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Vol 44 | Issue 22

3rd to 9th October 2015 WORLD

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

P23

WORLD HAS LOST HUMANITY: MALALA

SPORT

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More stories on page 16 and 17

Modi connects with the mass and the leaders alike with ease on his second US trip The palpable success of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2nd visit to the United States is visiAfter its recent acquisition of Crimea, among a hovering threat of intrusion from Russia, the Baltic country of Lithuania will unveil a statue of Indian freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi, a mere few metres away from the Russian border. In a statement of peace, Lithuanian P 26

UK P13

PM Modi’s another historic visit

Weddings, Civil Registries, Conferences, Bespoke Events & Other Special Occasions

Lithuania to unveil Gandhi, Kallenbach statues

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bly evident as the Congress struggles to make jibes at him and the best they

Irish children recite Sanskrit shlokas

The Irish children welcomed Modi by reciting Sanskrit shlokas when he visited that country. "The Irish children were reciting shlokas in Sanskrit and singing welcome songs. It did not seem to me that they were just tutored.

They were able to express the feelings of the words," the Prime Minister said during his short speech. "I congratulate their teachers. It's a matter of happiness that we can do it in Ireland. But had it been done in India, then questions would have been raised on secularism," he said. "Recital of Shlokas in Sanskrit by children was very touching. Simply mesmerising! Great to see these children recite in Sanskrit," Modi tweeted.

could muster so far is to imply he is a bad son and insult his impeccable dressing sense. Modi, is by far the best person to endorse the country, making it almost impossible for g l o b a l hotshots to ignore our 'third world' region. With a flair for making himself heard, Modi thrives on his natural ease with which he connects with people; the mass P 26

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ONE ONE with Keith Vaz, MP

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Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

to

Baroness Valerie Amos

Baroness Valerie Amos joined as Director of SOAS, University of London in September 2015. From 2010, Valerie served as Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the UN. She served in a number of roles in the public sector including in local government and as Chief Executive of the Equal Opportunities Commission.

Valerie was an adviser to the Mandela Government on leadership and change management issues and was appointed a Labour Life Peer in 1997.

She went on to become the first black woman to sit in the British cabinet as Secretary of State for International Development. Valerie became Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council in October 2003 and served as UK High Commissioner to Australia before joining the UN. 1) What is your current position Director, SOAS, University of London.

2) What are your proudest achievements?

Making the case for people who have been left out and didn’t have a space in which to voice their needs. For example, people facing hunger and fleeing brutality and abuse.

3) What inspires you?

Seeing the incredible things people do to support each other. I saw a lot of this in my last job when I was running humanitarian affairs for the UN. People with very little, prepared to share it.

I don’t believe in obstacles. I see setbacks as an opportunity to grow and learn.

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

A number of people have influenced me.

My parents in particular, believed in all their children and told us that we c o u l d achieve anything if we worked hard enough.

And a huge number of people through the years who have supported me, given me advice and sustained me.

AsianVoiceNews

They have all helped shape who I am.

which can be a key part of effective scholarship.

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

Being in an environment with lots of young people. I like the energy and vitality and unconventional ways of looking at issues.

8) What are your long term goals?

In this role, I would like to see a SOAS which is the best in the world in research and teaching on Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Corbyn urges for change in society

Jeremy Corbyn in the Brighton conference has told British voters they don't have to accept that inequality and injustice are inevitable - and things "can and must change".

In his first conference speech after becoming Labour leader, Mr Corbyn vowed to create a "kinder politics, a more caring society".

But he also attacked David Cameron's "shocking broken promises" and said Labour would "challenge austerity".

7) And the worst?

An increasingly competitive higher education environment where it is becoming more difficult to engage in collaborative working

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

Brit-Pakistani journalist charged for conspiracy A British Pakistani undercover reporter Mazher Mahmood – known as the “Fake Sheikh” - has been charged by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) with alleged conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Mazher Mahmood previously worked for Murdoch's News of the World tabloid, which the media mogul was forced to shut in 2011. Mahmood, who is well-known for revealing wrongdoing amongst politicians, TV and film stars and even royalty, was suspended by Rupert Murdoch's Sun newspaper after the col-

Mazher Mahmood

lapse of a celebrity trial in which he was a main witness.

In announcing the charges, Nick Vamos, deputy head of special crime at the CPS, said the men were being charged “after a full file of evidence

was submitted by the Metropolitan police on 5 June this year”.

He said: “After carefully considering all of the evidence the CPS has decided that there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and it is in the public interest to charge both men.

“This decision comes after it was alleged that Mr Smith agreed with Mr Mahmood to change his statement to police as part of a trial in July 2014, and

that Mr Mahmood then misled the court.”

In a statement issued through his lawyer, Mahmood said: “I am deeply disappointed that, after a totally unjustified delay, the Crown Prosecution Service have today informed me that they have decided to charge me with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

“I deny the offence. I will vigorously contest it at court. In the meantime I have nothing further to say.”

Mahmood and Smith are due to appear at Westminster magistrates court on 30 October.

Record price for Dr Amte’s biography in UK Famous philanthropist and animal welfare activist Dr Prakash & Mandakini Amte’s visit to UK created much hype during his two of the many events carried across UK. Hemalkasa Health Foundation UK members Rahul Karurkar, Siddharth Mukne, Rahul Chimbalkar, Ashok Rokade, Mohini Kelkar & Nikhil Deshpande organised the events across UK. The London event held at Nehru centre on 20th Sept was packed house despite being a festival season. It was for the first time in the history of High Commission of India allowed Nehru centre to open on Sunday especially for this event.

Dr Prakash inaugurated website of Hemalkasa Health Foundation UK, a charity trust to receive help from UK for Lokabiradari Prakalpa at Hemalkasa. Audience was spellbound listening Dr Amte’s expe-

riences during his 43 yrs of work for tribals and orphaned animals. Dr Amte’s Autobiography Pathways to Light was auctioned at Slough event and a single copy was sold for 1000 pounds equivalent to more than one lac rupees.

The second copy was sold at £500. There is no known record

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

A Britain which is able to truly embrace its global role and is not fearful of difference and diversity.

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

Sojourner Truth. The African American women's and human rights activist and abolitionist.

She escaped slavery. She challenged the system in court and won. And she spoke at the Ohio Women's Rights Convention in 1851 in a speech that's been labelled 'Ain't I a Woman' and is often quoted. She was remarkable!

New India Assurance hosts cocktail reception

Paren Patel, CB Patel and Girish Radhakrishnan

Girish Radhakrishnan, CEO of the New India Assurance Co Ltd organised a cocktail reception at the Washington Mayfair Hotel in London, which was attended by crème de la crème of the industry.

of any marathi book getting such a huge price in the history.

Therefore it was widely acknowledged as a record.

Slough Mitra Mandal helped arrange Slough event. Many people are still donating generously. A digital x-ray machine was also sponsored for Hemalkasa hospital.

British pilgrims still reported missing Concern is growing among families for several groups of British pilgrims who cannot be made contact with, since the stampede that killed more than 700 in Saudi Arabia.

The Muslim Council of Wales said it knew of around 120 people in three groups from Cardiff, Newport and Swansea who were unaccounted for.

Dr Hojjat Ramzy, an imam and director of the Oxford Islamic Information Centre, is one of the many families and friends anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones.

A spokesperson told Sky News other members who travelled to Mecca for haj had made contact to say they were safe but there had been no word from the missing pilgrims, and their phones were not available.

Though the foreign and Commonwealth office (FCO) has not yet confirmed whether any British pilgrims are among the 719 people killed and 863 injured, but a spokesperson said it was "urgently gathering information".

COMMENTS

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Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

Indian space venture in higher orbit September 24 was the first anniversary of the success of India’s Mars Mission, hence it is the appropriate time to reflect on India’s space programme and its achievements. Space science has taken a giant step forward with recent advances in cryogenic technology. The road to its mastery was hard; there were setbacks for the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) as it grappled with numerous hurdles on the way to eventual success. The Clinton Administration did its utmost to derail it, just as President Reagan reneged on his promise to sell India the Cray 14 Supercomputer. India eventually produced supercomputers on its own, and has trodden the same path in manufacturing the cryogenic engine. ISRO scientists and engineers cast a lonely furrow to master cryogenic technology. There was indeed a purpose behind their endeavours. Put simply, without the cryogenic rocket India would have been unable send heavy satellites into deep space, that is into geosynchronous orbit – 36,000 miles above earth.. There was heartbreak when the Indian test, in April 2010, with a cryogenic engine failed to ignite correctly and the satellite plunged into the sea.. It was back to basics thereafter and much toil and tears before the cryogenic engine fired flawlessly to place the 21,117 kilogram communications satellite GSAT-6 into initial orbit in January 2014. On August 27 2015 a second launch confirmed the success of the first. The back-to-back successes meant that the system was operational, thus opening a new chapter in the Indian space narrative.

True, India had successful launches to the Moon and Mars, but the PSLV rocket – ISRO’s workhouse of many years - has the thrust capacity to put a satellite only into near earth orbit. That this rocket could send satellites into deep space can be ascribed to the innovative ability of the scientist and engineers who calcu-

lated a sling shot that would take the rockets and their payloads beyond the earth’s gravitational pull, enabling them to take the prescribed route to the Moon and Mars respectively, with virtually no gravitational force to impede their progress. The mathematical precision and the engineering skills of the exercise were spectacular, giving notice of the country’s growing capability in space.

The heavier GSLV satellites now propelled into deep space orbit have the cryogenic power, hence an Indian manned mission sometime in the future is a looming possibility. Such ventures will no longer have to depend on the European Space Agency, entailing huge fees. The Indian cryogenic rocket represents a significant saving to the country’s exchequer. India can now hire out its services to other nations, including NASA in the United States.

GSLV-MK II rockets will henceforward power a new series of heavy satellites into higher orbit.

Scientists and engineers are inevitably at their best when they face daunting challenges and keep raising the bar in the timeless tradition of scientific inquiry.

ISRO is now looking to the launch of the gigantic GSLV –MKIII with a massive indigenously developed cryogenic stage in December 2016. The 600-tonne GSLV MKIII will develop a thrust of 20 tonnes. S. Ramakrishnan, a senior scientist said: ‘We started from scratch to develop GSLV MK III. It is fully indigenously developed from the drawing stage. It has no reference to foreign technology. We recently successfully tested it for its full flight duration of 800 seconds.’ India is reaching for the stars, preparing hopefully for the galactic explorations that could unlock the mysteries of our universe and the myriad universes that lie beyond our solar system that defy human comprehension. It is Indian science and its possibilities that keep national self-confidence aloft.

The delusional Mirwaz and his fantasies The Mirwaz of Kashmir, one of the senior Muslim clerics of the Sunni-populated Valley was in one of his absurdist flights during an interview with a respected Indian newspaper. In one of his earlier written contributions, he appeared to issue a warning to the mainstream Indian opinion that without a dictated Islamist solution to the Kashmir imbroglio India would be in dire straits. The tune, alas, never alters, reality keeps receding towards a black hole of dense absurdity. His latest warning followed the trajectory of the others, the difference this time being his introduction of Saudi Arabia into the equation. The Mirwaz referred to the invitation he had received from the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to attend its conclave in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly summit. He suggested in anticipation that India’s best course would to call for Saudi Arabian mediation, the kingdom being India’s major oil supplier. Déjà vu, another variation of a familiar theme long rejected out of hand in New Delhi. Saudi Arabia is held in low esteem across India. The rape and torture of two Nepalese maids by a Saudi diplomat and his friends, the refusal of the Saudi government to permit the Indian authorities to bring the diplomat to justice on the specious plea that this would violate the Vienna Convention for the protection of foreign diplomats has

reduced that country’s moral standing in the country to zero. As to Saudi oil supplies to India, these are a commercial transaction paid for in US dollars The Mirwaz and his jihadi associates in the Valley and their Pakistani affiliates must understand that no Islamic state in Jammu and Kashmir will be acceptable to India – and not only India – but also to the civilized world beyond the subcontinent. The routine persecution and extermination of religious and ethnic minorities in the Middle East and, most glaringly, in next door Pakistan, have put nations near and far on guard.

The Mirwaz would be advised to think hard: the ‘unfinished business of the Subcontinent’s Partition,’ frequently referred to, was sealed and delivered in August 1947.That contract was violated and destroyed

by Pathan invaders of the Valley in October 1947; their Pakistani handlers gambled and lost. According to the rules of any casino every bet lost or won is permanent and cannot be undone. The Mirwaz would do well to pacify his inner demons and reconcile himself to a life under the rule of law, the right of free speech and thought plus gender equality for all of Jammu and Kashmir’s disparate communities. The clock cannot, will not, be turned back to a long discredited past of jihad, jizya and fatwa. Period.

Adivasis experience the dawn The tribal communities in the plains of India, also known as the Adivasis (original dwellers), such as the Santhals who populate the Bihar-Jharkhand-Bengal belt and their peers in Chhattisgarh, Odisa and Madhya Pradesh have been, and still are, for the most part, down trodden and desperately poor. Many work in tea gardens as pickers of the leaves that make up the brew.

Their blighted lives have been the subject of books, tracts and film documentaries. But the first light of an early dawn may belatedly be lighting up their darkened lives. A Western new agency reporter, visiting one of these tribal communities, witnessed at firsthand a more tolerable existence with its promise of fulfillment in the years to come. Here are his opening lines: ‘Pointing to a television set in her recently built mud and brick home, Indian villager Munia Murmu proudly shows off her off her new found wealth, thanks to hundreds of squirming green silk worms. Like thousands of other

tribal villagers in India, Murmu lives in extreme poverty, and until recently, could not afford enough food for her and her family. But the 40 year-old decided to join others in her community rearing wild silk worms in the native forests of her home state of eastern Bihar.’ The rest is a summary. Silk led to prized silk garments – India is second only to China in this field – The breeding seasons lasts three months of the year but this relatively short span yields her an income of Rs 50,000, an unimaginable figure not so long ago. Her house with two toilets, large bedroom and living room complete with TV set, is a comfortable abode. “Silkworms changed our lives,’ she said, pulling out a laptop to emphasize her point. Local NGO Pradhan helped out in innumerable ways. The Adivasis still have a long way to go to achieve the prosperity and stability they seek, and which is their right. But the first steps haven taken, and a long march, remember, begins with a single step.

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The one important thing that I have learned over the years is the difference between taking one's work seriously and taking one's self seriously. The first is imperative and the second is disastrous - Margot Fonteyn (1919-1991)

Cllr David Perry Leader of Harrow Council

Building a Better Harrow At September’s meeting of Full Council the Labour administration put forward for the ambitious regeneration of Harrow to build affordable homes, new schools, and redevelop our town centres, including in the ‘Heart of Harrow’ area from Wealdstone to Harrow on the Hill station.

Our robust proposals will also mean the Council will leave our costly and outdated Civic Centre and build a much smaller and more efficient office in the heart of Wealdstone and help regenerate this deprived area of Harrow.

The proposed new Civic Centre would be built on the site of the Peel House car park in Wealdstone. At just 2,500 square metres, the site is just a tenth of the size of the current Civic Centre and will lead to a savings in operational and maintenance costs of £528,000 a year.

At the site we’re leaving behind there are proposals for a new primary school, a new public square with shops, cafes, nightlife and maybe most importantly given the housing crisis in Harrow, 1145 new homes of which 458 will be affordable.

The most important part is that the price of these plans is nothing at all. We are absolutely determined that there

will be zero cost for all this to the Council Tax payers of Harrow. Every penny will be funded by the money we earn by developing our land, from national and regional grants that we win, from inward investment and external funding.

Our plans will involve working crossparty to ensure that we’re using the expertise of all local Councillors to work in the interests of our residents. We have also set up a resident’s panel, so our communities are consulted on the regeneration programme from beginning to end.

In addition our school expansions programme has seen £125m invested into expanding our schools to keep up with demand, with work being done on 28 schools, including special needs schools, across the Borough – creating almost 6,000 primary places, over 2,000 secondary places and 151 special educational need places.

All of this work shows that we're building a better Harrow together, for today, and for future generations.

We are creating the places and the opportunities that our communities deserve: a thriving, modern and vibrant borough that makes Harrow a home to be proud of.

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 Website: www.abplgroup.com © Asian Business Publications

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New award launched for 'dementia champions' LEICESTER: A new award for 'dementia champions' have been launched in an effort to raise awareness about the disease and its possible diagnosis. Doctors are hoping that this would reduce the stigma surrounding dementia in our community and encourage people to take early help from GPs regarding their memory.

Nominations for the award are open to GP practices, voluntary organisations and patient groups in the Rutland area. The deadline for entries is 31 January, 2016.

These awards are one of the measures being developed by the East Leicestershire and Rutland clinical commissioning group (CGC) which plans and pays for the local health services.

Dr Girish Purohit, a GP in Syston and CCG board member, told the Leicester Mercury: "The award is

information they need about dementia.

"It may also dispel many of the fears that people have about their memory because quite often a lot of memory issues may not be related to dementia.

"However, picking Dr Girish Purohit dementia up early means something I am really excited about. that patients get the help they need "We really need to promote and and that is really important." raise awareness of dementia both as a A programme of "memory matdiagnosis by clinicians and also ters" days is also being offered. The among the public and our patients to Uppingham Surgery ran the first day reduce stigma of the diagnosis itself in August when around 150 people so that patients are more willing to including local organisations gathcome and their GP about it." ered to provide information and He added: "It is really important advice. for patients and carer, when they susSurgery doctors and nurses pect somebody has an issues with undertook health reviews and providtheir memory, to see their GP early. ed memory screening tests for people "They will be able to get all the concerned about their memory.

World's fastest henna artist available at Birmingham Selfridges BIRMINGHAM: London's Pavan Ahluwalia is currently in Birmingham, creating works of wonder on customers' hands. Back for Eid, after a huge successful summer, she and her team will be showing off their skills in Selfridges.

30 years old Pavan, dubbed as a mehndi maestro, has so far painted 511 unique armbands in an hour in 2012, smashing her own record of 314 which she set in 2008. She is a self-taught henna artist

Pavan Ahluwalia

and has been doing it for 10 years. She reportedly confessed, “I was terrible at art. I actually did a degree in marketing. But I enjoyed drawing these.

It's theraputic, very relaxing.

"I would do it at people's weddings.”

She found that most people’s experience of henna was due to wedding or festivals. Pavan's idea was to make it as accessible as any other beauty treatment.

“We are such a multicultural society and a lot of people love the art.

“You can get your nails done at a nail bar and your eyebrows done at a brow bar, so why not get your henna done?

“It is like lipstick. It is affordable but can completely change your look.”

The pop up will be in Selfridges until October 11, to celebrate the festival of Eid. For Halloween, she is also offering UV henna, which glows in the dark.

Parents vow to fight for daughter’s treatment OLDHAM: The parents of a threeyear-old girl diagnosed with an ultrarare life-limiting genetic condition say they will never stop fighting to get their daughter the treatment she needs.

Amalia Amer has Morquio Syndrome, a genetic disorder in which the body is missing an important enzyme that breaks down sugars in the body. Amalia has serious health concerns as a result - including breathing and vision problems, hearing issues and joint problems. The symptom will worsen with time, and currently there is no cure.. Patients Amalia is one of only 100 sufferers in the UK - rarely live beyond their 20s.

Her determined parents Saima Javed and Amer Zaman, have joined a nationwide fight to get access to a new form of treatment that can help to alleviate symptoms and improve Amalia’s quality of life.

Saima (30), from Freehold, said: “Amalia was only about a year old when we first started noticing problems. She stopped eating properly

receive it through the and was often sick. She NHS. A decision had started squinting and been expected earlier struggled to breathe. this year but has now We knew something been delayed until was wrong but it took January despite a long two years of tests and battle by campaigners. referrals before she was For Amalia and diagnosed. When they other children with the told us the news it was a syndrome, the wait relief to finally have a could prove costly. The diagnosis - but when condition can result in doctors explained the progressive deterioracondition we were tion in a matter of weeks heartbroken. To be told or months. that there is no cure or Saima, who is also treatment was horrible mum to two other girls, — I burst into tears.”

Amalia Amer and her said: “I think it is terrible The family then mother Saima that they have put a cost heard about a new on my daughter’s life. Amalia’s sympenzyme-replacement drug, Vimizim, toms have worsened. She is such a which had been undergoing a UK-led energetic and lively little girl. It trial and had improved symptoms. breaks my heart to think she could They thought there was hope for their lose that and be wheelchair-bound. daughter.

I’m dreading the day I have to tell her But despite being licensed in 2014 about her condition. I don’t want to and available in over 30 countries, have to tell her there is a life-changthe drug has yet to be approved for ing treatment but she can’t have it.” use here and patients are unable to

Bordesley Green driver sent victim '6ft in the air' BIRMINGHAM: A crazed drinkdriver who deliberately smashed into a group of men – sending one 6ft in the air – has been jailed for 12 months. Javeed Malik sent one victim “clean up into the air” before mounting a second charge at the group across a pedestrian area.

The 33-year-old, of Garrison Lane, Bordesley Green, fled when police arrived on the scene. Malik was locked up and banned from

In Brief AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

driving for three years after a judge used his Volkswagen Golf “as a weapon”. He admitted charges of dangerous driving and driving with excess alcohol.

Warwick Crown Court heard he had several previous drink-drive convictions and was on licence from a ten-year sentence for his part in an armed robbery in 2008. He went on the attack in Coventry city centre in the early hours of May 21.

The crash victim got straight to his feet, the court heard, and ran back towards the group. Malik told police his pal was attacked when they became separated after leaving a nightclub. He spotted the incident as he drove around looking for his friend.

Malik accepted he had driven across the pedestrian area but claimed he did not deliberately drive at the man he hit.

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Immigration officers make 24 arrests

MANCHESTER: Immigration officers swooped on companies, restaurants and fast food takeaways across greater Manchester, and made 24 arrests during two-week crackdown on illegal workers. The action coincides with the government’s announcement of the Immigration Bill.

Raids were carried out from September 8 to 18. Arrests were made during coordinated raids by Home Office immigration enforcement officers. A total of 14 businesses were warned they would be liable to pay fines of up to £20,000 for each illegal worker found, unless evidence could be provided that correct pre-employment checks were carried out.

Immigration minister James Brokenshire said: “The message is clear — if you are here illegally, you shouldn’t be entitled to receive the everyday benefits and services available to hard-working families and people who have come to this country legitimately to contribute. Whether it is working, renting a flat, having a bank account or driving a car, the new Bill will help us to take tougher action than ever before on those who flout the law.”

Dr Manav Arora guilty of sex attack on hospital patient

BIRMINGHAM: A locum doctor at a Norfolk hospital has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a male patient he was treating on a busy ward.

Dr Manav Arora, 37, from Birmingham, denied the attack at a trial at Norwich Crown Court. He was working at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital when the incident happened in September last year. The victim, not named for legal reasons, said the doctor performed oral sex on him while inserting a catheter.

The attack is said to have taken place behind a curtain while five other patients lay nearby.

Married father-of-one Arora had insisted any contact with the victim's penis was medically necessary.

Judge Guy Ayers adjourned sentencing to a later date, telling Arora: "You have been convicted on the plainest possible evidence. The question for me is how long a custodial sentence will be."Indian-born Arora also received a caution from West Midlands Police after being caught engaged in a sex act with another man in Sandwell Valley Park near West Bromwich less than two weeks after the incident in Norwich.

Family of schoolboy Amar Atwal to take part in Great Birmingham Run

BIRMINGHAM: The family of a schoolboy who died after a road accident are to take part in the Morrisons Great Birmingham Run in his memory.

Amar Atwal, aged 12, from Great Barr, was in collision

From left, Nitasha Sahota, Sharan Kullar, Manisha Sandhu, Neata Simpson and Harprett Sahota

with a car in Hollyhedge Road, West Bromwich, in May 2015. It happened during his half-term break from Queen Mary’s Grammar School in Walsall. After the crash he was in a critical condition on a life support machine at Birmingham Children’s Hospital for two days before his family made the heartbreaking decision to switch it off and donate his organs.

Five of his relatives will now pull on their trainers and take part in the half marathon on October 18 to raise money for the hospital.

Cousins Harpreet Sahota, aged 32, Nitasha Sahota, 27, Manisha Sandhu, 25 and Sharan Kullar, 28, together with his aunt, Neata Simpson, 37, will take part in the event. Harpreet said hospital staff did Amar Atwal everything they could for Amar and so they wanted to take part in the run to give something back.

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Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

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What transforms around the corner to around the world?

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Husband files case against hospital after wife dies of organ failure A city worker has died of organ failure, after a hospital receptionist allegedly decided that she 'wasn't that sick', an inquest has heard.

The hearing was told that, it was the first of several decisions by staff at the hospital which ended in the death of Madhumita Mandal four days later.

The 30 year old, was taken to the Croydon hospital, after vomiting for more than four hours on Saturday 7 September morning in 2013.

The reception and the urgent care centre which deals with minor ailments are run by Virgin Care on behalf of the NHS. But receptionist Triveni Dhavade, who is a qualified mortgage advisor with a pharmacist degree from India, allegedly referred her to the urgent care centre rather than the NHS casualty unit in the same building.

Mrs Dhavade had worked as a receptionist at the hospital for 17 years.

She told the inquest: “I wasn’t to know that she was that sick.”

Mrs Mandal’s husband Prabhanjan Behera pleaded for a nurse to see to his wife, who repeatedly vomited in the waiting room, but the receptionist allegedly could not find one for more than an hour and told them they would just have to wait.

