Av 3rd august 2013

SEE INSIDE ....

UPA gives nod, Telangana to be 29th Indian state

Far East, India, Africa, Australia, Dubai

TRAVEL

FIRST & BUSINESS CLASS DEALS Flat Bed, Suite, Limo, Lounge, Comfort, t&c Stretch out Rest lie-flat and Relax on A380 (t&c)

0208 515 9200 deals@cruxton.com IATA ABTA ATOL3348

quietly delivering value for over 25 years

For report see page 26

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

VOL 42. ISSUE 14

80p

3rd August to 9th August 2013

!"' $*'%(

FNN" PN6

J4J. .I- J2.0

%$""#! )D? " NG !G

'AQ#,KL:

(<A (<AO O

>>. .J1-1

@@@@

E9FG%

'AQ#,KL:

(<AO

1 2>21

@@

;' =6G%;%!MD G?P!E GPE

'AQ#,KL:

(< (<A AO O

>/ 03 --

@@ @ @

S @* ASA D7C<& FK

(<AO (<AO

?;P ?;P

$$$!&*.%"()',!#+!'-

6* B<#H* RK8H$

Living in La-La Land

Britons slam government's 'Go Home' and ÂŁ3000 bond campaigns UK immigration is now officially world's laughingstock.

It is the aspiration of any sane country, staggering at a 0.2% growth, to march on gallantly

224.1 >>2

DEGFGE $8: G #&R +Q'

towards a prosperous future in unadulterated friendship with countries and their citizens having a stronger economic growth, leaving the differences and mistakes of

policies and policy makers behind.

Britain in the 1960s and 70s had exclaimed their horror at the Ugandan Asian arrivals, but in due course they

realised and rejoiced the diversities and prosperities that were gifted to Britain's society and economy, by these 'once unwelcome if not hated' immigrants.

Continued on page 7

)+'#(%#&,%* FNN" DG.?!5 +&,%" 0''*

)"!/ -#$(

" & ###

'%"! #&$ $AQ#,KL: '%"! #&$ (Q#&$8:

!%$!

Clegg asks banks to support ethnic minority business British Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, called on banks to do more to ensure that everyone who wants to start a business is given the opportunity to turn their ideas and aspirations into successful enterprises.

Speaking at a meeting in Manchester with senior banking figures and entre-

preneurs from ethnic minorities, he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is Continued on page 26

Baby Cambridge: Indian men who broke the news Since last week everybody Britain has been talking about the India connections in the delivery of Britain's new prince, who is third in line to the throne.

'

& &# ( !

! &*

Continued on page 15

SALE ON WORLD WIDE

FLIGHTS

))) &$ ( ! "%&*!

#'

2

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

Keith Vazwith MP

Keith Vaz MP

Dr Aseem Malhotra

4 What are your proudest achievements?

That’s a difficult one. Getting admission into Edinburgh medical School and being able to fulfil my dream of becoming a Cardiologist are up there but more than anything else is deriving satisfaction from being able to help those that have proven to be my greatest inspiration; my patients.

Dr Aseem Malhotra is an Interventional Cardiologist based at the Royal Free Hospital in London. He attended the University of Edinburgh Medical School, qualifying in 2001.

He is thr Spokesperson for Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Obesity Group and co-author of the report "Tackling the weight of the nation". Dr Malhotra is a member of the Greater London Authority Food Board and is a writer and contributor on health issues for the Guardian, Huffington Post, BBC online and The British Medical Journal.

1) Please tell me about your current position?

I am an Interventional Cardiologist currently based at the Royal Free Hospital in London. I diagnose and treat patients with a variety of heart conditions and have a special interest in treating coronary artery disease, the biggest killer in the western world.

Part of my job involves performing a life saving key hole procedure, known as angioplasty to unblock heart arteries and restore the blood supply to the heart when people suffer a heart attack.

2) What do you think is the biggest health challenge facing the nation?

Without a doubt tackling the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases which include high blood pressure,

type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Although multifactorial in their nature, poor diet is at the root cause of all of them. In addition winding back the harms of too much medicine, over diagnosis and over treatment with medicines that benefit the pharmaceutical industry more than patients represents an additional challenge which is not exclusive of the former.

3) How do you rate the progress of this Government on health?

The passage of the Health and Social Care Bill conceived by the current government to privatise our health service was one of the blackest days of my career. I am extremely proud of being trained in one of the best and most envied health systems in the world which treats

patients on clinical need, not ability to pay. There is no evidence that markets in health care reduce costs or improve outcomes for patients. In terms of public health one of the greatest legacies of the last Labour government was the introduction of the smoking ban in public places which has already saved thousands of lives. This government has already reneged on its promise for minimum alcohol pricing and cigarette plain packaging which is a backward steps for the health of the nation

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

Having to constantly fight against vested interests that often undermine NHS values and what is best for patients. A duty of a doctor is not just treating his or her individual patients but to serve the population as a whole.

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

This has to be my parents.

Observing their relentless dedication to their patients as General Practitioners has been inspirational and my career progression would not have been possible without their

A British coroner has asked police in the UK and India to investigate further into the suspected suicide of an Indian student, who was found dead in her campus accommodation at Liverpool University earlier this month.

Georgina Thomson, an 18-yearold aspiring astronaut from Chennai, was found hanging in her room at Melville Grove on the university campus.

Liverpool Coroner Andre Rebello said, "There were various notes left within the accommodation. Some of those notes seemed to indicate intentional self-harm.

However, there were other notes which led me to direct there be investigations not just here, but also in Chennai."

Georgina - an aerospace engineering student at the university reportedly had not been seen for several days before her body was found on July 12. She had reportedly started missing lectures in February.

"She was last seen on July 3 by a domestic supervisor. Her room was checked daily and although she was never seen after this date, all of

photo courtesy: www.britishsouthindians.co.uk

Father urges authorities to reveal truth behind Chennai student's death

Georgina with India's former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam

Georgina's possessions were still in the room as if she was still living there.

On July 12, the domestic supervisor returned to the room to see if she had left and on entering found Georgina hanging," the coroner added.

Local Merseyside Police have confirmed that officers are working to respond to the coroner's directions of a further probe to piece

)% %'" +! /() ** ',)" ) / ** , ) " !+ )-" *

)

'

7) Where do you see yourself in ten years time?

I hope to be leading a multidisciplinary team that is able to provide the best quality care for patients but also be able to reflect on my role in influencing the reversal of the obesity epidemic through reduction in population sugar consumption which is contributing to much chronic suffering in the UK and beyond.

8 If you were Health Secretary, what one aspect would you change?

Engage more with the medical profession and not be afraid to institute a number of important public health interventions and utilise legislation if necessary to promote what’s in the best interests of the population’s health not the vested interests of industry whose only interest is profit.

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

Without a doubt Mahatma Gandhi. He was a man well ahead of his time and much of what he said is still important and relevant today. One of my favourite quotes of his is “It is health that is the real wealth, and not pieces of gold and silver”.

Three men jailed for Upton Park acid attack on mum

together the circumstances surrounding Georgina's death.

Her father, Mr S Thomson, a policeman from Chennai, insists there is more than what meets the eyes.

'There is no fan, no iron rod in the room where she was found dead.

How could she hang herself," he had said following a visit to the room where her body was found.

He has refused to accept his daughter's body until further investigations are carried out.

A university spokesperson told the media, "We are extremely saddened by Georgiana's death. Our thoughts are with her family and friends and we are doing our utmost to support them at this very difficult time."

Her father, frustrated with the lack of support from authorities including police in Britain, met Rt Hon Keith Vaz, MP, the Chair of Home Affairs Committee on Tuesday, and has promised to write to every possible authorities in Britain to assist Mr Thomson in seeking the truth behind Georgina's untimely death.

$ %' %""

tremendous support.

Three men have been jailed for a total of 44 years for an acid attack on a mother in East London as she picked up her children from school.

They were found guilty of hatching an acid plot that left the woman suffering horrendous burns to her face and body. After a six week trial at Blackfriars Crown Court, a jury found all three defendants guilty of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm and throwing corrosive fluid on another with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Yannick Ntesa, 25, of Great Western Road, west London, and Ahad Miah, 31, of no fixed address, were jailed for 14 years each. Abdul Motin, 28, of Dagobert House, Whitechapel was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment. The 44-year-old victim was targeted on

March 24 2011 in Harold Road, Upton Park as she collected her children from nearby Upton Cross Primary School.

Acid was poured over her head as she walked the short distance home from the school with her sixyear-old twin sons. She instantly felt a burning sensation across her face, scalp, chest and back. She fled to a neighbour’s house where she was assisted by friends and two female police officers before being removed to the Royal London Hospital and subsequently transferred to a specialist burns hospital in Chelmsford, Essex. She spent nearly three weeks at the specialist unit.

She suffered 16 per cent full depth chemical burns for which she is still receiving treatment and has described living in every day discomfort.

"( '%# ) ( '%# )'% 1

!'() "! &"+

"

) %*'! '(

',&*$'. ,*"& **

)#

$"

0

*'%& ',&*$'.

% "$ * $ *

) "

/

")*+ $" !+ , & +

' )'% 1 )%*

)% ( ) "$'

"( )% $ ! ( ) "$' '& "+"'&* (($0

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

Comment

Rajnath Singh’s skewed view of Indian reality Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Rajnath Singh’s peroration on the role of English in India as a negative force “undermining the India’s cultural values” will come as a timely wake-up call for Indians wedded to the idea of modernity, continuing social reform and advance towards a 21st century economy. Mr Singh has awakened the worst fears of Indians on another count. Is this a covert attempt to banish English from India’s public life? If it is, he must surely be aware of the North-South discord that would follow. The language issue was laid to rest by Indira Gandhi’s three-language formula of 1967, which rested on the tiers of the State mother tongue, Hindi and English. Opening this can of worms now scarcely accords with the national interest.

Rajnath Singh’s misreading of modern Indian history inspires shock and awe. Indians are rightly proud of the galaxy of Hindu reformers who strove to cleanse Hindu society of its encrusted superstitions and regressive social practices as part of the larger renewal that would assure India her place at the high table of great nations.

We think of the first modern Indian, Rammohun Roy, as an exemplar of India’s awakening in the early years of the 19th century. He was a Sanskritist and Persian scholar, knew the classical languages of Europe and Hebrew, with a fine command of English in which he argued for the abolition of sati, for the virtues of press freedom and the jury system, and pressed the need for institutions of higher learning, with mathematics and English at the core of their curricula.

Swami Vivekenanda propounded the message of the Vedanta in Chicago in eloquent English; Sri Aurobindo did much the same in his voluminous works. When asked to be instructed in the Hindu scriptures by a youth, Vivekenanda advised him first

to learn English and mathematics. The leading reformers in Maharashtra, Ranade, Gokhale, Agarkar and others, were of a similar cast of mind.

Rabindranath Tagore founded Vishvabharati University as a centre of learning, enlightenment and engagement with Western and Eastern traditions. Scholars of Indian philosophy such as Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Surendranath Dasgupta and, more recently, Bimal Motilal, were Sanskrit pundits of high renown, yet their seminal works were all written in English. The place of English in the development and articulation of modern Indian nationalism, and its role in the progress of India’s science and technology has been seminal.

Finally, the truest irony is that Shyma Prasad Mookerjee, the founder of the BJP’s parent, the Jan Sangh, belonged to a liberal political tradition, best exemplified by his father, Ashutosh Mookerjee, arguably his country’s foremost educationist and himself a distinguished jurist and mathematician, who brought to Calcutta University the philosopher Radhakrishnan and the physicist C.V. Raman. His son Shyma Prasad, an accomplished public speaker in Bengali and English, was India’s finest parliamentarian, scrupulously observant of parliamentary norms and practices, even as he argued his case robustly in numerous jousts with Jawaharlal Nehru.

Shyma Prasad, had he been alive, would have been appalled by the boorish behaviour of BJP MPs in Parliament. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who cut his political teeth as Shyma Prasad’s private secretary, made the BJP electable with his broad national appeal.

Any lesson learned? Not yet, it would appear.

Reading a BJP-RSS columnist’s weekly disquisitions on economics, Jagdish Bhagwati, among the best known authorities on the subject, remarked with his usual coruscating wit, “If that man is an economist, then I am a Bharat Natyam dancer!”

3

You make a choice or set a goal and let people know about it. Then just getting started leads to the discovery of internal resources that help us to go further than we ever thought we could - Christopher Reeve (2002)

“Our London” Navin Shah

GLA Member for Brent and Harrow

Shree Swaminarayan Willesden temple silver jubilee celebrations in style I am immensely proud to be a Londoner and represent hugely diverse communities of Brent and Harrow. The success of the diverse fabric of the community and the harmony is due to the recognition by the communities and the local authorities of the values that people of different origins and faiths bring.

is located. As the London Assembly Member representing Brent and Harrow I’ve been engaged with Brent’s communities and stakeholders including the Willesden Temple.

I’m proud that I can boast about the full range of Swaminarayan temples including the Shri BAPS

My connection with Brent and Harrow stretches the span of nearly 40 years when I came as a student from India. And my ‘connection’ with the Swaminarayan community too is of about the same length – and it’s a story of some interesting co-incidents. In the early Seventies as a student I lived in Willesden Green when the Church building in Willesden Lane was acquired for the Temple. When I moved to West Harrow I happened to live on the same road as the Shri Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan (SKSS) Temple located in scout hut like temporary old buildings. Since the early Nineties when I became politically active I have been involved with the new SKSS Temple in Kenton and proud to have been councillor for Kenton East Ward for the last 20 years where that temple

Swaminarayan Temple in Neasden, Temples in Kenton, Stanmore and Willesden and the Temple in Kingsbury under construction. All of these in addition to many other temples and places of worship of a range of religions! Whilst personally a Jain, given my close association with the Swaminarayan communities I feel like being an honourary member of the Swaminarayan community and every Swaminarayan celebrations feel like my own celebration.

This is why I was so enthused to be participating in the Silver Jubilee celebration of the Willesden Temple attended by Pujya Shree Mota Maharaj, Pujya Shree Acharya Maharaj, Swamis from Bhuj & Amdavad and Hari Bhaktos from all over the world.

Indo-US ties: Eschew great expectations for small strategic steps The four-day visit to India by US Vice President Joseph Biden turned out to be a fairly low key affair.

There was the obligatory genuflection to “the defining relationship of the 21st century” between India and America without the Obama dramatics. The romance of a blissful union between two kindred souls, if the truth be told, was never a realistic goal for either party. The American Empire is wedded to its global commercial and strategic interests. Winning loyal partners to its cause is Washington’s overriding priority. India doesn’t fall into this category. The most rewarding part of the Indo-American relationship rests in the conversation between their civil societies, between their scientists, philosophers, writers, artistes, educationists and entrepreneurs. Here like meets like, drawn to each other by common values shared freedoms and concerns. As states, India and America do have a convergence of interests in some areas and an equally marked divergence in others.

Many of the old suspicions and mistrust have withered, symbolized most strongly by the Indo-US civilian nuclear accord. However, a visible strain of agnosticism remains and is unlikely to disappear anytime soon. Only fools and horses will be taken in by American hype on human rights and democracy when among Washington’s closest and most treasured friends in much of the Third world are monarchist and jihadist autocracies and military cabals sustained

by US arms. The superpower and once super achiever earns diminishing returns in goodwill and respect in most corners of the world, bringing to mind this V.S. Naipaul gem: “All landscapes eventually turn to land, the gold of the imagination to the lead of the reality.” It was so with India, from 1949 when Jawaharlal Nehru, as India’s first prime minister visited America in a fever of expectation and returned home a chastened man. There was no visionary Roosevelt in the White House, only a narrowly focused cold warrior in Harry Truman. While India sought a partnership under which its strategic autonomy would be accorded diplomatic space, the United States would accept nothing less than a cold war

satrap: those not with us are against us. A State Department desk officer, in a minute, censured Nehru for his “inflexible attitude on Kashmir,” suggesting also that India’s “national traits, if not controlled, would make [it] Japan’s successor in Asiatic imperialism. In such circumstances, a strong Muslim bloc under the leadership of Pakistan and friendly to the US might afford a desirable balance of power in South Asia.” It was to conserve this perceived balance that Washington and Beijing, despite a previous decades-long enmity, aligned with their Pakistani client in its war with India in 1972, and for the next two decades and more cleaved to a containment-ofIndia policy.

Through Pakistan-sponsored jihadi terrorism in Mumbai and other parts of India, the covert presence of Osama bin Laden in Pakistani etc, the US succoured the country’s military with generous tranches of aid. Islamabad was handed the keys to Kabul at Kunduz, when US forces intervened in Afghanistan, in 2001 to expel the Taliban. The US may do so again as it prepares to leave Afghanistan. Meanwhile, a shrill campaign has been mounted against India by US big business lobbies for its perceived “protectionist” economic policies continues apace. India, unlike China, isn’t a safe place for American investors, say their placemen. China owns 1 trillion dollars of American debt, so Beijing and Washington have shared interests here and in Pakistan.

Time now to recall India’s snake-oil experience with Enron. The US power company, furious at losing a contract in Mumbai it thought was in the bag, cried foul and took its grievances to the George W. Bush administration. But the company collapsed and its boss, convicted of grand larceny, surrendered his ghost a fortnight before his jail sentence was pronounced. It is poor diplomacy to live in the past, it is equally unwise to ignore the lessons of the past.

The best way forward for India and the US is to test the waters and take a strategic step at a time to secure a sound platform for their unfolding relationship.

Abe win in Japan’s Upper House is India’s gain Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s landslide victory in Japan’s Upper House elections consolidates his power in Parliament and in the country. Japan has long been an economic and technological giant but a political pygmy tied to Uncle Sam’s apron-strings. Mr Abe desires a more robust Japanese presence in Asia and the world. Which is the best possible news for India and its Look East policy. Japan’s close strategic relationship with the US will continue, but by looking to amend the country’s pacifist Constitution Mr Abe has signalled an intent to enlarge his country’s

regional and global footprint. The India-Japan dialogue is thus set to deepen. Japanese investment has energized the Indian car market, thanks largely to the dynamic presence of Maruti Suzuki; Japanese finance and technology have created Delhi’s world class metro system. The Mumbai-Delhi industrial corridor awaits its Japanese coming. Japanese technological aid for India’s civil nuclear power development is also on the anvil, as is active cooperation in defence. The way is open for India and Japan to construct one of the 21 century’s defining relationships.

Continued on page 8

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

4

Midlands Voice

www.abplgroup.com - asian Voice 3rd August 2013

Esther: Volunteering is an experience of a lifetime A teenager from the Midlands who took a year out of her studies to volunteer in Bangladesh is encouraging other young people to consider doing the same.

Esther Draycott, aged 19, from Birmingham, spent three months in Mominpur, a tiny rural village in north west Bangladesh, about a four-hour drive to the border of India. Esther’s “fascinating” experience was part of a volunteering opportunity provided by VSO, an international development charity which aims to find long-term solutions to global poverty. Esther shared her experience had given her “a completely different understanding of the daily realities of poverty.” She explained: “It is such a vicious, complicated issue and it starves people not only physically but far too often of their voice and with that their own capacity to escape.” But, she added, “these people are more than capable of helping themselves, it’s just dire circumstances that are working against them. It dispels the false perception of the world’s poorest as

she smiled, as she mentioned her four host siblings, aged seven to 13, while in Bangladesh.

The eldest was Sriti.

“Sriti was already responsible for virtually all the housework. Her day started with sweeping and collecting firewood for cooking at 5am and ended after putting the older children to bed and cleaning all the pots, pans and cutlery in the tubeEsther, centre, with volunteers Agatha and Momena well at 11pm. They helpless or at the mercy of wealthier would all pitch in with every job as well countries where simply distributing as going to school every day – they monetary aid serves to bolster it.” would spend the evening practising Almost half of Bangladesh’s 152 million English by the fire outside.” population lives on less than one dollar a Esther is now looking forward to day. going to University College London in Esther’s main involvement was in September to study history. setting up a successful dairy cooperative After leaving university, she hopes to with local farmers. work in international development.

Esther is one of three siblings. But,

International accolade for Malala The 16 year old Pakistani girl, who was shot in the head by the Taliban because she championed the right of girls to education, has made her home in Birmingham since treated for her injuries at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Brave Birmingham schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai won a standing ovation as she accepted the XXIV Catalonia International Prize in Barcelona.

The 16-year-old girl who was shot while championing the right of girls to education, has made her home in Birmingham since being treated for her injuries at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

On Friday the president of Catalonia, Artur Mas, announced that the jury had unanimously selected Malala as one of the winners of the prestigious prize which annually hon-

Malala Yousafzai

ours those who have helped to develop cultural, scientific or human values around the world.

He explained that “the jury highlighted the fact that she has been fighting and risking her life for the right to education from a very young age and in a very difficult context”.

It was Malala's first high profile public appearance since she addressed the UN earlier this month.

Victim of rape forced to watch harrowing CCTV footage A victim of rape was forced to watch the harrowing CCTV footage of the attack in front of a jury.

The woman was made to relive her terrifying ordeal at the hands of Mohammed Azim, 31,at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

Footage showed the moment Azim smashed her over the head with a bottle at a bus stop in Oldbury, West Midlands, before dragging her into a nearby factory by her hair.

She was then subjected to a 25-minute rape ordeal, which was all captured on the firm's CCTV security cameras.

Azim, who was drunk and high on cocaine at the time of the attack in November last year, denied three charges of oral rape.

His not guilty plea meant his victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was forced to watch back the video in court during Azim's trial so

Moston stabbings: Neighbours pay tribute to the victims

she could be properly crossexamined.

Azim was found guilty of all charges on May 28 and was jailed for a minimum of 16 years at Stafford Crown Court on Friday.

After the case outraged anti-rape charities condemned the 'appalling' decision by legal teams to put the victim through the torture of viewing the footage.

A series of pilots will see vulnerable victims given the chance to give evidence out of court with the footage played to the jury.

The announcement pleased victims' groups who have warned that children have been 'thrown to the wolves' in court.

But critics say the move could raise concerns among lawyers over whether defendants are getting a fair trial and whether the evidence used against them is properly scrutinised.

A man was suspected of murdering the popular 41 year old and leaving his young daughter fighting for life died after driving a stolen car into a pub.

A man found stabbed to death at his home in Moston was named by neighbours today as Robert Jackson.

Tributes were paid to the popular 41 year old at the scene on Delta Walk.

Police were called to the end terrace house on 28th July 2013.

Mr Jackson was unemployed with stab injuries and pronounced dead at the scene.

The 13 year old daughter, believed to be called Ayesha, was also found with him and had also been stabbed. She was rushed to hospital with stab wounds and her condition was described by police as critical.

A man suspected of murdering Mr Jackson and leaving Ayesha fighting for his life died hours later after a car he is suspected of taking during a

car-jacking in Harpurhey crashed into a pub wall.

The 34 year old, who hasn't been named, had also suffered stab wounds.

Once Mr Jackson's body was found, the suspect stole the car at 1am on Watfield Walk.

A short time later, police saw the same car stolen driving Rochdale Road, Harpurhey. It was then driven into the side of a pub, the Alliance Inn, with the man found seriously injured inside.

He too had stab wounds and injuries consistent with the collision.

He died later in hospital.

The man is suspected of murdering Mr Jackson and leaving Ayesha fighting for her life.

He is believed to have been known to Mr. Jackson. Police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the tragedy.

Ayesha did not live with her dad, but is thought to have been staying at the house over the weekend.

Ȫ ȡǓ ȡ Ȳ Ì Ȣ Ȳ ȡ Ȣ ȯğȲ Ǖ Ȳ ȡ Q @ ȡǽÖ ǽ Ȳ ǽ ȡ Ȳ Ȳ ĮȢ ȡ ȲġȲ Ȳ Ĥ ƭȯ A

$ $

# $%#

!

$

#

' # " % ' #$' & " # $ "

%

"

%

# ! ##

! # $%# # "

$

$ $

$

# #$

$$

#

$

" ! ## % $

Riaz Ravat named as DMU Alumnus of the Year 2013

Riaz Ravat

A charity working to strengthen interfaith relations has offered warm congratulations to a member of staff who has just received a major award from De Montfort University (DMU).

The Director of St Philip’s Centre, The Revd Canon Dr John Hall expressed delight after Riaz Ravat BEM, Deputy Director of St Philip’s Centre was honoured by DMU by receiving the prestigious Alumnus of the Year award. He accepted the award on Friday 19th July 2013 during a graduation ceremony held at the Curve theatre.

In 2011, Riaz completed the MA in Inter-religious Relations but his work stretching back many years in Leicester and other parts of the UK on “inter faith, recruiting volunteers, running leadership programmes and uniting different cultures, races and religions” was recognised at the ceremony which was presided over by DMU Chancellor, Lord Waheed Alli.

Riaz Ravat said, “I am just the lucky recipient of this special award but I work with some wonderful people. I have had a lot of help from the faith communities who I owe a great deal of thanks as well as my family to whom I am indebted. This couldn’t have been achieved without all their support. For me to receive this award also sends out a strong signal that DMU as an institution affirms inter faith work and values highly, the need for communities and public bodies to work closer together for the good of all”.

Earlier this year, Riaz was named in HM the Queen’s New Years Honours list to receive a British Empire Medal for services to interfaith understanding.

Gang members from traditional families- not broken homes A report shows that gang members come from traditional two-parent families, not broken homes, a new report reveals.

It also shows youths involved in serious violence are bonded through the community, classrooms and bus routes.

Now authors of 'The role of the family in facilitating gang membership, criminality and exit' have tabled MPs. They hope to banish the stigma surrounding families caught up in gang trouble.

Studies found that there was no typical family background for gang members.

Gang members from London and Scotland were also interviewed for the report. A third said botg of their biological parents still lived at home.

It is not fair to say that people join gangs because they come from broken or abusive homes, which creates a misleading impression of the families of gang members, as stated by Tara Young, from London Metropolitan University, co-author of the report.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

5

6

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

Prudential RideLondon to attract 70,000 cyclists over the weekend Romil Patel Tens of thousands of cyclists will be pedalling their way through London to raise money for charity in what has been dubbed the largest fundraiser on two wheels in the world.

P r u d e n t i a l RideLondon is a two-day festival for cycling developed by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson and his agencies, and this flagship event forms part

cyclists race in the Prudential RideLondonSurrey 100 and Prudential RideLondon Grand Prix.

“The inspiration is probably the London Marathon,” said Iain Edmondson, Head of Major Events at London & Partners. “It’s loved by Londoners and all the spectators and it’s genuinely world-class as it has some of the best runners in the world. The moneyraising effect of it is pretty

done,” he said. “I think we [the UK can be at the forefront of showing people how great cycling can be, not just as a sport but as a lifestyle.”

Olympic Double champion Laura Trott is an ambassador for the event and will also be in action in the capital on Saturday where she will compete against 100 of the world’s best women on a closed 1.3-mile loop against the backdrop of

of his wider cycling programme with Transport for London (Tfl). It has attracted participants from over 70 countries and will involve more than 70,000 people on bicycles.

The aim of the closedroad event on 3 and 4 August is to encourage people to cycle safely more often while enjoying a free family ride in the heart of London with the excitement of watching the world’s best professional

inspirational. “ Like the London Marathon, amateur cyclists taking part in the 100-mile ride will have the opportunity to share the same roads as the professionals while raising money for good causes.

“We have the contracts in place to run it over five years now and we set it up so that it can go on and on and grow for the benefit of the city in the same way the London Marathon has

London’s famous landmarks.

“I’m really excited about Prudential RideLondon,” she said.

“For me it was about getting involved and inspire as many people as I could to get out on their bikes and be the face of mass participation cycling, and it’s a great weekend.”

