Asian Voice

FIRST & FOREMOST ASIAN WEEKLY IN EUROPE

VOL 40. ISSUE 30

FDI can increase organized retail market size: CII In a statement the Confederation of Indian Industry said that opening up of FDI in India can increase organized retail market size to US$ 260 billion by 2020. FDI in multi brand retail will give a boost to the organised retail sector, which positively impacts several stakeholders including - producers, workers, employees and consumers and Government and hence, the overall economy.

This would result in an aggregate increase in income of US$ 35/45 billion per year for all producers combined; 3/4 million new direct jobs and around 4/6 million new indirect jobs in the logistics sector, contract labour in the distribution and repackaging centers, housekeeping and security staff in the stores.

The government too stands to gain by this move by transparent and accountable monitoring of goods and supply chain management systems.

The government can be expected to receive an additional income of US$ 25/30 billion by way of a variety of taxes.

Continued on page 26

VOICE

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

80p

Risks on all sides as strike looms in Britain Much of Britain will grind a halt on Wednesday, November 30, when two million public sector workers are planning to strike work in protest against pension cuts. It may be the biggest public sector strike.

Such strikes give ways to chaos as customs and immigration officials' participation in the walkout is taking center stage in the union-led action and looks set to cause misery for travellers. Long queues at immigration started forming at airports with the situation worsening throughout the day. More than just an inconveniently long wait at passport control, immigration at London Heathrow, Britain's busiest airport, is expected to be delayed so severely that passengers could be held on incoming aircraft to avoid congestion in the terminals.

Overcrowding inside terminals would ultimately

cause delays for both planes on the ground as well as those headed for Heathrow, forcing diversions and displacing crews. The bad news has been tempered somewhat by an announcement from the British government outlining a plan for striking border control staff to be replaced by other civil servants not involved in the industrial action.

Additionally, regional airports are not likely to suf-

fer the same kind of disruption expected at Heathrow as they process far fewer international passengers, but passengers should still be prepared to face delays.

School playgrounds will be silent and lecture halls still. Health workers will join the walkout.

The stick behind the government's back is the threat of new strike legislation.

Continued on page 26

3rd December to 9th December 2011

Damaged sacred chariot sparks outrage in Tooting Hindu community A £100,000 sacred wooden chariot was destroyed by arsonists last Thursday sparking outrage in the Hindu community.

The chariot, also known as a juggernaut, was kept in the car park behind the Sivayogam London Muthumari Amman Kovil temple in Hebdon Road, Tooting.

N a g e n d r a n Seevaradnam, 74, founder and spiritual leader of the temple spoke of his distress at the wanton act of destruction. He said: “It is a very significant item to a Hindu Temple, it is a beautiful chariot.

“Everybody is crying.

I felt they poured petrol on me.”

Four hooded men were caught on CCTV pouring petrol on the juggernaut before setting it alight just before midnight on November 17.

One of the arsonist is believed to have been injured during the fire which left the chariot

damaged beyond repair.

It is not yet clear if there was a racial or religious motivation for the crime.

A local paper reported that Council leader Ravi Govindia has called on all sections of the community to come together to combat the violent behaviour.

He said: “This was not an attack just on the Hindu community in Tooting - it was an attack on each and every one of us.

“Tooting is such a successful multicultural community and an attack on any one of these communities will never be acceptable.

“Now is the time for everyone who deplores such behaviour to stand shoulder to shoulder with each other in defence of these values.”

Local MP Sadiq Khan is also urging witnesses to come forward who may have seen the arsonists set fire to the chariot.

Continued on page 25

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Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

one to one Keith Vaz MP with

Dr Stephen M Pereira, Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Pereira LLP & Medical Director of The Insight Network (part of Spire Healthcare) Dr Stephen Pereira is a specialist in Cognitive Behaviour therapy (CBT), having trained at the Oxford School, which has a worldwide reputation as a Centre of Excellence in CBT. He also trained in Behaviour Therapy at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College and has an MSc in CBT and Marital / Sexual problems at Guy’s Hospital, London. Dr Pereira has over 25 years experience in psychiatry and has also been in private practice in the City of London for the past 12 years.

He has developed a National Centre of Excellence in Psychiatric Intensive Care and is a winner of 8 National awards including UK Hospital Doctor of the Year in Psychiatry, Medical Manager, Team of the Year, Mental Health and Clinical Governance Team of the Year DOH, runners up (2001) along with a number of Best Practice awards.He is currently Consultant Psychiatrist – Keats House at London Bridge & Capio Nightingale Hospital, Lisson Grove & The London CBT Centre. He is also an Honorary Senior Lecturer, in Psychiatry at Guys, Kings, St Thomas’s School of Medicine. He is also Chairman of NAPICU, a National Association of Psychiatric Intensive Care Units, the National Lead for Intensive Care Psychiatry at the Department of Health and is on the editorial board of the International Journal of Psychiatric Intensive Care.He lectures regularly in the City of London, at the London Chamber of Commerce, for major corporations, internationally at conferences and various other venues.He has co-authored the first worldwide textbook on Psychiatric Intensive Care. He has also developed two educational courses; a Masters Diploma certificate in Psychiatric Intensive Care with NAPICU and Southbank University, the first of its kind internationally and a psychiatric intensive care module for the MSc in Mental Health studies at King’s College.

1) What inspired you to begin your career in your chosen field?

I was inspired by a natural curiosity in human nature and the mind as well as a personal experience of mental illness in my family, and lastly a desire to make a difference 2) What are your proudest achievements?

My Proudest achievement each time is fundamentally getting each patient I see in my practice well – namely getting people from considerable distress to mental contentment.

The second achievement was getting £160 million from the Department of Health for improvement of Psychiatric Intensive Care Units (PICU) and low secure units for patients with severe mental illness (SMI) which resulted in improvement in life for about 8000 patients Thirdly, conceptualising and delivering a National Minimum Standards for PICU and Low secure units, a Department of Health Policy Implementation Guide benefiting vulnerable patients.

Lastly, Co-founding NAPICU (National Association of Psychiatric Intensive Care Units).

3) Please tell us about your current position?

I am a Consultant Psychiatrist providing psychological and psychiatric interventions using Cognitive Behavioural

Lord Noon & Lord Kamlesh Patel debates on VAT amendments Lord Noon took part in a debate, led by Lord Kamlesh Patel to support the VAT amendment and won by 12 votes. The Bill is now on its way to the House of Parliament for review.

Lord Gulam Noon spoke about key issues faced by the charitable sector with respect to VAT exemptions. He spoke about the combined contribution of services that amounts to more than 26mn hours of care every year. He said, “In excess of 2,000 adult in patient beds are provided by the voluntary sector and more than 1 mn is raised in charitable donations every day...In fact estimated value of 100,000 volunteers is said to be more than £112mn each year...”

The Labour peer spoke about the equality in financial arrangements

Lord Patel

Lord Noon

when providers are in the same market. “I believe that competition can be harnessed for good and that there are many benefits to be realised by opening up the healthcare sector to this kind of discipline. However competition must be fair and the current arrangements on VAT between health services and charitable sector are certainly not fair...,” he further added.

As a donor and sup-

porter of Marie Curie Cancer Care, he spoke about the important services of the nurses who provide essential care for patients and their families at the most needed times.

As the largest hospice care outside the NHS, he spoke how its services are vital to those who want to die in their own home, but cannot afford to. Statistics show only 20% can, while 65% aspire to die amongst friends and family.

Therapy to look after the mental well being and health for patients predominately in the City of London. I am also the Chairman of NAPICU (National Association of Psychiatric Intensive Care Units).

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

The biggest obstacle of my career is having only 7 days in 1 week and 24 hours in 1 day.

Also being too innovative at times and therefore having to get people in to buy into that innovation earlier than they should.

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

My wife.

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

To be in the privileged position of being able to make a meaningful difference to other people’s lives 7) And the worst?

The most difficult thing about my current role is undoubtedly not being

able to see more patients, and of course the paperwork my role requires.

8) What are your long term goals?

To convince more people to overcome the stigma of mental illness and to seek help for their problems and getting people to accept help for their problems, as there is help available and not accepting it on account of ignorance or stigma can be frustrating.

To help create a more meaningful Mental Health Service which is fit for purpose to accurately and sensitively meet with the mental health needs of patients and also to help create a service for the poorest section of society via establishing a Mental Health Charity.

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

I would make the public sector more efficient and fit for purpose and with fewer managers.

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

Sigmund Freud to understand how he came up with conceptualisation of the mind into Ego, Id and the Superego as well as conscious and unconscious mind. Adolph Hitler as I would be interested to find out why he was so delusional about the superiority of the Aryan race and do some Cognitive Behavioural Therapy work with him and to help cure him of his delusions.Gandhi in order to find out why he was so self sacrificial

Legal secretary admits 500,000 theft A legal secretary has admitted stealing nearly £500,000 from clients’ accounts. One of 25-yearold Leanne Harris’s two victims was an elderly woman over whom she had power of attorney, Hove Crown Court was told.

The court heard Harris wrote false cheques in the name of a Mr Harris, taking more than £419,000 from client Joan Watson. Harris admitted five counts of fraud against Ms Watson.

She also admitted The peer said the new arrangements for commissioning mean that other organisations can provide more health services. In conclusion he emphasised how the amendment would pave a way to achieve the goal of lesser burden on charities.

stealing £64,815 between August 2007 and April 2010 from Miriam Turnbull, over whom she had power of attorney.

Prosecutor Michael Warren did not open the details of the Crown’s case.

Defending, Lewis Power QC said Harris and her husband had faced financial difficulties and were struggling to repay loans, meet bills and pay a mortgage. He added that Harris was “deeply ashamed” of her actions

People ■ Mukesh "Mike" Patel and his fellow Committee Members from AHOA were spotted having lunch at the House of Commons recently. There were mutterings that the Palace could be the next Hilton.

■ The Foreign Minister of Bangladesh is one of the Keynote Speakers at a Conference on Radicalism held at De Montford University on 13th December. Also there will be the Reverend Jessie Jackson.

■ George Jatania is becoming very casual these days. He is taken to coming to functions tieless. But perhaps this counts as national dress.

Yoga 'named' as evil?

While the west has taken a fancy to Yoga, meditation and such practices to live a healthy life, it came as a shock when the Chief exorcist of the Vatican declared it as ‘evil’.

Yoga a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility.

Reportedly Father Gabriel Amorth who has carried out more than 70,000 exorcisms in his capacity as Chief Exorcist at the Vatican, at a conference surprised the delegates by revealing some of his greatest dislikes - yoga and Harry Potter.

Father Amorth, a colourful and often outspoken personality, said: ‘Practising yoga brings evil as does reading Harry Potter. They may both seem innocuous but they both deal with magic and that leads to evil.’

He added:’Yoga is the Devil’s work. You thing you are doing it for stretching your mind and body but it leads to Hinduism. All these oriental religions are based on the false belief of reincarnation.’

We would like to know your opinion about the statement. Write to Asian Voice at aveditorial@ abplgroup.com in 100 words about what you feel (with full contact details - for our record purposes)...

Brit-Indian tycoon sells London home Lord Raj Bagri is reported to have sold a stately home in north London’s Regent’s Park for a record-breaking 120 million as per an article in Times of India published on 21st November.

Bagri started his working life as an apprentice metal trader in Kolkata, before being posted by his firm to London. He established his own company and was elevated to the prestigious position of chairman of the London Metal Exchange.

Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

COMMENT

Drone attack leaves US-Nato ties with Pakistan in a shambles The West's 'strategic' alliance with Pakistan was not made in heaven, as its architects appeared to believe at the inception of the union many moons ago. The US and its principal Nato partners, especially Britain, as the erstwhile colonial power with close historic links to the Muslim League - the party responsible for Pakistan's creation; were one and all eanmoured of this new Islamic state, seeing it as an indispensable weapon in the Cold War against the Soviet Union. Military aid was what really mattered to both parties; it was to define their relationship thereafter. The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, as the American novelist John Steinbeck acutely perceived. While the US-Nato target was the Soviet Union, for Pakistan the 'eternal' enemy was (and remains) 'Hindu' India, the visceral hatred driving every fibre of the body politic in good times and bad.

Times have changed but the Pakistani mindset cast in stone for decades, has not. The country's Faustian pact with the US has brought few tangible rewards for the populace; the bloated military grows and grows as do its political and business cronies. It barely dawned on this dysfunctional elite that America's post-Cold War agenda had a different emphasis, that the Pakistan connection was now subject to the law of diminishing returns. Meanwhile, Pakistani ambitions soared. The military, the true arbiters of power in the land, crafted a role for Pakistan as the regional hub, in control of Afghanistan for reasons of 'strategic depth' in a war with India, with footloose jehadis at call to destabilise the

hated neighbour to the south. It was an Islamist take on Kipling's Great Game and it hasn't worked, and it never will.

The cat and mouse game Islamabad has played with its former handlers in Washington carries risks that can maim and destroy the initiator. There will always be a limit to what Uncle Sam is prepared to take from an erstwhile pawn.

US largesse has kept Pakistan afloat. Tall talk to the contrary and the incendiary rhetoric of the Pakistani street constitute a theatre of the absurd; its players have their exits and their entrances, no more. The recent Nato drone attack on a Pakistani border outpost adjacent to Afghanistan killed 24 Pakistani soldiers and injured many others. The Pakistani street was outraged. Justifiably so. From the assassination of Osama bin Laden in his Abbottobad hideout to this were brazen assaults on the nation's sovereignty. Calls for the suspension of links with America are inebriating but quite futile. The Pakistan military and political elite need American money – lots and lots of it - to sustain their extravagant lifestyle. Pride will be duly swallowed and the US-Pakistan show will take to the road once more. Without a proper civil society, a democracy underpinned by the appropriate institutions and the rule of law, it cannot be otherwise. Trapped by its sterile past, Pakistan is unable to engage with the present and future. Its myriad sins of omission and commission have to be addressed first before this tortured country starts putting itself together again. The rest is vanity.

Peculiarities of the Middle Kingdom China, known also as the Middle Kingdom, is the world's newest superpower, as the country's ruling gerontocracy in Beijing is always reminding us lesser beings. “Power grows out of the barrel of a gun,” pronounced Mao Dzedong. It doesn't always, but how was he to know as peasant warlord long accustomed to living and dying by the sword. The subtleties and enduring allure of soft power transcended the Chairman's limited understanding of the true verities of life and history. What Chairman Mao possessed in rare abundance was cultural and ethnic Han conceit, a characteristic of almost every occupant of the dragon throne. Nothing in the world truly matters unless it has a Han pedigree. Out of this has emerged a statecraft that placed China at the centre of the known universe, with tributary states on the periphery perpetually kowtowing to the Son of Heaven.

For all its undoubted material progress, China's rulers are hobbled by the past. Their attitude towards India is one of deep disdain and it shows in the country's diplomacy.

Berating and routinely haranguing India to mend its recalcitrant ways and obey the diktats emanating from Beijing as Confucian tradition enjoins has become the rule rather than the exception. The latest Sino-Indian contretemps involved ad nauseam the Dalai Lama and an

international Buddhist conference in New Delhi he is scheduled to address. In a rudely worded note, Beijing demanded that the Tibetan dignitary be banned from speaking; as if this weren't enough the conference itself had to be aborted.

Not surprisingly, both demands were firmly rejected. for reasons not difficult to fathom.

Earlier, Beijing had demanded India stop its oil and gas explorations with Vietnam in the South China Sea to which Beijing has laid exclusive claim. It seeks to pressure India through the Sino-Pakistan regional axis. No-one in Delhi trembles, no-one in Hanoi obeys. They prefer to leave the Middle Kingdom to its own devices, Chinese truculence is a tedious fact of life but it needs rebuttal in the interests of a durable peace. Any apprehensions concerning the reach and effectiveness of India's nuclear and conventional deterrence must be kept alive, and Chinese threats and boorishness – National Socialism with Chinese characteristics – repelled as futile, self-defeating exercises. A superpower given to raving and ranting at a gentle and refined personage such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and at the pacifist Falungong is clearly plagued by its inner demons. The superpower would be better off taking a powerful dose of salts to achieve inner peace.

Troubling news from Whitehall Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne's pre-Budget Autumn Statement has brought little cheer to the country. The earlier sunbeams of hope that the Coalition's Plan A to reduce the national debt through cutbacks in public spending have been disappearing fast in clouds of darkening scepticism. When Mr Osborne addressed Parliament the bleak truth was laid bare. Borrowing over the next four years was set to rise ￡112 billion over previous estimates.

New forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility show just 0.9 per cent growth this year, compared to 1.7 per cent predicted last March, and a drastically downgraded 0,7 per cent growth for the next year (2012-13). With growth in subsequent years also set to fall short of previous expectations – which means lower tax returns and higher benefits spending, thus ruining the Chancellor's plans for zero deficit by 2015.

Mr Osborne accepted that because the structural elements of the deficit had increased, the Government would be compelled to borrow ￡79 billion in 2014-15 – more than double the ￡37 billion previously forecast and more than ￡74 billion predicted by the former Labour Chancellor Alistair Darling.

Meanwhile, the crisis in the Eurozone continues. Its outcome will impact on Britain's economic prospects and determine the economic and social health of the EU, as well as those of the US and markets beyond. In a word, it might develop into a global crisis. This scarcely bears thinking about. The wasteful and crippling expenditure on foreign wars and adventures, whatever the soothing assurances of peaceful intent, have taken fearful toll of trans-Atlantic finances. It is time to ponder and reflect and make a suitable course correction before it is too late and we hit the rocks.

www.abplgroup.com

Thought for the Week Thinking is skilled work. It is not true that we are naturally endowed with the ability to think clearly and logically without learning how or without practising.

- Alfred Mander (1947)

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

Laying firm foundations: better support for children at an early age Nothing is more important to a child’s development than getting a good start in life. We know that what happens to us in our earliest years has effects that will stay with us for the rest of our lives.

This means that if we want the next generation to grow up healthier, happier and with a better quality life than the current one, then investing in our children’s development from an early age is crucial.

There is also the important matter of fairness. As a Liberal Democrat, fairness is at the heart of what I believe in. It is motivates me to makes sure all children and families in this country have the opportunities they need to flourish.

This is why it makes me so angry that at the moment children growing up in parts of my constituency in Brent can expect to die 10 years earlier than children down the road in leafy west London. The foundations for this inequality are laid in the early years, when children from disadvantaged backgrounds can begin to fall behind before they even reach school.

This is why earlier this month, the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and I announced that we want to provide 15 hours of free childcare for the 140,000 two year olds most in danger of falling behind during their early years. This is on top of maintaining the 15 hours free early years education given to all 3

and 4 year olds. In this way, I want to make sure that we are supporting our children as much as we can, right up to the point when they enter the school gates.

But this isn’t just about providing financial support for the families that need it, as important as this is.

We’re proposing to shake up the way that childcare is provided to make it more flexible – based around real families’ lives, which isn’t always nine-to-five. We want to make it easier to access childcare earlier and later during the day, to fit around parents’ work and other commitments.

This means giving the opportunity to access it between 7 am and 7pm.

We haven’t made a final decision on these ideas yet, because we want to find out what parents up and down the country think the Government needs to do. If you have young children or want to tell me what you think about the proposals please do feed your views in to our consultation. You can find it on the Department for Education website.

Our priority as Liberal Democrats in Government is help the thousands of families that currently can’t give their children the start in life they want to give. Every child’s development should be a priority, whatever their background. Even in tough times, step by step, this Government is turning that aspiration into a reality for families in Britain.

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

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Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

In brief

Email: majithia.meera@gmail.com

Leicester Voice

By Meera Majithia

University bags Times Higher Education Award Loughborough and Coventry Universities have been presented with the award for Outstanding Support for Students at this year’s Times Higher Education (THE) Awards.

Announced at a ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane in London on the 24th November, the THE awards recognise excellence, creativity and innovation within the UK’s universities.

Loughborough and Coventry were presented with their award in recognition of the work of sigma – a collaborative venture, which aims to help students advance their mathematical and statistical skills.

In the first eight

months of the 2010-11 academic year, more than 12,000 students visited the sigma services at Loughborough and Coventry, with a further 13,000 visitors using the online resources each month.

Students in disciplines as diverse as aeronautical engineering and social sciences have benefited from up to 40 hours of

support each week since sigma started in 2005.

Students with very specific support needs, such as severe confidence issues or maths-phobia, are able to get additional help at sigma’s Eureka Centre for M a t h e m a t i c a l Confidence, and one-toone statistics support for students working on final year and postgraduate projects is also available.

Student ambassadors have helped to promote the scheme to their peers and acted as mentors alongside academic staff.

Professor Tony Croft, sigma Director at Loughborough, said of the award: “To have our work acknowledged in the sector in this way is w o n d e r f u l .

Loughborough and Coventry are widely regarded as leaders in the field of university-wide mathematics support – this award is formal recognition of that, and also of the hard work and commitment of all the staff, and students, involved in mathematics and statistics support at Loughborough and Coventry.”

Fake vodka alert Food safety officers from Leicester City Council are on the lookout for bottles of fake vodka which are unfit for human consumption and which may be for sale in the city. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned councils across the UK to be on the lookout for the illegal bottles of Drop Vodka, which could contain dangerous isopropyl alcohol - known as Propan-2-ol.

Leicester City Council’s food safety team are visiting small licensed retailers to check if any of them have been offered the illegal drinks, urging them not to accept any if offered, and confiscating any that is found.

So far, illegal Drop Vodka has been found on sale in East Anglia,

Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, the West Midlands and East Midlands, the south of England, the north east and south Wales.

The FSA says the fake vodka does not contain enough alcohol to be called vodka - having only 28.6 per cent ABV compared to the minimum of 37.5 per cent ABV in genuine vodka.

In addition, samples of the vodka have revealed it contains Propan-2-ol - a type of industrial alcohol which isn’t safe for human consumption.

There are also a number of labelling issues, including the absence of any manufacturer’s details, on the illegal bottles, which means the producers are unknown and impossible

to trace.

Print quality on the labels is poor, duty stamps are not fluorescent under UV light, the barcodes are not valid, and there are no manufacturers’ marks on the bottle or label.

Typically the bottles have turned up for sale in small independent stores, corner shops and petrol stations. Two types of the Drop Vodka exist - labelled as being made in France or made in Italy.

Leicester City Council’s head of food safety, David Barclay Rhodes, said: “We will be visiting retailers to see whether they’ve been offered this illegal drink, and impounding any that we do find.

“We’d also call on shoppers who do see this

drink for sale to report it to Consumer Direct or to us, so we can investigate properly and take it off sale.”

Leicester assistant city mayor with responsibility for neighbourhood services, Cllr Sarah Russell, added: “The information we have is that this vodka isn’t fit for human consumption and contains unsafe chemicals, so anyone who sees this for sale should report it to our food safety team so they can deal with it properly and advise the retailer involved.

Shoppers should report any Drop Vodka they see in shops in Leicester to Consumer Direct, on 08454 040506, or Leicester City Council’s food safety team on food@leicester.gov.uk

International skin expert comes to the city A laser hair removal guru with a celebrity clientele has chosen the city of Leicester for her next treatment centre. Holistic therapist Nina Sharma of Nina Lallure has not only worked in Mumbai, but also has experience of working in Richmond and London’s Bond Street.

After dedicating 10 years of her life to laser hair removal she opened her second clinic at the end of

Nina Sharm

October on Loughborough Road in Leicester.

Nina said: “I feel very

excited about this development because there is so much to do in terms of educating people in Leicester about laser hair removal.

Laser is the best thing in today’s market to remove hair. It’s very safe, pain free and now very affordable.”

The skin expert said she decided to expand to the midlands following a successful television campaign and constant enquiries from people in the area.

Nina has appeared as an advisor on television and radio and performed over 10,000 treatments so far, which include a number of other well-known celebrities. She is thrilled to be offering the treatments that are on offer across the world in cities like Mumbai and Los Angeles, here in the city.

For more information you can visit www.ninalallure.com

Police tackle drug dealing in Loughborough Fourteen people have been arrested and six people charged in an operation to tackle drug dealing on the Bell Foundry Estate in Loughborough.

Operation Jet was launched in response to an increase in public concerns about drug taking in the area.

Members of the Neighbourhood Action Team (NAT) and the Loughborough East Beat Team executed three war-

rants.

On Thursday 20th October 2011 two women were arrested on suspicion of possession of crack cocaine – they were bailed.

On Wednesday 2nd November 2011 a 36-yearold woman and an 36-yearold man were arrested on suspicion of dealing Class ‘A’ drugs. They were released on police bail pending further enquiries. Two other men, aged 34 and 44 were also

arrested and charged with possession of Class ‘A’ drugs and were both cautioned.

On Thursday 3rd November 2011 a 36-yearold man was arrested and charged with possessing Class-A drugs. Two other men, aged 40 and 45 were arrested and charged with supplying a Class ‘A’ drug and possession with intent to supply a Class ‘A’ drug. They were remanded in prison.

On Friday 17th

November 2011 a 34-yearold man was arrested at an address on Kensington Avenue he was charged and remanded for being in possession of Class-A drugs with the intention to supply. He was also on prison licence and so was recalled and will be serving the rest of his suspended sentence in prison.

As part of ongoing enquiries a further four people were arrested for theft, burglary and being wanted

Killer commits another crime

A 62-year-old man who murdered his wife has been found guilty of brutally raping a prostitute.

Nadesse Cooppen, who was released from jail after serving a sentence for the killing of his wife in 1999, was convicted of raping a 25-year-old street worker at Leicester Crown Court.

The victim went to Cooppen’s home in St Peter’s Road, Highfields, on the night of 3rd January 2011 where she was beaten with a bat, which shattered as he began hitting her, when she asked for payment.

She suffered bruising to her arm, back, grazing on her chest, an egg sized bump on her head and a cut hand and bruised finger.

Cooppen remains to be sentenced as the hearing was adjourned.

Lecturer awarded grant to uncover history of gender politics in Pakistan A De Montfort University (DMU) historian has been awarded more than €48,500 (approximately £41,400) to carry out research on the history of gender politics in Pakistan.

Dr Pippa Virdee, senior lecturer in Modern South Asian History has received a two year grant from the Gerda Henkel Foundation as part of its focus on the modern nation state of Islam and transnational movements.

The project will look specifically at Muslim women’s history from the late colonial period to present day Pakistan. Dr Virdee said: From a position of strength in the late colonial period, women’s position in Pakistan has undergone vast change, yet very little is written about this.

“The status and influence of women in Pakistan has gone through enormous change since the Pakistan separatist movement started in colonial India. This project will investigate how women’s position in Pakistan has changed over the past 60 years and to what extent Islam has been invoked in mobilising and shaping women’s identity in Pakistan.

“My research will investigate Muslim women’s history in the making of the modern Pakistan nation state. It will explore the transformation of women in Pakistan, beginning with the colonial era and the impact of the separatist movement, before comparing these processes with the women’s movement in the 1980s and more recently the Al-Huda movement.”

Dr Virdee has previously conducted research on Muslim women’s experiences of migration and resettlement following the partition of the Punjab, India, in 1947.

£1 million refurbishment unveiled by school

Pupils at a city primary unveiled their new school facilities on Tuesday, 29th November, which include a brand new kitchen, dining hall, climbing wall and multi-purpose courtyard area.

Northfields House celebrated the completion of the works with a ribbon cutting ceremony and pupil presentations.

