatly outnumbered though they were, the RAF had certain technical advantages. First, the fighter planes spitfires and Hurricanes were faster and more manoeuvrable than their German counterparts. Second, the battle was fought over home ground; pilots who survived after being shot down were soon back in action. Moreover, Britain had good military leadership, and a well-developed radar (to trace the position of German planes) backed by a sophisticated code-breaking system which made an invaluable contribution. On the other hand, Germans, although performed well could not bomb Britain into submission. They made a number of miscalculated and strategic errors. Their air intelligence and targeting were poor and their probably was never a realistic chance that they would have successfully invaded Britain against the combined forces of the RAF and formidable Royal Navy. During the 12-week period (November), Britain lost some 900 aircraft against 1700 German losses. Out of 2917 British airmen, 554 lost their lives which included many Poles, Czechs, and Canadians. They displayed courage and discipline Britain required in its hour of greatest need. This gave rise to Churchill’s famous statement ‘never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few’. The most famous flying ace of the war was Douglas Bader who continued to fly (with false legs) despite losing both his legs in a pre-war accident. At the ground level, hundreds of Londoners were killed each day at

the height of the Blitz and thousands more were injured. London was set ablaze and the business district (the City) was reduced to a waste of smoking ash and rubble. Houses of Parliament, Downing Street, Buckingham Palace, and Trafalgar Square were all hit, though St. Paul’s miraculously escaped perhaps symbolising London’s endurance. Other cities also suffered destruction. Coventry was the hard-

victory on the ground. On the political front, although Churchill received a massive support as a wartime leader, when hostilities ended, people were determined not to return to pre-war class divisions and the great economic depression of the thirties. They voted for a Labour government in the general election of 1945 by a large majority. It was the beginning of a new era – a more egalitarian age. The reconstruction of

est hit; some 568 people were killed in one night in November, and more than 4000 homes flattened. Total casualties in the country, though fewer than feared, were 45,000, and over 80,000 seriously injured. Blitz also ravaged the economy. Over three million houses were damaged or destroyed, however, neither the war effort nor morale of the people was destroyed. Churchill, though not popular with Indians, was an inspirational and fearless war leader for Britain. War brought the best in him; his defiant and uncompromising speeches helped to boost morale of the nation. Over a million Britons served in the voluntary civil defence forces (‘Home Guards’) as wardens, rescuers, medical workers, special police, firemen and so on. Though ‘the few’ won the battle in the air, it was the vast civilian population that ensured

the country began in earnest under PM Clement Attlee including the foundation of the Welfare State. Battle of Britain was a struggle the British had to win. And win they did at all costs. The Blitz tested the British nation to the utmost. It inspired a renewed patriotism, sense of national unity and equality. People showed exemplary courage, resilience, determination and discipline against all odds. The nation emerged as a symbol of stoical survival and stood alone in defiance against the might of Nazi Germany. One of the finest places to witness the Battle of Britain is the RAF Museum at Hendon in north London. It’s one of the greatest aviation museum in the world with a huge Battle of Britain Hall (pictured) as part of it, depicting the story of the world’s first decisive air battle (entrance is free).

KAKURO - 62

The numbers in the pink squares refer to the sums of the digits that you must fill into the empty spaces directly below or to the right of the pink square containing the number. For instance, in the given example, Solution of KAKURO - 61 the 2 boxes below 12 must contain 2 14 5 24 20 12 digits that add upto 21 13 4 8 9 9 4 12, whereas for 20, 24 10 4 the 3 boxes places 7 9 6 1 2 4 22 1 4 2 horizontally next to it must add upto 20. 37 1 7 9 4 8 9 3 4 6 No zeroes are used here, only the digits 8 one through nine. 3 8 2 17 3 5 4 Note: 7 11 7 9 30 8 3 6 A digit cannot 22 appear more than 11 7 1 6 1 2 8 once in any partic15 11 17 10 ular digit combina12 1 3 6 7 8 2 9 1 5 tion. For instance in the example, we 30 6 8 9 9 8 7 1 5 cannot have the combination of 10 8+4+8 for 20. 3 6 7 1 2