For more information on the event visit http://www.prudentialridelondon.co.uk/

Kapil’s

KHICHADI

Follow me on Twitter: @kdudakia

by Kapil Dudakia - email: kapil@abplgroup.com

Time for Truth Ed Date: 25th July 2013 OPEN LETTER TO Rt Hons Ed Miliband MP Sir, I write to you in the form of an open letter to seek your responses to a number of issues and questions that I feel are of great interest to the Indian community in the UK. I should be grateful if you can address the following: a. Can you confirm that it was the Labour Government that imposed a visa ban on Chief Minister Narendrabhai Modi of Gujarat, India? b. Can you confirm the date on which this decision was taken and the people involved in that decision making? In addition can you confirm if the then Labour Government was lobbied by anyone or any entity in the UK or external to affect such a decision? If so, who? c. Can you confirm the exact reasons for imposing such a ban on an officially and democratically elected politician who has never been found guilty of any wrong doing by any court? d. Can you confirm if the Labour Government had introduced any type of ban on investments into the State of Gujarat either via the Government departments and/or corporate entities? e. Can you confirm how many British led projects were established in the State of Gujarat during the tenure of the Labour Government? Please include the total sums involved. f. Can you confirm if the Labour Party (or any of its MPs) are in any way, directly or indirectly, linked (or formal/informal relationship) with the Indian National Congress Party of India? g. Can you confirm if the Labour Party (or any of its MPs) are in any way, directly or indirectly, are linked (or formal/informal relationship) with the Bharatiya Janata Party of India? h. Can you confirm what is the position of the Labour Party with respect to the lifting of the UK visa ban on CM Narendrabhai Modi?

I look forward to your detailed response in a timely fashion. I am sure you will appreciate that it is important that we have total clarity on the questions I have raised since failure to respond adequately will no doubt create doubts in the minds of voters about where you stand, your integrity and your respect for the Indian community.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely, Kapil Dudakia The above open letter has been sent to The Hons Ed Miliband MP. It is important that we as a community have truthful responses to matters that affect us all.

There is huge interest in India with regard to the elections in 2014 and how the two leading contenders, the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will contest. It will prove to be an exciting election with Rahul Gandhi (INC) on one side and Narendrabhai Modi (BJP) on the other.

In my previous Kapil’s Khichadi I had pointed out that the Conservative Party had lifted the visa ban on Narendrabhai Modi (which was imposed by the Labour Government). However, even whilst I write this column news in coming in from India that some 65 Indian MPs may well have written to Barak Obama seeking to maintain a ban on travel to the US for Narendrabhai Modi. Should this be true then for India, and the Indian Lok and Raj Sabha, it will go down in history as one of its darkest days. Indian MPs writing in such a fashion is tantamount to showing treachery to the Indian constitution itself. One wonders how on earth any elected politician can write to a foreign entity to seek a ban on another duly elected Indian politician?

For the Indian community in the UK it is important to know who your friends are and the basis of that friendship. Our community has for far too long given support to one political party without ever questioning what we as a community are getting back in return for that loyalty. The Alliance of Hindu Organisations (AHO) and the National Council of Hindu Temples (http://www.nchtuk.org/) have shown us that the Labour Party undermined the Hindu community in Parliament. It’s a pity that so many of our so called leaders from other national organisations cannot exhibit courage to protect their dharma.

Are we as a community sufficiently intelligent to determine our own destiny?

Or are we so enslaved by historical bondage that we fail to see the wood for the trees? You decide, it’s your vote, it’s your Dharma and it’s the very future of your next generations that is at stake.

Over the past few months I have witnessed some leading lights from our community who have found it easier to shoot the messenger than to take on board the message. Others who await to be given their honours and peerages for services rendered to their political masters. Are these people fit to represent our Dharma?

You decide it’s your karma now.

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

7

Mayor boosts London 2012 Olympic Legacy with East London facelift Westfield to build UK's largest indoor ski facility in Stratford

The Mayor of London in a press conference on last Thursday has welcomed the ambitious plans

by Westfield to build UK's largest indoor ski facility in Stratford, East London. This announcement came as London witnessed a grand celebrations to mark one year anniversary of the Olympic legacy, held last year. It was also announced that a historic deal has been signed to ensure that the iconic Olympic Stadium, will be the new home of grass root athletics in the UK for the next 50 years and beyond. £67.5m worth of contracts have been awarded for the stadium redevelopment. The stadium will host regional and national age group championships, as well as elite international events. Year round training facilities will also be

provided for local community, athletes and sports clubs, delivering a lasting legacy in East London.

Westfield Stratford City will submit a planning application to London Legacy Development Corporation by summer end for a major leisure attraction. The new ski centre will be double the size of other similar UK centres, and will be comparable with Ski Dubai in the UAE. The planning application is also expected to include retail, hotel and restaurant opportunities.

Mayor and LLDC in a press conference at the City Hall announced on Thursday that awarding of multi-million pounds contracts to convert the stadium will secure long term, multi purpose use. The E20

Living in Lala Land Continued from page 1 Unfortunately today Britain's government is shamelessly repeating their own prejudices, that had proved their judgements wrong quite too often.

Last week Home Office launched a campaign to address that there are 1mn illegal immigrants living in Britain, and they should return to their 'home' voluntarily, or face deportation.

Then came an additional bolt from the blue- a racist declaration confirming that Britain demands a £3,000 refundable bond for visas for "high-risk" visitors from six former colonies in Africa and Asia.

A statement elaborated that Britain has now decided to go ahead with the pilot scheme which has caused outrage, charges of discrimination and warnings of retaliation and that the move will hurt trade and investment.

The statement did not say when the pilot would start. It said if the scheme is successful Britain would like to apply the bond "on an intelligence-led basis on any visa route and any country."

The countries affected are India, Nigeria, Ghana, Pakistan, Bangladesh and

Sri Lanka.

Britain's Home Office said it hopes the bond system deters overstaying of visas and recovers costs of foreign nationals using public services. This news like the 'Go Home' campaign has enraged Britain's Indian professionals and businessmen beyond comprehension.

Confederation of Indian Industry, in a statement told Asian Voice, "CII is disappointed by the decision of UK Govt to go ahead with its pilot scheme of 3000 GBP bonds for Tourists from countries including ‘India’.

"This scheme is not in accordance with the spirit of ‘Special Relationship’ that India shares with the UK. It will shun the Indian tourist from visiting UK and also divert many others to more tourism friendly European Countries.

"CII strongly urges UK Govt. to take a relook and consider removing India from this pilot scheme."

A shocking email from an Indian reader stated, "I am a legal migrant who has lived in the UK for years, has worked full time and never claimed a penny from benefits, has married a british citizen and has

Stadium partnership between LLDC and Newham Council has been awarded a series of major contracts, with Balfour Beatty Group Ltd delivering a £41m contract to carry out works on the stadium roof.

This will help convert it into an all round multi use venue and deliver a lasting sporting, cultural and commercial legacy in East London. Once the existing roof and floodlight towers are removed, a new roof will be built and lifted into position. It will be twice the original at 45,000 sq metres and will cover every seat in the ground, improve acoustics for matches and concerts. In addition Imtech G&H will deliver a £25m contract for electrical and plumbing work in the stadium, Carey's PLC have won

british friends, neighbours and colleagues. I want to integrate into british society and I want to love this country like my own...but the government is not helping me."

The tone of the letter expresses the exact emotions Britons are feeling.

Another email from a reader said, "I am an Indian businessman, living in Britain- an immigrant from the South of India. I employ British citizens in my firm and most of them on average draw out a salary of £1500-3000 per month. I do not understand where am I not contributing to this country? I am creating job, adding value to the economy and paying taxes. Yet every day the government is slamming immigrants as the 'evil' that happened to Britain. It is unwise and completely outrageous to put all immigrants under the same bracket. There are Europeans living in Britain who are immigrants too.

But some of them commit crimes, and are spared deportation in the name of the 'right to family'.

Yet the one's contributing to this country's development are made to feel 'unappreciated' by slamming them with a bond of £3000/person to invite their family over to visit. How is

£1.5m contract to carry out preparatory work for Balfour Beatty.

The retractable seating arrangements in the Stadium will allow for seats to be moved and forwards backwards depending on the type of event taking places. It will allow pitch side football viewing while retaining the iconic international class running track.

The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park's 8 venues have long term secure private sector futures. The Mayor is committed to deliver 11,000 homes and 10,000 jobs on the site. From Stratford to the Lower Lea Valley to the Royal Docks regeneration is bringing thousands more homes and jobs.

The Mayor has also con-

this country fair?"

Bunkum Billboard Campaign India Knight, an author and columnist wrote a beautiful article in the The Sunday Times, last Sunday. She wrote, "The campaign, a week-long pilot is costing about £10,000, comprises large vans bearing a billboard. This hideous piece of design and typography, seemingly put together by someone with the poorest language skills, reads: “In the UK illegally? Go home or face arrest. Text Home to 78070.” In the top righthand corner is a little box saying “106 arrests last week in your area”, which can’t be right because not every area can possibly have had 106 arrests.

These vans have been driving around some of London’s more multicultural boroughs - Hounslow, Barking and Dagenham, Ealing, Barnet, Brent and Redbridge - although of course every borough in London is multicultural: those listed above are just the poorer ones..."

"Sarah Teather, the MP for Brent Central, said her constituents told her the billboards were reminiscent of some of the most offensive graffiti from the 1970s: “It reminds them of the things they used to see on

firmed that LLDC is in talks with the University College London (UCL) about developing a major new campus on the Olympic park. There also will be creation of new neighbourhoods, including 1600 homes completed and fully occupied by 2023, rather than 2029, as originally planned.

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London told Asian Voice, "One year on from London's Olympic and Paralympic Games and we are defying the sceptics who prophesied a herd of white elephants. This weekend, elite athletics returns to the magnificent Olympic stadium and major contracts are now in place to transform the venue into a multisport arena. In further good news, Stratford's status as a running new destination is confirmed by Westfield's plans for a world-class ski centre. This underscores the massive confidence in this arena from investors which is delivering a real pay back for tax payers in terms of jobs and the regeneration of East London."

walls in the 1970s such as ‘Paki go home’.” (Lenny Henry had a good line. “Go home?” he’d say. “What, to Birmingham?”)..."

Knight said further, "What is the thinking behind the campaign? It makes no sense at any level.

One, it sets back community relations by several decades, which surely can’t have been the intention: nobody could be that thick.

Two, in its clunking and brutal language, it fails to understand that non-native Brits reading the billboard won’t necessarily make the legal or illegal distinction and will just read it, with disbelief, as “Foreigners go home”.

Three, the billboard also fails to understand the mindsets and motivations of people who’ve done God knows what and suffered God knows what hardship to get here...

Still, kudos to the Home Office for believing these illegal immigrants are so good at reading English that they can decipher all the ugly lettering as it whizzes past..."

Knight has summed up the reality.

Home Office has a backlog of more than 500,000 cases. It will easily take them 37 years to clear these.

These cases may include

asylum seekers and over stayers who have not been contacted by the authorities so far and neither they care.

The government apparatus to eliminate overstayers has failed its purpose and now they are making a fool of themselves by asking those so called 'illegal' immigrants to turn themselves in. How on earth did the figure of illegal immigrants reach 1mn in Britain? What was the government doing for so long?

Nick Clegg, the Deputy PM, in a political backlash, at a very last minute comment, has said that it was out of step with the "decent" centre-ground tradition in British politics.

In a phone-in on Radio 5 Live last Tuesday, he said that he did not condone people breaking immigration laws but that he objected to the tone of the campaign launched by the Home Office.- Yes thank you Deputy PM for your last moment addition to a Coalition government fiasco. Now we are waiting for your take on the £3000 bond, which deserves immediate attention, provided you and your Coalition counterparts value India as a much needed friend and partner. The ball is definitely in your court.

8

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

As I See It

Indians and Indianness India have always faced several challenges on many fronts. A subcontinent with a population of 1.2 billion, several languages and other contradictions have somehow managed to remain united, democratic, secular and peaceful compared to its neighbours. Many wonder how its happening. Some say it is its religious and cultural traditions. Some have even said that perhaps it is the proof that there is God in India itself.

The President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni hosted the Diwali celebrations at the State House in Kampala on 22nd November 2012. The High Commissioner for India Mr SN Rey, the President of the Indian Association Mr. Rajesh Chaplot, as well as 150 Indians in their traditional dress attended the function

Today India has huge economic problems. Its giant strides have plummeted to the so-called Hindu rate of growth. It imports lot more than it exports. Its foreign currency reserves have gone down to $280 billion.

When you import a lot more than you export and the Central and the States exchequers have huge deficits, how it happens? According to the World Bank, India topped the list of remittance inflows. Indians abroad remit $70 billion followed by China (66 billion) Philippines and Mexico with (24 billion each), Nigeria (21 billion) a year.

India has been top recipient of remittances in the world for 15 of the past 23 years.

Besides economic woes, India faces regular incursions Mr Vinod Vadera (father of Baroness Shriti) is seen engaged in a from the Chinese in conversation with the President of Uganda the Ladakh and other Northern areas.

The terrorism from across the Western border, though it is little less than before, the uncertainties in Afghanistan when the Western troops withdrew and the on going explosive situation in Pakistan itself causes deep concerns in India.

Next year, a general election is due to bring with it several problems. The coalition government is facing demands for a referendum here on European Union. Then India with 3 times more population and 30 times (at least) other problems, is it not surprising how the Republic of India survives?- Survive it shall.

An Indian in India or abroad when asked a simple question of his identity, will say I am a Gujarati or a Punjabi before he or she says is Baroness Shriti Vadera, with Foreign Affairs minister Mr. Sam Kutesa and his wife.

Indian. This simple question perhaps Baroness Vadera, born in Uganda, was reflects our mindset. But Indians in facilitated during her visit Uganda are showing a more mature, modern and perhaps more inspiring attitude.

Recently I received 'Namaste'- a souvenir of the Indian Association Uganda, published in January 2013 (www.indianassociationuganda.org.uk).

Presently Indians are less than, 30,000 in numbers, lot less than their numbers in 1972 before the expulsion. President Museveni's government has taken giant steps to rectify dictator Idi Amin's blunders and welcomed the Ugandan Asians very warmly. They play a very important role in the development of the country.

Recently Mr Tanna, a member of Ugandan Parliament told Asian Voice that Indian owned business and industry contribute more then half of the taxes to the country's exchequer.

'Namaste' has some very informative and inspiring contents about business as well as community life of the Indians out there. The Indian Association Uganda, comprises several communities and the list describe more or less the variety and vibrancy of India itself.

Organisations of people from Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Bengal, Maharastra, Andhra etc are active as well as those Hindus, Muslim, Christians, Jains, Sikhs and several other faith traditions. The cultural and religious organisations are very well represented in the souvenir. Several important events organised by the Indian Association of Uganda are also reported in the souvenir.

There are over 1.5 million Indians in the UK without any well organised and active umbrella body. Perhaps someone will be inspired.

- CB Namaste is published by: Indian Association Uganda, plot 10/12, Nakasero Lane, P.O. Box 21138 Kampala- Uganda, Tel: 0414 340 087, Fax: 0414 340 055, email: Indianassociation@dmail.ug

LILY Foundation is the sponsored charity of Asian Achievers Awards 2013

2013

LEST WE FORGET THEE THE DELHI RAPE CASE napped and raped.

The police refused to Lady Mohini Kent Noon help her family and she was found 40 hours For those of us who later in a locked-up were in Delhi last building. The rape culDecember, Christmas ture of India cannot was marked by a death, and must not be tolernot a birth. Jyoti, 23, was ated. on her way home at 9 pm Jyoti’s intestines after watching ‘The Life were torn by the rusty of Pi’ at a South Delhi iron rod. How could cinema with her young she survive? male friend. They waited Septicaemia soon set half-hour for a bus that in. She was sent to did not arrive.

She Singapore to die, in couldn’t afford an autoeffect. rickshaw so when a Is India a nation for women?

Jyoti’s supreme sacschool bus stopped and rifice aroused India out cold Delhi winter nights. offered them a lift, she of its apathy.

Why did the police not accepted, not knowing Milind Borde wrote: stop the school bus with that she was stepping ‘If her death be not in windows, curtained into her coffin. vain, all of us must share which should not have The driver and his her pain; must ensure been out in the streets at cronies knocked out promises and lies, do not night?

Jyoti’s friend with an iron erase her from our eyes; There has been a rod. They raped her one So men and women 336% increase in child by one for almost an everywhere, come out rapes in India since 2001. hour, driving round with protest, come and curtained windows. dare; lest (Jyoti) vanFinally, the youngest ish from your sight, criminal, 17, pushed come out, come out the iron rod up her and fight’. private parts after rapOn 29th ing her. Then they December, hours flung out the two of after Jyoti’s death, them, unconscious film star Shahrukh and half-naked, and Khan wrote: ‘Rape drove away. Jyoti and embodies sexuality her friend lay in the as our culture and street for over halfhour before anyone Girls lighting candles in remembrance society has defined it.

I am so sorry that I of a horrible truth came to their assisam a part of this socitance; and Delhi is the ety and culture. I am so Many more cases go capital city. sorry that I am a man. I unreported. Recently, 5Outraged young peopromise I will fight with year old Gubiya, daughple took to the streets in your voice.’ ter of a poor rickshawpeaceful protest and the Let us vow never to wallah, was found with chief minister responded forget Jyoti. Help us to several internal injuries by drenching them with fight this evil. after she had been kidwater cannons on bitterly For more information go to http://www.ipartnerindia.org/lily-foundation.php OR contact us at info@ipartnerindia.org/+44 20 7841 8919

Shree Swaminarayan Willesden temple silver jubilee celebrations in style Continued from page 3 The celebrations attended in thousands, lasting over a week, encompassed religious preachings, cultural / social events and a large procession on Sunday the 21st July. The temple made a history when the old church building was replaced 25 years ago with Europe’s first purpose built Swaminarayan temple with its Shikhar. In the long journey of the temple it has become more than just a

temple. Apart from promoting the religious Swaminarayan values and serving its own community it has become a community asset (a charitable Trust) serving the wider communities and fulfilling local needs. The temple provides a number of facilities and service such as Gujarati School for the youth; English classes; Women’s group and hall for weddings etc. The temple has other development plans for the elderly and enhancement of

the facilities which I trust would be developed bearing in mind the amenity of the neighbouring residents.

The celebrations were a huge credit to the temple and the community. My special thanks to the army of volunteers who did a magnificent job, as they invariably do, serving the thousands and managing all the activities. The temple deserves and no doubt will have another long passage of success and seva to all in Brent.

Brothers found dead in boot of a car In a shocking news, the bodies of two brothers were found dead in the boot of a car driven into a wall by their father a day after their disappearance, has sparked a nationwide search in Ireland.

Eoghan, 10, and Ruairi Chada, 5, were found in their father Sanjeev's Ford Focus after Mr Chada is reported to have crashed the car with a

noose around his neck. Mr Chada, 43, went missing with his two sons after leaving the family home in County Carlow in south east Ireland, on Sunday evening.

They were found when his car crashed into a stone wall around 300km away near Westport, County Mayo, on Monday afternoon.

Detectives believe that the

boys were dead before the crash with a post mortem set to be carried out later on last Tuesday. Detectives have appealed for anyone who may have seen the father of two in his green Ford Focus, registration number 06 CW 238, as it travelled across the country to come forward in a bid to identify the route it took.

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

Leading Lights

Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

Janvi Patel, International Role Model, Creating a Wonderful Life Janvi Patel was named in the UK’s first ever Power Part Time Top 50 list, is a winner of the Enterprising Women of the Year Award 2013, and was nominated for the Asian Woman of the Year Award in 2013.

An employment lawyer, Janvi is the Chairwoman and Founder of Halebury.

Her role is diverse and includes working on strategy, finances, marketing or recruitment.

Under Halebury, Janvi manages a team of four employees and 17 lawyers with her two co - directors.

Janvi and her co-director started Halebury from scratch without any external funding in 2007. It was one of the first alternative legal providers on the market. In just seven years Halebury created a reputation for excellence and innovation. Halebury is a law firm with a difference.

It is now a business generating a seven figure turnover, specialising in commercial, corporate and employment law within

the technology, media, telecoms and sports sectors. The firm works with clients such as BSkyB, Expedia, Royal Mail and BT. From inception, Halebury was structured to revolutionize the legal sector and was recently awarded “Supplier of the Year – Business Growth” at the Minority S u p p l i e r Development UK (MSDUK) awards.

The concept is simple; Halebury lawyers work as if they are providing legal advice to their own company Halebury lawyers should be “Your external in-house lawyer.” Halebury has changed the way that businesses view and buy their legal services and the way that senior lawyers think about

Janvi Patel

Tottenham mum graduates in human rights law A single mother from Tottenham with an interest in human rights law has graduated with a masters degree from Middlesex University, and hopes to use it to help others who are in disadvantaged and vulnerable positions.

Ambia Ali, pictured, originally from Sylhet in Bangladesh, had to juggle looking after her daughter, now seven, as a divorced single mother with studying for an LLM in minorities, rights and the law.

Before the LLM course Ambia studied for an HND in business management at Waltham Forest College before a year long top-up course at Middlesex University to complete a BA Business Management.

This allowed her to continue to a passion minority human rights.

Before settling on minority rights law, Ambia had dreamed of being a business analyst and despite having a job in the city decided it wasn’t for her. More recently she has been working as a paralegal in a commercial law firm part time to gain insight

into the field of solicitors whilst doing voluntary work for charity organisations offering free legal services to those unable to afford legal fees.

Ambia Ali (25) said: “It’s a great feeling to graduate - I hope this can show other people that there are opportunities out there irrespective of where you are from.

Middlesex has enabled me to realise my ambitions and with the help and support from the University faculty members, I was able to reach my potential. That was motivation enough for me to carry onwards and upwards.”

“Where I come from and in many other parts of the world it’s a cruel

reality that human rights are a luxury and crime usually hides behind the protection of corrupt culture and religious excuses. This is usually a result of the lack of educational services made available about the law, basic human rights and legal acts that are in place to either protect or prosecute. What I’m doing in studying minorities law is about recognising the rights of vulnerable minorities including women and children in order to be able to help those in need, accordingly.

Ambia now plans to spend time with her seven year old daughter whilst saving for law school.

their work. The company has shown that law should not be practised and delivered as a standalone discipline but as part of an overall business strategy.

Dan Fitz, GC of BT, recently referred to as an Halebury “Entrepreneurial response to a rigid [legal] model that was lucrative for years. These new competitors are tapping well-trained legal talent that otherwise would lie fallow and making it available to clients at highly attractive rates.”

Janvi regularly gives talks about how the legal market and working life have changed and how businesses should look at new operating models.

“Most FTSE 100 companies were set up before the internet and the cloud; remote working would have been crazy 20 years ago but now it is possible to effectively manage a team working remotely.

However, it is not all about flexible working, it is about looking at what works best for each industry; the team and the clients and then creating a way forward.

For a service industry like ours, flexibility is actually the key to an efficient operation.”

Janvi’s career and life are diverse. Aside

from Halebury, she is a supporter of entrepreneurial businesses, leading her to becoming a committee member of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women – Mentoring Programme and involved MSDUK which with assists ethnic minority businesses enter the supply chain of multinationals.

Janvi’s ambitions for Halebury are clear; she wants her firm to be a game changer in the legal market and a centre of excellence.

In addition to managing Halebury, Janvi lives in Los Angeles during term time with her husband (an aerospace engineer/wall street analyst - turned entrepreneur) and three children (all under five).

Janvi commutes to London every four weeks for two weeks to ensure business face time, but while in LA she wakes up around three to four am to make contact with London and works until two to three pm. It is flexible working - taken to the extreme. Janvi’s work and day may seem crazy, but as she comments, “Sheryl Sandberg talks about mar-

9

rying right, but actually for both parents to be able to work effectively for their own business I think it is more than that.

Running your own business is more than a 24/7 job, with limited or no maternity leave, holidays or sick leave. We are lucky that we have an amazing family on both sides (and both sides of the Atlantic), incredible business partners and friends. Whether it is making dinner for us, looking after the children or helping me brainstorm business ideas, they all are part of what we achieve, and none of it would be possible without them.”

Janvi’s ambitions for Halebury are clear; she wants her firm to be a game changer in the legal market and a centre of excellence. She is also looking to support the next generation of lawyers, and seems to be on track for achieving this.

However, as a workaholic, she sees “spare” time happening only when her children finally go to full time school.

She is already increasing her charitable work, as she offers her time to “School on Wheels.” But Janvi’s next steps are likely to be outside law. She is working on entering the field of early childhood education and would like to set up a school for children under the age of six.

10

Your Voice

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

Congratulations, Ma’am

Secularism & Politics

Church in moral dilemma

Doing it all over again

Her majesty the Queen became a great-grand mother on 22 July. The 8 pound and 6 oz baby boy born to her grand son, Prince William and his wife Kate, will be the third in the line of succession to the throne. He will be given the title His Royal Highness and be known as Prince George of Cambridge.

The new prince will displace Prince Harry to fourth and the Duke of York to fifth position. We must concede that the baby has taken birth with a silver spoon in his mouth. He will have every happiness and receive everything that life has to offer. Following on from the discussion on the concept of karma which I initiated on these pages a couple of weeks ago, his soul must have done good deeds in his previous lives to be born at Buckingham Palace. To re-iterate what I had said before, “the nature of our rebirth (including whether it is favourable or unfavourable) is determined by the accumulated effects of our actions, our attitudes, our mode of life in this and previous lifetimes.”

After witnessing many tragedies in her personal life during her reign, what with the untimely death of her daughterin-law and her sister, Her Majesty had some comfort when she participated in the wedding of her grandson and celebrated her diamond jubilee on the throne last year. We Asians from the East African countries should be particularly grateful to her for it was during her rule that we found shelter in this country after being expelled by the ruthless ruler like Idi Amin from Uganda. On this special day let us wish her well. Messages of goodwill are pouring in from the world leaders. Let us too join them and congratulate the Queen and wish her and the new baby long and happy life.

The Congress Party and its allies as well as foreign countries who support their coalition to win in the next General Election in India have began to use the “Secularism Card” to discredit the BJP and its allies as Hindu-centric and not secular.

The Pears’ Cyclopaedia 2010-11 and 2001-2002 editions described Hinduism under paragraphs J26 as below: “A militant political Hinduism is threatening the cohesion of India, fanned by Bhartiya Janata Group (BJP) which extols Hindu fundamentalism.”

Hindus are by far more liberal and tolerant towards Christians and Muslims than the other way round.

I hope Indians will not fall into this trap of the secular card when they vote in the next General Election.

Narendra Modi does strike me as someone who is clean from corruption, economically more competent than his rivals, highly disciplined and even somewhat authoritarian. But India does need someone who is determined, visionary, practical, pragmatic and sufficiently autocratic to drive through change in Judiciary, Governance, Police, Black Economy, Inequality, etc.

The Economic Times of India as well as Amartiya Sen recently showed less confidence in Narendra Modi. I believe they both have been mislead by the wrong propaganda rather than substance of Narendra Modi, or Hindus or Hinduism.

Authors of such publications as above should be sued for blasphemy and malicious labelling of Hindus (about 800,000 worldwide) and/or the BPJ Party as a party of fundamentalists. If Hindus are fundamentalists, then I could say Muslims are fanatics and Christians bigots.

The person responsible for Church’s ethical investment policy has defended its share holdings in Payday Loan Company Wonga, after Archbishop of Canterbury “The Most Reverend Justin Welby” condemn Wonga and promised to put it out of business by directly competing, providing loans at much lower interest rate, at fraction of what all Payday loan companies charge.

Although Church’s holding is tiny compared to overall Church portfolio of some six billion, it is embarrassing and directly violates Church’s ethical and moral code of conduct, not to invest in companies involved in armament, sex, pornography and exploitation of human beings in financial dealings.

In today’s complex business atmosphere, it is practically impossible to find companies that could meet Church’s criteria in every aspect, as defence industry may be using components from fifty different companies not directly involved in arms manufacturing.

Then the Church should stop its pathetic effort to hug moral high ground, superior than thou attitude when it comes to terrorism, pornography, race, caste, creed and religion and accept human fragility, shortfalls in dignified manner.

It is indeed commendable that Church would like to compete against these leaches that cause so much pain, as they make their money from those who are most venerable, fail to clear their loans by due date, end up paying £20 for every £1 borrowed, over short time span, often becoming destitute, losing their homes, dignity and suffering family breakup. Then Government should share the blame for not policing the financial industry.

Rudy Otter, thanks for intelligent query. Various names are given to deja vu or sense of repeat performance; can be explained in two ways depending on awareness of shifting horizons of knowledge.

Firstly: Unprovable, spiritual-philosophical-deductive logic mumbo jumbo.

