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FIRST & FOREMOST ASIAN WEEKLY IN EUROPE

Interview with Bhanu Choudhrie ..............page 3 New Hindu Sanatan Mandir opens at Wembley .................................page 7 Deepika Padukone gets an image makeover ...............................page 21 57 Hindus convert to Islam under pressure ...............................page 27 Simple steps to take care of migraine...........page 30

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Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

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US Indians feel the Headley effect

Sri Sri Ravishankar fired at in Bangalore State, Central govts. play down, ‘Art of Living’ Guru disappointed

They have to surrender their Indian passports to get a visa

The Headley effect continues to haunt tourists who want to visit India. Now, the latest to feel the heat are Indians settled abroad, and the USA in particular.

After the travel restrictions controversy, now the passport rule has created hurdles.

While the intending travelers feel aggrieved by the new travel rules, the Indian embassy in Washington says the rule is not new, it was there for years – only the new thing is that is now being implemented vigorously.

Indian authorities have made it mandatory for those Indians who have acquired US citizenship to surrender their old Indian passports if they want to get a visa. For many, it would be a huge problem as they may have lost their Indian passports years

ago. As they were able to get visas to travel to India on their US passports for years, nobody cared to go through the procedures for lost passports.

But after David Coleman Hadley episode, the things are changing.

Thousands of Indians

settled in the USA, known as NRIs in India, are beginning to feel like ‘Not Required Indians’ as they endure a bureaucratic ordeal with their old Indian passports. They say New Delhi’s visa rules are forcing them to navigate an “obstacle course” in travelling home to India.

The two million Indian-Americans who put a human face — not to mention a voter’s face and a campaign contributor’s face — on the lobbying push for the India-US Continued on page 24

Sri Sri Ravishankar addressing a press conference at his ashram in Bangalore on Monday

Even as the spiritual leader said he pardons the culprit, Sri Sri Ravishankar, the ‘Art of Living’ Guru said he was disappointed at the Karnataka police and Union home minister P Chidambaram suggest-

ing that the firing was not to target him.

Sri Sri Ravishankar escaped unhurt in a firing incident on Sunday evening at his ashram in Bangalore, though one of his devotees was hurt.

Continued on page 24

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Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

one to one Keith Vaz MP with Aditya Arya Aditya Arya started professional photography in 1980 after graduating in history from St Stephen's College, Delhi University. After a brief stint in the Bombay Film Industry, he has been actively in advertising and corporate photography with leading brands and companies. He has published widely with many travel magazines and book publishers. Aditiya has recently compiled a new anthology of Kulwant Roy's photographs which chronicle the destiny of changing India since the 1930s.

1) What inspired you to begin your photographic career?

The sense of adventure, the power to go anywhere to be able to share slices of lives of all kinds of communities, professions and lifestyles whilst working with them or documenting them as a photographer one gets an unique opportunity to look into just about everything around with a very valid excuse and reason.

2) What are your proudest life achievements?

My books on the head hunters of Nagaland India - the land of the nagas. For this book I made many trips over six years from 1985 to 1991 to document and explore the lives of these sixteen

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

The way the museums are run in India. The museums in India which are the repositories of one of the richest civilizations in the world are mired in politics bad management and bureaucratic red tape we need to get rid of these so called administrators and do some inspirational work at these museums.

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

It’s very difficult to name one. I enjoy the challenges thrown to me everyday every minute and I enjoy them.

5) How do you find press photography has changed?

7) What is the best thing about your job?

The unpredictability and constant challenges and situations thrown at you and the need to be very versatile and adaptable to any situation.

8) And the worst?

Clients trying to take the easy way out and compromising on quality for the sake of time and money.

tribes and already the changing cultural patterns have eroded lots of these practices and lifestyles of these remote tribes. The history in the making, the visual archives of Kulwant Roy.

4) Is there anyone you are desperate to work with but haven’t yet had the chance?

The famous photographer Mary Ellen Mark

the latest state of art machines to safe guard these valuable images for posterity.

The digital has made life very simple and it has taken the challenge away from the photography working under limitations and technial constraints is a thing of the past 6) Tell us about the process of finding

Kulwant Roy's pictures and sorting through them?

Though I inherited them twenty five years back it’s been a real challenge to sort, organise and learn the art of archiving and preservation techniques and digitizing them using

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

May be a camera and laptop ... to create images.

UK NEWS

An Interview with Dr. Vallabhbhai Kathiria Dr. Vallabhbhai Kathiria, an ex Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) is in London on a leisure trip and he spoke to us about Gujarat, the Swarnim Jayanti that the state is currently celebrating and about education, business and politics.

Dr. Kathiria is a cancer surgeon by qualification and a politician and a social worker by profession.

When asked about his views on India and Gujarat in specific, he seemed very bullish on Inc. Gujarat. He spoke highly of the entrepreneurial skills of the 'Gujaratis' and their business prowess, be it the 'Gujaratis' in India or their Diaspora settled in various parts of the world. And not just the people, he is very positive on the government in Gujarat and the measures its taking to carry the future of the 'land of Gandhi' to newer heights each day.

The progressive strategies that he and his state's government are eyeing should make us all proud and instil confidence in us about our ancestral land's well-being. Cues can be taken from their plans to efficiently utilise the 1600 km long coastal line of Gujarat to its maximum benefit, as told to us by Doctor himself. Or even

Dr. Vallabhbhai Kathiria

from the campaign of “Destination 2010 – Gujarat”, where they are keen on showcasing to the tourists of the world, the rich legacy of the state and its art and heritage.

He told us how each month during the 'swarnim' (golden) year, they will concentrate on a specific pressing issue. For example, the month of May celebrated 'Krishi Mahotsav' where the farmer were given education on fertilizers and its advantages, seminar were held on increasing agricultural productivity etc. Similarly, a 'Vann Mahotsav' enlightening on the role of forrests in the eco-system and 'Education Mahotsav' with seminars on the same.

We as a publication were happy to know that he also concurred our thoughts on the need for direct flight to cities in Gujarat from UK given a

large percentage of the Gujarati Diaspora resides in the Britain and finds it an inconvenience to wait long hours before reaching 'home' when visiting their families. He was positive it and truly hopes that the government and the private companies alike, realise the potential of this sector and restart direct flights form UK to Gujarat.

It was a welcome change to see a politician so progressive and enterprising in his thoughts. He truly represents his community and his leader Mr. Naredra Modi, who has always encouraged entrepreneurship and out-of-box thinking. He proudly told us how during his days of office, went around from one sick public sector unit to another to mobilise the workforce which was out of work for days and how he revived 18 such units with his motivational skills.

It gives us great joy and pride to know that thinker and politicians like this exist in India, and will be the future torch bearers of novel thoughts and ideas for the coming generations.

We Gujaratis here and there should rest assured our businesses, our investments and our ideas are going to reap us their true value if we are to go by this ex Member of Parliament!

People ■ Celebrations all round at the news of three new ethnic minority Peers and much speculation as to what title they will choose.

Labour has Paul Boateng (of Brent or Brixton?) the Tories have Dolar Popat (of Stanmore or Harrow?) and the Liberal Democrates have Floella Benjamin (of the White City home of Blue Peter?) We will know very soon. But four is a good number and brings the number of ethnic minority peers to 27.

■ The new Baroness in Waiting Sandeep Verma was in the offical line up when The Queen opened Parliament last week. This sounds like an easy title but the job descirption is pretty tough. She will need to speak for the Governmnet on a number of issues.