Students spoke to the guests about what the new kitchen and dining hall meant to them, how they were involved with the project all the way through and what new opportunities it now offers.

In addition, there were a number of ‘taster session’ for pupils and guests to try out some of the delicious delicacies produced in the new kitchen.

The works cost just over £1 million and were funded from a Government grant, match funding from Leicester City Council and a contribution from the school.

Assistant City Mayor, Councillor Vi Dempster, said: “The new facilities are already having a very positive impact at Northfields House. The Kitchen programme has enabled us to increase the take up of school meals across the city and significantly improve the quality of food on offer.

“Children and young people learn more effectively when they are getting a balanced diet and school meals are a proven way of contributing to their healthy eating lifestyle.” on warrant bringing the total number of arrests to 13.

Inspector Johnny Monks, Commander of Loughborough local policing unit, said: “We know that a small minority of criminally minded individuals are making money out of drug dealing, this can blight an area bringing with it lots of prob-

lems and anti-social behaviour which has an impact on those people living nearby.

These warrants evidence the strong commitment by my police officers, that we can, and do, act upon information from the community and we will take action to stop the problem.”

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Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

A Hospital with a Noble Mission Sri Sathya Sai Heart Hospital, Rajkot "Medical service is not a saleable commodity and a patient is not a customer" Sathya Saibaba's teaching,

Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Following the teachings of Sri Sathya Saibaba, the hospital at Rajkot provides heart surgeries free of cost to poor and needy people. “Service to mankind is service to God” is the mission of Sri Sathya Sai hospital that does not charge any amount pertaining to surgery, doctors' fees, nursing expenses, hospital stay or food. This hospital is well known as 'Dil without Bill' among the less fortunate. Sri Sathya Sai Heart Hospital is not only an example of selfless service but also an example of secular unity. As Lord Sri Sathya Sai Baba has blessed this hospital, it has been set up according to his teachings of Human Service.

The Hospital is located in Rajkot and is managed on non-commercial basis.

The hospital’s Philosophy is to provide free access to exemplary standard of heart care supported by state of the art equipments to patients primarily from the weaker sections of the society (irrespective of caste, creed, race and religion), who would, otherwise, be deprived of such expensive heart care owing to lack of financial resources.

and Mrs. Jasuben Ranjibhai Vasava (34) from Bharuch.Like the Super Speciality Hospitals at Puttaparthy and Bangalore, this hospital is managed by Prashanti Medical Services and Research Foundation, a Charitable Trust.

Patients comes with Preliminary details about them at the time of reporting, they are then sent to the doctor for the examination, referred to the surgeon who will decide the course of the treatment, put them on the waiting list.

When their turn comes, admit them in Pre Surgery Ward. After the surgery is performed, the patients are kept under observation till they are found fit for discharge. Report time: hours of any day (except Sunday and Holiday).

Patient’s Criteria: Age between 2 to 60 years, Weight of Child / infant should be min 10 Kgs, Adult - min 55 kgs.

Family income should be less than Rs. 7000 per month or a holder of BPL card issued by the State Govt. Should have a Heart problem related preliminary medical report from a Cardiac consultant.

Heart problems Artrial septal defect: Artrial septal defect (ASD) is a congenital heart defect in which the wall that separates the upper heart chambers (atria) does not close completely.

Coronary artery bypass graft: Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, sometimes just called bypass, is a procedure that enables a blocked area of the coronary artery to be bypassed so that blood flow is not hindered.

Closed Mitral Valvotomy / Open Mitral valvotomy: The mitral valve is a bi-cuspid valve - one with two leaflets - situated between the left atrium and left ventricle. Stenosis - or narrowing - of the mitral valve causes a block of the smooth flow of blood from the left atrium into the left ventricle, and an ensuing build-up of blood in the lungs, resulting in symptoms of the disease.

Mitral valve replacement: Mitral valve replacement is an open heart procedure performed by surgeons to treat stenosis (narrowing) or regurgitation (leakage) of the mitral valve. The mitral valve is the "inflow valve" for the left side of the heart.

Patent ductus arteriosus: Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a condition in which a blood vessel called the ductus arteriosus fails to close normally in an infant soon after birth. (The word "patent" means open.)The condition leads to abnormal blood flow between the aorta and pulmonary artery, two major blood vessels that carry blood from the heart.

Mr. CB Patel with dignitary guests at a Musical Event

organized by Ms. Bina Patel to aid Sri Sathya Sai Heart Ventrical Septal Defect: Hospital Ventrical Septal Defect (VSD) therefore, teacher, whose life and message are is a type of congenital heart disease inspiring millions of people throughout (CHD). The heart with a VSD has a the world to turn God-ward and to lead hole in the wall (the septum) between more purposeful and moral lives. At the its two lower chambers (the ventricles). age of 14, Sathya Sai Baba declared to his parents that he had come to this Facilities: world with a mission to re-establish the An architectural beauty having principle of Righteousness, to motivate 34,000 Sq. feet of built up area on land love for God and service to fellow man. admeasuring 9950 sq. meters,the hospiSince then, he has consistently called on tal is ultra-modern 300-bed hospital, all mankind to Love All, Serve All and equipped with 2 Operation theatres with has repeatedly asserted that the essence state of art equipments, Echo of all scriptures is Help Ever, Hurt Cardiogram Machine, Treadmill, X-Ray Never!Sathya Sai Baba has given his Machine,Pathological Laboratory, Fully life, selflessly and magnanimously, to equipped ICCU and Pre and Post the service of mankind.

Surgery Wards, OPD,Cath lab etc.

Needy should be helped and wealthy Location... should help.

Sri Sathya Sai Heart hospital is Any individual from India or abroad, located near Virani Science college in a company, society, organization, NGO Rajkot City. It can be reached by air, rail or a corporate can contribute to this or bus route. It is connect through 798noble cause. All donations to Sri Sathya road route from Mumbai.

Sai Heart Hospital, Rajkot are exempted Sri Sathya Sai Heart Hospital, Sri from Income tax, Donor can get 100% Sathya Sai Marg,Off Kalavad Road, Exemption in 35AC (100% tax free) of Behind Virani Science College, Income Tax Act or 50% Exemption in Rajkot - 360 005 [INDIA] 80G Of Income Tax Ph.: 91-281-2573588 An Income Tax Rebate Certificate is Fax:91-281-2479591 issued against all donations above Rs. E-mail: saihospital@saihopital.org, 5000 www.saihospital.org For donations of Rs.50,000 and Every patient is revered as God and above a Patient Adoption Certificate is given totally free treatment. issued. It shows utilization of the fund Sathya Sai Baba was a highly from your donation for the operation of revered spiritual leader and world a patient.

For any further information please contact well-known activist and visionary Ms. Bina Patel, Vice President, Citibank NRI Wealth Management, M:+44 (0)7769 932 413 Email:bina.patel@citi.com

On 23rd Nov, Varshaben performed 11 operations voluntarily in one day, to mark Beloved Swami 's birthday

In a spirit of dedication to Sathya Saibaba, Doctors, Nurses, Technicians and Administrators adopt a value-based approach towards patients. Many Cardiac Surgeons, Cardiologists and Physicians and Sai Devotees have rendered voluntary services to the Hospital.

Not to forget Dr. Varsha (photo attached) who has rendered unconditional services to the Hospital including 11 Cardio surgeries without any charges. Her patients includes Mr. Namanbhai Hitendrabhai Dave (23) from Surendranagar, Mrs. Balkishbanu Jabarbhai Arab (44) from Ahmedabad

Sri Sathya Sai Heart Hospital, Rajkot

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UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

Father and son-in-law guilty of £71,600 fraud

By Spriha Srivastava

A tribute to Tagore Musings, the commemorative program on account of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s 150th anniversary was received with an overwhelming response on Saturday, 26 November at the Nehru Centre, the Cultural Wing of Indian High Commission. The postperformance interaction with the audience getting them to speak few words on their experience was an added attraction.

Enthralling a diverse audience, the evening started with a welcome message by Sri Gowri Shankar, Deputy Director of the Nehru Centre.

Bisaka Sarkar, herself a renowned dancer from Liverpool and the Director of Chaturangan, compared the show explaining the dance pieces and interpretations.

Dancers Deepa Ganesh, artistic Director of Upasana and Ragasudha Vinjamuri put up an exquisite display amalgamating Bharata Natyam and Tagore's essence and presented it in an enjoyable format.

The dance recital began with Nivedita and Vaishnavi’s who am I? depicting the joys and stresses of everyday life right from childhood to old age.

Then came two compositions of Tagore Daruno Agni and Esho Shyamalo, both depicting characters in differ-

ent weathers, summer and monsoon, waiting endlessly for the soul mate. This was followed by a powerful piece Prokoro tapono which had the seasoned artistes Deepa and Sudha performing two profound emotions simultaneously, romance and spirituality, both seeking union

with the Ultimate. A parallel was also drawn with a composition of Oothukkadu which gave a fragrant message, that instead of searching for the Supreme all around, we must take a look inside ourselves to feel His presence. The show ended with Dhwanilo ahoban, a Tagore composition that included a message for universal friendship and peace.

Acknowledgments were given to all, including Tagore Centre UK for their support with translations.

It was an enchanting presentation and the artistes were thoroughly applauded. An exhibi-

tion of their artistic achievements was also put up in the lobby.

And now a bit about Tagore – As mentioned in Wikipedia, He was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music.

Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first nonEuropean Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature. In translation his poetry was viewed as spiritual and mercurial; his seemingly mesmeric persona, floccose locks, and empyreal garb garnered him a prophet-like aura in the West. His "elegant prose and magical poetry" remain largely unknown outside Bengal.

Tagore modernised Bengali art by spurning rigid classical forms and resisting linguistic strictures. His novels, stories, songs, dance-dramas, and essays spoke to topics political and personal.

Gitanjali (Song Offerings), Gora (FairFaced), and Ghare-Baire (The Home and the World) are his bestknown works, and his verse, short stories, and novels were acclaimed— or panned—for their lyricism, colloquialism, naturalism, and unnatural contemplation.

He penned two national anthems: the Republic of India's Jana Gana Mana and Bangladesh's Amar Shonar Bangla.

Desi Boyz – Mindless Comedy After a heavy dose emotional drama – Rockstar, about two weeks back, movie goers must have thanked their stars for a mindless comedy like Desi Boyz. The movie is directed by debutant director Rohit Dhawan, son of well known director David Dhawan and stars Akshay Kumar and John Abraham who are all set to take their comic timing to the next level after surprising the audience with their performance in Garam Masala. It is a story of two boys Jerry Patel (Akshay Kumar) and Nick Mathur (John Abraham), who are victims of this global recession in UK and are

forced to take up an extremely bizarre job for their survival.

The timing of the movie couldn’t be better with the global recession surrounding the British economy and bankers losing their jobs. But how many of them will be inspired by the movie to take up jobs at a night club is a tough question.

The dialogue writing is one of the plus points in the film. Actually, it’s the dialogue that makes Sanjay Dutt look so good. The dialogues make the audience laugh at times and at times, draw your attention to Sanjay Dutt who has tried every trick in the style book to hide his

ever-bulging paunch.

Deepika Padukone carries herself well as the narrator and then as the girl-friend-in-shock after seeing her fiancé dance in a night club.

Chitrangada Singh makes her appearance only after the intermission. Both of them have done a good job with their acting skills.

Lastly, regarding the acting of John and Akshay - They have done what they are good at.

They were required to look good and deliver all the dialogues with a straight face. They have done this job well and made the experience worthwhile for cinemagoers.

Let us know what you think.

Email Spriha at spriha@abplgroup.com

Slough Borough Council’s investigations team, along with Jobcentre plus, have prosecuted a father and son-in-law for fraudulently claiming benefits totalling £71,679.

Mr Shailesh Panchal, of Orchard Avenue, Slough, 50, and his fatherin-law, Mr Narayanbhai Patel, of Shackleton Road, 77, appeared at Reading Crown Court in April 2011 and pleaded guilty to

five counts of dishonesty relating to benefit claims made over several years.

Panchal falsely claimed income support, jobseekers allowance and council tax benefits after failing to declare ownership of two properties.

One of which was occupied by his father-in-law who then claimed benefits after telling officials that his landlord was not related to him. This enabled

Panchal to have his mortgage paid for by tax payers.

As a result of his deception, Panchal was paid a total of £1,832.73 for council tax benefit, £3,109.21 for income support and job seekers allowance, and £66,737.10 in respect of housing benefit to his father-in-law. Mr Patel was convicted of dishonesty.

Police in search of relatives of honour killing victims Police in Pakistan are searching for the missing relatives of a Scottish businessman and his wife after they were shot dead in an apparent honour killing.

Detectives say they want to speak to the parents of Uzma Naurin, 30, from New York. She was murdered with Glasgowbased businessman Saif Rehman, 31, amid allegations of a family feud.

They were gunned down in broad daylight when their car was ambushed in the Punjabi city of Gujrat, according to eyewitnesses.

The police account suggests their driver stopped the car as four gunmen approached. Mr Rehman was shot dead

his wedding last month.

They had later travelled to Gujrat to visit Mrs Naurin’s father and were killed on November 1 as they returned Uzma Naurin & Saif Rehman from a shopping trip. before Mrs Naurin was Friends in Scotland abducted. Her body was said Mrs Naurin worked found a few hours later in sales for Costa Coffee hidden in bushes nearby. and was based in New The driver and two Jersey. other passengers – Mr She grew up in New Rehman’s sister and her York where her father is a two-year-old daughter – taxi driver. were unharmed. Shakir The couple had manRehman, brother of Saif, aged to maintain a longwho ran a mobile phone distance relationship, shop in Glasgow, told The added Mr Rehman, but Daily Telegraph the couple were planning a new life had arrived in Pakistan for together in the US.

Bhavan celebrates successful Annual Diwali Banquet This year the organisers were delighted that the Diwali Banquet broke records for the number of tables/seats sold.

The main attraction was the presence of this year’s Chief Guest, The Rt. Hon. Mr Kenneth Clarke MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. Joint Chief Guest was the Acting High Commissioner of India, His Excellency Sri Rajesh Prasad. The event was attended by members of both houses of parliament and many leading figures in the world of business.

Amongst those present were Lord Bagri, Lord Dholakia, Lord Hameed, Lord Noon, Lord Paul, Mr Keith Vaz MP, Mr L.N. Mittal, Messrs G.P. and S.P Hinduja, The Mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham and Professor Nat Puri.

This was the first banquet hosted by Mr Joginder Sanger as Chairman, although Mr Sanger has hitherto been responsible for organising the event as the Bhavan’s Fund-Raising Chairman.

Mr Sanger welcomed the Chief Guest The Rt. Hon. Mr Kenneth Clarke MP

Bhavan’s Chairman Mr Joginder Sanger, Mrs Clarke, Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke, The Hon. Sir Mota Singh QC, Professor Nat Puri, Mr L.N. Mittal, Mrs Mittal

along with the Acting High Commissioner of India, H.E. Sri Rajesh Prasad.

He also welcomed those present and thanked the Bhavan’s friends for their support.

In his speech, Sri Rajesh Prasad, the Acting High Commissioner of India spoke of the great contribution of the Bhavan to the cultural life of the UK. He also paid tribute to the outstanding work done by the past Chairman, Mr Maneck Dalal OBE as well as the late Mathoor Krishnamurti. He then went on to recall the harmonious relationship between Great Britain and India.

Mr Clarke then gave a very entertaining speech in which he also paid tribute to the work of the Bhavan, as well as the valuable contribution made by those of Indian descent to the economy of the United Kingdom.

Mr Clarke also said that the Government would continue to forge links with India. ‘Let’s face it’ he continued, ‘we need good friends in these difficult times.’ He then went on to say that eventually the economy of the UK would recover. The vote of thanks was given

by Mr Shantoo Ruparell MBE, Bhavan’s Joint Chairman.

Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

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Dee Katwa

Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

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

Hindus and Christians shake hands to forge a stronger link A new network, the Hindu Christian Forum, which aims to strengthen relationships of trust, mutual respect and understanding between Hindus and Christians in the UK has been launched.

The launch, held at Lambeth Palace in London last week, brought together over 100 Hindu and Christian representatives. Guests were welcomed upon arrival by Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury and his secretary, Dr Toby Howarth.

The Forum’s inception has come partly in response to the findings of the ‘Bridges and Barriers to Hindu Christian Relations’ report, authored by Dr Jessica Frazier of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies.

According to the report, the larger barrier preventing the two communities from coming closer is “the overall ignorance about Hinduism on the part of the Christian community, and the corresponding difficulties that many Hindus have in explaining their religion.”

In Britain, there are an estimated 800,000 Hindus. And, around 60% of the British population describe themselves as Christian. The Church of England has the largest following of any denomination or faith in Britain. It has over 16,000 churches compared to 135 Hindu tem-

ples in the UK. In his address, the Archbishop said: “We’re not playing for victory; we’re seeking understanding from one another, by learning the depth of one another’s commitment and vision.

Dialogue and depth is what we all hope for.”

Then spoke “one of the country’s most influential spiritual leaders” Shruti Dharma Das, President of Bhaktivedanta Manor, home of the Hare Krishna Movement. “Let’s celebrate our differences,” he said. “Effective dialogue can bring about cohesion to build stronger communities based on peace and harmony.”

Guests included Mayuraben Patel from Gayatri Pariwar, Shri CB Patel, editor and publisher of our newsweeklies, Bhartiben Tailor and Arjanbhai Vekaria from Hindu Forum of Britain, Councillor Manjula Sood from Leicester, Ameet Jogia from British Asian Conservative Link and Pranav Bhanot, voice of Hindu youth in Britain.

The evening was compered by softly-spoken Rameshbhai Pattni, of Hindu Forum of Britain.

Other speakers included: Lord Dolar

Pair caged over toddler death A Birmingham magistrate and his former girlfriend have been jailed for the killing of a two-year-old girl who died of septic shock after she was held under a scalding hot shower. Rashpal Chana, 49, (pictured, left) who has served as a JP for almost 20 years, was jailed for four-and-a-half years and Eva Logina, 26, (pictured, right), for six years. The pair were convicted of the manslaughter of Kristiana Logina. A monthlong trial heard that Chana, who showed little emotion as sentence was passed, and Logina both failed to summon medical assistance for Kristiana, who died around 12 days after being scalded. Chana had advertised for a female partner on dating websites while he was being investigated by police, it has emerged.

Landlord fined A landlord from Walsall has been fined £2,000 for putting his tenants at risk by failing to provide a gas safety certificate. Khalid Hussain, who pleaded guilty, was also ordered to pay £3,000 costs.

News in Brief Tenancy deposits Average tenancy deposits paid to landlords when renting properties in the West Midlands now stand at £781, according to a new survey by mydeposits.co.uk

No cash, no fun Three in ten people in the West Midlands are unhappy about their social lives with more than one in five saying money worries keep them at home on Saturday nights. One in ten said they did not want to miss their favourite TV shows, according to the poll

by Badoo.com Lord Popat gives his address as the Archbishop, Shruti Dharma Das and The Ven Richard Atkinson listen on

Popat, a Hindu born in Uganda who went to a Christian school. His speech centred around three values – truth, love and compassion – which he has adopted from his spiritual guide, Shri Morari Bapu, an internationally-renowned Hindu spiritual leader; Baroness Richardson OBE, Moderator of the Churches Commission on Inter-Faith Relations; and Andrew Stunell MP from the Department for Communities and Local Government, which funded Dr Frazier’s study.

In his eloquent address, Shruti Dharma Das posed this most important question: Will the Forum make a difference to the lives of people? Well, only time will tell. First, the Forum should build trust between the two commu-

nities, nationally. How? By acting upon its vision, mission, aims and objectives. Otherwise, it may risk falling into the common ‘talking shop’ category, which benefits only a selfish minority at the expense of the majority.

Whilst the name suggests this Forum is exclusively for Hindus and Christians, we hope it will be inclusive and embrace the contributions of people of all faiths or none, in a bid to genuinely promote cohesion between all communities. As one attendee, Gaurav Kumar, aged 29, from the Hare Krishna Movement, put it: “It’s just a crack on the ice.

I’m keen to see how the Forum will develop.” Let us keep faith and hope in the Forum and ask its ‘drivers’ to keep us posted on developments.

Temple bosses seek glory as priests ‘bullied’ Hindu priests must not suffer in silence. That’s the message from the Home Office and West Midlands Police, two authorities which are looking into claims of bullying and harassment suffered by two Hindu priests in the Midlands. One priest was forced to resign, whilst the other is worried about his well-being, and that of his family. Both priests told this newspaper their stories over the telephone, but asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals by certain temple committee members who are alleged to have created an “intolerable” working environment for the priests.

A spokeswoman from West Midlands Police said: “We take all reports of harassment very seriously, and would urge anyone who is a victim of this type of crime to contact their local police immediately.” Asian Voice raised this issue with Brij-Mohan Gupta, President of the National Council of Hindu Temples (NCHT) UK on Nov 3.

He failed to provide a response by the deadline (Nov 9).

His colleague Madhubhai Shashtri also failed to provide a response by the extended deadline (21 Nov). Our reporter met, by chance, the gents at the launch of the Hindu Christian Forum and confronted them. Suit-clad, photogenic Mr Gupta said he had been “very busy”. Mr Shastri, NCHT UK’s spin surgeon, said the same and boasted about his trip to Switzerland. (Apparently, Mr Shashtri is in the process of setting up a separate forum for Hindu chaplains in the UK, supported by a prominent Hindu priest from Birmingham).

Then, shockingly, he suggested that this issue should be dropped. This appalling behaviour of two ‘pillars of the community’ begs the question about their leadership, integrity and decency, does it not?

Speeding when running late A shocking 93% of West Midlands motorists would be willing to speed if they were running late, a new poll by market researchers OnePoll has revealed. The region came third, ahead of East Anglia (92%), London (91%) and the East Midlands (90%). The most conscientious areas for road safety were the South East (13%) and Wales (18%).

Heartless loan sharks Young single mums in Birmingham are being forced into prostitution in a bid to pay off their debts to loan sharks, according to the England Illegal Money Lending Team. They are either made to sleep with the loan sharks themselves or other men. To report a loans shark call the confidential hotline on 0300 555 2222 or email reportaloanshark@ stoploansharks.gov.uk

Drop in shoppers The West Midlands has seen the largest drop (10.4%) in shoppers of any UK region in the past quarter, new data from British Retail Consortium shows. The fall in the region is significantly larger than the UK average of 2.3%, compared with the same period last year.

Staff dilemma Birmingham’s main maternity hospital was forced to close its doors to pregnant women due to a lack of midwives. One expectant mum had to give birth on a general ward and was then taken into intensive care at the Women’s Hospital in Edgbaston. An insider said: “Morale is low and a lot of midwives are off with stress after a shake-up that involved changing their pay levels.”

Gay club goes bust The Nightingale, the oldest gay nightclub in the centre of Birmingham, has gone into administration after more than 40 years in business. The club is facing mounting cash-flow difficulties and the jobs of 50 staff are currently hanging in the balance.

Catering with Charisma Three cheers to the outstanding youth catering team from Birmingham Rathbone who collectively prepared and served a sumptuous fourcourse meal for the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Anita Ward, and 40 other guests.

The annual event is a live training session for the hospitality and catering students, results of which contribute towards their qualification and work experience. Each year, Birmingham Rathbone supports around 1,000 people with learning difficulties. Photo: Lord Mayor with Birmingham Rathbone student Ricky.

Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

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YOUR VOICE

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Prerogative of the Privileged I have just returned from a trip to India where I had gone to attend a nephew’s wedding. After reading slagging reports on the delays and bad treatment of passengers in the press about several Indian airlines, I was a bit apprehensive about travelling by airlines operated by Indian companies, I must say that Jet Airways, by which I travelled to Bhuj via Mumbai and then returning to London from Ahmedabad via Mumbai, provided impeccable service. Because I used the same airline for my international and domestic flights, I saved on taxes too! I also witnessed a great deal of transformation in Gujarat. The four ways, as they call them, are comparable to our motorways here. A stretch of the road from Gandhinagar to Ahmedabad reminded me of the M11 here. All in all, it was a good and hassle free trip. India, and particularly Gujarat, has improved a lot from my previous visit there a decade or so ago. The airports are clean and tidy. The infrastructure in the cities now is of far better standard than what was previously.

People seem to have prospered and the ‘fixed price’ policy in the cartel has put paid to bargaining in sari shops!

However, I was saddened to see the vast amount of food that was being wasted by the rich at ceremonies. The extravagance and wastage of food seemed inexcusable in a country where a large number of people go without. A fair distribution of resources is what is needed in a country where the rich and affluent people waste food and money to keep up with the Joneses while others go to bed at night on empty stomachs.

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

Carnage in Kingsbury

European Union Time Line

Until recently, Kingsbury was considered as one of the most multicultural, prosperous and peaceful part of Brent, bordering Harrow, a culturally rich, educationally advanced and one of the most desirable part of London for a family home with excellent schools, clubs, restaurants and sport facilities.

Yet Kingsbury has gone down hill during the last few years for obvious reasons.

The recession, high unemployment and cuts in police budget do not help. So no one should be surprised at this week’s tragic incident resulting in four police officers receiving knife wounds, attacked in broad day light.

Chain and purse snatching incidents are common place but mercifully gun and knife attacks are indeed rare. But residents have the right to ask how long before such incidents may inflict Kingsbury, as other parts of Brent, Neasden and Harlesden do have higher than average gun and knife crimes.

A man has been charged with three counts of attempted murder when he appeared at Westminster Magistrate’s Court on Monday. This could be a one off incident, as the perpetrator obtained the knife from a nearby butcher’s shop where he ran to avoid pursuing police officers who were called in by the public when the man was spotted shouting and harassing early morning shoppers.

The three Queensbury Ward Labour Councillors toured the area with police officers from Harrow visiting local shops to reassure shop owners and the local residents that it was an unfortunate incident out of character for the area. Let us hope that they are right.

1951: France, West Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg meet in Paris to pool their coal and steel industries under one supranational authority [Treaty of Paris].

1957: The same six nations establish the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Authority [Treaty of Rome]. Aims were to create a customs union; free movement of capital, labour, goods and services; common agricultural and fisheries policies; to coordinate economic policies; harmonise social policies and finally to promote co-operation in nuclear research [Treaty of Rome].

1958: Investment Bank for the EEC was set up.

1960: UK, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Portugal form the European Free Trade Association.

1961: Finland joins.

1962: Common Agricultural Policy was agreed in EEC. 1967: The coal and steel community, the atomic authority and EEC merge to form the European Commission.

1973: UK, Ireland and Denmark join the EC. 1974: Regular heads of government summits begins. 1975: UK renegotiates its terms of accession.

1979: European Monetary Institute is set up to supervise the EMS foreign exchange rate system.

1981: Greece joins EC. 1986: Single European Act is signed.

1986: Portugal and Spain join EC. 1991: Maastricht Treaty is signed.

European Commission becomes European Union.

1994: European Free Trade Association joins European Commission to form European Economic Area.

1995: Austria; Sweden and Finland join EU. 2004: Czech Republic; Hungary; Cyprus; Lithuania; Latvia: Malta; Slovakia; Slovenia; Poland and Estonia join EU. 2007: Bulgaria and Romania joins EU. 2011: Application to join: Croatia; Macedonia; Turkey and Iceland. Other potential candidates: Albania; Bosnia; Herzegovina; Kosovo; Montenegro; Serbia.