Godmen and intellectuals rely on ancient heard-shruti/memorised-smruty chantings. Deja vu is explained as inspiration, intuition, from heaven/ fore fathers/ previous incarnation etc. Simple phenomena of stimulation of physical senses is wiped to gullible mob, hype image of Godmen or exhibit scholastic abilities/acrobatics of mentor.

Secondly: Provable by solid / rational evidence obtained from modern physical knowledge of electro-chemical functioning of neurology, psychology and parapsychology. We know that brain has various lobes for different functions, recordable on electro-encephalogram. These areas are conscious, subconscious, subliminal, and microtubular. First three can be recorded but microtubular cannot be recorded but deduced by effect beyond three areas mentioned. The effect cannot be denied, a la quantum theories of physical matter.

Besides these, there are genetic factors dating back to thousands of generations that bubble out at some trigger point a la lava/ geysers spurting out off weak point on earth.

Lobes of brain monitor daily behaviour, interpretation of impulses impinging from five senses, voluntary responses and involuntary functioning of body. Out of body experience and God sense is also covered by lobes of ones brain, thus recordable on electro-encephalogram.

Déjà vu can only be an electro-chemical storm in a human brain similar to shock, violent frenzy, epilepsy, drug-trip, ESP, clairvoyance or clairaudience.

Ramesh Jhalla Via Email

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Caste ignorance

Nagindas Khajuria Via Email

Dying to know what happens!

Arun Vaidyanathan’s letter attacking Mr Gandhi shows his own ignorance about caste and Hindus. Firstly he should read an excellent piece on the flawed NIESR paper in AV (27th July13 p2) to answer his question on the problem of caste in the UK. There is no evidence, but a deliberate attack on Hindus by the Dalits who are themselves all Christian converts. The only people propagating caste are a few Christians and non Hindu Lords and Baronesses. Ever since the arrival of Christian missionaries in India they have wrestled with the hard problem of converting Hindus, they found Hindus followed what was set out in their dharma by the Brahmins, who from birth learnt all scriptures of the Hindus. So they devised a two pronged attack which misguided Hindus have taken up. First to demean Brahmins and second attack caste a term which is of Portuguese origin and creation. This attack started 200 years ago and is still on going.

I am always interested in subjects like reincarnation and was pleased to see letters from readers Ramesh Jhalla and Bharat Raithatha on this topic in last week’s Asian Voice.

Also interesting to note was a major difference of opinion between Mr Jhalla and Raithatha. While Mr Jhalla maintains it is “not possible that any karma can result in retrogression into a non-human body”, Mr Raithatha says that Vedic knowledge reveals the body will be reborn “in a different form” - presumably as an animal, bird or insect? Or have I misunderstood his point?

Mr Raithatha adds that on the Day of Judgement, Allah will consider one’s good and bad deeds and decide where the body goes. Fascinating stuff. Any more views on this subject?

Jayesh A Patel Wimbledon

Rudy Otter Via Email

Bhupendr M Gandhi Via Email

Modi’s visa to united states It is outrageous on the part of Indian politicians in Indian Parliament to send a petition signed by more than 65 MPs to US President Barack Obama to deny Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi a visa to visit America. The petition sent by a Muslim member of the Parliament.

There is a strong Muslim lobby in all parties to discredit Modi in every way and prevent him from becoming future Prime Minister of India. Domestic political and ideological battles should be discussed within the country and should not be dragged into international level .

The renegades in the Congress party especially Muslims always drag Gujarat riots even though it happened 11 years ago and they always blame Mr Modi for that. Even though only 1500 people both Hindus and Muslims were killed, paid political mercenary reporters in NDTV repeat every day several times that hundreds were raped and equates Gujarat riot as holocaust and genocide where as when 6000 Sikhs were killed after Indira Gandhi’s assassination, it was considered as a mere riot.

The Congress party with the help of Muslim support is trying to divide the

Please detach the form and send it with your payment or credit card instructions to address below

"

1 Year 2 Years

!

UK EUROPE WORLD £25 £55 £70 £45 £100 £125

*Subscriptions paid will not be refunded

E-mail: support@abplgroup.com

!

nation on the basis of religion and they are making every attempt to make Rahul Gandhi with hardly any knowledge of India to be Prime Minister of India.

Rahul Gandhi was stopped in America for carrying excess currency when he came from Latin America. Nobody talks about his playboy image in the West or about his mother’s Italian background and her expenditure for foreign visits.

It is a real danger if the next general election is fought on basis of communalism rather than development and welfare of the people.

Arun Vaidyanathan Via Email

Disclaimer Asian Business Publications Ltd (ABPL) is not in any way responsible for the goods and services rendered by its advertisers. The ABPL management accepts all advertisements in good faith and it is entirely up to readers to verify advertisers’ products and services, should they feel the need to do so.

11

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

Eid Mubarak Any 3 for

Any 2 for

£5

£1.50

£4

69 p each

each

Cadbury Heroes/Roses 350g

Any 2 for

£5 £2.80 per 12 pack

Cofresh Hot & Spicy Hoops/Chilli & Lemon Grills 80g

3 for

2 for

£1

£1.50

KTC Chopped Tomatoes/Chick Peas/Plum Tomatoes 12 x 400g

£5

£15 £19.95

49 p each KTC Vermicelli 200g

£3.50

Save £4.95

89p each

KTC Capellini Nests 500g

Any 2 for

£1.50

KTC Sunflower Oil 5 litre

Tilda Basmati Rice 10kg

£3.99

2 for

£2

£5 per 4 pack

99 p each

Save £1.50 Rubicon Mango/Guava/Passion Drink 4 x 1 litre

CAFE

Del Monte Fruit Cocktail in Syrup/Juice 420g/415g

KIDS EAT

£1.49 each

Uni Jelly Halal Jelly 500g

FREE ON WEEK NIGHTS!

Regal Sweet Popcorn 235g

*

FOR YOUR NEAREST MORRISONS STORE PLEASE VISIT WWW.MORRISONS.CO.UK OR TELEPHONE 0845 611 6111 w/c 29/07/13 Available in selected stores. Subject to availability. While stocks last. Prices/offers may vary in Gibraltar. Excludes M Local. *One free kids meal with any hot adult meal from 4pm Monday-Friday. See Tea Time menu in store for details. Child must be under 16 years of age and present at the time of purchase. Further terms & conditions apply. Uni Jelly Halal Jelly 79.8p/100g • KTC Chick Peas 5.9p/100g • KTC Chopped Tomatoes 5.9p/100g • KTC Plum Tomatoes 5.9p/100g • Rubicon Mango Drink 8.8p/100ml • Rubicon Guava Drink 8.8p/100ml • Rubicon Passion Drink 8.8p/100ml • KTC Sunflower Oil £1/litre • Cadbury Heroes £1.15/100g • Cadbury Roses £1.15/100g • Regal Sweet Popcorn 63.4p/100g • KTC Capellini Nests £1.78/kg • Tilda Basmati Rice £1.50/kg • KTC Vermicelli 24.5p/100g • Del Monte Fruit Cocktail in Syrup £3.96/kg • Del Monte Fruit Cocktail in Juice £3.96/kg • Cofresh Hot & Spicy Hoops 86.3p/100g • Cofresh Chilli & Lemon Grills 86.3p/100g.

12

Media Watch

Meena Devi, the absconding head mistress of the Bihar school, where pupils fell victim to contaminated cooking oil in government-subsidized lunches for the poor, has been arrested. The rural polls in West Bengal have been marred by party-driven violence which has claimed innocent lives. Recent developments in the capital Kolkata, and in towns, large and small, across the State, show that West BengaL’s most striking progress, in the two and more years of Trinamool Congress rule, has been in violent crime. Not a day passes without reports of a fresh outrage including the molestation and rape of women. The paranoid Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, perceives these events as defamatory tales put about by her political opponents. In a lunatic rant, she accused them of trying to assassinate her. As if this wasn’t bad enough, the BJP Rajya Sabha MP, Chandan Mitra, demanded that the next BJP regime in Delhi confiscate economist Amartya Sen’s Bharat Ratna award - the highest in the gift of the Indian government – for having opposed Narendra Modi’s candidature as the country prime minister post 2014. Professor Sen, speaking to the Indian media from Harvard University, where holds a prestigious chair, offered to return the honour if former BJP prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whose government had conferred it on him, asked for its return. Embarrassed BJP leaders dissociated their party from Mr Mitra’s egregious statement, as did Mr Modi himself. With friends like Chandan Mitra, he scarcely needs enemies.

Poverty figures questioned Planning Commission statistics, showing a 15 per cent decline in poverty levels from 2004-05 to 2011, received widespread coverage in the Indian press, cautionary caveats and all. The broad view was that the achievement, accepting that much more needed to done, brooked no denial. But that was to leave the BJP out of the equation, to ignore the party’s penchant for the absurdist response. Party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar attributed the report to a “Congress conspiracy.” Mamata Banerjee is not alone in detecting dark conspiracies everywhere (Times of India July 25).

Encouragingly, the country’s poorer States have recorded steepest reduction in poverty.

Bihar’s annual GDP growth has accelerated to an astonishing 14.48 per cent, but its poverty levels are still inordinately high (Mint July 23)

Communist view The Communist Party of India (Marxist), which ran an extortionist and vote-rigging regime in West Bengal for 34 dark years and was kicked out of office in a tsunami of public disapproval, with every minister losing his/her seat in the May 2011 State Assembly elections, dismissed the poverty report as a “deceit” (Hindu July 26). As a fabled practitioner of the political black arts CPI (M) spoke with an authority reserved for the elect.

Jagdish Bhagwati The most comprehensive analysis of the poverty report appeared in Mint (July 24) Readers will be rewarded with the added bonus of Jagdish Bhagwati’s spirited defence of his position on economic growth and redistribution as a counterpoint to Amartya Sen’s thesis. It is writing of high quality and the debate between the two men is educative and enlightening.

Professor Bhagwati makes growth his priority but accepts

www.abplgroup.com - asian Voice 3rd august 2013

and allowances. But what prevented the MPs from making their submissions earlier? They had almost two years in which do so. The review could delay the signature until a new government takes the reins of office after the 2014 general elections.

Indian Air Force (IAF) delivery schedules will have to put back, with IAF modernization taking a hit Meanwhile the production of six French Scorpene submarines has stalled yet again owing apparently to the technical and administrative incompetence of the state-owned Mazgaon Dock, where they were supposed to be assembled.

The European consortium which produces the Eurofighter, and the Russian MiG company, both of which lost their bids for the original tender, have expressed an interest in retendering with a reduced price if, in the unlikely event, the Rafel deal is aborted. However, France has entered into a research and development deal with India for the joint production of shortrange missiles, an arrangement limited thus far to Russia and Israel (Hindu July 26)

Afghan army training stepped up

1 Jagdish Bhagwati

the case for social entitlement; Professor Sen stresses the latter while accepting the need for growth. They appear to differ on the confection.

Headwinds stall defence contract The Indo-French contract for the purchase 126 Rafale fighter planes has been stalled by headwinds from two Indian MPs calling for a review of the deed.

Yashwant Sinha, a senior BJP leader, in a letter to Defence Minister A.K.Antony, questioned the “life cycle cost” of the aircraft which won’t come cheap at $11 billion for the 126 aircraft on order. The second letter from M.V. Mysoora alleged manipulation of the entire tender process.

Mr Antony, for his part, has instructed his officials to go through the relevant papers with a toothcomb.

Deferred signature to Rafel aircraft deal MPs are meant to be the people’s watchdogs, which is why the taxpayer pays their salaries

Rafel fighter plane

India is stepping up its training of the Afghan National Army (ANA) as the United States and its Nato allies exit the country. India is also mulling over a decision to supply Afghanistan with arms and related items of military equipment.

Indian economic aid to Afghanistan has hitherto been confined to construction work, road building and running healthcare facilities. Indian security concerns about Afghanistan’s internal stability following the US-Nato withdrawal revolve round the likelihood of a resurgent Taliban and Pakistan’s Haqqani terrorist network working in tandem with the Islamabad’s Inter Services Intelligence Directorate to destabilize the Kabul government.

Defence Minister A.K.Antony recently warned the Indian military brass against “any spillover effect” in Kashmir and other parts of India.

An Afghan National Army ‘strategic group’ is due to visit India in September for talks with Indian Army brass and tour its top centres (Times of India July 21)

Renault-Nissan in India for long haul Renault-Nissan, the FrenchJapanese conglomerate is in

Carlos Ghosn, CEO Renault-Nissan car

India for the long haul, said Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn. “In India you have to be patient. You have to understand the market, make sure you have the right product, right people, right infrastructure…..We are extremely optimistic about our prospects. We’ve hired over 12,000 people of very high quality….We are looking at growth – not very rapid but long-term.”

Renault-Nissan plan to launch 10 models. “Our idea is to bring the best technology available at an affordable price,” explained Mr Ghosn. The company will use three brands – Renault, Nissan and Datsun – to attract customers in all categories.

(Times of India July 17, Telegraph July 22)

nentially and make the alignment of the two countries an Asia Pacific game changer (Hindu, Telegraph July 26)

Healer still going strong He has been wheelchair-bound from the age, when struck down by an attack of polio.

Undaunted, 66 year-old Dr Suresh Advani fought adversity to become one of India’s first and best known oncologists. A

Maruti surge Maruti-Suzuki India has posted a 49 per cent net profit for the first quarter fiscal ending June, an amazing achievement in a depressed car market. “The increase (in net profit) was due to focused cost reduction efforts undertaken by the company, favourable foreign exchange rates and the benefit accruing from the merger of Suzuki Powertrain India Ltd with the

Dr Suresh Advani

friend and colleague recalls the time Dr Advani was denied a “house job” – the supervised clinical training session for final year MBBS students – at a Bombay hospital because of his handicap. His limbs may have withered, but not the steel with-

Maruti car

company last fiscal,” said a Maruti-Suzuki company statement.

Maruti, India’s leader in the small car market, accounts for 40 per cent of all passenger vehicles sold in the country. With the domestic market flat, Maruti Suzuki has set its sights on foreign markets. Hence an export drive is high on the Maruti agenda. But this will take time to develop. Maruti Suzuki’s success in India has turned it into a global brand, the original Suzuki being a little known company in Japan. Hopefully this should increase India’s allure for Japanese companies and investors. An India-Japan industrial partnership has the potential to take India forward expo-

in him. He qualified for an MD, went abroad to train at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London and travelled later to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center at Seattle (USA), where he worked with Nobel laureate Dr Donnall Thomas – known as the father of bone-marrow transplantation. Back in India, Dr Advani performed the country’s first bone-marrow transplant.

“He is a healer. He is a role model for us,” says Dr Mehboob Basade, a stem-cell specialist at Mumbai’s Jaslok Hospital.

Suresh Advani is a recipient of the Padma Bhusan and Padma Shri awards. As a healer, he is a man for all seasons and for all climes. Long may he adorn his calling and serve suffering humanity.

13 UK An open letter to Nitin Mehta MBE

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

Dear Nitin,

Britain – India – August Independence It’s the month of India’s Independence.

But India had two wars of Independence.

The one that was non-violent and against Britain and ended in 1947. And the other that was very violent and alongside Britain and ended in 1945.

Britain does not have an Independence Day, but the two nations are linked forever. This month will see the release of a book which proves why Britain and India should be as close allies as America and Britain.

That book is Road of Bones: The Siege of Kohima – The Epic Story of the Last Great Stand of Empire.

In Kohima, India, a Memorial reads 'When you go home, tell them of us, and say for your tomorrow, we gave our today.'

I will visit this memorial this year, I will bow, and I will come home, and I will recall those words. In fact, I tell you now, for our tomorrow, they gave their today.

The bravery of the Indian army was such that a British poet wrote those words for that Indian memorial, inspired by the epitaph by Simonides to the 300 Greeks who fell centuries earlier against the Persian army: 'O Stranger, send the news home to the people of Sparta that here we Are laid to rest: the commands they gave us have been obeyed'.

Since then the words have been used to signify the bravery of soldiers in memorials throughout Britain. - with the other epitaph by the same poet: 'Went the day well? We died and never knew. But, well or ill, Freedom, we died for you.'

That book about Kohima reads, ‘ The

epic story of one of the most savage battles of the Second World War. Kohima. In this remote Indian village near the border with Burma, a tiny force of British and Indian troops faced the might of the Imperial Japanese Army. Outnumbered ten to one, the defenders fought the Japanese hand to hand in a battle that was amongst the most savage in modern warfare.

A garrison of no more than 1,500 fighting men, desperately short of water and with the wounded compelled to lie in the open, faced a force of 15,000 Japanese. They held the pass and prevented a Japanese victory that would have proved disastrous for the British.

Another six weeks of bitter fighting followed as British and Indian reinforcements strove to drive the enemy out of India. When the battle was over, a Japanese army that had invaded India on a mission of imperial conquest had suffered the worst defeat in its history.

Thousands of men lay dead on a devastated landscape, while tens of thousands more Japanese starved in a catastrophic retreat eastwards. They called the journey back to Burma the ‘Road of Bones’, as friends and comrades committed suicide or dropped dead from hunger along the jungle paths.’

This month, this on Indian Independence Day, we will remember that for us British and us Indians and so uniquely for us British Indians, for our tomorrow, they gave their today.

And so let it be said, we British Indians salute them. Our debt, is double.

Lord Sheikh lands in another controversy involving a waitress Lord Mohamed Iltaf Sheikh, a close adviser to PM David Cameron, the so called epitome of respectability and a staunch advocate of family values in Islam has landed in another controversy, involving a waitress.

The 72-year-old peer allegedly became besotted with yet another attractive waitress 45 years his junior and travelled to her native Uzbekistan to ask for her hand, only to dump her the day before their secret wedding – all while he was still legally married, the Sunday Mail has revealed.

This news broke in the media, 6 years after a similar rendezvous with a Hindu woman with children had almost wrecked Lord Sheikh's family life.

When his wife of 25 years, Shaida, discovered this recent relationship, she burst into the crowded cafe where the 27-yearold woman works and launched a furious tirade against her. Lady Sheikh is now divorcing her husband.

As the high-profile founder and chairman of the Conservative Muslim Forum (CMF), Lord Sheikh’s behaviour is likely to cause deep embarrassment for Tories as they try to forge alliances

with traditional Muslim voters.

The peer, pictured, who has a daughter 15 years older than the waitress – acts as Mr Cameron’s ambassador to the wider Muslim world, as well as drumming up support for the Tories in Britain.

The young woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been in the UK for a year and was enrolled at a London college. She was also waitressing at a cafe nearby. This scandalous affair perhaps does not come as a surprise. We recall a report by News of The World in October 2007 that revealed that Lord Sheikh had affair with a Hindu waitress Saroj Dattani for 10 years, including regular sex, before dumping her when he became a Life Peer.

Apparently he felt guilty of sleeping with a

non-Muslim woman and allegedly gave her a Muslim name, Soraya.

In an interview to the newspaper Saroj had told the above mentioned paper: "He (Lord Sheikh) summoned me into his car one day and handed me a note scribbled on the back of a speech he was going to make at the House of Lords.

It read: ‘I have taken an oath on the Koran not to speak to you or do anything with you. I must go.

Please do not see me again'.

"I was furious and when I threatened to tell his wife about our affair he started writing again and handed me another note.

"It read: ‘If you do this I will say you provide me with sex for money. Other than sleeping with me what have you ever done for me'."

Saroj thereafter faced eviction from her home in south east London after the Baron stopped helping her with her mortgage payments.

In a statement, Lord Sheikh had later commented: "It is true that I did have an affair, but it ended eight months ago and since then I have had no direct contact with the person involved."

I feel that I should write to you since you have been saying a lot of negative things about the House of Lords as well as about me because the House of Lords as well as myself have supported legislation against caste discrimination.

In India Link you have said the House of Lords is due to reform. Yes, the House of Lords is probably due for reform but I am afraid I cannot agree that it is for reasons that you have put forward.

Members of the House of Lords are appointed and they are appointed either on their political background or merit. That means that we are independent minded people unless there is a big whip and we have to go on party lines. As I am no longer a member of any party, I feel able to speak my mind.

The reasons why the House of Lords should have have a look at itself is because first of all there are too many peers and secondly there is no age limit. At the moment we also have no right to expel those people who have cheated on expenses such as everyone's favourite Lord Paul, Baroness Uddin, Lord Taylor of Warwick and Lord Bhatia.

There are others but as these are non-white people, their actions have reflected on all of us

Baroness Shreela Flather

Asians in the House of Lords. But for you that is not important; what is more important is that some of us don't agree with your views.

You have said in one of your letters that all Hindus are not 'casteist'. I am very sorry but there are extremely few, probably not even a percentage point of Hindus, who are not casteist! When it comes to a question of marriage it all percolates out. You have also said that we who supported the legislation, you will be able to stand much prouder than you do now by pretending that discrimination does not exist.

Everyone in a place like the House of Lords knows about caste, we have not told them anything new.

They are not your average people on the street. I would expect most of them not only know about caste but have seen in action when they have visited India.

And finally, I am sorry

that Alpesh Patel in trying to support me made me look as if I was in need of support because of my age and also because of what I have done. I neither look 80, nor feel 80, nor am I in need of sympathy and support because of it. But I have built a memorial to the Indians, Africans and West Indians who fought in two world wars with the British. I don't know whether you have seen it but all the British know now, but I doubt very much if the Asians and the others know. I am very proud of it and it will stand for a thousand years.

I am planning to put your name forward to the A p p o i n t m e n t s Commission for the House of Lords and if by some good luck you are selected, you will then be able to refuse, because you think so little of the House of Lords. That will be the most defining moment of your life!

Baroness Shreela Flather

We have been inundated with letters and debates on the above subject. We have decided not to use any more letters on the same subject in the coming issues of Asian Voice, unless decided otherwise by the Editor

Dewani to be extradited to South Africa A judge has ruled that honeymoon murder suspect Shrien Dewani, pictured, must be extradited to South Africa, even though he is mentally ill and on a real suicide risk.

Dewani's lawyers had argued he should be allowed to continue medical treatment in the UK for another six months before being sent to face a Cape Town court.

His family said they would try to challenge the extradition in an appeal to the Supreme Court.

Speaking outside the court, Ami Denborg, Anni Dewani's sister, said it was "one step in the right direction" and that her family hoped he would be sent to South Africa "very soon".

She said the legal process was still a big strain on her family.

Anni Dewani, 28, was shot dead on the outskirts of Cape Town in November 2010 while the couple were on honeymoon.

The South African authorities accused her husband Shrien in arranging the murder, paying others to hijack their car, throw him out and shoot her before abandoning the vehicle.

Dewani, who has depression and post-traumatic stress disorder,

strongly denies the claims.

While he remains moderately depressed, he is improving and will eventually recover, Westminster Magistrates' Court heard.

His lawyers had expressed concerns that his recovery would suffer a setback if he is returned to South Africa.

They have also argued he would be a high suicide risk and his human rights could be breached because of the risk of violent and

#

sexual assaults in jail, and of contracting HIV. District Judge Riddle said he should still be sent to South Africa and that it could actually benefit his health.

! $%

# "

! " #

14

Art & culture

Honey Kalaria stages Bollywood in Broadway style at Kenneth More theatre Honey Kalaria filled the Kenneth More Theatre with a Bollywood buzz on Sunday 14 July with her "17 Days aur Bollywood Spice" musical. And the show was such a success that plans are now underway to tour the UK with it, with a percentage of all proceeds going towards Honey Kalaria The Foundation, a charitable organisation with the aim of improving the lives and futures of otherwise disadvantaged women and children throughout the world.

Honey, who was one of the main choreographers for BBC 3’s Bollywood Carmen, choreographed the weekend’s musical extravaganza, which was directed by Gurnam Singh, who is renowned for TV serials in India. The musical told the story of a group of school students, who, inspired by a visit from a Bollywood star, embark on an exploration of the Bollywood film industry; setting in motion an adventure of real life India, dance, music, film and blossoming sets romance. Weaved together with interesting characters, the glamour of Bollywood and a captivating storyline, audiences experienced a range of

dance styles from belly dance and bhangra to kathak and hip hop.

Supporting upcoming talent and providing a platform to promote dance, art and culture and developing intercultural relations, the musical was the collaborative work of

students from Honey’s Performing Arts Academy, who were encouraged to share and develop ideas on the characters and script. Students of all ages from four years old to

adults and professional artists were selected to perform.

“We were delighted to have so many people supporting our musical.

There was a great, feelgood atmosphere in the auditorium and the audience really enjoyed it.

We’re extremely proud of this collective venture and are very proud of all we’ve achieved in unity. We look forward to bringing it to other audiences,” commented Honey Kalaria.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

BFI to present complete retrospective of films by Ray This year marks the centenary of Indian cinema, and so in a most timely fashion BFI Southbank presents a complete retrospective of films by Satyajit Ray, in collaboration with The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences who have restored many of the titles to screen, in new prints. Ray is probably India’s finest cultural export and his unique cinematic legacy is renowned and revered by directors across the world.

Two decades ago Ray received an Academy Award for his Lifetime Achievement just before his death in Calcutta.

Since then India has become vastly wealthier but the director’s films have lost none of their power, humanity, humour and topicality for both Indians and the world. Born in Calcutta in 1921, Ray was educated in both Bengali and English, and studied for a fine arts degree, which he abandoned for a job as a commercial artist in advertising. As a filmmaker, Ray was entirely self- educated, except for

a brief period helping Jean Renoir, who had from come Hollywood to make The River.

The strongest influence on his first film, Pather Panchali (Song of the Little Road, 1955), was seeing the neo-realist classic, Bicycle Thieves, in London in 1950: ‘It gored me,’ he said. This tale of a village child established the filmmaker, who went on to make a further two films about Apu – Aparajito (The 1956) Unvanquished, and The World of Apu (Apur Sansar, 1958), which sees the child into adulthood and an arranged marriage transformed by love. Though rooted in Bengal, ray was also immersed in western culture - European and Hollywood films, but also literature, art and music.

This meant that he was virtually unparalleled is his versatility. He wrote his scripts - often original screenplays, he designed the sets and costumes down to the smallest detail, he acted out the

Satyajit Ray

roles for his actors, operated the camera, edited each frame and then composed the music, scoring it in a mixture of western and Indian notation. He even found time to design the credits and posters. The first part of this programme concludes with The Zoo (Chiriakhana, 1967), the nationwide release of The Big City (1963), on 16 August, and a number of events to introduce Ray’s work to newcomers and long time appreciators.

This is a season that will inspire and move audiences and promises to be just too good to miss.

For more information or buy tickets see https://whatson.bfi.org.u k/Online/satyajit-ray

Sonu Nigam to rock UK Sonu Nigam is returning to the UK for his eagerly awaited “Rocks UK” tour.

The Indian superstar is set to mesmerise music lovers in August with a special selection of his hit songs and golden oldies.

Accompanied by a world-class troupe consisting of 8 Musicians, 6 dancers, 4 technicians, a Female Singer and a Female emcee as well as his son Nevaan who has joined him on tour, the show promises to be a magical experience!

His live performances have enthralled audiences around the globe.

Amongst his Bollywood contemporaries he enjoys the highest following on Facebook & Twitter!

The concert dates are as follows:

l Manchester: O2 Apollo – August 16th (Box Office – 08444 777 677, Hotline 0161 425 8966) l London: Wembley Arena – August 17th (Box Office – 0844 815 0815, Videorama – 0208 907 0116 and other local

agents) l Leicester: Demontfort Hall – August 18th (Box Office – 0116 2333 111, Info – 0116 2612 612) The tour will bring together a unique blend of creative Sound, Light & AV presentation giving his shows a new dimension which is sure to put the crowd on the edge of their seats.

Sonu Nigam boasts a bounty of awards unrivalled amongst his peers.

On stage, he has become well known for his hilarious mimicking abilities and dancing, which are but a few of his famed signature styles.

RDB back with Bajatey Raho International Bhangra music pioneers RDB are back in true style with their new high-energy, feel-good track Bajatey Raho. The highly anticipated track is the title song from the upcoming Bollywood comedy-thriller film Bajatey Raho, which releases internationally on 26th July 2013. RDB have produced the catchy track with Manj

HRH Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge, his brother, Prince Harry with Vraj and Kamal Pankhania

Mr Vraj Pankhania of the Westcombe Group was proud sponsor of the Royal Charity day held on Saturday 13th July.The annual event was held in the magnificent grounds of Lord and Lady Andrew Lloyd Webbers’ private Berkshire Estate, Sydmonton Court on Watership Down. The Westcombe Group team included HRH Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge whilst his brother, Prince Harry scored a victorious last minute goal for the opposing team and justifiably received the

Tiffany & Co Most valuable player award.