■ Has peace and reconciliation broken out in Georgian Way. Harrow on the Hill's premier road has seen an odd tussle over whether its hould be a private road or not. The Council was coinsidering renaming it The West Bank but the conflict has now stopped. Hooray!

The best cosmetic is to use nothing at all

By Priyal Sanghavi The Queen of Indian Beauty and one of India's greatest woman pioneers, Shahnaz Hussain launched her latest beauty line at Nehru Centre, London last week.

The Plant Stem Cell range is a skin rejuvenation line which aims at the renewal of collagen,elastin and biomolecules to ensure youthful skin. The face cream and serum took 18 years to develop. Like all of Shahnaz's other products, it stays true to Ayurveda. “Anti-aging treatments are done with surgeries and chemicals.

Cosmetic industries are pumping billions of dollars in a hysterically mad beauty industry.”

Shahnaz's beautiful kohl-rimmed eyes beamed a sense of relaxed confidence. Shahnaz has just returned from USA after attending President Obama's Summit on Entrepreneurship, where she was the only woman entrepreneur to represent India. The erstwhile owner of Harrods Mohammed Al-Fayed dedicated a whole window display to her prod-

Shahnaz Hussain

ucts in the 1980s which Princess Diana was a fan off.

She spoke about her journey from marrying at 15 years to then going abroad to study cosmetology abroad and defying the norm to start Ayurvedic beauty products. “Mughal queens have used diamond dust for highlights. Noorjahan introduced incense in India. Our ancestors used kitchen remedies for their skin and hair. The best cosmetic is to use nothing at all.”

Her brand Shahnaz Husain group is now available all over the world selling more than

350 products for hair, skin and body.

But Shahnaz believes the west is yet to accept Ay u r v e d a .

“Their reason is that it is not a registered science. It is 3000 years old- when the world had nothing, India had Ayurveda.”

T h e issue of patents has greatly irked Shahnaz. “I am very irritated about this topic. Patents are considered important since they state that the product is yours. But plants like neem have always belonged to India.”

She now heads to Harvard Business school to speak to students how she established her franchise-based brand without any kind of commercial marketing. “It defies all that they learn. I believe if your product is good the customer will return. India will lead the world into the next century with Ayurveda”

Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

COMMENT

A relationship that can become truly 'special' News that David Laws, Chief Secretary to the Treasury had resigned at the weekend for abusing parliamentary privileges (he had claimed £40,000 as rent, which he paid to his partner. This was repaid in full, but in the light of the Cameron-Clegg “shared ambition to clean up Westminster,” Mr Laws had to go), will have turned public attention away from the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition Government's decision to broaden Britain's foreign policy vision from its exclusive groove with the United States. The manic desire of successive British governments to keep in step with Washington, whatever the cause or cost, led to the Blair regime's misadventure in Iraq and, arguably, in Afghanistan as well. The expense in British lives and treasure has been crippling.

Now, at long last, there is a mood swing in response to yawning global realities. The Queen in her recent speech to Parliament spoke of her Government's intention to elevate Britain's historic relationship with India from the mundane to the truly dynamic. Better late than never. On the eve of Indian independence in August 1947, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, on behalf of the new Congress-led Indian government, invited the departing British Viceroy, Lord Louis Mountbatten, to remain as the first Governor General of free India (which he did), surely a gesture that said much for the Indian leadership's desire for a close partnership with their country's erstwhile rulers.

Free India's decision to remain in the Commonwealth was further proof of intent, one that transcended the rhetoric of time-bound anti-colonialism. The significance of these Indian moves were never truly appreciated in Whitehall, where the view was that India's new rulers were “men of straw;” that Indian democracy would come tumbling down in due course prevailed over routine diplomatic courtesies. Winston Churchill in his final years as British prime minister saw things differently, but Cold War considerations triumphed over common sense, hence Muslim Pakistan was viewed as a staunch ally in Washington and in London, as a bulwark against Communism and the Soviet Union, when all Pakistani leaders desired were arms on the cheap to settle primordial scores with 'Hindu' India.

Post-war British policy was in many ways a continuation of the Raj preference for the subcontinent's Muslim separatist groups, from the Aligarh movement in 1883 to the formation of the Muslim League in 1906, with the blessings of Lord Minto, the British Viceroy. The spread of Islamist Pakistan-based terror-

ism to the United Kingdom and the United States may have finally brought home the truth of Frankenstein's Monster on the prowl far from its native shores.

This is the negative narrative, but the positive was seeded by the first British Governor General, Warren Hastings, in the last quarter of the 18th century. He encouraged the first English translation of the Gita by Charles Wilkins, helped establish the Asiatic Society of Bengal, the platform for Sanskrit scholarship following centuries of decline, and paved the way for a remarkable generation of British Indologists, such as Jones, Colebrooke, Carey, Wilson, Prinsep, Hodgson and others, whose discoveries illumined India's classical past.

“These will survive when the British dominion in India shall have long ceased to exist, and when the sources which it once yielded of wealth and power are lost to remembrance,” wrote Hastings prophetically.

India's social and cultural renewal in the 19th century can be interpreted as part of an Indo-European dialogue with British interlocutors. Lest it be forgotten, the founder of the Indian National Congress, in 1885, was a Briton, the revered Allan Octavian Hume. This truly was a period of seed-time and remedy and it created the foundations of the new India, with its respect for the rule of law, intellectual freedom, the right of dissent and constitutional government based on universal adult franchise.

On these and more, there is a firm meeting of contemporary British and Indian minds. The Indian diaspora in Britain play an important role in every facet of national life, from business to the professions, academe and politics, the latest peer of Indian origin to take his place in the House of Lords is the Conservative Dolar Amarshi Popat. There are many like him in the second chamber, and also in the House of Commons representing the major political parties.

Some Indians have brought their wisdom and skills to a wider world. Lady (Shruti) Vadera, who as business minister at Gordon Brown's side during the negotiations to prevent a financial meltdown in 2008, is once again in harness in Dubai. As public figures, they all constitute a valuable bridge between Britain and India.

The emergence of India as a significant economic, technological and military power on the regional and global stage gives Britain a second chance to press the reset button and move the relationship between the two countries to a level worthy of its potential.

(See Media Watch, page 12)

Maoist outrages cannot continue The latest Maoist outrage in India involved a train crash in the state of West Bengal in which some 175 innocent lives were lost. This was the latest of a series of brazen Maoist insurgent attacks on India's security forces and civilians and government property. This has reached an alarming level and points to a possible loss of nerve in New Delhi. Any such perception among India's two predatory neighbours, Pakistan and China, is likely to lead to more mischief-making in Islamabad and Beijing. Faced with a challenge that seeks to destroy the Indian state and all its works, the Government has to display the necessary resolve to meet the threat head-on. The time for pussyfooting is over. The excuse that the Maoist challenge is seeded in tribal discontent is plainly irrelevant. The leaders of the insurgency are neither tribals nor peasants, but

are urban malcontents like Germany's terrorist Baader-Meinhof gang of the 1970s, whose members killed simply to satisfy their blood lust. Period.

The Indian Maoists have declared war on India and her people. Having taken up the sword they must perish, if need be, by the sword. There must be no further twaddle on 'development' and human rights.

There was scant consideration of the human rights of those whose lives have been wantonly destroyed.

India's paramilitary forces have long been illtrained and under-equipped. Neglect by governments down the years has brought the country to its present pass. It is time to bring the Indian Army's Special Forces into play. If they require help from the Indian Air Force, this must be made available. The Maoists must be brought to heel as quickly as possible.