Bhupendra M Gandhi Via Email

Gandhi’s second assassination Widening the gap between rich and poor in India, is perpetual since independence. India and world are increasingly aware due to speedy print and electronic media.

Problem is caused by fake democracy with government of anti Indians, for anti Indians and by anti Indians. Exposing India to loot by MNC and leaders secreting away money abroad is considered as patriotism. Voice promoting patriotism is snuffed by attacking them at midnight.

Unlucikly munis, behenjis, ammas, bapus, bhais and preachers of religious unity have failed to generate Indian national patriotism.

Self-denigrating of Indian identity hurts. Instead of secular symbols e.g., mountains, forests, water falls, preMoghul monuments and Hindu heros e.g.

Ashoka, Vikramditya, Chankya, Chandragupta Maurya, Patanjali, Chyavan, we see “Slumdog millionaires”, Taj Mahal, churches, darghas and makbaras as image of India.

Scandals of Commonwealth games, 2G and Adarsh Housing, should have toppled UPA., but failed. Hindus are threatened by impending Community Riots Bill where blame for unrest/terrorism is put on majority-(read Hindus) as bill does not apply where Hindus are

minority. Foreign Direct Investment Bill allows foreign multinationals to invest and siphon off profits abroad. This is strangulation of millions of retailers, and slap to Indian capable businessmen, who can open supermarkets.

Ramesh Jhalla By email

Nagindas Khajuria Via email

Fighting the wrongdoers It is very important that people should know what is Dharma and what is Karma.

Dharma does not mean that you only pray to God, Allah or Parmatma or go to Churches, Mosques or temples or meet Swamis or preachers of religions.You donate fat money to these people and feel you have done good job. The people who are doing only these works or jobs have to be watched. Many of them have cheated ordinary people or created hatred between the various communities. 1946- 47 is clear example for all of us who come from Pakistan or India.

How many people suffered and were tortured? It is shame for all the political and religious leaders of that time. Was there no military at that time or was it

the British Government did not permit to use the military?

For humanity if we are in a position and are doing nothing to improve the lives of people then whatever you may be doing in the name of Parmatma, Allah or God is useless and may become the cause of frictions between the people.

Baroness Uddin who may be returning in House of Lords very soon even after not paying back £125,000 therefore must not be allowed to remain in Lords.

If you do not raise your voice against wrong doings, you are not a real follower of God but a coward Dharam Sahdev By email

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

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

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

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

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

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I wonder why the anti corruption struggles initiated by Anna Hazare and Swami Ramdev have failed to bear any fruits whereas the Arabs have successfully overthrown the tyrants in Libya and Egypt.

Even the military have to give way in Egypt when they hesitated to give up power to the people.

The Indian psyche needs a deep introspection.

Whereas the age old Gandhian method of fasting has lost its appeal, the mass uprising by the youth on the streets seem to be the only answer to the corrupt politicians who, somehow feel quite safe amongst the impotent masses who can be easily enticed either by bags of money or, for poor and uneducated, can be blinded by their faith in numerous Gods..

The democracy that we have needs to be tested on the streets to bring about the Arab spring in India.

Gulab Mistry By email

Wal-Mart and India The present UPA government in India in the name of ‘second generation economic reforms’ allowed 51 per cent foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multibrand retail and 100 per cent FDI in single brand retails. According to the government sources , it is likely to create 10 million jobs in three years. The figure quoted is highly debatable.

In India there are already thousands of mini super markets in all small and big towns and most of them run by Indian self employed business men. Foreign Direct Investment by foreign super market chains like Wal-Mart, Tesco and so on will have adverse effect on small retailers in India. As it is happening in Britain, super market chains are responsible for the closure of small vegetable and grocery shops in town centres since small shops cannot compete with big ones.

India is still an agricultural country with 70 per cent of the population living in villages. In villages self employment is the single largest source of jobs with a large percentage of the population being self employed.

It is better to have a ‘fragmented market’ so that consumers will have a wider choice and a consolidated market will make consumers captive.

No one super market should be allowed to dominate the market. As in the case of Milton Keynes, more than 45 per cent of retail sale is dominated by Tesco with several small and big shops.

By allowing foreign companies with money power will consolidate the retail trade by a selected few and kill several small and medium size retail shops owned by individuals or families. This will eliminate competition and involve a loss of jobs both in manufacturing and service sector.

If foreign companies are allowed to start super markets, Indian retail trade will be dictated by foreign investors.

Arun Vaidyanathan By email

Visit our website: www.abplgroup.com

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Health Watch

The Arab Spring and the Indian Summer

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EDUCATION / COUNCIL VOICE University applications down on last year Madhuri for Wembley

Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

UK Universities appear to be facing a slump in applications ahead of the first year of higher fees, the university admissions body says.

The latest figures from Ucas show applications to university courses starting next October are down 12.9%. They show the number of students who have so far applied for places at UK universities is 158,387, down 23,427 on this time last year.

Tuition fees will be up to three times higher from

October 2012, but Ucas says it is too early to say whether this will affect the final demand for places.

The admissions body says that application patterns this far ahead are historically unreliable as indicators of the eventual yearon-year change.

This months figures are similar to those published last month which showed a 12% year-on-year drop in applications. But courses which have an October deadline: medicine, dentistry and veterinary sci-

ence, plus Oxford and Cambridge, showed a reduction of less than 1%.

The National Union of Students called on the government to rethink its plans for higher education. NUS president Liam Burns said: "Ministers must stop tinkering around the edges of their shambolic reforms, listen to students, teachers and universities and completely overhaul their white paper before temporary chaos turns into permanent damage to our education system."

British pupils' social mobility divide is among world's worst The chances of British children doing well are more closely linked to their parents’ education than in almost any other developed country, according to a study of social mobility published last Saturday.

The watchdog said schools serving the poorest 20 per cent of pupils were four times more like-

ly to be 'inadequate' than those for the wealthiest 20 per cent Research shows that the ‘‘education gap’’ between disadvantaged and “privileged” pupils is wider than elsewhere in the developed world.

Data suggests that children from low-income homes are more than a

year behind richer classmates as they start school aged five, a bigger gap than anywhere except America.

The disclosure – in a study by the Sutton Trust charity – comes just days after Ofsted warned that deprivation continued to be a “significant factor influencing the quality of schools” in England.

Young unemployed 'need maths and English at GCSE' Cities in England with high youth unemployment must do more to raise young people's attainment in maths and English, a report says. Research by Centre for Cities found a strong link between results in English and maths and youth joblessness.

It found that between

2007 and 2010, an average of almost 50% of pupils in cities left education without GCSEs grade A* to C in maths and English. The think-tank says the situation leaves youngsters unable to get a job.

The report cites towns and cities such as Hastings and Grimsby, where the

youth unemployment rate between 2007 and 2010 was 8.4% and 8.8% respectively.

The percentage of youngsters getting the official government benchmark of five A*-C GCSEs, including English and maths, in these areas was 35% and 45% respectively.

Labour’s library closures.

She has already stated her intention to fight to clean up the ward after witnessing first-hand the detrimental effect of overflowing bins and litter caused

by Labour’s stealth bin collection cuts.

Speaking last Friday, Dr Davda said: “It is a great privilege to have been selected for this byelection in Wembley Central and I pledge to the people of Wembley that I will fight tirelessly to ensure they are properly represented. Labour and

Brent North Conservatives have selected local resident Madhuri Davda as their candidate for the Wembley Central by-election due to be held on Thursday 22 December 2011.

Madhuri is a wellknown Brent resident with strong links to Wembley.

She grew up here, attended local schools and is a former school governor of Barham Park Primary School. She is passionate about improving education for future generations and vehemently opposes

11

Madhuri Davda

the Liberal Democrats have had their chance and through years of neglect have made a complete mess of it. It’s now time for change and I can offer that change. I will make a difference for Wembley”.

Making Walthamstow Market safer and traders alike have brought to our attention, however, is the persistent presence of a small criminal minority who make the High Street less safe than it could be.

While the market is regularly patrolled by hardworking local police officers, Project WHISPER aims to bolster intelligencegathering by offering a local, anonymous means by which crime can be report-

A new scheme to help drive down crime on Walthamstow High Street has been launched, and market traders, shopkeepers and shoppers are all being asked for their help and support.

The historic Walthamstow Market offers visitors a wide range of fashion accessories, foodstuffs and household goods to suit all tastes and price ranges.

One problem that shoppers

ed.

Anyone with information can pick up a leaflet from the customer service desk in Selbourne Walk Mall, the Hoe Street Customer Service Centre or the local Safer Neighbourhood Team office, jot down their info and place it in one of the WHISPER post boxes in the same locations. The information will then be investigated and acted upon.

Shop receives hefty fine for fly-tipping tipped waste on the pavement outside the shop on seven separate occasions in the summer. The incidents were caught on CCTV camera. The case was heard at Ealing Magistrates Court on Friday, 11 November 2011

A shop in Southall has been ordered to pay £1,722 for repeatedly dumping rubbish illegally.

An investigation by Ealing Council revealed staff from Khalsa Super Store Ltd, 10-12 South Road, Southall, had fly-

and because the defendant did not attend the case was proved in absence.

The business owners were fined £700 for the offences and ordered to pay £1007.21 costs with a victim surcharge of £15, totalling £1,722.21.

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12

MEDIA WATCH

Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

Scrutator’s Speaking at the India Summit in Mumbai, organised by the World Economic Forum, Mukesh Ambani, Managing Director, Reliance Industries, described India as a “land of billion opportunities, not billion problems” (The Hindu November 11). It was a line which appeared to have escaped the notice of British media gurus reporting the event close-up, but negative India items have the sort of bounce absent in the reportage of the country's positive developments. Mr Ambani pointed to the grim economic situation in the West, contrasting this with India which, he said, was now at a stage where it was ready to takeoff on the back of a young population with a high level of entrepreneurship. He said that “in the last 20 years we have built the foundation on which we can catapult India and give a higher quality of life for all.” He said the private sector was playing a significant role by tapping into the energy of a new, dynamic generation.

scale enterprises in the country.

However, states will have discretionary powers to determine the scale of foreign entry into the local market.

India's nuclear energy technology The Guardian's Maseeh Rehman (November 1) report carried the following title: “How Homi Bhabha's vision turned India into a R & D leader”. Not many people in the UK and the West generally, outside the hallowed corridors of nuclear physics, know much about this extraordi-

Gujarat Chief Minister Narrendra Modi has inaugurated a 30MW solar power plant

Homi Bhabha

Narrendra Modi

As a sign of the times, Gujarat Chief Minister Narrendra Modi has inaugurated a 30MW solar power plant in the state's Kankrej district which borders the arid Rann of Kutch. Gujarat, he said, was set to become the solar power centre of the world. Mr Modi reminded his audience that Gujarat was once an energy deficient state, but was now able to guarantee uninterrupted power to all its citizens – which was no mean feat.

Power and intelligent water management was changing the face of Gujarat, making it an industrial and agricultural powerhouse.

The company responsible for the manufacture and installation of the solar plant was Mozer Baer, whose President Dipak Puri and Project Chairman Ratul Puri said the plant would provide electricity to 50,000 villagers and praised the state government's proactive development policies.

India retail opens to foreign investors A Reuters report datelined Mumbai (November 25) told of the opening of India's retail sector to foreign investment.

Reporter Nandita Bose writes: “India's move to open its supermarket sector to foreign investment brought relief to its capitalstarved local chains.....New Delhi approved its biggest reform in years by allowing global supermarket giants such as Wal-Mart Stores and Tesco to enter India with a 51 per cent stake in the hope it will it would attract capital to build much-needed supply chains and improve efficiency to alleviate food-driven inflation. apart from domain .”

She quotes Thomas Varghese, chief executive of Aditya Birla Retail as saying: “This is an extremely important step for domestic retailers as this will get in much-needed capital, apart from domain knowledge.” Chain stores account for just 6 per cent of a $500 billion retail market dominated by street stalls and corner shops. Vijay Karwal, head of consumer, retail and healthcare at Royal Bank of Scotland based

in Hong Kong expects more than $5 billion in foreign investment into the Indian retail sector over the next five to seven years.

“Shares in Indian retailers Pantaloon Retail, Shoppers Stop and Trent jumped – bucking a fall in the wider stock market – on expectations that they will form tie-ups with foreign players, and not just compete with them.”

Debashish Mukherjee, partner and vice-president at consultancy firm AT Kearney, said he expects joint ventures and investments in local players from overseas operators over the next six months.

“The set of transactions which will happen fast is foreign players who are in existing joint ventures with Indian firms, the increase or decrease in stake, will happen quickly,” he said. “The second are a set of deals that are waiting to happen and have been just waiting for the announcement.”

As a gesture to opponents of the move, the government has said that only cities with a population of 1 million, of which there are more than 50, and over will initially be opened to foreign investors. Furthermore, foreign firms will have to source onethird of their produce from small

nary man. It doesn't fit the bill, as do holy cows, caste, poverty and kindred subjects. Mr Rehman writes: “But it is thanks to the vision of Homi Bhabha , the architect of of India's atomic energy programme, that India is a world leader in thorium research and development.” He was killed in air crash in 1966 aged 56, but had already laid the foundation for a research programme that is now beginning to bear fruit.”

Siegfried Hecker, a former director of the iconic Los Alamos National Laboratory in the US wrote the following words in a recent issue of the journal Physics Today: “Constrained by sanctions, India developed most of its nuclear energy capabilities indigenously, especially its excellent R&D; the extent and functionality of its nuclear experimental facilities are matched only by those in Russia and are far ahead of what is left in the US. I believe India has the most technically ambitious and innovative nuclear energy program in the world. Our government has been concerned about the leakage of US nuclear technology to India, when we should instead be trying to learn from that country,” says Dr Hecker.

Not surprisingly, such items are as rare as gold dust in the mainstream British press.

Busting a village myth The Hindu (November 2) carried a remarkable story of village superstition despatched by the force of medical science. A decade ago an eye camp in a village on the border of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu received three children, two boys and a girl, all from a single family, with sub-normal vision that was deteriorating fast. The villagers were convinced the children were cursed, but doctors

diagnosed their condition as congenital cataract. Brought on by their parents' consanguineous marriage (marriage between close relatives), the affliction was easily remedied with simple surgery. The siblings were taken to Rajan Eye Care Hospital in Chennai and post-surgery their sight was restored.

“The whole village landed up at the hospital to thank us. They were amazed the children could see; they thought it was miraculous. It was also a turning point as the attitude of the villagers changed and they began to believe in the possibilties of medical solutions,” said Mohan Rajan, Chairman and Medical Director, Rajan Eye Care Hospital.

It was the hospital's team of doctors, working with an Australian organisation, Equal Health, that performed the 'miracle'. “Ever since, our emphasis has shifted to preventing blindness in the young. If you consider a child, or an adolescent, there is a loss of 33 working years, and there is a huge burden on the community, family and government,” Mr Rajan said.

Israeli air chief in Delhi Strengthening defence ties between India and Israel were highlighted by a two-day visit to New Delhi by Israel's air chief Major General Ido Nehushtan, reported the Times of India (November 22). He met his Indian counterpart Air Chief Marshal N.A .K.Browne and later called on India's army and naval chiefs and senior officials in the Ministry of Defence for talks on subjects of mutual interest.

Major General Ido Nehushtan

Indo-Israel relations have been deliberately understated, a pointer to their immense significance for both sides, reinforcing at every level their “bilateral strategic partnership.” This visit was preceded by one undertaken by Yitzak Aharonovitch Israel's minister of public safety who held crucial talks with India's Home Minister P. Chidambaram on ways to strengthen ongoing cooperation on counter-terrorism and intelligence sharing.

In relation to their expanding defence ties, the newspaper referred to an imminent Indian order for two further Israeli-made Phalcon AWACS systems for airborne warning and control systems (to the three alrady in service with the IAF). Israel is the second-largest defence supplier to India, next only to Russia.

FromHeron and Sercher UAVs, Harpy and Harop 'killer' drones to Barak anti-ship missiles systems and Green Pine radars,

Python and Derby air-to-air missiles, Israel's military sales to India is roughly worth $1 billion a year. The country has a population of 5 million, which underlines the significance of these earnings on the back of its science and technology platforms.

New head of Tata Group Cyrus Pallonji Mistry has been selected by the Tata Board to take over the reins of the company from the present Chairman Ratan Tata on his retirement in December 2012. Ratan Tata issued the following statement: “The appointment of Mr Cyrus P. Mistry as deputy chairman of Tata Sons is a good and far-sighted choice. He has been on the board of Tata Sons since August 2006 and I have been impressed with the quality and calibre of his participation, Cyrus Pallonji Mistry his astute obser vations and his humility. He is intelligent and qualified to take on the responsibility being offered and I will be committed to working with him over the next year to give him the exposure , the involvement and the operating experience to equip him to undertake the full responsibility of the group on my retirement.”

Mr Mistry, born August July 4 1968, married with two children, has a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce from Mumbai University, is a graduate in civil engineering, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, and MSc at London Business School. He was associated with the Shapoorji Pallonji Group from 1991until his move to Tata.

James Fontenella Khan aired the doubts of some Mumbai business executives on whether Mr Mistry was equipped to handle the complexities of the Tata global empire, but such scepticism was also voiced when Ratan Tata succeeded the patriarch JRD Tata in 1991. Ratan Tata oversaw the transformation of the company from simply an Indian operation to a global enterprise straddling every continent.

Ratan Tata will be a hard act to follow. It is up to Cyrus Pallonji Mistry to show he is a worthy successor.

Nobel laureate Khorana dies Har Gobind Khorana, the Indian American Nobel laureate died on November 9 in Concord, Massachusetts, aged 89. Professor Khorana, who was associated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), was awarded the Nobel prize in biochemistry in 1968, sharing it with two others, for unravelling the the nucleotide sequence of RNA and deciphering the genetic code. Born in Punjab in 1922, he left India for the UK around independence, worked for a while in Cambridge University and Switzerland, before settling in the US.

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

Political Sketchbook Alpesh Patel’s

The Politics of Inward Investment I write to you having returned from India, Dubai, Malaysia and Singapore. I visited our High Commissions in Delhi, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. On my return I have just done a BBC interview.

Let me tell you why I am optimistic and hopeful about being in the UK. We have in the UK for centuries invested in infrastructure. Infrastructure that is the envy of business persons who want electricity, rail, road, airports, office space, all the things we take for granted. But all the things which if you are a Tata, who invests in the UK, helps you achieve massive profits. You don’t after all pay for this infrastructure. It is historic sunk cost. Written off. Paid by generations long gone. Any businessman will tell you, such assets that you get for free allow your profit and loss to be very healthy. Indeed one way you create wealth is to sweat assets you bought for nothing. Again, just ask Tata.

So why do the entrepreneurs I met in these countries want to invest in the UK when opposition parties talk down the country (whichever political party – its job in opposition is to talk down the country sadly.)?

Our workers do actually work. They do not siesta. Our workers are well educated and innovative. Our universities are outstanding at innovation. Why? Years of investment. A business wants return on investment. We are part of the EU’s $12trillion GDP market, but not part of the Euro. We are the fifth largest economy in the world. We are a good

place from where to export. I know because when I speak to UKTI colleagues in the Embassies and High Commissions around the world – I see it.

I am not seeking your vote. So I am not saying this other than it is true.

What then of America? Make no mistake America is our competitor and also thankfully our business collaborator. We do best when we work with them and the Chinese or Koreans or Japanese – to tap into outstanding markets and make the best products.

As a government, you can spend on investment which fuels future growth or you can spend on consumers. The former is better because it also brings investment from abroad and this too boosts growth in the longer term. But we have to ensure the projects are likely to generate growth. And growth is not just about physical infrastructure but human infrastructure - in other words we have to invest in education and entrepreneurship skills. This is too often overlooked. We want not just foreigners to make profit from being in the UK, and repatriating those profits, but also the domestic population to profit.

All this is why this past week I was overjoyed the Chancellor and my fellow college class mate, Danny Alexander, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, announced increased investment into infrastructure. Because in 40 years time, I will write about how the world still wants to invest in the UK.

Head teacher bags OBE award

By Hamish Ramdharry At the award ceremony in Buckingham Palace on Tuesday November 15, 2011, Mrs Modi, explained how she always wanted to make a difference in people’s lives by giving something back to the community.

Following her graduation in Pure Mathematics in 1973, Mrs Modi, entered the teaching profession and never looked back since. “I have thoroughly enjoyed being a teacher, and especially being a head teacher, over the past 16 years. I have had the pleasure of working in a wide variety of different kinds of schools, in privileged and deprived areas, multicultural inner city schools, as well as schools in rural England. To become a member of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for

ing, learning and leadership and management.

“Staff was a true representation of the community it served.

The commitment to high expectations and excellent teaching, meant children who often came in, with little or no English, achieved average to above average stanMeenaben Modi receiving OBE dards. Ofsted inspec‘Services to Education’ is tors deemed it an an immense honour,” she ‘Outstanding’ school three said. She pointed out that years ago recognising the it was recognition of her excellent value added perefforts and hard work in formance of the pupils,” developing schools as she said.

Mrs Modi places of excellence for all believed that many children. “The school is an achievements were attribexcellent example of a utable to the hardworking microcosm of multiculturand committed staff who al Britain, with children worked as a team showing speaking over 37 home true distributive leaderlanguages. The school ship, and through the parprided itself on its dedicaent-teacher partnership tion to equality and incluthat developed over the sion in all areas of teachyears.

Clegg orders inquiry into racism by banks Nick Clegg has ordered an investigation into whether British banks are institutionally racist after discovering that businesses run by black people are four times more likely to be denied loans than those run by white people.

The Deputy Prime Minister will also claim in a speech that Bangladeshi, Pakistani, black Caribbean and black African-owned

companies are being subjected to higher interest rates than British or Indianowned ones. It is a problem that he hears “time and time again”, he will add.

The Liberal Democrat leader will admit that the reasons are complicated and could include poorer education, a lack of the right guidance, too little capital or even self-exclusion. But he will say that it is time to “lift

the lid” on the injustice.

Mr Clegg will make the comments while delivering the Scarman lecture in Brixton, South London.

The lecture is named after the QC who led the inquiry into the Brixton riots in 1981.

Mr Clegg will talk about race equality in policing and politics, admitting that his own party is “too male and pale”.

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EVENTS & COMMUNITY

Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

Arise Arjuna 20th Anniversary of National Hindu Students’ Forum (UK) Dynamism, vibrancy and unity are three words which best describe The National Hindu Students’ Forum (UK) 20th Anniversary celebrations ‘Arise Arjuna’ on Saturday 19th November at the JFS School, Kenton. Over the past 20 years, NHSF (UK) has grown to represent 15,000 students across 35 universities across the country and organises over 1200 events a year under the NHSF (UK) banner to make it the Largest Hindu Students movement in Europe.

(the founder of NHSF(UK), Alpesh Patel (Principle of Praefinium Partners), Rasik Ladwa (Dean of the Faculty of General Dental Practise (UK), The Royal College of Surgeons of England, Pranav Bhanot (President of NHSF (UK)). The theme which linked all the key note speeches was an acknowledgment of how successful we have come as a community but like just like Arjuna of the battlefield of Kurukshetra, we too face challenges ahead and we need to tackle them head on. The guests which included business

Prinal Nathwani (Gen Sec, NHSF (UK)), Hasmukh Velji Shah, Dhiraj Shah (President, HSS (UK), Dr. Giridhar Lal Bhan (President, VHP (UK)), Vinoo Wadher, Swami Vigyananand, Ram Vaidya, Kajal Sheth, Chandrakant Sharma. In the Protect Zone at Arise Arjuna where organisations such as as Chinmaya, ISKCON & Indo-European Kashmiri Hindu were present on stalls to explain the work they have initiated to protect Hindu Dharma.

versities were informed The Launch event – 16th that the 20th 0The day was a celAnniversary ebration of not only not only celethe advances of brated the past NHSF (UK) but but was a also the achievelaunch pad for ments of British the future. The Hindus in the UK. vision for the This was recognised organisation at our Arise Arjuna were disclosed launch event on including the Wednesday 16th launch of the November at the Hindu Lawyers Nehru Centre, Association, Mayfair.

The “Bringing evening consisted of Politics onto a canapés reception, Swami Vigyananand (International Joint Gen Sec campus” camof VHP)and Ram Bapa during the Rudra Abhishek performances by paign, a continAmal Lad and Janaki leaders, community leadued commitment to interMehta and key note ers and representatives faith work as well as an speeches by Manoj Ladwa from NHSF affiliated uniexpansion of NHSF activities to reach out to schools and colleges.

The evening was a

Manoj Ladwa (Founding Member, NHSF (UK)), Alpesh Patel (CE, Praefinium Partners and business commentator), Dr. Rasik Ladwa (Dean of the Royal College of Surgeons), Dr. Giridhar Lal Bhan (President, VHP (UK)), Prinal Nathwani (General Secretary, NHSF (UK)) inaugurating the Arise Arjuna Launch event during the lighting of the deep ceremony.

great success as it brought together stakeholders of the Hindu Community and provided a platform to convey the vision for the organisation and how it would change the landscape of Hinduism in the UK. The Arise Arjuna National event- 19th November The Largest interactive exhibition on Hindu history, culture and traditions.

We partnered with the Hindu and wider faith community including the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, Anthony Nolan Trust and the Art of Living to showcase how our communities can unite and work together to

Over 400 students playing garba at the NHSF (UK) National Garba and Dandiya

Interfaith promises closer Hindu, Muslim ties In a joint effort, the AlKhoei Foundation and the Hindu Forum of Britain pioneered the first meeting by bringing together heads from both Muslim and Hindu faiths to discuss the concept of service in both traditions on Friday November 25, 2011 at the DoubleTree hotel in Holborn, Central London.

Attendance was at capacity with 25 people from each faith listening to presentations and discussions surrounding the concept of service from the faiths’ perspectives.

The audience was treated to presentations from the Deputy Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, Dr Shuja Shafi, and Sayed Muhammed Mussawi, from the AlKhoei Foundation, on Islamic tradition. For the Hindu tradition, Chair of Interfaith for the Hindu Forum of Britain, Ramesh Pattni, and Arup Ganguly President of National Sewa Week did the honours.

Bharti Tailor

Ramesh Pattni

Arup Ganguly

Hindu Forum of Britain President, Arjan Vekaria JP said: “Despite the fact that the Muslim community is the second largest faith group in Britain, with Hinduism as the third, we do not know enough about one another, and there are members of our communities who may never have had meaningful contact with one another.

Therefore, Interfaith dialogue like this is important to increase awareness.”

Yousif Al-Khoei, from the Al-Khoei foundation said: “This has been a lesson in cooperation and diplomacy. We are aiming to

get as many people on board from each of our Faith communities to work closely with one another at the same time.”

Secretary General of the Hindu Forum of Britain, Bharti Tailor, was very pleased with the turnout and participation of the guests.

“It is a steep learning curve. There was a very positive feeling in the air, and those present unanimously expressed the idea that we need more similar events to foster and develop greater understanding between the two traditions,” she said.

Also present were Mr

Nazir Jessa, Deputy Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, Lord and Lady Sheikh, the Mayor of Brent, Cllr Aslam Choudry, H G Gauri Das of ISKCON and spiritual commissioner of Hindu Forum of Britain, CB Patel, Patron of Hindu Forum, Pranav Bhanot, President of National Hindu Students Forum, as well as representatives of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, and Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board.