Eventually a nurse saw Mrs Mandal and realising how seriously ill she was rushed her to the NHS casualty resuscitation room.

Dr Jessica Davies, a junior doctor, who was in her second year of training since qualifying and had been at the hospital for a month, was the first doctor to see her.

Madhumita Mandal

The coroner asked her if she knew she was “out of her depth” and she admitted she was “very concerned”.

The inquest heard that Dr Ademola Tokan-Lawal, allegedly delayed calling in the medical team, insisting Mrs Mandal needed fluids for her heart rate to come down.

Madhumita died of sepsis and multi-organ failure four days later on September 11, 2013.

Mr Behera, 38 told the hearing on 23 September 2015: “I was asking for help many times saying ‘she is vomiting, it is getting worse. She was just said to wait.”

Mrs Mandal, who was popularly known as Maddie had previously had an operation to remove cysts at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in May 2012 and was due to have further surgery on September 9, 2013 after the cysts regrew.

“Losing Maddie has changed my life completely — I feel like I’ve lost

everything and my world came crumbling down.

“I feel that there were a number of occasions that if doctors had intervened and treated her sooner, she would still be with me today.”

To add salt to the wound, her IT professional husband was forced to leave the country after her death and returned to India because the Home Office said there were no “compelling and compassionate reasons” for him to stay in the country further.

Recording a narrative verdict, coroner Dr Serena Lynch said: “For the prospect of survival, time was of the essence and minutes were wasted. But the evidence does not disclose that her death would have been prevented by earlier assessment.”

A spokesman for the Croydon Urgent Care Centre said: “Mrs Mandal was correctly streamed to the Urgent Care Centre (UCC) based upon the symptoms she presented with when she initially walked in.

"Unfortunately her condition deteriorated rapidly and, while our nurse who saw Mrs Mandal after 51 minutes in the UCC correctly escalated the situation to the emergency department, we are sorry to Mrs Mandal’s family for their distress during the wait to be seen.

“The reception-based streaming model specified for the UCC by NHS Croydon Clinical Commissioning Group, as the Coroner noted, has been recognised by the Department of Health and we work closely with our colleagues in the Emergency Department to ensure patients are seen in the most appropriate service as promptly as possible.”

Indian woman wins £184,000 compensation from her employers An Indian woman has won a compensation of £184,000 from her employers who made her allegedly work 18 hours a day only at the rate of 11 pence.

Permila Tirkey, who is Indian, from the Adivasi Christian background in Bihar, has brought the alleged claim after being forced to work for a wealthier Hindu BritishAsian family seven days a week and was forced to sleep on the floor of Ajay and Pooja Chandhok's home in Milton Keynes.

Her lawyers reportedly said the case set a new legal landmark by establishing that there are Indian workers in Britain who are treated poorly because they are allegedly from a 'socalled lower caste' and are protected by race discrimination laws.

The employment tribunal hearing in Cambridge heard Miss Tirkey, now 39, was also barred from contacting her family and from bringing her Bible with her when the Chandhoks

recruited her from Bihar, the poorest of the Indian states, in 2008.

Miss Tirkey said: “I want the public to know what happened to me as it must not happen to anyone else. “The stress and anxiety that this sort of thing creates for a person can destroy them.

“I have not been able to smile because my life had been destroyed.

“Now I am able to smile again. Now I am free.”

The Daily Telegraph reported that Victoria Marks, her solicitor from charity the Anti Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit, said: “This is a very useful judgment for victims of modern day slavery.

“We hope that it will give other victims the courage to come forward and seek redress.”

The tribunal ordered Mr and Mrs Chandhok to pay their former employee £183,773 to make up the shortfall in what she should have received under the national minimum

wage. It was ruled that she was a victim of unlawful harassment and indirect religious discrimination.

Miss Tirkey came to Britain in May 2008 and looked after the couple’s twins, a boy and a girl, and took care of other domestic duties such as cooking and cleaning.

The Chandhoks had claimed Miss Tirkey’s hours were five and a half or six hours per day only with either

one or two days off per week.

The Tribunal reportedly found the employers had also breached the European Union working time directive over her rest hours and annual leave.

In addition to the compensation awarded by the tribunal a further hearing to determine remedies for the discrimination and other matters will be held later this year.

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

H&M features its first hijab wearing Muslim model

Twenty three years old Mariah Idrissi is the first Muslim woman clad in a hijab, featured in an advert for H&M, the world's second largest fashion retailer. The H&M Close the Loop advert celebrates models of various ethnicities, different body types and status. It comes with the statement, ‘there are no rules in fashion’.

Ms Idrissi, who is of Pakistani-Moroccan origin, is a Londoner and began wearing hijab at the age of 17.

Speaking to Fusion, she reportedly said, “It always feels like women

who wear hijab are ignored when it comes to fashion.”

Speaking about her time on the H&M shoot, she reportedly said: “[They] asked how much in terms of neck I could show, but to be honest they were very respectful.”

She also said the brand were totally accommodating and provided a private dressing area and limited male interaction. “If the cameramen noticed something not quite right, they would call a woman over to fix me, it was sweet.”

Curry fan left angry after reading note on takeaway receipt A curry fan was left angry after he read his takeaway receipt which had a note saying 'very mild white people'. Stuart Lynn, 44, had asked for his venison curry to be served mild, but when he received his order, he was also handed £30 bill which had the above mentioned note. He complained to the Valentine restaurant in Southall, West London. Heathrow supervisor Stuart from Northolt, Middlesex, said: “It implies we can’t deal with strong curries. I thought it was very rude.”

The father of three and his partner said they were put off the supper, after

reading the note.

The restaurant apologised and insisted “ppl” actually stands for milk.

Owner Ruby Kandasamy said: “We don’t mean white people, but a white sauce we add to our mild dishes.”

Two teenagers arrested in connection with Morden mosque fire Two teenage boys have been arrested in connection with a fire at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden on Saturday. The 5.2 acre mosque serves the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and there is space for at least 10,500 worshippers. The blaze, that was believed to be the biggest, was tackled by 70 firefighters. The mosque was not damaged, though the adjusting administration building was badly affected. The mosque also has a community centre attached to it. About 50% of the building's ground

floor was damaged as well as part of the first floor and a section of the roof.

The boys who are 16 and 14, were arrested earlier on Sunday on suspicion of arson at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden and remained in police custody in a South London station. Station manager Philip Morton said: "This was a large fire and our crews worked hard in difficult conditions to confine it to the administrative buildings on the site and thanks to their efforts the mosque itself escaped completely unscathed.

"Throughout the incident we worked closely with the local community to ensure or damage control operations took into account the religious significance of the building's contents."

Rafiq Hayat, national president of the

Ahmadiyya M u s l i m Community UK, said: "By the Grace of God the mosque is safe and unaffected and there were no injuries and no loss of life.

"The fire was contained to the hall at the front of the building and some adjacent offices.

"We are extremely grateful for the support of the local community and leaders."

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Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

Indian tycoon behind Debenhams board shake up An Indian billionaire and two of the City’s most powerful institutions can be revealed as the driving forces behind a brewing shareholder rebellion at Debenhams. The Sunday Times reported that the struggling department store’s three biggest investors — Schroders, Milestone Resources and Old Mutual — are allegedly pushing for a board shakeup.

Milestone is a holding company for Mukesh “Micky” Jagtiani. Micky did his schooling in Chennai, Mumbai and Beirut, before emigrating to London, where he joined an accounting school from which he eventually dropped out.

His first company was a family company diversified into leisure, food, hotels and electronics and its own logistics and distribution, today it employs around 45000+ people and has more than 1000 stores across the Gulf, Middle East and India.

He drove a taxi in London before moving to Bahrain and taking over his deceased family's baby

sis struck, he was rumoured to be planning an alleged takeover for Debenhams.

Hit by disastrous trading in 2013, Debenham has been trying to take itself off from a long period of promotions and special offers.

The retailer had reported flat sales for the quarter to June.

A senior source at Debenhams said the shift away from discounting would take time but argued that it was working and positive signs would come through in the full-year results next month.

Manchester Police's Forced Marriage Unit in Channel 4 spotlight On Wednesday 30th September night Channel 4 will be broadcasting arguably the most important television programme of 2015- unveiling investigations on forced marriage and so called honour crime in Britain's ethnic minority community.

On the wake of Nadia Menaz's inquest in Jasvinder Oldham, Sanghera, founder of a charity that offers helplines and refuge women escaping from forced marriages has called on Ofsted inspectors to focus on the issue when visiting schools where girls may be at risk.

Campaigner Jasvinder Sanghera, who set up the charit Karma Nirvana, told the Observer: “Education is at the heart of prevention. We would like this abuse to form part of the Ofsted framework as a safeguarding issue. We need inspectors to be trained to identify how schools are safeguarding children at risk of forced marriage.”

Sanghera, who recently won the Asian Achievers Awards for Community Service, said there should also be a much tougher system of penalties to ensure that all

Brit-Gujarati man shines as Pride of Britain Awards winner Dee Patel has been declared as one of the winners of the Pride of Britain awards 2015.

The winners that range in age from eight to 94 all have one thing in common, they have gone above and beyond to help others.

products shop. Over the years his Landmark Group moved to Dubai and expanded into fashion, electronics, furniture and budget hotels in Middle East and Southeast Asia.

In 2008, Jagtiani now a billionaire mall developer and the Chairman, Landmark International, Dubai-based retail group, bought a 6% stake in the UK high-street retailer Debenhams, and entered the Forbes list of billionaires, and the 16th richest Indian with a net worth of £3 billion.

Before the financial cri-

Jasvinder Sanghera

public bodies covered by the statutory guidelines on forced marriage, introduced in 2008, are responding properly.

She added: “This goes across all religions, not just Islam. That countermessage has to be in school: you have to get into education. Young people, not just those

affected but their friends, have got to hear that this is against the law in Britain.

“It should be mandatory in schools. Child protection is an issue for all children.

Somehow when it’s about these issues it gets watered down.

We are treating it as if it’s cultural – we don’t want to offend people – and that is wrong.”

The new documentary follows a 26-year old woman, Ruhksana, turning to the police for help after fleeing from her father who attacked her simply for seeing her boyfriend.

The film also follows

7

Dee Patel Dr Sarandev Bhambra

Their achievements will be celebrated at a special awards ceremony in London attended by television and music celebrities, sports stars and top politicians.

When a driver collapsed at the wheel, Dee Patel prevented a poten-

tially fatal high-speed motorway pile-up. The 49-year-old was on his way to a delivery job on the M25 when he spotted an out-of-control car that swerved into the central reservation and bounced off the barrier before veering back onto the carriageway at 70mph. Dee accelerated and caught up with the car so he could attempt to stop it. He

managed to push it against the crash barrier and it finally stopped.

P a t e l reportedly said, “My heart was in my mouth. I didn’t know if I’d done right or wrong.”

Among the winners is also Peter Fuller, who stopped a man with a machete Dr from murdering Sarandev Bhambra, in a racist attack in a supermarket. He saw a man covered in blood and another man hitting him with a hammer and machete.

Peter managed to get neo-Nazi Zack Davies to lay down his weapons and keep him calm before the police arrived.

Whistleblower raises concerns over understaffed NHS 111 service A whistleblower has allegedly claimed that the NHS 111 service is dangerously understaffed and putting millions of lives at risk.

Call handler Irsah Tahir, pictured, who has no medical training, has allegedly said she had been left to make potentially life-or-death decisions because "there was never enough nurses".

She allegedly marked the service as "completely unsafe", saying her colleagues had been overwhelmed by calls from across Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire.

Speaking at the Good Morning Britain show on ITV, she also alleged "I'm sure if you look into it lives have been lost because mistakes have been made - we another woman, Sajida, who was forced into a marriage 16 years ago.

Among the officers seen dealing with ‘honour’ cases is Detective Tanya Inspector Kitchen who, with her team, try to find evidence that the victims are telling the truth despite families who try to keep it secret.

One of her cases centres on a forced marriage said to have put 15 children at risk.

Across Manchester

need more nurses, we need more money to help.”

The 111 non-emergency NHS number was set up to offer help to patients and direct them to the best medical care. The Royal College of Nursing warned the non-emergency number will be "completely overwhelmed" this winter if ministers fail to act.

Stephen Bateman, the chief executive of

Shafilea Ahmed

Derbyshire Health United which runs the NHS 111 service, insisted it was "absolutely safe" and that call handlers were trained.

He reportedly told Good Morning Britain "Staff are appropriately and adequately trained to deal with that patient as they call that service." It is believed that Ms Tahir's concerns would be investigated.

An NHS England spokesman admitted there had been issues and "regional variations" with the service.

Labour MPs Keith Vaz and Liz Kendall and Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen are demanding an immediate investigation into the service.

Health Minister Ben Gummer told the Mail that the Government will "look closely" at evidence of any problems. there have been 239 reported incidents of honour based abuse and forced marriage although, as families often try to hide the truth.

Honour crime came to public prominence in 2009 following the murder of Warrington teenager Shafelia Ahmed.

Her parents killed their ‘westernised’ teenage daughter because they believed she had brought shame on the family.

They were only brought to justice in 2013

8

UK

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Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

As I See It

The need of the day in India is to encourage more 'deserved' than 'reserved'

India, and especially Gujarat and its large community of Patels, have recently been in the limelight, but for the wrong reasons. On 25th August the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samity (PAAS) organised a huge rally of about a million young people in the heart of Ahmedabad. The speeches were relayed worldwide via TV and social media, initially creating enormous excitement and some justifiable concerns about the anomalies in reservation quotas in place for government jobs and at educational institutes.

What begun peacefully turned violent at about 7:50pm when police raided the Dias and detained Hardik Patel. There were only about 500 people present on the ground and, with no electricity generator on site, it was dark. Suddenly, thanks to social media, the entire state of Gujarat erupted in violent protest and within a few hours, amidst a sea of destruction and damage, 10 people were dead including one policeman.

People throughout Gujarat, all over India and the Indian diaspora abroad have been shocked and shamed with this ugly turn of events.

British Indians, especially of Gujarati origin, have been expressing their views through Asian voice and Gujarat Samachar and our comments and news coverage in the 29th August issue are full of what I would call a sensible approach under enormous strain. I personally took the initiative to write to the chief minister of Gujarat, the leaders of various protest groups, the media in Ahmedabad, as well as Patel community leaders in India, UK, USA etc. A public meeting was held on 13 September in the UK and a detailed report including an 8 point resolution plan was published in our papers.

Today, when I write this, I am happy that PM Narendra Modi has completed his visit to USA and the mass rousing reception he received everywhere in east Coast especially in San Jose, illustrates the hope, confidence, calibre and commitment of the overseas Indians. Thanks to efforts of my old friend Ramesh Patel of New York, the trip was not overshadowed by the terrible events in Gujarat, and thankfully sanity is prevailing.

The chief minister has

sent me a six page letter which has been widely distributed and Anandiben Patel and her ministers have held several meetings with concerned groups.

The Gujarat government has conceived a new plan to help bright students based on economic criteria rather than focussing on caste, and initial feedback to the plan has been favourable.

The prime minister Modi has also made very measured and welcoming comments, which have helped to assuage the feeling of discrimination and hurt of high caste Hindus.

Significantly, Shri Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the RSS has reiterated his plea for the revision of the reservation policy. Of course, this has not prevented opportunistic comments from other parties keen to take advantage of any discomfort for the BJP led governments of India or Gujarat. It is deeply disturbing that Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, described by Hardik as a part of the Patidar community, has been trying to pour oil in the fire.

Last Saturday he kicked off his grand alliances campaign for the first phase of the Bihar state election with some dramatic statements, claiming that the BJP is manoeuvring to scrap the reservation quota policy which is a 'fundamental right given by our forefathers'. An experienced and capable politician of Nitish's calibre should have refrained from provocative and incorrect statements. Bihar, as well as India, needs economic and social development and division and caste warfare will not only delay development but could damage the fabric of the Indian society.

India is still backward because some selfish politicians encourage 'reserved' more than 'deserved'. If the need is to focus on quality rather than quantity than it’s vital to give a chance to merit based enrolment in education as well as government services. The sensible way forward is to develop a system which helps those at the bottom of society escape the centuries old policy of discrimination and exploitation, and to define a fairer, more just set of criteria for determining need.

Access to jobs, education and economic betterment for all of society, as explained eminently by Hasmukh Vasava - himself from ST and a top

class managerial spokesperson has expressed in his column last week, should be considered urgently and with due care and compassion.

The general opinion is clear: the present reservation and quota system should be abolished because it's associated with caste and not economic necessity. It was supposed to end 60 years ago, but politicians for their own selfish reasons and short term benefits have kept extending its practise.

I genuinely appreciate the British Indian community, whatever be the caste have taken a correct and bold step, inspired our brethren in India and the USA.

Welcome NaMo In 5 weeks time PM Modi will come all the way to UK to celebrate Diwali with us. In recognition of the significance of this trip and it’s timing, there is enormous excitement up and own the country.

Wembley stadium will be packed not only with British Indians but several contingents from various parts of Europe, Africa and elsewhere.

London has a special place not only on the global stage, but also as a focus of the Indo-British relationship which is over 400 years old and grows stronger every day.

Approximately one in six Londoners are of Indian origin, with about a million people living in London. Wembley stadium can accommodate only 70,000. What a pity.

Welcome PM Modi. I have always publicly said since 20th August 2003 when, as chief minister of Gujarat Narendrabhai Modi inaugurated Shakti hall in our offices, that next time you should visit UK only at the invitation of the British government.

I am really very delighted that fate has embodied my faith.

Welcome Narendrabhai.

Enjoy Diwali with us and let there be bountiful and manifold successes for both our countries as a result of your visit. -CB

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

The rich Marathi legacy in the UK Ragasudha Vinjamuri The play on Ajjibai Banarase, one of the popular first generation Marathi persons to the UK, is soon to be showcased in different cities across Britain.

Though Marathi people were one of the earliest Indian groups to migrate to the UK, unfortunately not much documentary material is available about them. Marathi students came to study in the UK from 1870s onward, however, active migration of Maharashtrians started around 1930s. Prominent amongst the first generation migrants were Dattatreya Tahmankar, Vitthal Banarase, Krishna Kanitkar and Ajjibai Banarase, who was popular for providing accommodation to visiting Indians at her Indian Boarding House.

Marathi migrants formed a vibrant part of literary, political and educational fabric of British society and were the leading lights of the community.

Some Marathis like Shankar Joshi, Satish Desai, Sharad Dongre and recently Ms Jaee K Samant, have received Queen’s honours for their outstanding contributions.

Rango Bapuji Gupte was one of the earliest writers of Marathi origin in Britain. He was sent to England in 1840 by Chhatrapati Pratapsingh of Satara. He went back to India to aide in Indian Rebellion of 1857.

Ratanbai, written by Shevantibai Nikambe was the first work by a Marathi woman published in Britain in 1895. Suresh Vaidya, Tara Vanarase, Meena Prabhu, Asha Damle and Mukund Sonpatki have all published numerous works in Hemant later years.

Kanitkar authored extensive Hindu literature still used by schools throughout the UK. He left a substantial part of his estate to SOAS supporting scholarships in Religious Studies.

Krishnarao Shelvankar was a highly regarded journalist, correspondent for The Hindu in London from 1942-1968, and was also the president for Indian journalists Association.

Marathi was also one of the earliest Indian languages taught in the UK for the Indian Civil Service probationers proceeding to work in Bombay Presidency. It is interesting to note that the EnglishMarathi connection dates back to 1615 AD when Father Thomas Stevens, the first historically recorded Englishman to arrive in India in 1579, wrote the

RD Sethna, teacher at the UCL

Shevantibai Nikambe, first Marathi woman writer

Krista monumental Purana in Marathi.

Another Englishman Dr William Carey authored the first ever Marathi grammar printed in 1805.

Major Thomas Candy, Superintendent at Poona Sanskrit College has substantially contributed to Marathi lexicographic work.

Marathi was taught at Haileybury College in 1820s, and much later at UCL, King’s College London, Oxford and

telling, besides individual music and dance practitioners.

In politics, Lord Pratap Chitnis has been the only person of Marathi lineage to have served in the House of Lords. Peter G Pendse, Sadashiv Deshmukh and Madhav Patil have served as Mayors in London Boroughs while Baba Kulkarni and Sanjay Dighe served as Councillors.

Mukund Nawathe was the first Asian to be elected to

Sushil Rapatwar reading PM David Cameron's message in presence of Rt Hon Keith Vaz, MP

Cambridge. At School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), Alfred Master and Ian Raeside rendered yeoman service to Marathi literature. Until 1880s, it was the British who taught the language except Hormandji Pestonji who taught Marathi and Gujarati at King’s College from 1865-1895. Between 1884 -1896, Marathi was taught at UCL by R.D. Sethna, an advocate at Bombay High Court, and Harischandra Chintaman, the political agent to Gaekwad Malhar Rao of Baroda in London.

In arts scene, Tabla player Keshav Sathe who came to the UK in 1956 made his name in Indian Jazz genre. He became part of Asian Music Circle, a pool of Indian musicians based in London and was said to have done recordings with the Beatles too.

His son Anand Sathe is a gifted violinist and currently plays for Bloomsbury Chamber Orchestra. Arts groups like Ankur-Virangula are promoting unique Marathi arts like Powada story-

the branch council of John Lewis Partnership in 1954.

Sushil Rapatwar, President of Maharashtra Mandal London elected by an impressive majority for the second term few months ago, says it was an honour to read out the message given by Prime Minister David Cameron to the British Marathi community during the book release function of Shivaji the Real Hero at the House of Commons last year.

A petition was recently made to facilitate the public display of the Sword presented to HRH Prince of Wales in 1875 by Chhatrapati of KolhapurRaja Shivaji IV. For details visit https://www.change. org/p/the-rt-hon-theearl-peel-dcvo-dl-lordchamberlain-display-artefacts-that-radiate-indianheritage-and-history Thus the Marathi Diaspora in the UK has a rich legacy in Britain to be proud of and to take forward.

Photo courtesy: British Library, RD Sethna Scholarship Fund and file pictures.

Leading Lights

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Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

A Bright Future for a Young and Focussed Politician Mayuri Parmar recently joined Policy Exchange, a leading think tank, as Deputy Head of its Diverse Communities unit. Her research focus is on diversity policy, politics and ethnicity and representation of diverse communities in public life.

She is also currently the Director of the Conservative Friends of India, based at Conservative HQ. The organisation helps to bridge links between the party, the Indian diaspora and the Indian subcontinent.

Prior to this, Mayuri was a senior business consultant and also worked briefly in the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit.

Her interest in politics began at school, thanks to a ‘citizenship trip’ to the Houses of Parliament, where she was selected to debate the death penalty at the age of 14. This interest led Mayuri to eventually work in the House of Commons as a researcher during her gap year, ahead of studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Warwick.

We met her at an event hosted by the Rt Hon

Robert Halfon MP, Deputy Chair of the Conservative Party, who praised her work.

We wanted to know w h e r e Mayuri saw herself in f i v e years’ time.

Mayuri Parmar

She told us that the labyrinth of rules, conventions and people that make up Britain’s political system has always fascinated Mayuri. She’s found the journey along the way difficult for anyone who is young, ambitious and idealistic. Her aim is to support and help those who have political ambition at any level- especially those from diverse communities who may not have the access or knowledge- in

order that they can traverse these very complicated (and often lonely) waters.

Mayuri is proud of her Indian heritage.

She feels that the relationship between Britain and India will re-calibrate over the next decade so that real benefits can be felt on both sides.

Working with both governments, she hopes to support the development of this.

Mental health is something close to her heart- an area that she feels is inadequately provided for- especially within the Asian community. She hopes to build a social enterprise to support people from the community who suffer and to create awareness and address the stigma attached to it.

In five years’ time she hopes to have a family and be working towards the things just described.

Mayuri believes British Asians can engage in the

Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015 Conservative Friends of political process, even the India, your local party, common man without councillors or MPs for furpolitical ambition for himther information.” self.

Mayuri believes that no Through her work, matter what your Mayuri has witbackground, polinessed British “As a tics plays an Asians punchimportant role ing above their community we in having a weight in need to use our voice on many areas social capital issues that of British affect your life; however, to bring these life. She says, she’s seen a issues to lack of repre“Demographics sentation at the decisionin Britain show both national makers” that our commuand local levels in nities are becoming politics. She said, ever more diverse, at a “I encourage anyone faster rate. As British societhat is interested in getting ty evolves so too will the involved formally to conwants, needs and aspiratact his or her local polititions of people living and cal associations and become a member. If you know your Member of Parliament (those that don’t can do so here: http://www.parliament.uk /mps-lords-andoffices/mps/Member of Parliament) write to them, meet them and lobby them about issues of concern to you. Educating yourself in the system is key, as affecting change is dependent on knowing and using the correct channels and proceThe University of dures.

Westminster has Politics also happens launched one of the beyond the circus of largest Apple iPad Westminster too. You can deployments in UK highbe an advocate in public er education as part of its life at all levels- whether commitment to improve this is to become a Justice the student experience of Peace, joining your local through transforming parish council, signing a teaching practice. The petition on change.org, project, costing over £1 joining a public consultamillion, will revolutionise tion or applying for a nonstudent learning and the departmental public body way students collaborate post. If you need supportwith teaching staff, the she suggests that you conUniversity believes. tact groups like

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working here. People in the Asian community care just as much as any other community about jobs, education and housing. But engaging in the political process is vital to address specific needs; for example the issue of creating larger crematoria for the Asian community or being able to wear turbans instead of hard hats on building sites for the Sikh community. If these representations aren’t made at the right time to the right bodies and people, the Asian perspective cannot be taken into account. As a community we need to use our social capital to bring these issues to the decision-makers.”