Sri Lanka's dark night continues The International Crisis Group has called for an international commission of inquiry into the killings in the closing stage of the country's long and bloody civil war. The Tamil Tigers were the root cause of this conflict and their ruthlessness and brutality have been well documented. These will surely be aired time and again if new investigations are made into the origins and course of the conflict. However, the latest call for an all-encompassing inquiry has been driven by increasing revelations of the Sri Lankan Army's reported massacre of Tamil civilians, including women and children.

Sri Lanka now run by a family cabal, headed by President Mahendra Rajapakse, appears impervious to calls from the international community, including the United Nations, for an impartial investigation into the conduct of the war in its final phase.

Truth will out whatever the efforts of the Colombo authorities to conceal the facts. A year after the end of the civil war, one of the Indian doctors, who treated Tamil refugees has revealed that there were “massive casualties” among the civilian population.

“We were not prepared (for what we saw) when we reached the camp....the extent of the injuries....long lines of people,” the doctor told the Hindustan Times newspaper on condition of

anonymity. “We were overwhelmed by what we saw. It was clear the people (the internally displaced) had been battered. We were treating hundreds of patients every day. Shell injuries, bullet injuries. More than 80 per cent of these patients said either someone in their family was killed or someone in a family they knew was killed or injured. Nearly 80 to 90 per cent of the 120-odd patients had a story of death or injury to recollect,” the doctor said.

“Someone lost her husband, someone's parents died and someone's neighbour had bullet wounds.

Families from Kilinochi and Mullaitivu were the worse-hit.” Based on the doctor's figures, casualties – deaths and wounded – would be in the region of 30,000.

The patients treated at the Indian camp were among 300,000 displaced civilians fleeing the 'no fire zone' on the northeast coast of Mullaitivu, where they were trapped from February 2009. This zone was in fact a battlefield between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan army. Children were the worst sufferers in this conflict.

Without political and constitutional reforms there can be neither true peace nor the desired prosperity in Sri Lanka. A Rajapakse family dictatorship is no answer to the island's woes.

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Thought for the Week

I submit to you that if a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live.

- Martin Luther King Jr

A tete-a-tete with Britain's Asian entrepreneur

By Neha Parikh One would think that it would be hard to find humility juxtaposed with success. That its rare to see fervour and logic sail the same boat.

Youth, sans the recklessness! But I did find this almost utopian seeming combination. It was at an interview with one of UK’s leading British Asian entrepreneurs.

Any guesses?

We all know him as Bhanu Choudhrie of the C & C Alpha Group.

With his group's presence in majority of the sectors, like the aviation, hospitality, real estate, healthcare, agriculture and water desalination plants, they have recently ventured into the financial sector in the US markets.

Geographically present in the UK, UAE, Philippines, Singapore and India, this young entrepreneur is as global and mobile as his business.

When asked about his ‘young’ success, he joyfully admits to it making him happy, but quickly informs us of the great responsibility he feels it brings with it.

Attributing his success to the people who he works with, his colleagues and his senior management team of different companies he say, “They are the real professionals who have managed to take the different businesses to the levels we have achieved today. My responsibility is to make sure that they are doing what they are there for.”

With a professional and scientific approach , his team and him take to deciding what investments to take on and which ones to steer clear of, he tell us of a particular business venture in the sports industry that seemed appealing at the face of it, but a detailed study showed them the

Bhanu Choudhrie

clear downside.

Speaking of India, Mr. Choudhrie really feels that the upcoming Common Wealth Games are a great opportunity for not only India but its athletes also to show to the world that they can do wonders. He feels India could specially learn from the UK when it comes to sports. That not only cricket, but hockey, which is India’s national sport and others can be transformed into successful businesses like the Premier Leagues.

The very health conscious Mr. Choudhrie told us how regular gym and exercise keeps him healthy and is a great stress reliever. He also told us how he loves watching mindless cartoon shows as a way of busting his stress away.

This article is just a snippet of the vast and well accomplished life of this young businessman and philanthropist. In his interview he talks about everything from sports to business strategies to the upcoming common wealth games in India and much more.

Our readers are promised a more detailed insight into this Asian achiever’s life in our forthcoming special issue of ‘The British Asians’ on July 10.

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

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“Caste-cause for concern.”

Britain’s proposal to treat Caste based discrimination as equivalent to Racial Discrimination, is myopic and unhelpful to win confidence of Hindus. Such submissions by Caste / Dalit lobby are incredible in U.K., which has homogenous and classless society. Taking at face value, allegations against any specific religions is contrary to multi religious ethos of Britain, which must not allow itself to become battleground for imported controversies.

Indians in Britain communicate with eachother in English with no curiosity about caste, surnames or place of origin in India, as each one is secure in welfare based Britain.

Government must authenticate allegations, and consult with all major Hindu organisations, before undertaking any proceedings that may hurt Hindus.

Blaming Hindus is age old mischief to make Hindus to feel guilty via allegations against anything associated with Indian religion, customs and culture.

Absence of any caste wars indicate that history of India never supported caste system. Valuabne knowledge by saints and sages exalted them above bounds of their caste.

Hindu organisations in Britain must unite to assert that useful and constructive British Hindus are homogenous like other communities residing in Britain.

A massive preemptive signatures campaign must be undertaken to be presented to relevant authority.

Ramesh Jhalla By email

Could Greece ever live within Euro constraint?

In a haste to launch Euro, the dominant members like France and Germany behaved irrationally, confined financial prudence to dustbin. The common currency was a German obsession that would enable industrial giant, the workhorse of Europe to dominate the enlarged EU to the detriment of less efficient and emerging nations who are no better than German colonies on the economic front.

There is no resemblance between the successful Northern Europe and the struggling Southern countries like Greece, Spain, Italy and Portugal. Ireland and Britain are unfortunately in the same boat, in economic meltdown, having lived beyond their means for the last decade, failing to regulate the City and the financial sector. It was the volcanic eruption in the waiting that would plunge the world in worse recession since thirties.

Countries like Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Russia, not yet an EU mem-

Correspondents wanted If you live in Leeds, Manchester, Bradford or Edinburgh and are interested to be the Asian Voice 'Community News Correspondent’, please send your CV to Rupanjana at rupanjana@abplgroup.com.

FIRST & FOREMOST ASIAN WEEKLY IN EUROPE

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Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

Inspiring youngsters with Bollywood dance

Hindu religion flourishing in the west

I really enjoyed reading about the semi finals of the Bollywood Dance Championship at the City Pavilion. With today's youth unfortunately having a reputation for bad press it was refreshing to read about youngsters taking inspiration from their cultural roots.

Being a mother of two, one of my many concerns include whether my children will have a link with their Indian culture in todays modern world. I think that Bollywood films are a great starting point to learn about Indian values, culture, music and language. Not only is it beneficial for Asians, but also for Non Asians in understanding part of our culture. I look forward to hearing about the finals of the competition in July!

When you think about all the changes and sacrifices the first and second generations had to make in settling in the UK, it is great to read that accounts such as Gautambhai Oza's stating that Hinduism is flourishing in the west.

As a young turban wearing Sikh man who came to the UK in the 60s I felt to make life easier I had to remove my turban in order to fit in. I remember having a concern for the coming generations in terms of their link to religion. But today, going to my local Gurdwara there are so many youth who have kept their Sikh identities and they actually have more knowledge of the Sikh faith than I ever did! Where there have been worries amongst identity for our youth, I think now they are reaching a healthy balance of dual identities, and have the confidence to continue carrying the beliefs carved by their elders forward.