The event was supported by a grant from the Department of Communities and Local Government.

better society at large.

Through exploring the four zones (preserve, protect, practice and promote), delegates learnt about Dharmic history, science, dispelling myths about rituals and traditions, yoga, sanskrit literature, dance and arts and contributions to politics and activism through workshops, stalls, interactive sessions and performances.

In the evening, students from over 30 different Universities took part in a very colourful and vibrant National Garba – to bring an end to the day’s celebrations.

Special guests on the day included – The Mayor of Brent, Cllr Navin Shah (Member of the GLA),

Swami Vigyanand (Joint General Secretary of VHP), Ram Bapa, Sanjay Babber (Royal Air Force) The essence of ‘Arise Arjuna’ is one of action over inaction, practice over hypocrisy, vision over apathy and truth over ignorance. We wish to inspire and rejuvenate the Hindu and wider community to the wealth of learning and experience that four millennia of Dharmic thought has given to the world.

It was inspiring to see the amount people of knowledge students and their families took away from the event.

For more information about how to get involved – visit – www.nhsf.org.uk

Mayuri Parmar (PR Coord, NHSF (UK)), Vishal Patel (VP, NHSF (UK)), Cllr Navin Shah (GLA Member for Brent and Harrow), The Mayor of Brent (Cllr. Aslam Choudary), Milen Shah (Chinmaya Mission UK),Pranav Bhanot (President, NSHF (UK))

Capture the Moment in Switzerland Switzerland Travel Centre is offering some great packages for couples who would like to propose their true love with the experience of a lifetime, against a backdrop which will take your breath away. The campaign was launched at the Asian Wedding Exhibition by a raffle draw.

Miss Vandna Meghani from Harlesden was the lucky winner to win a trip for two to Interlaken, Switzerland and discover its natural beauty.

Surprise your brideto-be with the right offer.

Flying Proposal in the delightful Interlaken area, a Heartbeat on the Mountain, high above Lake Lucerne, Medieval Proposal for a fairy-tale castle romance in Montreux, or a VIP Gondola to Heaven to get close to the

Miss Vadna Meghani from Harlesden (Winner of the ‘Capture the Moment’ contest)

Matterhorn in Zermatt.

For more information on the packages, contact Switzerland Travel Centre on 020 7420 4932 and quote ASIAN VOICE.

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

f ashionista

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by Debasree Ghosh

Be a Fashionista, Be You! If you have any questions or a story or a new style to share with us, please write to Shree at aveditorial@abplgroup.com

The Great Cover-Up For me, the purchase of the winter coat is usually the biggest of the year.

It’s usually one of the most expensive items I buy and practically live in it for four months. I spend money and time to look for the perfect one. I do like a bargain, but the winter coat is not the item you want to be scrimping on. Chances are it will be worn every

single day from November to March, so you really want quality and ‘love’ rather that ‘it will do’. Those of you who still are trolling the shops for the perfect winter coat to last you through the celebrations and inevitable slump afterwards, walk this way.

The Trench: One of my absolute favourites, I bought my first trenchcoat at 22, from Gap. It lasted me years and only last year my mum gifted me a new, more expensive, updated version.

This year, I have seen this classic shape with leather trimmings and even contrast leather sleeves. Go for the classic tan trench if you worship at the altar

of timeless chic, or invest in a leather-contrasted one to show off your individual style.

The floor-grazing overcoat: Tailored and elegant for day and evening, these versatile coats give your wardrobe a classic 40s feel and keep your ankles warmer than ever. Structured, belt wrapped and often double breasted, shown on the ramps of Aquascutum, Paul & Joe, Armani and Sportmax.

Head to Zara and Reiss for good quality affordable versions.

The Luxe Parka: Gone are the days when one would throw on a parka only on the most freezing of days and even then be judged as having poor taste or very cruelly, just poor. Enter the luxe parka, with tactile fabrics and often, with a belt to show off the existence of a waist! It’s a must have for those casual-chic weekends when a clean-

lined sophisticated coat is just enough to keep away the chill.

The Cape: Last year, most of us were grappling with the cape coat. With the exception of very tall,

Spanish teen-agers, very few of us dared to go there. This year, the shapes are friendlier and more importantly, even more fashionable. Go and try one on or make like me and borrow a 70s one from your mum’s wardrobe. I promise you, they are not as scary as they look.

The Printed Coat: There’s no need to stick to your mono-coloured outerwear when you have so many designs to choose from. The coat offers you a magical world of patterns that would definitely perk up your cold season apparel.

In the shop rails, you’ll find the classy winter Nordic patterns that are perfect for the season as well as animal, floral and brocade designs to echo the opulence trend.

A great winter coat is a fashion investment don't shy away from upping your budget for a timeless design. Two of the many very chic lifelessons that I have learnt from my Parisian roomie in university: Real French women don’t eat croissants and if you buy one thing for Christmas, let it be a fabulous coat.

A Spice above the Rest Curry lovers in London will be delighted to hear that their taste buds will be enhanced further by the launch of authentic restaurant style Indian snacks and curries in selected Asda stores.

The well known, award winning Chak 89 restaurant has joined forces with Asda to launch their very own restaurant menu cooked the restaurant way. That’s right, now you can buy traditional authentic Indian food which is cooked and tastes just like it would in a restaurant and to put a smile on curry lovers in London, it is at supermarket prices.

The Surrey based Chak 89 restaurant have launched their most com-

mon and signature dishes from starters to desserts, with an introductory offer for starters priced at only 25p each, curries at ￡1.99 for 250gms and desserts at 25p each, is surely a buy not to be missed.

Mr Khalid the owner of the brand Chak 89 expressed his excitement and the concept of working with Asda saying “This is the best thing that can happen for all curry lovers out there, they can

now enjoy restaurant style Indian food in the comfort of their home at supermarket prices”.

Chak 89, well known for its celebrity clientele has also put on a completion where one lucky winner will have the chance to meet their favourite celebrity. For a chance to win go to the Chak 89 counter and fill out a simple form and you could be on your way to meet the likes of Shahrukh Khan, Deepika Padokone, John Abraham, Jay Sean, Rishi Rich just some of the stars that are amongst Chak 89’s clientele.

This can only mean one thing Chak 89 is “A Spice above the Rest”.

For more stories visit www.scribbledesk.com

Short Story by Neha Garg

The Princess and the Pea I don’t know what has gotten into Kings, They always seem to want the silliest things.

Let me narrate the story of one I knew, Who tried to bite off more than he could chew.

Here is what he said to all he met, His perfect girl, his brunette.

‘There is this girl I want to marry,’ ‘A real princess is what she needs to be.’

‘Fair as a rose, with a tiny little nose,’ ‘The beauty of a fairy, that’s who I’ll propose.’

You see now what I mean, What this king wished to have for a Queen.

Brains did not matter in those days, As long as a girl’s shapeliness continued to amaze.

Girls lined up morning,noon and night, Some quite ugly, most not so bright.

The King had devised a test, you see, Finding a real princess isn’t easy, you’d agree.

He had piled twenty mattresses on top of another, Upon these he piled eiderdowns, that’d set your heart aflutter.

Under these, he placed a tiny little pea, ‘A real princess should feel that,’ said he.

A hundred girls gave the mattresses a try, The pea remained hidden, the King gave up with a sigh.

‘These women are not princesses at all’ ‘They wouldn’t notice if on a watermelon they sprawled.’

‘You could stick knives under those sheets,’ ‘And the women would snore on, in their suite.’

The King was frustrated his brilliant plan foiled, Upset, he paced about, his blood

boiled.

The thundery night reflected the King’s mood, The storm gave him another reason to brood.

Then suddenly, came a knock upon the door, He opened it to find a girl standing in the pour.

She was shivering head to foot, her dark hair wet, She asked for a place to sleep, a place to rest.

The king by now, didn’t really care, Here was his maiden, oh so fair, Weary, he pointed towards the room, Where his plans of finding a real princess, had met their doom.

The girl saw the mattresses, climbed up the tower, And promptly fell asleep, without a shower.

The next morning, she padded to breakfast, None too worse, for her time in the tempest.

‘Did you sleep well, my dear?’ asked the King seeing her walking queer.

‘No,’ said the girl. ‘There was a stone in the bed,’ ‘Oh, so many tears did I shed.’

‘It ploughed into my back, I am all black and blue,’ ‘Looks like I shall need a doctor or two.’

The King was aghast, his mouth hung open.

This was the girl, the Gods had chosen.

None but a real princess would have felt, The tiny little pea, he dwelt.

‘You shall be my Queen,’ the King declared.

‘Let the Wedding Feast be prepared.’

So they got married and lived a happy life, The mighty King and his beautiful wife.

I wonder though, would they have wed, If the Queen had had the brains to check under the bed?

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BollywooD

Asian Voice Saturday 3rd December 2011

Anjali turns brave for Vikram’s ‘Karikalan’

Vikram’s historical flick “Karikalan” has got its third female lead. After roping in Zarine Khan and Mithra Kurian, Anjali of “Angadi Theru” fame has been signed to play a key role in the forthcoming Tamil movie. Sources say that Anjali will be seen in a bold character. The actress has confirmed the news and said she would be seen

in the role of a leader of a faithful group.

The “Kattradhu Thamizh” actress’ character demands her to learn sword-fighting and horse riding. The actress claims that she is game for it. However, Vikram will be seen in the historical role of Karikalan Chola, one of the popular Tamil kings of early Chola during the Sangam period.

Kareena Kapoor gets to choose her leading man Just a few days before the film goes on floors, the cast of Madhur Bhandarkar's film “Heroine” has undergone a change. According to sources close to the project, leading leady Kareena Kapoor refused to get intimate with actor Arunoday Singh on screen. And Randeep Hooda had to fill in Singh's shoes.

The Sudhir Mishra protege, Arunoday Singh had been a part of the project from the very beginning. At that time, Singh was to share screen space with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. An excited Arunoday had then said, "Why feel the pressure? I am not going to fight a battle. To work with Aishwarya would be amazing and I am looking forward to it."

Unluckily for Singh, he is no more a part of the project. Randeep Hooda is. The decision to replace one with the other has however, come as a surprise. Hooda, in his Bollywood career spanning a decade, has carved a niche for himself in films that are generally tagged as 'different'. The five film old Singh too entered the same space, eight years later. But leading lady Kareena seems to prefer Hooda to the newer actor. "Kareena approved of Randeep filling up for Arunoday. She was also informed at the earlier stage when Randeep was being approached," said a source.

"Randeep is very happy to work with Bhandarkar and UTV. “Heroine,” after all, is a big film. He will be playing a cricketer in it," added the source.

Shah Rukh offers to strip at IFFI opener

Selvaraghavan blamed for ‘Vishwaroobham’ delay Kamal Hassan has finally opened up on why he took over reins of ‘Vishwaroobham’ from Selvaraghavan, who had claimed that he walked out due to his commitment with other projects. The legendary actor has pointed his finger at the filmmaker for not utilising his dates and which also made Sonakshi Sinha to opt out of the bilingual film.

Kamal Hassan said that as Selvaraghavan did not respect his time, the actor was forced to take the

responsibility of directing “Vishwaroobham.” “It was my project and my story.

But time was running out.

Sonakshi’s dates were gone.

My dates were also running out. I do one project at a time. If the director doesn’t respect my time, I will have to.” He believes that when someone fails to utilise his dates, the project becomes his own. Meanwhile, the multifaceted actor has roped in a New York- based actress Pooja Kumar to play the female lead in ‘Vishwaroobham.’

Bala-Atharva film titled ‘Eriyum Thanal’

There were reports recently that National Award winning director Bala, who has made some pathbreaking Tamil films, has signed Atharva (son of late actor Murali) to play the lead role in his next film.

The movie is reportedly inspired from a Malayalam novel. Now the latest buzz is that the film, which is a full-fledged family entertainer, is tentatively titled “Eriyum Thanal.” The film

narrates the struggles that a couple face to raise their children. G V Prakash is likely to compose the music.

An official announcement is expected soon.

Atharva has wrapped up the shoot of “Muppozhudhum Un Karpanaigal,” directed by Elred Kumar. The movie is also being made and released in Telugu as “Nirantharam Nee Voohale.”

Shah Rukh Khan turned an otherwise drab official function into a rib-tickling affair by offering to strip and reveal his bermudas on stage at the inauguration of the 42nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

Shah Rukh, the chief guest at the inauguration of the 11-day festival, was at his hilarious best and had union minister for information and broadcasting Ambika Soni and Goa chief minister Digambar Kamat in splits by threatening to strip down to his beach wear, which he claimed he was wearing beneath his formal slacks.

“I wanted to wear my bermudas, but then chose to wear my suit. But I am still wearing bermudas beneath. Do you want me to take my pants off,” he asked, leaving the 1,000 strong audience laughing their guts out.

“The younger girls (referring to compere Tisca Chopra and actress Rituparna Sengupta) and Ambika are saying ‘take it off, take it off’!” Khan chided in banter, after being at the receiving end of Soni’s playful jibe at him in her introductory speech.

Soni had earlier said that it was “extremely easy” to get Shah Rukh Khan to attend the festival and that she did not have to approach any “powerful” friends and people to coax the Bollywood badshah to attend the mega I&B event.

“All I told him was that we need to him to come to the festival to raise the profile of the IFFI (International Film Festival of India). And he said yes,” Soni said, The festival will screen more than 100 movies from 65 countries and will have special packages like ‘Master Classes’ by renowned film personalities like Milcho Manchevski, Hugh Welchman, Laurence Kardish and a first of its kind package of 3D and animation movies.

Ranveer Singh is single and ready to mingle Ranveer Singh has mellowed down a bit. His slight change in demeanor makes it clear that the actor is aware about the huge expectations that ride on him post the success of his debut film “Band Baaja Baaraat.” But has the supposed womaniser fallen into the love trap in real life as reported? News of the actor seeing “Dabangg” girl Sonakshi Sinha has been doing the rounds. Ranveer reacted, "We are young and we work in a glamorous world of films. I am doing a film with Sonakshi called 'Lootera' and we have interacted during a photo shoot and at an award performance. A lot has been made out of this. We are friends but we are not good friends.

We do not hang out as often as it's mentioned."

After a little more probing, Ranveer confessed, "I am single."

Aishwarya's baby is most wanted!

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has joined the ranks of Hollywood celebrities like Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Lopez, whose babies were on the list of the most wanted pictures by American tabloids and celebrity weekly magazines. In fact, there is buzz that a leading tabloid called the National Enquirer wants to get its hands on the first, exclusive pictures of Beti B. Over the years, it has become a trend for media houses to pay ludicrous amounts of money to capture private moments of celebrity mums with their new-born babies. Needless to say, this is huge publicity for the publication in question, and those quoting the highest price often get exclusive rights to the pictures. The follow-up to the development is a mad rush to bid for her daughter's pictures and get an exclusive first look.

Akshay Kumar wants martial art to be part of school curriculum

Sonakshi Sinha was at the recently concluded Paris Fashion Week and is already feeling like a Hollywood diva She says “I'm always under the microscope for my style sense and fitness quite often.

But it really doesn't bother me, because fashion to me is wearing what I am comfortable in and that suits my body type. There is pressure from a lot of people to lose weight, but I don't think my audience would want that. I'm happy with the way I look and most importantly healthy. My first film projected me as a very Indian, village-type of a girl. But since I was born and brought up in Mumbai, I'm really not like that. I am a very urban girl. I like being casual, cool and spunky.”

Anil Kapoor to play host to Tom Cruise Come December and Anil Kapoor is all set to be the most sought after man in Bollywood. After all, he is playing host to Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise during his visit to Mumbai. Cruise is expected to arrive in Mumbai on December 2 to promote his film “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” .Among many things planned, Anil and Cruise will also have a special exclusive screening of their film for around 1,500 fans. This is the first time fans will get to see the film much before the film releases on Dec 16. Besides, Anil also plans to throw a lavish party in honour of Tom Cruise during the actor's stay in Mumbai.

Katrina Kaif is the favourite of cyber criminals

Gauhar Khan’s lip surgery goes awfully wrong Model-turned-actress, Gauhar Khan, had to cancel the shoot of her reality TV show Khan Sisters, after her lip augmentation surgery goes awfully wrong. Gauhar confirmed the incident and said, "I wanted to try the temporary lip augmentation procedure, which lasts for around 3 to 4 hours. But I didn't like the way it looked at all at that point and so, the shoot of Khan Sisters had to be stalled, as I was in shock and wasn't comfortable being captured on camera for that moment."

Actress Katrina Kaif could be a heartthrob of millions but she has also earned herself a sobriquet of being the 'most dangerous Indian celebrity' as the cyber criminals are using her name as a favourite key word that exposes computers to malicious software.

The actress has emerged as the most dangerous celebrity in the Indian cyber space for year 2011, according to a report by the internet security company McAfee.

Fans looking for results on search engines using strings such as 'name of celebrity' combined with words like 'free downloads', 'hot pictures', 'screen savers', and 'videos' are at a risk of running themselves into websites with malicious software and online threats.

McAfee researched popular culture's most famous people to reveal the riskiest celebrity sportsmen, actors and politicians across the web to pick up the 'most dangerous Indian celebrity'.

According to the report, Katrina is on top leaving behind Deepika Padukone and Kareena Kapoor.

In a celebrity crazy country like India, cyber criminals find it very lucrative to use the names of popular figures as keywords to lure people to sites with malicious software. This year's study found movie stars top the most dangerous list, while sports stars and politicians are among the safest.

The smashing on screen chemistry of Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra will scorch the big screen this December as King Khan returns to menacing and romancing the cat like Priyanka Chopra for the sequel of “Don.” Buzz has it that Shah Rukh is extremely fond of Priyanka and thinks she is one of the most talented actresses he has worked with. Their mutual admiration for each other has led to their latent and intriguing chemistry on screen.

Going by the film poster and the recent trailer, the pair seems to have already set the temperatures soaring.

So don’t miss Shah Rukh an Priyanka’s onscreen chemistry in “Don 2” set to release on the 21st December 2011.

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I'm happy with the way I look: Sonakshi

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar looks very fit but surprisingly does not have a trainer and has never lifted weights; and even his diet does not sound like a doctor's prescription. Yet Akshay has one of the most enviably lean, agile and defined bodies in the business. "I believe that an unhealthy and unfunctional body is an uneasy, unhappy way to live life," says the actor who is only getting fitter with age.

"It doesn't mean you have to be a champion. Eat right, know when to stop, do enough exercise to use all your muscles. You must be confident that if you live on the 28th floor of a building, and there's a fire, you will be able to throw your child over the shoulder and run down to safety effortlessly. There is no end to physical happiness."

Akshay owes his outlook towards life to martial arts, particularly Karate.

"In fact, my life's ambition is not to become a huge superstar or actor," he confesses. "Before I die, I want to see some form of martial arts taught in every school in the country and see it become a part of the curriculum. Children should not be given their board exam certification unless they study it for three years. Every child should have the opportunity to fight, defend and discipline.

That's how it is in Hong King, Singapore, Malaysia and other South-East Asian countries. It inculcates self discipline and a sense of agility. Yoga and martial arts are the two oldest and the most complete forms of exercise."

It's this sense of discipline that still runs the King Singh's life. He gets up at 4.30 am and is in bed by 9 pm. "People who invite me to a party know that I will leave early because I have to be in bed. And let me tell you, I hate night shifts," he says. So he climbs trees or a specially designed 30-foot indoor climbing wall with his son, practises yoga or martial arts or hangs off a 13-storey building. "Please, please write that you should not try this without supervision," he says hastily.

SRK and Priyanka’s chemistry roaring in ‘Don 2’

Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

Vidya : I’ll be happy to get married

Mugdha says no to Madhur Bhandarkar Mugdha Godse refused to take the stage at an event when she was told to present an award with the director Madhur Bhandarkar at a recent event. Adds the source, "Mugdha's sudden change of mind shocked the organisers.

However, she did not mind going up on the stage with anyone else." Though Madhur had provided her a break in Bollywood with “Fashion” there has been buzz that all is not well between the two.

Though they greet each other cordially in public, there is a bit of resentment from Mugdha as she was left to make it on her own in Bollywood.

Bollywood actress Vidya Balan is dating Siddharth Roy Kapoor but has never talked about it. The actress was in Ahmedabad recently to promote her upcoming film where she dropped her guard.

She said “I'll be happy to get married. But at the moment I am enjoying my courtship period." When asked to describe her relationship in one word the actress got coy, "Undhiyu is the word that describes our relationship - tasty, sweet, spicy and salty.

It has everything," she blushed.

Emraan Hashmi promotes his film in the Parliament The makers of “The Dirty Picture” are going all out to promote their film. Recently the team was in Delhi for the same. During the promotions in Delhi, the crew decided to go one step ahead and headed to the Parliament to promote the film. Emraan Hashmi visited the Parliament to distribute copies of the music CDs to the MPs. Tweeting about this Emraan says, "Off to Delhi for promotion of @thedirtypic. Land at 12 pm and head straight to the Parliament. 1st ever film promotion to take place there."

Later he added, "After Parliament I'm meant to take the Delhi metro to Rajiv Chowk and head to the holy Nizamuddin Dargah to seek blessings for."

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Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

Cyrus Mistry to succeed Ratan Tata as Tata Group chief Dear Financial Voice Reader, My sense of financial optimism is finding a fan club.

I know this because I am emailed about it. But some people remain unconvinced. So let me try again. Did you know the Greek economy is the size of the Washington State economy in the US? Or that the Italian economy over which so many people fret is the size of the California economy.

Yet, the California economy has been pretty much in a worse state than the Italian economy for nearly a decade – needing bail outs and having shut downs. And the US government is not AAA rated by the ratings agencies. But France in the EU is. And did you know the EU and the US are the same size economically.

But you don't see people saying the US will politically collapse do you? Why? Could it be that we happily ignore the facts and reality? That newspapers like to repeat doom and gloom? So why should the US be attractive? Because they have California? Because they are so large economically, because they have no Greece? Well as I have shown, none of these facts help differentiate the US and the EU. What of debt? Well the EU does lack something the US has. The EU does not have the power to print money. And it should. Imagine if the Italian debt repayment was paid off by freshly printed Euros. Then you suddenly don't have to pressure the poor Italian companies and consumers to pay more and more tax.

But surely printing money would lead to other problems? Like inflation. Well inflation is negligible and given our lack of confidence, is hardly about to rise. What then what about devaluing the Euro? Well the Euro needs to devalue, not least because the Chinese by keeping their currency artificially pegged to the dollar have made their exports artificially cheap and therefore made European products price uncompetitive. If we in Europe devalue, since the Chinese won't appreciate, then we become more competitive.

So what other objections do you have? Why should Italian debt only be wiped off? It shouldn't. We can pro-rata pay each State some printed notes. Billions of them. So that it is fair.

Well won't that encourage them to be bad in the future? No, because before they get the money, they must abide by fiscal changes. These include no more siestas. Working till you drop of old age, or 67, whichever comes first. Public sector workers get 25 days maximum annual holidays and a whole host of other things to ensure people work hard, pay tax and the State does not spend on wasteful things, but rather only on investment in infrastructure which will lead to future growth.

It really isn't complicated. It is just that vested interests make it appear so.

Alpesh Patel alpesh.patel@tradermind.com

JLR eyes more 'made' in India cars Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover is evaluating options to assemble more models in India, including the Jaguar cars, as it aims at garnering about 20 per cent share of the luxury segment.

"If there is a business case, we will consider assembling more models, even including the Jaguar cars, in India," Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) India Head of Premier Car Division Rohit Suri told reporters. Asked if the company has identified any models for assembly in India, he said: "No final decision has been taken and the evaluation process is ongoing."

At present the Freelander 2 is assembled at Tata Motors' Pimpri plant near Pune.

He also said the assembly location of other models could either be at the same plant or elsewhere

depending on the "business case".

Commenting on the targets of JLR in India, Suri said: "We should have 20 per cent (market share) in the luxury segment."

He, however, did not give timeline for the target.

The company has a miniscule presence in the Indian luxury vehicle segment that is projected to touch around 1,50,000 units by 2020. The market is expected to be over 20,000 units this year.

Suri said that considering the company's products, the target is achievable despite being "ambitious."

Tata Sons, the holding company of over $80 billion conglomerate Tata Group, has chosen Cyrus P Mistry, the 43-year-old MD of Shapoorji Pallonji Group, to succeed Ratan Tata.

"The board of directors of Tata Sons at its meeting appointed Cyrus P Mistry as the deputy chairman.

He will work with Ratan N Tata over the next year and take over from him when Tata retires in December 2012," Tata Sons said in a statement.

This is as per the unanimous recommendation of the selection committee, it added. Shapoorji Pallonji

Cyrus P Mistry

Group holds 18 per cent stake in Tata Sons.

Commenting on the appointment, Ratan N Tata, Chairman of Tata Sons, said: "The appoint-

ment of Cyrus P Mistry as Deputy Chairman of Tata Sons is a good and farsighted choice.

"He has been on the Board of Tata Sons since August 2006 and I have been impressed with the quality and calibre of his participation, his astute observations and his humility."

Tata further said: "I will be committed to working with him over the next year to give him the exposure, the involvement and the operating experience to equip him to undertake the full responsibility of the Group on my retirement."

Born on July 4, 1968, Mistry graduated from the Imperial College, London with a BE in civil engineering. He also holds a masters degree in management from the London Business School, and is a fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers. Apart from the Tata Group, he also serves as a director on the board of several other companies, including Shapoorji Pallonji & Co, Forbes Gokak, Afcons Infrastructure and United Motors (India). At 38, he was one of the youngest directors of the company, set up as a trading firm in 1868.

Indus Entreprenurs fosters entrepreneurship, wealth creation The Indus Entreprenurs (TiE), the world’s largest non-profit organization, is singularly focused on fostering entrepreneurship and wealth-creation. TiE fosters entrepreneurship globally through mentoring, networking and education. Dedicated to the virtuous cycle of wealth creation and giving back to the community, its main focus is on generating and nurturing our next generation of entrepreneurs.

With 13,000 members, including over 2,500 charter members in 57 chapters across 14 countries, TiE hosts a wide range of programs and events, including TiEcon, the largest professional and networking conference for entrepreneurs. Within the circle of Charter Members are iconic individuals from both the business and social worlds, such Narayana Murthy, Kanwal Rekhi, Nandan Nilekani, Hussain Dawood, Desh Deshpande, Arun Sarin,

Anand Mahindra, Aditya Mittal, Kiran MazumdarShaw, Rahul Nanda, Sanjiv Ahuja, Shiv Nadar, Syed Babar Ali, Victor Menezes, Vindi Banga, and Vinod Khosla, who work relentlessly across its ecosystem of 57 chapters to further its cause.

TiE UK was founded in 2000 and has since grown to become one of the largest chapters globally.

It’s co-founder was Asian Voice’s very own columnist, Alpesh Patel. With two offices, in London (founded in March 2000) & Manchester (founded in December 2006), TiE UK today has 100 Charter Members, 500 Regular Members and 5 annual sponsors: ABN Amro, HSBC Bank, KPMG, Ontario International Marketing Centre and Gates and Partners.