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Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

Hindu State = 0

It was interesting to read Saudi Arabia offering funds to Germany to build 200 mosques for migrants arriving there. But rarely one would read this state offering any other assistance to the desperate people in the region. It also highlights thinking of an Islam State, which is nothing more than spreading religion.

However it also begs a question why is there no Hindu State in the world despite being oldest and third largest religion. Hindus never get privilege on religious basis as offered by Saudi Arabia to islam followers.

Christian and Islam states are all due to majority followers in those states. Then logically India should be declared Hindu state but unfortunately that move is always prevented by selfish politicians for their own political gains. Even small country of Nepal was forced to abandon its Hindu status.

Hindu scholars now seriously need to study the reasons why despite having large numbers of followers still have no influence anywhere.

Suresh P Shah Mill Hill

Cosmetic cowboys ruin health

Today we live in a world where outer appearance and shallow personality has become showcase for success.

Both men and women are willing to go under surgeon’s knife as soon as few wrinkles appear on their face, once sign of maturity and wisdom.

Perhaps it is time for scientists and medical profession to invent miracle pill. It may not be as farfetched as once envisaged. It is widely mentioned in our ancient literature Amrat fal, fruit of immortality. After all great warrior Bhishma of Mahabharata lived to ripe old age of 190 when he scarified his life on the battlefield.

Looking at fabulous ladies like Joan Collins, Barbara Windsor and Jonah Lumley, few among many glamourous female grandees who have passed their retirement age, yet can put to shame ladies half their age with ease and grace. One may wonder how Bollywood beauties of golden era, Madhubala, Nargis and Vijayantimala, who ruled our hearts kept their charm and beauty without Botox injections.

DIY cosmetic parties in hotels, homes, hair salons are gaining popularity with rising demand from lackadaisical senile people who are obsessed with their looks and short in confidence.

Without stringent measures, minority of patients will suffer permanent disfigurement. So often NHS has to carry burden of rectifying these disfigurements. No wonder many qualified surgeons in the field would like to establish high standard in cosmetic field, as is the norm in other areas of healthcare.

Kumudini Valambia By email

Modi Sarkar biggest challenge

Recent Patidar Community agitation in Gujarat for reservation discontentment is not the first one and may not be the last.

The similar agitations have taken place in 1974 and 2006 but the latest is the ugliest one. Patidars are determined to get the decision in their favour at any cost. If Modi Sarkar meets their demand, there is a possibility that the schedule and other backward class to raise hell.

Modiji considered people of Gujarat as his own and never expected that they will put him in such a dilemma.

It’s real test for Modiji.

Let us hope and pray that he can deliver satisfactory outcome from the unforeseen challenge his government is facing.

Niranjan Vasant London

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Rivers of blood

I read Arun Vidyanathan's above article in AV of 26th September with interest.

I was surprised and saddened for Dineshbhai but critical of Enoch Powell for his discriminatory and insulting speech when Kenyan Indians came from Africa which was not worth invoking again now as if Enoch had achieved a Feat like that of Neil Armstrong's 'My Small Step on the Moon is A Giant Leap for Mankind!'

I was the first concerned and highlighted the two biggest problems and their solutions in my AV article of 11th July and also in my article of 19th Sept.

I do agree with PM David Cameron to limit refugees to 20,000 as otherwise it will create vast problems in the UK of housing, NHS, economic, social and cultural!

If Arun had problems with Muslims sharing kitchen during his research study, he should have tackled or lived with it as everybody faces such issues and Is not relevant now with the above topic at all.

Upendra Kapadia By email

Kingsbury shopkeepers

I read with interest your article in Asian Voice entitled "Local residents and shopkeepers take on armed robbers in Kingsbury", published on 19th September.

Your article states, "A video footage showed locals, who are speaking in Arabic, shouting for police as a six to ten bikers are looting the shop."

May I ask a pertinent question? Where were the Gujarati speaking Asians?

I ask this as most of Kingsbury shopkeepers and residents on Kingsbury Road are of Indian (Gujarati) origin.

Unemployment in India

You have stated in your paper that North India struggles to cope with employment security, but this is applicable to entire India. I wrote an article in ‘Times education supplement in 1973 about employment situation in India. Even in 1973 for 40 vacancies there were more than 40 000 applicants and a few vacancies in nationalised banks there were so many applications that they had to be collected in van loads. The question of unemployment goes back from 1960s and still nothing is done. It is not surprising after two generation due to population growth, the situation is out of hand.

There are basic issues that are responsible for this disaster. India is over populated.

There is no systemic of registering birth and we don’t know exact population in India since in villages they do not bother to register due to lack of co-ordination from various states and the population data is not correct nationally. Secondly there is no system of issuing National insurance cards at the age of 16 that will enable them to make sure that they are provided with jobs or unemployment benefit. There is no such thing exists in India. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi live on state handouts and they never worked in India officially.

I do not know how unemployment figures are calculated in India. In Britain everybody has to work with exception of disabled people and families with young children.

On that basis unemployment figures include people who should be working and are economically inactive.

In India agricultural workers and other artisans are not taken into account to include unemployment figures. According to Western calculation there are more than 300 million who are economically inactive in India and otherwise they should be working. Unless there is a growth of 17 per cent India cannot solve solve poverty and unemployment.

Arun Vaidyanathan By email

Netaji’s files

Thanks to Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar for publishing a reasonably detail account of declassification of Netaji Files and their release to Netaji’s relatives and descendants and also to journalists. It is something the people of India and indeed many in the world have been waiting for the past 70 years. The timing of declassification is very important. Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, has to face election very soon. Under her watch a number of Muslim extremist plots have been discovered in West Bengal. There is a question mark regarding her competence to provide safety and security in a free democratic system. Declassification of Netaji Files is a way to gain some popularity before the next election.

The period of 70 years is too long a time for these documents to be kept secret from the public. The reason that disclosure of them is likely to jeopardise friendly relation with foreign countries is nothing short of being dubious. It is perhaps an indication of a possible complicity between some Indian politicians at the time and foreign state/states on the cause of Netaji’s disappearance. As regards preserving friendly relations, the politicians of today whether in India or anywhere else are in no way responsible for what happened 70 years before. India is now led my Narendra Modi, the most competent politician of our generation. It is time to take steps to declassify the rest of Netaji Files. In case of any misunderstanding, in a mature democracy surely everything can be sorted out through amicable dialogue and rational debate.

Jatindra Saha By email

Old time family doctors vs GPs

Rameshbhai’s letter in last week’s AV takes me down memory lane with bitter sweet memories. Those who grew up in pre and post war era in East Africa would readily share my recollections. Medical care was in its’ early stage. We had “Family Doctors” (FD) rather than GPs who enjoyed God like status.

Hospital admissions were rare, 99% people die at home, in their beds. Their surgeries were all inclusive, dispatching medicine by “Compounders” self-trained pharmacists, FD extracting tooth, performing eye test, minor surgeries like removing tonsils and appendectomies under unhygienic condition with basic tools that would sound barbaric today.

BP, Blood and urine tests were unheard of and diabetes was rare. Then average age was just 55 years. Civil servants’ could retire at 45. Perhaps it was blessings in disguise, as no one would suffer ailments associated with old-age, such as arthritis, Alzheimer, dementia and senility. But malaria, TB, typhoid and polio were common, especially in poor people who lived hand to mouth existence.

I distinctly remember losing two teenage friends undergoing such surgeries that would sound draconian today. But it was normal, taken as God’s wish. Alternate medicine, Ayurvedic and faith healings were common, as effective as conventional medicine with belief that faith would move mountains but fiddle-faddle, nostrum remedy in today’s scientific world. Even with these shortfalls, life was happy, easy-going and word “terrorists” was not yet invented.

Mohindra Master By email

Bhupendra M. Gandhi By email

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EDUCATION

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The Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School is a single-sex, independent day school offering an enthusiastic positive and challenging learning environment for creative and inquisitive pupils. The school produces confident and selfmotivated young men who are fully prepared for the challenges of the future.

The boys leave knowing that they have benefited from an outstanding educational experience, and take with them the knowledge that this privilege brings with it a duty of ethical leadership and social responsibility.

Habs Boys is known for its academic excellence.

This year they topped The Times Independent Boys School table with outstanding A Level results.

47.3% of applicants achieving the sought after A* grade. An amazing 84.2% of results were in the A*/A range and 97.6% received A*/B. 167 of Upper 6th students secured places at Russell Group universities in 2015 and 35 at Oxbridge.

There were impressive performances in Mathematics and the Sciences. A remarkable number of entrants achieved the top grade of A* in Mathematics (57.4%) and Further Mathematics (76.5%). This

University of Leicester helps to launch India's first ever black hole space observation satellite Asian Voice |3rd October 2015

Habs Boys to host open day

is an exceptional achievement in complex highworkload subjects that are coveted by employers and universities alike. Across the individual sciences over 84% of students achieved A*/A grades, an outcome which further cements Haberdashers’ reputation as a bastion of scientific understanding.

GCSE results were equally impressive this year with 72.9% of all grades A* and 99.3% A*-B. Overall, 53% of boys gained straight A*/A grades, 13 boys achieved the highest possible 10 A* grades, a superlative feat which reflects both dedication to their studies and

11

Researchers from the University of Leicester have been involved in the development of the first ever Indian satellite dedicated to astronomical observations, including of black holes, launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in South-East India on Monday 28 September.

Astrosat, launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is designed to make studies of the ultra-violet, optical, low and high-energy X-ray emission from celestial objects at the same time and will be particularly useful at measuring the time variability of compact sources such as neutron stars and black holes, including the supermassive black holes at the centre of galaxies.

The satellite’s instru-

ments have been built by a consortium of institutes in India (the Tata Institute for Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, the Indian Institute for Astronomy (IIA), Bengaluru and the Indian Universities Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, (IUCAA), Pune in addition to ISRO, the Canadian Space Agency and the University of

Leicester in the UK. The team from the University of Leicester’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, led by Dr Gordon Stewart, has assembled a sensitive CCD camera for the Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT) constructed by a team led by Professor K. P. Singh in TIFR, Mumbai who have also provided the data processing electronics.

the passion for learning instilled throughout the school. In terms of individual subjects, stand-out performances were produced in both Mathematics and the Sciences. In Mathematics (89.5%) and Physics (90.3%) of candidates

achieved A*, and similarly impressive performances were witnessed in Chemistry and Biology, with A* grades of 86.1% and 82.7% respectively.

Academic achievement is only part of the experience of life at Habs. Peter Hamilton, Headmaster

notes: “The huge range of extra-curricular activities available ensures that every boy finds something at which he excels and, as a result, develops a selfassurance that will equip him for life.”

Open day Saturday 3 October 1-4pm.

Visit Leicester Square’s Hidden Wonder- The Empire Casino

Rani Singh

I’m not sure if those of us who think we are familiar with all the famous cinemas and tourist attractions in and around Leicester Square in central London are aware of the citywithin-a casino complex that is the Empire Casino on the square.

Asians love to enjoy themselves on festivals, special nights out and weekends, and this completely international place provides you with all you can wantat a ridiculously good value for central London.

Inside, there is a whole array of opportunities for people to play and have fun, as well as a sports bar and a fantastic Asian fusion restaurant. The atmosphere is buzzing on arrival Guests can come in and use the bars and restaurant without even playing, but it is more fun to combine activities.

On the upper level, almost a hidden secret, is the lovely Icon Bar which has a warm-as-toast outdoor veranda for smokers and those wishing to enjoy the fresh air, with high misty glass walls so revellers in Leicester Square are not immediately aware of those right above them.

The view is really spectacular and it is hard to believe that you are actually in central Londonyou almost feel as though you might be in Vegas or some exotic resort somewhere. It even connects to a private 80- seat cinema.

The entrance to the Empire Casino is wide and welcoming, and the whole place has strict

security with plenty of smiling friendly staff- so you are well looked after and safe, wherever you are in the complex.

Wherever you look, people are fully engaged, having a good time.

Firstly, there is a cosmopolitan atmosphere with Chinese, Indians, Philippinos and other nationalities a- plenty enjoying themselves at assorted tables all over the sparkling chandeliered ground floor.

Our evening consisted of a Cosmopolitan package, available for £35.00 a head. There is a glittering array of different priced packages on offer, and you can also freestyle a la carte to your heart’s content too.

After a smiling welcome from the very nice Lithuanian Eleta Gudeliunaite, we were conducted to a reserved table hosted by a happy dealer; Sean, who has been at the club for nine years. In an easy, professional manner, he taught me how to master the basics of different forms of Blackjack over half an hour. The club also offers Roulette, all sorts of Poker (including Three Card and Texas Holden), and, popular with the Chinese; Punto Banco, similar to the Baccarat enjoyed

by James Bond when he is seen

at casinos. Later on, I was even given a free bet to play at one of the live tables- great fun, I felt very grown up!

The casino is open 24 hours, seven days a week, and is only shut one day of the year- Christmas Day. Sean told me that he enjoys his stressfree job, and during the week he has a host of regulars. (He and his colleagues keep an eye out for those who may need help, and there is management support for those who need it).

Sean says that Asians and East Asians love to spend money in such establishments; they understand how to enjoy themselves and are not generally too frugal with their cash.

The Empire Casino is for those with £5.00, £50.00, £500, £5000, or more to spend, he tells me. In other words, whatever is in your pocket, you can have a good time.

After the lesson, we are shown upstairs- past the Carlsberg Bar full of cheering rugby fans gripped by a match – and into The FuLuShou restaurant where a sumptuous two course meals awaits us, consisting of starters- prawn crackers, spring rolls, prawns, and tempura vegetables. Then the main

course. We were served by a friendly Hungarian lady, Viktoria Csele, and enjoyed our chicken chow mein-type dish, beef and cashew, and beef in

black bean sauce with rice and sauces. It was all steaming hot, served in the blink of an eye, and made freshly in front of us by two white- hatted chefs –utterly delicious and filling!

The restaurant is on the first floor, with nice carved partitioning giving a feeling of being separate from but still part of the main casino.

Impressively, when Eleta’s Lithuanian colleague Victoria came to take us up to the Icon Bar, freshly made Cosmopolitan and fruity alcohol- free cocktails awaited us in a reserved area – she must have radio’ed up to the Icon Bar without us knowingfantastic service!

The high level of care and attention at the Empire Casino is something we will not forget- an Asian trait that Asians love. For us, a Saturday night out that was something completely different and the best action in town.

12

MEDIAWATCH

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Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

Prior to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s journey to the United States the American Pew opinion poll ratings that tell of an astonishing India-wide approval rating of 66 per cent was published. As significant was the numbers of Congress voters and sympathizers who have joined the Modi bandwagon. In democracies, more often than not, political parties win power when sufficient segments of uncommitted voters and a slice of opposition come together in a regime change exercise. The general perception across the country is Modi is an Indian Prime Minister first, and the BJP leader next.

GE CEO speaks his mind

Khosla excited by Indian innovations

Jeff Immelt, CEO General Electric told reporters that his company would not be able to invest in India’s civil nuclear industry until the liability regime was removed forthwith. He made

Billionaire Indian American entrepreneur, Vinod Khosla, who co-founded Sun Microsystems and is now a venture capitalist was in Bangalore recently for the launch of a consumer mobile wallet. Asked by a reporter whether he was as optimistic about India now as he was two years ago - his reply was instant: he was, very much so. ‘I see the psychological change in the whole country….’

Then and now

Modi addressing UN General Assembly

This certainly strengthened his position when he addressed the United General Assembly in New York, met the US President Barack Obama, talked business with American investors and made his pitch for India in the Silicon Valley. It also added to his stature during his bilateral exchanges with other world lead-

PM Narendra Modi shakes hands with Pepsico Indian American Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi

14, US FDI was $2.2 billion; between 2014-15 the figure jumped 2.5 billion, that is, one year’s inflow [with the Modi government in power] exceeded the figure of the previous three years.

As to immediate plans of mega US companies, Google is set to

Jeff Immelt General Electric CEO

a strong pitch for realistic electricity charges based on market requirements and called for reduction in subsidies.

Companies could only invest in more power plants when they made sufficient profits to do so.

He said Mr Modi’s vision of electricity in every Indian home by 2024 was unrealistic unless farreaching economic reforms were put in place, he said.

Opportunity

PM Narendra Modi with leading Fortune 500 CEOs at a special event in New York and dined with over 50 CEOs

ers on the sidelines of the UN summit. The Pew survey stated: ‘Modis’s appeal is a driving force behind this upsurge in Indians’ positive mood. Those who have a lot of confidence in Modi voice greater satisfaction with the direction in the country today… ..Those who have a lot of confidence in Modi are likely to expect the economic situation to improve a lot in the next 12 months….The Modi phenomenon transcends India’s traditionally partisan politics on most of the challenges facing the nation the Prime Minister and his party showed that Modi and his party enjoy the support of the BJP faithful and followers of the opposition Congress party.’ The Prime Minister’s performance on the international stage came in for high praise (Times of India September 20) Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, during his Bihar and Uttar Pradesh election tour compared his party to the legendary tech wizard Steve Jobs.

(Hindu September 21) Why not Albert Einstein?

FDI inflow from US surges

Latest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from the US has surged to a three year peak. Between 2011-

construct a new campus in Hyderabad, reportedly to be the largest outside the US at a cost of Rs 1,500 crore; Cisco to invest Rs 1,200 crore in training and facility expansion; Johnson & Johnson’s largest manufacturing facility in India will be coming up in Telangana with an investment of Rs 4,000 crore across a 48 acre site; General Motors to pump in Rs 6,000 crore on a new plant; Mars to invest 160 million in a new manufacturing plant in Pune and Uber Technologies to invest 1 billion in India in its expansion plans across 18 cities (Times of India September 20)

Acquisitions for Indian forces

On the eve of Prime Minister Modi’s departure for the United States, India and America signed a massive defence deal worth $3.1 billion for the acquisition of 22 attack Apache helicopters armed with Hellfire missiles and 15 Chinook heavy lift helicopters that can carry artillery and troops to the battlefield. These acquisitions for the Indian Air Force, which are from the Boeing company will give the Indian military an offensive capability unmatched in the neighbourhood (Hindu, Telegraph, Times of India, Mint September 23)

However notwithstanding these impediments, he expressed optimism about the huge opportunity that India presented. As the world’s largest infrastructure company with a revenue of $146 billion in 2012-13, he felt India could grow faster. He said: ‘I have been a GE man for the past 33 years and this is the fifth time I am seeing momentum in India but it the first time I think it will take off….PM Modi has such hope on his shoulders….the hope of India and of the world….I haven’t seen anything like it.’

Immelt announced a $200 million multi-model manufacturing facility in Pune this year. (Hindu, Times of India, Mint September 22)

Upbeat Nilekani

Tech giant and co-founder of IT major Infosys, Nandan Nilekani told a reporter that ‘India is the most hyper competitive internet market in the world….India is the only market where Americans and Chinese and homegrown companies are competing.

New scene

Suddenly there are three levels of competition. You have Amazon competing in e-commerce, companies like Alibaba and Softbank investing in Payton and Snapdeal, and you have a homegrown company like Flipkart.

There will be winners and losers….The good news is the sector will be transformed and customers will benefit.’ Apropos of the ‘great innovation of the mobile industry it is the prepaid model.’(Times of India September 19)

‘There was a time, even five years ago, when you talked about new products and new start-ups, and it mattered to only 1 per cent of the population. But this has changed now. There’s a lot of good product innovation. For the first time, I’m beginning to see product innovation for the Indian market. That’s particularly encouraging.’(Times of India September 21)

Anti-tank missile test-fired

Amogha-1, an indigenously developed second generation Anti-Tank Guided Missile with a range of 2.8 km was successfully

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

test-fired at the Indian Army’s Babina range in Madhya Pradesh, making it the first ever such weapon designed by Bharat Dynamics Ltd, Hyderabad (Hindu September 16)

Biocon insulin facility

Bangalore-based Biocon has opened its new manufacturing facility for the production of penlike insulin devices which customers can use to service their needs. India currently imports 70 per cent of its insulin.

Biocon’s product will create several thousands of jobs and will be exported to emerging markets abroad (Business Line September 16)

Lenovo India on roll

After getting more than half the order from the Tamil Nadu government scheme to supply free laptops to school and college students, Chinese Personal Computer manufacturer Lenovo won the contract for 400,000 PCs of the 1.1 million tendered for, giving the company the largest market share and positioning it to become the foremost supplier in India, where only 10 per cent of the population own PCs (Business Line September 23).

Jagmohan Dalmya dies

Body of Jagmohan Dalmya at Eden Gardens with the public’s homage

Jagmohan Dalmya (Jaggu to his friends, colleagues and intimates) President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) died in Kolkata last week, aged 75 He had been ailing for recently and it was hardly a surprise when the end came. He was given a fitting farewell at the iconic Eden Garden cricket ground which he did so much to restore from its previous dilapidated state.

But it was what he did for Indian cricket that marked him out for special acclaim. The BCCI existed on a shoestring when he took over for his first tenure as president. Together with I.S. Bindra from Punjab he helped release international cricket from the stranglehold of England and Australia and made the administration of the game truly international. The International Cricket Council (ICC) was set up, of which he was elected its first President. A businessman in private life, he revolutionized the management of cricket in India, mak-

Jagmohan Dalmya

ing it the richest by far of any national board in the world.

Having played the sport at good club level, he was always open to cricketers, national and international, and their suggestions for the improvements, the welfare of cricketers and spreading the game to every continent. Tributes poured in thick and fast, the most moving from the former Australian captain and cricket great Ian Chappell, who recalled his achievements and the things left undone, such a world championship of Test cricket, which Chappell felt, Dalmya would have seen through had his stint as ICC president been of a longer duration. Jagmohan Dalmya was accorded State honours, with a road in Kolkata to be bear his name. He deserved the many accolades from cricketers, past and present, and also those of administrators who knew him well and respected his dedication to the game of cricket (Telegraph, Times of India, September 23).

UK

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EXCLUSIVE

Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

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“We should be proud of the nation that we are” Rani Singh On Wednesday September 23, at a special invitation to Asian Voice from the Conservative Campaign Headquarters, I went to meet Rt Hon Mr Robert Halfon, MP for Harlow and the newly appointed Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party.

A breakfast of croissants and coffee was laid out for us- unusually generous at this time of morning for an official British institution- and Rob made us welcome, while announcing that he could not eat with us since it was a Jewish festival involving fasting.

The event was the first kind of interaction of its kind to be arranged by a Deputy Chair of the Tory party, we were told.

Heartening to hear, we were also told that it would be the first of a regular series of meetings with the Asian/ethnic press. We were treated as sensible, grown up journalists at the meet.

What was remarkable was that Robert stayed listening and attentive throughout the meeting, which included robust

PwC to explain to him how PM Modi used social media, and noticed that the Indian PM was very good at wishing other leaders a “Happy Birthday.”

He also said that “few” understood social media as PM Modi did.

Speaking to Asian Voice exclusively, Robert said, “Over the last five years, the Conservatives delivered jobs, apprenticeships and new opportuRt Hon Mr Robert Halfon, MP with Asian Voice journalist Rani Singh nities for people from ethnic complaints by a couple of us all that he would listen minority backgrounds. I’m Asian journalists about and feedback on all matimmensely proud of our being ignored by some ters, and he gave good record, but I’m equally “representative” MPs and explanations where he clear that there’s no room also not being given access could. for complacency. There’s to information or spokesHe said, “We give more always more work to be men when required. At the visas to India than anydone, and I’m determined same time, there was high where else in the world to help drive forward the 400,000 in 2014. We want praise from some journalPrime Minister’s 2020 students to come here.” ists concerning speedy vision so that as our econSome very serious responses and helpful omy recovers, people from questions were raised, comment from the ethnic minority backincluding a discussion Conservative party press grounds share as much in about the forthcoming office.

Britain’s prosperity as Modi visit to London.

Also brought up was everyone else.”

Robert said, “I am very the thorny matter of visas When asked about his excited about the Modi and Asians and public vision for the Asian comvisit.” He told us he asked appointments. Robert told

munity's future as a deputy leader, he added, “I’m very proud of our ethnic community in Britain.

I think Britain should, in all walks of life; public life, and in business, Britain should represent the country that we are. I think that the best way to make this happen is by two things: One is leading by example.

It’s up to celebrities, politicians, journalists, people in public life, people of faith, to push and encourage this. They should show, by the nature of being in high office or in a big position in public life, that actually yes, we are representative.

“The government is looking into this in a big way. We’ve got a target of a 20% increase in every walk of life by 2020, from the police to public service.

We’ve already increased enormously by 20% in the last parliament over the last few years.

“Since 2010, the numbers of young people of black and Asian ethnicity attending university has risen by one fifth (Department for Education, GCSE and equivalent attainment by pupil characteristics, 27

March 2014).

“BME employment is up by 20 per cent since 2010 – meaning more people have the security of a job.BME employment has risen from 2.71 million in the first quarter of 2010 to 3.37 million in the latest period – meaning 668,628 more people from BME backgrounds in work.

“A quarter of our start up loans have gone to people from BME backgrounds – giving more people a chance to run their own business. These loans help people start their own business, giving people the money they need to start a business as a loan, as well as advice from an expert mentor.

Over 31,000 businesses in total have been supported by the scheme and by 2020 we will deliver an additional 20,000 start up loans to people from BME backgrounds.