Deepika Choudhury By email

Green Park Murder I was disheartened to read about yet another unfortunate victim of youth crime. The two guilty of Dr Gulamhuseinwala's murder were aged just 20. Even though special intervention programmes have been put in place to tackle youth crime and violence, unfortunately it now seems the norm to hear about cases similar to these.

I believe that the main reasons why youth crime is increasing in today's society is two reasons.

Firstly the media's relaxed attitude towards violence shown on TV. There does not seem to be a clear line or consensus as to what is acceptable or not to show on TV. Secondly and more importantly, I think a child's familial involvement and peer influence plays a vital role in the child's personal development.

So I think it is very important for parents to feel a greater responsibility in raising and putting good people back into our society.

Raj Bains Via email ber, are little better than banana republics with corruption so rife that it puts countries like Nigeria, Congo and Zimbabwe in shade.

Watching a documentary on Greece was an eye opener. A hospital without garden had forty employees on the pay list described as gardeners while even hospital consultants would need a brown envelop stuffed with Euros before he would see a patient? Perhaps this is a new concept for NHS, redistributing the wealth from the poor to the rich and the privileged!

It would be practically impossible to harmonize economies of some twenty seven nations, especially under one currency, unless there is same degree of efficiency, commitment, financial prudence and work ethic. It would be impossible to achieve such harmony without similar living standard, honesty and corruption free administration, a mission impossible!

Bhupendra M Gandhi By email

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Rajinder Singh By email

Sachar Committee praises Gujarat

Sachar Committee set up by UPA government with ulterior motives, to discredit Gujarat and its dynamic CM Modi has instead turned the table, praising Gujarat’s competitive statistics of parameters practically in every field, especially in education, employment and income.

In the field of literacy, Muslims in Gujarat have attained an enviable position, 74% compared to national average of just 59% with women far outstripping and outperforming their counterparts in every other state.

More Muslim children go to school in Gujarat and gain university degrees than in so-called secular states governed by Congress and their UPA allies. Most surprisingly Gujarat is accreted as being a secular state with more Muslims in State employment, outstripping even states like West Bengal, Delhi and Maharastra.

Modi is even popular amongst many Muslim communities, especially Daudi Bhora, Ismailis, Kokni and Ahmedia Muslims where he is so often a chief guest on many Muslim holy occasions.

The Imam of Jama Masjid in Ahmedabad commented that Muslims have opportunity to prosper in the peaceful environment that Modi government has created. This is in sharp contrast to what is happening in Pakistan where Muslims from the minority sects are

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Are university cuts justifiable?

Cuts in university places in the coalition governments plan to reduce public spending causes me to worry about long term ramifications.

It seems to me that these cuts may go against us. Lower investment in human capital could mean that people earn less in the future, either because they were denied a place at university or because they got a worse education at university – this could mean lower future tax revenues.

Therefore cutting University spending could mean reducing public spending this year at the expense of higher borrowing in the future. This leads me to question the justifications for these cuts.

Vinod Uppal By email

Taking up the cause All the media and Asian Voice have described the three newy elected female MP's as Muslim. The fourth female MP Priti Patel has been described as an 'Ugandan Asian'. Which would mean Ugandan Asian's do not have a religion!

Priti Patel's name suggests she is a Hindu and that would make her the first Hindu female in parliament.

Why one wonders did the media completely omit her faith? Would it be that we are considered irrelevant? Did any Hindu organisation take this up with the media? If not then it is no wonder we are considered irrelevant!

Nitin Mehta Croydon being systematically eradicated. Last week’s suicide bombing in two mosques in Lahore where 70 Ahmedia Muslims lost their lives is the prime example of intolerance towards minorities in Pakistan.

Many such Muslims have expressed their desire to migrate to India and if States like Gujarat welcome them, they would be an asset, as they are, on most part well educated, business minded and peace loving people who would contribute towards the rapid industrialization of the State, as the tiny Parsi community is doing. This will also transform the image of Modi who is a thorn in UPA’s government.

Let us hope that this peaceful co-existence between various factions in Gujarat will create a prosperous Gujarat that will be an example as well as the envy of the world.

Kumudini Valambhia By email

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

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(Off Coronet Street)

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

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

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

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

London N1 6HW

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Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

Hate-mongering preacher granted entry into England The British Home Ministry is facing flak over its decision to allow a woman-hating, rabblerousing Indian televangelist entry into England.

Zakir Naik has time and again made incendiary remarks including preposterous suggestions that Western women are easy targets for rape because they wear revealing clothes. In his searing diatribes, he has called Americans "pigs" and even called for the execution of every Muslim who has converted to another faith.

In a recent lecture, he said he was "with" Osama Bin Laden over the attacks on "terrorist America", adding that the 9/11 hijackings were an inside job by President George W

Bush, according to reports.

"I don't know what he's doing. I'm not in touch with him. I don't know him personally. If he is terrorising the terrorists, if he is terrorising America the terrorist ... I am with him.

Every Muslim should be a terrorist," said Naik about the US President.

The rancorous Naik is a doctor by profession and can recite long passages from the Quran by rote, his distinguished educational background and knowledge set him apart from the usual 'mad mullah' category.

He reserves the harshest criticism for Americans.

"In America, most people consume pork. Many times after dance parties, they have swapping of wives. Many say, 'You sleep with my wife and I will sleep with your wife'. If you eat pigs then you behave like pigs," he said describing the American way of life.

The uproar over his visit follows on the heels of a similar incident involv-

Dolar Popat gains seat in House of Lords Conservative Party member and leading Asian political thinker Dolar Popat has been nominated to the House of Lords.

He will now be known as Lord Popat of Stanmore and will be the first Gujarati to represent the Conservative party in the House of Lords.

The 57-year-old considers this a profound opportunity. He says: “I have dedicated 33 years of my political life engaging our community with the Conservative party

ing controversial preacher, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian radical.

The Tories were then in the Opposition and had vehemently campaigned for a ban on entry into Britain for al-Qaradawi.

One well-placed insider commented: "Zakir Naik is a nasty man who makes al-Qaradawi look like a participant at a teddy bears' picnic. He shouldn't be allowed into the country to stir up hatred. Each case is considered on its own merits. When assessing a visa application, we will consider the previous conduct of the individual and we will ensure the UK does not provide a platform for the promotion of violent extremism," said the UK Border Agency.

Turkish background said: “I am very pleased to able to continue my work as a champion for fairness for all, no matter the colour of their skin, gender or religion. I feel honoured to be appointed to the House of Lords as a Working Peer. It is a huge privilege for someone from my background. I look forward to carry on the work that I have done all my life: to

stand up for equality, promote tolerance, and be a voice for the disadvantaged in our communities. These are at the very core of everything the Liberal Democrats do.”

Floella Benjamin OBE said: “To be called to serve my country in the House of Lords is a privilege and an honour. This is an historic period in our politics and I am delighted to be able to

and the Conservative party to our community.”

See the next issue of Asian Voice for an exclusive interview with Lord Popat.

Woman to stand trial over MP Stephen Timms stab attack The woman accused of stabbing the Labour MP Stephen Timms at a constituency surgery in east London will face trial at the Old Bailey in November.

Roshonara Choudhary, 21, of East Ham, east London, appeared via videolink at the court Tuesday.

She is charged with attempting to murder Timms – the MP for East Ham and a former Treasury minister – last month, as well as two counts of weapon possession.