TiE UK holds educational and informative events, runs a very successful Mentoring programme, and for the last 3

Cairn India debt burden undermines Vedanta Vedanta Resources lost 2.8 per cent to 928p after Deutsche Bank voiced concerns about whether the miner could support the debt taken on for its $9.6bn deal to take control of Cairn India. Dividends would no longer cover the parent company’s debt costs if the oil price fell below $73 a barrel, Deutsche said. “The key question for investors on Vedanta is whether the subsidiaries can service the parent level debt,” Deutsche told clients. “In our view this depends increasingly on a robust oil price, as Cairn India will need to provide the majority of dividends to service parent level interest payments.”

However, it argued that Vedanta management could avoid a breach by squeezing one-off pay-

ments from subsidiaries with net cash, such as Cairn India and Hindustan Zinc.

Meanwhile, Cairn Energy lost 1.3 per cent to 264¼p amid concerns that its $1bn exploration programme off the coast of Greenland may continue to disappoint.

“High impact activity in 2012 is uncertain and, rightly or wrongly, we believe Cairn’s execution of its exploration strategy will remain under-appreciated by investors without evidence of straightforward success,” said Davy Stockbrokers, which downgraded Cairn to “under perform”.

The wider market rose for the first day in 10, with the FTSE closing up 0.7 per cent or 37.08 points to 5,164.65. For the week the index was off 3.7 per cent.

years has held TiE Young Entrepreneurs (TYE).The events held are not only “guest speaker” events but are also workshop style events helping TiE UK Members to gain further understanding of the sector in discussion and also enable them to share business ideas with other Members and Charter Members.

The Mentoring Programme, one of the most successful throughout all the chapters, is aimed at supporting entrepreneurs at different stages of development within all sectors.

Offered free to all TiE UK and TiE Manchester members the programme, with the time and knowledge of the Charter Members who are the mentors, has successfully helped over 200 entrepreneurs.

TiE Global's International Youth Program called TiE Young Entrepreneurs (TYE) is aimed towards the future generation of entrepre-

neurs. TYE focuses on teaching entrepreneurship to young people and helping them discover the rewards and challenges of becoming an entrepreneur.

The aim of the program is to empower the youth to become the next generation of entrepreneurs. TYE Global is a unique program that helps senior school children learn about the challenges and rewards of becoming an entrepreneur.

Seasoned entrepreneurs and mentors coach senior school children (ages 1518) based on a businessfocused curriculum. The program comes to a close with a global Business Plan Competition. The TYE program nurtures the creativity, self-confidence, leadership and overall development of the students.

Apart from sponsors and the strong membership base, TiE UK also capitalizes strongly on their core relationships with various universities and business schools.

Local Commercial Broker Wins Franchise Office of the Year Award Coversure (Kennington) has won a prestigious National Award. The husband and wife team, Rajan and Hina Amin collected the Franchise Office of the Year Award award at the glittering Community Broker Awards ceremony in Leicester on 15thOctober, attended by over 350 industry professionals from around the UK. The judges commented “These awards are all about recognising community based brokers for their service and for what they bring to the local economy.

Coversure in Kennington has demonstrated that a franchise business can grow and prosper without compromising on service through the right leadership and investment.”

Commenting on the award, Mr. Amin said “We have been providing a pro-

Rajan Amin receives the award from Mark Coversure Chairman of the Coversure Group

fessional local service to our clients since we opened and are surprised and delighted to have been recognised in this way.

Coversure (Kennington) has gone from strength to strength without losing its client focus, and we will make sure that will continue.”

FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

19

The Price of Procrastination

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

This week I write from a shack in the mountains after a gruelling 15 hour car journey. The price I pay per night is Rs 150 reduced from Rs 250. I know it’s only £3 ....but I’m a Gujarati, why should I pay full price!

It is a sharp contrast from the Taj in Delhi where the standard tariff for one night is Rs 18,000, which equates to about £250. I managed to get a 50% discount and pay Rs 9000 per night. I am here to hold a property seminar to market London homes to the wealthy citizens of New Delhi.

In India you find slums side by side with the highest property prices in the world. In Mumbai the Ambani residence priced at £500 million overlooks Dharavir one of the biggest slums in the world. This stark contrast in India exists in all spheres of life, not just in prices of accommodation. Here the most corrupt lives side by side with some of the holiest men in the world.

I arrived here from Vrindavan a town 3 hrs south of Dehli which rose from international obscurity to economic prosperity with the arrival of the white Krishna devotees. The Dollars and Pounds they have poured in have driven up the land prices. The property development going on here is tremendous. Interestingly the development is no longer funded by overseas investors, as was initially the case, but by the burgeoning wealthy middle class of Indians looking to secure a residence in the holy land for the fag end of their lives; a retreat away from home. It is ironic, that I should be here to hold a property seminar; a only a few years ago, this would have been unheard of, but the tides have changed.

Last we ek I wrote abo ut so me import ant steps to no te when investin g in property.

W ith f urt her thou ght I discovered I fail ed to mention t he most impo rtant factor. Th e most impo rtant aspect in investing in property is n ot the steps and advice given. It is you .

The biggest hindrance and obstacle when considering investing in property is the mental gymnastics we play as to why and why not to take the plunge. This leads to procrastination. This is the reason why most people lose money in property.

They simply fail to take a decision and follow through with action.

It is human nature to weigh up the odds and speculate as to why we should do something and why we should not.

Not that we should not give due consideration to our investments and perhaps even decide we should not invest. That would be perfectly acceptable. That’s not the issue, the issue is indecision. The truth of the matter is we are looking for reasons not to move forward because we are scared to lose what we have got. It is fear which fuels our indecision and causes our paralysis.

This fear of leaving our current perceived economic security leads to inaction. This thinking hinders progress in all aspects of life. This is especially true in dieting, this is why we have weekly periodicals giving ever new creative theory’s on how to diet - Because we don’t really want to diet!

What we really wish to do is to READ about dieting, BIG DIFFERENCE. Probably so we can read, understand and then find reasons as to why we cannot apply this particular theory in our life. If you want to lose weight for most of us it means we should simply stop eating junk and start jogging, but that would be too simple and require too much discipline.

Th e word d ecision comes from the Latin word Deisu s whic h means t o cu t off.

If we look at the word decision it consists of two parts. To cut off what you have and inherit something else. In the process of making a decision to invest in property you agree to let go of your current situation in order to get to a more prosperous situation.

Every one wants to get to a more prosperous situation, so the danger lies in the first half which is letting go of what you have. Here lies our deepest fear.

Behavioural science shows we weigh losses much more heavily then a gain of the same amount. This means we fear losing much more then we enjoy gaining something new.

This is actually very difficult to express to a client because it is not logical. The yield, past performance, likely future growth, can be easily expressed. The way your money depreciates sitting in a bank is easy to show.

This obstacle is not in the realm of logic and is difficult to demonstrate. It is an emotional response which comes from our conditioning.

A practical example is a client who is a pharmacist and who would regularly be in contact with us over a 3 year period, with the intention of investing but always finding reason not to, he kept saying that he would get back to me. Eventually we met in person at a seminar and we had a frank discussion. He mentioned he always feels rushed when we present deals to him. I explained to him that that’s the nature of deals,

generally if we don’t move fast enough we lose it. It is not that by moving fast we are cutting corners in the process. He has missed deals and seen them rise in value. I suggested to him he should take a decision either way as he is losing money by not doing so and wasting both mine and his own time.

He agreed and we found him a nice two bedroom property in Hallfield estate in Bayswater for £315,000 in February of this year. In August similar flats were on the market at £375,000 and £385,000. He had purchased the property and rented it out for £550 pw riding on the government scheme giving roughly 9% yield and a solid growth in an extremely short period of time. And now his friend has decided to pursue an investment through us after a meeting nearly 3 years ago.

Only this week we had a dentist who approached us for a mortgage in 2004. Since then he has been investing with property companies, most notably one called Inside Track. All the properties where outside of London and most had been new builds. He had paid fees to the companies he used but in short got lemons in exchange. Consequently he was hesitant to sign up with our services. I explained the difference in the way we operate. We only supply in strong central London locations and I explained that it is in our interest that our clients make as much money as possible as this ensures continued business for us. We work to establish a relationship and not a one off property deal.

I have seen this time and again, prospective clients call, we speak and then they fail to deicide either way. In the interim, prices rise, and opportunities are lost.

It is more dangerous to leave your money in cash in the bank, than in a physical asset. Property is a safe investment; this is why a bank will lend you 75% of the property value irrespective of your financial circumstances.

With Sow & Reap’s sourcing service you will only need to decide, we take over and source the best property to suit your circumstances.

Shiny diamond picked up in Bayswater! £245,000 l Spacious and extremely well located one bedroom flat in Hallfield Estate. l One bedroom flats are very popular on the rental market - they rent out quickest of all! l Superb standard of management of the blocks - tenants will always feel comfortable. l Vast green spaces of Hyde Park are only 5 minutes walk away. l The flat comes at a discount of at least £30k - similar flats in the estate sold recently for £275k+. l Don't procrastinate... take action! Call us now on 0207 096 1083.

We provide a turnkey solution. Contact us now: Specialists in: l Property Sourcing l Mortgages l Commercial Finance l India Properties

UK Sales 0207 313 4595 India Sales 0203 384 5323

Tips of the Week l Property is by nature one of the most forgiving investment classes, so don't procrastinate! l There is a reason why the banks still readily lend 75% for a BTL property.

Westbourne House, 14-16 Westbourne Grove, London, W2 5RH

20

financial voIce

Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

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

Maria Fernandes

maria@abplgroup.com

Reduction of migrant numbers Finally there is a reduction of migrant numbers…. of birds to the UK rather than human beings!!

Spouses: Following the loss of a case in the Supreme Court that declared the rise in age of marriage from 18 to 21 to be unlawful (as it was a disproportionate response to the aim of prevent forced marriages) the UKBA have introduced guidelines to enable those who made such applications between 27th November 2008 and October 2011 to seek a review of that decision using a specific form created for this purpose.

Applications (which are free of charge) will only be accepted until 31st May 2012. All those in this category are advised to get their appli-

cations in as quickly as possible.

A tribute to my cousin Elaine: These last few days have been a poignant reminder to me of how short and precious life is. I received shocking news that my cousin, a healthy and fun loving girl who was passionate about life and causes and who lived life to the brim suffered a massive brain haemorrhage and following a short period in a coma she finally lost the fight yesterday. She was a migrant, not once but twice. She arrived in the UK as a young child of 3 with her parents from Kenya to start a new life in the UK and became British in every way whilst also being quintessentially Indian with a Kenyan twist. Some years ago, she moved, again,

with her daughter to a small town in Ireland to start a new life there with her new love. In this tiny picturesque town overlooking rugged mountains and an azure sea she found her home, surrounded by the local community who adopted her as family. This ability of adaptability to new countries and situations is a unique quality found in migrants. Goodbye to Elaine, a British, Indian, Kenyan, Irish much loved girl.

Maria Fernandes has been in practice exclusively in immigration for the past 25 years.

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

Value chain 99p Stores wins award of ‘Fastest Growing Family Business'

Value chain 99p Stores has won the award of “Fastest Growing Family Business” at the Midlands' Family Business Awards. The retail group, based in Northampton, has won the award on the eve of Woolies going bust on the High Street on Saturday (26th November 2011). By coincidence on that very

day 99p Stores opens its 165th new branch on Southampton High Street.

99p Stores commercial director Hussein Lalani picking up the award from The Wilson Organisation CEO Annabel Prow.

Hussein said, "We are delighted to have won this award and it is very apt at the moment as we are in

the middle of opening up two or so new stores each week in the run up to Christmas. Today a new Family Bargains opened in Ashford, Kent, which has "very sentimental" significance to the Group as it was in the same town two and a half years ago that the company opened its 99th 99p Stores.

Hussein says that business is "extremely brisk" at the moment at all its 163 Group stores both generally and in particular in the runup to Christmas. "This hard-fought category recognises family businesses that have achieved significant and rapid growth," said category judge Dr Derek Palmer of ProspectIP. " The value retail chain has gone from a one-man band to national brand in a little over a decade. Each branch has thousands of different products many of which change weekly, so there is always something new every time customers visit. The 99p Stores Group has 163 branches in England, Wales and Ireland.

Because Change Happens ‘Because change happens’.

The catch line from the Zurich advert is certainly poignant if not philosophical. Its brilliance stems from its ability to encapsulate everything that needs to be said about change.

And change is the one thing in the world that virtually no one has any real control over and yet everyone must deal with.

Change management is now one of the most critical abilities a person, a leader and even an organisation can have. The ability to recognise, react to and reconcile change is the ‘trinity’ which separates greatness from goodness.

Rather than elaborate myself, I thought I would share some thoughtful quotes of others.

Recognise – ‘God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Reinhold Niebuhr.

React to – ‘We cannot change our past. We can not change the fact that

people act in a certain way. We can not change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude’.

Charles R. Swindoll Reconcile – ‘For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson I often become irked when people stand up and say that we should embrace change, welcome it like an old friend and remind ourselves that change is good for us. It doesn’t have the same charm when the changes they are referring to result in people losing their jobs or no longer being able to afford essentials like food and heating. Change is inevitable, but in the words of Winston Churchill ‘There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction’.

Winston Churchill Too often in these troubling times we have heard from our leaders that we

Govt plans Rs 300 bn bailout for Air India Air India is likely to get a Rs 300 billion bailout package as a panel of secretaries has voted in favour of providing support to the ailing national carrier besides exploring the possibility of disinvesting government stake once the airline turns profitable.

The capital infusion plan, spread over 10 years, is expected to face criticism from certain quarters on the grounds that the government will nurse a sick airline only to sell its stake to private players once it is healthy. This will also mark a reversal of the disinvestment policy followed by the UPA government which has stayed away from roping in private players even in loss-making public sector companies. It has instead followed a policy of shedding stake and disinvesting through public issue of shares.

The committee of secretaries opted to go with the recapitalization plan after looking at seven other options. According to the plan, the government estimates that Air India will make cash profits by financial year 2018 on equity infusion of Rs 302.31 billion. The revival scheme envisages that the cash-strapped carrier will be barred from inducting new aircraft, except Boeing 787, and, if needed, any additional aircraft should be acquired on lease. Besides, it will come with the stipulation that fresh induction will come only after the profitability of a route is assessed.

By Amit Patel

must accept change and accept it. Sadly, they keep on repeating the same excuses but still fail to give anyone a clear vision (not picture) of where these changes are taking us. We are a country in need of ideas and direction. And sadly, change is becoming something to be weary of rather than something to look forward to. And while we cannot always control change, leaders should at least try and make it seem worthwhile.

Otherwise it just becomes another excuse. ‘People are always telling me that change is good. But all that means is that something you didn't want to happen has happened’.

Meg Ryan.

So my note to those in power – ‘People underestimate their capacity for change. There is never a right time to do a difficult thing. (But your job as a leader) is to help people have vision of their potential’. John Porter

IOC, BP tie up for `60bn Gujarat plant India’s flagship refinermarketer Indian Oil Corporation said it had signed an MoU with British energy major BP Plc for setting up an acetic acid plant in Gujarat.

Back-of the-envelope calculations peg the investment size at `60 billion or so, though detailed feasibility report and financial due diligence is yet to be done.

Acetic acid is used during manufacturing of petrochemicals and is mostly imported at present.

The two companies will explore “the potential for establishing a 50:50 joint venture for the project which will also include associated gasification facilities for synthesis gas,” the company said in a statement. The plant would employ BP’s latest technology, while the gasification facilities would utilise petroleum coke feedstock from Indian Oil’s refinery in the state.

Poor will pay if FDI is kept out of India, claims economist

Poor people in India will be forced to pay higher prices for basic food items if government proposals to allow foreign supermarkets to open in India fail, India’s country’s chief economic adviser said.

Kaushik Basu, a close adviser of Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh, issued the warning as furious protests from politicians over the deregulation of the country’s retail sector forced India’s

Parliament to suspend business for the last few days.

Dr Basu, a former chairman of Economics at Cornell University in New York State, said that the move to allow supermarkets such as Tesco and Wal-Mart to open stores in India was among the most effective long-term solutions available to tackle food inflation, which is close to 10 per cent. “There is a lot of misunderstanding about

these changes,” he said.

“Without them, Indians will just have to get used to paying higher prices for food.”

He said that at present 40 per cent of Indian fruits and vegetables rotted before they reached consumers because of the country’s lack of adequate roads, infrastructure and refrigeration. Increased investment in the country’s food industry would rein in prices while delivering a boost to the over-

all economy, he argued.

But the planned reforms have provoked an angry backlash from many, including India’s main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, as well as several members of the ruling Congress Party’s coalition partners, who claim that it threatens millions of jobs.

“There is a broad sense in this country which is against this move,” Arun Jaitley, senior leader of the BJP, said.

At present, India’s retail sector is 95 per cent-controlled by small traders, family-run stores and street hawkers. The new rules will allow foreign supermarkets to own up to 51 per cent in “multibrand” retail stores in India, but with strict conditions attached. They will have to invest at least $100 million, with half of this earmarked for infrastructure investment, and will have to source one third of their goods from

local companies. They will also be restricted, at least initially, to cities with more than one million people, of which there are 53 in India.

However, with the leaders of some of the country’s biggest states Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and Tamil Nadu - declaring their staunch opposition, foreign companies effectively could be barred from entering at least 28 of those cities.

FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

21

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

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

Is the UK in Line for a Double Dip Recession?

As everyone knows the UK is struggling along with all the major economies around the world. This sovereign crisis has affected the global markets with worse times than the 1930’s recession. There is a big chance that the UK could be in line for a double dip recession in the coming months as predictions of negative growth figure for the next 2 quarters are in the pipeline.

The UK economy grew by 0.5% last quarter, which was due to the manufacturing industry that surprisingly had a very good quarter. It is however expected that this will not be the case for the next few quarters. With rising energy, petrol and food prices, consumers are being very cautious about where they are spending their hard earned money. Retailers started reducing prices well before Christmas to boost sales but this also doesn’t seem to be encouraging consumer spending. Recent days have seen big organisations such as Topman and Thomas Cook announcing loses with Thomas Cook luckily managing to secure a last minute deal with Lloyds TSB, its banking partners, which will cover them until April.

The UK Chancellor, George Osbourne has already announced a £50billion underwriting on bank lending to help

small medium sized business to drive the economy. This could have a very positive impact for growth but whether the banks are willing to lend in these turbulent times remains to be seen.

Mervyn King recently commented that the main reason UK was not doing as well as predicted was due to the European crisis, which are not only affecting the UK but has become a global problem. Until this is resolved, the UK and the world could see major constraints within their economies.

In Recent months, the Eurozone have finally had their problems surfaced for everyone to see, which can no longer be kept behind closed doors.

Greece has had major problems along with Italy, Spain, Ireland and Portugal. The only economy managing to keep the Eurozone above water is Germany but they also have had problems by only having 50% of bond auctions being sold with excessive yields.

There were rumours last weekend that the IMF had agreed to assist Italy with 600million Euros in funding but this was soon denied on Monday morning that a plan of an austerity measure was not on the books.

Although nothing concrete has been set to help recovery, avenues to assist this growing debt are being discussed. On 9th December, French presi-

dent Sakozy and Angela Merkel from Germany are announcing guidelines for a new treaty along with controlling the member states budgets.

The ECB are considering following the US by undergoing a Fedstyle QE to support bond yields.

The Eurozone had a meeting on Tuesday to release the next tranche of funding for Greece and announced new improved EFSF. The head of the IMF, Christine Lagarde, visited South America to ask them to help with funding the Eurozone out of these difficult times. This all shows that the Eurozone are in major problems but are trying to finally resolve the issues that have been looming for a long time, but the question is, are they too far gone to recover? Will the Eurozone exist in the future?

It may be safe to say that the Eurozone still has a very long way to go until any signs of recovery surface.

If the Eurozone continue to fall, will UK follow suit and have another long recession in the pipeline? Despite all this bad news, there is a light at the end of this tunnel. Predictions are that the benefits of the austerity measures are expected to surface in 2013 with an expected year growth of 1.8%.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 29th November 2011 @ 1pm GBP - INR = 81.03 USD - INR = 51.95 EUR - INR = 69.17 GBP - USD = 1.56 GBP - EUR = 1.17 EUR - USD = 1.33 GBP - AED = 5.72 GBP - CAD = 1.60 GBP - NZD = 2.05 GBP - AUD = 1.55 GBP - ZAR = 13.06 GBP - HUF = 362.31

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

22

Pakistan-BangladesH-sri lanka

Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

Pak enraged over Nato strike that killed 24 soldiers IN focus Islamabad to review all programmes, activities and arrangements with US

Islamabad: Pakistan reacted angrily to Nato air strikes on its soil in which 24 of its soldiers were killed, with foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar conveying her country's deep sense of rage to US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, even as protests broke out in towns and cities with thousands of people demonstrating outside the US consulate in Karachi.

The foreign office issued a statement saying Khar told Clinton of Islamabad's decision to completely review all programmes, activities and cooperative arrangements with US and Nato, including diplomatic, political military and intelligence.

"Khar told Clinton that the attack was unacceptable, showed complete disregard for human life and had sparked off rage within Pakistan. She informed Clinton about the cabinet's decisions to stop Nato supply routes and that the US should vacate the Shamsi airbase within 15 days." Islamabad also ordered shutting down of the two main Nato supply routes into Afghanistan, one at

Sri Lanka takes first count of civilian war deaths Colombo: Sri Lanka is counting the number of civilians killed in the final stages of the country's bloody civil war for the first time, a top defense official said. The census aims to counter growing allegations of war crimes against the military.

Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa also for the first time acknowledged that soldiers may have committed unspecified "crimes." He promised to investigate and punish them, a major shift from the government's original position of standing by its soldiers.

Torkham in Khyber tribal region and another at Chaman in Baluchistan.

Prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani skipped a reception celebrating his son's marriage in his hometown of Multan as he had to rush to Islamabad to chair an emergency meeting to formulate Pakistan's response to Nato strike. The meeting decided to close all Nato supply routes and to ask the US to vacate within 15 days the Shamsi airbase in Balochistan, which is believed to be a secret base for CIA to carry out drone strikes on militants based in Pakistan. Gilani had been on a three-day visit to Multan.

A Pakistan army statement said Nato helicopter gunships and fighter jets carried out “unprovoked firing” and said its troops “effectively responded” in self-defence to the “aggression with all available weapons.”

The Pakistan foreign office condemned the “unprovoked and indiscriminate” attack. The latest attack by NATO forces on our post will have serious repercussions as they without any reasons attacked on our post and killed soldiers asleep," source said.

The attack is expected to further worsen USPakistan relations, already at one of their lowest points in history, NATO

has apologized for the deaths in the incident and promised a full investigation.

Ties between Pakistan and the United States were already deteriorating before the deadly attack and have sunk to new lows since, delivering a major setback to American hopes of enlisting Islamabad's help in negotiating an end to the 10-year old Afghan war.

While the United States is widely disliked in Pakistan, the army has accepted billions in American aid over the last 10 years in return for its cooperation in fighting alQaida.

The regret expressed

by NATO over the killing of the Pakistani soldiers is "not enough", chief military spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas said. He said: "I have written... to make it clear that the deaths of Pakistani personnel are as unacceptable, pointing out that 72 Pakistani soldiers were killed and nearly 250 injured in NATO strikes in three years.” Abbas said the Pakistani leadership would decide whether more steps would be taken in reaction to the NATO strikes.

Hindus can now reclaim seized property in Bangladesh Dhaka: Bangladesh has passed a landmark bill that would allow the return of property seized from the country's Hindu minority.

The law, initially called the Enemy Property Act, allowed the authorities to take over land and buildings of Hindus who migrated to India. Under its terms, property belonging to millions of Hindus who fled to India was confiscated. The law came into effect in 1965 when Pakistan and India fought a brief war.

The act was renamed as

the Vested Properties Act after independence. The Vested Properties Return (Amendment) Bill 2011 will now allow Hindus to reclaim their property taken over by the government and individuals.

"There are some good provisions but it doesn't go far enough to address our demand that all the properties seized or taken over until recently should be returned to their rightful owners," Supreme Court lawyer Subrata Chowdhury, was quoted as saying.

According to experts, while the changes to the law are welcome, it will be practically impossible to return all the land because some of it was confiscated over 40 years ago.

Most of it appears to have been taken over by Muslims with links to the main political parties.

Meanwhile, the Bangladeshi government has said that it would soon publish a list of properties that were seized. It added that any Hindu wanting to make a claim would have 90 days to do so.

Pak nukes not safe, says former minister Qureshi

Islamabad: Pakistan's nuclear weapons are not safe under the present PPP dispensation, country's former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said, evoking an angry response from the government, which rejected his contention as "baseless."

Qureshi said, Pakistan's nuclear programme was not safe under president Asif Ali Zardari's leadership. The ex-PPP leader has recently parted company with the ruling party and announced joining Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf party.

The former Zardari ally, made these remarks at a public rally at Ghotki in Sindh where he announced joining hands with the cricketer-turned politician. He is the highest ranking Pakistani politician to comment that

the country's nuclear weapons were not safe.

His remarks come on the heels of warnings by Western experts that Islamabad's nukes could fall into the hands of Taliban terrorists.

Though Qureshi did not give details of how Pakistan's nukes were in danger but promised to talk about this in detail at the next public gathering in Karachi.

He said, he had been foreign minister and thus understood the issue well and knew the pressures and stresses Pakistan was facing over its nuclear programme. He also came down hard on the government's alliance with the US as well as US policies towards Pakistan.

Reacting angrily to Qureshi's remarks, the Pakistan government reject-

Shah Mehmood Qureshi

ed his contentions as it declared there would be no compromise on a programme which is an integral to the country's defence.

Foreign office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua said the "insinuations" made against the president were "baseless and strongly refuted".

"Our policy of maintaining credible minimum deterrence will be maintained.

Under no circumstances can this national programme, which is integral to Pakistan's defence, be compromised," Janjua said. The government, armed forces and people of Pakistan are "absolutely committed to this objective," she said.

Under the 18th constitutional amendment, all powers related to the atomic programme and nuclear arsenal were transferred to parliament and the "executive authority is vested fully with the prime minister," Janjua said.

In line with the amendments, the National Command Authority which consists of the ministers of defence, foreign affairs, interior and finance, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee and the three service chiefs - is now headed by the prime minister.

80 Afghans held for illegally entering Pak

Islamabad: At least 80 Afghans have been arrested for illegally entering Pakistan through a border town in southwestern Balochistan province. The Afghans entered through Chaman town that connects with southeast Afghanistan, Xinhua reported. The detained Afghans entered Pakistan without legal travel documents, said an official with the paramilitary Frontier Corps, which is responsible for border security. All the detained people have been handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency for further investigation, he said.

Since the breakout of the Afghan war about a decade ago, millions of Afghan refugees have fled their homeland and turned up in Pakistan. Under a UN-sponsored repatriation programme, over five million Afghan refugees have reportedly been sent back from Pakistan.

However, there are still an estimated 1.7 million Afghan refugees remaining in Pakistan.

Pakistan awards 'Nishan-i-Imtiaz' to Chinese general Islamabad: Pakistan has awarded a top Chinese General with Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military) for promoting friendship between the two all weather allies. President Asif Ali Zardari conferred the award on General Hou Shusen, Deputy Chief of General Staff of Chinese People's Liberation Army at a special investiture ceremony. The citation, read on the occasion, said the award was in recognition of his "consistent and valuable contributions in promoting relations and understanding between the two countries and armies." Hou also had a meeting with the president, along with his delegation, and discussed matters relating to Pakistan-China bilateral relations and defence cooperation.