Over 400 VIP guests enjoyed a beautiful summer’s day, British hospitality and auctions in support of Sentebale and Tusk Trust, Prince Harry and The Duke of Cambridge’s respective charities. It was a delight to involved in such prestigious event which claimed an undisputed victory for the charitable trusts whilst the determined and brave Westcombe Group team finished a close second.

from the group singing the lead vocals.

Bradford’s own ‘Bhangra boys’ Surj, Manj and Kuly formed RDB (Rhythm Dhol Bass) over a decade ago and have enjoyed global success with a string of hit songs, including Singh Is King, Aloo Chaat, Sadi Gali and Shera Di Kaum. They

have collaborated with such music heavyweights as Snoop Dogg, T-Pain, Ludacris, Public Enemy, Elephant Man and Bollywood’s A-list superstar Akshay Kumar, amongst others.

RDB have successfully taken the unique and eclectic fusion of Western Hip-Hop and Rock together with the infamous Punjabi ‘drum and Dhol’ beat to a mass global audience.

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

Prince George's Commonwealth Future

Baby Cambridge: Indian men who broke the news Continued from page 1 All knows about Dr Sunit Godambe from Mumbai, who was a part of the team that helped Kate have a successful delivery, but there are two other men, who have contributed immensely in spreading the good news of Prince George's arrival on Monday 22 July.

An Indian-origin photographer is reportedly to be the first man to announce that the Duchess of Cambridge has gone into labour.

Jesal Parshotam was (@therealjesal) among a crowd of paparazzi outside St Mary’s Hospital when he noticed two cars arriving at the back entrance just before 6am this morning.

Parshotam, 24, from Harrow, was with his colleague Darren Sacks, 30, when a BMW and a people carrier arrived at the Lindo Wing carrying Kate and Prince William and royal protection officers.

Moments later, at 5:55am, Parshotam tweeted: “Kate Middleton has gone into hospital...”

Sacks added: “World Exclusive Duchess of Cambridge is in Labour !!!”

Twitter users from around the world immedi-

Badar Azim

ately began bombarding their accounts with questions about Kate's admittance and appearance and congratulating the pair on their scoop.

Parshotam, whose twitter profile suggests he is from both Mumbai and London, 'has a passion for photography, the study of religion and interest in the news, showbiz and the royal family' spends a lot of time following the royals around as well as other top celebrities.

He reportedly said: "We took a guess. It was a full moon so we thought why not come down? We stayed there from 8pm in the evening until about 5.30am.

"We were just standing outside chilling and talking and then it all happened. The cars showed up. They were very, very simple cars -it was very discreet... the protection officers jumped out and they all rushed in. It was a very swift manoeuvre. The

15

The Queen has launched a discreet campaign to ensure that Prince Charles, Prince William – and eventually baby George – inherit her role as Head of the Commonwealth.

Contrary to popular belief, this position does not extend to her successors.

However, the Queen wants David Cameron to use a summit later this year to urge Commonwealth leaders to change its rules so that her son, grandson and great-grandson take on the role when they become King.

Are you originally from one of the Commonwealth nations? What do you think about Queen's campaign?

Let us have your view within 200 words at aveditorial@abplgroup.com.

Duchess went in and the cars were gone very quickly -- within a minute. That was it."

Parshotam, however, said he chose not to take a picture of the Duke and Duchess emerging from the car, because she was in labour, considering it's a very private moment.

"I made that decision - she's a woman in labour.

I just wanted to photograph the commotion and convoy of cars. That was a personal decision we both made. To take a picture of her would have been over stepping the mark," added Parshotam.

"The protection officers were surprised to see us. They asked us why we were there and questioned us," he said. "I guess it's the biggest scoop of my career."

Photographer Niraj Tanna of Ikon pictures had also tweeted the news that Kate had gone into labour at 7.13am just before Kensington Palace released the official confirmation.

After more than 10 hours of labour, 31-yearold Kate gave birth to a future Prince George on Monday night.

The official announcement was put up on the easel by another Indian man Badir Azim, a foot-

first two years at the institute, the orphanage flew him to Scotland, where he completed his degree at Edinburgh’s Napier University.

A conventional man, he graduated in June 2011 and got a job as a junior footman at Buckingham Palace in February 2012.

But this young man of 25, who rose to limelight for his service at the royal palace, is now back to India after the Home Office has refused to renew his visa. Though Buckingham Palace has not given any official comment on his departure, a palace servant told the Daily Mail: “Everyone here is sad that Badar is gone.

“He was popular and had clearly overcome such a struggle to get to Britain in the first place. He was just finding his feet.”

man in Buckingham Palace, who helped Queen’s press secretary, Ailsa Anderson, across the palace courtyard to deliver the official that announcement crowds of journalists and royal well wishers had been waiting for.

Mr Azim, came from Kolkata to Britain to acquire a university degree. The well mannered and punctual man from a very poor family in slums of Kolkata, studied in St Mary's Orphanage and day school run by Congregation of Christian Brothers of Ireland. The orphanage later sponsored Badar to go to the International Institute of Management Hotel College in Calcutta, where he began studying for a degree in hospitality management.

After completing his

La Sophia

+ #

'

'

!

& '

0& /' + !&'#2#./ 3 ."/ a Rupanjan

La Sophia, a welcoming West London French and Mediterranean restaurant, with rustic vibe and reasonable prices has become the must 'visit' destinations for all foodies. A few minutes walking distance from the Westbourne Park station in the Notting Hill areait is situated at an almost stone throw away distance from the popular Portobello Market.

Claiming to be the only French restaurant to serve halal food in London, it is situated at Golbourne Road, in a neighbourhood filled with kebab shops, lebanese cafes, that probably is quite lively around the day time, though in the evening, as I walked up- it seemed a little quiet and lonely.

But this quaint little restaurant undoubtedly has its own mysterious appeal.

Ratings Taste : Ambience : Decor : Service : Value 4 Money :

# ''$

Dutta

***** **** *** **** ****

0& #-0#* #.

Divided into two floors, the ambience inside is romantic, with a mediterranean charm along with candle lit tables and soft music (live on the weekend) stimulating one's wine soaked spirit.

The menu seems to change every season, but whether its Ramadan, ala Carte, byo (bring your own wine) or the set menu, it is a delight for every diner- vegetarian, fisheterian or meat lovers. The ingredients are fresh and the taste is exquisite.

In my experience, restaurants offering more than one particular cuisine don't cope with the Western standards of exclusivity- but whether it's quality or texture of food- La Sophia offers premium food with perfect authentic taste.

The starters range from £6.95-13.95.

Whereas the main course ranges from £13.50£21.50. Desserts range from £5.50-9. If you are a meat lover, you do not

want to miss their rabbit dish with whole grained mustard.

The restaurant Head Chef and owner Muayad Ali has worked as a senior chef at Gordon Ramsay’s Boxwood café and executive chef at the Park Lane Hilton before opening La Sophia. Born in Palestine, Ali grew up with Mediterranean cuisine and later went on to train in classic French restaurants in A m s t e r d a m , Switzerland, Belgium and the USA. Ali opened the restaurant after spotting a gap in the market – there was nowhere serving halal dishes on a fine dining menu. The restaurant staff are friendly and if you need any guidance with what to eat, they will walk you through the menu. So enjoy your time and I must say it in French- bon appetit.

La Sophia.

46 Golborne Road, London W10 5PR (off Portobello Rd).

Tel: 020 8968 2200

( $# + (

.,/2#+,. ,1/#

,+",+

,$) & !$$ # ($ * !$% ,$)& )' # '' # (+$& + ( ( ! &-" $ ( ' # $"")# (, $& ,$) +$)! ! ($ (& ! #(' $)( $& & ( * ## ' # * &' + & ' ' ( & ( %! ($

,,( 4,1. /# 0/

0

)#/

&-" ( ,$)&

$,. 0&# -.#/0'%',1/

%. +" 3 ."/ !#.#*,+4

# & "!' ' "! # %"(# " "% ) & ' *** & !

"% ) %& * % & "

)# /# !&,/# +4 ,$ 0&# - !( %# #),3 +" ! )) 1/ 0, !,+$'.* 4,1. ,,('+%

! $

! $

.

# !) #

# * ) !

.

! $

# !) #

# !) #

# * ) !

( .

( .

# * ) !

# !) #

# !) #

. ( .

# !) #

+ & ' * # # + !! # !) # $%%$&()# (, ($ &) ' $)! &' + ( ( $' ' # $"")# (, )!$)' #( &( #" #( + '%& $)&' # # ## & # & "" * ' ! "' # ' !( ! " -"! & % && ! ' "! ' * ' "' % " # ! & '" (# ' " !, % $( &'& & !"' !" % (! & % ) "% ' "" ! * *"( * " &( &' '(' ( &' '' ! ! ! ' % # (& , ' %") ! "% # %"(# " * ' ' ! ! '' ,"( "% '% ) " " ' "! "% "' % "&'& * % % $( % '"

"% ! '" ' "" . %&' " %&' & %) ( &'& "" ! % (! '" ( % !' * " ,"( * & ' ! +' '" (' * * '%, & "% ! ) ( # & "( ! ) ( ( &'& "! ,"(% ' % , &( &' '(' "!& ! "% ! ) ( & '& ' !" +'% " "' ' % &' % ( &' ! ' % # !' ( &' & ! ' ) !' & % &( ' " ! ) !' "('& "(% "!'%"

&

%

& !"'

!

!

' "!& * ' ' "!

&& '

!

,& !"'

*

%

!

' "!

!

!

' "!& * '

&& '

!

$ &$" ( # ( & % &(, &! & '" " (! '" % !"'

,& !"'

'& * " ' '' ! & !"' , '"

*

%$#'$&'

&(# &'

%$#'$&

& (,

!

&(# &

16

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

Ranbir to emulate Rishi in ‘Besharam’ Actor Ranbir Kapoor will be seen donning an avatar similar to his father Rishi for a popular number from 1980 film “Karz,” in his forthcoming movie “Besharam.” Two decades ago, the senior Kapoor was seen wearing a metallic outfit for the hit song ‘Om Shanti Om,’ sung by the legendary Kishore Kumar. Now, this time Ranbir will be seen wearing a similar outfit for the flagship song in ‘Besharam,’ directed by Abhinav Kashyap. The film stars Ranbir, his parents Rishi and Neetu Kapoor, and an Indian-Australian actress Pallavi Sharda among others. It is set to hit theaters on October 2.

Kiran Rao: Aamir Khan made my journey richer

Filmmaker Kiran Rao says she is lucky to have met people like her husband, actor-filmmaker Aamir Khan and director Anand Gandhi who have enriched her journey and have made it more layered. "I feel fortunate that I have got opportunities to meet people like Anand Gandhi (director of Ship Of Theseus), Aamir and different, different technicians. Due to this my growth and journey has become more rich and layered," Kiran said. As a director, Kiran first assisted on films like “Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India,” “Monsoon Wedding,” “Saathiya” and “Swades” and turned full-fledged director with “Dhobi Ghat” in 2011.

I want to surprise people, says Arjun Rampal Arjun Rampal is no longer referred as a non-actor, thanks to wellacclaimed films like “Rock On,” “Rajneeti” and “Chakravyuh” which brought his talent and versatility to the fore. The actor believes he has finally found his space in the industry. "Everybody wants to surprise people. I too want to do that. I think films like Rock On, Rajneeti, Chakravyuh, Inkaar turned out to be good for me. Prakash Jha thinks I am the most versatile actor in the industry. I think I can never say no to him even if he has twothree lines for me to say in his film.

And so is the case with Abhishek Kapoor," Arjun said in an interview.

Sonakshi Sinha, Yaami Gautam in Prabhu Dheva’s next When actor Ajay Devgn had to choose a leading lady to play his love interest in Prabhu Dheva's next, he pointed his finger at his “Son of Sardaar” actress Sonakshi Sinha's direction.

Prabhu Deva has already worked with Sonakshi in “Rowdy Rathore.” So he is naturally happy to continue the association.

Yaami Gautam (Vicky Donor) will also be a part of the same project. According to sources, there will be yet another glamorous girl in the movie.

Talks are on with a couple of hot actresses.

Dhanush in the 100 crore league

It is not often that we come across stars who belong to the Rs 100 crore grosser league - the band of actors whose movies bag a total of Rs 100 crore or more. So far, the Kollywood industry has been monopolized by actors like Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan, whose movies turn out the maximum profit. The latest to join the league is Dhanush - but the victory is not in Tamil. Anand L Rai's Hindi flick “Raanjhnaa” earned more than Rs 100 crore to bring Dhanush to the exalted position. The film had Sonam Kapoor as the heroine. This is certainly a big moment for all the fans and also for Kollywood at large, given that “Raanjhnaa” was Dhanush's debut film in Hindi.

Tamannah to do a dance in white heaven

Andrea & Anirudh still together

Looks like it's the divine calling that they are meant to be together after all. A few months back, intimate photos of singer-actor Andrea with composer Anirudh went viral all over the media; and it was not too long ago when Anirudh apologised to Andrea. But that seems to have worked the trick, as the two have come together, for “Vanakkam Chennai.”

Though personal lives of the two has kept them away from one another, they still work hand in hand when it comes to profession.

The two have sung a track titled “Engadi Porandha” for the film “Vanakkam Chennai.”

Link-up rumours upset Nargis Fakhri

Model-turned-actress Nargis Fakhri, who made her Bollywood debut with "Rockstar", has been more in news for her alleged affairs than work which she says is very upsetting.

After the release of "Rockstar" (2011), Nargis did not take up any movie but still remained in the limelight for her link up rumours with Ranbir Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, Uday Chopra and businessman Ness Wadia.

Though she says its upsetting, the 33-year-old has decided to take such things with a pinch of salt.

"Its (rumors) not true and it makes things worse. Its upsetting and unfortunate.

It was sad,” Nargis said in an interview.

Tamannah has been missing in Tamil cinema for quite a while, but the Barbie doll actress is now back in Siruthai Siva's next project with Ajith.

For the movie, a song sequence is being filmed in Switzerland Alps under tremendous cold weather.

The song involves a dance sequence with Tamannah sporting a glam look and the actress seems to have no qualms at all. Her rain dance with Karthi in “Paiyaa” was a sensation, thanks to Yuvan & co.

Now we hear that on the lines of Paiyaa, this will be a song dance in Swiss Alps and the entire unit was drenched in cold, but Tamannah seemed to have braved the weather with a rather glamorous dress and a swell dance.

For Riteish, Govinda is true dancing superstar

Actor-producer Riteish Deshmukh marvels at Govinda's dancing skills and says that he looks up to him as an inspiration. Riteish, currently seen as one of the judges on the dance reality show "India's Dancing Superstar" (IDS), minces no words in praising Govinda and calls him a true superstar. "Sometimes what happens is that you only watch a performer and when I see Govinda, it is like I am looking at him as an inspiration," he says. Riteish is judging the show with choreographers Geeta Kapur and Ashley Lobo.

"Since the day he has come into films, he has inspired generations to generations. Everybody desires to dance like him. Everyone tries to dance like him, but he has his own manner and has made that manner his style," said Riteish.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

I don't believe in comebacks: Aishwarya

h

17

T

here were reports of Ash being approached for films with Karan Johar and Sanjay Leela Bhansali, but the actress isn't keen to divulge anything. "It is too early to talk about projects now. Nothing has been finalised yet," she said.

Otherwise, she has been too busy with baby Aaradhya and Ash doesn't like to term her hiatus as a 'break.' "I don't believe in comebacks. When was I away from the industry that I have to make a comeback now?

I was always involved in it, so there is no point, in terming it as a 'comeback'. Yes, I was enjoying a slight break with my daughter and I am thoroughly loved it."

And, she surely is cherishing motherhood.

"Motherhood is a whole book in itself. It has changed me and enhanced me as a person. I cannot put it simply in answer," she added.

Apart from her daughter, the actress treasures the loha (an iron bangle) given to her by her mom-in-law Jaya Bachchan. "I enjoy jewellery a lot. But the most treasured are the very simple pieces, which include my wedding ring, a Manglorean style bangle and my mother-in-law's loha, which I cherish," she added.

I'm not a porn star: Poonam Pandey C

Ameesha Patel gears up for her toughest role ever Ameesha Patel is ready with her maiden production venture, 'Desi Magic'. The actress, who will be seen in a double role, will romance Zayed Khan and Sahil Shroff in the romantic comedy.

Says she, "It took two years for Kunal Goomer, my partner, to make this dream a reality. The story is entirely his brainchild. As a producer, he has given me my toughest film ever. I play a double role - one of a modern girl from Budapest and the other, an extremely simple girl from Punjab."

ontroversy queen Poonam Pandey, ready for her Bollywood innings with bold project “Nasha," is fed up of being compared to Indo-Canadian porn star Sunny Leone. "I am tired of this comparison. I don't know why people compare me with Sunny Leone. I'm here to act and you will see me acting in the film. There are intimate scenes in the film, but there is also a love story. I'm not a porn star. Please don't compare me with Sunny Leone," Poonam said. Poonam, who grabbed headlines during the 2011 Cricket World Cup when she offered to go nude before Team India if they won the trophy, is confident that audiences will be satisfied with her performance in "Nasha".

"So far people have only seen my bold pictures, now they will see me acting in 'Nasha', and I assure they will be completely satisfied with my performance in the film," added the young actress, who keeps her fans abreast with her daily activities through online networking platforms.

Sanjay Dutt’s special gift to wife Manyata on her birthday M

anyata Dutt’s birthday on 22 July was just another day as she stayed away from celebrations, but her dear hubby Sanjay Dutt didn’t forget to send her a gift. So, what did Sanjay gift Manyata on her birthday? A poem with rose petals! It’s been more than two months since Sanjay is away from Manyata, serving his jail sentence in Yerawada jail, but the loving husband didn’t forget his wife’s birthday. In fact, he was counting the days to Manyata’s birthday.

Manyata was moved to tears after seeing the gift. She was also upset because of Sanjay’s illness. The actor was taken for a medical check-up.

“The simple gesture and the thought and love behind it, left her in tears. She just couldn’t hold back her emotions. Every Saturday, Dutt’s lawyer meets him in jail. When he came to meet Sanju on July 20, Mana had passed on the message that she received his letter and rose,” reveals a source.

18

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

Financial Voice Dear Financial Voice Reader,

Last week as I spent a day shooting political economy snippets for Bloomberg TV, I thought I’d share some of what I said before it is broadcast – exclusive to Asian Voice – but also because this past week Barclays and other banks have announced profits in the hundreds of millions and much coming from foreign exchange trading about which my broadcasts spoke.

What happened to the currency war? Why does it not materialize? What will be the early signs and how when and if it happens do you position yourself?

We had heard so much talk from Presidents and Prime Ministers that they would devalue their currencies, in a race to cheapen exports to fuel growth. Like a Mexican stand-off you would expect the first one to move would pull it off. Everything from the Brazilian Real and the Mexican Peso to the Australian Dollar and Japanese Yen. But against who? The US dollar of course – their largest trading partner.

So what happened? Have the warriors got wiser and realised that announcing your intentions is not the way to do it, because traders will simply use that information to confound your intentions and make you pay for it?

Or was it always an empty threat because of the actual cost to a central bank of devaluation would mean it is better to try to announce the policy to get traders to push the currency lower without spending a dime – literally – and the traders were too clever to fall for the hollow promise? Indeed, is what we are seeing just an unstated ‘dirty’ currency war to devalue against the Dollar?

If Central Banks were more focused on growth and not just inflation would there be more or less volatility?

Every economist and business person tells you how bad currency volatility is for trade. Yet traders love volatility, within reason.

Would targeting growth and inflation targeting by the central bank reduce currency fluctuations? The issue is especially important because the new Governor of the Bank of England has been advised to examine both growth and inflation. Some inflation in the system is needed for growth of course, necessary cause and effect of growth. But would targeting more indicators lead to more easier expectation and less surprises around which way interest rates will move and therefore lead to less volatile moves around interest rate decisions?

Indeed, all single information flows, whether housing data or jobs numbers, are eagerly anticipated and essentially betted around.

If such volatility is not good then ought we simply not just to look at a different method of information flow – maybe a monthly central bank meeting, at which all the data is released, and also their decision given. That way we are not betting on single event flows.

Banks to tighten noose on Kingfisher to recover dues Banks are planning to tighten the noose around the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines to recover their dues. The mandatory 90day notice period under the Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (Sarfaesi) Act got over earlier this month.

But what may offer respite to the promoters led by Vijay Mallya is the split between banks against declaring them a willful defaulter – a tag that will choke credit flow to promoter group companies for up to five years.

“We haven’t declared them a willful defaulter, nor do we intend to do so immediately,” said a toplevel executive at a leading public sector bank, which has a significant exposure to Kingfisher. An executive at State Bank of India, which is the lead lender in the consortium comprising public sector banks, said

that the notice period expired earlier this month.

Banks were finalizing steps on recovering dues that add up to over Rs 70 billion.

Although most lenders have written off the loans given to the airline, any recovery will help them improve their bottom line.

Apart from plans to invoke guarantees given by the promoters, the lenders have also prepared a long list of projects, including at least two in upmarket localities in Delhi, on which they want to stake their claim to recover the dues. Executives, however, refused to comment on how they intend to go about recovering dues since they are facing several cases, including some from tenants occupying some of the properties.

In May, State Bank of India chairman Pratip C Chaudhuri had said that lenders had managed to recover around Rs 10 billion.

Weak rupee to adversely hit fuel prices: RBI

Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday cautioned that rupee depreciation will have adverse impact on prices of fuel and manufactured products in the coming months even as it aims to keep inflation at 5 per cent by March end.

The stronger than expected monsoon has not yet softened food inflation as much as it should have and in particular, vegetable prices have been impacted by weather-driven supply disruptions, said RBI governor D Subbarao while unveiling the first quarter monetary policy review.

While the outlook for global non-oil commodity prices remains benign, international crude oil prices are firming up. "The sharp depreciation of the rupee since mid-May is expected to pass through in the months ahead to domestic fuel inflation as well as to non-food manufactured products inflation through its import content," Subbarao said.

The timing and magnitude of the remaining

D Subbarao

administered price revisions are a source of uncertainty for the inflation outlook, he said. The monetary stance, he said, is intended to guard against "re-emergence of inflation pressures" among other factors.

"Keeping in view the domestic demand-supply balance, the outlook for global commodity prices, and on the expectation that spatial and temporal distribution of the monsoon during the rest of the season will be normal, the RBI will endeavour to condition the evolution of inflation to a level of 5 per cent by March, using all instruments at its command," he said.

WPI inflation edged up slightly to 4.9 per cent in

June 2013 and retail inflation surged close to double digits.

Subbarao said an environment of low and stable inflation and well-anchored inflation expectations is necessary to sustain growth in the medium-term.

"Without policy efforts to address the deterioration in productivity and competitiveness, the pressures from wage increases and upward revisions in administered prices could weaken growth even further and exacerbate inflation pressures," he said.

RBI cuts growth forecast, keeps key interest rates unchanged: Weighed down by a weak rupee, the RBI chose to keep all key interest rates unchanged and asked the government to take urgent steps to reign in the high current account deficit.

Lowering the GDP growth projection for the current fiscal to 5.5% from 5.7%, the central bank said the external sector is the "biggest threat" to economic stability.

It also said that the recent liquidity tightening measures, taken to support the rupee, will be rolled back in a calibrated manner as stability is restored to the foreign exchange market, enabling it to revert to the policy of supporting growth with continuing vigil on inflation.

The RBI will endeavour to keep inflation, which is under threat from a depreciating rupee, at 5% by March end.

"The policy stance is guided by the need for continuous vigil and preparedness to pro-actively respond to risks to the economy from external developments, especially those stemming from global financial markets," Subbarao said in what would be his last policy announcement.

Accordingly, the repo rate or the rate at which RBI lends to the system, has been retained at 7.25% and the cash reserve ratio, the amount of deposits banks park with RBI, has been kept unchanged at 4%.

India’s FIPB clears Jet-Etihad deals with some riders

Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) in India cleared Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airlines buying 24 per cent stake in Jet Airways for Rs 20.58 billion with some conditions.

FIPB cleared the deal with some riders, sources attending the FIPB meeting said. The conditions include Jet seeking prior Government of India approval for any changes in the Share Holders Agreement (SHA) with Etihad. Also, any arbitration would have to be under Indian law and not English law as proposed in the revised SHA submit-

ted by Jet-Etihad to FIPB. Once Jet-Etihad agrees to the conditions, the deal would go to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) for approval. Etihad has already agreed to reduce the number of directors it will have on the board of domestic carrier to two from three previously proposed, leaving ‘effective control’ with the Indian promoters.

In the run - up to FIPB meeting, Etihad had made significant concessions in favour of its Indian partner, Naresh Goyal, so as to persuade authorities to clear the deal.

Besides reducing its representation from three to two on the 12- member board of Jet Airways, it has agreed to vest Goyal, the founder chairman of Jet, with the right to deliver a “casting vote on any matter.”

In the revised SHA, the Abu Dhabi-based airline agreed to make only recommendations about suitable candidates for top positions in Jet Airways as opposed to it getting the right to source senior management in the original agreement.

Under the original proposal, four directors were to be nominated by Jet Airways and three by

Etihad, besides seven independent directors of which at least six had to be Indian citizens.

The revised proposal seeks to address the concerns of FIPB and market regulator SEBI with regard to ‘effective control’ after the foreign direct investment, which will be the largest FDI in the aviation space.

However, there will be no change in the shareholding pattern with Etihad picking up 24 per cent, key promoter Naresh Goyal holding 51 per cent and 25 per cent with others, including institutions and individuals.

Roger Aitken

in this matter, have thwarted all B&B share and bondholders’ attempts to find out how and why their company was confiscated and made a mockery of the FOIA 2000.”

A wall of silence has been exhibited by various Government bodies when attempts are made by the public seeking the truth.

In October 2008 the Cabinet Office (‘CO’) was asked for details of the nationalisation under the FOIA. Their reply was: “We have no records whatsoever.” However, in 2011 they admitted this statement was “incorrect” and they did actually possess records. Despite this the Information Rights Tribunal failed to uphold BBAG’s recent appeal in

London and accepted the Cabinet Office’s refusal to provide the information requested on the grounds of ‘public interest’.

Philip Davies, Tory MP for Shipley in West Yorkshire, keeping up the pressure just this July described B&B’s nationalisation under the then Labour Government as “horrid and flawed” in a question to Andrew Lansley, the Leader of the House of Commons.

Davies speaking in The Commons said: “Nearly one million shareholders and bondholders still do not know how and why their company was confiscated. Surely the Leader of the House agrees that it is time the Government and the FCA made it abun-

dantly clear what decisions were taken in the run-up to the confiscation.”

The Yorkshire MP, who should be commended, also pressed Mr Lansley to “arrange for the Chancellor to make a statement laying out exactly what decisions were taken, so we can find out once and for all why B&B was treated so unfairly compared with other banks in a similar situation?”

Lansley responded saying he would “raise the matter” with George Osborne.

B&B was nationalised

by Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister of the UK and Leader of the Labour Party (2007-2010), following a transatlantic telephone conversation with Alistair Darling on 26 September 2008.

B&B action group brands treasury and FCA’s records retention ‘a mockery’

David Ward Blundell, the chairman of the Bradford & Bingley Action Group (‘BBAG’), which promotes the interests of former ordinary shareholders and bondholders in the nationalised Bradford and Bingley bank, has slammed both HM Treasury and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the UK financial regulator, for making “a mockery” of the Freedom of Information Act (‘FOIA’) 2000 and their woeful records retention.

The Leeds-based chairman who has campaigned vigorously over a number of years, said: “BBAG believes the Cabinet Office, HM Treasury and the FCA have been less than honest

finAnciAl Voice

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

19

It’s not the size of the step which counts, but the direction in which it’s taken

Suresh Vagjiani Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

A week ago I met a contact of mine outside of a pub in Kensington he was showing me to purchase.

He had an interesting story. He started up in the rag trade; making a good amount of money and a lot of it in cash. He needed to find a place to spend this level of cash so he started to develop an unhealthy habit of going to the Casino. This chap doesn’t do things in halves, and so he really started to go to the Casino.