Choudhary, wearing

Chair of Ethnic Minority Liberal Democrats and Broadcaster elevated to Lords Merel Ece OBE, chair of the Ethnic Minority Liberal Democrats and broadcaster and campaigner, Floella Benjamin OBE have been announced as Liberal Democrats peers in a list released by Number 10 last week.

Commenting, Chair of Ethnic Minority Liberal Democrats, Meral Hussein Ece OBE, who will be the first ever Peer from a

play my part. I am proud to be a Liberal Democrat and proud to be a part of a party that has not shied away from the chance to make lasting change to this country. I hope over the next few years to use my voice to stand up for those who can't make themselves heard, especially children and young people and to fight for a fairer, stronger Britain.”

glasses and with a crimson scarf covering her head and shoulders, spoke only to confirm her name and say she understood the proceedings.

She was remanded in custody to appear at the same court for a plea and case management hearing on 13 July, and a twoweek trial was fixed for 1 November.

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Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

Kapil’s

Thousands flock to Cobra’s Brick Lane Curry festival Thousands of spice seekers flocked to London’s East End for the Bank Holiday, where they sampled a selection of Brick Lane’s most delicious dishes at the 10th annual Cobra Brick Lane Curry Festival.

A number of Brick Lane's restaurants gave away free curry samples against a vibrant back drop of Bollywood dancing and live music, to celebrate the vibrancy of Asian culture and cuisine.

Throughout the two week festival, which is running until Friday 4th June, Brick Lane’s multitude of restaurants are presenting an array of sensational festive menus, exclusive offers and live entertainment for curry fans to enjoy.

The Cobra Brick Lane

by Kapil Dudakia - email: kapil@abplgroup.com

Curry Festival is renowned for being one of the country’s largest and most spectacular street parties, and regularly attracts more than 60,000 curry fans. With a fifth

(18%) of Brits rating curry as their favourite meal, and the nation spending £400 million** on curry every week, it’s unsurprising that the festival is so popular.

Optician to take on London Nightrider for charity A Sutton Coldfield optician is preparing to embark on an unusual bike ride around London at night, to help raise funds for the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS).

On Saturday June 19th, Jay Lad and Turner Kodak Lens Vision Centre, will cycle 100km circulating the capital from 11pm until the early hours of the morning.

The Nightrider challenge enables cyclists to take in all the key sights of the city, but by moonlight.

The challenge will begin at Crystal Palace in southeast London.

Jay Lad, 42, said: “This is a really unique opportunity for me to raise cash for a wonderful charity and also to see the sights of London as I’ve never seen them before. It is very different terrain to all of my other sponsored cycle rides, and I’m really looking forward to it. I hope the customers and

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businesses who have been so supportive in the past, will continue to show their support and sponsor me for this challenge.”

Jay is no stranger to the saddle or raising funds for charity. In 2009, he cycled from Chile to Argentina, raising a massive £3,500 for the NDCS and Vision Aid Overseas a project which funds

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donated glasses beign reconditioned and redistributed those blighted by poor eyesight in the Third World.

Niki Michael, NDCS Head of Corporate, Community and Events Fundraising, said: “NDCS helps deaf children by providing impartial practical and emotional support to them and their families.

Ninety-five percent of our work is funded by the public so that commitment of individuals like Jay is vital in helping us provide much needed support to deaf children and their families.”

Anyone who would like to sponsor Jay Lad, is asked to contact Kodak Lens Vision Centre, 8 The Lanes, Wylde Green, Sutton Coldfield, B72 1YG or call 0121 350 5872.

Dolar turns to Sterling

Promises must be kept

As indicated in KK several weeks back, we now have confirmation that our Dolarbhai has been given a peerage for services to the Tory Party. Henceforth he shall be known as Lord Popat.

There are many with honours who sit in the House of Lords.

Relatively speaking I have to say that Lord Popat deserves the honour that has been bestowed on him for several reasons. Not just because he gave a lot of money to the Tory Party, but because having come to the UK from East Africa – he made it to the top through hard work, effort and sheer determination.

Ahead of him lie great challenges. He must serve his country first yet balance that with his responsibilities to his Party, his community and of course, the wider community. In the past we have witnessed that sometimes those who secure high positions do not always remember their roots. I am sure he will not forget his past, his community and the great wealth of good that he can do in his new position. As a community we need more Hindus who are honoured in a similar way for not just their commercial prowess, but for their intellect, their expertise, their dedication to community service and indeed, for being bloody minded enough to challenge the establishment. Proportionately we are still underrepresented, but no doubt politicians from all sides must have realised in the recent elections, that we do matter as do our votes.

Congratulations to Lord Popat, I am sure you will strive to excel in your new role and that you will carry the aspirations of the community with you.

Now that the election is over, the Lib Dems have been converted to become Tories, and the Tory Government is in power.

Therefore It is time to remind our elected representatives of the promises they made just before the elections.

Readers will recall that I had asked all the candidates to give their support to a number of issues including the building of the first Hindu secondary school, and the establishment of a culturally sensitive crematorium to serve the people of Brent, Harrow and Barnet.

Harrow and Brent became Labour at Local Council level – which means they control the purse strings of those Councils, they control the planning department and its policy, and they have the means to champion these two projects. So I now ask the leaders of these Councils, can you please confirm what steps you intend to take so that the proposals for the first Hindu Secondary School and a culturally sensitive crematorium can be realised within the term of one parliament?

I should also like to ask the MPs who gave their undertaking to champion these projects to tell us what they intend to do to ensure that these get off the ground, with no red tape or bureaucratic nonsense stifling the aspirations of a whole community?

Cllr Navin Shah in AV 24/4/2010 wrote that he would be more than willing to work with any applicant (in his capacity as an architect and a politician) to ensure that these projects got off the ground immediately. Cllr Shah has 8 years experience of being a member of Harrow's planning committee and is currently a member of the Planning and Housing Committee at the GLA. So we should expect a lot from him in terms of practical delivery.

When NCGO held its

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Peacock blooms to honour Bollywood A friend of mine invited me to see ‘The Merchants of Bollywood’ at the Peacock Theatre in London. If you want a bit of West End glamour with a Bolly twist then this certainly hits the mark. They tell me that during the show there are some 1000 costumes used with a cast of more than 40. Vibrant, toe tapping, glitzy and energetic are words that readily come to mind – by the time interval came, I was exhausted just sitting in my seat and watching the dances. The best I could do was to tap my toes, generally in sync with the music, and with the occasional shouting of ‘Jai Ho.’ The show is doing the rounds again after its initial success some years back. The music scores and dance routines have been brought up to date and there is something for oldies like me as well.

Choreographed by a ‘Gujju’, Vaibhavi Merchant – famous for her work on songs such as ‘Dhol Baaje’ from the hit film ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ and ‘Kajra Re’ from ‘Bunty aur Babli’.

All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable evening in the heart of London.

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‘Question Time’ session, Dominic Grieve representing the Tory Party was very fast in showing total solidarity with the notion of establishing these projects. I assume therefore Mayor Johnson will have no objections either. So on the face of it at least, we have got both Labour and Tory (one must assume the Lib Dems will toe the line!) confirming they will work to make these projects happen within one parliamentary term. With such enthusiasm, what can go wrong?

Of course, you would expect KK to monitor developments and report back in due course. After all, I am sure you will all agree with me, promises made must surely be kept.

Even if you are a politician!

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Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

7

New Hindu Sanatan Mandir opens in Wembley Monday 31st May marked the auspicious opening of the Hindu Sanatan Mandir in the heart of Wembley.