Pak elections to be held in 2013: Gilani Islamabad: Free, fair and transparent elections will be held in 2013, said Pakistan prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani who stressed that the government was not facing any threat. So those targeting the government will be disappointed. The prime minister said the government firmly believes in democracy and was following law and constitution. He said: “We respect the mandate given by the people to the political parties.” A secret memo to Washington claimed that president Asif Ali Zardari feared a military coup after the May killing of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Husain Haqqani resigned as Pakistan's ambassador to the US and former minister Sherry Rehman was appointed the new envoy. Gilani said a high level committee would soon start the probe into the memo and the investigation would be held in a fair manner.

Lanka storm kills 14, damages 1,500 homes Colombo: Heavy rains and gale force winds have killed at least 14 people, damaging nearly 1,500 homes and left more than 30 fishermen missing in southern Sri Lanka. Disaster management centre officials said a total of 14 people were confirmed dead while another 30 were reported missing after coastal areas were lashed by heavy winds. Sri Lanka depends on monsoon rains for irrigation and power generation, but the seasonal downpours frequently cause death and property damage.

Pak woman kills hubby, turns him into ‘qorma’ Karachi: A Pakistani woman chopped her husband to death and then cooked 'qorma' with his flesh. The incident came to light after her landlord, Behzad, who lived on the ground floor of their two-storey house here, went upstairs to her house. The scene that met his eyes have left him scarred for life. The 40-year-old Zainab was cooking 'qorma' with flesh chopped from her husband's arm and leg as she figured this was the only way to practically dispose of the body. Zainab says that she murdered her husband after he had tried to molest her daughter. She claims she had stopped him from doing so on several occasions in the past. However, she later contradicted herself by saying, "He never laid a hand on her but he used to say dirty things whenever he came home drunk."

Sherry Rehman is Pakistan's new ambassador to US Islamabad: Former minister Sherry Rehman was appointed as Pakistans envoy to the US, a day after her predecessor, Husain Haqqani, resigned over allegation that he was behind a memo that sought the Pentagons help to prevent a military coup in May. Rehman is highly regarded for her courage and liberal, progressive views. She has been a vocal supporter of the rights of minorities and women. The 50-year-old unsuccessfully moved a private members bill to have the countrys controversial blasphemy laws amended for being misused to persecute minorities in February. Her stand angered extremists, but she stayed in Pakistan to brave their threats. The 50-year-old called for pleading Pakistans case in one voice shortly dafter her appointment. We have many challenges. We have given many sacrifices.

These sacrifices should not go waste.

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Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

In focus 6,000 evacuated after China chemical plant blast

Beijing: Over 6,000 people have been evacuated after an explosion ripped through a warehouse at a chemical plant in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou. The accident occurred at the Futian Chemical Company in Panyu district, the local government officials said. Residents were evacuated after a small amount of toxic hydrogen chloride gas was detected in the air following the blast. Ninety firefighters and 15 fire trucks were dispatched to handle the blast and the situation was brought under control, but evacuated residents were yet to return home.

China sentences 113 in tainted pork scandal Beijing: China's state news agency says more than 100 people including 77 government employees have been sentenced in a scandal involving pork tainted with a banned chemical. At least one person was given the death penalty.Several farms in Henan province were found to be using the fat-burning drug clenbuterol - a banned chemical that makes pork leaner but can harm humans.The main culprit, Liu Xiang, was convicted of harming public safety and sentenced to death, with the execution delayed for two years.

Putin formally nominated to reclaim presidency Moscow: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned the West against interfering in Russia’s elections in a speech before thousands of cheering supporters as he formally launched his presidential bid. Putin, who stepped down in 2008 after two presidential terms but kept his hold on power, announced in September that he intended to reclaim the top job next year and was formally nominated by his United Russia party. The boisterous televised congress also was aimed at boosting support for Putin’s party ahead of parliamentary elections one week away.

He promised to strengthen the economy, improve living standards and social services and bolster the military.

US, UK, Canada slap curbs on Iran Washington: The US, Britain and Canada announced new sanctions on Iran's energy and financial sectors.

The US named Iran as an area of "primary money laundering concern," a step designed to dissuade non-US banks from dealing with it; blacklisted 11 entities suspected of aiding its nuclear programs; and expanded sanctions to target companies that aid its oil and petrochemical industries. They stopped short, however, of targeting Iran's central bank, a step that could have cut it off from the global financial system, sent oil prices skyrocketing and jeopardized US and European economic recovery. Britain ordered all British financial institutions to stop doing business with their Iranian ounterparts.

Triple bombings in south Iraq kill 19 Baghdad: A string of bombings in a southern oil city killed 19 people and injured dozens more, a grim sign of the security challenges Iraq will face after American troops go home. The US military is drawing down its troops ahead of an end-of-December deadline to have all American forces out of the country. Incidents like triple bombing in a city seen as key to Iraq's economic development show the dangerous prospects awaiting Iraqis next year. Three bombs went off in a popular open-air market in Basra, police and health officials said. The third bomb exploded a few minutes after Iraqi army and police forces arrived on the scene in response to the earlier blasts, officials said. The third blast caused all the fatalities and almost all of the injuries, the officials said. Among the dead and wounded were many policemen and Iraqi army soldiers.

Arab League okays Syria sanctions Beirut: The Arab League overwhelmingly approved sanctions on Sunday against Syria to pressure Damascus to end its deadly crackdown on dissents, an unprecedented move by the League against an Arab state. Before the vote, Damascus slammed the vote as a betrayal of Arab solidarity. Besides punishing an already ailing economy, the sanctions are a huge blow for a Syrian regime that considers itself a powerhouse of Arab nationalism. At a news conference in Cairo, Qatari foreign minister Hamad bin Jassim said 19 of the League's 22 member nations approved the sanctions.

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Burglaries on rise as gold prices skyrocket London: With rise in gold prices, residential burglaries in London have risen by 8.8% from last year. So police in new Malden have been actively approaching Asian households to ensure their homes are properly secured to prevent damage and theft.

This comes as the Met launches its ‘Bumblebee Campaign’ to raise awareness for home owner’s that there are simple measures to help prevent being targeted by burglars. The police have advice on their website on how to secure your home and on how to reduce the risk of being burgled. A few tips include: • Ensure your security

alarm is visible and has been tested by a qualified professional who is recognised by the police • If you leave the house, for any length of time, always secure the windows and doors and set the alarm • Any external lighting should be placed where it is difficult for intruders to reach and should be focused on areas where they may be able to gain entrance to the property, for example the side entrance or garage • If you are going on holiday, stop all items you may have delivered to your home and ask a neighbour or family member to check on your home regularly

• Be aware of ‘Bogus’ callers, who pretend to be people they are not. If they are from a utility company, check their ID and if you are still unsure call their customer services.

Genuine callers will not mind waiting.

Many people, who are claiming as a result of being burgled, are receiving reduced settlements as valuable items are not or have not been declared when home insurances are being taken out or when new items have been purchased.

To avoid this happening to you, check your policy for the following: • Have you declared all your high value items,

such as jewellery? Check with your insurer what items they consider to be high value.

• Are you correctly covered? Many insurers insist that jewellery, statues and paintings should account for, no more than, one third of your overall contents.

• Ensure you have, at least, the minimum lock requirements on doors and windows as stated by your insurer to secure your home • Insurers have an occupancy clause in household policies that state they must be made aware if you leave the property unoccupied for more than a set number of days.

Egyptians vote to usher in Yemeni president Salehs agrees democracy after popular uprising to step down from power Cairo: Egyptians on Monday began voting in a historic three stage parliamentary elections to usher in democracy in the Arab world's most populous nation, nine-months after a popular uprising toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak.

The elections, clouded by violence, demonstration and confrontation between the ruling military and prodemocracy protesters, was the first step in a transfer to civilian rule, promised by the ruling army council that replaced Mubarak in February.

Initially, 27 provinces went to the polls in three separate stages in a long procedure until January to elect the 508-member People's Assembly or lower house of the parliament.

Voting took place in the main cities of Cairo and Alexandria, as well as Fayyum, Luxor, Port Said, Damietta, Kafr el-Sheikh

and the Red Sea province on Monday and Tuesday.

A run-off is scheduled for December 5. Over 50 political parties, along with thousands of independent candidates are running in the elections.

The second stage will be held on December 14 in Giza, Beni Sueif, Menufia, Sharqiya, Beheira, Suez,

Ismailiya, Sohag and Aswan, with a run-off scheduled for December 21.

The third and final round will take place on January 3 in Minya, Qaliubiya, Gharbia, Daqahliya, North Sinai, South Sinai, New Valley, Matruh and Qena. The last run-off will be held on January 10. The final results are expected on January 13.

Dubai: Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh signed a Gulf initiative last week to hand over power to his deputy as part of a proposal to end months of protests that have pushed the Arab country to the brink of civil war.

The accord was signed in the presence of Saudi King Abdullah and Crown Prince Nayef. Yemeni opposition officials signed the accord after president Saleh. It was the fourth attempt to wrap up a power transfer accord that Saleh backed out of on three previous occasions at the last minute, fuelling turmoil that has bolstered al-Qaida militants next door to Saudi Arabia.

Activists who have

camped in central Sanaa have demanded Saleh end his 33 years of rule now.

Government troops skirmished with gunmen loyal to a powerful opposition tribal leader in the capital and some clashes were reported in the southern city of Taiz. Saleh arrived in Riyadh following an invitation from the Saudi leadership, to attend the signing of the Gulf initiative and its operational mechanism, state news agency Saba reported.

Under the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) plan, Saleh will shift all his powers to his deputy, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who would form a new government with the opposition.

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Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

PM defies calls for rollback of FDI in retail sector

Fighting-off demands for a U-turn on allowing foreign investment in supermarkets, Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh said on Tuesday that the policy would bring jobs and technology to farmers.

"I am confident that foreign direct investment in retail will help to bring modern technology in the farm sector, less wastage and more jobs," he said at a rally.

Opposition parties and Singh's own political allies are demanding a rollback of the reform allowing foreign supermarket giants to enter the country's $450 billion retail market.

Parliament is in deadlock over the issue, clouding the outlook for an ambitious agenda of legislation, including an anticorruption bill and another on food subsidies for the poor.

An all-party meeting convened by the Centre to end the deadlock over allowing 51 percent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, ended inconclusively on Tuesday with both

the government and the opposition failing to reach a consensus over the issue.

The meeting was attended by top leaders, including Sushma Swaraj, LK Advani (BJP), Sharad Pawar (NCP), Sandeep Bandhopadhyay (TMC), Jayant Chowdhary (RLD), Anant Geete, Manohar Joshi (Shiv Sena), Pawan Kumar Bansal, Narayansami, Anand Sharma (Congress), Nageshwar Rao (TDP), Satish Mishra (BSP), Thambidurai, Maitran (AIADMK), T Shiva (DMK).

The government was forced into calling for the all-party meet after the opposition made it absolutely clear that it will not allow the Parliament to function till the government rolls back the FDI decision.

Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have not been able to function properly over the last five days following the decision on FDI and the spiralling prices of essential commodities.

Last week, the Cabinet approved 51 per cent FDI in multi brand retail. As per this move, many global retailers like Wal-Mart, Carrefour and Tesco can open outlets in India.

The Cabinet also decided to remove the 51 per cent cap on FDI in single brand format under which companies in food, lifestyle and sports business run stores.

Owners of brands like Adidas, Gucci, Hermes, LVMH and Costa Coffee can now have full ownership of business in India.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) or foreign investment refers to the net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor.

It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown in the balance of payments. It usually involves participation in management, joint venture, transfer of technology and expertise.

Buddhism has a special role to play in the modern world because unlike many other religious traditions, Buddhism uniquely propounds the concept of independence which accords closely with the fundamental notions of modern science, said Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.

Elaborating on the importance of Buddhism as tool for promoting peace, he said: 'The 20th century was a century of war and violence, now we all need to work to see that the 21st century is of peace and dialogue.'

The Tibetan spiritual leader, who along with many of his supporters fled Tibet and took refuge in India when Chinese

troops moved in and took control of Lhasa in 1959, addressed a gathering of nearly 900 Buddhist monks and scholars at a four-day Global Buddhist Congregation 2011, which began in the in New Delhi on Sunday, in a televised message.

'We can think of Buddhism in terms of three main categories philosophy, science and religion. The religious part involves principles and practices that are of concern to Buddhism alone, but the Buddhist philosophy of interdependence as well as the Buddha science of mind and human emotions are of great benefit to everyone,' said the Dalai Lama, who after coming to India head-

ed a Tibetan governmentin-exile in Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh which never won recognition from any country.

The spiritual leader said while 'modern science has developed a highly sophisticated underdstanding of the physical world, including the subtle workings of the body and the brain, Buddhist science on the other hand has devoted itself to first-person understanding of many aspects of emotions - areas that are still new to modern science'.

'I believe that a synthesis of these two approaches has great potential to lead to discoveries that will enrich our physical, emotional and social wellbeing,' the Dalai Lama said.

Buddha relevant in modern world: Dalai Lama

6 NRIs awarded in Ahmedabad

Six eminent non-resident Indians were felicitated with NRI Visionary Award in Ahmedabad last week.

Former Gujarat's minister for industries Anil Patel, who was the chief guest at the function, presented the award to these NRIs. Speaking at the event, Patel said, this gesture is to honor their achievements and that he hoped that it would re-establish and strengthen the bond between NRIs, NRGs and Gujarat.

The awardees included Dubai-based industrialist Dr B R Shetty, senior journalist from Norway, Edward Dawes, social reformist from Norway, eminent allergist of the US Dr Sudhir Parikh, one of the leading mechanical

engineers and religious Zoroastrian scholar Firdosh Mehta from Canada, ICT expert Neville Roach from Australia and eminent journalist from Bahrain Soman Baby.

Speaking at the event, Patel said that contribution of NRGs has helped in setting up a large number of voluntary institutions in Gujarat for various philanthropic activities. Responding to the felicitation, Shetty, who has previously received Padma Shri, expressed his willingness to share his experience and expertise in the field of health, education and medical treatment with Gujarat.

Dr Sudhir Parikh, who has been awarded with Padma Shri in 2010 and

Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award in 2006, said that this award presented in his home town is one of the most affectionate gestures and hence is precious to him. Speaking at the event Parikh said, "He is dedicated to continue his efforts to further strengthen Indo-USA relations. He added that the need of the hour is to inspire the young generation of NRIs settled abroad to pull in their resources to support Gujarat and India, and its development."

Firdosh Mehta expressed his desire to set up science centers in Gujarat and different parts of India with technical collaboration of leading scientific institutes of Canada, the USA and local industrial houses.

In divine light

By Rajen Vakil

Chyavana and Sukanya (Part 4) Sharayati’s Yagna In the previous articles we saw that Rishi Chyavana held a yagna for King Sharayati, his father-inlaw. During the yagna in presence of all the gods, Rishi Chyavana gave Soma (elixir) to the two Ashwinikumars as it was them who had made him young again. Indra, king of the gods, felt insulted and spoke these words, “These two Ashwinikumars do not deserve to be offered Soma. Even though they live in heaven with the gods, they are mere physicians. Only gods can be offered elixir.”

The rishi replied “O Indra, the Ashwinikumars have all the greatness of the gods, and in looks no one is their equal. They have made me young, handsome, and immortal; for me, they are gods and hence worthy of Soma.”

To this, Indra retorted “They are just healers who work for us gods.

They are not worthy of this elixir.” As Indra was speaking these words, Chyavana insulted Indra by bringing the cup of soma to the Ashwinikumars.

This angered Indra who sounded out to Chyavana that if he offered them the cup, Indra would strike him down with a terrifying bolt of lightning. At this, the rishi laughed and gave the elixir to the twin gods.

Indra was full of wrath and lifted his hand to throw a lightning bolt onto the rishi. Chyavana

saw this coming and he froze Indra’s hand mid-air, and turned him into a statue. The rishi then repeated some Sanskrit verses and threw some incense into the yagna fire. From the flames, arose Mada, a mighty form so huge that it was impossible to measure her. She had teeth that were miles long; her upper lip covered the sky and the lower lip the earth. Her hands were bigger than mountains and she licked her lips with a long tongue from which emitted streaks of fire; her sound shook the whole earth. She ran towards the frozen Indra to eat him up.

Indra saw the terrible form coming to devour him and in fear said these words to the rishi, “O great and holy rishi, I accept the Ashwinikumars

as gods and also that they are worthy of being give the Soma. Please have mercy on me and relieve me from this plight. May the greatness of this yagna be known forever, and may the fame of your wife Sukanya be embedded in time.”

The minute Indra said these words the rishi calmed down and freed the frozen Indra. The rishi then asked the form he had created to disintegrate and dissolve into the alcohol that people drink, gamble, and pursue in pleasure.

The rishi Chyavana then completed the yagna by giving the Soma to the two Ashwinikumars, then to Indra, and thereafter the other gods. Owing of this yagna, the fame of the rishi spread in all the three worlds.

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

China warns India against giving 'platform' to Dalai Lama

China said it was opposed to any country providing 'a platform' to the Dalai Lama for his 'anti-China activities' even as the Tibetan leader's envoy in New Delhi said India was right in letting him speak at an ongoing Buddhist conference.

The four-day Global Buddhist Conference being held in New Delhi entered the second day, with scholars debating the finer points of Buddhist philosophy and discussing their ideas of right living.

China, however, made it point abundantly clear.

'The Dalai Lama is not a purely religious figure but one who has been engaged in separatist activities for a long time, under the pretext of religion,' Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said.

'We oppose any country that provides a platform for his anti-China activities in any form,' he said in

Beijing, in an allusion to the meet where the Dalai Lama has delivered the valedictory lecture Nov 30.

Hong's comments came days after India and China postponed the Nov 28-29 15th round of boundary talks over the Dalai Lama's participation in the conference.

Hong did not specifically say if China had conveyed its opposition to the conference. India considers the Dalai Lama, who fled his homeland in 1959 after an abortive antiCommunist uprising, a spiritual leader and so free to speak on spiritual matters. The India-China row over the conference led to the postponement of the boundary talks.

Both sides have downplayed the postponement, saying they were in touch over new dates.

Hong said that both sides were 'in communication on relevant issues'

and were also discussing the 'specific agenda' of the talks. China paid 'great attention' to the next round of talks with India, he stressed.

Tempa Tsering, the Dalai Lama's chief representative in Delhi, protested against China's design to give a political colour to a religious event, saying India 'has done the right thing' by refusing to cave in.

'They (conference delegates) have no other motive other than to bring Buddhist scholars together to discuss Buddhist philosophy and share experiences of how the Buddhist teachings can help humanity,' Tsering told IANS at Hotel Lalit where some sessions were held.

'India is a free democratic society. China is a closed society; that's why they are reacting in a paranoid manner,' Tsering said, when asked about Chinese objections.

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Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

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U.K Indian editor detained at Sahar Musician brings 500 years of Extract from the The Times of India News Service, London Sikh heritage to Britain 28 November, 1986. It covers the news of Mr C.B Patel detained at Sahar airport, Mumbai, details of this news were immediately reported to India by Shri K. N. Malike, London representative of The Times of India news service.

Mr. C.B Patel, a leading journalist who publishes and edits two widely-circulated “Ethnic” weeklies, “New Life” and “Gujarat Samachar” was this morning detained by the Bombay airport immigration authorities on his arrival from London by a British Airways flight.

Mr Patel visited India two years ago as a guest for the government of India. He held a valid visa to visit India.

A spokesman of a “New Life” publications said when Mr Patel applied for a visa three days ago, he was told that the clearance would have come from New Delhi.

Since this would have taken quite some time, Mr Patel approached the Indian high commissioner, Dr P.C Alexander, who in turn spoke to New Delhi.

The visa was given to Mr Patel Yesterday afternoon.

Indian high commission sources expressed surprise at Mr Patel’s detention. A senior official said obviously there was some misunderstanding or a communication gap between the foreign office and the home office in New Delhi.

Mr Patel’s family and friends contacted the Indian high commission and some of the top officials in New Delhi. It was later learn that Mr Patel would be allowed to go ahead with his visit.

Several British politicians, including those from the Labour Party, expressed surprise at Mr Patel’s detention. They did not want to publicly comment as this might complicate the matter. They,

however said no one else could accuse Mr Patel being anti-indian.

He was regularly invited by the Indian high commission here for brief meetings addressed by visiting government dignatories. At the last annual

dinner of the Indian journalists’ association addressed by the labour leader, Mr Neil Kinnock, Mr Patel was described as “Communitybhai” Patel

by Mr. Kinnock.

A friend of Mr Patel said his detention was obviously due to the machinations of somebody opposed to him in the Asian community who has influence with the Indian establishment. Last Year Mr Patel had played an important in the demand for the unveling of the plaque outside the house in which Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel lived in London by the GLC> This is the second incident in the last three months in which the Indian high commission issued a visa to a British national of a Indian origin, who was detained later in India. Some time ago Mrs Kuldeep Kaur was issued a visa by the Indian high commission but she was detained in Delhi. Her subsequent arrest was said to be due to infighting in

the Anglo-Asian Conservative Society in the UK. Three years ago, Mr Tarsem Purewal, editor of “Des Pardes”, a Punjabi weekly, also

became a victim of infighting within the Indian community here.

He had gone to Punjab to visit his ailing mother and was deported from Chandigarh, reportedly at the instigation of two persons who were opposed to him. Later the Indian government allowed him to revisit India to attend ceremonies in connection with the death of his mother.

“Des Pardes” is now a proKhalistan weekly.

Observers here are puzzled at the lack of cooperation between Indian authorities hare and the bureaucracy in New Delhi.

Both Mr. Patel and Mrs Kuldeep Kaur were issued visas after top offcials in the high commission had examined the cases.

Incidentally, Mr Yogendra Makwana, former minister in the home ministry and now a minister in the agriculture ministry, recently wrote a letter to the home ministry in New Delhi conveying the Indian Communitity’s concern at the harresment suffered by those trying to secure a visa to India.

Man dies after doctors remove metals from his stomach Farmer Kamleshwar Singh died after doctors removed three keys, 431 coins, 196 iron pellets and 17 small bolts from his stomach. He was admitted to a hospital in Chhattisgarh after he complained of abdominal pains.

Following an x-ray inspection, the doctors found the metals in his stomach. Doctors retrieved 431 coins, 3 keys, 196 iron pellets and 17 small bolts from his stomach.

Despite removing the metallic items, the doctors could not save his life.

Bhojram Dewangan, Director of Shreesti Institute of Medical Science and Research Centre, where Mr Singh was treated, said, “The patient had been consuming small iron objects for the last nine months.”

“He visited us com-

plaining of intolerable abdominal pain. After sonography and X- ray tests, the doctors carried out a major surgery.” Even after the tests the doctors who opened Singh's stomach were shocked by the number of metallic objects they found.

Dr Yadav, who led the team that operated upon Singh, said that Singh was suspected of having schizophrenia. All the iron objects were lying at the base of his stomach, he said.

His wife Kusumi was not aware of her hus-

band’s strange habit. She said, “my husband complained of frequent stomach ache and spent sleepless nights in the past four weeks.

But he kept us in the dark about his strange habit. He stopped going to the field citing weakness and was even unable to have his regular meals.” In addition to schizophrenia experts believed that Singh was suffering from additional psychiatric problems which gave him an appetite for non-nutritional foreign objects.

A Muslim musician is bringing British Sikhs precious echoes of their distant past.

Bhai Ghulam Muhammad Chand was a teenager when Punjab, his birthplace, was split in two and his family was forced to flee their home in Amritsar, in India, to newly created Pakistan.

For Bhai Chand’s family, leaving Amritsar did not just mean abandoning their home and possessions but they were also leaving a way of life that they had guarded for almost 500 years and which had survived centuries of turbulent relations between Muslim and Sikh communities.

His uncle and father were rababis, the youngest in a long line of Muslim musicians who performed kirtan, songs drawn from the Guru Granth Sahib, at Sikh shrines and, most notably, the Golden Temple, the symbolic heart of the Sikh faith that rises from a pool in the centre of Amritsar.

In the 1990s, encour-

Bhai Chand

aged by a Sufi poet who held musical evenings at his house in Lahore, Bhai Chand began to perform again and, tentatively, to teach some of his repertoire. Now in his eighties, he is visiting Britain to perform for the 350,000strong Sikh community the ancient compositions, many unheard since 1947 and none heard before in this country.

He was invited by a group of Sikh musicians and historians, working with the UK Punjab Heritage Association, that undertakes to preserve the region’s rich history.

Several members had heard that he was still performing kirtan and, determined to keep the tradition alive and build connections between Muslims and Sikhs, often strained in Britain, they organised a tour taking him from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds.

The UK Punjab Heritage Association is working to release an album of traditional compositions and a documentary on Bhai Ghulam Muhammad Chand and the rababi tradition of Kirtan. For updates on these projects and for forthcoming tour dates visit www.gt1588.com

Damaged sacred chariot sparks outrage in Tooting Hindu community Continued from page 1 He said: “Sight of the chariots being carried down the high street is a spectacle all Tooting residents know and love.

“If anybody has seen anything or know anybody who may have something to do with this, I urge them to come forward and speak to the police.”

Members of the National Hindu Students Forum (NHSF), an organisation for Hindu students, have pledged to help rebuild the chariot.

National Hindu Students Forum (UK),

deeply saddened by the news of yobs burning down the beautiful handcarved chariot. The PR team told Asian Voice, “The wooden chariot, used in the temple’s annual Chariot Festival for the last 11 years, has been a source of great pride for the local Hindu community. The chariot, a symbol of the chariot use by Lord Krishna in the Hindu scripture ‘Mahabharata’, is used to parade deities from the temple on the streets of Tooting and Mitcham. Students from NHSF (UK) will work alongside the Sivayogam

temple to raise funds and provide resources to help rebuild the chariot in time for next year’s event.

NHSF (UK) categorically condemns the attack, and hopes that justice can be found for the temple.

Whether the attacks were deliberate or otherwise, local leaders must support the Hindu community- one that is peaceful and cohesive- and find out why such violent acts have occurred. We urge anyone in the local community to come forward with information on the incident and to cooperate fully with the police investigation.”

Anna Hazare to sit on dharna in Delhi on Dec 11 In a reminder of the August agitation at Ramlila Maidan, commuters were greeted to anti-corruption slogans in parts of Delhi announcing that Team Anna was back, stepping up pressure on the government for a strong Lokpal bill. Activist Anna Hazare said he would sit on a day-long dharna at Jantar Mantar on December 11, and the group has sought permission for Ramlila Maidan from December 27.

Hazare has decided to hold the dharna if the parliamentary standing committee's recommendations on the bill are not to his satisfaction. "It all depends on the standing committee's proposals. Anna is planning to sit on a protest at Jantar Mantar on December 11 depending

on the standing committee's recommendations," a senior Team Anna member said.

"Please join the dharna at Jantar Mantar on December 11 for a strong Jan Lokpal," Hazare was quoted as saying by his close aide Suresh Pathare.

The parliamentary panel looking into the Lokpal bill is likely to submit its report before December 7. The draft report will be circulated and discussed among members on November 30. Team Anna has been insisting that lower bureaucracy, higher judiciary, citizens' charter and setting up of Lokayuktas at the state level be included in the bill.

Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal said the group was prepared to

protest and had sought permission from MCD for Ramlila Maidan. The permission is conditional and Team Anna will be allowed after Delhi Police gives a no-objection certificate.