20 23

23 12

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INDIA

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

Gujarat’s London connection: down the memory lane BY VISHNU PANDYA Diu, now a Union Territory situated in Saurashtra region in Gujarat, London and Surat – all seem to be too distant places, at least at the time of the history which brought about a strong connection among them. Bhimji Parekh was born in Diu but had business in Surat. He was more concerned about awakening the Gujarati community, rather than profit or losses in his busiess. One would definitely find the link amazing, as Gujarat has stood a witness to many Herculean efforts that have been instrumental in changing course of history. When Bhimji Parekh and his friends knew that a printing press is set up and English fonts were being used, and Bible and other books were being printed in Goa, they thought of acquiring Gujarati typography so that Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagvad Gita, Upnishada and other religious literature could be printed and distributed to the people. With such a noble mission in mind, he wrote a letter to the London headquarters of the East India Company on 6th January, 1670. He enquired whether the company was interested in developing and supply of Gujarati typography and other related printing press machinery and material together with the technical expertise. He was prepared to bear the entire cost. He got a reply on 4th April, 1674. The company informed him that they were sending all the necessary printing material and a technical expert named Mr. Henry Hill. Mr. Parekh

was to receive him and the material at Mumbai. Bhimji Parekh was very much excited, as his imagination started running wild. He thought that now the days are not far away when education and publication in Gujarati language will take wings, and people would soon start to enjoy ‘Freedom’ of all types. ….But the sad reality was that the man sent from London had no knowledge of printing technology. The English typography was of no use. Henry Hill could do nothing for the mission that Bhimji Parekh had in mind. Obviously he was disappointed. He again wrote a letter to the board of directors of the East India Company. In 1678, another printing expert and some material reached Gujarat again. A 100 years after that, a Gujarati Parsi gentleman Rustom Kersaspji became the first publisher of a Gujarati book in Mumbai. That was ‘1780 Vikram Samvat’s Calendar’. Azeemullah Khan In the year 1857, lawyer Azeemullah Khan went to London as the advocate for Nanasaheb Peshwa, to seek justice for his King. He became highly popular in England. Many English women even fell in love with him. Azeemullah Khan though was not successful in getting justice. A grand send off ceremony was organised for him. Speaking at the farewell, he said, I had heard that the British were fair in justice, but my experience is that they are unable to deliver justice to us. Azeemullah Khan’s experience in London came in handy during the 1857 uprising in India. He started a newspaper titled ‘Paime Azadi’. The news-

paper became instrumental in mobilising Urdu speaking soldiers to join the uprising. Many a link After 1857, Gujarat’s connection with England has added many chapters in the history. A glimpse of some of the links: Shyamji Krishna Varma went to London for further studies in 1879, with the inspiration and support from Swami Dayanand Saraswati and Lokmanya Tilak. He studied and worked also under Dr. Moniyer Williams, the editor of Sanskrit – English World dictionary. He went on to become a barrister from ‘Inner Temple’ and the first ever graduate from Gujarat from the Oxford University. He returned to India in 1883 and worked as a “Deewan” (the secretary of the king) for diffrent kingdoms in India. He was a close witness to the slavery of India. In 1897, he ragain went to London with his wife Bhanumati. Sardarsinh Ravabhai Rana, a man born at Kantharia village in the then Limbdi state of Saurashtra also went to England to study and become a barrister. He met Shyamji Krishna Varma for the first time in London in 1898. They decided to start the movement for Independence on the soil of Britain. Madam Bhikhaiji Cama also reached London from Mumbai in 1901. The revolutionary minded Gujarati trio started working for their goal of Indian independence. Dadabhai Naoroji was active in public life in England of those days. Madam Cama was also associated with him. A book written by the pro independence English

Thousands greet Dalai Lama at Tawang

Continued from page 1 In spite of the state government trying hard to keep the media at a distance from the Tibetan leader, they managed to get close to him and succeeded in eliciting a response on China’s claim to Tawang. Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Sunday criticised China for objecting to his visit to Arunachal Pradesh and expressed surprise over its claims to the border town of Tawang. The 74-year-old leader, who is visiting Arunachal Pradesh after a gap of six years, said there was no point in holding talks with China on the Tibet issue unless Beijing spelt out its policy on it. The Dalai Lama rejected as baseless Beijing’s charge that he was encouraging a separatist movement. The Nobel Laureate described his

visit to Tawang, which has strong ties to Tibet, as non-political and aimed at promoting universal brotherhood.