Located on the Ealing road, this beautiful temple is an architectural feat in its own right. The intricate hand carving on the specially imported Limestone used to build this abode of God leaves us bedazzled and embezzled at the same time.

And equally justified were the opening ceremonies of the mandir.

Immaculate planning and execution of the events building upto the grand opening were just as much a delight to watch and be a part of. It started with the ceremony of 'pran prathishtha', followed by 'vastu pujan' on the 29th of May and the 'vishwa mangal yagna' on the 30th of May. It was then followed by a small programme starting with the lighting of the lamp, followed by dance performances by young girls classically trained in 'bharatnatyam'.

They then honoured the great religious leaders who had graced the occasion with their esteemed presence and the other dignitaries who helped make this

Shri Dwarkeshlalji Maharaj addressing the audience

dream of many Hindus come true, under the efficient chairmanship of Mr. Narendra Thakrar. Each of these saints when took to the podium, managed to inspire and impress not only the likes of parents and grand parents present there, but even the young minds.

The 'sanatan' mandir truly personified its belief and the ideology it stands for.

The roots of Hinduism fundamentally lie in the 'sanatan dharm' and 'sanatan' means the one that has no end and 'dharma' comes from 'dhri' which means to hold together. And truly, the final event of the 'shayan aarti' reflected the

The glorious Hindu Sanatan Mandir at Ealing road, Wembley

all binding nature of Hindu Dharma. The entire mandir came to life when each of the patrons and their families all together prayed to 33 different deities under one roof. It was a sight at least I have never witnessed before in my life.

Kudos to the Shri Vallabh Nidhi UK and team SVN UK to bring into this world such a beacon of purity and extreme beauty.

Princess Diana 'was killed over plan to expose Britain's arms dealers' More than 12 years after she died in a car crash in Paris, a leading defence lawyer has alleged that Princess Diana was murdered over her plan to expose UK's arms dealers.

Queen's Counsel Michael Mansfield has claimed that the late Princess of Wales even intended publishing an "explosive" diary to unmask those most closely involved with British land-mine manufacturing and the country's role in arms trade.

"Everyone remembers she raised the profile of the land mines. Everybody is aware that the British involvement in the arms trade, particularly land mines, is and was a huge vested interest.

"It seems to me she had planned various visits.

She had already been to Angola and she was going to Cambodia. A large number of land mines had been manufactured by British. She claimed she had an explosive diary in which she was going to expose the people most closely involved in the British arms trade," leading British tabloid the 'Daily Express' quoted Mansfield as saying.

The Princess of Wales had angered ministers when she called for an international ban on land mines just months before her death in 1997. She spoke out during a highprofile visit to Angola to meet some of the tens of thousands of innocent victims of the lethal devices.

At the time, British Defence Minister Earl Howe had described her

The 'sapt (seven) rishis' who graced the occasion with their presence (from left to right): Pujya Shri Jashbhai Saheb, Pujya Shri Bhagavat Rushiji, Pujya Shri Deviprasadji Maharaj, Pujya Shri Rambapa, Pujya Shri Chidanand Sarawatiji, Pujya Shri Rameshbhai Oza, Pujya Shri Dwarkeshlalji Maharaj

New Indian initiative for art looted during British rule

Aga Khan Institute for King's Cross

Britain expects India to shortly ask yet again for the return of its artefacts allegedly looted during the colonial period and now showcased in various British museums.

According to The Independent newspaper, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is compiling a list of the stolen riches before launching a 'diplomatic and legal campaign' for their restitution from institutions, including the British Museum, the Royal Collection and the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

Among the items quoted by the newspaper from the list are the 2.3 metretall bronze Buddha statue, excavated from Sultanganj in India's Bihar state and which now resides in Birmingham, and Amravati railings, a series of limestone carvings dating from

around 100 AD and acquired from a Buddhist temple in Andhra Pradesh

by Victorian explorers.

Also on the list are the Kohinoor diamond that sits at the heart of a crown made for the Queen Mother as the last empress of India.

The world famous Kohinoor diamond has always been on such lists compiled by India and forwarded to Britain for its return.

The Indian initiative follows a conference in Cairo last April where several countries from Asia, Africa and South America called for a concerted effort with the help of Unesco for the return of their national treasures. The call followed realisation by these countries that individual attempts have so far proved unsuccessful.

While some British

museums have indicated they were willing to consider the return of smaller artefacts, most museums are against returning any of the major items on grounds they are banned under British laws.

Rita McLean, head of the Birmingham Museum, is quoted as saying: 'We have not received any official request for the return of the Sultanganj Buddha.

Any requests for restitution will be treated on a case-bycase basis.'

to build student accommodation for students attending the centre have already been agreed. The final details of the centre which will have a museum-type element are yet to be concluded between the Aga Khan, who is thought to be advised by BNP Paribas Real Estate, and King’s Cross Central.

Aga Khan is the hereditary title of the Imam of the largest branch of the Ism ' l followers of the Sh ‘a faith. The Aga

Imamate aims to improve the quality of their lives and the communities in which they live.

The current Aga Khan IV is Prince Karim Al Hussein [pictured] who was born in 1936 and is the 49th Imam of the Shia Imami Ismailis. He succeeded his grandfather Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan.on 11 July 1957.

If the plans go ahead it will be a high profile occupier at the major regeneration scheme. King's Cross

Central is already in talks with a range of other occupiers including Sainsbury's and Ogilvy & Mather.

It will also be an important step for the Aga Khan Foundation which has already established one centre in London The Institute of Ismaili Studies in South Kensington - which was developed 25 years ago.

The building at Cromwell Gardens in South Kensington was the first high profile Ismaili Centre

to be designed and built in the West.

A spokesperson from King's Cross Central said: "We are talking to a number of very exciting organisations, large and small, about a move to King's Cross Central. We are not in a position to announce any new deals yet but it's fair to say that a number of our discussions are at a very advanced stage.

Potential occupiers are excited about the offer at King's Cross."

The Aga Khan IV is in advanced talks to create a centre for Ismaili studies and cultural affairs at London's £4bn King's Cross scheme. It is thought that the Aga Khan Foundation and King’s Cross Central — the joint venture between Argent, London & Continental Railways and landowner DHL-Exel - are finalising details of an agreement to develop the proposed centre at the 67 acre site.

It is believed that plans

as a "loose cannon" and claimed that she was illinformed on the issue.

Mansfield represented Mohammed Al-Fayed, the father of Princess Diana's boyfriend Dodi who was killed alongside her, at the inquest into the couple's deaths which returned only a verdict of unlawful killing.

A spokesperson for Princes William and Harry said they had "no comment" on the latest allegations.

Khan is responsible for the interpretation of the faith for his followers and as part of the office of the

The Kohinoor

8

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Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

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

Face-to-face with the official voice of Pakistan in Britain During a rare ninety-minute informal meeting with Pakistan’s High Commissioner in Britain, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, I sought his views and thoughts on a list of timely themes including extremism, politics, diversity and the media.

I had briefly met Mr Hasan, pictured, a former journalist, at a function in London previously, when we had shared our experiences of the media industry, then and now, so to catch-up after a few months was great. Sat face-to-face in his plush office, between us a massive paper-piled wooden desk, and surrounded by mounted life-size portraits of past Pakistani premiers, our conversation began.