“Secondly, I think education is incredibly important in changing attitudes, in promoting diversity and also celebrating. I think we should celebrate our different communities, we should celebrate our different heritages, and be proud of the nation that we are.”

Bake-off Asian stars steal hearts Thousands of women were left with shattered heart, as Great British Bake Off's Tamal Ray revealed that he is not looking for a girlfriend, though he is single and ready to mingle.

Tamal, who works in Manchester, opened up to Radio Times about his new found heart-throb status.

Nadiya Jamir Hussain

When asked if he was currently dating, he said: “I wouldn't have a girlfriend, I would have a boyfriend. But I am single at the moment.”

The 29-year-old trainee anaesthetist hasn’t been short of admirers since first appearing on the hit BBC One show.

He admitted: “Yes, I have had a few offers on Twitter!” He has many followers on twitter, some of them young women, who find Tamal really 'cute'.

On the other hand, semifinalist Nadiya Jamir Hussain of Bangladeshi origin, is from Leeds and studying for an Open University degree. She has opened up about her fears over Tamal Ray how the British public would have proved that. The feedperceive of her, praising back I have had reveals British society for its "tolhow accepting people are erance" and accepting of different cultures and nature. religions. Now people "Originally, I was a bit know who I am, I can see nervous that people would how tolerant and accepting look at me, a Muslim in a British society is." headscarf, and wonder if I "My family is from could bake. But I hope that Bangladesh, and we don't week by week people have really have desserts in our realised that I can bake culture. If there are sweet and just because I'm not a things to eat, they are eaten stereotypical British peras a snack beforehand. But son, it doesn't mean that I once I started to make am not into bunting, cake desserts, crumbles and pies and tea," she said. at home, it caught on. Now "I'm just as British as my family always expect anyone else, and I hope I one!"

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Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

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Maharashtra Mandal celebrates 25th Ganeshotsav The vibrant 10-day Ganeshotsav festivities were celebrated at Maharashtra Mandal London with pomp and gaiety from 17th to 27th September 2015. A variety of programmes was hosted daily during the period, ranging from traditional instrumental jugalbandi to audio-visual show on Gulzar’s works, from scintillating antakshari competition to Marathi cultural showcase.

The key event on 26th September was attended by several dignitaries, including Bob Blackman, MP for Harrow East, Mayor of Brent Cllr. Jones, Mr Saikat Sen Sarma, First Secretary (Economics) from High Commission of India and C.B Patel, Publisher/Editor of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar. In view of the 25th year of Ganeshotsav celebrations of the organisation, members who have significantly contributed to the success of the celebrations for the past two and half decades have been honoured with mementos.

UK Government Ramps Up Its Support of Entrepreneurs

Ragasudha Vinjamuri, Sushil Rapatwar, President of Maharashtra Mandal London, Bob Blackman MP and CB Patel

Popular talent showcase for kids, Bal Darbaar, was organised during the afternoon in which about 60 kids from different arts organisations in London and from Milton Keynes have exhibited their singing, dancing and instrumental talents to an excited audience.

Interesting cultural programme entertained the attendees in the evening.

The traditional immersion of deity in River Thames

was the grand finale on 27th September, with Dhol beats resonating throughout the Miravnuk procession. Maharashtra Mandal London is an eighty three year old organisation established in 1932 and has the distinction of being the only socio-cultural organisation in Britain that celebrates the Ganesh Festival traditionally throughout all 10 days with dedication and fervour.

Brent Indian Association celebrates Golden jubilee The Association was established in 1965 by pioneers who recognised the needs of the community and laid the foundation stone of the association in November 1965.

Little these pioneers knew that they were planting a seed that will one day grow into giant oak: the oak that will nourish, disseminate and propagate Indian culture and heritage in the land thousands miles away from its origin.

Brent Indian Association has been providing numerous services on various legal matters to the community at large in UK. The Association is with over 70 voluntary organisations who are affiliated members and has grown from its humble beginning to its present strength of well over 2500 members.

The golden jubilee celebration started with lighting of the deep by the Chairman of Brent Indian Shree Association Rajnikantbhai Patel, Mayor of Brent Cllr Lesley Jones, Mayor of Harrow Cllr Krishna Suresh, Smt Kokilaben Patel, Anita Ruparelia Secretary of BIA, Leader of the Brent Council Cllr Muhamad Butt and Shree C B Patel.

The event was attended by over 750 people

BIA Chairman Rajnikantbhai Patel and Mayor of Brent Cllr Lesley Jones lighting the lamp

including Dignitaries, C o u n c i l l o r s , Representatives of the affiliated organisations, Members, Founder Members, past Chairmen, Secretaries, Executive members, staff, invited guests and well-wishers.

The celebrations took off with Surya namaskar

by Yoga Group followed by the Power Point Presentation of Saga of Fifty years’ service to the community, Breath taking Cultural Dances by Karishma and Karina

Raichada, Classic Bhartiya Nrutayam by Neha Patel , a Garbo by BIA Yoga Group and Melodies Music by Anil and Palavi melted the hearts of all present.

The Launching of the commemorative Souvenir was followed by recognition of the selfless services awards to the founder members and Past Chairmen and Trustees.

The celebrations concluded with a patriotic song “Hai mere vatanke logo” sung by Palvi.

CB Patel, Mayor of Harrow Cllr Krishna Suresh, Ravi Tanna, Dhanji tanna, Founder Member BIA, Navin Shah AM

As the Indian PM becomes the first in over 30 years to visit Silicon Valley, it is a great joy to see at long last how the Indian Government has embraced entrepreneurs.

When PM Modi visit the UK next month, he will see British entrepreneurial talent at its best in both London, and the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ just as the Chinese President will this month.

For the UK, the love of entrepreneurs has seen a recent ramping up of activity with India and China.

Alpesh Patel with Minister Francis Maude in India I write to you after my recent visit to India cogrammes such as the Government’s Global inciding with Ministerial visits by Minister Entrepreneur Programme of which I am a Sajid Javid, Minister for Business, part, by making the deals to land the comInnovation and Skills and also Minister panies here.

Francis Maude, Minister for Trade and Business is not easy. It is not with the Investment. wave of the hand that we can get orders for I spoke with Francis Maude in Delhi at companies, but showing these entreprea reception hosted by the UK India neurs and investors that there is money to Business Council, on whose Board I sit, be made by being in Britain, and how to do about how the Government is pushing the it, hand holding them, that we can build an marketplace to do more to attract Venture ever more entrepreneurial UK. Capital into the UK (through the It is becoming ever clearer it is the Government’s revitalised Venture Capital entrepreneur who will through building Unit) from around the world to invest in SMEs will be the driving force of wealth British technology, British intellectual creation, of employment creation. Sure, property and make sure those British comthe shipbuilder makes the headlines panies become Global. because they employ in one go hundreds of But, from an India perspective we persons, but the vast majority of people spoke about how so many entrepreneurs work for SMEs. from India are coming to the UK to estabThe UK through the Government lish their businesses here and then go globrecognising so much has to be done, and in al. finding the best talent to work with to We discussed how the market failure is make it happen, ensures just as Narendra that given how friendly the UK is as a place Modi was doing in Silicon Valley, that that to do business there is not even more the entrepreneurial genes and their intelsources of finance, and hence why the lectual property and capital surrounding Government rightly gets involved in closthem comes to their home country – for us ing that market gap through the VC unit that means Government rightly ramping with whom I work, but also attracts the up efforts to reach out to India and China. best global intellectual capital, entrepreThe British are after all the masters at neurial talent to the UK through prothis.

TV99 hosts media launch in Wembley TV99 (Sky 842) hosted a media launch dinner in Wembley, North West London, last week. It was attended widely by media representatives, along with guests related to the industry.

Present were Mr Asif Chaudhry, Chairman TV99, Mr Sudeer Sharma, Chairman ASK entertainment, Mr Sam Sing CEO of PNM productions, Mr Akber Editor in Chief, News 99 and Asif Ghazali, Sunrise radio, along with many others.

Mr Ghazali introduced TV 99, whereas Mr Sudhir Sharma announced that they will be doing UK based production for TV 99. He also mentioned a Talent Show and how the winner will be provided an

opportunity to work in Bollywood films.

Chairman Asif Chaudhry gave the background and future plans to the media. TV 99 also promises to bring a weekend "Breakfast Show" specially for second/third generation of Asians in Europe.

Local production will include best collection of music and telefilms for youth, along with programmes on Fashion and

Bollywood lifestyle and Talk shows on everyday life, also will be bringing a political talk show called "London Time" that will be based on local Politics along with international hot issues. TV 99 got a vast-range of programmes on cooking. The tv promises to promote new talent on media platforms that cover everything from food, music, comedy, sports, travel, programs and debates around the world.

SP

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Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

New appointment Sir James Bevan is to leave his current role as the UK’s High Commissioner to India to take up the role of Chief Executive of the Environment Agency.

Sir James said: “One of the biggest challenges of our time is protecting the environment and promoting growth. We need to do both, and I look forward to playing my part in that.

The Environment Agency is a great organisation which makes a great contribution to our country. It will be an honour and a privilege to lead it”.

The 56-year-old diplo-

Sir James Bevan mat is married to Janet Purdie and the couple have three daughters. Sir James will take up his new role at the end of November.

London Faith Forum elects new Co-Chair Jasvir Singh has been elected as the Co-Chair of the Faiths Forum for London. The capital's leading interfaith group has been operating for the last 5 years and has a number of responsibilities including being involved in the London Resilience Forum.

The Forum invites leaders from London’s public authorities, NGOs and the media to engage with this group and share ideas. They also organise conferences and seminars that engage with specific issues of common interest and concern, to upskill all the faith communities in areas important to them.

Jasvir will be working alongside the Archdeacon of Bromley & Bexley, the Venerable Dt Paul Wright, in chairing the Forum's Council of 29 prominent leaders from the nine main faith traditions in the capital (Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Bahai, Buddhist,

Jasvir Singh Jain, and Zoroastrian) to regularly discuss the issues facing London and the religious groups within it.

Jasvir said "Religion plays an important role in the lives of many Londoners, with food banks and the positive response to the refugee crisis being examples of the good work of people of faith. I'm really looking forward to working with the various faith communities of London on matters that affect all of us."

IJA to host Bollywood's 'Bad Man' Gulshan Grover, the socalled "Bad Man" of Bollywood will be in town for the London Film Festival screening of his Canadian crime thriller 'Beeba Boys', directed by Deepa Mehta. He has three other films set for release in the coming months, including one with cricketer-turnedactor Brett Lee called 'UnIndian'. He also plans to turn producer and shoot a film on Prince Charles' Dumfries estate.

The Indian Journalists' Association will be hosting a lunch for the actor at a central London restaurant on 9th October.

The actor who was invited to Prince Charles’ Dumfries House estate in Scotland in September, reportedly said he dis-

15

Jaswant Narwal Sunetra Senior

Jaswant is the Chief Crown Prosecutor for Kent, Surrey and Sussex; one of 13 departmental posts placed strategically across the UK. Also one of the two female Asians to be assigned this high-profile, legal role, she has come up against, and conquered, more than a few odds. As we went on to discuss her humble beginnings – born in Bradford, Jaswant is the daughter to second generation immigrants, and the first of the family to graduate from university - and talk about her witness to the wide spectrum of different cases, from cyber fraud to organised crime and teenage murders, we felt a certain magnetism underlying the factual grit: “when it came to succeeding professionally” she went on to tell us, “it was important for me not to be intimidated and to always believe in myself.” Strong yet very warm, it became clear that Jaswant’s ability to be fair to herself is what has supported a justice-based career.

What first drew you to the world of Law; were you always interested?

I have always been fascinated, but was interested in being a police officer first! I’ve always believed in doing the right thing. Growing up, I would watch all the court-room television dramas and I would be the one to challenge the teacher when no one was speaking up. I got involved in debates and loved expressing alternative points of view. Carrying on that interest in policing, I chose to study politics at university. Later on I received a scholarship with the civil service commission going on to pass my bar.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

That I can affect changes from within the establishment: both through individual cases and as a representative of the BME community. The job advocates the consideration of all views equally. The CPS doesn’t just persecute people: we are there to ensure fairness. There must be sufficient grounds for prosecution. Even if there are 10 charges, we go through each and apply the code for every one of them. There is a human aspect to it too: you bring what you know of the world as well as your scholarly training.

What has been one of the most memorable cases?

When we convicted a woman of murder, one of the oldest to be prosecuted for that crime, together with her son, in what turned out to be an honour killing. It was arranged out in India where the family believed the daugh-

Gulshan Grover cussed about shooting a Bollywood song in the 18th century building with him. He was apparently attracted to a particular set of grand stairs. The Indian actor says he has known the Prince for a few years and been involved with his charity work. The actor has also promised to send the royal a copy of his new film.

TLIGHT

ter-in-law was shaming them. It really touched a raw nerve as the lady was a Sikh like myself, and by all counts looked a respectable and religious person. She couldn’t live with the fact that her daughter-in-law wanted to leave the house.

Tell us a bit about your journey to the top?

I started off in central London as a young barrister. I dealt with many types of cases, from road traffic to more serious offences: I was dealing with shop-lifters in Oxford Street, drugdealers in Notting Hill and prostitutes

I believe people are inherently good natured in Marylebone. During that time I was talent spotted and moved up the ladder as a sort of lawyer manager. That opened the door to yet more experiences. I was in charge of looking at and reviewing cases, involving the investigation of convictions which could have been unsafe because of corrupt police officers. I was then promoted to the Old Bailey trials unit which meant I was dealing with all the murders across London. It was three years of scary but very fascinating cases. My first CCP posting came with an opportunity in rural Lincolnshire. It

presenting to a delegation from Bahrain on youth justice

was a predominantly white area and I really had to prove myself. After that I was promoted to CCP of the SouthEast district and also got to work with the national fraud division.

And what was your observation of fraud patterns?

Fraudsters prey on the vulnerable, and that crosses over into cybercrime as people become more astute with digital technology. These people can sound like consummate professionals, getting thousands of people to hand over their money. I believe people are inherently good natured and this minority of tricksters take advantage: it is confidence trickery.

Some people feel there can be bureaucratic impediments obstructing the course of justice.

What has been your experience?

Yes there can be times of frustration, but what some people call ‘bureaucracy’, I call administration. The CPS is a relatively new organisation and also very progressive. We sought to ensure the separation of investigation with prosecution because it is not right for police officials to do both. It is important to be accountable to the public and make sure that we are adhering to the policies and the law so that we ensure a fair trial.

Finally, do you think women sometimes find it difficult to claim a position of authority, whether it is because of social prejudice or a personal fight for confidence?

As a bastion of the legal system, the CPS recognises talent and does not discriminate. Of course I have seen instances in other areas where sexism and racism have caused colleagues to feel discouraged. I do think you have to be strong. As a career woman and mother of two, I have had to stay resilient. Especially in my line of work, you can’t be a wall-flower. But hard work pays off and you do what you can. Surround yourself with good friends; take time to off when you need to.

W www.cps.gov.uk

twitter.com/cpsuk

16

MODI VISIT

Modi wows Indian Diaspora www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

Connecting with technology leaders

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AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Addressing over 18,000 heady Indian-Americans gathered at the SAP centre in San Jose, Narendra Modi had the crowds at the edge of their seats, cheering, clapping and rooting for him.

Modi with Satya Nadella of Microsoft, Sundar Pichai of Google, John Chambers of CISCO, Shantanu Narayen of Adobe and Paul Jacobs of Qualcomm In his second visit to the US, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi not only wowed the audience, but also managed to connect on a whole new level with the technology leaders of the world. In a 45- minute session at the Facebook headquarters where he sat down with CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg, he spoke in detail about the benefits of social media, particularly how it has enabled him to connect with people within the country and abroad. He said, “I do not believe that there is a dearth of money.

Countries have money but do not know where to invest. I am giving them the address. Here is the place. We are bringing technology, transparency, efficiency, ease and effectiveness in governance.”

The Indian leader even broke down when Zuckerberg asked him about family values. He had the audience welling up when he spoke about his early life and how his mother helped bring the family up even though there was not much food or water to drink, and he had to help the family with all kinds of jobs. Zuckerberg shared Modi's dream of bringing internet services to the mass. He changed the profile picture on his Facebook account imposed with the colours of the Indian tricolour. The post also had a link encouraging other users to do the same.

The Prime Minister also met with Silicon valley CEOs in San Jose, when he announced plans to create more public wi fi hotspots,

including at 500 railway stations across India, an aggressive expansion of the National Optic Fibre Network to take broadband to 600,000 villages.

“As our economy and our lives get more wired, we are also giving the highest importance to data privacy and security, intellectual property rights and cyber security,” he said at a dinner interaction attended by Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayan, Microsoft CEO Satya

ent, accountable, accessible and participative,” Modi said, adding that egovernance is the foundation of better governance that is efficient, economical and effective. “In a nation of one billion cell phones, m-governance or mobile governance has the potential to make development a truly inclusive and comprehensive mass movement. It puts governance within everyone’s reach.” He also added saying “Facebook, Instagram

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a bigger fan base abroad than back home and for really good reason. Addressing over 18,000 heady Indian-Americans gathered at the SAP centre in San Jose, Modi had the crowds at the edge of their seats, cheering, clapping and rooting for him. Taking the stage for the final event of his Silicon Valley tour like a true rockstar as lights flashed and the crowd chanted his name in the 18,000 seat sports arena.

Winding up his two-day US West Coast visit, Modi is the first Indian leader to visit the Valley in more than 30 years.

Aiming to deepen ties with the US technology sector and boost India's digital infrastructure by promoting his 'Digital India' campaign, he said, “India has moved from scriptures to satellites. The world has started to believe

that the 21st century belongs to India.”

“India is waiting for you,” he declared. Saying it as the diaspora started contributing to their country, he said, “People started to talk a lot about brain drain and they complained a lot about it. Did anybody ever think that this brain drain could become brain gain? No, but now it has.” Praising them and giving them credit for lifting their country's image globally, he was an absolute delight to all those present there. “Your fingers created magic and this gave India a new identity.

Your skill and commitment is wonderful. Your commitment, your innovations, sitting here you are forcing the world the change.” In his hour-long address, Modi touched on topics focused on terrorism and the climate change. He also in his characteristically true self

asked the awestruck audience for a “certificate” for his performance in the 16 months he has been in power. He said he saw a “vibrant picture” of India in the large Indian tech community that lives and works there. Praising the “nimble fingers” of Indian tech experts who “have made the world

acknowledge India” with their competence and innovations.

“For the last 25 years, there's been a question, 'Whose is the 21st century?'” and answered his own question saying that while it used to be said this century was Asia's, a lot of people are now saying the century belongs to

India. “This change didn't come because of 'Modi Modi Modi.' This change has come about because of the 125 crore of Indians who have resolved that India won't lag behind.”

With a speech as flamboyant as is always expected of him, Modi did not disappoint as he took a dig at India's 'damaad' and 'beta'. “In our country it doesn't take much for allegations to come up against politicians...This person made 50 crore, that son made 250 crore, that daughter made 500 crore, someone's damaad (son-in-law) made 1000 crore...” “I requested my countrymen to give up their LPG (cooking gas) subsidy, and 30 lakh people actually surrendered it voluntarily,” he said.

He made sure, he said, that the poorest of the poor could open bank accounts even with zero cash. “But these poor people in total deposited 32,000 crore

by saving 50 Rs here, 100 Rs there,” over 18 lakh new accounts. “We know about the poverty of the rich. But seeing the wealth of the poor you feel immensely touched.”

Addressing the thriving issue of terrorism, he said, “The world has to realise that terrorism can hit anyone at any place and it is the world's responsibility to recognise it and unite against terrorism.

We cannot safeguard humanity if we do not come to an agreement on what constitutes terrorism. Terrorism is terrorism, there can be no differentiation between good and bad terror.” He began and ended his address by mentioning freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, acknowledging the freedom fighter's birth anniversary.

“Raise your fists and say Bharat Mata ki Jai. Say it louder! Let this sound reach India.”

Reform is my number one priority Narendra Modi with the CEO, Google, Sundar Pichai, during his visit to Google (Alphabet) campus, in Silicon Valley, California Nadella, Qualcomm executive chairman Paul Jacobs, and Google CEO Sunder Pichai, among others. “We will transform governance, making it more transpar-

and Twitter are the new neighbourhoods of the world. Facebook would be the world’s third most populous country, maybe the most connected of all.”

Narendra Modi and the Facebook Chairman and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg at Townhall Q&A session, at Facebook HQ in San Jose, California

“Reform in governance is my number 1 priority. We are for simplified procedures, speedy decision making, transparency and accountability,” said Modi to over 40 CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, over dinner as he presented a page-long sheet of all the steps taken by his government in the previous year.

The group included Lockheed Martin Chairman and CEO Marillyn Hewson, Ford President and CEO Mark Fields, IBM Chairman Ginni Rometty, Pepsi Co Chief Indra Nooyi and Dow Chemical Chairman Andrew Liveris; all valued at a collective worth of $ 4.5 trillion. Several CEOs referred to the sheet as a report card and said it reflected the transparency of the Modi Government. Vikas Swarup, India's External Affairs Ministry spokesperson said, “Please continue to do more what you are doing. Maybe slightly faster.” He said, “By and large the mood was very upbeat. There is general consensus that the Prime Minister is effecting change in India.

The only thing all the CEOs

Narendra Modi in a group photograph with the leading Fortune 500 CEOs, at a special event, in New York said was that please make that change faster.”

The Prime Minister, in the meeting, said that the foreign direct investment has fallen all over the world, but in India it has increased by 40 per cent.

“This reflects confidence in the Indian economy.” He told the CEOs that he believes in deregulation and that the government should allow the private sector to develop and he is all for predictable, transparent

MODI VISIT

www.asian-voice.com

and accountable government.

Indian Ambassador to the US Arun K Singh said, “If you look at the global trends, this was the unique opportunity to move ahead, attract capital and find moments in terms of mar-

ket access and ability to produce both for domestic and for exports.” He added that, “There was support and appreciation expressed for the make in India programme, the skills India programme and the work relat-

ed to smart cities, he focus on renewable energy.

Some emphasis on the needs in the infrastructure sector and appreciation for the way in which the concept of smart cities have been approached.”

Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

17

Calls for UN Security Council reforms Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched for reform of the UN Security Council, saying it was essential for the world body to inspire confidence and be relevant in the current world realities.

“Seventy years back, when the horrific World War II came to an end, this organisation came into being, raising hopes of people around the world. We have gathered here to decide a new direction,“ he said addressing the UN General Assembly session.

Talking about the global challenges and problems, Modi said, “We need UN reforms so that it inspires confidence and becomes relevant to the current world realities.”

His pitch for UNSC reforms comes amidst India's strong bid for a permanent seat in the expanded powerful world body.

Modi asserted that the global challenges like climate change and sustainable development are the collective responsibility of all nations as no nation can be immune to any kind of threat. The Indian Prime Minister talked about the

Narendra Modi delivering speech at the UN Peacekeeping Summit, in New York need for eradicating poverty and ensuring development as he highlighted that 1.3 billion people around the world are forced to live in poverty.

On the issue of climate change, he maintained that common but differentiated responsibility is the basis for dealing with this challenge. In this context, he asked the developed nations to fulfil their responsibility of sharing technology, innovation and finances with the developing countries without having any “selfish interest.”

At the UN Sustainable Development Summit, Modi said he represents a culture that refers to the

earth as “mother” and that India in the next seven years will create 175 GW of renewable energy capacity.

“I represent that culture that calls the earth `Ma'.

The Vedas says that the earth is the mother and we are its sons,” he said in his address, made in Hindi.

He said India has outlined ambitious programmes to fight climate change. Besides creating 175 GW renewable energy capacity, the country would also stress on energy efficiency, tree plantation, coal tax, clean environment, cleaning up of rivers, waste to wealth movement and sustainable development.

Seeks Irish help for NSG, UNSC seat The first Indian Prime Minister to visit Ireland in 59 years, Narendra Modi held talks with Irish counterpart Enda Kenny, hoping the country's visa policy will be sensitive to the requirements of India's IT firms.

He also sought Ireland's support for India's membership of the UN Security Council and international export control regimes, including the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), in his meeting that covered topics on global challenges like terror and radicalisation. In his fivehour stopover, Modi noted that their discussions underlined the importance of closer cooperation between both the countries. In a joint statement along with Kenny, he said, “I was pleased to exchange views on a broad range of international challenges, including terrorism, radicalisation and the situation in Europe and Asia.” He thanked Ireland and said, “I have now sought Ireland's support for India's membership of the NDG and other international export regimes.

India's membership will deepen our bilateral cooperation and strengthen international non-proliferation efforts.”

Where trade was concerned, he said investment

Prime Minister of Ireland, Enda Kenny presenting a T-shirt to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at Government Buildings, Dublin ties were growing, despite global and regional uncertainties and the economic partnership can have a strong technology focus; information technology, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, agricultural and clean energy. “I also hope that Ireland’s visa policy will be sensitive to the requirements of India’s Information Technology firms. I also conveyed our interest in concluding a social security agreement, which will be of great help to professionals from both countries,” Modi said.

“India and Ireland are ideally placed to form productive partnerships to take advantage of the opportunities in the digital age. I hope that our Joint Working Group on Information Technology will meet soon to chart out the roadmap for collaboration. I am glad that we will soon have direct air services by airlines of both countries. This will not only promote our business links, but also give a strong boost to our tourism ties that are already growing at 14 per cent per year.”