Tibetan leader flays China for opposing him, his visits He dismissed the Chinese accusation that he wanted to split that country by creating an independent Tibet. Indian foreign ministry officials were expecting a

stronger reaction from the Chinese government after their state-run media accused New Delhi of orchestrating the Dalai Lama visit. India rejected the charge, saying Dalai Lama had on his own decided to visit Arunachal Pradesh. After his arrival by a helicopter from Guwahati, the 74-year-old Dalai Lama, accompanied by Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Kandu, was welcomed by cheering Tibetans as he drove along the 10-km stretch from the helipad to the 400-yearold Tawang monastery. He blessed the people who greeted him. Dalai Lama inaugurated a museum inside the Tawang Monastry. On Monday, the second day, he inaugurated a hospital at Tawang and also announced a donation of Rs. 2 million for the hospital.

writer-thinker Havelock Alice was banned and Shyamji Krishna Varma as well as other intellectuals participated in demonstrations against the ban. Shyamji Krishna Varma supported the uprising of Boer community of South Africa, when they raised a banner of revolt against the British rule. Famous sociologist and pro independence activist Herbert Spencer passed away in 1903. Herbert Spencer described British Imperialism as ‘Soci ophagous’. Shyamji Krishna Varma announced 5 scholarships in the memory of Herbert Spencer. ‘Indian Home rule Society’ was founded in London in 1905. Shyamji Krishna Varma was elected its president. Among those present at the foundation meeting included Gujaratis like J M Parekh, Sardarsinh Rana, Madam Cama. Editor of ‘Justice’ newspaper H. M. Hindman also attended the meeting. Pandit Shyamji Krishna Varma started a newspaper titled ‘Indian Sociologist’. It always carried a famous sentence of Herbert Spencer on the front page: “Everyman is free to that which he wills, provided he infringes not the equal freedom of any other man.” Spencer also had another famous sentence to credit: “Resistance to aggression is not simply justifiable, but imperative; non-resistance hurts both – altruism and egoism.” This newspaper was published from London during 1905 to 1907, from Paris during 1907 to 1914 and thereafter upto 1924 from Geneva. Pro freedom activists and leaders of various countries wrote articles for this newspa-

per; it carried reports of historic events and various letters also were a part of its attraction. India House In July 1905, a property located at 95, Cromwell Avenue, London N6 was purchased and India House was established. With that, Shyamji Krishna Varma became the torch bearer of India’s freedom struggle in foreign land. The inmates of the house included stalwarts like Madanlal Dhingra, Veer Sawarkar, Lala Hardayal, V S Aiyer, Suhravardi, Madam Cama, Sardarsinh Rana. It was a three storey building situated near the High Gate. The opening of India House was a historic event. It was inaugurated by H M Hindman. Editor of ‘Positive Review’ Sidney, leader of women’s freedom movement Mrs. Despard, Dadabhai Naoroji, Lala Lajpatrai, Parmeshwari Lal etc. were present at the inauguration. Lokmanya Tilak conveyed his best wishes through a letter from Pune. Veer Sawarkar V i n a y a k r a o Damodarrao Sawarkar arrived in London on 09 June, 1906 armed with a letter from Lokmanya Tilak. He got admission into the India House. This was the beginning of many a historic events. The celebrations of the golden jubilee of the 1857 uprising ; the writing of the history of 1857 uprising; killing of Curzon Willy by Madanlal Dhingra, death sentence to Madanlal; Winston Churchill appreciating the martyrdom of Dhingra; the ban on ‘Indian Sociologist’; sentencing of Guy-de-Eldred for publishing this newspaper; arrest of Veer Sawarkar at the Victoria station; his jumping into