Asked about his proudest achievement this year, “I have succeeded in raising the profile of Pakistan which has been acknowledged by the host country as well as my friends in the diplomatic community,” he said. In addition, he mentioned his contribution to the consolidation of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan, or FDP, forum, which was spearheaded by the UK. On relations between Pakistan and the UK, which he described as “longstanding and characterised by mutual warmth and respect, he added: “Our primary focus remains on upgrading the existing relationship and taking it to new horizons.” Given the historic fragility in relations between its separated sibling, India, I asked what, if anything, was hindering stronger friendship, “trust deficit,” he said. “It goes without saying that India and Pakistan must resolve their disputes through peaceful means. After becoming nuclear weapons states the two countries cannot afford

even pin pricks.”

He added that it was equally important for the two countries to “not allow terrorists and extremists to disturb the peace process in future”.

Describing Pakistan “a victim of terrorism”, Mr Hasan reinforced his resolution to tackle the menace. “We shall not allow any individual or organisation to use Pakistan’s territory against a third country,” he said.

Can extremism be controlled, I asked Mr Hasan. “Yes”, he said, “by looking into the causes that drive youth to extreme tendencies. Even the British authorities now realise that radicalisation of British youth is taking place inside the UK and not from outside.

Therefore a remedy has to be found inside the UK.” In Pakistan, over 60 per cent of the population is under the age of 25.

The escalating war between the national army and the Taliban, which involves the killing of Pakistanis on both sides in an orgy of suicide bombers and air attacks – in whose interest is this being fought, I asked Mr Hasan. “Army operations in Swat, Malakand and

Metal firm appoints new CFO Guppy Dhariwal, a former Director of Finance at Aston University, has joined Rotherham-based Metalysis, a UK metal extraction firm, as Chief Financial Officer. Guppy, pictured, came to England from his native country India at the age of five. He obtained a BSc degree in Electrical Engineering from Newcastle University and subsequently became a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. He began his career in 1972 in engineering before training as an accountant.

Between 1998-2009, he contributed substantially to Aston University’s

South Waziristan were carried out in response to brutalities by the miscreants who do not even belong to Pakistan, but,” he said, “we are succeeding in our endeavours and the extremists and terrorists are on the run.”

Asked about his three most pressing challenges, “changing the perception in the media about Pakistan.” He explained: “At present, Pakistan is targeted as an extremist country. This is absolutely a wrong perception about Pakistan, its people and democratic forces. Media has conveniently ignored that Pakistan is a victim of terrorism for the past three decades when the Soviet troops marched into Afghanistan. We are suffering since then.”

Secondly, “due to negative perception about Pakistan some friendly governments have issued travel advisories which are hurting Pakistan in terms of trade and investments”.

Thirdly, “preferential market access to Pakistan, which we are addressing in right earnest.” He said he was glad that the UK was supportive of Pakistan’s access in the EU markets and hopes that other EU partners will follow suit.

Last year, 41 per cent of Pakistanis applying for a visa to visit families in the UK were turned down – the highest rate for any nationality. “We have raised this issue with the British government and they are trying to sort out this problem,” said Mr Hasan, adding that the situation was “gradually improving”.

Father-of-one Mr Hasan has been in post since June 2008, when he replaced Maleeha Lodhi.

He had held this same post from early 1994 under the then premiership of Benazir Bhutto, but returned to his own pub-

lishing and media consultancy business two years later when Bhutto’s government was dismissed.

After completing his Masters in International Affairs in 1962, he joined the Jang group of newspapers, Pakistan’s biggest print media chain, and seven years later became editor of its daily English sister publication, Daily News. He also edited Jang Group’s weekly magazine, The Weekly Mag. In 1989 he left Daily News to become the Chairman of the National Press Trust, Pakistan’s largest print media conglomerate. After completing a three-year tenure, he became a private media consultant, helping various groups of publications in their inaugural ventures.

Mr Hasan, who radiates a down-to-earth attitude with a sparkling sense of humour, has earned a reputation for his secular and liberal views and commitment to the cause of democracy and empowerment of Pakistanis, especially women. He is opposed to religious extremism and bigotry.

Mr Hasan, who began his career as a journalist, still pens articles for publications, both at home and abroad. He also enjoys walking. He finds the British sense of preservation, especially the architecture and old buildings “fascinating and impressive”. He said: “It shows how much past is valued and their strong commitment to history.” I was touched by Mr Hasan’s modesty who insisted that I have dinner with him.

Top gent. Credit also to his social secretary Naghma Butt for her outstanding cooperation and professionalism to the extent that she replies to emails almost instantly, be it day or night.

Toxic make-up seller spared jail A Birmingham shopkeeper who pleaded guilty to selling dangerous cosmetics which can poison the blood and kill has escaped jail. Tahir Mahmood, pictured, who runs the Islamic general store Amsons, in Coventry Road, Small Heath, faced 52 charges related to selling make-up containing lead, including Surma, Hashmi Kajal eyeliner and Golden Pearl beauty cream.

Mahmood, 42, from Yardley Wood Road, was given a 12-month community order, including 100 hours of unpaid work and £3,210 prosecution costs.

New CEO at Trust Dr Mark Newbold, pictured, has been appointed new chief executive of Birmingham’s largest hospital trust. Father-of-four Dr Newbold, 50, who heads Kettering General Hospital Foundation Trust, replaces retiring Dr Mark Goldman at the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust.

Faith lecture Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, pictured, will be delivering a lecture at the University of Birmingham next Tuesday (Jun 8). The free lecture, Faith in the World: Religion in the 21st Century, will take place at 6pm at the Birmingham Business School, University House, on Edgbaston Park Road. For more information visit www.bham.ac.uk

Dentist found not guilty A Birmingham dentist, Nischal Vaidya, who was accused of sexually assaulting four women has been found not guilty. The 39-year-old from Quinton, who was suspended from Bhandal Dental Practice in Dudley High Street, had been given conditional bail at Wolverhampton Court in December last year.

Funding axe, centre to shut The Muath Trust, a centre in Birmingham which encourages Muslim women to continue in education, is set to shut down after its funding body, City College, announced it would no longer provide financial support. The Trust’s chief executive, Dr Zahid Parvez, described the decision a “devastating blow”. The centre opened in 1990 and education was introduced in 2005 following a £6 million investment by regional development agency Advantage West Midlands.

Police give kids a taster session

Cash boost for community radio

Fourteen pupils, pictured, aged between four and eleven from across 11 Birmingham schools were last week treated to a West Midlands Police ‘behind the scenes’ action-packed experience which included police dog displays and a tour of the force helicopter. The event marked the first anniversary of the force’s Cop Swap golden card scheme, which encourages children to stop and speak to officers.

A Midland community radio station has been awarded a £1,500 business start-up grant, thanks to Sandwell Council. Oldbury-based Sanjhi Awaz, which broadcasts in English, Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu, was launched last month.

Jasbir Dhillon, a teacher at Washwood Heath Technology College in Birmingham, has been suspended for three months for being late for school on 21 occasions. At a General Teaching Council hearing in London, disciplinary panel chair Derek Johns said: “Your actions show a lack of professionalism and a failure to appreciate the impact your actions may have had on students and colleagues.”

£3k donation to Mayor’s charity A group of eight big-hearted Asian businessmen from the Midlands have donated £3,000 to the Mayor of Walsall’s charity appeal for the borough’s

growth from a £38 million enterprise to a £100 million high-performing university, which last month was ranked 17th, of a total 115 UK universities. Aston is also in the top ten in the UK for medicine degrees.

News in Brief

blind and deaf residents.

They recently met the Mayor, Councillor John O’Hare, to discuss the role they play in supporting Walsall’s economy.