He would go pretty much daily and over the period of five years he had inevitably lost a lot of money, in fact around six and a half million pounds. He had become a chronic gambler. He enjoyed the buzz and excitement and it became an addiction for him. Nothing else gave him this level of emotional satisfaction.

There came a point where it practically consumed his wealth and nearly him too. Often when people have some kind of addiction, good sense doesn’t come into it; instead they have to hit rock bottom before they decide to change their habits. Unfortunately or fortunately, this point came for him after a period of five years.

At this point he decided to kick this habit, more out of need than choice. He turned away from his vice for once and for all.

Recently he went to the Casino he used to frequent, every one remembered him as he was a generous tipper; it was not unusual for him to give a thousand pound tip on a good night. However he didn’t feel any desire and wanted instead to leave the place as quickly as possible. This is an indication he was truly reformed.

After his episode of gambling he started on the path of property more as a trader buying and selling. Call me a pessimist but once a gambler always a gambler, nature always overrides.

However the industry this man turned too was a forgiving industry, so even with his gambling nature over a period of 27 years he had lost no money, twice he made no profit, but he had never lost any money. Given his background this is a testimony to the solid nature of this investment as an asset class.

owners couldn’t generate this level of income from running their own businesses.

This is the clever attribute regarding property, it needs virtually none if any of your time. This means you can replicate it over and over again without it eating into your life. On the contrary it will allow you to be financially free as opposed to a business which generally traps you in it.

The re’ s a sayin g, it' s n ot the size of the step whic h count s bu t the direction in which it' s tak en. Whe n t his man applied himself with the same ag gre ssiveness to property as he did at t he Casino he made pro fits and goo d o nes.

He had two saving graces, one he was dealing in property and the other it was in London, he would not go outside the location. So even through the highs and the lows he had never lost out.

There is a reason why even in this post credit crunch environment where banks are reluctant to lend on businesses, they are still lending money on the purchase of property.

Indeed there is a great illusion, many people think they are putting their money into a property deal when actually the majority of the time it is not their money which makes up most of the money invested in a property, it is the bank's money which makes up most of the money invested. In the majority of the cases only 25% of the BTL investment belongs to the investor, the other 75% comes from the bank or lending institution.

Many business people who have had businesses apart from property have wisely taken the decision to diversify away from their main business and into property. When business has gone down, as it does inevitably at times, in the same way autumn follows summer, the property portfolio amassed has helped them stay above water during times of hardship and served to cushion the downturn in cashflow. The thing with property is it never disappears, it is a fixed and tangible asset class, so it actually cannot crash. It merely dips down for a temporary period.

Often the amount of money a property increases by is much more than what the owners could have possibly saved up. Many business

Imag in e trying to re plicate you r business by do uble, it will be difficu lt if not impossible, an d the head ach es will be mul tiplied . W ith pro pe rty you have the option of doing th is pote ntially an u nlimited number of t ime s.

Many business owners also have no exit plans to their business, they will have to virtually run it till they die or retire. Without them the business will have no value, little thought is given to how to exit.

Property is more liquid than most give credit for and there are multiple exits; you can of course resell to release your money. Putting it in an auction will mean you can generally get a guaranteed sale and have your money within 28 days from the auction date. However you can also refinance and release money this way. Refinancing means you do not pay Capital Gains tax, you also get to keep the property thereby benefiting from any future increases in value.

We are having a lot of interest from pharmacists currently, most complain regarding the tight margins in the industry and are looking for a means to substitute their income post retirement. Property seems to be the obvious choice.

The Duke of Westminster is listed the 8th richest according to the Sunday Times Rich list 2013. He made £450m last year, and is currently worth currently £7.8 billion, all from bricks and mortar. But his bricks and mortar are rows of properties in London’s Mayfair and Belgravia which he owns through his property giant Grosvenor Estates.

We have had the privilege of contributing to his considerable wealth by being charged extortionate premiums when negotiating lease extensions with Grosvenor Estates.

Irrespective of the size of the numbers the formula is the same. The clients we have sourced properties for have also seen their wealth rise; a two bedroom property which we had sourced for £315,000 in February had gone to £375,000 in August of the same year. The price of this property has moved up even further currently. This represents a serious rise of 20% over only 7 months. This is an annual equivalent of 34% per annum. Currently we would estimate the value of this property to be around £400k. Rather than reselling to release capital this investor can refinance thereby releasing £300k which is the majority of his investment, and keeping the property so benefiting from future rises, which we feel will happen.

You too can have your wealth rise like the Duke of Westminster. We have a three bedroom in the same location as the above property and for the price of a two bedroom. We believe this property will be valued at £475k after a bit of paint and tidy up.

The Real Deal Bayswater, London, W2 Purchase Price: £400k l A very spacious three bedroom flat on the first floor l Lift l Long lease of more than 100 years l Rental income expected to be £500 per week l We expect the value of the property to be £475k Call us now to reserve!!

We provide a turnkey solution. Contact us now:

Specialists in Central London Property Sourcing

0207 993 0103 info@sowandreap.co.uk

www.sowandreap.co.uk

55 Bryanston Street, Marble Arch Tower, London, W1H 7AA Follow us online:

Sowandreapuk

SowandReapProperties

Tips of the Week l Always focus on the capital growth of an investment property - never sacrifice this for yield as the bulk of your money will be made in the rise in property value, rental income is secondary. l With Central London properties you are unlikely to go wrong in terms of demand for rentals and resell; apply the same to other parts of the UK and you might not be so lucky.

UK

20

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

! # !

Cairn to invest $3 bn to find more oil, gas in India

The First Golden Rule of Good Investing

Maria Fernandes

! $"#

! $

!# # & !#

Now whatever your political views, whether as a royalist or a republican, the less than edifying television coverage of a blank hospital door for hours on end was astonishing. Not only was it a perfect example of how little can be spread out for so long, but also made one wonder at what cost. The birth of a baby Cambridge (presumably that's an Austin Cambridge then?) does have an economic effect. One small 8 pounder certainly isn't going to solve our financial ills, but there are definitely some positive elements.

To be dispassionate about the young fellow, he falls into the Service Sector as far as the economy is concerned, and that accounts for over 70% of the economy. Commentators are often rather disparaging about services, in the same way people of an earlier generation used to refer to people being in 'trade'. The Service Sector somehow seems to imply that it's just secondary business and does not actually create any wealth of its own. This of course is rubbish. We all need services, and thus we pay for them and at a profit (one hopes) to their supplier. However, these aren't just restricted to shopping and the usual 'trades'. In fact they can include everything from the law and accounting through to all the variations of financial services. These are all regarded as professions and are also valuable contributors to our exports. You can be as entrepreneurial in the service sector as you could be with manufacturing - in fact as a proportionate value, probably more so.

We often hear of the politicians wishing to 'rebalance the economy'. This usually implies a move away from services and more towards manufacturing. Of course this is quite understandable and should be welcomed as manufacturers have been sadly ignored for too long. However, that should not denigrate services, nor imply that manufacturing needs to be 40% or 50% of the economy. At its peak, manufacturing was probably at around 25% of the economy and it collapsed down to about 9%. Now however, we are seeing growth, almost despite the politicians' scant understanding of business and the economy, as well as the lack of suitable financing. Thus now we have seen it rise up to a level of 10.7% and it would seem there is further potential. So the change is occurring although the politicians don't seem to be recognising it.

Meanwhile, back with Austin, sorry George. The Nottingham based Centre for Retail Research claims that there will be direct and quite specific value to the benefit of the young fellow. They claim a rather astonishingly precise figure for the value of £243m for the nine weeks between 1st July and the end of August in retail spending. They estimate that spending on festivities could be at£87m, souvenirs £80m and books and DVDs another £76m. In addition of course, because there is no equivalent of the Jubilee Bank Holiday this year, we will not lose a day's worth of productivity in the economy.

However let's put it into better perspective, if you take the last three months' retail sales at £87bn, the effect might be about a 0.3% increase in sales, so Austin is not going to be an economic regenerator on his own, but as of day 1 he can at least be called a profitable prince.

Have a good week.

Justin

!

%

% "#

#

# " $# ! "

#!

#

! $ #

'#

N

maria@abplgroup.com

Smoke and Mirrors

ow that the cat is out of the bag that the figures on migration numbers are at best guestimates and at worse a gross miscalculation, it may be good moment to reflect on the politics of numbers and the Coalition government’s efforts to reduce numbers.

Of course it is common knowledge that passengers leaving the country are still not subject to passport checks. And the reason is simply because of the cost of introducing these measures.

As for the bus – that travels around the country telling people to leave the country – who invented this idea? It would be interesting to see how much it will cost the taxpayer: the cost of the van, the driver, the petrol. What do the Government think will happen? Lo and

behold the illegal workers from all over the land will follow the bus like a pied piper straight into the arms of the waiting Immigration Service? Get real fellas, it ain’t gonna happen. Nor is it really intended to. Who is responsible for this idea, Mr Barmy?

Last week my article focused on the new spouse rules, which the High Court ruled breached the human rights of British citizens. The Home Office have lodged an appeal to the Court of Appeal and in the meantime are holding all cases in the system pending a decision. As the higher courts are in recess, this means that realistically this case cannot be heard before October. It means that the backlogs are set to rise.

A recent case examining the issue of raids has

emphasised the importance of those executing a warrant to stick to the terms of the warrant.

They have made it clear that the warrant is not a green light to undertake all kinds of searches. The Court made it clear that the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) rules apply to these cases and also warned that where there is no warrant the senior officer authorising a visit must have reasonable suspicion that there are grounds for the warrant.

Maria Fernandes has been in practice exclusively in immigration for the past 28 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.

Cairn India will invest Rs.160 billion ($3 billion) over the next three years in finding more oil and gas in its oil blocks in Rajasthan and elsewhere in India, chairman Navin Agarwal said.

"Over the next three years, through the end of FY2016, your company will invest more than Rs.160 billion ($3 billion) in pursuit of finding and producing more oil. In Rajasthan, your company will invest more than Rs.130 billion ($2.4 billion) and drill more than 450 wells," Agarwal told the company's annual shareholders meeting.

Cairn plans to raise crude oil production from Rajasthan fields by as much as 23 per cent to 215,000 barrels per day by March 2014. The block currently produces under 175,000 bpd from five fields. A barrel is 159 litres. Cairn plans to drill more than 450 wells in Rajasthan block over a three-year period.

Indian IT firms create more jobs in US than American peers Indian IT companies have a better track record of creating jobs in the US over the past several years compared to their American peers like IBM and Accenture.

Yet the proposed new US immigration bill seeks to penalize Indian IT and benefit American IT companies, notes a recent report by brokerage firm JP Morgan.

In the last 7 years, Indian IT companies are estimated to have added 30,000-40,000 jobs in the US, excluding green card holders. But IBM has reduced its workforce in the US, and Accenture's addition to its US workforce has been marginal.

IBM's US headcount is estimated at 91,000 for 2012, down sharply from 133,789 in 2005, as per data put together by IBM's employee union. In con-

trast, IBM added 100,000 people in the last seven years, but all of it overseas. Its headcount in India rose from 36,000 in 2005 to an estimated 1,35,000 in 2012. Some believe it might be closer to 1,50,000 now. "India continues to remain a primary destination for global delivery and it's not surprising to know that US companies are adding headcount here," says Siddharth Pai, partner and president of Asia Pacific in advisory firm Information Services Group (ISG).

"IBM's focus seems more on margins in the face of stagnant top-line trends; workforce re-organization towards offshore/lowercost markets (such as India) and away from the US is perhaps one way of accomplishing this," write Viju K George and Amit Sharma of JP Morgan.

Accenture's US headcount grew from 32,318 in fiscal 2008 to just 38,000 in fiscal 2012. The percentage of the company's US headcount as part of the total headcount declined from 18.6% to 14.8% during the same period.

However, between fiscal 2006 and fiscal 2013, JP Morgan estimates that Indian IT added 38,000 locals to its US workforce.

George and Sharma point out how the Senate-passed immigration bill allows firms like IBM and Accenture to avail themselves of H-1B visas (as they are not in violation of the onerous outplacement clause) even as they reduce their employee headcount in the US or are not organically creating incremental jobs for US citizens.

The outplacement

clause imposes significant higher filing fees and higher wages for H-1B dependent employers based on the percentage of nonimmigrants employed in the company. Since companies like IBM and Accenture have low numbers of employees on H-1B relative to their total US workforce, they escape the higher visa costs. On the contrary, since Indian IT companies have high numbers of employees on H-1B relative to their total US workforce, visa costs go up significantly for them.

But may be there's still a silver lining. "It could hurt Indian IT companies in the short term, but they could become true multinationals in the long run, adding more locals to their global workforce," said Pradeep Udhas, partner & head for IT/ITES in KPMG India.

India still second fastest growing economy: Chidambaram Noting that India continued to be the second fastest growing economy in the world after China, finance minister P Chidambaram said people should not be worried about the current slow down and expressed hope of achieving six per cent growth this fiscal.

"People should remember India continues to be the second fastest growing economy after China.

Even China's growth which was at 10 per cent has come down to seven per cent now, while our growth has slid to five per cent from nine per cent," he said at a function.

"Economic slowdown

P Chidambaram

is there in all the countries. When there is slow growth rate in the world, India cannot remain unaffected," he said inaugurating the 2110th branch of the Indian Bank in his Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu.

Chidambaram said even European countries had been affected by the eco-

nomic slow down. Many countries including Mexico, Brazil were behind India, he said.

Expressing hope that India’s growth would touch six per cent this year, he said, "People should be confident..self confident and take bank loan to invest in farm sector, small industries, housing etc.

You should hope for bright tomorrow, and not worry about the slow down."

On the petroleum products prices, he said it had gone up due to the price of crude oil touching 108 US Dollars per barrel, adding the price of petrol and diesel would show a

declining trend only if crude came below USD 100 per barrel.

India imports over 70 per cent of its oil demand and efforts are on to explore crude and gas in India. "Sometimes they succeed in hitting crude and sometimes they do not, and it requires a lot of investments.

"We have to reduce the import of crude to 50 per cent for reducing the petrol and diesel prices," he said.

Chidambaram also said plans were on to open 8,000 new bank branches this year. This would create 50,000 jobs and would also help the economy to grow.

finAnciAl voice

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

21

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

Market volatility depends heavily on the US economy The UK’s growth in house prices slowed in July as more Britons offered their property for sale and with demand simultaneously cooling at the start of the summer. Average values in England and Wales increased 0.3% after a 0.4% gain in June. From a year earlier, prices were up 1.3%, the most since 2010. Consumers are helping drive the economic recovery, with second quarter growth of 0.6% fuelled in part by retail sales. Gross domestic product is still 3.3% below its peak in early 2008.

Overall, the pound could find itself at the bottom of the stack especially when you consider Europe’s strong week and with consumer confidence and inflation data emerging this week, strong data here could see the euro push the pound back to the lowest levels seen this year so far.

US new home sales increased up to a five year high in June amid depleting inventories of existing properties on the market. Overall, sales rose 8.3% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 497,000 units, the high-

est level since May 2008. The numbers, which beat expectations of an increase to 481,000, followed a downwardly revised estimate 459,000 in May. Comparatively low interest rates, an improving labour market and rising consumer confidence have encouraged more Americans to buy houses.

The main news on Friday 26th July 2013 really came from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) who stated that in their opinion the US Dollar is overvalued to the tune of 10% and that risks to the US economic outlook are modestly tilted to the downside. The IMF went on to say that market volatility depends heavily on the US economy and that a slowdown of the QE program in the States if not carried out slowly and carefully, could lead to excessive interest rate and market volatility.

The euro has gathered some momentum as the rating agency Standard & Poor’s affirmed an A- rating for Slovenia with a stable outlook. This was enough to help the euro climb against the pound although gains against the dollar were restricted.

Looking ahead to this week, the markets will most certainly be focusing on the Federal Reserve interest rate and monetary policy decision on

Wednesday 31st July. As well as this, US employment figures will be looked at, with the key rate set to fall to 7.5% following a strong run of new jobs being added over the last six months.

Both events will be key for investors to ascertain what the Fed will be looking to do with regards to its current monthly bond buying program.

A recent Bloomberg survey suggests that the number of economists who are expecting the Fed to taper their monetary policy program in September has risen to 50% from 44%; although recent US dollar movements don’t seem to support this view.

Closer to home, Mark Carney will be in the spot light once again as this time last month, he shocked the markets with statement over the interest rates in the UK; something we were not accustomed to during Mervyn King’s tenure.

Both events represent significant risk in terms of volatility of the pound and the dollar with wider reaching consequences for global share prices

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 30th July 2013 @ 2.30pm GBP - INR = 93.02 USD - INR = 60.74 EUR - INR = 80.67 GBP - USD = 1.53 GBP - EUR = 1.15 EUR - USD = 1.33 GBP - AED = 5.62 GBP - CAD = 1.57 GBP - NZD = 1.91 GBP - AUD = 1.68 GBP - ZAR = 15.09 GBP - HUF = 344.71

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

In Focus Twin blasts in Pak tribal region kill 40

Islamabad: At least 40 people were killed and nearly 200 injured when twin blasts rocked the headquarters of Pakistan’s northwestern Kurram tribal region. The bombings occurred in Parachinar town, the headquarters of Kurram Agency on the border with the Tora Bora region in Afghanistan’s Khost province. “Two blasts happened in Turi Bazar of Parachinar near a school and mosque of Shia community. More than 40 people were killed and around 190 injured. The victims were mostly members of Shia community,” said Sahahab Ali Shah, the agency’s political agent.

Terror plot against Pak PM Sharif foiled

Islamabad: Pakistani authorities claimed to have foiled a plot to target Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif by busting a terror network planning to launch suicide attack on his residence in Raiwind on the outskirts of Lahore. The plot was unearthed by a Joint Investigation Team of police and intelligence officials probing into the abduction of Ali Haider Gilani, son of former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani, who was kidnapped during election campaign in May.

Accident saved me from assassination bid: Imran Khan

Islamabad: Pakistan’s former cricket captain and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party leader Imran Khan has said the fall from a forklift during an election rally on May 7 saved him from a planned assassination attempt the next day. “I had been told I was number one on the terrorist hit list, although who the terrorists would be was anybody’s guess,” Khan said in an article published in the British newspaper. “There are perhaps 25 militant groups which now call themselves Taliban and any one of them could have been hired by my political opponents,” Khan said.

Pakistani girl burnt alive for resisting rape

Lahore: A man allegedly burnt a teenage girl to death after failing to rape her in Pakistan's Punjab province. The girl from Rahim Yar Khan district, 400 km from Lahore, had gone to the home of her friend on July 19 to learn how to stitch clothes.

Muhammad Imtiaz, the brother of her friend, tried to rape her. When the girl put up a resistance, Imtiaz allegedly doused her with petrol, set her on fire and fled.

The girl who had 80 per cent burns died later.

Pak media watchdog bans 'immoral' condom commercial

Islamabad: Pakistan's media regulator barred television channels from airing a racy condom commercial featuring actress Mathira, saying such "immoral" content should not be beamed during the holy month of Ramzan. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority banned the 50second advertisement after receiving several complaints that it was "indecent.’

Afghan president to visit Pakistan soon

Kabul: Afghanistan's president will make his first visit to Pakistan in more than a year in an effort to mend strained relations between the two countries and in the hopes that he can enlist the support of the new Pakistani government to help end the nearly 12-year Afghan war. The two nations have had tense ties for years, and Afghanistan has accused Pakistan in the past of supporting the Taliban in the movement's fight against the Afghan government.

John Kerry's visit to Pak postponed

Washington: US Secretary of State John Kerry's much-awaited visit to Pakistan has been postponed once again after his original travel plan was leaked to the media. A Pakistani official said the visit was being rescheduled at the request of the US and the two sides are in discussion to work out the new dates for possible trip.

www.abplgroup.com - asian Voice 3rd August 2013

Taliban gunmen attack Pak prison, free 300 inmates

Islamabad: Pakistani Taliban disguised as policemen attacked a prison in the country's northwestern town of Dera Ismail Khan and freed more than 300 prisoners. The jail officials said that several of the prisoners, four security personnel and two assailants were killed in the attack. The prison was housing at least 5,000 prisoners, 250 of them hardcore militants.

Malik Qasim Khattak, advisor to the ministry of prisons, said that around 50 to 60 gunmen attacked the jail with bombs and guns before entering into the detention facility. "They detonated about 60 bombs inside the facility which caused the collapse of prison wall. The assailants succeeded in freeing more than 300 prisoners," Khattak said, adding that the

militants blew up two electricity transformers which created complete darkness.

While accepting responsibility for the attack, the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had claimed that their attackers had freed around 300 inmates.

"We had sent around 150 fighters including a squad of suicide bombers. The aim was to free the inmates and it was a successful action as Taliban managed to free at least 300 prisoners," said Shahidullah

Shahid, the newly appointed spokesperson of TTP. The bombings inside the prison triggered a gunfight between the militants and policemen which continued for hours. As the police personnel could not control the situation, the local administration had called the military.

"The attack was so severe and abrupt that we had to call the army to overpower the fighters. As many as 5,000 prisoners including 250 belonging to banned outfits were held in the jail," said Khalid Abbas, deputy inspector general of prisons of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.

The law enforcement agencies with the help of army had cordoned off the prison and surrounding area before launching an operation. The militants also

destroyed all the police vehicles with hand grenades, jail officials said.

"The biggest problem for the security forces was to identify the militants as they too were wearing police uniforms. There was complete blackout and it was very much difficult on whom to open fire", Abbas said. He said that prison authorities had recently received a letter from the intelligence agencies informing about a possible attack on prison. The D I Khan prison is the third biggest detention facility in KP. Dera Ismail Khan is on the edge of Pakistan's tribal region of South Waziristan.

Pakistan army had launched a military operation against the militants of South Waziristan and flushed them out of the region.

Musharraf to be charged with India-born Mamnoon Hussain Benazir murder next week elected Pakistan President Rawalpindi: Former Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf will be charged with criminal conspiracy and murder of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on August 6, even as his bail plea in the Akbar Bugti killing case was rejected.

Musharraf was produced in an anti-terrorism court headed by judge Habibur Rahman in Rawalpindi amid tight security for hearing in the Bhutto assassination case.

Rehman fixed August 6 as the date to formally charge the 69year-old former President.

His indictment would be an unprecedented move in a country ruled by the military for more than half of its life.

The Rawalpindi court is hearing the case of the assassination of Bhutto, the two-time Prime minister.

Bhutto was killed in a gun and bomb attack outside Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh on December 27, 2007, when Musharraf was the President.

The assault happened after she addressed an election campaign rally in the city.

State prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar Ali told media that “Musharraf will be produced at the next hearing on August 6. The charges relating to criminal conspiracy and murder will be read out before Musharraf and he will have to sign the chargesheet,” he said.

Rehman ordered the police that the accused should be present in the court to sign the chargesheet and respond to the charges.

Musharraf was not produced in court in the last two hearings due to security reasons, prompting the judge to reprimand the police and order them to present the accused or make arrangement for hearing of the case in the jail.

Islamabad: India-born Mamnoon Hussain, a close aide of Prime Minister Nawqaz Sharif, was elected as the 12th President of Pakistan and will replace the incumbent, Asif Ali Zardari, in September. Hussain emerged as a clear winner in the onesided contest with former judge Wajihuddin Ahmad of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party, State media reported.

Pakistan People’s Party withdrew its candidate, Raza Rabbani, and boycotted the election held on Tuesday in protest against the change in the date of polling. Born in the historic city of Agra, India, Hussain, who belongs to the Urdu-speaking ethnic group that migrated from India during partition in 1947, was the candidate of the ruling PML-N. Over 1,000 members of the national Parliament and four provincial assemblies cast their ballots for the largely ceremonial head of the state. The office of the President is ceremonial in Pakistan, but he is still the

Constitutional chief of the armed forces but cannot order deployments.

He also appoints the services chiefs at the recommendation of the Prime Minister.

Pakistan has so far had 11 Presidents, out of which five were military generals. Four of them illegally got powers through coups, whereas the first President, Major Sikandar Mirza was elected in 1956 after the first Constitution was adopted.

Controversy broke out last week when the Supreme Court agreed to a request by the PML-N to move forward the election originally scheduled for August 6 because some lawmakers wanted to travel to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage during the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

the Tamil-majority Northern Province, once the theater of bloody battles between government troops and the rebels. A date for the vote the first council elections in the province since the end of the war - has not been set, but it is likely to be in September.

Wanigasooriya, however, said the decision to remove

the camps was not related to the elections, saying the military has been gradually reducing the presence of troops. He said more than two-thirds of land once occupied by the military has been handed back to its owners since the war's end and that the number of troops has been reduced to less than 15,000.

More than 30,000 troops occupied the Jaffna peninsula during the height of the war.

Since the war ended, the government has been under intense international pressure to keep its promise to politically empower the Tamils by strengthening the power of the provincial councils, which are the highest level of local government.

Sri Lanka is also facing criticism for failing to promote ethnic reconciliation and probe the allegations of war crimes by government troops during the final stage of the war.

Sri Lanka to reduce troops in ex-war zone in north

Colombo: Sri Lanka's military said that it would eliminate 13 army camps in the former northern civil war zone and give the land back to the original owners, a move that comes ahead of key elections in the region.

Sri Lanka has faced rising international criticism for failing to demilitarize the north since the quarter-century-long civil war ended in 2009 when government troops crushed the separatist Tamil rebels, who were fighting to create a separate state for minority ethnic Tamils.

Troops will be removed from 13 camps in the Jaffna peninsula and the locations, "for which the army paid rent, will be handed over to the original owners,'' said military spokesman Brig. Ruwan Wanigasooriya.

The decision marks a change in the government's stance on demilitarizing the north. President Mahinda

Rajapaksa last year rejected international calls to remove military camps in the region, saying his government was not prepared to undermine national security by removing them because remnants of the Tamil rebels remained active.

The move also comes after the government called for provincial council elections in

indiA

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

Four Indian Americans win top science and maths awards Washington: Four Indian American professors are among the 13 mathematicians, theoretical physicists and theoretical computer scientists who have won 2013 Simons Investigators awards. Currently working at Stanford University, Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Pennsylvania University, they will each receive $100,000 a year for five years for their long-term research with the possibility of renewal for five additional years.

The awards are given by nonprofit New Yorkbased Simons Foundation, incorporated in 1994 by Jim and Marilyn Simons with a mission to advance the frontiers of research in mathematics and the basic sciences.

Among four mathematicians who won Simons grants is Stanford professor of mathematics

US returns stolen Saddam Hussein sword to Iraq Washington: A gold-laden sword looted from ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's personal office in the aftermath of the US invasion of Iraq has been returned to Iraqi authorities.

The Homeland Security Department yesterday returned the 43inch sword with an embellished blade and sheath with gold inlaid Arabic writing to the Iraqi ambassador. The sword was seized by the US government in January 2012 after it was found for sale at an auction in Manchester, New Hampshire.

The auction company, which sold the sword for $15,000 before it was seized, said it was brought to the United States by an American combat historian. The department says the sword, a gift to Saddam, is not a modern battlefield weapon and could not be considered a war trophy.

Kannan Soundararajan, "one of the world's leaders in analytic number theory and related areas," the Simons Foundation said.

"His work is focused on understanding the zeros and value distribution of L-functions, and on analyzing the behaviour of multiplicative functions."

The India-born professor represented India at the International Mathematical Olympiad in 1991, where he won a silver medal. A Sloan Foundation Fellow, he has an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and a PhD from Princeton.

Two of three awards in computer science went to Indian Americans. They are Rajeev Alur, Zisman Family Professor in the department of information and computer science at the University of Pennsylvania; and Salil P. Vadhan, Vicky Joseph Professor of Computer

Science and Applied Mathematics at Harvard University.

Alur is a top researcher in formal modelling and algorithmic analysis of computer systems, the Simons Foundation said.

"A number of automata and logics introduced by him have now become standard models with great impact on both the theory and practice of verification."

Alur has BS and PhD degrees in computer science from IIT-Kanpur and Stanford University, respectively.

Vadhan, the Simons Foundation said, has "produced a series of original and influential papers on computational complexity and cryptography. He uses complexity-theoretic methods and perspectives to delineate the border between the possible and impossible in cryptography and data privacy."