16

MODI VISIT

Modi wows Indian Diaspora www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

Connecting with technology leaders

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Addressing over 18,000 heady Indian-Americans gathered at the SAP centre in San Jose, Narendra Modi had the crowds at the edge of their seats, cheering, clapping and rooting for him.

Modi with Satya Nadella of Microsoft, Sundar Pichai of Google, John Chambers of CISCO, Shantanu Narayen of Adobe and Paul Jacobs of Qualcomm In his second visit to the US, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi not only wowed the audience, but also managed to connect on a whole new level with the technology leaders of the world. In a 45- minute session at the Facebook headquarters where he sat down with CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg, he spoke in detail about the benefits of social media, particularly how it has enabled him to connect with people within the country and abroad. He said, “I do not believe that there is a dearth of money.

Countries have money but do not know where to invest. I am giving them the address. Here is the place. We are bringing technology, transparency, efficiency, ease and effectiveness in governance.”

The Indian leader even broke down when Zuckerberg asked him about family values. He had the audience welling up when he spoke about his early life and how his mother helped bring the family up even though there was not much food or water to drink, and he had to help the family with all kinds of jobs. Zuckerberg shared Modi's dream of bringing internet services to the mass. He changed the profile picture on his Facebook account imposed with the colours of the Indian tricolour. The post also had a link encouraging other users to do the same.

The Prime Minister also met with Silicon valley CEOs in San Jose, when he announced plans to create more public wi fi hotspots,

including at 500 railway stations across India, an aggressive expansion of the National Optic Fibre Network to take broadband to 600,000 villages.

“As our economy and our lives get more wired, we are also giving the highest importance to data privacy and security, intellectual property rights and cyber security,” he said at a dinner interaction attended by Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayan, Microsoft CEO Satya

ent, accountable, accessible and participative,” Modi said, adding that egovernance is the foundation of better governance that is efficient, economical and effective. “In a nation of one billion cell phones, m-governance or mobile governance has the potential to make development a truly inclusive and comprehensive mass movement. It puts governance within everyone’s reach.” He also added saying “Facebook, Instagram

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a bigger fan base abroad than back home and for really good reason. Addressing over 18,000 heady Indian-Americans gathered at the SAP centre in San Jose, Modi had the crowds at the edge of their seats, cheering, clapping and rooting for him. Taking the stage for the final event of his Silicon Valley tour like a true rockstar as lights flashed and the crowd chanted his name in the 18,000 seat sports arena.

Winding up his two-day US West Coast visit, Modi is the first Indian leader to visit the Valley in more than 30 years.

Aiming to deepen ties with the US technology sector and boost India's digital infrastructure by promoting his 'Digital India' campaign, he said, “India has moved from scriptures to satellites. The world has started to believe

that the 21st century belongs to India.”

“India is waiting for you,” he declared. Saying it as the diaspora started contributing to their country, he said, “People started to talk a lot about brain drain and they complained a lot about it. Did anybody ever think that this brain drain could become brain gain? No, but now it has.” Praising them and giving them credit for lifting their country's image globally, he was an absolute delight to all those present there. “Your fingers created magic and this gave India a new identity.

Your skill and commitment is wonderful. Your commitment, your innovations, sitting here you are forcing the world the change.” In his hour-long address, Modi touched on topics focused on terrorism and the climate change. He also in his characteristically true self

asked the awestruck audience for a “certificate” for his performance in the 16 months he has been in power. He said he saw a “vibrant picture” of India in the large Indian tech community that lives and works there. Praising the “nimble fingers” of Indian tech experts who “have made the world

acknowledge India” with their competence and innovations.

“For the last 25 years, there's been a question, 'Whose is the 21st century?'” and answered his own question saying that while it used to be said this century was Asia's, a lot of people are now saying the century belongs to

India. “This change didn't come because of 'Modi Modi Modi.' This change has come about because of the 125 crore of Indians who have resolved that India won't lag behind.”

With a speech as flamboyant as is always expected of him, Modi did not disappoint as he took a dig at India's 'damaad' and 'beta'. “In our country it doesn't take much for allegations to come up against politicians...This person made 50 crore, that son made 250 crore, that daughter made 500 crore, someone's damaad (son-in-law) made 1000 crore...” “I requested my countrymen to give up their LPG (cooking gas) subsidy, and 30 lakh people actually surrendered it voluntarily,” he said.

He made sure, he said, that the poorest of the poor could open bank accounts even with zero cash. “But these poor people in total deposited 32,000 crore

by saving 50 Rs here, 100 Rs there,” over 18 lakh new accounts. “We know about the poverty of the rich. But seeing the wealth of the poor you feel immensely touched.”

Addressing the thriving issue of terrorism, he said, “The world has to realise that terrorism can hit anyone at any place and it is the world's responsibility to recognise it and unite against terrorism.

We cannot safeguard humanity if we do not come to an agreement on what constitutes terrorism. Terrorism is terrorism, there can be no differentiation between good and bad terror.” He began and ended his address by mentioning freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, acknowledging the freedom fighter's birth anniversary.

“Raise your fists and say Bharat Mata ki Jai. Say it louder! Let this sound reach India.”

Reform is my number one priority Narendra Modi with the CEO, Google, Sundar Pichai, during his visit to Google (Alphabet) campus, in Silicon Valley, California Nadella, Qualcomm executive chairman Paul Jacobs, and Google CEO Sunder Pichai, among others. “We will transform governance, making it more transpar-

and Twitter are the new neighbourhoods of the world. Facebook would be the world’s third most populous country, maybe the most connected of all.”

Narendra Modi and the Facebook Chairman and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg at Townhall Q&A session, at Facebook HQ in San Jose, California

“Reform in governance is my number 1 priority. We are for simplified procedures, speedy decision making, transparency and accountability,” said Modi to over 40 CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, over dinner as he presented a page-long sheet of all the steps taken by his government in the previous year.

The group included Lockheed Martin Chairman and CEO Marillyn Hewson, Ford President and CEO Mark Fields, IBM Chairman Ginni Rometty, Pepsi Co Chief Indra Nooyi and Dow Chemical Chairman Andrew Liveris; all valued at a collective worth of $ 4.5 trillion. Several CEOs referred to the sheet as a report card and said it reflected the transparency of the Modi Government. Vikas Swarup, India's External Affairs Ministry spokesperson said, “Please continue to do more what you are doing. Maybe slightly faster.” He said, “By and large the mood was very upbeat. There is general consensus that the Prime Minister is effecting change in India.

The only thing all the CEOs

Narendra Modi in a group photograph with the leading Fortune 500 CEOs, at a special event, in New York said was that please make that change faster.”

The Prime Minister, in the meeting, said that the foreign direct investment has fallen all over the world, but in India it has increased by 40 per cent.

“This reflects confidence in the Indian economy.” He told the CEOs that he believes in deregulation and that the government should allow the private sector to develop and he is all for predictable, transparent

MODI VISIT

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and accountable government.

Indian Ambassador to the US Arun K Singh said, “If you look at the global trends, this was the unique opportunity to move ahead, attract capital and find moments in terms of mar-

ket access and ability to produce both for domestic and for exports.” He added that, “There was support and appreciation expressed for the make in India programme, the skills India programme and the work relat-

ed to smart cities, he focus on renewable energy.

Some emphasis on the needs in the infrastructure sector and appreciation for the way in which the concept of smart cities have been approached.”

Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

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Calls for UN Security Council reforms Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched for reform of the UN Security Council, saying it was essential for the world body to inspire confidence and be relevant in the current world realities.

“Seventy years back, when the horrific World War II came to an end, this organisation came into being, raising hopes of people around the world. We have gathered here to decide a new direction,“ he said addressing the UN General Assembly session.

Talking about the global challenges and problems, Modi said, “We need UN reforms so that it inspires confidence and becomes relevant to the current world realities.”

His pitch for UNSC reforms comes amidst India's strong bid for a permanent seat in the expanded powerful world body.

Modi asserted that the global challenges like climate change and sustainable development are the collective responsibility of all nations as no nation can be immune to any kind of threat. The Indian Prime Minister talked about the

Narendra Modi delivering speech at the UN Peacekeeping Summit, in New York need for eradicating poverty and ensuring development as he highlighted that 1.3 billion people around the world are forced to live in poverty.

On the issue of climate change, he maintained that common but differentiated responsibility is the basis for dealing with this challenge. In this context, he asked the developed nations to fulfil their responsibility of sharing technology, innovation and finances with the developing countries without having any “selfish interest.”

At the UN Sustainable Development Summit, Modi said he represents a culture that refers to the

earth as “mother” and that India in the next seven years will create 175 GW of renewable energy capacity.

“I represent that culture that calls the earth `Ma'.

The Vedas says that the earth is the mother and we are its sons,” he said in his address, made in Hindi.

He said India has outlined ambitious programmes to fight climate change. Besides creating 175 GW renewable energy capacity, the country would also stress on energy efficiency, tree plantation, coal tax, clean environment, cleaning up of rivers, waste to wealth movement and sustainable development.

Seeks Irish help for NSG, UNSC seat The first Indian Prime Minister to visit Ireland in 59 years, Narendra Modi held talks with Irish counterpart Enda Kenny, hoping the country's visa policy will be sensitive to the requirements of India's IT firms.

He also sought Ireland's support for India's membership of the UN Security Council and international export control regimes, including the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), in his meeting that covered topics on global challenges like terror and radicalisation. In his fivehour stopover, Modi noted that their discussions underlined the importance of closer cooperation between both the countries. In a joint statement along with Kenny, he said, “I was pleased to exchange views on a broad range of international challenges, including terrorism, radicalisation and the situation in Europe and Asia.” He thanked Ireland and said, “I have now sought Ireland's support for India's membership of the NDG and other international export regimes.

India's membership will deepen our bilateral cooperation and strengthen international non-proliferation efforts.”

Where trade was concerned, he said investment

Prime Minister of Ireland, Enda Kenny presenting a T-shirt to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at Government Buildings, Dublin ties were growing, despite global and regional uncertainties and the economic partnership can have a strong technology focus; information technology, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, agricultural and clean energy. “I also hope that Ireland’s visa policy will be sensitive to the requirements of India’s Information Technology firms. I also conveyed our interest in concluding a social security agreement, which will be of great help to professionals from both countries,” Modi said.

“India and Ireland are ideally placed to form productive partnerships to take advantage of the opportunities in the digital age. I hope that our Joint Working Group on Information Technology will meet soon to chart out the roadmap for collaboration. I am glad that we will soon have direct air services by airlines of both countries. This will not only promote our business links, but also give a strong boost to our tourism ties that are already growing at 14 per cent per year.”

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ASIANBUSINESS

Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

Consultant Editor Financial Voice

Alpesh Patel

Dear Financial Voice Reader, Making a return in the stock market is the same as making money in life. It involves timing, having momentum on your side, not making big mistakes, and facing up to reality not wishing away what is happening.

Now ‘luck’ so often mentioned by people for their fortunes just means that the environment they don’t control, moved in their favour. A good investor/trader is set up to capture those opportunities – they put themselves in a position to get lucky.

The key rules with timing are to make sure you can get in early enough, without waiting too long.

But that you get in at a low cost in case the market does not follow through and give you a return. The rich rarely go ‘all in’ but ease in, increasing their position and investment. The reason is they are always cautious and clear about what will make them money and keep an eye on the exit.

Once they know things are going their way they keep a route to be able to increase their bets. You probably have not looked in detail at some of Warren Buffett’s bets – for instance into buying a chunk of Goldman Sachs, but that’s what he had, an option to buy more if the price went his way.

Dealmakers, traders, have an ability to structure trades this way. Most people think trading, making money is simply about buying, holding, then selling.

And sometimes, few times, that will work. But it won’t work often enough to make good big returns.

Now, on the other attributes, such as not making big mistakes. This is where they do not get locked into deals/trades which could turn out bad. They have an exit, a stop loss. Otherwise they know for all their profits, one bad move will eat everything away.

They are therefore very considerably focussed on losses, and protecting them. They would rather sacrifice a huge potential gain, than have a huge potential loss. So they will look for trades where they can enter in small pieces, small trades, and then add up, as things work out for them.

Why don’t they just wait? Because if they waited, they may move much of the move in prices in their favour.

Finally good traders face up to reality. They do not expect prices only ever to go up and up and up.

They know prices are volatile, they rise and fall. So they ensure with the volatility that they look over the right time frame. For Warren Buffett that time frame is decades. For traders it may mean moving from looking at prices by the minute to by the hour or the day.

Flexibility to exit, and re-enter if they are proved right about their original decision is more important to them, than going in first time with all their money and hoping they are right, or waiting too long and missing the opportunity altogether.

India to amend tax law to give relief to foreign firms The finance ministry has reported that India has decided to waive imposition of a minimum alternative tax on foreign companies, as it tries to address lingering tax concerns that have made investors circumspect in committing fresh funds.

The central government will amend the income tax law with retrospective effect to exempt foreign companies, covered under double taxation avoidance agreements from MAT, the ministry said. The amendment which has been in effect from April 1, 2001, will also provide the relief to foreign firms that are not registered or do not have a permanent establishment in the country. The decision comes weeks after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley

accepted the recommendations of a government panel for giving the tax waiver to foreign portfolio investors.

“Effectively, now all foreign companies have been exempted from MAT,” said Rajesh Gandhi, a partner in Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP. “It is a major relief as earlier there was no clarity whether foreign firms are liable to pay the tax.”

India first introduced MAT in the 1990s to ensure companies paid a minimum amount of tax, normally around 20 per cent of profits. However, it had never been imposed on foreign investors until last year when tax officials, citing a court ruling, started sending notices to foreign funds, including Aberdeen Asset Management.

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Modi invites Apple to set up manufacturing base in India AsianVoiceNews

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The Indian Prime Minister told Tim Cook the huge opportunities India offers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited Apple to set up a manufacturing base in India and its CEO Tim Cook responded positively, officials said. "The Prime Minister (in his meeting with Cook) said he would like Apple to start manufacturing in India. He mentioned the huge opportunities India offered," Ministry of external affairs spokesman Vikas Swarup told reporters.

"Cook responded positively. I think India does fits into his long term plans.

He particularly was interested in the whole App development economy, which he said could be a very very important factor for entrepreneurship where individual app developers can just become part of the app universe," he said.

Modi has been mentioning that there is the public sector, there is the

Mr. Tim Cook(CEO of Apple) and Narendra Modi private sector and there is the personal sector.

Personal sector he has been talking about people who can be self-made entrepreneurs, Swarup noted.

"Cook said by using the app development tools people can really become part of this huge industry.

He gave the example of China where in fact we created 1.5 million jobs," he said. Indian Ambassador to the US Arun K Singh

said that during the meeting there was a sense that a lot of design innovation is happening in India. "As Apple expands its presence in India, including a manufacturing presence there could be enhanced opportunity for app development related to the apple platforms," he said.

There was also some discussion on Apple Pay, how this can be part of Jan Dhan Yojana for instance and other such initiatives,

Swarup said. During the meeting, Cook said India has a very special place in the heart of every Apple employee for the simple reason that its co-founder Steve Jobs went to India when he was a young man for inspiration. Cook expressed his great desire to be a partner in Prime Minister's Digital India initiative, which he thought was a transformative initiative, which could be a real game changer in India.

"We are fortunate to have many passionate customers along with a fastgrowing developer community, and we're investing to expand our operations throughout the country," he said.

"There are now over 4,000 places in India where customers can buy Apple products, and we look forward to launching iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus there very soon," Cook said.

7 MoUs signed to boost startups in India Aimed at giving a big boost to startups in India, as many as seven MoUs have been signed between various organisations of India and the US. The MoUs were signed as Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the India-US Start-up Konnect 2015 at San Jose. [ The first MoU between Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms and the California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences is to develop Indo-US Life Science Sister Innovation Hub so as to enhance sciencebased entrepreneurship, research, academia and businesses by leveraging

each other's ecosystems. [ Department of Biotechnology and Prakash Lab, Stanford University signed another MoU on Foldscope - a frugal science innovation that has emerged from a lab of an Indian with majority of Indians working in this laboratory. The lab will work with DBT to further develop and deploy the products they develop. [ National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) and the Indus Entrepreneurs signed a MoU to collaborate in a mutually satisfactory form and manner to support the creation of a vibrant

ecosystem to foster technology entrepreneurship in India and Silicon Valley. [ IIM Ahmedabad's Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE) and Lester Centre for Entrepreneurship of the Haas Business School of the University of California, signed an MoU to collaborate on mutual incubation, and support each other's activities of mutual interest. [ CIIE also signed an MoU with Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator to extend NGIN Membership benefits to CIIE. The CIIE /LACI NGIN Landing Pad Programme is a reciprocal initiative that enables

entrepreneurs and innovators in the cleantech space to gain access to the California and Indian markets. The programme will assist early and growth stage cleantech companies with market expansion through partnerships and funding opportunities in California and India. [ IIM Ahmedabad's CIIE signed an MoU with Tata Trust for founding partner for the Bharat Fund, which will provide seed funding to Indian entrepreneurs. [ CIIE also signed an MoU with Google to support technology and impact entrepreneurs through strategic support.

Navinder Sarao faces new allegations Navinder Sarao, the trader accused of manipulating the markets ahead of the “flash crash” in 2010, may not face extradition hearing until February after new allegations by the US emerged.

Sarao, 36, appeared at London’s Westminster magistrates’ court, where he refused consent to be extradited to the US. Mark Summers, representing the US government, has filed a fresh extradition request in order to reflect the facts presented at a grand jury indictment in the States earlier this month.

Summers told the court that the new documents "bring back the start date

Navinder Sarao of the allegation of the criminal activity by six months. They include new factual allegations."

Sarao was arrested in

April and faces 22 charges.

The US authorities want to extradite him for trial in Chicago, the home of the CME market, where Sarao placed his trades. The authorities have accused him of helping to cause a flash crash in May 2010, when a panic in the S&P derivatives market spilled over into global stock markets.

His extradition hearing, due to take place on Friday, had to be adjourned after Sarao’s barrister, James Lewis QC, injured his ankle on the way to court. This, along with the new claim from the US, meant the defence was not in a position to go

ahead.

Joel Smith, representing Sarao, described his client’s mental health as “fragile” and said he was “distressed” by the proceedings. He noted that his client has Asperger’s syndrome, so all this “adds to the stress and strain that has been put on him.”

Smith said Sarao's case would be "irrevocably hamstrung" without Lewis there to make the arguments against the extradition.

Sarao was released on conditional bail ahead of a preliminary hearing on October 22. A new extradition hearing date was set for February 4 next year.

REALESTATEVOICE

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Suresh Vagjiani

Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

Profit by Death

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Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

19

I thought I had seen it all in the property game, but there was a scenario which I had not seen as yet; and that was a profit by death.

There was a deal offered to me which would earn a great return on investment, about £2m, but it was contingent on someone dying.

The quicker she dies the higher the internal rate of return, as this is based on two things: one is the amount of money used and the second is the time it is used for. So the quicker the death the higher the return. The property in question is a six bedroom, 2,500 sq. ft. flat with a fresh lease of 125 years.

The owner is currently under 24 hour around the clock care, the estimation is she will only survive for two more years. The medical records were made available for inspection as part of the deal, as a consequence the property is coming £2m cheaper.

There exist investors who specialise in these types of investments. They go for life tenancies and they purchase hundreds of them. When death occurs they cash in. These tend to be spread across a wider geographical area and generally smaller units where holding on to them doesn’t cause too much pain.

So on average there is always a stream of income coming in. There is one group called Grainger who had the foresight to purchase numerous units like this many years ago when they were being missed. They now sit in the enviable position of owning many prime units in the hot spots of London. As they get vacated they sell each one in the auction and cash in.

This scenario requires a large lump of money and several problems exist. Firstly tying up £4m in cash is a lot of money to tie up, you can do at least a £10m transaction with this level of funds, to make £2m within two years from 10m is not farfetched. Therefore the buying power is a lot higher.

Another is she may survive, I’m no doctor but I know the doctor is not the maker, so there may be a chance she outlives the predictions of the medical analysis.

This is nonetheless an interesting deal. They are asking for £4.2m but given the nature and variables involved I think it is worth putting a low ball offer, I doubt there are many who have the stomach for this kind of deal.

The way it is set up at the moment just doesn’t make commercial sense for an investor. There are only two types of buyers in the market, one is the investor the other the end user. For the investor it doesn’t make much sense as there is too much money being tied up in the deal. The end user would pay the price and in cash. However the issue would be a psychological one. The Chinese for example would simply not purchase a property were someone has just died in it. This is one reason why they like new build flats. They would like to know how many people have died in a property prior to purchasing it.

The other major issue you need to be aware of is who is acting for the seller as clearly she is in not in the right state of mind to transact even a simple sale of a property let alone an option agreement.

This reminds me of a deal we did which was in the aftermath of a storm. The property was in Charles Lane, St Johns Wood, it was sold to an agent for £1m which was nearly half its value, and then resold on for £1.3m - this is what I had heard from the grapevine anyhow.

The owner was an 88 year old war pensioner who had served in the merchant navy. The agent had used his brother in law to act as the buyer for this Mews house, they had driven the pensioner to the lawyer’s office to exchange contracts. The sale was halted post exchange when the owner’s neighbours intervened – but by this time the pensioner, who had felt ‘humiliated’ and ‘distressed’ after discovering how he had been duped, had died before the case was resolved.

The contracts were later rescinded which is a rarity. Once contracts have been exchanged both parties are bound by it. Legal fees of £100,000 were also reclaimed from the agent’s insurer.

Therefore one way to do this is via an option agreement, where you pay a premium to have the right to purchase the property at a price which goes down as time goes on. The seller needs to get around this.

The Real Deal

Even after this debacle we still managed to make a turn on this property, we purchased the property for £1.81m and sold it on before completion for £1.925m in two months. So from an investment of £180k we made £110k. The bad publicity surrounding this deal was not around at this time. Furthermore our purchase was not from the 88 year old pensioner, it was from the trustee who was acting by the time we got involved. The margin made was only 5% of the property value and therefore it was justifiable, not exploitative.

Marylebone, London, NW8 Purchase Price: £575k l l l l l

A large three bedroom flat in a nice location Long lease Low service charges Close to the open spaces of Regent’s Park Properties in this location are being sold for around £650 per sq. ft. and above while this is coming in at around £575 per sq. ft. l Very good buy and hold opportunity

This issue and story highlights the problems when engaging in this type of deal, it is not a case of simply purchasing as if it is found the seller was not of the right mind the contracts could be rescinded.

We actually have a few properties we are negotiating on at the moment in Notting Hill, the properties start from £625k, they are very good deals in a prime location. They require some work, but this is more than reflected in the purchase price, which we estimate is about 40% below the market value.

Call us now to secure this deal!

0207 993 0103

We provide a turnkey solution. Contact us now:

Specialists in

Central London Property Sourcing

info@sowandreap.co.uk

www.sowandreap.co.uk

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

Follow us online:

Sowandreapuk

SowandReapProperties

Tips of the Week l It’s good to diversify with property, but always keep the location in mind.

l Purchasing property is not a get rich quick scheme, it is a solid investment which will rise steadily into the future. If it was a get rich quick scheme it could just as easily go the other way.

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BUSINESS

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RBI cuts interest rates more than expected AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

Microsoft to launch 3 data centres in India Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at their meeting in Silicon Valley that the company would soon announce data centres in India that would focus on offering cloud services. The company is planning three data centres in the country, two in the west and one in the south, Bhaskar Pramanik, chairman of Microsoft India, said. “India is one of the first countries outside the US where we have made such big investments in data centres. It will be one of the largest footprints in terms of data centre capacity in India. It will have the highest levels of security and privacy. In terms of scale, scope and capability, we are going to change the way computing will happen here,” he said. Some 125 companies have already signed up for trials on these data centres since July when Microsoft opened up the centres for private previews. The pub-

Satya Nadella lic launch is expected over the next few days.

For Microsoft, the move is particularly significant because they have traditionally depended on selling proprietary software such as the Windows operating system and the Office suite. With data centres, it will also get to play in the hardware and services segments. “We can now address more than 80% of the $52 billion Indian IT industry (hardware, software and services). With only software, we were playing in a $4 billion market (Microsoft has a 30% share of that),” Pramanik said.

Fortis' Shivinder Singh steps down to pursue spiritual life Fortis Healthcare executive vice-chairman Shivinder Mohan Singh will step down from his position to join a philosophical and spiritual organisation Radha Soami Satsang Beas, near Amritsar. The company released a statement that said the co-founder of the healthcare chain will become the non-executive vice-chairman with effect from January 1, 2016.

Singh said, “Having spent almost two decades setting up and running Fortis, our mission of saving and enriching lives is an integral part of my being. Over time this has inspired me to do more direct service and give back to society a little of what I have received in abundance.”

Singh said he had requested for 'Sewa' at Radha Soami Beas. “I am fortunate to have been accepted.

I will move to Dera, Beas post transitioning my executive responsibilities at Fortis,” he said.

Supporting his younger brother's decision, Fortis executive chairman Malvinder Singh said: "It is not always that one gets to commit oneself in the service of the society and I am delighted that Shivinder is taking this step at this phase of his life." Shivinder's contribution to the creation and evolution of Fortis as the leading healthcare delivery organization of India has been tremendous,

or the interest charged on short-term borrowings, was cut to 6.75 per cent.

But it is clear that it will take commercial banks to lower their own lending rates for personal, automobile, housing and corporate loans to also get reduced, translating into lower EMIs. The indexed reverse repo rate, or the interest payable by the central bank on short-term deposit, automatically stood reduced to 5.75 per cent.