the sea at the Marcellus port in France as a prisoner; prosecution of Sawarkar in a Hague court and the sentence of two life imprisonment to Sawarkar in India; Salute to the first Indian national flag by Madam Cama and Sardarsinh Rana at the international socialist convention in Stuttgart; imprisonment of Sardarsinh Rana at Bordox in France; death of his son there and so on…. India House was at the centre of all these crucial events. The link of Gujaratis with London and India’s freedom struggle that began well before 1905 continued till 1947 and even beyond. A plan for ‘Society of Political Missionary’ was evolved in 1907. ‘Free India Society’ was founded. All the revolutionaries, freedom fighters who were in various countries like Ireland, Egypt, China, Russia, France, Afghanistan, Burma (now Myanmar), Thailand were contacted. Lenin paid a secret visit to ‘India House’. Maxim Gorky, the revolutionary activist, writer and journalist described Shyamji Krishna Varma as “Mazini of India” and invited him to write in his newspaper “Videsh Vrut”. Gujaratis were instrumental in many more memorable events that had unfolded in England between 1905 and 1947. The round table conference attended by Mahatma Gandhi; the efforts of liberal minded English people; the activities of the freedom fighters are a few of them. More of such anecdotes about some unknown, unsung Gujarati heros will be presented in the next part.

At last, truce in Karnataka BJP BJP veteran L K Advani couldn’t have asked for a better birthday gift, atleast this year. Crisis in the party’s Karnataka unit blew over, with the rebel Reddy brothers having agreed to accept Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa as their leader. Yeddyurappa and chief rebel Janardhana Reddy offering each other cake at the residence of party veteran LK Advani who was celebrating his 82nd birthday. The truce may have seemed like a birthday gift for Advani, but the cake could have tasted bitter for both Yeddyurappa and Reddy as its terms were not what either side really wanted. For the “Bellary brothers” — Janardhana and Karunakara — they have not been able to

ensure changes in portfolios that will now be discussed by a coordination committee. While the Reddys were keen to hold out for more, restiveness among their followers who feared an election if there was no deal and BJP high command’s tough message to Karnataka speaker Jagadish Shettar to stop being a rallying point for rebels yielded results. Janardhana arrived in Delhi on Saturday night. The Reddys did draw blood with Yeddyurappa having got rid of his principal secretary VP Baligar and the imminent ouster of the CM’s favourite minister Shobha Karandlaje. But no other minister is being dropped for now while Yeddyurappa has stood firm on not rescinding the transfers of officials from

Bellary. Fresh postings will be made in consultation with the Reddys. Shettar is expected to be inducted into the ministry while any reshuffle will be discussed by the coordination panel. The coordination committee will comprise the CM, Janardhana Reddy, state chief Sadanand Gowda, state leader S Satish and party organising secretary Santosh. The panel — a very similar arrangement to what Congress has set up to sort out factional pressures in Haryana — will certainly be seen as a diminution of Yeddyurappa’s powers. It has sufficient RSS representation though there is no central leader on it. The CM will have to put up with a pressure group on issues like appointments which were his preserve.

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

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Sport in Action Vettori leads NZ to ODI series win Pakistan squandered the chance with poor batting display Pakistan started their three match ODI series with a bang in Abu Dhabhi, beating the Kiwis by an impressive margin of 138 runs, but perhaps that was all. New Zealand bounced back in the second game, while in the third and last of the ODIs, Pakistan did well to restrict New Zealand to 211 runs, but could not push through and lost the match in the last over, as the Kiwis kept their cool after Mohammad Aamer had created a scare. Ajmal lost the way in the final over, though the pair cre-

Zaheer returns, Sreesanth a surprise in Indian team for Lanka tests Zaheer Khan was very much expected to return after recovering from his injury, S Sreesanth, the controversial kid was a surprise package among the 15 member team that the Indian selectors announced on Tuesday for the three test match home series against the visiting Sri Lankan team. Ashish Nehra was a surprise omission, while Irfan Pathan seems to have fallen out of the favour, for lack of a good performance. Dhoni will be the skipper, while seasoned batsmen – Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman have also found favour for the longer, classical version of the game. Selectors have picked three spinners Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha and Amit Mishra, and three pacers Sreesanth, Zaheer and Ishant Sharma. Squad: MS Dhoni (Captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, M Vijay, Pragyan Ojha, S Sreesanth, S Badrinath.