Vadhan has a PhD in applied mathematics from MIT, a certificate of advanced study in mathematics from Churchill College at Cambridge University and AB in mathematics and computer science from Harvard University.

Senthil Todadri, a professor of physics at MIT and Distinguished Research Chair at the Perimeter Institute of Physics, was one of six Simons grant winners in that discipline.

"Senthil Todadri's work with Fisher on Z2 topological order in models of spin liquid states provided key insights and initiated the systematic investigation of gauge structures in manybody systems, now a vital subfield of condensed matter physics," the foundation said.

Todadri has his Ph.D. from Yale and an undergraduate degree from IITKanpur.

Afghan, Myanmar women win Magsaysay awards Manila: Afghanistan's first woman governor and a Myanmar civil society organiser, who both helped families displaced by conflict in their home nations, are among five winners of Asia's equivalent of the Nobel Prize this year. The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation singled out Afghanistan's Habiba Sarabi, a 57-year-old doctor, for her "bold exercise of leadership to build up a functioning provincial government against great odds."

Sarabi, currently the only Afghan woman in such a role, also devoted her energy to helping Afghans in refugee camps, providing medical care and supervising literacy courses secretly in a Taliban-ruled state in the late 1990s.

"I'm not a warlord. I'm just a modern woman," said Sarabi, the governor of Bamyan province since 2005, who has pushed for education and empowerment of women in a socie-

Habiba Sarabi

ty scarred by widespread discrimination against women and minorities.

The Foundation also recognised Lahpai Seng Raw from Myanmar, for her "quietly inspiring and inclusive leadership in the midst of deep ethnic divides and prolonged armed conflicts."

The 64-year-old widow, founder of the largest civil society group in the military-ruled country, did relief work among displaced people besides setting up schools and clinics. She was once detained on suspicion of

being in contact with a brother who is with rebel forces in Myanmar.

In addition, the Manilabased foundation honoured Ernesto Domingo, a 76-year-old Filipino doctor who saved millions from life-threatening illness by vaccinating babies against hepatitis B and almost eliminating the chance of their getting infected.

Other winners include Indonesia's independent anti-corruption government body, the Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK), which has a 100percent rate of conviction of corrupt officials and has recovered $80 million in stolen assets. Nepal's Shakti Samuha, a group that combats human trafficking and helped rebuild the lives of thousands of trafficked and abused women, was another winner. The winners will receive prizes of $50,000 each at a ceremony set for August 31 in Manila.

23

In Focus Barack Obama names IndianAmerican judge in California

Washington: US President Barack Obama has nominated yet another Indian American legal luminary, Vince Girdhari Chhabria, to a key judicial post in California. Nominated to be US district judge for the northern district of California, Chhabria is currently deputy city attorney for government litigation at the San Francisco city attorney's office, where he has worked since 2005. Announcing Chhabria's nomination along with five other judicial posts, Obama said: "These men and women have had distinguished legal careers and I am honoured to ask them to continue their work as judges on the federal bench."

Car bombings in Iraq kill 60

Baghdad: Car bombs ripped through busy streets and markets in Iraq, killing at least 60 people in predominantly Shia areas in some of the deadliest violence since Sunni insurgents stepped up attacks this year.

The 17 blasts, which appeared to be coordinated, were concentrated on towns and cities in Iraq’s mainly Shia south, and districts of the capital where Shias live. Militant groups including al-Qaida have increased attacks in an insurgency against the Shia-led government as a civil war in neighbouring Syria heightens sectarian tensions.

80 killed as speeding train derails in Spain

Santiago de Compostela: Police put the driver of a Spanish train under investigation after at least 80 people died when it hit a sharp bend at speed, derailed and caught fire near the pilgrimage centre of Santiago de Compostela, in one of Europe’s worst rail disasters.

The crash was caused by excessive speed, an official source with knowledge of the accident investigation said. Dramatic video footage from a security camera outside the northwestern city showed the train, with 247 people on board, hurtling into a concrete wall at the side of the track as carriages jack-knifed and the engine overturned.

Media Advertising Sales Representative %$)! $5%13)2).' !,%2 %01%2%.3!3)5% 0/2)3)/.2 !1% !5!),!",% 6)3( 2)!. 42).%22 4",)#!3)/.2 3$ 04",)2(%12 /& 2)!. /)#% !.$ 4*!1!3 !-!#(!1 3(% ,%!$%12 ). %3(.)# -%$)! /1+).' 42).' ! -)7341% /& &!#% 3/ &!#% !.$ 3%,%0(/.% #/.3!#3 3(% 0/2)3)/. 6),, %.3!), 2%,,).' !$5%13)2).' 20!#% &/1 "/3( 2)!. /)#% !.$ 4*!1!3 !-!#(!1 20/.2/12()02 &/1 5!1)/42 %5%.32 6% #/.$4#3 3(1/4'( /43 3(% 8%!1 % !1% 2%%+).' !22%13)5% %.%1'%3)# !.$ '/!, /1)%.3%$ ).$)5)$4!, 6)3( /1 6)3(/43 01%5)/42 %70%1)%.#% ). 2!,%2 /2)3)/. )2 1%20/.2)",% &/1 "4),$).' %&&%#3)5% #/.24,3!3)5% "42).%22 #/.5%12!3)/.2 6)3( $%#)2)/. -!+%12 !.$ 6).

"42).%22 6()#( 6),, "% 3(%. &/,,/6%$ "8 #423/-%1 2%15)#% !.$ -!.!').' #423/-%1 1%,!3)/.2()02 . !$$)3)/. 3/ 2!-% 2%,%#3%$ #!.$)$!3% 6),, 1%#%)5% ! #/-0%3)3)5% 2!,!18 !.$ #/--)22)/.2 /1 #/.2)$%1!3)/. 0,%!2% %-!), 1%24-% 6)3( 1%&%1%.#%2

Pro-Morsi protesters call for mass demonstrations

Cairo: Egyptian protesters loyal to deposed president Mohamed Morsi called for a "million person march" against his ouster. They also called on demonstrators to march to "security administration buildings" throughout Egypt to protest the deaths of 72 people at an earlier rally.

"We ... call for a million person march under the banner of “Martyrs of the Coup,” the Anti-Coup Alliance of Islamist groups organizing the protests said in a statement.

The group urged Egyptians "to go out into the streets and squares, to regain their freedom and

Mohamed Morsi

dignity - that are being usurped by the bloody coup - and for the rights of the martyrs assassinated by its bullets."

It also called for protesters to march to security buildings in provinces across Egypt "to condemn the criminal acts and the firing of live ammunition

by the interior ministry at peaceful demonstrators."

The protest calls comes after at least 72 people were killed at a sit-in in support of Morsi. His loyalists accused security forces of using live fire against unarmed protesters but Egypt's interior ministry said only tear gas was used. Egypt's polarization has been growing since Morsi's July 3 ouster by the army after massive protests against him.

His supporters remain defiant, insisting he will be reinstated, but the interim government has said it would move to disperse the protests and warned it

would take "decisive" action if demonstrators overstepped their bounds.

Govt threatens crackdown: Meanwhile, the country’s interior minister Mohamed Ibrahim pledged to deal decisively with any attempts to destabilize the country. “I assure the people of Egypt that the police are determined to maintain security and safety to their nation and are capable of doing so,” Mohammed Ibrahim said at a ceremony at the national police academy. “We will very decisively deal with any attempt to undermine stability,” said Ibrahim, who is in charge of the police.

2)!. /)#% 4*!1!3 !-!#(!1 !1% 3(% ,!1'%23 2%,,).' 2)!. .%62 6%%+,)%2 ./6 ). 3(%)1 23 8%!1 6)3( 0!)$ 24"2#1)03)/. /& !,-/23 !.$ !$$)3)/.!, #/0)%2 2/,$ 3(1/4'( 1%3!), /43,%32 (%#+ 42 /.,).% 666 !"0,'1/40 #/-

%.$ 8/41

6)3( ! #/5%1).' ,%33%1 3/

2)!. 42).%22 4",)#!3)/.2 3$ !1-! /'! /42% /73/. !1+%3 && /1/.%3 31%%3 /.$/. /1 %-!), '%/1'% !"0,'1/40 #/-

24

IndIa

South 4 named in BJP leader’s murder Police have named four men, involved in planting a pipe bomb along BJP leader L K Advani's route near Madurai in 2011, as the prime suspects in the murders of BJP leader V Ramesh and RSS activist R Vellaiyappan.

BJP state general secretary Ramesh was hacked to death near his house in Salem on July 19 and Vellaiyappan was murdered in Vellore on July 1. A special investigation team was set up to probe the murders.

Doctors remove 10kg tumour in rare surgery

For the past five years, Pardha Saradhi, 72, was suffering from synovial sarcoma, a rare cancer which occurs in the joints of the arms, neck or leg. The tumour grew into a 10-kg heavy lump. Unable to walk, Pardha's family went to several doctors who said amputation from the hip was the only way to save his life. But the family did not lose hope. On July 15, after an eighthour marathon surgery at a Hyderabad facility, doctors not only removed the 10 kg cancerous tumour, but also saved Pardha from being disabled for rest of his life.

Ex-MLA of Andhra jailed in cheque bounce case

A district sessions court at Narasaraopet convicted former legislator Challa Venkata Krishna Reddy and sentenced him to one year imprisonment and fine of Rs 25,000 in connection with a cheque bounce case. He took a hand loan of Rs 4 lakh from a merchant 4 year s later, Krishna Reddy issued a cheque for Rs 4 lakh. However, the cheque was dishonoured by the bank due to insufficient balance in the Krishna Reddy's account.

Man kills 8-year-old daughter over homework

A furious man killed his eight-year-old daughter with a rolling pin because she didn't answer questions during homework.

It happened in Avalahalli. Satyanarayan Singh, 43, a plastic utensils trader, told police that he was provoked into hitting his daughter Neha as she didn't answer questions during revision.

Punjab Man in Gurgaon arrested for molesting 17-year-old daughter

A 48-year-old man was arrested for allegedly molesting his 17-year-old daughter. The accused was a priest at a temple.

Elder daughter filed an FIR stating that his father had been molesting her and had even tried to rape her several times.

Second case, a 19-year-old girl was allegedly molested by her neighbour The accused is a resident of Budhera Sonu misbehaved with her while she was returning from her computer class.

Medical education minister gheroaed in Patiala

Punjab local bodies and medical education & research minister Chunni Lal Bhagat faced a massive protest from paramedical employees of Government Medical College, Patiala. The protestors, demanding regularization of their jobs after working for three years on contract, allowed the minister to leave only after the police let their fivemember delegation to meet the minister.

Suspend CJM, say his in-laws

The family of Geetanjali, who died of gunshot wounds under mysterious circumstances, filed a plea on Wednesday in the Punjab and Haryana HC, seeking immediate suspension of her husband and Gurgaon CJM Ravneet Garg, who has been booked for murder. The move came a day after the Haryana government decided to hand over the case to CBI. In the plea, submitted in the court of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Geetanjali’s brother Pradeep Aggarwal has alleged that the Gurgaon police is “mishandling” the case and they did not even record Garg’s statement after her body was found in a park.

www.abplgroup.com - asian Voice 3rd August 2013

Karnataka govt overhauls its midday meal scheme

The Bihar midday meal tragedy has forced the Karnataka government to review its own scheme and come up with measures to pre-empt any such event.

First, the government wants to ensure clean water for cooking purpose and has proposed an independent water source for cooking food under the scheme.

Primary and secondary education minister Kimmane Ratnakar told the legislative council on Tuesday that the Chhapra tragedy was a warning bell for the government and it has initiated some ini-

tiatives in schools following the incident, including plans to delink teaching staff from preparation of food.

Maintaining that the scheme in the state was nearly 100% error free, the minister said over 60 lakh schoolchildren are beneficiaries of the midday meal every day.

"Barring one incident, where a girl child died after slipping into a sambar vessel last year, the scheme has been running successfully since its introduction in 2002. More than six crore children have benefited from the scheme till date," Ratnakar said.

Midday meals are being given in around 55,000 schools and the government proposes building quality kitchens in these schools. Only 75% of the schools have kitchens.

Ratnakar said the Centre has announced that it would provide Rs 3 lakh to build a kitchen and Rs 5,000 to buy utensils. "There is also a scheme where Centre will provide Rs 3,500 per month to grow vegetables in areas where water availability is high. There is a Rs 7,000 grant per month for big schemes and government plans to give milk from

August at a cost of Rs 600 crore per annum," he said.

Corporate help sought: The minister said he will seek corporate help to construct or upgrade government schools.

Ratnakar said the government will identify schools and companies can fund the projects.

"Let corporates give money directly to the contractors, we will restrict ourselves to identifying the schools. We expect at least two schools to be developed in each zilla panchayat limits," he said. The minister's reply was received by the opposition parties with thumping of desks.

No change in India’s Lanka British Airways to launch daily policy, Manmohan tells Jaya flights from Hyderabad to London

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre has been advocating the creation of an environment within the framework of a United Sri Lanka in which all communities, particularly the Tamils, are masters of their own destiny.

"We will continue to work towards the end," he said in a letter to Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa.

The Prime Minister sent the letter in response to the concerns expressed by the chief minister on the possible changes to the 13th amendment to the Lankan constitution. The amendment, a result of the Indo-Lankan accord in the 1980s, specifies autonomy to the Tamil-dominated northern and eastern provinces.

"There is absolutely no change in Centre's stand on the question of reconciliation and devolution of political

Manmohan Singh

powers (to Tamils) in Sri Lanka," Prime Minister said, days after Jayalalithaa urged him to take a bold and decisive stand in support of the Tamils in Sri Lanka.

The DMK, a former ally of the Congress, will hold a state-wide agitation on August 8 to protest against the betrayal of the Rajapakshe government on Tamil rights.

British Airways, the UKbased premium airline, said it intends to increase its flight frequency from Hyderabad to London by having daily flights. Christopher Fordyce, regional commercial manager, British Airways, South Asia, said from October 27, the premium airline will fly daily to the city of Nizams, providing seamless connections to over 500 destinations around the world.

"For British Airways, Hyderabad is truly a key market in our South Asian network. We have witnessed tremendous growth in the market since 2008, resulting in concerted growth in the outbound business and leisure tourism.

"Our customers from Hyderabad will now be able to enjoy daily service to the UK whilst enjoying British Airways' unmatched inflight services and flying experience," Fordyce said at a press conference.

India as a whole is amongst the fastest growing markets for British Airways and is the second largest market for the airlines outside the UK, after the US. Quoting a report, he said that every year more number of Indians are flying to the UK and the rest of the world.

According to international tourism board, India has emerged as the world's fastest-growing outbound market and in absolute numbers it is second only to China. "The number of Indians travelling overseas is set to rise from around 15 million today to 50 million by 2020. This phenomenal growth will be further supplemented by growth of India's middle class, which is expected to grow to 50 per cent by 2030 as against the current 5 per cent." "Similarly, HNIs are expected to grow six fold by 2030 from around 0.2 million in 2011 to over 1.2 million by 2030.

Chandigarh is of Punjab, will Punjab prisoners well-connected remain with Punjab: Badal to world through Facebook Rebutting his Haryana counterpart Bhupinder Singh Hooda for staking claim over Chandigarh, Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal said "no matter Punjab is coming up with New Chandigarh township but Chandigarh is of Punjab and will always remain with Punjab".

Sharpening his attack, Badal said that tomorrow, Hooda even lay claim over the entire Punjab but will that be conceded? He said the capital remains with the parent state and in this Punjab is the parent state and Haryana was later carved out of it. Badal said it is needless on part of Hooda to claim Chandigarh and rake an unnecessary controversy.

On the question of giving clean chit to Punjab technical university vice-chancellor Rajneesh Arora, against whom PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa had leveled serious allegations of embezzling of the university funds and have raised voice for his sacking, Badal said "I have given

Parkash Singh Badal

no clean chit and law will take its own course." In the same way, on the issue of a central team indicting the alleged involvement of Punjab education minister Sikandar Singh Maluka in the library book and science kit purchase scam, Badal said "judicial probe by a retired high court judge is already on and it is not worthwhile to comment on it."

On the issue of sidelining director general school education (DGSE) Kahan Singh Pannu for education minister SS Maluka, Badal said Pannu has been transferred on administrative grounds and in fact, jovially added that he will enjoy the new posting.

Smuggling of mobile phones in Punjab's prisons is passe!

Armed with smart-phones, young prisoners in jails across the state are well-connected with the outside world through social networking sites, especially Facebook.

These prisoners are not only connected with their friends but are freely uploading photographs from inside the prison premises. Some of the photos are those of other prisoners lodged in these jails. A look at the Facebook accounts of some of the netsavvy prisoners shows that they are not only communicating with others but are also getting comments about life behind bars.

"Kadd bahar aa rahe ho 22 G (when are you coming out brother)," is the question posed on the wall of a prisoner. "Bro ji jamanat ho gayi ja nahi (brother, have you got bail or not)," asks another post, to which the prisoner replies: "Kithe pharawa andar hi ha asi Pateyale (No brother, we are inside in

Patiala)." A look at the Facebook pages of some of the prisoners shows that they are active on their accounts through smartphones and are uploading photographs of the jail complex, jail barracks and other inmates.

The prisoners are freely indulging in the social networking activity in prisons located in Kapurthala, Patiala, Ludhiana and Hoshiarpur, among other places. One such prisoner is Billa Gujjar from Hoshiarpur. He has been sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment for a kidnapping and has been lodged in Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur jails for the last three years.

Some of the other prisoners are Amrinder Singh, Benza Nice, Kharku Jatt and others. "If this activity is going on in Punjab's prisons, it's a very dangerous thing and has implications for our national security. A number of Pakistani prisoners and those linked with the ISI are lodged in these prisoners.

indiA

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

25

If Modi applies for visa, US will consider Reiterating that it would consider grant of a US visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi if he applies for one, the US has said the issue has not affected India-US relations in any way.

"Well, we've stated that publicly a number of times," State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki told media when asked if the department or the US embassy in New Delhi has told Modi's party that his application would be considered.

The US does not issue visas under pressure and evaluates them case by case, she said in response to another question.

"No. We evaluate them case by case, and we wouldn't speak to it publicly anyway. But of course, if he applied it would be considered."

"Beyond that, I don't have any private diplomatic conversations to read out for you," she said when asked if visiting Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh had met any one in the State Department or if he had raised the issue here.

Rajnath Singh himself told reporters here Thursday that he would not be meeting anyone at the State department as Secretary of State John Kerry was not in town and his deputy Bill Burns had met him in New Delhi recently.

Asked about the department's reaction on the contentious visa issue, Psaki again parried saying, "Well, certainly as I said yesterday, if he applies, it will certainly be reviewed just as any application would be. But we wouldn't speak about that publicly."

Asked if the issue was affecting US-India relations in any way, Psaki said: "Absolutely not. The Vice President (Joe Biden) was just there and we have a longstanding, strategic and productive relationship with India."

Modi, who was denied a US visa in 2005 for his alleged role or inaction during the 2002 Godhra riots, has never applied again.

But of late corporate America has been warming upto him and three Republican lawmakers who met him during a recent visit to Ahmadabad with a US business delegation had said they would take up the issue with the Obama administration.

Even as the visiting BJP president Rajnath Singh denied he had come to get Gujarat chief minister, Narendra Modi a US visa, the State Department said its policy had not changed.

"Well, our policy on this has not changed," State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki told in response to a question.

"If Chief Minister Modi

apply," Psaki assured.

Modi, who was denied a US visa in 2005 for his alleged role or inaction in the 2002 Godhra antiMuslim riots, never applied again for a US visa even as corporate America of late has been warming up to his "vibrant Gujarat".

Three Republican lawmakers who met Modi recently in Gandhinagar

applies for a visa, his application will be considered to determine whether he qualifies for a visa in accordance with US immigration law and policy," she said.

"But as you know, we don't talk about the specifics of that process or individual cases. But he would, of course, be considered if he were to

# " $!&

$ !

along with a US business delegation had also promised to take up the issue with the Obama administration.

Asked what would happen in case Modi became Prime Minister after the upcoming parliamentary elections, Psaki said: "Well, that's a lot of speculation down the road." "We always encour-

" % ÂŁ2.50

per person per day

age democratic elections and we don't take sides, and we'll be watching it closely."

When the reporter repeated the question, the spokesperson again responded: "Well, I think I just said that we will consider his application if he applies. And we're not going to get ahead of where we are at this time."

26

IndIa

www.abplgroup.com - asian Voice 3rd August 2013

UPA gives nod, Telangana to be 29th Indian state

A meeting of parties comprising the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) on Tuesday "unanimously" endorsed the formation of Telangana state from Andhra Pradesh. The decision to clear the path for Telangana was taken at a meeting of the coordination committee of the UPA. This meeting was followed by a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) where the party endorsed the formation of Telangana state.

Hyderabad will remain the capital of both the states for 10 years at least.

The Congress leadership has reportedly dropped the proposal for Rayala-Telangana, comprising Rayalaseema and Telangana in view of strong opposition from leaders of both the regions. It is also understood to have given up the idea of union territory status to Hyderabad due to reservations by Telangana leaders.

The Telangana region comprises 10 districts: Hyderabad, Adilabad, Khammam, Karimnagar, Mahbubnagar, Medak, Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Rangareddy, and Warangal.

Apart from Telangana, Andra Pradesh consists of two other parts namely Coastal Andra and Rayalaseema.

According to sources, violence that came along with the Telangana merger demand has consumed more than 1000 lives over last three years, which includes numerous cases of self immolation.

Earlier, amidst mounting pressure from both pro and antiTelangana leaders, Congress president Sonia Gandhi met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ahead of the crucial UPA and CWC meetings to take a final decision on the separate statehood issue.

The meeting came as leaders from both groups continued with

their pressure tactics even as the leadership was veering towards a decision for creation of a separate state.

Creation of the new Telangana state will take close to six months that involve a number of steps, including adoption of state re-organisation bill by Parliament by a simple majority.

Contrary to the perception that a Constitution amendment bill is required, the bill to be adopted by Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha does not need a two-thirds majority as is the case when a Constitutution amendment is required to be adopted.

At a Union Cabinet meeting, which is expected to be held soon, an in-principle approval is likely to be given for creation of a Group of Ministers (GoM) comprising Ministers of Home, Finance, HRD, Health, Irrigation, Power, Environment and Forests, Railways and Deputy Chairman Planning Commission to go into the economic issues on creation of the new state.

The Home Ministry will submit a note to the Union Cabinet for creation of Telanagana on the basis of the proposal received from the state government. The entire process will take at least 40 days.

Andhra Pradesh State Legislature will also have to pass a resolution that a separate state of Telangana be formed. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance will appoint an expert Committee to recommend measures for smooth transition in terms of financial management and

viability of the reorganised state.

In view of the normative economic factors that would operate in the remaining state of Andhra Pradesh consequent upon formation of Telangana state, a dedicated unit will be set up in the Planning Commission to deal exclusively with the re-oranised state under the direct charge of the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission.

The unit will ensure that, with the help of better financial management and adequate devolution of funds from the Centre, multifaceted development of the region takes place, especially with respect to core infrastructure.

After the second Cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister would recommend to the President that the draft Bill be referred under Article 3 of the Constitution to the State Legislature for their views to be given within 30 days.

President would then refer the Bill to the State Legislature and Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly as well as the Legislative Council will then consider the Bill and give their views within 30 days.

The recommendations of the State Legislature will be incorporated into the draft Re-organisation Bill and vetted by the Law Ministry.

A third note will be prepared with draft Re-organisation bill vetted by the Law Ministry and sent to the Union Cabinet for approval for introduction in Parliament.

Soon, a notice will be given for introduction of the Reorganisation Bill in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

After introduction in both Houses of Parliament, the Bill has to be passed by a simple majority.

After being passed by both the Houses of Parliament, the Bill will be sent to President for his assent and the new state Telangana will come into existence.

Urban Sikhs face highest unemployment Unemployment was highest among Sikhs living in cities and towns during 2009-10 while the rate of joblessness showed a downward trend for Muslims in both urban and rural areas, a government survey released this month has revealed.

Muslims had the lowest per capita spending, according to the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO), which in its 200910 survey put out a new report on employment trends for religious groups.

Among communities, unemployment increased only among Sikhs living in urban India. The community saw unemployment rise from 4.6% in 2004-05 to 6.1% in 2009-10. However, among rural Sikhs, the rate declined sharply from 3.5% to 2.4% during the period.

The high unemployment rate among Sikhs in urban areas may be attributed to the fact that they are more educated and also work with their hands and are vulnerable to economic slowdown which hit India during 2009-10, the period of survey.

In rural areas, unemployment was highest among Christians at 3.9%.

However, it was a decline from 4.4% in 2004-05.

The steepest decline in urban areas was witnessed among Christians, with the unemployment rate falling by 5.7 percentage points from 8.6% in 200405 to 2.9% in 2009-10.

Hindus had a stable unemployment rate at 1.5% in rural areas during the five-year period while all other communities in villages saw a decline. In urban India, the rate fell from 4.4% to 3.4% among

Hindus.

Interestingly, unemployment among Muslims in both rural and urban areas is falling. The rate declined from 2.3% in 2004-05 to 1.9% in 200910 among Muslims living in villages. In cities and towns, the unemployment rate among Muslims fell from 4.1% to 3.2% during the five-year period.

However, most Muslims in both rural and urban areas are self employed.

Per capita spending was highest for Sikhs, followed

by Christians and Hindus.

At the all-India level, the average monthly per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE) of Sikh households was Rs 1659, followed by Christians (Rs 1543), Hindus (Rs 1125) and Muslims (Rs 980).

Survey finds out that self-employment was the mainstay for all religious groups in rural areas. The major source of earning from self-employment in agriculture was the highest among Sikhs (about 36%), but Muslims topped the chart in the category of rural workers.

In urban India, the proportion of households with major source of earning as self-employment was highest for Muslims (46%). The major source of earning from regular wage/salaried was the highest for Christian households (43%) in urban areas. Most people irrespective of religious affiliation own between 0.1 and 1 hectare of land. About 43% of Christian households, 38% of Muslim and 37% of Hindu cultivated more than or equal to 0.001 hectare of land but less than 1 hectare.

Clegg asks banks to support ethnic minority business Continued from page 1 vital that all businesses have fair access to viable finance as the country looks to rebuild the economy.”

Clegg’s words came as a new report he commissioned found that although the banking industry is working hard to ensure ethnic minority businesses have access to finance, there is more to be done to help under-represented groups reach their goals.

As a result of the findings, the Government has agreed with the British Bankers’ Association that the banking industry will commit to a series of measures to improve access to finance for ethnic minority business groups. This includes collecting data through independent research, for the first time, on the experiences of ethnic minority businesses seeking finance.

Speaking in Manchester, where he met representatives of the banking industry and the ethnic minority business commu-

nity, the Deputy Prime Minister said that while there was no evidence that the challenges ethnic minority businesses face were due to racial discrimination, they do still have problems accessing loans.

The Deputy Prime Minister said: “This is a tremendously valuable report, and I would like to thank everyone who has worked so hard to get us to this point – officials, business people from ethnic minorities and the British Bankers’ Association. I welcome the fact that the report finds no evidence of racial discrimination, and I am pleased to see the banking industry has agreed to a range of measures to address the various factors that have prevented some entrepreneurs from getting loans. I am particularly glad to see the banks commit to independent research on ethnic minority businesses and their experience of accessing finance so that they can monitor the situation.

“This report is a good

start, and a valuable statement of intent, but there is much more to be done to make sure that entrepreneurs from ethnic minorities have a fair chance to achieve their goals.”

The Ethnic Minority Businesses and Access to Finance report is published on Tuesday by Communities Minister, Don Foster, following detailed discussions between the British Bankers’ Association, Government and business representatives. The report finds that, while there is good work already underway by the banks - including improved data collection on the experiences of ethnic minority businesses - there is more that the banking industry can do to ensure that those who are under represented are given every opportunity to succeed.

Following detailed discussions, the British Bankers’ Association has agreed to a set of immediate actions which involve promoting existing initiatives aimed at helping

SMEs more widely, so that ethnic minority businesses are fully aware of the support and finance schemes available to help them access finance.