However, MCD's standing committee chairman Yogendra Chandolia said no permission had been given yet.

Team Anna member Manish Sisodia said, "We have sought permission from MCD from December 27 and we have been granted permission to use the ground till January 5."

Hazare's plan to hold a day-long protest is being seen as an effort to build pressure among political parties to take up the issues that are likely to be excluded by the parliamentary panel in its report.

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India presses Pakistan for speedy 26/11 justice In focus

On the third anniversary of the 26/11 carnage, India reminded Pakistan that it was still awaiting 'decisive' action against perpetrators of the Mumbai terror and underlined that it has provided 'enough evidence' to prosecute the guilty.

India’s external affairs minister S.M. Krishna also warned against the dangers of using terrorism as 'an instrument of state policy' and made it clear to Pakistan that the resumed dialogue can only proceed in an atmosphere free from terror.

'We are still waiting for Pakistan to act decisively to bring to justice the perpetrators of the mindless violence that was unleashed on Mumbai. We are still waiting,' Krishna told reporters. 'I once again call on our neighbor to bring the perpetrators of the crime to speedy justice,' Krishna said on the third anniversary of the audacious attacks by Pakistani terrorists in 2008 in which 166 people were killed.

A day after Pakistan asked India to provide 'credible evidence' against

the 26/11 accused, Krishna stressed that the 'evidence which has been provided by (Ministry of) Home Affairs would be sufficient for normal civil court.'

'I think the evidence provided by the ministry of home affairs would be sufficient for any normal civilian court to prosecute the people involved in the conspiracy and the perpetrators of this crime,' Krishna said.

Amid continuing suspicion in India that a part of Pakistan's military establishment was

involved in plotting the Mumbai carnage, Krishna warned against using terror as part of state policy.

'It must be realized that use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy, has no place in today's world and is self destructive.'

With a combative opposition accusing the government of going soft on terror emanating from Pakistan, Krishna made it clear that 'issues have to be resolved through a peaceful dialogue in an atmosphere free from terror and violence.'

Modi woos Muslims in Sadbhavna Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, in Sadbhavna mode for the last nearly two months in an effort to woo Muslim towards his side, was reportedly “stunned” when two Muslim girls approached him with written a complaint that parents in their community did not allow girls to study even if they wanted to.

An official note, issued by the state government, quoted the girls from the note as wondering, “What should we do?” The girls belonged to the Muslim Moman community, the

note said.

Modi was in a small village, Jawantgarh in remote Dantataluka of Banaskantha district of north Gujarat as part of the Gunotsav festival, an annual event in which the entire babudom is sent out to villages for improving the quality of education, one of the poorest in India. The event, involving 3,000 babus.

Singificantly, Modi decided to go to Danta, which has a substantial Muslim population, in an apparent attempt to show “sadbhavana” towards the minority community. A

Congress bastion till recently, the area is represented by a BJP MLA now, Vasant Bhatol, who defeated Nurbhai Umatiya by nearly 2,200 votes during a by-election in 2009.

Modi, after visiting the primary school, told villagers later that it was “impossible to pardon those responsible for not allowing the girls to study.”

Particularly addressing Mulsim “matrushakti” (mothers), which official sources claimed was present in large numbers on the occasion, Modi said,

“We have considerably improved school infrastructure, and there is no reason to complain on this score. We have ensured that schools do not remain without teachers. Even then, if girls are not allowed to study, that is sad. The villagers, the teachers and the parents are squarely responsible for this state of affairs.”

“The village has all infrastructure for teaching, yet it is difficult to understand why it has not produced any doctor or an engineer for the last 50 years,” Modi wondered.

Risks on all sides as strike looms in Britain Continued from page 1 The government has also tried to mitigate the political risk by being candid about the likely disruption, rustling up a price tag for the strike of £500m and placing the blame squarely on the unions.

But the great risk for the government is that voters will blame them for closed schools, cancelled flights and disrupted services.

That is why the unions have been arguing that it is government intransigence in negotiations that has forced them to this point.

They're particularly angry at the Treasury's team who, the unions argue, announced deficit-plugging pension contribution increases from next April without proper consultation.

The biggest problem the economy faces right

now is a lack of demand and investment.

The argument about pensions and cuts won't be won by argument alone.

The government's pension raid is an attempt to make public service workers pay for the havoc wreaked by wealthiest, whose incomes continue to soar.

Union leaders are banking on public sympathy for their cause, at a

time of frozen wages and job losses in the public sector. They are also determined to differentiate this strike from those of the past, by highlighting the high number of women workers who will take part. But a day of disruption is one thing. If, as the GMB's leader Paul Kenny predicts, there are further strikes in the new year that could quickly drain public support.

FDI can increase organized retail market size: CII Continued from page 1 FDI can help SMEs supply in large volumes, increase quality and become a vendor to international players and increase the quality of products and become cost competitive in global arena. Traditional trade will continue to have its own place and should not decline. Even in the last 3 years when modern retail has grown 24%, unorganized retail has continued to grow, albeit at a slower rate of 10% to 12%.

In 1990s when dereservation of Small Scale Industries (SSIs) was introduced in India, there was speculation around the eventual decline of SSIs. Since then several studies have shown that the sector continues to demonstrate a healthy growth in the number of units, output and employment. As an example, the growth for the early period of liberalization (1993–1994 to 1998–1999) which was

16%, fell slightly for the next 5 years (1998–1999 to 2004–2005) to 12%, before accelerating to 19% in the last 5 years (2004–2005 to 2008–2009).

Similarly, the employment generated by registered SSIs grew at 6% in the pre–liberalization era (1979–1980 and 1989–1990), at 4% in the first decade of the post liberalization era (1993–1994 to 2003–2004), and accelerated to 19% in the last 5 years (2003–2004 to 2008–2009).

Better Service of Small Retailers: ICRIER study ‘Impact of Organized Retailing on the Unorganized Sector’ 2008 shows no evidence of a decline in overall employment in the unorganized sector as a result of the entry of organized retailers. Rather small retailers evolve - like adding new product lines and brands, better display, renovation of the store, introduction of self service, enhanced

home delivery, more credit sales, acceptance of credit cards, etc.

Farmers: Farmers in India today receive a small share of the end consumer price. As an example for tomatoes, farmers in India earn only 30 per cent of consumer price while in more developed markets this is in the 50–70 per cent range.

Organized retail has the potential to drive efficiencies in this chain by: (a) increasing price realization for farmers by 10–30 per cent through sourcing directly or closer to the farm (b) reducing handling and wastage by 25–50 per cent through consolidation as well as investments in technology, either directly or through aggregators (c) upgrading the farmer’s capabilities by providing know–how and capital. (d) Improving farmers’ output and yield through better extension services and user friendly

Food Security: In case investments are not made in agricultural back end and supply chain, it will become difficult to meet India’s growing demands for fruits and vegetables, dairy and poultry products. In fact any delay in these investments will endanger availability for our future generations.

Consumers: This would result in wider choice for the consumer with better competition It also would lead to assurance of quality with greater transparency and easier monitoring of adulteration, counterfeit products and traceability Furthermore, it would lower prices that can help curb inflation. With its ability to drive efficiencies and leverage scale, modern trade is able to increase affordability for consumers. For a low income family, organized retail has the ability to lower the cost of the monthly consumption basket as much as 5–10 per cent.

Woman journalist arrested in Dey killing

A woman reporter with an English newspaper was arrested for alleged involvement in senior journalist Jyotirmoy Dey's killing. Jigna Vora had allegedly provided Dey's mobile number and his location to mafia don Chhota Rajan, who claimed responsibility for the sensational June 11 killing.Vora was arrested after being summoned by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch for investigation. She has worked with several Mumbai-based newspapers and is the eighth person to be arrested in the case.She will be presented before a special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court here. Dey, 56, Mid Day's editor for special investigations, was gunned down near his residence in central Mumbai's Powai by motorcycle-borne assailants.Vora has been described as friendly with the late Dey and mediapersons, especially the crime journalists, are shocked by the sudden turn of events leading to her arrest.

Kishanji, top Maoist leader, killed in gunbatlle

In a huge setback to Maoists, its top leader Kishanji was killed in a gunbattle with security forces in a forest in West Midnapore district of West Bengal, a day after he narrowly escaped from there. The body of 58-yearold Molajula Koteswar Rao, better known as Kishanji, was found and identified after the encounter, a top counter-insurgency force official said. Kishanji, a Telugu, was a Maoist politburo member, the third incommand of the outfit and in-charge of its armed operations in junglemahal since 2009.

Kanimozhi, 4 others get bail in 2G case DMK MP Kanimozhi and four others have been granted bail in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case. The Delhi High Court granted bail on Monday to five accused while directing them to furnish two bonds of Rs 500,000 each and ordering them that they cannot leave the country. Apart from Kanimozhi the other accused who have been granted bail include Cineyug founder Karim Morani, Kalaignar TV's MD Sharath Kumar, Kusegaon directors Asif Balwa and Rajeev Agarwal. The accused had approached the High Court after the Supreme Court granted bail to five corporate executives on November 23.

Indira Goswami, Jnanpith award winning litterateur dies Jnanpith award winning Assamese litterateur Indira Raisom Goswami, who was 70, died after prolonged illness on Tuesday. She was in hospital for the last six months. Doctors said she died of multiple organ failure at the Gauhati Medical College Hospital. Goswami, who had authored several novels and short story collection, also took the initiative for a political dialogue to resolve the ULFA issue which has rocked Assam for nearly three decades.

Narendra Modi nominated for ‘must-follow politician' award The annual Mashable Awards is back for the 5th time, and people have already started voting on various categories under tech, business, entertainment and social media. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was nominated by Mashable for the category of Must-follow Politician on Social Media award. This category honors the readers’ choice for the politician who uses social media channels like Twitter, Facebook, Youtube or Google+ at the most optimum level. While it is not known how many votes Modi has received till now, the voting shall be open to all until December 16th, 2011, and the winners shall be announced on December 19th. Other politicians against whom Narendra Modi is competing are Cory Brooker, Buddy Roemer, Ron Paul, Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders & Herman Cain.

The annual Mashable awards recognises and acknowledges the companies, people and projects that managed to make some big impact on the digital landscape in the current year.

Sharad Pawar slapped by youth over corruption and price rise Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar was slapped by a youth at a public function claiming he was angry with corruption and price rise . 71-year-old Pawar, who went to a literary function at a public auditorium on Parliament Street , was slapped by Harvinder Singh , a transporter in his thirties who had assaulted former telecom minister Sukhram . "I came planned to the event to slap the minister," Singh told reporters who had gone to cover the literary function. "All of them are corrupt," he shouted when he was removed from security and policemen. Wielding a small kirpan, the youth said things could have been worse but for the observance of martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur . Later, Pawar reacted to the incident calling it stupid and that he did not make much out of it.

tRavel & HISTRoy

asian voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

27

PuRvi’s TRavel baG

By Purvi Apurva Shah

By Dr Anil Mehta

Great Indian Uprising of 1857 Part I : Introduction

River rafting in Ganga Very few must be knowing that the most sacred river of India is also a major site for river-rafting. It is believed that the water of this river purifies you from sins. So riverrafting in Ganga is one

expert team of friendly instructors who consider it beyond them to leave anything to chance. A two- day rafting expedition at Rishikesh would cover about 36 km of the river and you would

way to touch this divine water.

For the urban youth, river-rafting in Ganga have become popular, You get to experience the sheer power of Ganga in a true adventurer style.

Go river rafting in the Ganga and have the time of your life. Ganga is the best place to go river rafting in India, so whether it’s your first time or you are an experienced rafter, pack you rucksack and get ready to swoosh down the exciting rapids of the mighty river.

Known as the white water capital of India, the Ganga near Shivpuri, (14 km from Rishikesh and 250 km from Delhi ) offers an ideal location for white water sports. River rafting has become very popular, exciting yet safe adventure sport option near and upstream from Shivpuri.

You don't have to be an ace swimmer to be able to experience the thrill of rafting. Especially when you have a well equipped,

return all full of the thrills of the rapids. You can hire the raft and other necessary clothing and safety gear. One can go single or in a group. The best part is when you go rafting in the waves. And when you are in middle of the river, the instructor asks you to jump into the river. After you jumped into the river

can put up in a camp there. where there is silver beach camp. The shimmering beach is surrounded by thick forests and mountains, bright sunshine and constantly flowing emerald green river Ganga. Night on the beach has its own mystic charm - starlit sky, silhouette of the mountains, the moon shimmering on the river, the rippling sound of water and the camp fire romance. This is a great way to explore the outdoors.

After lot of rafting, it was to get a taste of the hills and the rocks.

Whether on a short nature walk or a day-long trek you will be left amazed by the variety in vegetation and bird life.

Rock climbing and jungle walks can be done here.

Ganga river is also one of the longest river in the world, so a dip in it is a experience to take in the lifetime.

People usually come for a small holiday , a perGanga River Rafting

you have to swim back into the raft. It is one of the most exciting outdoor sport to enjoy.

A camp on the silver beach at Shivpuri is like heaven. While rafting one

fect break on the weekends, youth enjoy a beach volleyball and other sports.

Lot of culture and adventure can be enjoyed here.

Rishikesh Tents House

The national uprising of 1857-58 must surely be one of the most significant events in Indo-British history which struck at the very heart of British-India.

The grim reality of it was the horrific massacre of the innocents and the brutal retribution that followed. Brutality by the English forces was on a scale which far exceeded that committed by the rebels. According to one observer ‘It was a war of downright butchery’.

Indian soldiers (sepoys) in the army of East India Company (or company) and some princely states rose up against the changes brought by the company, killed many European army officers and civilians, and nearly overthrew the British rule in India. Their violence was equally matched by the British reprisals. The rebellion, though defeated, was widespread in northern and central India. It left a deep scare on IndoBritish relationship and resulted in the British government assuming control of India from East India Company in 1858.

Unresolved grievances: This historical event is given many names.

British called it Sepoy or Indian Mutiny, otherwise it’s called Great Indian or National Uprising, First War of Independence, Great Revolt, and so on.

Just like its titles, the causes of the rebellion are many. In addition to soldiers, many different groups from social divide with as many grievances were involved. The immediate cause was the introduction of new (Enfield rifle) cartridges lubricated with the fat of cows (sacred to Hindus) and pigs (unclean to Muslims) the ends of which had to be bitten off before loading. This provoked considerable resentment. It convinced the soldiers that there was a conspiracy against their religious beliefs. There was also a strong suspicion of Christianising intention.

However, the underlying causes of the mutiny were many – social, religious, political, and economic. In the past 30 years India had undergone a period of acute social changes that had dis-

turbed the traditional fabric of the society. For example, abolition of sati ritual, widows’ remarriage, and introduction of British style army regulations which meant overseas deployment of the army personnel.

All these changes, though wellintentioned, were a direct challenge to Hindu or Muslim orthodoxy. There was also a widespread antagonism to modernisation such as introduction of English language, trains, telegraph, and so on. Many sepoys felt that the British rule has failed to respect their tradition and caste.

Discontent had been growing in the army among Indian soldiers over pay, prospects, and service conditions. The requirement by troops to serve overseas was in itself a threat to Hindu caste system where a lack

enue assessments. Finally, early in 1857 the last straw was added in the unlikely form of a rifle cartridge (discussed above) that finally broke the camel back. I read somewhere a most fitting verse which goes like this : ‘Na Iran ne kiya, na Shah Russ ne, Angreze ko tabah kia kartoosh ne’.

Meerut: In Bengal a serious mutiny over cartridges was quickly suppressed in February 1857.

The person who fired the first shot was Mangal Pandey, a sepoy at Barrackpore, who openly defied the authorities in his regiment, shot and wounded the British officer in March 1857. He was later tried and executed.

However, the major incident that sparked off the rebellion took place in army barracks in Meerut north of Delhi in May 1857.

of clear and fresh water along with sharing of kitchen and sanitary facilities with those of lower caste on ships and elsewhere was regarded by high caste Hindus as something to be avoided; while Muslims feared that survival might depend on eating salted pork rather than beef.

Many local rulers lost their domains under Dalhousie’s (GovernorGeneral 1848-56) aggressive Doctrine of Lapse policy which refused to recognise their adopted children as their legal heirs. The company had annexed many states (Satara, Awadh, Jhansi) where the ruler had no male child of his own. Victims of this wicked law felt that company had interfered with their traditional system of inheritance.

The import of cheap goods such as textiles from Britain destroyed many livelihoods and at the same time many landowners lost their estates owing to the land reforms or excessive rev-

Here a rather insensitive British commander publicly humiliated 85 soldiers (putting them in chains) for refusing to use suspected cartridges and immediately marched them off to prison. They were sentenced to 10 years with hard labour.

Their angry colleagues rebelled the next day.

They broke-open the prison and freed the prisoners, massacred local Europeans (including children) and their officers (death toll 31) and immediately set out for Delhi.

After Meerut the mutiny quickly spread like a wildfire to UP, MP, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat and other provinces gaining popular support from disaffected groups such as landlords, peasants, princes, and merchants, each having their own reasons. It took British authorities by surprise. A small mutiny now exploded into a great rebellion with centres in Delhi, Lucknow, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Jhansi, and Gwalior.

28

CoMMunity

Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

Women’s power in AAHOA on the rise

Nearly 300 women travelled to Dallas for the Women in Hotel Leadership (WIHL) Conference in November.

After many months of planning, the AAHOA Women's Committee presented a two-day event featuring networking opportunities, educational seminars, a fashion show, a panel discussion, and plenty of powerful guest speakers.

The event kicked off on the night of November 11 with a fashion show, youth dancers entertained the audience with musical accompaniment throughout the evening.

Many AAHOA offi-

cers and board members attended the conference, offering praise and words of support. Of the 11,000 AAHOA members, 3,600 are women, up from 2,500 in 2008. President Fred Schwartz called this year's Women's Committee “the strongest AAHOA has ever had.”

Nearly a decade ago, an AAHOA member from Atlanta died in a car accident, leaving his wife all the responsibility to take care of the family hotel business with no guidance. In light of the tragedy, AAHOA decided to create a committee dedicated to women to provide education and

support. November's conference demonstrated how far the Women's Committee has come and the influence they wield within AAHOA. “This conference is a tribute to all mothers, wives and children. One strong mother is more powerful than 100 teachers,” Chairman Hemant Patel told attendees during the second day of the conference. “The ladies in our community have taken a passionate role in society,” he added. “I want you to empower your daughters to reach for higher opportunities in the greatest democracy in the world.”

Segregation at Norwegian school

Oslo (Norway): A political row has broken out in Norway after a Bjerke upper secondary school segregated students with ethnic backgrounds in classes away from white Norwegians.

School filled one of the three general studies sets solely with pupils with immigrant parents, after many white Norwegians from last year's intake changed schools. The controversy over the decision has highlighted the unease in Norway over how to integrate the 420,000 "non-Nordic" citizens who

immigrated between 1990 and 2009, and who make up 28 per cent of Oslo's population.

"This is the first time I've heard about this, and it is totally unacceptable," Torge Ødegaard, Oslo education commissioner, said, before pressuring the school to inform parents that the three classes would now be reorganised.

The letter to parents read: "Such a division of the students is not in accordance with the requirements of the education act. The school regrets this error."

But Robert Wright, a

Christian Democrat politician and former head of the city's schools board, struck back, arguing that the authorities had been wrong to block the move.

He also said that other Oslo schools should start to segregate classes to prevent a situation of "white flight" developing.

The school’s headmistress Mrs Gro Flaten said: "We made the decision because many Norwegian students were moving to other schools because they were in classes with such a high percentage of students from other nations. They seemed to be in a minority."

Students at the school have expressed their anger at the segregation. "This is apartheid. They do this because I'm from Africa and my father is from Africa," said Ilias Mohamed, 17, from Somalia, who was part of the immigrant-only class.

"But everyone of us is a Norwegian."

Indian Wedding Marriage rituals of Maheshwari community

Members of Maheshwari community are followers of Lord Shiva or Lord Mahesh. They are basically Vaishnava, a trader community. Origin of Maheshwari community is associated with a town of Khandela, which is located near Phulera junction in Jaipur district.

Maheshwaris are mainly from business class and they play an important role in the economic growth of the country.

Though their languages and practices differ according to the region or the area they live in, but primarily their language are Marwari or Rajasthani, and they are said to be instilled with good business sense.

The marriage rituals in the Maheshwari community are same as that of the Hindus, with the difference in the actual marriage called the Mama phere is observed, in which the bride sitting in the lap of her maternal uncle, takes rounds of the groom and the sacred fire. This is a very differ-

ent custom, which is followed by Maheshwaris, to mark the sanctity of the marriage.

Though Maheshwaris prefer marrying their children in the same communities, but with the changing times, a large number of inter- caste marriages have also been observed. Some of the common marriage rituals practised by Maheshwaris and other Hindus are: Sagaii: It is the formal engagement ceremony before the marriage, where the bride and groom exchanges ring with each other. This is also a formal announcement of the acceptance of the wedding alliance between the families.

Haldi ceremony: It’s the ceremony where the bride and the groom are applied with a paste of turmeric and oil, on their hands, dace and feet in their respective houses.

This is to add beauty and glow to the bride and groom, so that they look at their best on the day of

Rich home buyers avoid stamp duty

London: The richest home buyers in Britain are avoiding stamp duty worth as much as £1 billion a year.

According to a study, wealthy British and foreign buyers of one in every three houses sold for more than £1 million are avoiding the 5 per cent stamp duty.

Although tax specialists say that the avoidance is widespread, the government has no plans to crack down on the abuse. But a spokesman for the treasury said the government was committed to ensuring that

owners of high-value properties do not skip paying their fair share in tax.

The total amount of money lost to the treasury is conservatively estimated at £500 million but some tax specialists believe that the true figure could be more than £1 billion. The treasury estimates that it loses more than £250 million through domestic avoidance schemes and the Liberal Democrats calculate that £750 million more is lost through the use of offshore vehicles.

marriage. The ingredients of the paste may vary according to the area or community to which the couple belong.

Mehandi ceremony: In this ceremony, heena or mehandi designs are applied on the hands and feet of the bride. The heena is sent by the bride's would be motherin- law, and some of the married ladies of the house, applies that mehandi to her hand, to do the shagun, rest of the designs are made by professionals.

In some cases, the same custom is also practised at the house of the groom, where small quantity of mehandi is applied on the groom's hand, just as a part of shagun.

Baraat: It is the procession of the group of people, who form part of the bride's side at the wedding, the baraat is headed by a group of bands, hence maintaining the ritual of pop and gaiety in the wedding, which moves towards the venue of the marriage, with the groom sitting on a horse.

Wedding ceremony: This includes all the major rituals performing after which the bride and the groom are tagged with the certificate of a married couple. The process include customs like Jaimala, seven circles around the sacred fire, kanyadan, sindurdan, etc. these rituals vary according to the culture and religion.

Hindus upset over Ganesha T-shirt designs

Chicago: Hindu community in the US has asked a local online company to immediately remove Lord Ganesha T-shirt designs displayed on its website, calling them absurd.

Threadless Tess, a community-centered online apparel company of skinnyCorp, has been asked to remove four of the designs from its website.

Hindu activist Rajan Zed said, "Such absurd depiction of Lord Ganesha with no scriptural backing was hurtful to the devotees. "He said that such trivialisation of Lord Ganesha was disturbing and offensive to the one billion Hindus world over. However, Threadless Tees denied having printed or sold the T-shirts with the offensive Lord Ganesha designs.

HealtH WATCH

Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

Recipe to good health is only 15 minutes long

A new theory says that any physical activity for 15 minutes every day is a good insurance against a plethora of health problems, be it related to the heart, the brain or even cancer.

A study published in The Lancet, a British medical journal, said that just a quarter-hour of physical exertion a day could reduce a person's risk of death by 14% and increase life expectancy by three years compared to inactive people.

Incidentally, another theory published in a different British journal said daily TV-viewing for six hours could take away five years from your life.

Adding and subtracting years from your life has never before been quantified in such medical terms, say doctors. The 15minute short-cut to good health, in fact, changes the most fundamental rule that was approved by the World Health Organization-that 150 minutes of activity a week

is needed to stay healthy.

The Taiwanese study urges reluctant urban residents to devote only 90 minutes of their weekly schedule to physical activity.

"Our results suggest that one in nine deaths from cancer in individuals in the inactive group could have been averted if they did 15 minutes of moderate-intensity daily exercise,'' said the Taiwanese researchers who studied over four lakh people over 12 years.

They maintain that the results for patients who have suffered a stroke, who have poor kidney function or diabetes is phenomenal.

"It has long been known that activity is equal to longevity. But there has always been a debate on how much activity is right,'' said citybased endocrinologist Dr Shashank Joshi. His soon-to-be-published study says that Indians need longer exercise schedules because of poor

muscle tone. "We need to walk briskly for 30 minutes to strengthen our muscles,'' he added.

Preventive cardiologist Dr Aashish Contractor interprets the new recipe differently.

"The message would be that even 15 minutes of activity is good as against non-activity. But more is always better.'' His recipe for good health is: at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity such as brisk walking or 20 minutes of rigorous physical activity such as jogging at least 3 to 4 days a week.

Experts agree, however, that television viewing is bad. "More than two hours of watching TV or playing on the computer is bad for health,'' said Dr Joshi. "Watching the TV screen is inversely proportional to good health,'' he added.

The TV-viewing study, which was conducted in Australia, found that TV could impact health much in the same way as smoking and lack of exercise.

"Other research has shown that lifelong smoking is associated with the shortening of life expectancy by more than four years after the age of 50, with the average loss of life from one cigarette calculated to be 11 minutes-equivalent to half an hour of TV watching,'' according to the risk framework prepared by the authors.

Garlic oil may help protect heart from damage A component of garlic oil may be used to treat heart after attack, according to researchers at Emory University School of Medicine. Diallyl trisulfide, contain in garlic oil, may help release protective compounds to the heart after heart attack, during cardiac surgery, or as a treatment for heart failure.

At low concentrations, hydrogen sulfide gas has been found to protect the heart from damage.

However, this unstable and volatile compound has been difficult to deliver as therapy.

Now, Emory researchers have turned to diallyl trisulfide as a way to deliver the benefits of hydrogen sulfide to the heart.

Their findings suggest that doctors could use

diallyl trisulfide in many of the situations where researchers have proposed using hydrogen sulfide.

"We are now performing studies with orally active drugs that release hydrogen sulfide," said David Lefer, PhD, profes-

sor of surgery at Emory University School of Medicine and director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Research Laboratory at Emory University Hospital, Midtown.

"This could avoid the need to inject sulfide-

delivery drugs outside of an emergency situation," he said.

Working with Lefer, postdoctoral fellow Benjamin Predmore blocked the coronary arteries of mice for 45 minutes, simulating a heart attack, and gave them diallyl sulfide just before blood flow was restored. The compound reduced the proportion of damaged heart tissue in the area at risk by 61 per cent, compared with untreated animals.

A member of Lefer's team, postdoctoral fellow Kazuhisa Kondo, presented additional data on diallyl trisulfide in a mouse model of heart failure.

Diallyl sulfide twice daily, given after aortic constriction, could reduce heart enlargement, Kondo found.