The victorious New Zealand team with the trophy

ated a few records with Aamer’s lusty hittings. Pakistan needed only 212 to clinch a 2-1 series victory on a placid pitch but their batting crumbled

in a typically dramatic fashion. Mohammad Aamer scripted a phenomenal drama with Saeed Ajmal before it ended in an anti-climax in the final

over. Finally, the series went 2 – 1 to New Zealand Aamer’s unbeaten 73 is the highest score recorded for a no. 10 batsman in ODIs. {Brief scores: 3rd ODI - NZ 211 (McCullum 76, Ajmal 4-33) beat Pak 204 (Aamer 73*) by 7 runs. 2nd ODI - NZ 303 for 8 (McCullum 131, Guptill 62) beat Pak 239 (Butt 59, Styris 3-23) by 64 runs. 1st ODI - Pak 287 for 9 (Latif 64, Afridi 70, Kamran 67*) beat NZ 149 (Redmond 52, Vettori 38, Afridi 2-46) by 138 runs}

Indian women win 4 boxing medals at Asian Indoor Games

India ended the Asian Indoor games on seventh position with 40 medals (six gold, nine silver and 25 bronze). The event ended on Sunday at Hanoi in Vietnam. Indian success with gold medal came from men’s Kabbadi, snooker, 4 x 100 m medlay relay as well as two golds from women boxers. China led the medal tally with 47 gold, 23 silver and 19 bronze, while hosts Vietnam secured second second position with 41 gold, 29 silver and 21 bronze. Kazakhstan

stood third with Gold medal to her 21 gold, 16 silver four world champiand 21 bronze. onship titles in the India won a 46 kg category, gold medal each while Kavita Goyat in the men's punched her way 4X100m medley to the second gold relay and men's medal of her career snooker team in the 64 kg. e v e n t . L Sarita Devi Ratnadeepti and N Usha also Kamalakar won a won silver medals Mary Kom silver in 50 kg in their respective semi-contact kick-boxing categories. while the chess mixed Mary Kom beat local team brought a bronze. lady Hoa Nguyen Thi 8 -6, M C Mary Kom did while Kavita was successIndia proud again last ful against Khassenova week as she added another Saida of Kazhakstan 8-4.

Taibu ton in vain; SA beat Zimbabwe Chasing a bit of a stiff target in their opening ODI on their South Africa tour, Zimbabwe lost the battle very early, but later managed to put up stiff resistance with Tatenda Taibu and Stuart Matsikenyeri almost holding up the fort. Yet, their effort was a little too short, as they didn’t have enough overs to turn the tables on the hosts. South Africa thus started their home season with a 45 run victory at Benoni on Sunday in the first game. Taibu, in the process helped himself with his second ODI century. After their early exit

from the Champions Trophy, South Africa's reshaped batting unit produced a solid effort as they piled up 295 for 5. Hashim Amla top-scored with 80, while a fluent run-a-ball 51 from AB de Villiers and a powerful 39-ball fifty by Albie Morkel helped the home team put up a challenging target. Debutant Ryan McLaren struck twice early and Dale Steyn claiming two in four balls, the game seemed to be heading for a swift end. However, the sixth wicket pair of Taibu and Matsikenyeri had some different ideas. They built

a stiff resistance with Zimbabwe's highest sixthwicket stand and their second largest partnership in ODIs. South Africa's bowling was a concern for them during the Champions Trophy and things do not seem to have improved much. Unlike the bowlers, South Africa's batsmen appeared in a bit of good form. {Brief scores: SA 295 for 5 (Amla 80, de Villiers 51, Morkel 50*, Price 344) beat Zim 250 for 5 (Taibu 103*, Matsikenyeri 86, McLaren 3-51) by 45 runs}