There was no cut in the 4 per cent cash reserve ratio that banks have to maintain in the form of liquid assets and designated government securities.

"Markets have transmitted Reserve Bank's past policy actions via commercial paper and corporate bonds, but banks have done so only to a limited extent," Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan said in the fourth bimonthly monetary policy statement for the current fiscal year.

"Median base lending rates of banks have fallen by only about 30 basis points, despite extremely easy liquidity conditions," the governor said. "This is a fraction of the 75 basis points of the policy rate reduction during JanuaryJune, even after a passage of eight months since the first rate action by the

Jaitley makes a pitch for voice reforms in World Bank

Shivinder Mohan Singh Malvinder added. Singh founded Fortis Healthcare with his elder brother Malvinder Mohan Singh in late 1990s. The brothers sold their stake in Ranbaxy to Japanese drug major Daiichi Sankyo in 2008.

Singh is also one of the principal promoters of Religare Enterprises Ltd, Super Religare Laboratories Ltd and Religare Technologies Ltd. He did his MBA with specialization in health sector management from the Duke University Business School, USA. He is an alumnus of Doon School and did Honours in Mathematics from St Stephens College.

The Fortis Healthcare chain comprise hospitals, diagnostics and day care speciality facilities.

Currently, the company operates its healthcare delivery services in India, Dubai, Mauritius and Sri Lanka with 54 healthcare facilities (including projects under development), approximately 10,000 potential beds and 260 diagnostic centres.

The RBI also scaled down its earlier estimate of the country's GDP growth for the current fiscal to 7.4 per cent from 7.6 per cent

Raghuram Rajan Springing a surprise, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday cut its short-term lending rate by 50 basis points, but made a pitch for passing it on to consumers in the form of cheaper personal and commercial credit.

Stakeholders expected a 25-basis-point cut.

Soon after the rate cut announcement, the country's largest lender, the State Bank of India (SBI), said it would cut its base rate by 40 basis points effective October. A similar indication was given by some other banks, notably ICICI Bank.

As per Tuesday's decisions, the repurchase rate,

Arun Jaitley India's Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has stressed on the need for voice reforms in the World Bank to accord greater say to emerging economies in the activities of the agency. He raised the issue of voice reforms and increase in cap-

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ital base of the agency at a meeting with the visiting Managing Director Sri Multani Indrawati, according to a statement released by the Finance Ministry.

India has been seeking voice and quota reforms in multilateral bodies like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank so that e m e r g i n g economies could have more clout in the working of these institutions.

Indrawati told the Minister about the World Bank Group's agenda and strategy to achieve twin goals of removing global poverty and increasing shared prosperity, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, 2015.

She assured support for

India's development strategies through delivery of diversified programmes of financing, knowledge exchange and capacity building. Issues concerning the Indian economy and priorities of the government too came up for discussion during the meeting. The statement also said that the discussion focused on the Prime Minister's six priority areas for World Bank financing, road map and timelines for World Bank Group's capital increase, procurement, environment and social safeguards framework.

Indrawati was on a 3day visit to India from September 22-24. The meeting was also attended by Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das, senior officials of the Finance Ministry and representatives of the World Bank.

Reserve Bank.

Bank deposit rates have, however, been reduced significantly, suggesting further transmission is possible."

The RBI also scaled down its earlier estimate of the country's GDP growth for the current fiscal to 7.4 per cent from 7.6 per cent.

It cited lack of new private investment, banks' stressed assets and waning business confidence as reasons for this revision.

"Underlying economic activity, however, remains weak on account of the sustained decline in exports, rainfall deficiency and weaker than expected momentum in industrial production and investment activity," Rajan cautioned.

Warning against buy-to let market

Mark Carney The Financial Policy Committee, led by Bank of England Governor Mark Carney, has warned that the buy-to-let market poses an increasing threat to financial stability of the country because rising property prices expose vulnerabilities that could magnify a housing market crash. The committee said landlords were more sensitive to booms and busts, buying rapidly when prices rise but also selling properties quickly during a downturn.

India plans to set up urea plant in Iran Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari has revealed India's plans to invest £10 billion in Iran to set up a gas-based urea manufacturing plant at the Chabahar port on the Persian Gulf that would bring down the cost of the compound by 50 per cent.

Iran has offered to supply natural gas at $ 2.95 for a urea plant but New Delhi wants to the rates to lower to $ 1.5.

“Various ministries will

Nitin Gadkari give their report by September 28, based on which a final decision will be taken. India is ready to invest more than £10 billion, but that depends on negotiations with Iran. If a

urea plant is set up, it will result in slashing of urea prices in India by 50 per cent and cut on huge subsidy on urea, which is £8 billion,” Gadkari said.

The rate offered by Iran is less than half at which India currently imports natural gas from the spot or current market. India has pledged to invest around $ 85 million in developing the strategic port off Iran's south eastern coast, which would provide India a sea-land

access route to Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan.

Gadkari said the Centre is targeting a net profit of £250 million from its 12 major ports in the next two years, while shipping and waterways would contribute at least 1 per cent to the country's GDP by March 2016.

He further said the government is going ahead with the port modernisation programme and his Ministry will seek Cabinet nod on the same.

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Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

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

Britain's public finances deteriorated

George Osbourne made a speech in Shanghai proclaiming that he wanted to create a link in the UK’s and China’s stock markets. He announced a "landmark feasibility study" into the idea, which would enable Chinese and British shares to be traded in both countries. He went to explain that "I want to see our stock markets in London and Shanghai formally connected, with UK firms raising funds from Chinese savers, and Chinese firms listing in London," In other measures announced on Monday, it emerged that the People's Bank of China is to issue short-term bonds in London denominated in the Chinese currency, the first time it has done so outside China.

Britain's public finances deteriorated unexpectedly last month, recording their worst August in three years as well as a decline in industrial orders signalling that a global slowdown is hitting the UK’s economy. The Office for National Statistics said Britain's headline measure of public borrowing rose to 12.1 billion pounds in August from 10.7 billion pounds in 2014, it was forecasted to narrow to 9 billion pounds. The Office National Statistics blamed the rise in borrowing during August on a fall in income tax paid during the month, with

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fewer of the payments that were due in July being paid late than in previous years. Osborne is due to publish updated budget forecasts on Nov. 25, alongside details of how government departments will cut spending by around 20 billion pounds over the next four years.

The Bank of England’s deputy governor spoke regarding wage growth in the UK. Despite a strong pickup in employment this year, wage growth has not significantly picked up. He says this is due to the present recovery being more biased towards low-paid jobs than previous recessions. Broadbent also attributes this to slowing productivity growth.

Bank of England’s, Ian McCafferty, has said he voted for an interest rate rise at the September meeting because inflation risks overshooting its short to medium-term target.

The Eurozone economy expanded in September, continuing a year of robust growth, according to survey figures released yesterday. Markit’s flash purchasing managers’ index (PMI) scored 53.9 for this month, down slightly from August but still above the 50 score that implies no growth and in line with economic growth.

According to Markit’s chief economist the September PMI sur-

veys indicate a further steady expansion of the Eurozone economy, but there remains a worrying failure of growth to accelerate to a pace sufficient to generate either higher inflation or strong job creation.

European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi has explained risks to Europe's inflation and growth outlook have increased due to the emerging market slowdown but the European Central Bank needs more time before deciding on further stimulus.

Draghi said inflation will take longer than previously expected to rise back to the ECB's near 2% target and that the euro zone's central bank is ready to beef up its 1 trillion euro plus asset buying programme if needed. However, it needs more evidence to conclude whether China's slowdown and the euro's falling oil prices will divert inflation from its projected path.

Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen again reiterated that the US is on course to raise interest rates this year. Speaking a week after the Fed voted against a rise in borrowing costs, she said inflation is being weighed down by temporary factors such as a strong dollar and low oil prices.

She continued to explain that the Federal Open Market

Committee (FOMC) would look through renewed concerns over the slowing Chinese economy, as well as the consequent financial market turmoil.

"Most FOMC participants, including myself, currently anticipate that achieving these conditions will likely entail an initial increase in the federal funds rate later this year, followed by a gradual pace of tightening thereafter," she said in a speech at the University of Massachusetts.

On Friday, US economic growth was revised upward. Gross domestic product grew at 3.9%, up from 3.7% in August, the Commerce Department said, ‘The GDP figure showed the world’s largest economy expanded more than previously forecast in the second quarter, boosted by gains in consumer spending and construction that may help the U.S. withstand a global slowdown.’

Strong hiring, cheaper gasoline and higher home prices will probably sustain household purchases, which account for about 70 percent of the economy. That helps bolster Janet Yellen’s view that the U.S. will overcome any fallout from cooling overseas markets and swings in global financial and commodity markets.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 29th September 2015 @ 7pm

GBP - INR = 99.83

USD - INR = 65.86 EUR - INR = 74.08 GBP - USD = 1.52 GBP - EUR = 1.35

EUR - USD = 1.12 GBP - AED = 5.57

GBP - CAD = 2.04

GBP - NZD = 2.39

GBP - AUD = 2.17

GBP - ZAR = 21.16

GBP - HUF = 422.65

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22

WORLD

In Brief

Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

Nepal-born scientist steered team to find water on Mars

WASHINGTON: The lead author of the study that found that the dark streaks on the surface of the Red Planet are flows of liquid water was lead authored by a Kathmandu-born scientist, Lujendra Ojha. He devised a new technique which better analysed photographs of the surface of Mars taken by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter which helped find evidence of water. Ojha, who plays guitar in a death metal band first posted the theory of water in Mars back in 2011 when he co-authored a study in the journal Science. He developed a way to study the chemical maps of the surface of Mars. The team later found fingerprints of salts that only form in the presence of water in narrow channels cut into cliff walls throughout the planet's equatorial region.

Muslim parents allegedly strangle daughter

BERLIN: A Muslim father has confessed to killing his 19 year old daughter with his bare hands for bringing shame on his family. It is alleged that Asadullah Khan strangled Lareeb after learning from the police that she had been caught shoplifting condoms to have sex with her forbidden boyfriend. He, along with his wife Shazia, later dressed the dead teenager in her clothes, wheeled her in a wheelchair from their apartment to the car, drove to a secluded embankment in Darmstadt and tipped the corpse down it. The 51 year old admitted to the killing because he believed she had brought 'dishonour' to the family. While his wife pleaded to be a downtrodden woman unable to save her daughter, the couple's second child, 14 year old Nida gave evidence against both her parents, saying her mother was as strict as their father, often striking both of them.

Tanzania's ruling party lures voters with Gujarati, Hindi lawn signs

DODOMA: Tanzanian ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi has resorted to first of its kind campaign tricks as CCM candidates flash placards and lawn signs in Gujarati and Hindi to attract substantial number of votes from the country's Indian community. This marketing tactic is usually seen in Canada, used by big banks, telephone companies and sports, particularly Ice Hockey.

Indian-origin counsel named Singapore's best dispute lawyer

SINGAPORE: Senior Counsel Davinder Singh has been named Singapore's best dispute lawyer in an awards function held in Hong Kong. The lawyer who heads Drew & Napier was given the 'Disputes Star of the Year' award at the Asialaw Asia-Pacific Dispute Resolution Awards. The awards acknowledges 12 practice areas across 14 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Spokesperson Asialaw Nickie Yeung said, “Each winner demonstrated his strengths in furthering and inspiring the growing field of dispute resolution around the region.” Singh was among eight lawyers from local and international firms to be nominated for the award. He has handled several high-profile cases, including the one involving Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong filing a defamation suit against blogger Roy Ngerg.

Obama names 3 Indian-Americans to advisory body

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama has named three Indian Americans to an advisory council on faith-based and neighbourhood partnerships that brings together religious and secular leaders as well as scholars and experts on their fields. This Council will focus on steps the government needs to take to reduce poverty and inequality and create opportunity for all, as a White House announcement. Naming the council members including Preeta Bansal, Nipun Mehta and Jasjit Singh, Obama said, “I am confident that these outstanding men and women will serve the American people well, and I look forward to working with them.” Bansal is a lecturer at the MIT Media Lab and a Senior Advisor at MIT's Laboratory for Social Machines. She is also President of Social Emergence Corporation, a not-for-profit that focuses on empowering human networks and community relationships. Mehta is the founder of ServiveSpace, a non-profit organisation, and is the member of the Advisory Circle of the Seva Foundation, the International Advisory Council of the Dalai Lama Foundation and the Advisory Board of the Greater Good Science Centre. Singh is Executive Director of the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund.

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India trashes Pak claims on wall along LoC AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Diplomatic action heated up after it was revealed that Pakistan's envoy to the US, Maleeha Lodhi has written two letters to the Security Council, including one complaining about India's fencing of the working boundary on the LoC WASHINGTON: India has strongly signalled that any Pakistani amplification of the Kashmir issue at the UN will be at its own diplomatic peril.

Diplomatic action heated up after it was revealed that Pakistan's envoy to the US, Maleeha Lodhi has written two letters to the Security Council, including one complaining about India's fencing of the working boundary on the LoC. Indian officials said the letter is based on a Kashmiri extremist Syed Salahuddin, who is considered as a global terrorist by the country. External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup warned Pakistan, hinting at how India would react, by saying, “At the appropriate time we will

respond to this.” He jeered at the neighbour's attempt to raise the Kashmir pitch at the global forum and said there has hardly been any action over Islamabad's previous attempts at this at UN, where Kashmir-related resolutions are considered non-binding, infructuous, and broadly overtaken by bilateral agreements.

“Has any action been taken by UN? If there's an action taken by UN, we'll respond appropriately, and if no, it tells that nobody has taken cognizance,'' Swarup told the media.

Islamabad has threatened to resurrect the matter with the help of some sympathetic UN officials. But New Delhi's initial response suggests it's ready

to hit back hard in international forums where Pakistan already enjoys a dismal reputation for harbouring terrorists and being a nuclear proliferator. Indian sources have also pointed out that not only are UN resolutions on Kashmir infructuous, but they also enjoin Pakistan to vacate Kashmiri territory under its occupation.

Modi's government fired the first shot in the diplomatic battle by publicly stating that the only Kashmir matter to be resolves is for Pakistan to return the portion of J&K it holds.

Sharif raises Kashmir issue with UN chief: Meanwhile, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif raised the Kashmir

plebiscite issue with Secretary-General Ban Kimoon on Sunday and wanted the United Nations Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) strengthened, Pakistani media reported. However, here at the UN headquarters Ban's spokesman only said in a statement that during their meeting "the secretarygeneral stressed the necessity for Pakistan and India to continue their peaceful dialogue".

The statement said that they also discussed "the fight against terrorism and violent extremism" and that Ban also asked Pakistan "to continue engaging Afghanistan in order to help stabilize the country".

Amid opposition, EU clears refugee deal BRUSSELS: The European Union approved a plan to share out 120,000 refugees across its 28 states, striding past vehement opposition from four ex-communist eastern nations. In a move that will deepen bad blood over the biggest migration crisis since World War II, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia, all voted against the plan while Finland abstained.

“Very soon we will find that the emperor is naked.

Common sense has lost today! :-(,” disappointed Czech interior minister

Milan Chovanec tweeted after emergency talks in Brussels. The proposal will see EU countries forced to take a share of thousands of new arrivals from Syria,

Afghanistan and Eritrea who are currently in frontline EU states of Greece and Italy. The ministers were under pressure to reach a deal that could be

ratified by EU leaders at a crisis summit, but in a rare step for a bloc that is keen to show a united front, the agreement was by a majority vote instead of unanimity. Officials said the relocation deal covered 66,000 refugees who would be moved from Greece and Italy plus another 54,000 who were earmarked to be relocated from Hungary before it refused to back the plan. “Decision on relocation for 120,000 persons adopted today, by a large majority of member states,” the EU's Luxembourg presidency said in a tweet.

New cancer genes identified, opening door to targeted treatments In a discovery that could lead to more targeted and effective treatments for certain lung and prostate cancers, researchers at the School of Medicine at University of Virginia have identified two new cancercausing gene mutationsthat may be particularly susceptible to cancerfighting drugs already approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration. One of the gene mutations also may play a key role in early menopause.

The findings have been detailed in a paper published online by Nature Communications. It was authored by Kyung Yong Lee, Jun-Sub Im, Etsuko Shibata, Jonghoon Park, Naofumi Handa, Stephen C. Kowalczykowski and

Dr Anindya Dutta, MD, PhD lead researcher at the Cancer Center of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, Dr Anindya Dutta, MD, PhD, who is also the Chairman of UVA’s Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics.

“One of the biggest problems in cancer is that we hit everything with the same hammer, and consequently some cancers are responsive and others are

not. Imagine if you could find the perfect hammer for the nail – the famous personalized therapy,” said Dutta.

His new research shows that the MCM8 and MCM9 genes produce proteins that play a critical role in homologous recombination, a method cells use to repair double-strand breaks in our DNA. Such breaks are thought to occur commonly- perhaps thousands of times in each cell’s life - but the vital repair proteins appear to be missing in cancers with MCM8 and MCM9 mutations. That defect could be the cancer cells’ downfall, theoretically making them “superbly sensitive” to cisplatin and other drugs already developed to battle BRCA1 and BRCA2 muta-

tions, said Dr Dutta.

As of now, there is no commercially available diagnostic test for the MCM8 and MCM9 mutations, though they could be revealed via whole genome sequencing. Dutta, however, says that a much simpler test can be designed; he’d also like to see a clinical trial to determine the effectiveness of cisplatin and olaparib in battling cancers with the MCM8 and MCM9 mutations.

Dutta’s research also notes the correlation of genetic inactivation of the MCM8 gene and the early onset of menopause, also known as premature ovarian failure. That will give scientists a new avenue to explore as they seek to better understand the condition.

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US backs domestic probe in Lanka war crimes AsianVoiceNews

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Sri Lanka's domestic mechanism to probe the alleged rights abuses cannot have foreign judges due to constitutional impediments, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in Colombo COLOMBO: A US-initiated draft resolution on Sri Lanka's alleged human rights violations has called for a domestic judicial mechanism that includes foreign judges to probe the war crimes during the conflict with the LTTE, a development that may help it avoid an international inquiry.

The draft resolution, cosponsored by Sri Lanka, the US, the UK, Macedonia and Montenegro was submitted to the UNHRC in Geneva with several amendments to the original text proposed earlier, officials said. The resolution comes a week after the publication of a longawaited UN report that called for establishing a hybrid court to probe the atrocities, specially during the last stages of the threedecade conflict.

Titled `Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka', the draft resolution is still open for last minute

Visiting Guest

Dr Anju Kajal A staunch follower of Dr Ambedkar's philosophy on social reforms, Dr Anju Kajal's sole purpose is to become the woman voice of the depressed classes, promoting their cause and strengthen people to people ties through cross cultural programmes and seminars.

She firmly believes that women empowerment can be achieved by women welfare and has often directed her work in that direction. Dr Kajal will be present in London from the 2nd of October to the 6th and later on the 13th and 14th.

All those who wish to meet up with her, can contact her on her UK number: +447448980571.

WORLD

In Brief

Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

23

Dalai Lama says female successor must be 'very, very attractive'

LONDON: The Dalai Lama has pulled himself to a seeming controversy with comments on women saying should his successor be a female she must be “very very attractive” otherwise she is “not much use.” In an interview, the spiritual leader recalled telling a French journalist almost a decade ago that there must be a female Dalai Lama as he believed women has a greater “biological” capacity to “show affection... compassion.” Elaborating on the topic, he said, “I think female[s] should take more important role and then I told the reporter if a female does come her face should be very, very attractive.” When probed further by a visibly uncomfortable interviewer, he responded in the affirmative saying, “Otherwise not much use.” The recent comments stand in contrast with his 2009 claims of being a feminist.

Pak delays hanging of disabled

amendments before it is taken up for a vote. Sri Lanka was trying to waterdown the tone of the resolution after last weeks UNHRC report.

Lanka rules out involvement of foreign judges: Sri Lanka's domestic mechanism to probe the alleged rights abuses cannot have foreign judges due to constitutional impediments, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in Colombo. Wickremesinghe

said his government could only act within the framework of the Sri Lankan Constitution, which does not allow foreign judges to operate in the country. He, however, said that international expertise would be welcomed but the country's judiciary would have to approve the extent of their involvement.

The Sri Lankan Premier's assertions came against the backdrop of UN high commissioner for

World has lost humanity: Malala

UNITED NATIONS: Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai has made an appeal to leaders to do more on Syria, stating the drowning toddler portrayed how the world has “lost humanity”. She said she was so upset with the extremists hurling abuses on girls in Syria and Iraq that she stopped watching the news.

Malala said she saw and has remained haunted by the picture of Aylan Kurdi, the Syrian toddler whose body washed up on a Turkish beach in an image that has become symbolic of the risk the refugees are taking to seek safety in Europe. “We lost humanity on that day when... nowhere a child is welcome,” she told reporters at the United Nations. “It is important that people open their hearts and people open their lands to people who are now needing more support and who need the right

to live,” she said. The 18 year old who was shot at by the Taliban for pursuing school, appealed to the world leaders to imagine their own children suffering the abuses meted out by the Islamic State movement which has sexually enslaved girls from minority groups.

“The first thing is that the world leaders need to take all these issues more seriously. They should think about their own children.”

The youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize winner never returned to Pakistan for three years amid concerns for her safety and chose to study in Birmingham, England. She had come to New York for the adoption of a new UN development agenda, which aims to end extreme poverty in 15 years. She said she took two days off. “I never miss a school day unless it's for a good cause and it really brings change,” she said.

human rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein call for a hybrid special court, integrating international judges, prosecutors, lawyers and investigators to probe the alleged rights abuses during the civil war that ended in 2009.

Rights groups claim that the Sri Lankan military killed 40,000 civilians in the final months of the three decade-long brutal ethnic conflict in the island nation.

LAHORE: Following appeals by human rights groups, Pakistan has postponed the execution of a paraplegic death row convict Abdul Basit. Basit who was convicted of murder in 2009, contracted tubercular meningitis in 2010 which left him paralysed from the waist down. He was due to be hanged recently, but the sentence has been delayed after Justice Project Pakistan, a human rights law firm handling his case, raised concerns about how the wheelchairbound man would mount the scaffold. An official at Faisalabad jail said, “ The hanging has been postponed. A magistrate in the morning ordered the postponement because Abdul Basit is a disabled man.” According to JPP , prison guidelines require that a prisoner stands on the gallows and the rope's length is determined by his standing height.

Baby born with shrapnel in head

ALEPPO: Highlighting the extending horrors of the ISIS, a baby girl was born with shrapnel lodged in her head in Syria after her mother suffered injuries in a rocket attack.

Graphic footage was posted on Facebook by the Aleppo City Medical Council that showed doctors delivering a lifeless and pale child who had a piece of shrapnel embedded in her forehead.

24

INDIA

Centre okays £100 mn special assistance to AP Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

HYDERABAD: The Central Government has announced special assistance of £100 million to Andhra Pradesh in the current financial year. Pound 35 million of the allotted money would be earmarked for the development of seven backward districts; three in north Coastal Andhra and four in Rayalaseema.

The announcement followed Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's two day visit to New Delhi where he met several Union Ministers and conveyed to them the need to provide liberal assistance to the

tricts, £230.3 million to state. Naidu said injustice was done to his region after bridge the resource gap, bifurcation and the £150 million to Central Government create infrashould provide the structure facilrequired handholding ities in the to the new state new capital which now has to and £25 milstart from scratch. lion for The funds sancPolavaram tioned are in addition Project. to Rs £440.3 million U n i o n released in the last F i n a n c e financial year. It Ministry, in included £35 statement said million for that the aid for seven the capital conbackstruction ward would also disinclude construcN Chandrababu Naidu

Madras HC judge defies Supreme Court NEW DELHI: After the Supreme Court restrained Madras High Court judge C S Karnan from undertaking suo moto proceedings in the issue of appointment of junior judges, Justice Karnan took on high court Chief Justice Sanjiv Kishan Kaul. He had warned to take contempt actions if he interfered with his orders.

He later approached the Apex Court to look into the matter.

On his plea, the court formed a bench consisting of Chief Justice of India H L Dattu, Justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy. They put a stay on the status quo order passed by Karnan in the matter and additionally restrained him from taking further actions.

Justice Karnan wrote letters on August 19 and August 21 alleging Chief Justice Kaul was being

'inimical' of him and that he was being sidelined as cases were not being assigned to him properly and he wasn't being included in relevant committees.

In the August 21 letter he has alleged that Justice Kaul has committed atrocities against him under certain sections of the SC/ST Act. It was sent to the President, Prime Minister, Union Law Minister, Consumer Affairs Minister Ramvilas Paswan, former UP Chief Minister Mayawati, Tamil Nadu governor, TN Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and Chairmen of the national commissions for SCs and STs. Justice Karnan had also asked for Rs 500,000 from the Madras High Court to hire a lawyer to present his side of the story. The Madras High Court is yet to respond on this matter.

tion of the Raj Bhavan, High Court, Secretariat, Legislative Assembly, Legislative Council and other essential infrastructure. Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Y Satyanarayana Chowdary expressed confidence that funds would be released within a week. He further said the Niti Ayog was positive to the state's release for grant of special category status and the Ayog's vicechairman was in parley with different departments on the issue. He hopes for clarity on the issue before October 22.

TN church to bless domestic animals CHENNAI: St Thomas Basilica in Santhome, Chennai, will celebrate October 4, World Animal Day, as the day of the Feast of St Francis of Assisi who is regarded as the patron saint of animals. “He was a nature lover, so we will have a special blessing for animals between 11 and 11.30 am,” says Rev Fr Louis Mathias, parish priest of the Basilica. He added that on the Maatu Pongal day a similar ceremony was held when animals that are helpful to farmers were blessed.