Meanwhile, research by one leading banking expert suggests that racism is rife and appears inherent in the bank lending system, and has existed through the ‘boom’ years as well as during the current and recent financial crises.

Non-white households are more likely to be excluded from consumer credit, even if they have comparable credentials to white households, according to work by Prof Molyneux at Bangor University and colleagues from Hull Business School.

Using the same Living Costs and Food Survey gathered by the Office for National Statistics they also revealed that, compared to white households, Asians are more likely to have less access to bank loans, whereas black households are more likely to be excluded from the

credit card market.

Prof Phil Molyneux calls on policymakers to develop policies aimed at reducing the inequalities that seem to exist within the banking system. He also argues that there is a strong case to consider legislation that would make the whole process more transparent by encouraging banks to reveal information on lending and other financial activities.

This transparency in itself, he argues, would ensure that discrimination does not take place, whether in developed or developing countries.

Chuka Umunna MP, Labour’s Shadow Business Secretary, commenting on the release of the Government’s report on Ethnic Minority Businesses and Access to Finance, said: “Ethnic minority businesses have been working incredibly hard in a difficult economic climate and it is disappointing that they have had to wait since November 2011 for

this report to be published because of a government dispute over what logo to put on the front.

“Whilst it is welcome that the report hasn’t found evidence of discrimination per se, there nevertheless remains a perception that ethnic minority entrepreneurs and businesses face additional barriers to accessing finance.

I want to see our high street banks reaching out and working in our diverse communities to support these businesses and help counter this perception.

“I also want to see improved access to finance for all British businesses, who continue to work hard in the face of challenging economic times. That is why Labour will introduce a British Investment Bank alongside a network of regional banks with a specific local mandate. This will help to both boost growth and ensure a strong and sustainable recovery led by the many and using the talents of all of our diverse communities.”

indiA

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

Unstoppable Amitabh...

Yuva Unstoppable – a non-governmental organization was founded by a Yale University graduate Amitabh Shah in Ahmedabad. The NGO works towards education of underprivileged children. With a work force of over 100,000 youngsters across the country, it has touched the lives of more than 2,50,000 kids dwelling in slums and those coming from economically weak families.

By Mayuri Dave

“T

hinking small is a crime. You get what you desire. The only condition is to work honestly towards it,” says Amitabh Shah, founder of Yuva Unstoppable, an NGO started from an old-age home in Ahmedabad.

Around eight years ago, while Shah was travelling from US to Ahmedabad he watched the Shah Rukh Khan starrer movie ‘Swadesh.. It reminded him of an old lady ‘Kamalaben’ who used to take care of him during his school days. As the aircraft landed, instead of going to his parents’ house, he straight away rushed to Kamalaben’s house.

Seeing her plight, he took her to his home and kept her for two weeks. As she recovered, Shah’s family decided to put her in an old-age home rather than sending her with his sons. “At the old-age home I met many old people like Kamala Ba who were seeking for happiness and love. I instantly decided to spend some time regularly with them”, says Amitabh.

He shared the idea with his three close friends who also joined him to visit the old-age home for a week. “Old people there were enjoying our company. But we were getting more happiness being with them,” says Shah adding that as we shared our experiences with others, more people started visiting with us. To his surprise within a few days almost 50 youngsters became regular visitors to the old-age home.

Interestingly, Shah did not know many of them. It sowed the seed of present day Yuva Unstoppable.

“I realized that every youngster wants to do something but they don’t have right platform.

Without wasting time I founded the Yuva Unstoppable. As the idea was noble, many people automatically started connecting with it,” he says.

Born in an affluent

family, Amitabh was one of the naughtiest students in schools. He was forced to change schools. In fact couple of schools fired him. However, Tennis diverted his energy and changed his life. He went on to become Gujarat state Tennis champion.

Later on with a view to become professional tennis player, he decided to shift to USA. There he got the chance to study in famous Yale University where noted personalities like Bill Clinton, Indra Nooyee and many others had studied.

There he got global exposure and chance to attend lectures of people like Tony Blair, Narayana Murthy, Arnold Schwarzenegger and other world leaders from different fields.

“Experiences of USA are still helps me in running Yuva,” admits Shah.

Within a short span, Yuva’s activities attracted more youngsters.

Corporates and high net worth individuals also joined the cause and started funding the organization generously.

In Ahmedabad alone volunteers of the NGO are giving value based education to nearly 1, 60,000 children studying in more than 460 schools run by the Municipal Corporation.

“Through donations hardware needs of the poor children are fulfilled.

They get school bags, notes, pen, pencils, water bag, lunchbox and other things. As far as software is concerned, volunteers

of Yuva spend their quality time with them to make them self confident, fearless and imbibe in them the importance of education in life,” he says.

Not necessarily children are the only beneficiaries. Lives of many volunteers too have changed.

“Their behaviour with their parents, relatives and society improved. In short, after becoming Yuva volunteers their approach towards the world completely changed for better,” says Shah adding that while the children are provided with value-based education, nutrition and healthcare, it’s the country’s youth that is becoming more compassionate and socially responsible.”

His organization believes in the principle stated by Mahatma Gandhi – “Be the change you want to see in the world.” It says that young people are not useless but they are used less, so it tries to give children direction to the aspiring new generation to do something good.

“We ask volunteers to devote just two hours from their 168 hours in the week for our project for poor children. Once they start working, they voluntarily give more time to the noble cause. It gives them satisfaction to be part of spreading smiles in the society,” he says. Yuva also provides volunteers to other organizations, NGOs, social institutes and government’s social organizations with a vision of enlightening the poor children.

Trinamool sweeps panchayat polls in West Bengal Maintaining its wining spree, the ruling Trinamool Congress swept the three-tier panchayat polls in West Bengal capturing 13 out of 17 Zilla Parishads, while the Congress put up a poor show with just one in Murshidabad.

TMC's clean sweep in the zilla parishads in 11 of 12 south Bengal districts and two out of five north Bengal districts, demonstrated that the two-and-ahalf-years of incumbency and controversies failed to sway the rural people's

trust on the Mamata Banerjee government.

The victory in the panchayat elections for the Trinamool Congress was the completion of a full circle for the party after demolishing the Left Front in the state in 2011, senior minister Subrata Mukherjee said.

"The call for political change given by Trinamool supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee two years ago in 2011, today came full circle with the victory in the panchayat elections," Mukherjee said.

TMC not only did well in south Bengal, but also breached the barrier in north Bengal where it won Cooch Behar and South Dinajpur.

The party won the zilla parishads in Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Burdwan, Birbhum, Nadia, Coochbehar and South Dinajpur districts.

The ruling party registered a huge victory in the three Maoist strongholds in Bankura, Purulia and West Midnapore districts.

27

Congress clear loser, but BJP far from victory, opinion poll says We could end up with a Lok Sabha in which, for the first time, the single largest party has less than one-fourth of the 543 seats and no front has even a third. That is what would happen if elections were held now, according to CVoter opinion poll. It projects that the NDA would win 156 seats with the BJP getting 131 of them, while the UPA would win 136 with the Congress pegged to 119.

The poll estimated that the 'Third Front', which includes the Left, Samajwadi Party, RJD, TDP, BJD and some other regional parties, would win 129 seats and the 'Fourth Front' including the BSP, Trinamool Congress, AIADMK and others, would win 122. In short, the elections are projected to end up as a fairly even four-way split, though some of these formations like the Third and Fourth Fronts are not really firmly established, at least as of now, and others may also morph in the coming months.

If the predictions come true, the SP, BSP, Left, AIADMK and Trinamool would each have between 22 and 33 seats, possibly giving them a crucial role in the formation of the next government in New Delhi. With the two big national parties put together not winning even half of the seats, the regional bosses would really be able to call the shots in such a scenario.

Among the bigger states, the poll projects SP and BSP between them winning three-fourths of the 80 seats in UP, with the SP picking up 33 and the BSP 27. The Congress,

which won 21 seats in the state in 2009, is projected to win just five in 2014 and the BJP is estimated to gain just a couple of seats to get 12.

In Maharashtra, it's advantage NDA and bad news for Sharad Pawar's NCP, if the poll has got it right. It estimates that the Shiv Sena will win 15 seats of the state's 48 seats and the BJP 11, the same as the Congress. The NCP is projected to get just 6 seats, Raj Thackeray's MNS opening its account with 3.

In Andhra Pradesh, a state in which the Congress won 33 of the 42 seats in 2009, the CVoter poll projects it will win a mere 7.

Jagan Reddy's YSR Congress, a party that didn't exist in 2009, is estimated to win 14 seats and the Telengana Rashtra Samiti 11, leaving just 7 for Chandrababu Naidu's TDP. Obviously, the AP numbers could change dramatically once the formation of Telangana is announced, as expected soon.

In West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee will continue to fly high despite her alliance with the Congress having broken up since the last elections. The poll projects that the Trinamool Congress will win 22 of the state's 42 seats and the Left will win 17, a gain of two seats for each of them, while the Congress tally will drop from 6 to 2.

In Bihar, the break-up between Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and the BJP seems to be hurting the former more. In fact, the poll projects that the BJP will emerge as the single largest party in the state winning 14 of the 40 seats, Lalu Prasad's RJD coming

a close second with 12 and JD(U) in third place at 11.

In Tamil Nadu, Jayalalithaa's AIADMK is projected to sweep, winning 29 of the state's 39 seats. The DMK, which won 18 seats last time is expected to drop to a mere 5 and the Congress might have to settle for a lone MP from the southern state.

In Madhya Pradesh, the projections show a fairly close battle between the two national parties with the BJP winning 16 of the 29 seats and the Congress 12, leaving one for the BSP. That would be a repeat of the 2009 results.

In Karnataka, on the other hand, the prediction is for a near total reversal of the 2009 results. In those elections, the BJP had won 19 of the 28 seats, giving the party its largest chunk of seats from any state. The Congress had won a mere 6, the remaining 3 going to H D Deve Gowda's JD(S). This time round, the poll predicts, the Congress will win 17, which would make that the largest chunk of Congress MPs from any state, while the BJP will get just 8 seats. The JD(S) tally will remain unchanged.

In Gujarat, not surprisingly, the BJP is predicted to sweep, winning 21 of the state's 26 seats, leaving just 5 for the Congress. This would also mean that the BJP would have more Lok Sabha MPs from Narendra Modi's home state than from any other state.

In Rajasthan, where the Congress nearly swept in 2009, winning 20 of the 25 seats, the estimates are that its tally could drop to 9 while the BJP's tally could rise from 4 to 15.

'I know BJP has a consensus PM candidate,' says Rajnath Singh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh has said that his party has reached a consensus on who its prime ministerial candidate will be, but has stopped short of naming the person.

In an interview given to a television channel, Singh, who is on a nearly week-long visit to the United States, there was no need for speculating on the issue, and the name of the individual would be announced at the appropriate time.

Though the name of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is actively doing the rounds, the BJP is reluctant to formalise it currently, as it anticipates the ruling Congress Party making political capital out of it in the run-up to the 2014 general elections.

Modi's detractors have already accused him of being a divisive and communal figure, while within

the BJP too, there are opponents who themselves habour prime ministerial ambitions of their own.

Modi has also done himself no favours by making a string of controversial statements that seemed strategically designed to polarise the pro-Hindutva vote and stir a communal versus secular debate.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani expressed confidence that his party would get outstanding results during the 2014 elections.

He was addressing the national executive meeting of the BJP Scheduled Caste Morcha. "I can see from all angles that BJP will give record-breaking results during the 2014 elections," said Advani.

"It is not necessary that the election result would be the same as what the election tracker survey has been predicting. I am firm that the result will be much better than what has been predicted," he added.

The Hindu Election Tracker survey had showed that the 2014 Lok Sabha elections were going to throw up a fractured mandate with neither the BJP nor the Congress coming anywhere close to the halfway mark of 272 in the 545-member Lok Sabha.

"Elections in the six states of the country and the Lok Sabha polls will take place before April, may be till May.

28

travel & women

www.abplgroup.com - asian voice 3rd August 2013

AV Correspondent

Purvi Apurva Shah

Ajanta & Ellora: Ancient India preserved in stone ying in the lap of the Chamadari hills, the Ellora caves epitomize the zenith of L Indian rock-cut architecture. As many as

34 caves extol the glories of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain mythology and philosophy.

Built by the Rashtrakuta dynasty between the 5th century and the 10th century, the Ellora caves are a confluence of Hindu, Jain and Buddhist ways of life.

Situated 18 miles northwest of Aurangabad in Maharashtra, the Ellora caves were declared a World Heritage Site. It took over five centuries for the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain monks to chisel out the caves and decorate them with remarkable imagination and detail.

Buddhist Caves: The first 12 caves were built during the 5th-7th century.

The earliest Buddhist cave is cave 6 while caves 11 and 12 were the last. All the Buddhist caves were constructed between 630 AD and 700 AD. The Buddhist caves consist mostly of viharas or monasteries: large, multistoreyed buildings carved into the mountain face. Some of the caves have carvings of Gautama Buddha, bodhisattvas and saints.

Ellora has cave temples belonging to three different religious creeds – Buddhism, Brahmanism and Jainism The Vishvakarma: Most famous and the only chaitya griha amongst the Buddhist caves, it is locally known as Vishvakarma or “Sutar ka jhopda” (carpenter’s hut). At the front is a rock-cut court, entered through a flight of steps.

On either side are pillared porticos with chambers to their rear.

In the chaitya hall is a stupa on which a colossal 3.30 m high Buddha sits in teaching posture. A large Bodhi tree is carved at the back.

Hindu Caves: The Hindu caves were constructed between the middle of sixth century to the end of eighth century.

Caves 29 and 21 constructed in the early phase are the most impressive.

Kailashnatha: The 16th cave is one of the audacious feats in architecture ever achieved. The idea was to build the abode of Lord Shiva, Mount Kailash, from a single piece of rock. Hence it got its name, Kailasa or the Kailasnatha.

Construction entailed removal of

200,000 tonnes of rock and took 100 years to complete. The temple, started by Krishna I of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty, is a splendid achievement of Dravidian art.

A two storey gateway opens to reveal a U-shaped courtyard that is edged by columned galleries. Within the courtyard are three structures: first is the image of the sacred bull Nandi. The central temple or the Nandi Mandap houses the lingam.

The base of the Nandi Mandap has been carved to suggest that life-sized elephants are holding the structure aloft. A living rock bridge connects the Nandi Mandap to the Shiva temple behind it.

The temple itself is tall pyramidal structure reminiscent of Dravidian temples.

The grand sculpture of Ravana attempting to lift Mount Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva, with his full might is a landmark in Indian art. Ellora is a World Heritage Site and represents the epitome of Indian rock-cut architecture

The Dashavatara: Cave 15 has an open court with a free-standing monolithic mandapa at the middle and a twostorey excavated temple at the rear. Large sculptural panels between the wall columns on the upper floor illustrate a wide range of themes, which include the ten avatars of Vishnu and hence, the name “Dashavatara”.

The other famous Hindu caves are the Rameshvara (Cave 21), which has figurines of river goddesses Ganga and Yamuna at the entrance and the Dhumar Lena (Cave 29) whose design is similar to the cave temple on Elephanta Island near Mumbai. Two other caves, the Ravan ki Khai (Cave 14) and the Nilkantha (Cave 22) also have several sculptures.

Jain Caves: The five Jain caves at Ellora belong to the ninth and tenth centuries and they all belong to the Digambara sect. The caves reflect a strict sense of asceticism and are not large as other caves. The most remarkable Jain shrines are the Chhota Kailash (cave 30), the Indra Sabha (cave 32) and the Jagannath Sabha (cave 33).

Indra Sabha: The Indra Sabha is a two storey cave with a monolithic shrine in its court. It got the appellation “Indra Sabha” probably because it is significantly ornate and also has the sculpture of the yaksha (dedicated attendant deity) Matanga on an elephant, which was wrongly identified as that of Indra. On the upper level of the double-storied shrine excavated at the rear of the court, an imposing image of Ambika, the yakshini of Neminath, is found seated on her lion under a mango tree, laden with fruits. Ellora caves, unlike Ajanta, never lost to oblivion.

How to reach: Aurangabad, 18 miles away, is the nearest airport and railhead for Ellora. Aurangabad is well-connected with rest of the country by flights, trains and via roads.

Accommodation: Hotels catering to all kinds of budget are available at Aurangabad.

Quality accommodation options are also available near the Ellora caves.

Visiting the caves: Ellora caves are open for visitors from 9 am till sunset and are open on all days of the week except Tuesdays.

his tirth is situated in the Jhagadia village T which is 32 km from

Bharuch on the Ankleshwar-Rajpipla road.

The Jhagadia Tirth has the primary idol of Shri Adinath Bhagwan in a Padmasana (seated cross-legged) position and 104 cm in height.

It is considered a “Moolnayak.” The historical idol was recovered in Veer Nirvan Samvat 2390 (VS 1921) and the carving on the idol of Chakreshwari Devi proves it to be established on Magh Shukla 10 of VS 1200 by Shri Prithvipal. These idols were reinstated in the temple built by the then king Shir Gambhirsinghji on 5th day of Margshirsh of Veer Nirvan Samvat 2397 (VS 1928). The temple was then handed over to Shri Sangh, who reanimated it once more in Veer Nirvan Samvat 2428 (VS 1959).

The Jain Shravaks came from Baroda to Bharuch to take control of the idols recovered from here. Rana Gambheersinghji requested them to reside in his kingdom, as no Jain Sharavak was willing to live there, because handing over the findings to other state would raise a number of questions on the Rana`s kingdom. Later, he thus offered much relief to their establishment. After they agreed, Rana built a temple and all the idols were established in this very position.

He finally handed over the charge of the Jhagadia Mattar Kachori is mouth-watering snack which also can be served as part of any main meal.

Ingredients: For crust: 1 cup All Purpose flour (plain flour or maida) 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons oil Approximately 1/2 cup chilled water For filling: 1 cup green peas 1 teaspoon oil 1 tablespoon coriander powder (dhania) 1 teaspoon fennel seed powder (sonf) 1 teaspoon red chili powder 1 teaspoon shredded ginger 1/2 teaspoon mango powder (amchoor) 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to your taste) Oil to deep fry Method: To Make Crust Add the flour, salt and oil in a bowl and mix it well. Add the chilled water slowly, mixing with your fingers as you pour the water. Do not knead the dough. The dough should be very soft but not sticking to fingers. Cover the dough and let it sit for at least fifteen minutes.

To Make Filling: Heat the oil in a frying pan, add green peas, stirfry until peas are tender.

Add ginger, coriander powder, fennel seed powder, chili powder, mango powder and salt, stir fry for another few minutes.

While stir frying the peas

Jhagadia Tirth attracts thousands

Tirth to Shri Sangh.

The managing trustee Shri Jain Rikhabdev Maharaj ki Pedhi has constructed a dharamshala (rest house) and a bhojanshala (eatery). The importance of the temple has increased as it is situated on the southern bank of the Narmada River. On its north lies the historical town of Shukla Thirth, where Chanakya lived until he returned to Patliputra (now Patna).

The economy of Jhagadia is dependent on industrial area (GIDC) and the fertile land. Bhalod is famous for bananas, cotton

and sugarcane although it suffers from a high rate of emigration, primarily to the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Africa.

Bhalod is famous for its cultural activities, such as the three-day programme of Gangadashahara, during this period Brahmins from various parts of Gujarat and abroad travel to Bhalod to be blessed by the holy River Narmada, in celebration of the 'birth' of the River Ganges. Bhalod is host to a number of temples, including Ramnath Mahadev, Mokshnath Mahadev, Datatrey, Ranchhodnathji and Gayatri Mata.

Mattar Ke Kachori

mash them with spatula.

The filling should be cooled.

To Make the Kachoris: Take the dough and lightly knead it. Divide the dough in twelve equal parts.

Take one part of the dough and with your fingers flatten the edges and make into about 2-inch circle.

Leaving center little thicker then edges around. Mold the dough into a cup and place about 1 teaspoon of filling in the center. Pull the edges of the dough to wrap the filling. Proceed to make all 12 balls.

Let the filled balls sit for 3 to 4 minutes before pressing.

Set the filled balls on a clean and dry surface with the seam facing up. Using the base of your palm, slowly flatten them into about 3 inches circle. Heat about 1-1/2 inches of oil in a frying pan on medium heat. To check if oil is ready put a

little piece of dough in the oil. It should sizzle, and come up very slow.

Do not over crowd the kachories in frying pan, fry them on medium heat.

Turn them over slowly as they puff. It will take about 3 minutes to fry from each side. Fry until golden-brown on both sides. If the kachories are fried on high heat, they will get soft and will not be crispy.

Health benefits: Peas are relatively low in calories on comparison with beans. 100 g of green peas provide only 81 calories, and no cholesterol.

Nonetheless, the legumes are a good source of proteins, and soluble as well as insoluble fiber.

www.abplgroup.com - asian Voice 3rd august 2013

CALCIUM + Magnesium + Vit. D3

SKIN, SKIN, HAIR, HAI NAILS

Beauty T Tablets ablets a

UK’S A AWARD WARD WINNING WINNIN NO.1

Available from Superdrug, Holland & Barrett, Lloydspharmacy, Lloydspharmacy, GNC, supermarkets, health stores independent pharmacies, www www.vitabiotics.com .vitabiotics.com

Most trusted for pr pregnancy egnancy

sponsored by:

HealtH Watch

MOST T TRUSTED VIT VITAMINS TAMINS A AMINS Menopause Tablets

women omenn over over 40 years years Gentle IRON+Vitamin syrup TTABLETS ABLETS For all w

Medical Tourism in Gujarat

29

HEALTH HEAL LTH & VIT VITALITY TALITY ALITY TY TTablets ablets

Diabetes may increase risk of developing Alzheimer's disease

new study conducted by Georgetown A University claims

K. H. Patel, Chairman, GCCI NRG Centre, addressing Medical Tourism Seminar in March, Ahmedabad.

K. H. Patel or an increasing number of Non-Resident F Gujaratis (NRGs) who

visit the State, one of the important issues they need to handle is about the availability of the required medical services.

They seem to be satisfied in this regard as every year about 450,000 people visit the State and avail the treatment in varied fields such as cardiac surgery, knee replacement, cancer, urology, kidney transplant, cosmetic surgery and dental care in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot and Surat. The State earns about Rs 3 billion every year from NRI patients.

Why Gujarat is preferred: The quality of services, including infrastructure & technology, is as good as the one available in European countries including UK, USA and other developed countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

While in countries like UK the waiting period for the patients to receive the treatment under National Health Scheme is very long, in India one can get medical treatment almost immediately.

In comparison with the developed countries, medical treatment in India is available at very reasonable rates. While knee replacement in USA may cost about Rs 1100,000, in Guajrat one can have it at Rs 500,000. Cardiac surgery in USA and UK may cost about Rs 1400,000, whereas in Gujarat one can have it at Rs 250,000.

NRIs in USA, who do not have Medical Insurance, prefer to avail the medical services in Gujarat at affordable prices.

Consultation fee even in African countries such as Kenya and Tanzania is Rs 2,500 in comparison with not more than Rs 1,000 in Gujarat.

Gujarat government and Medical Tourism: Government of Gujarat

has adopted a well thought out policy to develop Medical Tourism.

It has fixed a target of 2000,000 NRIs for medical treatment in Gujarat in next few years. The Government is planning to establish a Medical Tourism Counter at the Arrival Area of the Ahmedabad International Airport so that the arriving passengers can readily get required information.

What Gujarat government needs to do: Presently NRIs prefer to get medical treatment in private hospitals and not in Government-run establishments, as the latter are still not having the required facilities. On account of this, the State does not earn much revenue from NRI patients.

Upgradation of the facilities in Government hospitals would enable the Government to earn some income. At present most of the patients come from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria, Congo, UK and USA. Efforts should be made to attract patients from the Arab and East European countries also.

The Government should endeavour to promote more direct flights between Ahmedabad and some foreign countries as this will facilitate the growth in the number of foreign patients. Simpler procedure to get Indian visa at our embassies and also the increase in the number of countries whose citizens can get Visa on Arrival will help in enhancing the number of NRI patients in the State.

At present NRI patients in Gujarat find the requirement of registering with the police rather cumbersome, this procedure needs to be simplified.

The Government should consider making the income received by our hospitals from NRI patients tax free as it will promote Medical Tourism.

Steps to be taken by hospitals: Improvements

in our hospitals are needed in the fields such as cleanliness, catering, paramedical and nursing facilities. The arrangements to receive and drop back the patients at the airport will go a long way in satisfying their requirement.

At times the bills for payment handed over by our hospitals to the patients at the end of the treatment are higher than the estimates given in the beginning. This needs to be avoided as it creates a negative impression among them. The facility for payment of bills in foreign currency will be found more convenient by the patients.

Arrangements should be made to provide non-vegetarian food to those NRI patients who require it.

Another important point is the availability of interpreters for those patients who may not know our languages.

Accreditation for the hospitals: It is well known that in the developed countries such as United States, the hospitals as well as doctors need their licenses to be renewed periodically on the basis of their record. In Gujarat so far only 28 hospitals have received the accreditation granted by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Health Care Providers (NABH) under the reputed autonomous Quality Council of India.

A provision requiring the periodical renewal of licenses of our medical establishments on the basis of their performance will not only lead to the improvement of our medical facilities, but will also go a long way in attracting more NRI patients to the State.

The writer is former Indian Ambassador and is presently the Chairman of Non Resident Gujaratis (NRG) Centre, which is founded and maintained

by Government of Gujarat and located at Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Ahmedabad.

Alzheimer'a patients could also have pre-diabetes. It has been found that many people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease also have pre-diabetes, suggesting one problem could be the cause of the other.

Georgetown University neurologist R. Scott Turner, MD, PhD, study examines resveratrol, a compound found in red grapes and red wine, to see if it might change glucose levels in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

He said that resveratrol is believed to act on proteins in the brain in a way that mimics effects of a low-calorie diet. Turner, director of the Georgetown University Medical Center’s Memory Disorders Program that its known from animal studies that caloric restriction prevents diseases of aging like diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

Considering flip side of the coin, having diabetes increases one’s risk of developing AD, so perhaps

Even a few extra pounds can be deadly for your heart

eing overweight can raise the risk of heart B disease as well as diabetes

and high blood pressure.

A large-scale study, conducted on 200,000 people by a team at Uppsala University in Sweden, proved that an increase of one unit of Body Mass Index, between four and 12lbs depending on height, makes people at least 20 per cent more likely to develop heart failure.

The group also analyzed whether an alteration in a gene, that regulates hunger and increases BMI, was also linked to cardiovascular diseases.

Dr Tove Fall said that obesity and cardiovascular disease often occur together and it has been hard to determine whether increased BMI as such is dangerous. It was also found that obesity caused higher levels of insulin, blood pressure, cholesterol and more cases of diabetes.

To Our Readers We are publishing these items in good faith, kindly consult your Doctor before you try to implement it. We do not hold any responsibility for its efficacy...

by improving glucose tolerance, both diabetes and Alzheimer’s could be prevented or delayed.

To join the resveratrol study, participants were first given a fasting glucose tolerance test to obtain a baseline level, and then retested two hours after eating.

During digestion, the blood sugar level increases, but the pancreas produces insulin to lower it. A high sugar level after two hours reveals glucose intolerance (pre-diabetes) or diabetes if the level is very high.

Turner also informed that the number of people with glucose intolerance (pre-diabetes) was much higher than expected asserting that he was sur-

prised by how many people didn’t know they were pre-diabetic, and these are individuals who already get the best medical care Five (4 percent) of 128 participants had impaired fasting glucose levels while three others (2 percent) had findings consistent with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Of the 125 subjects who completed the two-hour test, 38 (30 percent) demonstrated glucose intolerance while 16 (13 percent) had results consistent with diabetes.

Thus, the overall prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes at two hours was 43 percent – or almost half of the individuals recruited to the study.

High fat intake linked to increased daytime sleepiness our level of sleepiness or alertness during the Y day may be related to the

type of food that you eat, a new study has suggested.

Results show that higher fat consumption was associated with increased objective daytime sleepiness, while higher carbohydrate intake was associated with increased alertness.

There was no relationship between protein consumption and sleepiness or alertness. These findings were independent of the subjects` gender, age, and body mass index as well as the total amount of sleep they were getting and their total caloric intake.