12-year-old Sarfaraz scores 439 Mumbai, it seems is about to produce another Sachin Tendulkar. A 12 year schoolboy, Sarfaraz Khan created a new record of scoring 439 runs in a Harris Shield inter school tournament last week. With 56 hits to the fence and 12 sixes, Sarfaraz broke the record of 427 not out, set by R Nagdev, more than 40 years ago. Sachin Tendulkar, as a school boy had 346 runs in the same tourney 21 years ago. “My father was telling me I should try and better Tendulkar’s score,” Sarfaraz said. His father Naushan Khan is a local coach who has trained a couple of the current Mumbai Ranji players. Sarfaraz, who grew up in the Mumbai, has been involved with the game since childhood, and has already been to a fair number of selection trials. “Once I had gone for the Mumbai Indians’ selections, where I saw Mohammad Ashraful and Sachin Tendulkar talking.”

Delhi CWG get 16.20 bn budget support from govt Hit by delays and escalating cost of infrastructure, the 2010 Commonwealth Games, to be staged in New Delhi received a massive budgetary boost with the central government allocating Rs 16.20 billion as loan to the Organising Committee of the event. "The Union Cabinet approved the proposal of Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for providing a revised budget of Rs 16.20 billion, as loan to the Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010, at the prevailing government rate of interest, for organising the CWG at Delhi during October 3 to 14, 2010. Budget approved earlier was Rs 7.67 billion," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni informed the media. Elaborating on the reasons for the budgetary hike, she said rising cost of opening and closing ceremonies, the increase in the number of days for Queen's Baton Relay from 136 to 240 days for international leg and from 60 to 100 days for domestic leg were among the reasons that forced the increased allocation.

Indian eves are runners up in Asia Cup hockey Indian women’s hockey team came out with flying colours in the just concluded Women’s Asia Cup Hockey tournament, as they emerged runners-up after giving a tough fight to the champions China in the final on Sunday at Bangkok. Indian eves have secured a berth in the World Cup Hockey to be played in Argentina next year China outpaced India with a 5-3 scoreline to take their second Asia Cup title (after 1989). Indian eves performance was noteworthy as China were ranked 3rd while India was way behind at 14. Three quick goals in 15 minutes of the first session (13th, 18th and 27th) saw the Chinese take the upper hand, even though it was India who had started the scoring. Their captain Surinder Kaur scored in the 8th minute. The Chinese did not relent till the end and, despite the Indian team coming back strongly in the second half to score twice — through Mamta Kharab (47th) and Deepika Thakur (54th) — the Chinese added two more to their tally.

ICC World Cup Cricket 2011 schedule Date

Match

Venue

Feb 19 Feb 20 Feb 20 Feb 21 Feb 22 Feb 23 Feb 24 Feb 25 Feb 25 Feb 26 Feb 27 Feb 28 Feb 28 Mar 1 Mar 2

B’desh v/s India Dhaka (B’desh) NZ v/s Kenya, Chennai (India) SL v/s Canada Hambantota (Sri Lanka) OZ v/s Zim Ahmedabad (India) Eng.v/s Netherlands Nagpur (India) Pak v/s Kenya Hambantota (Sri Lanka) SA v/s WI New Delhi (India) OZ v/s NZ Nagpur (India) B’desh v/s Ireland Dhaka (B’desh) SL v/s Pakistan Colombo (Sri Lanka) India v/s England Kolkata (India) WI v/s Netherlands New Delhi (India) Zim v/s Canada Nagpur (India) SL v/s Kenya Colombo (Sri Lanka) England v/s Ireland Bangalore (India)

Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar

3 3 4 4 5 6 6 7 8 9 10 11 11 12 13 13 14

SA v/s Netherlands Pak v/s Canada NZ v/s Zim B’desh v/s WI SL v/s OZ India v/s Ireland England v/s SA Kenya v/s Canada Pakistan v/s NZ India v/s Nether. SL v/s Zim WI v/s Ireland B’desh v/s England India v/s SA NZ v/s Canada OZ v/s Kenya Pakistan v/s Zim