“A similar ceremony was held six years ago at St Thomas Basilica,” says Chinny Krishna, chairman emeritus, Blue Cross of India, which is organizing the event. “We usually try and conduct the ceremony when October 4 falls on a Sunday. Incidentally, it

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Sikh nation'. Although the priests said they received the apology letter a few days ago, some alleged it was an old one the Akal Takht had resurrected. President of Shiromani Akali Dal Paramjit Singh Sarna said five Sikh high priests had no right to take decision without consulting Sikh Panth.

“The apology letter was sent in 2007. Why did the Sikh clergy suddenly take a decision on it now?” he asked.

CHANDIGARH: Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh's outburst against Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi did not bode well with Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa who alleged that the former CM was to form his own party in collusion with the BJP after the Bihar elections.

Bajwa has also demanded Amarinder's immediate expulsion for his “repeated attempts to destabilise” the Congress ahead of a critical election.

“Amarinder Singh’s opportunistic tendencies are rather well known. This is evident by his imminent plan to launch his own party and joins hands with the BJP soon after the Bihar elections,” he said. “Captain has a game plan. He is waiting for the Bihar polls.

In Brief AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

11 Karnataka intellectuals under right wing fire BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah appears powerless as right wing extremists publicly threaten and harass the state's intellectuals. In his recent public statement, his media advisor Dinesh Amin Mattu, revealed at an event organised to condemn the killing of Dharwadbased rationalist M M Kalburgi, that the CM was angry with the police for letting off Sri Rama Sene activists who had threatened to burn down the houses of Kannada writers Chennaveera Kanavi and Giraddi Govindraja. The writers had signed a memorandum seeking a probe into the role of the Sene in Kalburgi's killing. Mattu also revealed the chief minister couldn't do much other than show rage when police officials told him the Sene activists were let off on bail a few hours after their arrest.

Now, Amma Mobile scheme for women self-help groups

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa announced an Amma Mobile scheme for the benefit of 20,000 trainers at self-help groups. Making an announcement in the assembly, the chief minister said the scheme would be introduced in the current fiscal. It will incur an expenditure of £1.5 million to the state exchequer. The groups manage several records pertaining to conducting meetings, payment, savings and details of loans among themselves. "A special mobile application will be designed to ensure registration of details and to monitor the functioning of each group," Jayalalithaa said. The state has 608,000 self-help groups (SHGs), with a membership of 9200,000 women. Federations are also formed at the village level and each one comprises 25 groups.

YSR chief threatens indefinite fast from Oct 7

was on October 4, 1968, that we got the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals to gazette their first set of rules on animal experimentation in India.” A few churches and temples across the city are planning to conduct similar ceremonies. Every year, special prayers are being held at a Ganesha idol located under a peepal tree at the C P Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation.

Akal Takht pardoning War of words between Dera chief questioned Punjab Cong leaders AMRITSAR: The Akal Takht has accepted an apology from Dera baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim, pardoning him for appearing in an initiation ceremony wearing clothes associated with Guru Gobind Singh, in 2007. The incident has led to a major controversy and widespread violence in both Punjab and Haryana. The decision to pardon the preacher was taken at a meeting of five Sikh high priests held at Akal Takht secretariat and has apparently not gone down well with many Sikh organisations who have announced they will launch an agitation to restore the Sarbat Khalsa institution and remove the Jathedar from his seat. The Sarbat Khalsa is a grand assembly of Sikhs held at Amritsar and stands for the 'entire

www.asian-voice.com

Rahul Gandhi He feels the BJP will win there. He is working with the BJP. The plan is that the BJP will pull out of the Punjab government next March. And he will leave the Congress and form a new party. The name has already been registered. It is called Punjab Vikas Party,” Bajwa said.

Both Amarinder and Bajwa have long since engaged in a bitter duel over the control of the party leadership in the state.

HYDERABAD: YSR Congress chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy would go on an indefinite fast at Guntur from October 7 to mount pressure on Centre for granting special status to the state. "The decision to this effect was taken at a high level meeting and we will suggest alternative venue to the officials, if the present venue is not approved," YSRC leader Botsa Satyanarayana said. Reddy planned to hold the fast in Guntur from Monday, but the administration denied permission for it.

AAP leader pledges to bring 1984 riots perpetrators to justice

NEW DELHI: Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader HS Phoolka has said that he would resign from all the party posts he currently holds as he wanted to devote more time on the 1984 riots case. In his Facebook page, he wrote a post that read, “As much as an inherent part as I am of AAP, my dedication to the cause of 1984 remains unaltered.

At this stage, where I feel I am needed more for these cases, I must not hesitate to take a step back from everything else and give the cause my undivided attention. The cases of the genocide of 1984 have down the years become synonymous with me and the reality is that if I do not give them all my time and attention they are likely to be adversely affected, whereas AAP has managed to find its foothold in Punjab.”

Heroin worth £11.5 mn recovered

AMRITSAR: Punjab is neck deep in problems related to drug smuggling and abuse. Most recently a joint team of Border Security Force and Customs officials recovered 23 kg heroin worth £11.5 million in the international market at Tehkala border outpost in Amritsar Sector. BSF Deputy Inspector General of Punjab Frontier RS Kataria said the team, during a special operation, observed some people throwing packets from the other side of the border. He also reported that the smugglers attacked the jawans and fled away when challenged by the force. After the firing ended, the jawans searched the place and seized 23 packets of heroin, each containing 1 kg drug. Also recovered was a Pakistani SIM card.

Reward for most hygienic hospital

CHANDIGARH: Punjab government has announced a reward of £50,000 to the most hygienic hospital in the state, in a bid to promote hygiene and cleanliness. Principal Secretary Health, Vini Mahajan said, “The Punjab government has constituted a state-level evaluation committee to assess the general conditions of each government hospital in the state and on the basis of its recommendations the hygienically best hospital would be awarded with a cash award of £50,000.” She further added that “Instructions have been given to the civil surgeons across the state to ensure cleanliness and basic hygiene in the hospitals under their control.

INDIA

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

In a major sweep of changes, the Indian government has shuffled new faces to top diplomatic positions. Navtej Sarna, currently a secretary (west) in MEA is posted to be the next high commissioner to London, a decision which seems to be made after considerate thought as he was Ambassador to Israel and will have the right political, cultural and diaspora skills for the job.

India's Ambassador to Bhutan, Gautam Bambawale will take from TCA Raghavan as high commissioner to Pakistan after he retires in December. Anil Wadhwa, secretary (east), will go to Rome, which has grown in importance given the level of Indian economic interests. Two senior-most officials in headquarters will be replaced by Amar Sinha and Amarendra Khatua, who will be the next Secretaries East and West.

Sinha was India's ambassador to Afghanistan, overseeing the transition from the Karzai to Ghani government. Khatua is currently India's ambassador to Argentina.

Syed

FIR lodged against Lalu for casteist remarks An FIR has been lodged against RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav for alleged castiest remarks as the the Election Commission found them violating the model of conduct for assembly elections in Bihar.

Registered with Ganga Bridge police station in Vaishali district by Circle Officer Raghopur Neeranjan Kumar for describing the assembly elections as a direct fight between “the backward castes and forward castes.”

Launching his campaign from Raghopur, the RJD leader called out to the Yadavs and other backward castes to rally behind his secular alliance to defeat BJP-led NDA. Caught on video, the footage showed the violation of model code and provision of Representation of People's Act which is why, Additional Chief Election Officer R Lakshamanan said, the case was registered. Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi noted that any casteist remark was a breach of EC guidelines and will be dealt by the Commission under its legal framework.

Gautam Bambawale Akbaruddin will take over as India's permanent representative in the UN in New York, replacing Asoke Mukerji who will be retiring. Before he leaves though, Akbaruddin will have to deliver the big ticket India-Africa summit in October.

P S Raghavan, India's representative in Moscow will be replaced by Pankaj Saran, currently India's high commissioner to Dhaka, when he retires at the end of the year. Saran was believed to have played a major role in securing the land boundary agreement between India and Bangladesh.

Given Bangladesh's importance, the Indian govern-

ment will move Harsh V Shringla from Bangkok to Dhaka. Shringla, one of MEA's finest, steered India's relations with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Maldives for several years and has a sound knowledge of the region and its complexities.

Vijay Gokhale, India's ambassador to Germany move to Beijing, when the current incumbent Ashok Kantha retires in a few months.

He is believed to be one of the most knowledgeable officials to be entrusted with a very complex relationship. Sujan Chinoy, India's ambassador to Mexico, will take over from Deepa Wadhwa in Tokyo, to maintain the very important bilateral relationship, driven primarily by the interest of the two Prime Ministers, Modi and Shinzo Abe. Nengcha Lhouvum, director Foreign Service Institute is headed to Jakarta as India's ambassador in the Asean country. Gurjit Singh, currently in Indonesia, will take Vijay Gokhale's place in Berlin.

CBI clears Manmohan Singh of involvement in Coal Scam The CBI has sided with former prime minister Manmohan Singh, clearing him from any involvement in the case pertaining to alleged irregularities in the allocation of a coal mine in Jharkhand.

Defending Singh in the coal block case involving allocation of the Amarkonda Murgadangal block to Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) and Gagan Sponge Iron Pvt Ltd (GSIPL), the CBI told the Special Court Monday that there is “no prima facie evidence” against Singh to summon him as an accused.

The Central Bureau of Investigation opposed former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda’s plea to summon Singh, who was the then Minister of Coal and said “Singh did not tinker with any process of the screening committee” which “suggests that he was part of any conspiracy” in the allocation of coal block to the accused firms.

Special Public Prosecutor R S Cheema told Special Judge Bharat Parashar that the probe agency has “carried out a complete and comprehensive investigation into the case” and that “it has not found any complicity on the part of Singh with any of accused persons in any

India asks Nepal to address issues effectively Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

MEA shuffles diplomatic positions: Bambawale to play Pakistan High Commissioner

manner.” Calling Koda’s application to summon Singh as “devoid of any merit”, it said that decisions taken by Singh “were not mechanical” and was done using “application of mind”.

“The agency has carried out a comprehensive and complete investigation. The court has also critically examined the matter before summoning the accused persons… The decisions approved by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and Coal Ministry and that finally approved by the Coal Minister (Singh) was not done in a mechanical fashion. It was in fact done with application of mind.

The prima facie evidence does not show any complicity on part of Singh. There is no evidence to summon him as an accused,” Cheema said.

The bureau further said his allegation that Singh insisted on “routing all the files” to Minister of State (MoS) Dasari Narayan Rao “is factually incorrect” and “referring the notings” to MoS Coal has been done in other allocations and there is “no illegality” over this aspect. It also rejected Koda’s contention that because Singh took the final decisions of allocation of coal blocks, he should be summoned as an accused.

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As the unrest in Nepal, following the declaration of their new Constitution intensifies and reports of obstruction at various entry-exit points at its border with India increases, the National Capital has reiterated that Kathmandu needs to “address the issues involved effectively and credibly.” The Foreign Ministry released a statement saying that issues facing Nepal were political in nature. “Nepalese leadership needs to address the causes underlying the present state of confrontation credibly and effectively,” said spokesperson Vikas Swarup. He added, “Issues of differences

should be resolved and institutionalised with broad-based ownership and acceptance.”

The government said the reported obstructions were due to unrest, protests and demonstrations on the Nepalese side, by sections of their population. “As was already said on September 21, our freight forwarders and transporters had voiced complaints about the difficulties they are facing in movement within Nepal, and their security fears, due to the prevailing unrest,” Swarup said, saying that India hoped the situation “was going to ease at the earliest.”

Both the countries have officially denied that New Delhi had asked for any particular amendment in Nepal's new book of law.

It is reported that hundreds of protesters opposed to the Constitution blocked a key trade checkpoint with India, cutting off vital supplies to the country, even when an Indian envoy met top Nepalese leaders and assured them that the problem was due to unrest in the region. Hundreds of trucks loaded with essential goods, cooking gas cylinders and petroleum products were stalled at the Nepal-India border at Birgunj.

INDIA - WORLD

26

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Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

Former PM's daughters give up SPG protection Daughters of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Daman Singh and Upinder Singh, have volunteered to give up their elite Special Protection Group cover after almost a decade. The security is being replaced by the government with a mandatory cover of the Delhi police.

A ministry official said Daman's SPG cover was withdrawn last month, while the process of withdrawing cover for her sister Upinder “will be done soon.” As per legalities, immediate family members of current and ex-PMs are eligible for an SPG protection. Confirming the news, Daman Singh said, “I

and I think the government is in the process of doing it.

The SPG w a s replaced by Delhi Police cover since it was mandatory... If I had Daman Singh and Upinder Singh my way, I wouldn't opted out of the SPG cover. want any security.” As per It was not a government an amendment made to the move. I was in a hurry to SPG Act in 2003, ex-PMs get it removed and really and their immediate family pushed hard. I and my members cannot get the family were not comfortSPG cover beyond a year of able with the SPG cover. leaving office unless a yearMy sister Upinder has also ly assessment warrants so asked for SPG's removal

in terms of the threat emanating from any militant or terrorist organisation or any other source.

Manmohan Singh will continue to be covered by the SPG as threat to him still persists, said a home ministry official. The elite force has just six protectees now, PM Narendra Modi and former PMs Manmohan Singh and A B Vajpayee, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Vadra.

The SPG, with less than 4,000 personnel in its ranks and a budget of Rs 330 Crore this year, is the most expensive VIP guarding security force considering the man-budget ratio.

draw besides highlighting Gandhi's doctrine of nonviolence. Mayor of Silute, Vytautas Laurinaitis, said “Gandhi and his philosophy are taught to our students and his life story is included in their text books.

However, Kallenbach was the major discovery for us that of Gandhi. We had extensive debate over the location.

We want to show it as Kallenbach returning to his home. We will now beautify the entire route along

“I have been researching extensively and collecting visual images on Gandhi for my statue. I have watched the movie Gandhi

by Ben Kingsley several times and it has left a major mark on me. The statue is almost 1.9 metres tall. My monument of Gandhi will be one of the finest made on the great Indian philosopher.”

The money for the statue was raised by Lithuania's ambassador to India Laimonas Talat Kelpsa. Kallenbach met with a young Gandhi while they were both working in South Africa and, after a series of discussions they were known to have developed an intimate and long lasting friendship. Gandhi said they became "soulmates" and even shared Kallenbach's home for some time. He accompanied Gandhi in his first penitential fast at Phoenix in 1913 and also acted as a manager during Gandhi's epic march. Kallenbach also accompanied Gandhi and his wife on their final voyage from South Africa to London in 1914. Both of them used to call each other 'Upper House' and 'Lower House'. They held long discussions on religious and other issues and Kallenbach was highly influenced by Gandhi's ideas of Satyagraha and equality among human beings and gladly became a dedicated devotee. In 1910 Kallenbach, then a rich man, donated a thousand acre farm belonging to him near Johannesburg which was used to run Gandhi's famous 'Tolstoy Farm' to house the families of satyagrahis. With the start of World War I he was interned as an enemy alien at detention camps and was shifted to the Isle of Man as a prisoner of war from 1915 to 1917, however, after the war he returned to South Africa, where he resumed his work as an architect and continued to correspond with Gandhi.

Lithuania to unveil Gandhi, Kallenbach statues CONTINUED FROM P1

Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius and Gandhi's grandson Gopal Krishna Gandhi will unveil a statue of friendship between Gandhi and Jewish architect Hermann Kallenbach on October 2.

The local municipality have chosen a prime spot right next to a river and a historic Jewish synagogue for the monument. The statue is expected to become a major tourist

the river to the monument.

The spot is very well visible and nothing blocks the view. Not only will the monument be seen by Lithuanians but also by Russians on the other side.

The municipality has contributed 10,000 euros which will be used for landscaping the area and creating a pedestrian walk.”

Lithuanian sculptor Romas Kvintas who is creating a life size bronze statue of the two at the village of Kallenbach's birth, said,

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PM Modi’s another historic visit CONTINUED FROM P1 and the leaders, alike. In the final leg of his trip, he sought United States’ support to complete the United Nations reforms within a fixed time frame and cooperation for India's early membership of Asia Pacific Economic Community, during his meeting with US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, however, climate change dominated their hour-long conversation. Greeting him with a hug in New York,

ing peace. He said he regretted that nations contributing to peacekeeping operations have no say in decision-making as he asserted the success of such a mission depends mainly on the “moral force” of the world body. Talking to a group of people that included UN SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and leaders from different countries, he said, “Success of peacekeeping ultimately depends not on the weapons that

Modi welcomed by Irish students Obama said India's leadership at the upcoming global conference on climate change will set the tone for decades to come. Both the leaders focused on areas of security, counter-terrorism, defence, economy and climate change.

After the hour long meeting, Obama said, “Much of our discussion focused on the climate conference in Paris. We agree that this is a critical issue for the world, and all of us have responsibilities. We are encouraged by the aggressive nature of Modi's commitment to clean energy.” He added, “What I said is that I really believe that India's leadership at this conference will set the tone not just for today but for decades to come.”

Modi aggressively spoke about India's push on renewable energy, including the plan to produce 175 GW of renewable energy. He told Obama it was time to move away from the “current climate of negativism.” He also clearly stated it “was equally important to develop mechanisms to ensure that the affordable also becomes accessible to those who need it the most.”

Addressing the Leaders' Summit on Peacekeeping hosted by Obama, Modi promised that India remains committed to efforts made for maintain-

carry but by the moral force of the UNSC. The problems arise to a large extent because the countries which provide the troops do not have a role in decision-making process.”

A need for carrying out the “long pending task reforms” of the UN Security Council to ensure its “relevance and effectiveness.”

Modi met with French President Francois Hollande on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly summit, and held a session with British counterpart David Cameron. Modi was also paid a surprise visit by Bill Gates who had missed him during his Silicon Valley visit.

Modi's five day trip to the United States saw many events unfold as he met with several world leaders and interacted with leading investors and financial sector firms. He attended a work dinner with CEOs of major Fortune 500 companies, deliberating on investment opportunities. He took the West Coast by storm where he visited Facebook Headquarters for a townhall Q&A with Mark Zuckerberg and visited the Google campus and Tesla Motors. Not disappointing the Indian population in the US, Modi gave a chestthumping speech as the crowd chanted his name in chorus.

Narendra Modi with David Cameron

AsianVoiceNews

FOOD

long periods while emptying cupboards. Clad in skinny jeans, the woman said they felt increasingly tight and her feet were numb as she walked home, making her trip and fall.

Unable to get up, she spent several hours stranded outside before getting to the hospital.

Kimber and colleagues published a report about the case online in the Journal of N e u r o l o g y , Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

Kimber said tight jeans have previously been reported to cause nerve lesions in the groin but not the kind of nerve problems in the lower leg and severe muscle damage they saw. He said squatting compressed the nerves

A

To Our Readers

| Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

placebo pill; low light and the equivalent of a 200milligram caffeine pill dependent on the subject's weight; bright light and a placebo pill; and bright light and the caffeine pill.

Melatonin hormone levels in the blood increase to signal the onset of biological night time during each 24-hour period and decrease at the start of biological daytime. "Those who took the caffeine pill under low-light conditions were found to have a roughly 40-minute delay in their nightly circadian rhythm compared to those who took the placebo pill under low light conditions," said Wright.

The magnitude of delay from the caffeine dose was about half that of the delay induced in participants by a three-hour exposure to bright, overhead light that began at each person's normal bedtime.

The study also showed that bright light alone and bright light combined with caffeine induced circadian phase delays in partici-

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LIFESTYLE

Coffee before bedtime can disrupt sleep

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...

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

27

Doctors warn against Eat chocolates to wearing skinny jeans lower blood pressure A D FITNESS

octors have warned the wearers of skinny jeans that they should not squat for long time. Doctors in Australia report that a 35-year-old woman was hospitalized for four days after experiencing muscle damage, swelling, and nerve blockages in her legs after squatting for several hours while wearing tight-fitting denims.

"We were surprised that this patient had such severe damage to her nerves and muscles," said Dr. Thomas Kimber of the Royal Adelaide Hospital in Australia.

The patient spent most of the previous day helping someone move, squatting for

double espresso three hours before bedtime can induce a 40-minute time delay in our body's internal clock, leading to disrupted sleep, the result of a first-ever human trial has revealed. The study, led by University of Colorado found that evening caffeine delays the internal circadian clock that tells us when to get ready for sleep and when to prepare to wake up.

"The study also showed for the first time how caffeine affects 'cellular timekeeping' in the human body," said professor Kenneth Wright from CUBoulder.

While it has been known that caffeine influences circadian clocks of even primitive creatures like algae and fruit flies, the new findings show that the internal clocks in human cells can be impacted by caffeine intake.

For the study, the team recruited three females and two males who went through a double-blind, placebo-controlled 49-day protocol. The participants were tested under four conditions: low light and a

HEALTH&WELLNESS

pants of about 85 minutes and 105 minutes, respectively.

"The results may help to explain why caffeinedrinking 'night owls' go to bed later and wake up later and may have implications for the treatment of some circadian sleep-wake disorders," Wright emphasised. There were no significant differences between the dim light/caffeine combination and the bright light/placebo combination.

Nor were there significant differences between the bright light/placebo and bright light/caffeine combinations.

The new results could benefit frequent travellers.

Properly timed caffeine use could help shift the circadian clocks of those flying west over multiple time zones. "This is the first study to show that caffeine, the mostly widely used psychoactive drug in the world, has an influence on the human circadian clock," the authors concluded.

in the lower leg, reducing the blood supply to the calf muscles and that the skinny jeans worsened the problem.

After being treated for four days - and having her jeans cut off the woman still had some weakness in her legs but walked out of the hospital and later recovered fully.

Kimber doesn't know if the woman still wears skinny jeans but warned her against the dangers of squatting in them.

"I think it's the nonstretchy nature of jeans that might be the problem," Kimber said, noting that tight pants with more elasticity wouldn't be as dangerous since they wouldn't squeeze nerves and muscles.�

A new study has revealed t h a t cocoa flavanols which is abundant in chocolates lower blood pressure and increase blood vessel function in healthy people.

New studies demonstrate that consuming cocoa flavanols improves cardiovascular function and lessens the burden on the heart that comes with the ageing and stiffening of arteries.

The studies also provide novel data to indicate that intake of cocoa flavanols reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Researcher Malte Kelm said that with the world population getting older, the incidence of cardiovascular disease, heart

attacks and stroke will only increase, adding that it was therefore pivotal that people understand the positive impact diet could have on cardiovascular disease risk.

Cocoa flavanols are plant-derived bioactives from the cacao bean.

Dietary intake of flavanols has been shown to have a beneficial effect on cardiovascular health but the compounds are often destroyed during normal food processing.

The studies found that cocoa flavanols increase blood vessel flexibility and lower blood pressure.

is the biggest risk factor, the number of people with dementia is likely to rise as life expectancy increases.

"It's wonderful news that each generation is living longer ... but it’s important to ensure people can enjoy these extra years in good health," said Matthew Norton, Alzheimer's Research UK's head of policy.

Mark Dallas, a neuroscientist at Britain's University of Reading who specialises in Alzheimer's, said that as well as the size of the potential problem, this study also highlighted the gaps in research efforts and funds.

"The startling numbers of people born this year that will be affected by dementia (put) it on a par with other life-changing diseases," he said.

"However for every one dementia researcher there are five researching cancer. We must invest in innovative research to redress the balance."

or the first time ever, a team of scientists from India have mapped the entire genome of the humble tulsi plant that can cure a range of ailments.

Scientists from the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru have decoded the humble plant to determine the genes responsible for production of compounds with potential medicinal properties.

From the study, scientists found that tulsi plant has about 40 special chemicals that have medicinal values. Tulsi, famously known for its anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-pyretic and anti-cancer properties, is considered to be of Indian origin and has been under cultivation for almost 3,000 years now.

Tulsi or Tulasi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) or Holy basil is a sacred plant in Hindu belief. The plant is cultivated for religious and medicinal purposes, and for its essential oil.

One third of Britons born in 2015 may develop dementia

A

ccording to an analysis commissioned by charity campaign group Alzheimer's Research UK a third of Britons born in 2015 may develop dementia. The study, conducted by the Office of Health Economics, shows "a looming national health crisis as the UK population ages", the charity said, and underlines the need for global efforts to develop treatments for the brainwasting condition.

Dementia already affects some 850,000 people in Britain, and a total of 35.6 million worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

It is caused by brain diseases, most commonly Alzheimer's disease, which result in the loss of brain cells and affect memory, thinking, behaviour and the ability to perform everyday activities. There is currently no cure for Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia, and since age

Indian scientists decode tulsi plant

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In a first, Trisha and Hansika film Kamal Haasan creates record to feature in commercial AsianVoiceNews

Nayanthara to play a Kathakali artiste

Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

K

M

ollywood actress Nayanthara who returned to the screens after a long break, with 'Bhaskar the Rascal', opposite Mammootty, has signed on yet another Malayalam movie paired against the same actor. The yet untitled film will see the actress play a role of a Kathakali artiste named Vasuki who hails from a Brahmin c o m m u n i t y .

Confirming the news, a source said, “She has been learning Kathakali because there are sequences of the dance form in the film. This is a role she has never p l a y e d . ” Mammootty will play the role of a family advocate.

The movie will be directed by AK Sajan and sees Arya playing a pivotal role.