Any quest ions writ e to m amta @thinkspalon

By Mamta Saha don.com

Psychologist

How to create happiness

Ask yourself what you are longing for and have a think about whether your life feels fulfilled or not. A lot of people think fulfilment is driving a nice car, living in a nice house or wearing fancy clothes but as a psychologist, from what I have seen, this is not the case. I work with a lot of clients who have everything they could ask for materially, however, when it comes to the spiritual and emotional fulfilment department – there is significant dissatisfaction. Read on to find out the simple steps that you can take to achieve the happiness and fulfilment you deserve.

Firstly, you have to make a commitment or decide that you won’t bother trying to create happiness in your life at all.

This sounds harsh, but when you live in a state of limbo, which is neither here nor there, you are always in a place that is negative. There is no gain whatsoever in moaning and complaining about your problems and lifestyle because this achieves nothing but further disappointment with your current reality. Simply create and commit to taking 3 baby steps every day to get closer to the fulfilment you deserve. This immediately sets you up for success and ensures that you are doing something about your current levels of disappointment and are getting closer to where you want to be. Start with very

Winter's is round the corner and everyone seems to be falling sick these days.

While it's easy to shrug it off, have you considered the possibility of winter allergies?

You might be allergic to pollen, mites or molds which linger in dust during the winter months.

The biggest difference between a cold and an allergy is the duration. A cold usually stays for 10 days, whereas an allergy can continue for weeks or months. Dr Arpit Jain answers questions about winter allergies and how to avoid them.

DIMPLE VANS - CARS - MINIBUS

Profesional

simple things that would be easy to incorporate within your day. For example: take a ten minute walk every morning or evening by yourself to have some ‘me time’, list 10 things that you’re a grateful for, meditate and continue to build on a hobby that you love.

All of these activities will start to change your negative energy into positive energy.

If you lack the energy and effort to create a positive turnaround in your life nothing of worth and weight will ever be achieved. If this sounds like you, look in the mirror and really think about the consequences and impact of such thoughts and lack of desire on your life.

Every second is a chance to turn it all around and you have all it takes to conjure up the strength to get into the driving seat of your life.

Don’t over analyse situations, other people or yourself because when you do you create further hurdles that you have to get over, these thoughts unnecessarily drain your energy. If you are not happy about your current situation think hard about what you can do to progress out of it.

Write down twenty-one possible ways of making your life better. It all starts with you and ends with you. No one can give you a pill or plate full of happiness to digest and it is unfair for you to expect this. Expect nothing from anyone but yourself and

you will soon start to see just how much control you have over your levels of happiness and fulfilment.

Lastly, learn to stop moaning and surrender any negativity you are feeling. Let go of complaining and having high expectations of others. The only person you can change and control is yourself. If you are around people that drain your positive energy think about the things you can do to create space and boundaries in order to protect yourself from being drained. If Nelson Mandela and Ghandi can do this – so can you. Do not put up with bad behaviour and do not let other people’s moods and insecurities erode your peace, wellbeing and state of mind.

You create how you feel – so create a feeling of joy, control and contentment.

If you know of anyone who may benefit from reading this article please do share it with him or her.

Additionally, if you like my articles and want to be inspired on a regular basis remember to ‘like’ the Thinkspalondon page on Facebook and register on the website for free articles. Early next year I plan to run another Impact Boot Camp Personal Development Day. To qualify for an early bird discount register your interest by emailing me directly on mamta@thinkspalondon.c om. May you live always with peace, harmony and happiness.

How to avoid winter allergies

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What allergies can one have in the cold winter months?

Some common allergens during the winter months are: mold, dust, dust mites, pets (cats, dogs) dander and perfumes.

Symptoms for identifying winter allergies?

Running nose, sneezes and sniffles, watery eyes, itchy nose or throat, persistent cough. People with asthma can have wheezing, chest congestion and breathing difficulties.

Treatments available for winter allergies?

For common nasal

allergies, anti-histaminics drugs are used. For persistent or very recurrent nasal allergies, sometimes anti allergic or steroidscontaining nasal sprays are used. Those with asthma should use their inhalers as per their doctors advice and seek medical advice at the earliest, in case of any trouble.

How to prevent winter allergies?

Keep the house dustfree as much as possible.

Vacuum any carpets once or twice a week. The curtains and shades must be free of dust. No feather pillows.

30

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

CB Live is only a Gujarati programme in UK on MATV SKY 793 This week in CB Live telephone lines will be open during the program for an opportunity to discuss current affairs with CB Patel.

Achala Hiren Miyani will be singing famous ghazals originally sung by late Jagjit Singh to entertain the viewers.

Sneh Joshi - 020 8518 5500 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. There are planetary energies firing you up preventing you from sleeping properly. Give yourself plenty of physical outlets to calm you down mentally.

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20

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

7pm to 8pm Every Thursday

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

The Making of a Global President How did a young, rookie Illinois senator, with a name derived from Swahili and Arabic, an African-American identity, and a biracial heritage, achieve the ultimate American dream: growing up to be President? To millions of Americans, including many who voted for him, the landmark election of Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th President of United States remains a revelation. Much has been written about Obama’s mastery of the Internet, his victory for racial equality, and his charisma. Yet, the exceptional qualities that distinguish Barack Obama as a leader for our changing times his multicultural roots and his international sensibilities have been largely overlooked.

“Barack Obama is born of a multicultural America at the cusp of the age of globalization,” states Dinesh Sharma, cultural psychologist. “He is truly America’s hybrid president, a man of many continents, races, cultures, and histories.” In his new book, Barack Obama in Hawai’i and Indonesia: The Making of a Global President (Praeger; September 30, 2011), Sharma presents the first cultural biography of a trailblazing, transformational leadernot only the first Black

president in America, but also the first multicultural head of state of any Western democracy.

Drawing on extensive research in the fields of psychology, anthropology, education and on the ground interviews in Jakarta, Honolulu, New York City, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, Sharma reveals, in riveting detail, how Obama’s rare multicultural upbringing shaped his character and his worldview, preparing him to meet the challenges of leadership-from demographic changes at home to rising competition from Asia to the perceived threat of radical Islam-in the global 21st century.

The author is currently in Europe. EU Book Tour sponsored by Democrats Abroad: Nov 21 Brussells; Nov 22 Paris; Nov 23 Strasbourg; Nov 28 Luxembourg; Nov 29 Heidleberg; Dec 1 Vienna; Dec 3 Rome; Dec 7 Athens; Dec 9 London. If you want to contact him write to dsharma2020@gmail.com

Editor: CB Patel Associate Editor: Rupanjana Dutta Tel: 020 7749 4098 - Email: rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com Senior News Editor: Dhiren Katwa Freelance Correspondent: Rudy Otter Chief of Operations ABPL: Liji George Tel: 020 7749 4013 Email: george@abplgroup.com Chief Financial Officer: Surendra Patel Tel: 020 7749 4093 - Mobile: 07875 229 220 Email: surendra.patel@abplgroup.com Accounts Executive: Akshay Desai Tel: 020 7749 4087 Email:accounts@abplgroup.com Advertising Managers: Alka Shah Tel: 020 7749 4002 - Mobile: 07944 151 893 Email: alka.shah@abplgroup.com Kishor Parmar Tel: 020 7749 4095 - Mobile: 07875 229 088 Email: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com Media Consultant: Rovin John George - Email: rovin.george@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 - Mobile: 07875 229 219 Nihir Shah - Email: nihir.shah@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4089 - Mobile: 07875 229 111 Business Development Managers: Urja Patel - Email: urja.patel@abplgroup.com Design and Layout: Harish Dahya & Ajay Kumar Tel: 020 7749 4086 Email: graphics@abplgroup.com Customer Service: Ragini Nayak Tel: 020 7749 4080 - Email: support@abplgroup.com

Coming Events l Founder Acharya Bhakti Swarup Tirtha Maharaj is propagating the message of Bhagavat Gita all over the world in English, Hindi and other languages. A programme is held in Shri Sanatan Mandir at Ealing Road, Wembley, on the 4th of December 2011 - 2pm to 5pm, on the eve of Gita Jayanti when Krisnha spoke Bhagavat Gita to Sri Arjuna. l Children's Bhajan Programme @ Shree Jalaram Mandir. Sunday 4th December 2011 from 1pm to 5pm. Contact Shree Jalaram Mandir Greenford on 0208 578 8088 / 9285 l 4 December: Shree 108 Hanuman Chalisa, Social Club Hall, Northwick Park Hospital, Watford, Harrow, HA1 3UJ, 11-5pm.

Contact: 020 8459 5758/ 07973 550 310 l Dec 7, 6:30pm Book reading of Sudha Menon @ Nehru Centre followed by an informal discussion on Women and the Leadership Challenge.

FACTOR

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TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21

A blast of personal energy comes your way, and showing your leadership skills works for you now. Romance and pleasure are highlighted this week. The flowing, expressive, and spontaneous energy surrounding you attracts like-minded people. Be sure to take time to enjoy yourself, preferably around others!

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 Domestic and home matters are disturbed and a source of concern to you. You could find family members hostile and difficult to reason with. It is a period of handling matters with utmost diplomacy and calmness. Retrograde Mercury in your opposite sign makes it that much harder to communicative clearly.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22 You have everything to gain by following creative inclinations. If you have new ideas, now is the time to put them into practice.

Whatever your present interests you are likely to find that new doors open and the way ahead offers increased scope for expressing your real self. A great time to meet and interact with people.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23 This is a good time to cut back on extravagant spending and consolidate your finances. Your social calendar is likely to keep you very busy and you will have lots of opportunities to promote yourself. For some of you this is also a good time to meet like-minded people which could lead to romantic liaisons.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23 The fiery planet Mars, continues to occupy your sign for some time to come.

Its influence will help you to maintain a high energy level and achieve positive results in anything that requires drive and initiative. If you are involved in a fairly competitive field of activity, you will be the one who comes out on top.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23 Don't be afraid to act forcefully if your instinct tells you it's time for change.

This week the focus is your house of family and home.

Besides spending more time tending to domestic affairs, the focus can be on cultivating and nourishing your inner foundations, so to speak.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22 The focus is on finances this week, but that doesn’t mean you should worry yourself sick. Rather, it is about finding new and improved ways to boost your earnings potential. Don’t let nebulous tendencies interfere with your plans. It’s fine to consider several options but don’t get caught up in indecision.

Schedule networking opportunities later this week.

The domestic scene may prove to be active and harmonious as long as you use tact and diplomacy.

Intense focus is what is needed now so do not let yourself be distracted by non-essentials. The gentle influence of Venus ensures that most things run smoothly and that your cash-flow remains viable.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

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CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20 The flow of good energy this week makes you want to be responsible which can benefit you socially and personally. Financially, you have everything going for you. Be prudent and do not fritter away your good fortune. You should avoid using credit, simply because your spending habits may be excessive and impulsive.

Jupiter, the planet of plenty graces your solar 4th house for some time to come, bringing noticeable improvements to your environment. This will hold you in good stead as you have a lot of important jobs to finish around the house such as decorating and for some buying or selling of properties.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

Love is liable to blow hot and cold rather unpredictably. If so, then it might be a good idea to check your own behaviour and motives for it could be that you are already taking too much for granted. Avoid get-rich-quick schemes and be cautious about other people's enthusiasm which is likely to be misplaced. Travel and social life combine to bring a lively time ahead of you.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

Sport world

Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

Federer tames Tsonga, wins ATP World Tour Finals for record time

Roger Federer became the first player to win the ATP World Tour Finals six times but had to weather a storming fight back by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga before retaining his title with a 6-3 6-7 6-3 victory at the O2 on Sunday.

The 30-year-old, playing in the title match of the tournament for the seventh time in 10 years and contesting his 100th Tour final, squandered a match point in the second set but eventually extinguished Tsonga's fire to claim the 70th title of a career that burns as bright as ever.

On yet another record-breaking day for the 16-times grand slam champion, Federer not only edged clear of fivetimers Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras in the tournament's roll of honour but he also gained the distinction of being the oldest player to win the season-ender since Ilie Nastase in 1975.

It took all his years of experience and a few moments of magic to withstand Tsonga's force, however, as the explosive Frenchman thrilled the 17,500-capacity crowd with a barrage

of winners that threatened to turn the contest on its head.

After levelling the match Tsonga threw everything at Federer in the decider but he was stopped in his tracks when he dropped serve at 3-4 and this time there was no escape as the Swiss pounded away a volley to triumph in two hours 18 minutes.

"I couldn't be more happy and I couldn't be more exhausted because Jo sucked all the last energy out of me today," Federer said on court after seal-

Dravid to get best cricketer trophy in BCCI Awards Veteran Indian batsman Rahul Dravid will be bestowed the 'Polly Umrigar Award for India's best cricketer of 2010-11' season during the BCCI's annual awards ceremony to be held on December 10 in Chennai. The 38-yearold Dravid, who scored 1,258 runs in 15 Tests at an average of 53 this season, pulled off six hundreds during the year.

Dravid was the star of India's disastrous tour of England earlier this year, which cost India the top spot in the ICC Test rankings after they were whitewashed 0-4. Only Dravid stood up and hit up three centuries as rest of the Indian batting tumbled.

The Bangalorean will be honoured with a trophy and prize of Rs 500,000.

India women's team captain Jhulan Goswami will also be honoured at the annual awards. The pacer will be awarded the 'M A Chidambaram Best Woman Cricketer of 2010-11' trophy for claiming 21 wickets in eight matches. The Col. C K Nayudu Lifetime Achievement award will be bestowed on former captain and coach Ajit Wadekar.

BCCI Awards 2010-11: Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award: Ajit Wadekar ; Polly Umrigar Award: Rahul Dravid; Madhavrao Scindia Award (Highest Scorer in the Ranji Trophy 2010-11): S Badrinath (922 runs at a rate of 131.71 in nine match-

es, inclusive of four centuries and three half centuries). Madhavrao Scindia Award (Highest wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy 2010-11): Bhargav Bhatt (47 wickets at an average of 21.57 in nine matches, inclusive of four 5WI and one 10WM).

MA Chidambaram Trophy (Best Under-16 cricketer of 2010-11): Vijay Zol (858 runs at an average of 85.8 in seven matches, inclusive of four centuries and two half-centuries).

MA Chidambaram Trophy (Best Under-19 cricketer of 2010-11): Avi Barot (971 runs at an average of 88.27 in seven matches, inclusive of four centuries and three half-centuries).

MA Chidambaram Trophy (Best Under-22 cricketer of 2010-11): Suryakumar Yadav (721 runs at an average of 80.11 in seven matches, inclusive of two centuries and four half centuries).

MA Chidambaram Trophy (Best woman cricketer of 2010-11): Jhulan Goswami (21 wickets at an average of 7.62 in eight matches, inclusive of one 5WI).

MA Chidambaram Trophy (Best woman cricketer (junior) of 2010-11): Mona Meshram (623 runs at an average of 103.83 in eight matches, inclusive of one century and five half centuries).

Best Umpire in Domestic cricket 2010-11: S Ravi.

ing the $1.63 million jackpot for going through the tournament undefeated for the second year in a row.

Despite not winning one of the year's majors for the first time since 2002, Federer ended 2011 on a 17match winning streak and with a hattrick of indoor titles and claimed his triumph in London ranked alongside his greatest moments.

"It feels very special," Federer, who climbs back above Andy Murray to No.3 in the rankings and will start next year eyeing Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic, told reporters.

"I've been trying to sort of block it out for the entire tournament. So now it's finally sort of reality that I've been able to win six World Tour Finals. It's an amazing feeling. I know it's one of my greatest accomplishments.

"This definitely is an amazing finish again to the season. I've never finished so strong."

Bizarrely, it was the third successive Sunday that Federer and Tsonga faced each other across a net.

Yuvraj battling nonmalignant tumour

Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh is suffering from non-malignant tumour, but was on the path of recovery, his mother Shabnam Singh said.

Biopsy reports have indicated that the tumour is non-malignant and nonthreatening and can be treated through proper medication and therapy.

"He has got a lump of flesh in his chest which is to be dissolved. It is not life threatening. The flesh can dissolve by therapies and medicines. Yuvraj Singh wants to become fully fit before returning to the fields," said Shabnam.

Yuvraj had declared himself unavailable for the one-day series against the West Indies and was also not picked for the Test series in Australia. Yuvraj has been troubled by health issues since the World Cup, which India won, and has played just one Test match in England after that.

Yuvraj's mother, however, appeared confident that he would soon be fully fit and make a comeback in the upcoming one-day series against Australia.

Court of Appeal rejects Salman Butt, Md Amir's plea Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and his teammate Mohammad Amir's appeals against their jail sentences in the spot-fixing case was rejected by the Court of Appeal which said the players could not be shown mercy as they had "betrayed their team and country."

The Court of Appeal, headed by Lord Chief Justice Igor Judge, dismissed their appeals and upheld the prison terms handed to Butt and Amir for their role in one of cricket's biggest scandals.

"The cricketers betrayed their team, their country, the sport that had given them their distinction and all the world followers of the game," the judge said.

"The reality is that all the

Mohammad Amir with Salman Butt

enjoyment of watching cricket will be destroyed if this was allowed to continue. This is a notorious and essentially simple case. It was a betting scam and they were very well rewarded."

Butt, 27, was sentenced to two and half years in jail on November 3 by the Southwark Crown Court after being convicted in the plot to ensure that no-balls were bowled at predetermined

times during the fourth Test between England and Pakistan at Lord's last August.

The 19-year-old Amir pleaded guilty in the pre-trial hearing in September and was handed a six-month sentence in a young offenders' institution.

The third guilty player Mohammad Asif, 28, who was handed a one-year prison sentence, had also filed his appeal but his case is expected to be taken up later as he has changed his legal defence team after the Southwark Crown Court trial.

Butt and Amir were not present at the Court of Appeal for the hearing before Lord Chief Justice Igor Judge, the head of the English judiciary, and two other judges.

31

Ahmedabad boy Avi Barot named best U-19 cricketer Avi Barot, the wicket-keeper captain of Gujarat, has been named as the best under -19 cricketer of India. He led his team to the prestigious under-19 CK Nayudu trophy last season. He scored 971 runs in seven matches with four hundreds and three fifties and a run rate of 88.27. He had also more than 30 dismissals behind the wickets under his name.

Barot also played for the India U-19 in Australia last year with a highest score of 52 and represented Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy.

This second year commerce student of Ahmedabad is working hard to achieve his goal.

“He was a little chubby as a boy. So, I thought let him play cricket to cut some flab,” says his father Arun Barot, an SBI employee. “But I never thought he would get this far.”

“I believe that this award will bring in more responsibility. Friends, family and team members will have higher expectations,” Avi said. “I will have to play more responsibly which will only make me a better cricketer.” The award which consists of a trophy and a cash award of Rs 55,000 will be given at the annual BCCI awards ceremony in Chennai on December 10.

Harbhajan left out of Indian squad for Australia Out of form off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has been left out of the 17man Indian squad for the upcoming four-Test series in Australia. On the other hand, fast bowler Zaheer Khan, who is recovering from hamstring and ankle injuries, will make a comeback subject to match fitness.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee, led by K. Srikkanth, has also retained 13 players from the team announced for the Mumbai Test against the West Indies. The only additions, apart from Zaheer, are wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha and fast bowler Praveen Kumar.

Yuvraj Singh, who had declared himself unfit for the ODI series against the West Indies, will also miss the tour. The first Test will begin in Melbourne on December 26, and will be followed by matches in Sydney (January 3-7), Perth (January 13-17) and Adelaide (January 24-28). India's 17-man squad: M.S. Dhoni (captain and wicketkeeper), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, V.V.S. Laxman, Virat Kohli, R. Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron, Rohit Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, Praveen Kumar, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha and Zaheer Khan.

Spain top FIFA rankings, England rank No 5 World and European champion Spain stayed atop FIFA's monthly world rankings last week, despite losing a friendly to England which climbed two places to No 5.

The Netherlands remained second but thirdplaced Germany narrowed the gap after winning 3-0 in a friendly between the sides.

South American champion Uruguay closed on the top three, beating Chile in 2014 World Cup qualifying and No 9 Italy in a friendly to remain unbeaten in 13 matches.

England was helped by its friendly wins against Spain and No 18 Sweden to climb above sixth-placed Brazil, which gained fewer ranking points beating Egypt and Gabon.

Portugal and Croatia won 2012 European Championship playoffs and rose to seventh and eighth respectively. Ivory Coast led African teams at No 16 and 19th-placed Japan was the best Asian team. Mexico rose two to No 20 and headed CONCACAF members.

32

Asian Voice - Saturday 3rd December 2011

Sachin misses 100th international century

Mind wins over matter as India freeze

By Premen Addy

Cricket's undisputed Little Master will have to wait a little longer to claim the sport's most anticipated milestone. Sachin Tendulkar fell one stroke short of becoming the first batsman to score 100 international centuries when he was dismissed for 94 during the third test against the West Indies.

Tendulkar already holds most of cricket's major batting records, including the most runs and centuries in both tests and one-day internationals, as well as the highest ever one-day score — 200 not out against South Africa at Gwalior last year.

Tendulkar, resuming on 67 at his home ground of Wankhede Stadium, was tantalizingly close to his century when he edged a delivery from pace bowler Ravi Rampaul early on the fourth day and knew immediately that his time in the middle was over.

Football coach Gary Speed ends life The tragic death of Gary Speed, the popular and highly respected Welsh football coach, who took his own life in the privacy of his house, has shocked soccer fans in Britain and Europe. Before entering management, Speed was himself a footballer of distinction at national and international levels.

The stresses and strains of a professional sporting life can take its toll through fits of depression. In cricket, the Yorkshire and England wicket keeper- batsman David Bairstow died from his own hand, as did Harold Gimblett who appeared for Somerset and England in an earlier age.

Dravid completes 13,000 Test runs Veteran Indian batsman Rahul Dravid on Thursday last became the second player in the history of Test cricket to compile 13,000 runs besides completing 1,000 runs this calendar year.

Dravid, already the second highest run-scorer in the longer format of the game, drove West Indies skipper Darren Sammy for a boundary to reach to the milestone in the 29th over of the Indian innings in the third Test against West Indies in Mumbai. His teammate and batting icon Sachin Tendulkar was the first cricketer to achieve the 13,000-run feat and is currently the leading run-scorer in Test cricket with more than 15,000 runs under his belt. Only eight batsmen have recorded more than 10,000 runs in Test cricket and three of them are Indians.

Playing in his 160th match, Dravid has smashed 36 centuries and 61 half-centuries so far.

The third and final Test match at Mumbai's Wankede Stadium may have been a thriller, but it should have ended in an Indian victory instead of the tied draw it turned out to be. What would have been as dream match for Ravichandran Ashwin – 103 with the bat and 5 for 153 and 4 for 34 with the ball – closed with a pang of bitter disappointment, as he fell asleep after his first run to long-on, and was miles out going for what should have been a fairly easy second if he had been alert and set off early. That second run would have signalled an Indian victory and a series sweep of 3 nil against West Indies.

A draw beckoned on the last day as the visitors started off with 82 for I and a lead of 108 runs on the first innings, with India all out for 482 against West Indies 590, but the cricket gods soon took a hand and West Indies crashed to 134, leaving India a victory target of 243 in 64 overs. Virender Sehwag (60) got India off to a flier, it was followed by a brief stutter and recovery, with India 148 for 4 in 34 overs at the tea interval.

VVS Laxman and Virat Kohli were at the crease and going well, After the former's dismissal, the Indians were cabined, cribbed and confined and runs

started to fry up. With Kohli (63) loosening up victory loomed ever larger but fell with the total at 223. Ishant Sharma made a quick-fire 10 before he was bowled by Ravi Rampaul and the rest is history.

Earlier, Sachin Tendulkar was within a whisker of making history – the much creaved 100th international century – when snared at second slip for 94. He had been playing with glorious abandon

until then leaving the crowd in shock.

The heroes of this series for India were Pragyan Ohja, with his left-arm spin, and the off-breaks and 'doosras' of Ashwin, both returning record hauls.

Darren Bravo excelled for West Indies with two splendid centuries. He is clearly a batting star in the making.

Hopefully the lean years for Caribbean cricket are drawing to a close. And now to the five ODIs

India win first ODI in pulsating match For the second time in four days, India and West Indies showed that big hits aren't crucial ingredients in absorbing cricket. As in the Mumbai Test, the final delivery of the match was punched to long-on, but this time there were no tears for the cheering home fans as last man Umesh Yadav's drive went for four to end a pulsating match.

It wasn't the highest quality of cricket, but there was no shortage of entertainment for a voluble Cuttack crowd watching its first international match in two years. Rohit Sharma seemed to have sealed the game with a mostly level-headed half-century after India slipped to 59 for 5, but his dismissal 11 runs short of the target provided an extra dollop of suspense to an already tumultuous match.

The Cuttack curator had confidently talked up chances of a high-scoring encounter, but even after West Indies slumped to a seemingly small total, India were in trouble halfway through their chase. The fast bowlers Kemar Roach and Andre Russell ripped out the Indian toporder to leave Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja battling to sustain India's nine-ODI winning-streak at home.

India got off to an absolute flier, with Virender Sehwag and Parthiv Patel slamming 37 in the first four overs. Roach, however, brought West Indies back into it with a double-strike in the next over.

Parthiv once again threw away a start, as he chopped a wide delivery to backward point. Gautam Gambhir showed Parthiv how to play that shot, slapping his second delivery high over the fielder. He was done in off the next ball, though, topedging a short ball that bounced more than he expected.

Still, with Sehwag and Virat Kohli - the second highest ODI run-getter of the year

Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja

- around, there was no need for panic.

Roach broke through once more, though, getting one to duck in off the seam to dismiss Kohli. Then Virender Sehwag was bowled by Russell soon after, and it was nervous times for India. Suresh Raina joined the procession three overs later, leaving India at a precarious 59 for 5.

Rohit, making his international comeback after a finger injury in England, and Jadeja then survived a testing phase to keep India's hopes afloat.

Rohit stroked some elegant boundaries, including a nonchalant six over long-off, to keep the capacity crowd interested.

For West Indies only Darren Bravo could manage a half-century, as India's bowlers maintained control over West Indies' batsmen. Some amateurish running from Danza Hyatt ended the only significant partnership of West Indies'

innings, as they crumbled either side of that fourth-wicket stand to finish on 211 for 9 at a raucous Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. Darren Bravo was once again their top scorer, but a mix of rash shotselection and tight bowling crippled West Indies and put India on course for their 10th straight win at home.

India's inexperienced attack had none of the regular members of their World Cup-winning line-up but that didn't prevent an impressive performance.

Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron showed off the pace for which they have made a name, Vinay Kumar's patented awayswinger was on display, and the spinners continued to give the selectors no reason to think of Harbhajan Singh.

Bravo and Hyatt had revived West Indies from 52 for 3 after each of India's quick bowlers nipped out a wicket in their first spell. It wasn't the most fluent of stands - R Ashwin dropped a tough caught-and-bowled chance off Bravo, and Hyatt had starting trouble - but they stuck together for more than 16 overs to add 75.

Bravo's innings was sprinkled with several easy-on-the-eye boundaries, including a predictably large chunk of runs through cover. Hyatt had more problems early on, needing 36 deliveries to get to double-digits for only the second time in his six ODI innings. Whether he was aware of that or not, he dispatched the next delivery after he reaching 10 for a six.

The runs came easier for Hyatt after that, before he casually jogged back for a second in the 27th over, though his partner Bravo was rooted at the non-striker's end screaming that he didn't want two.

Hyatt was run out for 31, and any semblance of momentum was taken away from the West Indian innings.