"Increased fat consumption has an acute adverse effect on alertness of otherwise healthy, nonobese adults," said principal investigator Alexandros Vgontzas, MD, professor of psychiatry at the Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pa. According to the researchers, previous studies had found that diet composition affects subjective sleepiness.

"It appears that a diet high in fat decreases alertness acutely, and this may have an impact on an individual`s ability to function and also public safety," said Vgontzas.

DIMPLE SELF DRIVE HIRE LTD

DIMPLE VANS - CARS - MINIBUS

Competitive prices No hidden extras Unlimited mileage 3 days & over Special weekend rates Minibuses 8, 12, 15 & 17 seaters Vans & estate cars

Mini Bus (8-17 Seater) 8 Seater from £60 12 Seater from £65 15 Seater from £70 17 Seater from £80 Small Cars from £25 Medium Cars from £30 Large Cars from £35 Large Vans from £40

Tel: 020 8205 1200 / 7898 Fax: 020 8200 7426 www.dimpleselfdrive.com Email:dimplemotors@aol.com 19 Varley Parade, Edgware Road, London NW9 6RR

30

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

“Samvad” initiated to inspire literary culture photo courtesy: Suryakant Jadva

Kamnath branding solutions organised Ame Gujarati in London on 27 and 28 July at Wembley Stadium. The event included stalls and entertainment. The main sponsor was bank of Baroda, media partner Zee Tv, marketing partner Di5global, Pavillion partnersAndhra Pradesh Tourism, Karnataka tourism, Asian Wedding Magazine, Shahnaz Hussain and print partner Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar. The official caterer was Sanjay Foods.

Fu ll story ne xt we ek.

Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar to host their own Anand Mela Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar are to host their popular Anand Mela on 28th and 29th September 2013 at Kingsbury High School. The Mela like last year promises to being

exquisite shopping, fashion and entertainment to your area along with RaasGarba to celebrate the forthcoming Navratri.

(See advert on page 25)

Coming Events l Sunday 4th August 2013 - Bhajans, 3pm by Shree Budhdevbhai, Shree Manubhai Kotak finishing with Arti and Maha Prasad at 5.30pm. On Tues 6th Aug 2013 - Ashadhi Amavasya - Pitru Puja at the Temple 2.00pm, all welcome. l West London Patidar Samaj has organised Barbecue at Indian Gymkhana Osterley on Sunday 4th August 2013 from 4p.m. Please Contact Mukesh Patel on 020 8892 5056, Naresh Patel 020 8907 6855, Kanu Patel 020 8873 6984 l Gita Gnyan Yagna: a study of the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 11: Vishvaroop Darshan Yog Every Tuesday starting on 6 August 2013, CMS Cameron McKenna, Mitre House, 160 Aldersgate Street, London, EC1A 4DD l Millan Mela, Saturday 3 August at Harrow Leisure Centre, Stage Entertainment- India's independence day celebration, TV star India's famous comedian to visit, Raas Garba, bollywood dance and dance with Jay Kumar, 11am-7pm. Contact: Varsha Sallia 07903878401 l AMC presents Dhrupad course with Uday Bhawalkar, 5-9 Aug, Museum of Asian Music 1 Bradford Road, London W3 7SP l Parajiya Pattni Association London (PPA) Proudly Presents Lok Sahitya no Dayro On Saturday 3rd August 2013, Time: From 6.30pm Till Late, Harrow Leisure Centre, Mansfield Hall, Harrow HA3 5BD. Contact: 07742 591407 l Katha in Preston at the temple 5-13th August. l Murti Pratishtha Mahotsav, 2-4 Aug, 9 & 10 Honeypot Business Centre, HA7 1NL, organised by SSSS Mandal Kum Kum- UK 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 Operating Officer: 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 Chief Accountant: Akshay Desai Tel: 020 7749 4087 Email:accounts@abplgroup.com Business Manager: Alka Shah Tel: 020 7749 4002 - Mobile: 07944 151 893 Email: alka.shah@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Kishor Parmar Tel: 020 7749 4095 - Mobile: 07875 229 088 Email: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com Business Development Managers: Rovin J 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 Urja Patel - Email: urja.patel@abplgroup.com Kalpesh Shah Tel: 07539 88 66 44 Email: kalpesh.shah@abplgroup.com Graphic Designers: Harish Dahya & Ajay Kumar Tel: 020 7749 4086 Email: graphics@abplgroup.com Customer Service: Ragini Nayak Tel: 020 7749 4080 - Email: support@abplgroup.com (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd. 207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad.

Tel / Fax: +91 79 2646 5960

Gujarat Samachar & Asian Voice creates a parallel and complementary news service, and constructive feedback loops between people, reality and government.

Moreover it serves as a true companion always by your side. We cherish this bond and intent to keep it for ever, so we have been taking efforts to regularly publish the best in line with sincerity towards our ethics, values & duties towards society. Once again we are making an attempt to initiate ‘Samvad’ to inspire our culture, literature, language & youth development. Our community is privileged with lot many littérateurs, this will be a platform to share, interact, cherish, connect & explore the literary culture. The decision to start such activity was taken after series of long discussions & thinking of literati Mr Jagdishbhai Dave, learned Jain dignitary Dr Vinodbhai Kapasi and all of us. After approval of Mr CB Patel, it was finally decided to go for this literary activity, to meet once every month, on Saturday noon 3 to 6 at ‘Gujarat Samachar’ office, Karma yoga house, 12 Hoxton market, London N1 6HW (nearby tube station old street).

The first session of ‘Samvad’ has been organised on 24th Aug ’13 Saturday 3 pm to 6 pm in

series of ‘Apna lekhak ne odkho’ with Dr Jagdishbhai Dave. On this outlet, we will get an opportunity to cherish Dr Dave's work. He will share his passion for writing and the efforts that he is taking to spread our language of origin Gujarati & its progress among people.

Also there will be question round by literature lovers, that will help to know more about literature and its exploration by Dr Dave.

There will be interaction regarding literature, GujEng recitation along with discussion on Gujarati diaspora. With very objective, at the same time, is the launch of 'Kedi Jankhe Charan' book along with its CD. The series was run in Gujarat Samachar. Entry to the book launch program as well as 'Samvad' program is entirely free and open for all, but prior registration only. We look forward to turn Samvad not only into mere discussion and interaction, but more fruitful that it becomes platform, source and concrete step towards preservation of our language & culture. We invite Gujarati and English speaking youth, men, women to come forward to contribute towards this cause. All are welcome.

Contact Mr Kamal Rao 020 7749 4001, Dr Vinodbhai Kapasi 07966 006 261and Mr Bhanubhai Pandya 07931 708 026.

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.

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20

Decision making will prove to be a bit of a bind because of your wavering mind - seek professional advice and then steam ahead.

Be careful with your expenditure as you have a tendency to be extravagant. Relationships need to be scrutinised carefully. Try to stand back and get a more objective view of the pattern of your life.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21

It is a good time for dealing with financial interests with a long-term basis, such as investments, insurance and all jointly held resources. You will be able to sort out any difficulties by taking immediate action. Therefore you will need to adopt a fairly flexible policy to accommodate the odd twists and turns of everyday life.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22

Extra energy and drive will serve you well in getting things accomplished. There appears to be a more successful trend coming into effect.

Amorous affairs continue to be highlighted whether or not this leads to a lasting relationship depends much on your own personal maturity and circumstances.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

Take some time out to reflect. Try and work out where you want to make changes in your busy life.

Once you know, don't hesitate to implement it systematically. A tremendous amount of planetary activity in your chart signals a time of mixed emotions as well as personal issues to be dealt with.

Your thinking is inspired, so listen to your thoughts. This may be a time of expansion and improved opportunity and it would be unwise to let yourself become complacent. A good time for restructuring and rethinking your aims and interests.

Affairs of the heart are likely to flourish.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

You will be pleased to see that your social life livens up during this week. 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 come out on top.

With Venus in your solar 11th house, this is a good time for your social as well as your love life.

If you’re single you are likely to meet the person of your dreams.

You could also benefit at work through a promotion. Organise your time so that it is not taken up entirely by the demands of other people.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

Bureau Chief: Nilesh Parmar (M) +91 94266 36912 Email: nilesh.parmar@abplgroup.com Consulting Editor: Bhupatbhai Parekh, Ahmedabad, Gujarat Tel: +91 79 2630 4142 Urvashi Jagadeesan (India) Mumbai: Kanti Bhatt, Hemraj Shah (Jumbo Advertiser) Horizon Advertising & Marketing: 205, Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar,Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad. Tel / Fax: +91 79 2646 5960 Email: horizon.marketing@abplgroup.com Business Manager: Hardik Shah (M) +91 99250 42936 Email: hardik.shah@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Neeta Patel (Vadodara) M: +91 98255 11702 Email: neeta_abplgroup@yahoo.co.in Assistant Marketing Manager: Manish Shah (Vadodara) M: +91 96876 06824 Email: manish.shah@abplgroup.com Assistant Marketing Manager: Krunal Shah (Ahmedabad) M: +91 98243 67146 Email: krunal.shah@abplgroup.com Business Co-ordinator: Shrijit Rajan M: +91 98798 82312 Email: shrijit.rajan@abplgroup.com Prashant Chanchal (Rajkot) M: +91 98250 35635 International Advertisement Representative: Jain Group (South India) Tel: +91 44 42041122/3/4 Fax: +91 44 25362973 Mumbai: +91 222471 4122 Email: jain@jaingroup.net Delhi Office: Tel: +91 44 9311581597

This is a good time to get away from usual routines and seek a retreat for a few days. All the better if you are interested in such things as meditation, yoga and therapies that help you to get in closer touch with your inner self. This will have a beneficial effect on your physical and psychological well-being.

Asian Voice Head Office

The Sun moves into your solar sixth house, the accent shifts to your job interests and physical welfare. Do not try to rush projects to completion - pace yourself sensibly. At the moment, relationships are experiencing major transformations - those with shaky foundations should be extra careful.

Karma Yoga House, 12 Hoxton Market, (Off Coronet Street) London N1 6HW. Tel: 020 7749 4080, Fax: 020 7749 4081 www.abplgroup.com © Asian Business Publications

Asian Voice switchboard: 020 7749 4000 Gujarat Samachar switchboard: 020 7749 4080 Advertising Sales: 020 7749 4085

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20 Either you or your partner have been going through a phase of inner doubts and uncertainties, and perhaps the main source of tension has simply been the need for breathing space in your relationship and a need to look at things more objectively. Wait before going full steam ahead with grand actions and gestures.

Much enthusiasm goes into professional ambitions right now, but you need to be your own boss in many ways. Circumstances will make you more determined to place your lifestyle on a foundation of greater security. Taking a broad perspective on the prevailing cosmic pattern, far-reaching change begins to gather momentum.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

Sport World

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

IPL spot-fixing: BCCI probe panel illegal, says Bombay HC

In a severe blow to BCCI and its president-in-exile N Srinivasan, the Bombay high court held as "illegal and unconstitutional" the twomember probe panel set up by it to look into spot-fixing and betting charges in the IPL tournament.

The high court order comes just two days after the probe panel submitted its report on July 28 giving a clean chit to Srinivasan, his son-in-law and owner of Chennai Super Kings team Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra, owner of Rajasthan Royals and husband of actress Shilpa Shetty.

A division bench of justices S J Vazifdar and M S Sonak was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Cricket Association of Bihar and its secretary Aditya Verma challenging the constitution of the two-member commission, set up by the (Board for Control of Cricket in India) BCCI and IPL Governing Council to probe allegations of betting and spot-fixing.

The bench, while allowing the PIL, said the constitution of the probe panel was "illegal

N Srinivasan, Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra

and unconstitutional." "We have succeeded and the court has accepted our contentions.

It is now up to the BCCI to see what is to be done next," advocate Amit Naik, who appeared along with senior counsels Virendra Tulzapurkar and Birendra Saraf for the petitioner, said.

The PIL urged the court to direct BCCI to recall its order constituting the probe panel and instead the court shall form a panel of retired judges as it may deem fit to hold inquiry against Meiyappan, India Cements Ltd and Jaipur IPL Cricket Pvt Ltd with regard to their involvement in spot fixing and betting.

No proof against Gurunath, Kundra, says BCCI probe

panel: Meanwhile, a report submitted by a two-member panel that probed allegations of betting and spot-fixing against Meiyappan, India Cements Ltd (owner of Chennai Super Kings) and Jaipur IPL Pvt Ltd (owner of Rajasthan Royals), found no direct evidence of wrongdoing on the part of any party. The panel consisted of two former judges of the Tamil Nadu high court, Jayaram Chouta and R Balasubramanian.

The gist of the panel's report was shared with members of the BCCI working Committee by 'caretaker' board head Jagmohan Dalmiya and interim secretary Sanjay Patel at a meeting in Kolkata.

The report gave an inconclusive reference to Meiyappan's alleged involvement in betting on IPL matches. The same could not be established because of alleged non-cooperation on the part of Mumbai Police, which had booked him for the offence, the report says.

"The report clearly said that Meiyappan may or may not have been involved.

There is no proof available against him in front of the probe committee to accuse him of betting in IPL matches," a source close to the development said.

The report's virtual clean chit means that Srinivasan, who had "stepped aside" from the BCCI president's post pending the completion of the inquiry, is now free to return to the hot seat. Whether he warms up to it immediately, or waits till August 2 when the IPL Governing Council meets in New Delhi to further discuss the report, remains to be seen.

"The Governing Council will examine the report and take a decision. A copy of the report will be made public in due course," Dalmiya said.

India to open World Cup defence against Pak in 2015

Defending champions India will take on arch-rival Pakistan in their opening match of the ICC Cricket World Cup to be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand from February 14 to March 29, 2015.

Placed in the relatively easy Group B, India, who won the 2011 event after defeating Sri Lanka in the final in Mumbai, will start their title defence on February 15.

Incidentally, India have never lost to Pakistan in any of their five World Cup clashes so far.

The Indians will complete their group fixtures against Zimbabwe at Eden Park, Auckland (on March 14). India will also play

South Africa (in Melbourne on February 22), Qualifier 4 (in Perth on February 28), West Indies (in Perth on March 6) and Ireland (in Hamilton on March 10).

"It only seems like yesterday that we won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 in front of a passionate and supportive home crowd," said India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who guided the team to the 2011 triumph.

"World Cup is a very special event for every cricketer because it only takes place every four years. Having tasted success in Mumbai in 2011, we'll be working very hard to retain it.

"I'm keenly looking forward to the tournament and

confident that we'll do well.

Our recent victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 has provided the team with a lot of confidence, and I am sure this experience will help us in our preparations for the World Cup in 2015," he added.

The tournament will open on February 14 with co-hosts Australia and New Zealand playing their first matches in front of their home crowds.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will host the final on March 29.

New Zealand will square off against 1996 champions Sri Lanka in the tournament opener in Christchurch and later on the same day, under the MCG floodlights, four-

time former champions Australia will go head-tohead with arch-rivals England.

New Zealand will also host Australia when the two neighbouring countries lock horns in Auckland on March 28.

A total of 49 matches will be played in the 44-day tournament across 14 venues in the two countries.

Australia will stage 26 matches in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, whilst the 23 matches in New Zealand will be held in Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Napier, Nelson and Wellington, the ICC said in a statement.

Ahmedabad-born Timil Patel to captain US cricket team Ahmedabad-born Timil Patel was named captain of the US cricket team that will face Canada in Auty Cup, a fiveday event, in Toronto. USA is associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC), which has 10 full members (all Test playing nations) and 37 associate members.

According to reports, Patel was tipped to be the captain after regular skipper Steven Taylor had violated the USA Cricket Association (USACA) tour protocol.

Incidentally, 29-year-old Patel, now settled in Los Angeles, made his debut for the US in November 2012 in Florida against Canada during the previous Auty Cup series. In that series, he was stand-in captain after Taylor suffered a leg injury.

“Being named the US cap-

tain is an enormous honour and I am grateful to USACA for this opportunity. We have a young team that is determined to do well and win the Auty Cup back for the US,” Timil reportedly said.

“Last year, it was very difficult losing to Canada. I have been working hard in the lead-up to this year’s competition and I hope to lead by example. Robin is a very tac-

tical coach and demands the best from players. As captain, I intend to assist him to ensure that our players understand our roles and that we work as a unit on the field. I am really looking forward to the challenge,” Timil was quoted as saying.

Former India all-rounder Robin Singh is the US coach.

He has faith in Timil’s ability and expects him to deliver. “I expect the US team to be very competitive and give a really good account of ourselves. I am hopeful of some great performances from our captain Timil Patel,” the coach was quoted by a cricket website.

Timil is accompanied by another Patel – Mittal – in the 14-member team.

Before leaving for USA, Timil had 38 first class caps with 72 scalps to his credit while playing in India. Timil,

who came to the side as specialist spinner, gradually developed his batting skills, too. In fact, he played his last first class game in November 2009 against Himachal Pradesh in Surat where he opened the batting. Timil had represented Gujarat in U-14, U-19 and Ranji Trophy.

Gujarat captain Parthiv Patel was equally delighted with his friend’s feat. “This is a proud moment for us. USA might be an associate member team, but leading a national team is always a player’s dream. Moreover, he has the experience of first class cricket and having captained U-19 Gujarat and West Zone teams must have gone in his favour,” gushed Parthiv, who has shared the dressing room with Timil since their U-14 days for Gujarat.

31

IPL spot-fixing: Sreesanth, Dawood Ibrahim named

Two months after the arrest of three cricketers for spotfixing in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Delhi Police filed a chargesheet naming underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his aide Chhota Shakeel as the fountainheads of the fixing and betting racket in India.

This is the first time in more than a decade that Dawood has been named as an accused in any case. The 6,000-page charge sheet names a total of 39 persons as accused for offences of cheating and conspiracy under sections of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Ten of the accused are absconding.

Other accused in the case include Rajasthan Royals cricketers S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankit Chavan, who were arrested in May on the basis of phone conversations and footage of IPL matches where they were caught giving predetermined signals to bookies.

The Delhi Police has moved court for the cancellation of bail granted to Sreesanth, Chavan and 19 others. They have also got non-bailable warrants against Dawood and Chota Shakeel.

The chargesheet includes phone conversations, voice sample reports, forensic reports and confessional statements.

The chargesheet was filed just days before N Srinivasan returns to the post of BCCI president, which he was forced to temporarily relinquish following allegations of betting and fixing against his son-in-law, Gurunath Meiyappan.

Murray named Britain’s ‘champion of champions’

Wimbledon Champion Andy Murray has been named Britain`s champion of champions based on a recent poll taken by Sun readers, while Sir Bradley Wiggins finished second with Olympic ace Mo Farah in third. In a poll to choose the top sports star from a momentous 12 months, voters went for Murray as the overwhelming favourite after his historic Wimbledon win. There were talks of Murray being given knighthood with British PM David Cameron leading among supporters but a few people suggested it might be too early for the Scot to receive such a title. Murray ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a men’s singles champion at Wimbledon after he defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the 2013 final.

India retain third spot in ICC T20 rankings

India held on to their third spot after the annual update of the ICC Twenty20 rankings was announced. Sri Lanka have retained their position as the number one ranked team in the list.

The annual update was released just two days before Pakistan take on defending ICC World Twenty20 champions West Indies in a two-match series, in Kingstown, St Vincent.

At the June ICC board meeting during the annual conference week in London, the ICC board agreed to change the T20I rankings period from three years to four years.

The ICC board also decided that the annual update to the Test, ODI and T20I rankings should now take place on May 1, rather than August 1, to better align with the current international calendar.

This change has been incorporated in the latest update, and has been backdated to May 1, 2013. The updated table now reflects all T20I matches completed after August 1, 2010. All T20I matches played until the start of May 2014 will be added to this table. There are no ranking changes as a result of this annual update and most countries' ratings change by no more than a point or two.

Fourteen out of the 16 countries with T20I status are ranked, with Afghanistan and Canada yet to play the required eight rated matches.

Afghanistan need to play one more and Canada two more prior to May 2014 in order to join the rankings.

Meanwhile, Pakistan have an opportunity to move to the second place in the ICC T20I rankings table if they win both the matches against West Indies in the upcoming series.

32

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 3rd August 2013

India beat Zimbabwe; seal series An unbeaten half-century from captain Virat Kohli spurred India to a seven-wicket victory over Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club on Sunday and earned the world champions an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five match, one-day series.

Kohli, who scored 115 in the first one dayer, never looked troubled as he compiled 68 from 88 balls and led his team past their victory target of 184 with 87 balls to spare. Batting at number three, he was involved in successive 50-run partnerships with Ambati Rayudu (33) and Suresh Raina (28 not out) that ended Zimbabwe's hopes of defending the modest 183 they had posted in their innings.

“With our early breakthroughs with the ball and consistent bowling throughout the innings, we did not let them get away with anything,” Kohli said. “I didn’t think we had to seal the series today, we just had to play good cricket, if we execute properly we are going to end up on the winning side more often than not. I have been hitting the ball sweetly for the last couple of months. It's all about taking responsibility, I am not worried about how much I score, I am more concerned about if I have put the team in a good position to win the game.”

India won the toss and elected to field, hoping to get the most out of the earlymorning moisture in the wicket.

Zimbabwe were soon in trouble, losing two wickets with the same number of runs on the board, but a third wicket stand of 65 between Hamilton Masakadza (38) and Brendan Taylor (23) got them out of the early doldrums.

India thrash Zimbabwe: In the second ODI, Shikhar Dhawan capitalised on three reprieves to slam his third ODI century as India maintained their stranglehold over minnows Zimbabwe with a comfortable 58-run victory.

Dhawan struck 116 as India recovered from early jolts to post a competitive 294 for eight and then restricted the hosts to 236 for nine to take a 2-0 series lead in the five-match series.

Put into bat, India were in a spot of bother at 65 for four at one stage before Dhawan and Dinesh Karthik (69) put on 167 runs for the fifth wicket to not only restore the innings but take them to a commanding total at the Harare Sports Club.

The Indians could have won the match by a much bigger margin but a defiant late-order resistance by Elton Chigumbara (46) and Prosper Utseya (52 not out) delayed the inevitable with the duo adding 88 runs for the seventh wicket to frustrate the tourists.

Opener Visu Sibanda (55) also provided a rollicking start to the Zimbabwean

innings which somehow lost the momentum after his departure with five wickets falling within a span of 24 runs.

For India, Jaydev Unadkat was the pick of the bowlers with four for 41 while leg-spinner Amit Mishra accounted for two wickets.

Virat Kohli, Ambati Rayudu drive India to victory: Virat Kohli made his second ODI century as captain - and 15th overall to become India's third-highest century-maker - and Ambati Rayudu marked his international debut with a promising 63 as India completed a onesided victory over Zimbabwe in Harare to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Chasing 229 on a decent batting pitch, India took advantage of a lacklustre bowling effort from Zimbabwe to cruise to their ninth win of the summer, out of a total of 11 played, reaching the target with four wickets in hand and 31 balls to spare.

Despite removing both openers inside 13 overs, Zimbabwe barely had time to celebrate their minor accomplishments before Kohli and Rayudu smoothed over the cracks in a 159-run partnership that earned a young team success. The result continues India's impressive winning streak over the past six weeks and gives Kohli an understanding of the captaincy in the absence of experienced players.

In pursuit of a modest target, India lost Shikhar Dhawan (17) caught at deep fine leg when pulling Kyle Jarvis. Rohit Sharma scratched around 40 balls for 20 before wafting at Elton Chigumbura, which brought to the crease Rayudu. He and Kohli worked the ball into the gaps and cashed in on over-pitched deliveries during a stand that quickly downgraded Zimbabwe's total from modest to easy.

Kohli caressed boundaries through the covers and past between midwicket and mid-on during his 115 - the two languid drives he played early on off Jarvis and Chigumbura were the best - as Zimbabwe's hopes of repeating their 2010 success at home against a weakened Indian side faded. His innings accelerated the more he scored but he hardly needed to take any risks, instead pouncing on over-pitched and short offerings and clipping coolly through the on side when the quicks strayed onto his pads. In reaching his 15th ODI century in 102 balls, in his 109th ODI, Kohli drew level with Virender Sehwag in the all-time India list.

Rayudu, making what many in India will feel is a long overdue debut, was solid in technique and reciprocated his captain's keenness between the wickets. He was watchful initially and appeared intent on making his first innings count; spin

was played with dabs and steers and the fast men worked into the gaps with little fuss. Forty-eight deliveries separated his first and second boundaries as Rayudu chose to shun his attacking ways. He reached his half-century in 74 balls, thus becoming the 11th Indian to do so.

Kohli moved from 100 to 115 in four balls before swatting Prosper Utseya to long-off, with 13 needed, and two balls later Suresh Raina fell for 0. But that was the last success for Zimbabwe. The KohliRayudu alliance was the 14th best overall for the third wicket for India.

Unfortunately for the hosts, they were unable to capitalise on their fifth-best opening partnership against India in ODIs and Chigumbura's late cameo did not do enough to challenge India.

Pakistan-born Sikandar Raza's maiden ODI fifty (82) provided the platform but a procession of wickets between overs 3040 set Zimbabwe back as India's bowlers, in particular Amit Mishra, kept a check on the run rate.

The absence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who was regularly produced breakthroughs early for India, was felt as Zimbabwe's openers ground out 21.5 overs. Two-thirds of the innings after Kohli opted to field was largely risk-free, with the aim no doubt being to set a platform and then build towards the denouement. India's new-ball pair of Vinay Kumar and Mohammed Shami was disciplined without being penetrative.

There was a bit of movement off the deck but apart from a couple inside edges and shaves past the bat Raza and Vusi Sibanda were able to manoeuvre the Powerplay with relative ease. Only when the ball was really pitched up did the batsmen take toll; Raza flicked Shami off the pads and Sibanda beat mid-off with a firm push. Those were the only boundaries scored in the first ten overs.

Mishra, in his first ODI since July 2011, snapped an obdurate stand of 72 when Sibanda (34) misread a googly.

Sean Williams (15) was bowled by Raina in the 31st over and Hamilton Masakadza, whose brief appeared to be to attack, was bowled by Mishra for 9 when looking for six down the ground.

Raza, dropped on 28 by Kohli at slip off Ravindra Jadeja, dominated a whirlwind stand of 43 in five overs with Brendan Taylor, cutting and pulling with clinical ease. Vinay went for 24 in two Powerplay overs with Raza slamming two sixes, but in the remaining 18 deliveries Zimbabwe managed just 15 runs. Taylor (12), Malcolm Waller (2) and Raza fell in succession and it was down to Chigumbura's 34-ball 43 to get the score past 200.

Usain Bolt returns to London; wins 100m in 9.85 sec Usain Bolt returned to the scene of his triple Olympic glory and duly delivered for 60,000 camera-flashing fans as he overcame a slow start to win the 100 metres and give the London Anniversary Games the Friday finale it demanded.

Ukrainian high jumper Bohdan Bondarenko did briefly threaten to steal the Diamond League show when he went close to beating Javier Sotomayor's 20-year-old world record but when he brushed the bar, all eyes quickly turned back to London's favourite Jamaican.

Once he got into his running he came through comfortably in 9.85 seconds, his fastest of a somewhat ragged season, as he edges towards top form ahead of next month's world championships in Moscow.

American Michael Rodgers was second in 9.98 with Jamaican Nesta Carter third in 9.99.

A year ago Bolt completed a second successive Olympic sprint clean sweep and, tempted back by the British Government's easing of his potential tax burden, capped off a night dripping

with nostalgia for those two astonishing weeks in 2012.

The entertainment began with a video montage of some of the high-

lights from what is generally agreed to have been an unparalleled Olympic athletics programme. It was a dose of feel-good factor much needed in the wake of the recent doping positives that have robbed Moscow of two of the main 100m contenders Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell.

And while Bolt was never likely to get close to his 2012 winning time of 9.63 two weeks ahead of his attempt to regain the world title he lost after his 2011 false start, he looked to have plenty in the tank.

“My start was poor and I need to work on that,” he said.

The only man who looks remotely capable of preventing Bolt taking a third successive 200m world title next month is compatriot Warren Weir and the 23-year-old continued his sharp 2013 form with a 19.89 victory over another Jamaican, Jason Young.

Weir's season's best of 19.79, also his personal best, is just behind Bolt's 19.72 but the half-lap is the main man's favourite event.