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Vol 45 | Issue 5
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4th June to 10th June 2016
Let noble thoughts come to us from every side
A recent and sudden spate of racial attacks against African nationals living in India, has led to diplomatic tensions between India and African countries, leading to a profound sense of embarrassment and shame among Indians (see comment on page 3). 29 year old Masonda Ketada Olivier from Congo, was beaten to death by three men on May 20, after an argument over hiring an auto-rickshaw ensued in south Delhi's Kishangarh.
Springing into action, at least five Indians accused were arrested, top Indian leaders condemned the attack, and strict action was promised on the Indian government's behalf. In a charade that has become a tad too familiar, India again guaranteed safety to its foreign residents, only to be failed by its citizens. The death of the young Congolese man was the final straw for the African embassies in New Delhi, as they have finally retaliated. Heads of African embassies in New Delhi wrote a strongly-worded letter to the Indian government to take "concrete
steps" to ensure the safety of Africans. "Given the pervading climate of fear and insecurity in Delhi," Alem Tsehage Woldemariam, ambassador of Eritrea and dean of the African Group Head of Mission, said, "the African
NaMo’s muchawaited five-country tour to commence on June 5th Pulgaon Fire: Army’s biggest Ammunition Depot burns More on Pg 25
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We should not turn our back on Europe EXCLUSIVE
Lord Dolar Popat
On June 23rd Britain will have a referendum on our membership of the EU. For those of us old enough to remember the vote in 1975 on our European Communities Membership, the past few weeks of political coverage on the news has been a bit like stepping back in time. Continued on page 5
British Indian business leaders come forward to back the 'Remain' campaign Priti Patel attacks PM Cameron over immigration impact on working families
Masonda Ketada Olivier heads of mission are left with little option than to consider recommending to their governments not to send new students to India, unless and until their safety can be guaranteed." Once the statements were made public, Indian Ministry of External Affairs was quick on its feet, trying to make the best efforts for damage control. However, they came off as lacking in empathy and appeared
more disturbed with the defacing of the country's image than the loss of life and aggressive signs of racism. Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted, "I have asked my colleague General VK Singh to meet the heads of missions of African countries in Delhi and assure them of the Indian government's commitment to safety and security to African nationals in India." Continued on page 26
Rupanjana Dutta 81 British Indian business leaders, representing companies which range from multi-million pound businesses to SMEs and employ thousands of people across the UK, have signed an open letter in support of the UK’s continued membership of the European Union. Continued on page 6