Mohali (India) Colombo (Sri Lanka) Ahmedabad (India) Dhaka (B’desh) Colombo (Sri Lanka) Bangalore (India) Chennai (India) New Delhi (India) Pallekele (Sri Lanka) New Delhi (India) Pallekele (Sri Lanka) Mohali (India) Chittagong (B’desh) Nagpur (India) Mumbai (India) Bangalore (India) Pallekele (Sri Lanka)

Mar 14 Mar 15 Mar 16 Mar 17 Mar 18 Mar 18 Mar 19 Mar 19 Mar 20 Mar 20 Mar 23 Mar 24 Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 29 Mar 30 April 2

B’desh v/s Nether. SA v/s Ireland OZ v/s Canada England v/s WI SL v/s NZ Ireland v/s Nether. OZ v/s Pakistan B’desh v/s SA Zim v/s Kenya India v/s WI Quarter-final Quarter-final Quarter-final Quarter-final Semi-final Semi-final Final

Chittagong (B’desh) Kolkata (India) Bangalore (India) Chennai (India) Mumbai (India) Kolkata (India) Colombo (Sri Lanka) Dhaka (B’desh) Kolkata (India) Chennai (India) Dhaka (B’desh) Colombo (Sri Lanka) Dhaka (B’desh) Ahmedabad (India) Colombo (Sri Lanka) Mohali (India) Mumbai (India)

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Asian Voice - Saturday 14th November 2009

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OZ defy odds, bag ODI honours India crumble for 170 at Guwahati, series lost 2 - 4

They didn’t have a couple of their regulars right at the start, had seen more head back home as the team was struggling to give a quality fight to India. Yet, beating heavy odds, Australia won three games on a trot against the hosts to take the ODI series 4 – 2 at Guwahati on Sunday after India came very close to beating them at Hyderabad in the earlier game. In a rather sharp contrast, Guwahati spectators were a highly disappointed lot as Dhoni called the coin correctly, but he himself and most of the other frontline batsmen failed to make a match of it. On a slightly damp pitch in the first day game, Mitchell Johnson combined with Doug Bollinger to bundle out India for 170 before Shane Watson gave a solid start to the chase to ensure Australia cantered to a series win. Bollinger was at the top of his game on a track conducive to his style. He found his mark immediately, nipping out two wickets early and snapping twin dangerous partnerships, as he went on for impressive figures of 5 for 35. Johnson - back in the side after missing the last game - scythed through the top order to leave India tottering at 27 for 5. Thanks to Ravindra Jadeja – he featured in two fighting partnerships – India managed to put a respectable score of 170. First he joined with his skipper in damage control job, then a whirlwind one with Praveen Kumar to raise hopes of a revival. Bollinger returned to remove both batsmen to ensure that Australia wouldn’t have too many to chase. The start wasn't flattering - his second delivery was whiplashed for six over point by Virender Sehwag - but Johnson bounced back in the same over to start the demolition job. It was a full delivery, Sehwag shaped for his big drive but the ball curved in to thread the gap and splayed the stumps. Next, he removed Gautam Gambhir with a delivery on middle and off,

Ricky Ponting shapes to sweep at Guwahati on Monday

to which the batsman shaped to work it to the on side as if he expected it to angle into his pads. But, to his horror, the ball straightened to hit off stump. Johnson went on to trouble Yuvraj Singh before he dismissed Suresh Raina after harassing him with his bounce. While Johnson created an opening with his incisive bowling, Bollinger ensured India didn’t come back into the game with consistent seam bowling. There is nothing flashy about Bollinger; yet on Sunday it was enough to get him the big wickets of Sachin, Yuvraj and Dhoni. Dhoni, who was fortunate to survive a caughtbehind decision when he was 0, was given out lbw to the same bowler to a delivery that was missing off stump. The final margin would have been far bigger as India were wobbling at 75 for 7 but Jadeja and Praveen, who caned Clint McKay for 28 runs with several audacious hits over mid-off and midon, played the best knocks of their respective careers to increase the target. However, they just managed to save India from total collapse. The chase could have been tricky on a pitch that was increasingly aiding turn but Watson stole the show with positive batting. He stretched forward to the spinners, ensured he kept his pads away from the line and played