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

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irector Sundar C's horror comedy 'Aranamanai 2' has entered the Limca Book of World Records for the world's largest Amman statue that stands at a height of 103 feet. The movie stars actresses

Trisha and Hansika Motwani in lead roles with Siddharth, Soori, Kovai Sarala, Manobala and Poonam Bajwa in supporting roles. The trailer and movie release dates will be announced soon.

Nithya Menen, Mani Ratnam collaborate again

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ani Ratnam's leading lady in 'O Kadhal Kanmani', actress Nithya Menen has reportedly signed on with him second time in a row for his upcoming yet-to-betitled Tamil revenge film.

It was reported that Nithya said yes to be a part of the project even

'Singh is Bliing'

An upcoming action comedy movie directed

by Prabhu Deva, 'Singh is Bliing' features Akshay Kumar as Raftaar Singh and actresses Amy Jackson and Lara Dutta along with Deedag Ali in lead roles.

Produced by Ashvini Yardi and Jayantilal Gada, it will be released under the banners Grazing Goat Pictures and Pen India Pvt. Ltd.

amal Haasan who has refused to endorse any brand for almost five decades, will now shoot his first television commercial for popular textile brand Pothys, on the outskirts of Chennai.

Speaking about the advertisement, the company's managing director, S Ramesh, said that the deal had been in the making for the last two years.

“We have been constantly in touch, but Kamal Haasan took his time to decide. He will be endorsing the entire Pothys brand.” Asked about Kamal’s remuneration Ramesh declined to go into details. The advertisement, which will be directed by Krishnakumar Ramkumar, will hit the screens on Diwali day.

Declining to give details, Ramesh said, “Kamal will wear a smart suit for the advertisement, which will be shot in a resort on the outskirts of Chennai. We are talking to composer Ghibran to do the background score.” When asked if this would be a one time affair, a source close to Kamal Haasan said the actor would be choosy about endorsing other brands.

before the entire cast was announced.

With a cast of Karthi, Dulquer Salmaan and Keerthy Suresh, the film will see the former two pitted against each other. The music will be composed by AR Rahman while Ravi Varman will work behind the camera.

'Talvar' A fictional dramatisation of true events revolving around Aarushi Talwar murder investigation, 'Talvar' is based on one of the most intriguing 2008 double murder case in India. The film stars Irrfan Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Neeraj Kabi and Sohum Shah along with Tabu in a guest appearance. The film is produced The ever chirpy and bubbly Sunny Leone has expressed her love for 'Mr Perfectionist' Aamir Khan on Twitter. by Junglee Pictures.

Fawad Khan to play DJ in 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'

P

akistani actor Fawad Khan who did his Bollywood debut opposite Sonam Kapoor in 'Khoobsurat', will make an interesting special appearance in an upcoming Karan Johar directorial 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'. The 'Zindagi Gulzar Hai' actor will play the role of a hot DJ in the film, and as per sources, he will soon be flying to Vienna for 10 days to wrap up his scenes. While there are no details on his character and screen partner in the film, it is said that actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will also be flying to the location to shoot her scenes.

Directed by Johar and produced under the banner of Dharma Productions, 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' will release in October 2016.

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Marathi film ‘Court’ is India's entry to Oscars AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

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h a i t a n y a Tamhane's critically acclaimed Marathi film 'Court' has been selected for India's official entry to the Best Foreign Language category for the 2016 Academy Awards. The film has been selected from a list of 30 films by the Film Federation of India jury headed by Amol Palekar.

Tamhane’s film beat Rajkumar Hirani's 'PK', Neeraj Ghyaywan's Cannes winner 'Masaan', Omung Kumar's 'Mary Kom', Vishal Bharadwaj's 'Haider', M Manikandan's 'Kaaka Muttai' and SS Rajamouli's 'Bahubali' in the race. An ecstatic Tamhane said “At every juncture of the film’s journey, we have felt that it has given us

more than we could ever imagine. Once again, this has come as a genuine surprise to both Vivek and me.”

'Court' narrates the story of the trial of an ageing folk singer accused of performing an inflammatory song that may have incited a sewage worker to commit suicide in a manhole. The film has had a busy year, travelling to 19 national and international festivals and picking up 16 awards. It is the third Marathi film after Sandeep Sawant's 'Shwaas' in 2004, and Paresh M o k a s h i ' s 'Harishchandrachi Factory' made on the life of Dadasaheb Phalke in 2009 to be selected as India's entry to the Academy Awards.

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When Akshay shoots with an actual King of Jungle

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kshay Kumar is known for pushing himself and taking things a step ahead of the limit.

Breaking all conventionalities, the actor took things up a notch when he shot a sequence with a real King of the Jungle. The daredevil actor who plays a security guard at a zoo in the film said he loved shooting with Mufasa. “We shot in Cape Town and it was a lovely experience working there,” Akshay said.

“I sat with the lion and was shit-scared!

Actually, in the middle of a shot, the lion got angry and broke some glass. Because he saw his own reflection and thought it was another

lion.”

“The whole scene is shot in a car. He's sitting next to me. Next to me,” he said. When asked about his trainer he said, “He was far away. I said what will happen, can you save

I am like a shark: Asha Bhosle

I

ndia's melody queen Asha Bhosle said she has no plans to retire and still swims as strong as a shark. In Singapore to perform at the Star Theatre, the 82 year old veteran said, “I'm like a shark. I can't keep still. Some call me a workaholic. I enjoy keeping busy, and fortunately for me, there's a large audience out there who are keen to hear me sing. It's their love and affection that keep me going.” Bhosle has performed more than 12,000 songs in 20 languages from classical to folk and ghazal to pop. She said Singapore is close to her heart and said it could be her “last performance” here. “Singapore has always held a special place in my heart. I have had many successful concerts in the past and I am looking forward to the upcoming one, which may be my last one here.”

Fear of failure motivates Alia Bhatt

Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

me? And he said there's not time, if he decides... but don't worry he's in a good mood today. We have fed him properly.”

Ashvini Yardi, the producer of the movie tweeted the pictures of

a rather cuddly looking Mufasa with our 'Khiladi 786' with a caption that read “The Lion & the King-pic shoot of Mufasa wid Raftaar -Cape Town..

Thankfully v got our Raftaar back in 1piece.”

Randeep and Richa smooch in public

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andeep Hooda who plays 'Bikini Killer' Charles Sobhraj for his next film 'Main aur Charles' will romance Richa Chadha in the film. The duo recently shared some intimate moments before the paparazzi at the trailer launch of the film when they tried to re-create a kiss sequence from the movie. Directed by Prawaal Raman, the film will hit the screens on October 30.

ollywood's beloved Alia Bhatt who has delivered diverse films like 'Highway', '2 States', and 'Humpty Sharma ki Dulhani' may be soaring high on success but prefers to stay on the edge due to “fear of failure.” She said the thought of losing everything makes her put extra effort. “Fear of failure is a constant thought and I can’t say that I never think about it. Probably I always think about it, that’s why I feel like I will always work harder.”

However, she does believe that “living on the fear of future makes you miss out on the beauty of the present”. “So more than fearing it, I am just aware that this is what it is right now, but there is something called change which is the only constant and things will keep changing. I have to keep adapting, but nonetheless I have to always work hard and never fail. I can’t forget the fact that hard work, dedication, respect of your fellow co-workers and the people that you interact with and, of course, the warmth and love that you give to them, is most important, and that is something that I will make sure of following throughout my life” Bhatt Jr said.

Talking about her next movie 'Shaandaar' opposite Shahid Kapoor, she said, “I feel like Shaandaar is one step into a mad world which I have never been a part of. What set this film apart is the quirky, mad kind of space, which I really like. It has quirky, interesting and a beautiful looking vibe to it, but at the same time the emotions are real.”

Saif’s daughter Sara to enter Bollywood?

SRK's 'Dilwale' team gets special treat from Sania!

t is the year of debuts as star kids gear up to follow their parents and enter the Hindi film industry. Joining the bandwagon is none other than our Nawab Saif Ali Khan's daughter, Sara. Grapevine is abuzz with speculations that his daughter with first wife Amrita Singh, is considering acting as a profession. A report in a leading daily also suggested that Sara will make her debut in a Jay Shewakramani production. Only last year daddy dearest had shared his apprehensions saying he wasn't very cool with the idea of Sara entering Bollywood as she was still in college. Now that she has completed her education, she sure will be a tough competition with her acting prowess and stunning looks.

hah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan seem to be making the most of their time shooting for Rohit Shetty's 'Dilwale' in Hyderabad. The film unit keeps the social media updated with one or the other posts everyday. Most recent was the treat that awaited for the entire team of the move, sent by none other than tennis star Sania Mirza. Mirza happened to be in her hometown when she decided to send SRK and his team a treat. Choreographer turned Director Farah Khan is known to be a true foodie and has also anchored a food show in the past.

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UK

Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

British Museum gets its first foreign director A German art historian is becoming the first foreigner to head the prestigious British Museum in 150 years.

Hartwig Fischer, 53, pictured, who is currently director general of the Dresden State Art Collections in eastern Germany, will take up the post in the first half of 2016.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has confirmed the appointment.

Coming Events

l 10th annual Hindu Service of Remembrance, Sunday 11 October 2015, 2:45pm onwards at Alperton Community School, Wembley, Middlesex HA0 4JE. Contact: 020 8900 9252 l Mahatma Gandhi Foundation presents Gandhi Jayanti, Tuesday 6 October, 6pm-10pm, Kadva Patidar Centre, Harrow HA3 8LU Contact: 020 8427 3413 l India League and IHC presents Gandhi Jayanti, 2 October, Tavistock square, 11am. l Gandhi peace walk on Friday 2 October, 11:30am onwards, Tavistock Square to Parliament Square.

Speeches by digniatries at Parliament square 1-2pm. l Lohana & All Hindu Gujarati Youth Samelan.

Sunday 4th October, 3:30pm- 9:30pm. Harrow High School & Sport College, London Borough of Harrow, Gayton Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 2JG. Contact Jethalal: 07534 026 865. l Charity show in aid of Janki Ashram for Tribal girls, 146th Gandhi Jayant Celebration organised by Bhaarat Welfare Trust, Friday 2 October, 6:30pm till late. Venue: Shree Prajapati Community Centre, Leicester LE4 6BY. Contact: Vasant Bhakti: 07860280655 l Kolkata Festival 2015, presented by Radio Bangla Net and India Now Ltd at Logan Hall, Sunday 4 October,2-9pm. More information www.indianow.co.uk l Nehru Centre, 8 South Audley Street, London W1K 1HF. Contact: 020 7491 3567 30 September: Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation 9 October: A Musical tribute to the Kapoors 15 October: Talk: Women in India: Historu, Culture, Modern lives by Prof Harleen Singh 16 October: The Tagore Project l Bhavans, 4a Castletown Road, London W14 9HE. Contact: 020 7381 3086 29 Sep: Photographs for Nepal, 5:30 2 Oct: Bharatnatyam by Nritya Choodmani Rajeswari Sainath 10 Oct: Malaya by Santanu Bhowmick Editor: CB Patel Associate Editor: Rupanjana Dutta Tel: 020 7749 4098 - Email: rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com Editorial Executive: Reshma Trilochun Tel: 020 7749 4010 - Email: reshma.trilochun@abplgroup.com Senior News Editor: Dhiren Katwa Chief Operating Officer: Liji George Tel: 020 7749 4013 Email: george@abplgroup.com Account Executive: Arjun Chokshi Tel: 020 7749 4087 Email: arjun.chokshi@abplgroup.

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Welcoming young readers to write in our Diwali issue Dear Readers, Diwali is now three months away. The New Year is knocking at the door waiting to bring in colours and light to our lives with fervour of joy and ever lasting happiness. Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar as every year will be publishing the ‘Diwali Special’ Magazine for our fabulous and supportive readers like yourself.

This year in the English section, we are doing something special for our young readers.

1. If you are between 5-25 years of age, write an article in English on either of the following topics in no more than 350 words, along with a suitable photo: l how do you celebrate your Diwali every year OR l Your most memorable Diwali with friends and family OR l how do you celebrate Diwali in your school'.

2. If you are 2-25 years of age, you can also draw/paint a picture of what Diwali means to you or your memorable Diwali, with a suitable photo caption, your full name, age; scan and send the picture to the the below address, by the mentioned deadline.

3. If you are within 9-25 years of age, you can also write a short story within 350 words or a poem within 150 words for our Diwali special.

4. If you are a part of an organisation, which has a youth wing or support youth activities, please tell us how your young members or youth wing celebrates Diwali in 300 words with 2 pictures (in no less than 300dpi).

Send your articles/stories/poem with your photo and/or painting/picture to aveditorial@abplgroup.com.

Last date of entry: 18 October 2015.

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ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 Venus continues to favour

your love life. If you are still seeking the ideal partner, things are definitely looking up. An increase in your social life is likely to bring you in touch with someone attractive. At work you need greater flexibility as well as a degree of patience. Do not step on any one's toes.

Responsibility is your key TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 word, especially at work.

Set your own goals, rather than trying to meet those set by someone else. Your ability to manage what you have on your plate earns respect from others around you. You will benefit in every way if you learn to self-discipline and pace yourself wisely.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 You are endowed with a

level of determination that others sometimes find formidable. Once you set your mind on a goal you stay the course no matter what obstacles you encounter. Saturn's placement in your opposite sign often denotes a phase of restriction, sometimes frustration, in one's life.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

It seems that the winds of change begin to gather momentum and put a strong focus on domestic and family matters. Besides spending more time tending to domestic affairs, the focus can be on cultivating and nourishing your inner foundations, so to speak. Try not to come on too strong when you deal with others.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

You have been feeling disconnected for some time and this will be the week you will finally feel a sense of grounding. If unclear about what path to take you will soon realise exactly what you must do to fulfil your plans.

Financially you will implement your plans to bring in the cash.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23 You know you’ve got no choice but to streamline and reassess your priorities before haphazardly saying yes to everything that smells like a potential opportunity. Try to create a balance between expansion and conservation. Jupiter in your sign makes you feel invincible, base your decisions on facts.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23 You will continue to be in a restless mood for some time to come. This makes you impatient with restrictions and even more determined to cut your own path. Do not get over-anxious if everything seems to be in slow motion - it is time to pull a few strings. You are likely to experience some tension in close relationships..

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SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22 This is a good time reassess your life and make important decisions to take your work to another level. There is a chance that you will meet important people who will eventually change the course of your life. An opportunity will manifest that will change your public image at work.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

You are in a brilliant period for increasing your earning power and you'll be busy taking charge of your finances. Achieving a sense of security becomes a priority. Although there is a lot of sorting out to be done in your relationship sector, it will not phase you as so many issues have already be dealt with.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

Good ideas will open doors to a new opportunity. You cannot let go of your future aspirations because they will manifest. Keep to your path and you will be successful. A wind of change may be in the air; attention should turn to the wider world and benefits come from broadening of horizons and mental stimuli.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

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.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

Don't take short-cuts in legal or official matters. It will be only too easy to feel exasperated by bureaucracy but you won't be doing yourself any favours if you lose your cool. This is a fine time for you to get away from the mundane realities of life and relax. Some of you will probably go abroad.

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Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

India A inflict innings defeat on Bangladesh A Indian bowlers combined well to carry on the good work done by the batsmen thus giving India A a huge victory

India A crushed Bangladesh A by an innings and 32 runs to win the oneoff three-day unofficial Test held at Bangalore.

Resuming the day’s play at 36/2, the visitors were bowled out in the morning session itself as the Indian bowlers combined well to carry on the good work done by the batsmen thus giving India A a huge victory.

Skipper Mominul Haque and wicketkeeperbatsman Liton Das were the only Bangladeshi batsmen who offered any kind

of resistance, with the pair putting on 61 runs for the third wicket. The partnership was broken by Ishwar Pandey, who took 3 wickets in the innings, and that led to a mini collapse with Bangladesh losing three more wickets with the addition of just 5 runs on the board.

Sabbir Rahman, who had scored a brilliant century in the first innings couldn’t recreate the magic this time around as he along with Shuvagata Hom were dismissed for nought. Nasir Hossain

Shikhar Dhawan didn’t fare much better with a score of 1 and it seemed Bangladesh A were in danger of getting all out for a score less than 100,

Shashank Manohar all set to be BCCI chief again

struggling at 87/6.

Mominul, however, avoided the embarrassment as he played a skipper’s role bringing up his 50 off 87 balls, to propel the Bangladesh A total to 120.

However, when Jayant Yadav, who followed up with his four wickets in the first innings with three this time around, dismissed Mominul, that was the end of the road for the visitors.

Tail enders Saqlain Sajib and Shafiul Islam tried to delay the inevitable with a 30-run partnership, but it was always going to be delaying the inevitable and nothing more. Yadav once again broke the partnership scalping the wicket of Sajib and when Ravindra Jadeja had Jubair Hossain stumped by Naman Ojha, that was the end of the match as the visitors opted not to send in the injured Rubel Hossain out to the middle.

Former cricketer Gordon Greenidge visits Swaminarayan Mandir Former West Indies cricketer Gordon Greenidge visited Shree Swaminarayan Mandir at Kingsbury on 25th of September. He also visited the state-of-the-art indoor sporting and community facilities at the Hindu temple.

Greenidge, along with the great Desmond Haynes formed one of the most formidable opening partnerships in cricketing history and was instrumental to the success of the great West Indian Cricket Teams of the 70s, 80s and 90s. Greenidge stands alongside legends of West Indies cricket such as Sir Vivian Richards, Michael Holding, Joel Garner and Malcom Marshall. His visit to the temple comes in a long line of famous cricketers that have visited the Mandir recently; senior members of the Kenyan Cricket Team including Steve Tikolo and Maurice Ouma visited in late June and living legend

India Association Chairman Balwant (Bobby) Grewal will undertake a 2,600 mile trek across India with the aim of raising £1,500,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity and the British Asian Trust and other deserving causes in India.

The 80- year- old Bobby will begin his fivemonth walk in October 2015 from Kanyakumari.

He will then walk up the east coast, to finish in New Delhi, at the end of March 2016. The walk will be a challenging one, due to

Clive Lloyd toured the facilities in October.

Swaminarayan Mandir has proved to be a local cricketing landmark in addition to being the world’s first ecotemple due to its environmental design. The new facilities are used by Swamibapa Cricket Club named after the founding father of the organisation, Shree Muktajeevan

Bobby’s age, (he will be celebrating his 81st birthday during the walk), the extreme heat and the tough terrain, but Bobby will need to cover at least 20-25 miles a day, in order to reach the various milestones along the route.

Bobby will be accompanied by a single support vehicle and a team of four; his Walk Project Director, (Dr Rajan Bhanot, Joint Secretary of the India Association), a driver, a chef and a physiotherapist, who will ensure that Bobby remains in good health for the duration of

Swamibapa - to encourage young and aspiring cricketers to develop their talents. The Mandir’s global spiritual leader, Acharya Swamishree Maharaj, encourages His disciples to take care of their physical and mental health as a means of enabling devotion to God, and as such the new facilities at the Complex host a vast array of sporting

and health and well-being activities, as well as many other educational, cultural and charitable activities. By inspiring the creation of these excellent facilities, which are open for use by the entire community, Acharya Swamishree Maharaj aims to inspire the community to pick up valuable life skills by taking part in these activities.

Bobby's Walk Full Circle

Balwant Grewal the walk.

Bobby’s Walk Full Circle has the full backing and support of our Patrons; Lord Bilimoria CBE, (Chairman Cobra

31

Beer Partnership), Sir Ranulph Fiennes OBE, (Explorer), Professor Colin Green, (Emeritus Professor of Surgery University College

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has called a Special General Meeting on October 4 to elect its new president with Nagpur lawyer Shashank Manohar emerging as a "consensus" candidate.

BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur said the meeting would be held in Mumbai and scrutiny of the nominations would be done on October 3.

"Shashank Manohar is our consensus candidate," Thakur said, adding that if an election takes place, "N Srinivasan can come and vote at the SGM". The Supreme Court hearing on Srinivasan's eligibility on attending BCCI meeting is slated for October 5.

Thakur said Srinivasan cannot attend the meeting but he was not barred from casting his vote. Manohar, who has served as BCCI President from 2008 to 2011, has agreed for a second innings as BCCI chief after initially refusing the offer. Jagmohan Dalmiya's demise left the post vacant and most likely the new CAB President and former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly is likely to propose Manohar's name for the post. Manohar is unlikely to face any opposition since the Srinivasan faction hardly has numbers to counter the former's candidature.

Parents warned against expecting too much from children

David Hanson, the chief executive of the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS), said that the parents were damaging the future of their children by putting excessive pressure on them to succeed and live 'vicariously' through their achievements.

He said the young suffer unrealistic expectations to do well in their hobbies as well as in academic work, as parents invest in expensive coaching to help improve their performance. Citing an example, he said at one sailing event a parent brought a professional trainer, and a camera operator to give the child a professional debrief on how to be the best, he said. Hanson said that by doing so the parents were knocking the joy out of the kids. “We need to find the balance between enjoying the game and wanting to win so that when you do fail, you fail with grace and you pick yourselves up and do it again.” He also criticised the parents who pushed children through “corrosive tutoring.”

He said that the children would be getting good education at the school and they need not push them through hours and hours of tutoring. He said parents were spending a lot of money on children so that their wards pass selective examinations. The child then get into highly demanding school and they are miserable because they have just been pushed to a point which will mean that secondary school will not be a happy experience.

He made the comments ahead of his organisations annual conference, where hundreds of headteachers would be discussing how to better look after children's well-being. “One can understand why parents are anxious about their children. It is very hard for them to be evenhanded and balanced,” Hanson said. But sometimes parents put cotton wool around children to protect them from everything, including physical risks and mental challenges. There is a fear of failure but we actually want children to climb trees, fall out and scratch their knees. We want them to struggle with mental challenges and learn when they don't achieve what they were hoping for.

London), Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC MP, (Attorney General), Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, (Leader Opposition Party), C B Patel (Publisher/Editor of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar newspapers), Rt Hon Virendra Sharma MP, Clare Short, (Retired Minister Overseas Development), Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP and Baroness Verma, (Junior Minister Department of Energy & Climate Change).We have also received letters of support from David Cameron, (Prime Minister) and Nick

Clegg (former Deputy Prime Minister).

You can support Bobby and the India Association on their journey by making a donation on the ‘Donate’ page of our website. Every penny raised will go towards our £1.5 million fundraising target, for worthy charities that work to protect children and improve their lives.

For more information about Bobby’s Walk Full Circle, please contact Dr Rajan Bhanot T: 07990 750000 E: bwfc@indiaassociation.co.uk

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Bindra wins gold in Asian Championships Asian Voice | 3rd October 2015

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London Games bronze medallist Gagan Narang failed to finish on the podium Beijing Olympics champion Abhinav Bindra produced some excellent shooting to clinch the gold while London Games bronze medallist Gagan Narang failed to finish on the podium in the men's 10m Air Rifle event of the Asian Air Gun Championships on Sunday.

The 32-year-old Bindra, who won gold in 2008 Olympics in 10m Air Rifle event, shot 208.3 to bag the top prize ahead of Kazakhstan's world number eight Yurkov Yuriy (206.6) and Korea's Yu Jaechul (185.3) on the first day of competition at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range.

Narang, who won a bronze in the same event

in 2012 London Olympics, finished fourth with a score of 164.5 while another Indian, Chain Singh was two places below at seventh after notching up 122.7.

Narang started on a good note, shooting 10.6 and 10.6, but fell behind in the following attempts while Chain Singh was out after a shoot-off with Korea's Kim Dajin.

Bindra, however, maintained his consistency and was way ahead of the rest of the pack when the finals ended.

"A lot of training has gone into it. I am always trying to do the best I can. It may look easy but I can guarantee it's very, very tough," Bindra said after his triumph.

"It's always good to

win medals. I can't call it a practice but yes it's good preparation for Rio Olympics because there were medals at stake.

When there is a medal involved we can't call it practice because there is varying degree of pressure," he said.

Asked if there's rivalry with Narang, Bindra responded in the negative. "There is no rivalry with Gagan, it's only for the media. We are well entertained by our sport," said Bindra.

India's rifle coach Stanislav Lapidus was never in doubt about Bindra's chances in the tournament.

"There was no doubt about his result, I was expecting it, but with Gagan, it was different.

He is preparing for the

future," Lapidus said.

India won the gold medal in the 10m air rifle team event too with Bindra, Narang and Chain Singh shooting a total of 1868.6. The Korean team of Kim Dajin, Yu Jaechul and Chain Singh (1859.1) finished second and Saudi Arabia's Mesfer Abound Alammari, Faiz Anazi Ali and Mubarak Mesfer Aldawsari (1824.8) took the third spot.

India also won a gold and a silver in the youth section while the junior boys bagged two silver medals.

Satyajeet Kandhol won the gold medal in the 10m air rifle youth category after he shot 204.8 to pip Chinese Taipei's Shao-Chuan Lu (203.7) for the top spot.

Iran's Daavoud Abadi Abbasali (183.8) came third.

The Indian trio of Kandhol, Mithlesh and Gajendra Raj finished with the silver medal in team event after aggregating 1827.7. Korea won

the gold.

In the junior section, Pratik Borse bagged the silver medal by shooting 203.9 behind Mohammad Hossein Karimi (205.4) of Iran.

Korea's Changhee Han managed the bronze in this section with 183.2.

Borse teamed up with Prashant and Akhil Sheoran to win the silver in junior team event.

They aggregated 1856.4 to finish second behind Iran and ahead of thirdplaced Korea.