several skillful shots. There were two fours in particular that stood out, both against Jadeja. They were arm-balls, fizzing towards the top of off, and Watson brought his bat down at the last minute to crunch them past first slip. Harbhajan created a minor scare by removing both Watson and Ricky Ponting in quick succession but in the absence of a big target and with India possessing only one quality spinner, Mike Hussey and Cameron White slowly but surely pushed Australia to a worthy series win. In the previous game at Hyderabad, India had almost clinched a tough victory, but losing

Tendulkar and Raina at crucial moments cost them the match, as they lost by just a whisker – Australia won by 3 runs in a run riot that saw almost 700 runs scored. India felt more sorry as Sachin Tendulkar scored a very impressive 175 with a strike rate of more than a run a ball. {Brief scores: 6th ODI - OZ 172 for 4 (Watson 49, Hussey 35*) beat India 170 (Jadeja 57, Praveen 54*, Bollinger 535) by 6 wickets. 5th ODI - OZ 350 for 4 (Marsh 112, Watson 93, White 57) beat India 347 (Tendulkar 175, Raina 59, Watson 3-47, McKay 359) by 3 runs}

Pak to play all World Cup group games in Lanka The ICC event opens with India – B’desh game at Mirpur on 19 Feb. 2011 It will start at Mirpur in Bangladesh on February 19 and culminate on April 2 at Mumbai in India. The fixtures for the ICC World Cup Cricket were released on Monday at Mumbai. While India and Bangladesh will feature in the opening game, India will be playing their first home game at Kolkatta against England on February 27. Pakistan, which lost the opportunity of co-hosting the event, will be playing all their group matches in Sri Lanka. The Island nation will be hosting a total of 12 matches. The tournament in India, which is hosting 29 matches in all, will kick off with New Zealand playing Kenya in Chennai on February 20. India will also play their four remaining group games at home. Defending champions Australia begin their campaign against Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad on February 21. The quarter-finals will be played in Dhaka on March 23 and 25, in Colombo on March 24 and in Ahmedabad on March 26 while the two semifinals will be played in Colombo and Mohali on March 29 and 30. The renovated Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will host the final on April 2. "This announcement is an important indicator of the excellent progress we are making towards our

flagship event which brings together teams from all our Members in nation-versus-nation action," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said in Mumbai. "Preparation of venues and safety and security planning continues and I am confident that the host countries will showcase our great sport with its great spirit in the best possible light." A total of 13 venues will be used over the 43day tournament. The duration of the championship is a week shorter than the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies. The ten Full Member countries and four Associates have been divided into two groups of seven each, with the top four from each group qualifying for the quarter-finals. Group A includes Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya. Group B comprises India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and the Netherlands.

Global slump hits F1 racing, now Toyota drives out Honda quit earlier, tyre maker Bridgestone not to renew exclusive supplies deal The global recession has hit the auto industry the most. The negative spin off is that three Japanese majors have announced pull out from the Formula 1 racing. The reasons are cost cutting to survive in this troubled times. It all started in December last year, when Honda Motor became the first company to quit the racing sport. Now, Toyota is the second car maker to announce a pull out. Toyota is the world’s biggest car manufacturer. The company reported heavy losses in the year ended March, 09 and it is anticipated that

they will still be in the red for the six monthly results, to be announced soon.

Further, Bridgestone Corporation has also said it will not renew the contract for exclusive sup-

plies of tyres to F1 after the current one that is to end in 2010. Hondo’s team was taken over by Brawn GP. Fuji International Speedway, a company owned by Toyota has also announced in July this year that it would not host the Japanese F1 GP from 2010, also with the objective to cut costs. Two other Japanese automakers Subaru and Suzuki pulled out of the World Rally Championship ahead of this season, citing concerns about the global economic crisis.