Teacher suspended

Cllr Ann Shackleton, centre, with Kewal Singh and Ranjit Chahal from Sanjhi Awaz.

EDUCATION/COUNCIL

Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

'250,000' to miss university places this year Almost a quarter of a million people applying for university this year are going to miss out on a place, university leaders are forecasting.

Spending cuts have reduced extra university places at a time when there has been a huge surge in demand.

The number of applicants not getting a place will have doubled in two years.

Professor David Green, vice-chancellor of the University of Worcester, says it will mean thousands of "unnecessarily blighted lives".

With the spending cuts stopping university expansion, this summer will see an unprecedented number

of applicants failing to get a place on a degree course.

"Many highly-qualified young people with good Alevels will not get a place at university. The same students, with the same qualifications, applying for the same university two years ago, would have got a place," says Professor Green.

He says this is "tough on young people who are entirely blameless" of the financial problems that are putting a brake on university places.

Professor Green is also forecasting that because of spending restrictions designed to curb numbers there will be an actual drop in overall places available this year, despite the announcement of a

was going to be, the research by High Fliers found.

In total, 26% plan further study, 16% plan to travel and 14% are undecided.

The survey of finalists at 30 leading universities found just 36% expected to start or look for a graduatelevel job after leaving university this summer.

And 8% intended to

small number of extra places. He argues that universities have the capacity on courses to offer a further 40,000 places, if the funding was made available.

Last year, there were 158,000 applicants who did not get a place - up from about 120,000 in 2008.

Professor Green is forecasting that this will rise to 225,000 this year and could edge towards 250,000.

take up temporary or voluntary work.

The media, teaching and marketing were the top three graduate career choices for students graduating in 2010 - as they were for 2009.

Applications for jobs in information technology (IT) and engineering were down 5% and 11% respectively on last year.

COUNCIL NEWS

Kaycee backs victim support for Newham youngsters A new campaign has been launched to highlight the support available for young people who have been witnesses or victims of crime.

Newham's Young Mayor, Kaycee de Belen, is backing Victim Support, the charity which provides free and confidential support, as well as practical advice on what to do if you've been a victim of crime.

Anyone affected by crime can get help, either directly through a local Victim Support branch, or

through the Victim Supportline. The services are free, confidential and available to everyone, whether or not the crime has been reported and regardless of when it happened. Trained volunteers ensure that people get the information, help and support they need.

In a bid to raise awareness of the service, leaflets and oyster card holders are being distributed at Newham schools and youth centres. They give tips on staying safe as well

as how to get in contact if you have been a victim.

Young Mayor Kaycee de Belen said: "As Young Mayor, youth safety is one of my top priorities. I'm committed to helping young people feel safer and be safer. The victim support campaign highlights the valuable support that's available, which many people aren't aware of. Anyone who's been a victim or witnessed a crime is entitled to help and it's important that they know where to go."

Brent welcomes new Mayor Councillor Harbhajan Singh has been elected as the new Mayor of Brent.

He was elected at the Annual Meeting of the council and officially appointed at the Mayor Making Ceremony which was witnessed by councillors, voluntary and community organisations and the winners of the Brent Community Champion awards.

The new Mayor and Mayoress, Mrs Kawal Singh OBE, began their year in office last night by announcing the Mayors charities, which are: Asian People's Disability Alliance, St Luke's

Hospice and Shooting Stars.

Councillor Harbhajan Singh has been a member of the Labour Party for over ten years and Councillor of the Welsh Harp ward since 2002.

The Mayor, who was born in Basra, Iraq, has lived in Brent for 44 years and is married with two children & four grandchildren.

The new Mayor will be supported by the Deputy Mayor Councillor Aslam Choudry and the Deputy Mayoress, Mrs Jamila Begum Choudry.

The popular outgoing Mayor, Councillor Jim

National Hindu Students Forum (UK)

By Kajal Valani, President BSc (Hons), LLb, BVC

Phew… What a Year!

Graduates fear 'very limited' career prospects Nearly half (45%) of finalyear students at the UK's top universities view their career prospects as "very limited", a survey suggests.

The poll of 16,000 finalists found a third feared last year's graduates would take up most of the vacancies.

One in six said they would not have gone to university if they had known how tough the jobs market

9

O'Sullivan, thanked Brent's new Mayor for his support and wished him the best for the year to come.

Brent's new Mayor and Mayoress will spend the next year acting as ambassadors for Brent and will promote the borough locally, nationally and internationally.

It’s now been two years since I was given the honour of becoming President of the National Hindu Students Forum (UK). It has been an engaging experience so far and I thought I’d share my thoughts with you on the organisations progression...

At this year’s AGM, I asked leaders of chapters around the UK to not just do their job well, but to raise the bar of excellence already set. Our job is to look at securing the future and act like Bhagwan Shri Krishna, NHSF’s Ishta Devta for the year, as role models for society. Bhagwan Sri Krishna excelled in many fields, be it in a spiritual, economical or political respect. That is what Hindu students need to aspire to.

This year we had two major annual events taking place; the first being the national Annual Conference, ‘Hindu Times’, where we broke attendance records and got students to look at understanding spirituality, applying it in the

samaj and then using it on a political level to make a grand difference.

The message given to students, endorsed by major personalities and world leaders such as Tony Blair, David Cameron, Gordon Brown and Nick Clegg , was that we are all capable of becoming world leaders. Hindu Dharma gives us the foundations for that; we now just need to get on a platform and stand up and speak up for what we believe in.

The second national event was the sports competition which saw 750 students, 26 universities, 84 teams, and 165 sports matches. Vikram Solanki, ex-England cricketer, spoke of the importance of implementing teachings from Hindu Dharma when in fierce competition. The British Army attended and played kabaddi against a local chapter and Lord Sebastian Coe, Chairman of London Olympics 2012, endorsed the event.

Locally, chapters

have produced some phenomenal events- not just due to their sheer size, but also due to their content and spiritualityfrom zonal bhajans to engaging chapter talks .

We have seen this change over the years in order to appeal to a more dynamic and youthful generation.

Analysing NHSF activities and progression shows that we have been brilliant, however, there is still work to be done. We, as Hindus, need to implement this brilliance and stand out!

We are on the Sanatan path and now need to unite together and fully utilise our capabilities.

Looking over NHSF, I can certainly say it is a proud moment for me to confidently state that it is going to be British Hindu Students who can and will take us to a bright Dharmic future.

Let us all support them and let us be the news we wish to see in the world.

Sanghathan Mein Shakti Hai - In Unity There Is Strength.

Cllr Rajinder Mann is new Ealing Mayor A host of faces old and new were present as the new Mayor of Ealing was elected last Tuesday night.

Current and former councillors, MPs, and guests filled the council chamber at the Town Hall as Southall councillor Rajinder Mann was presented with the stately robes of office.

His fellow Labour councillor Ranjit Dheer, who proposed Mr Mann at the ceremony said: "In my honest opinion, I think he will make an excellent mayor. Councillor Man has lived here for nearly 40 years and has huge ambition for this borough.

"His story is the story of thousands of people from his generation, and he is an inspiration to those who are struggling.

When he came here he had just £3 in his pocket and has worked tirelessly since."

Cllr Dheer also praised the new mayor's work as a councillor and his efforts in working alongside trade unions and sticking up for the people of Southall. The new mayor also received tributes from Ealing's Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups.

Speaking before a dinner held that evening in his honour, Cllr Mann said: "I will keep my speech short

as I know you are all hungry. It's my great honour and privilege to be the new Mayor of Ealing."

He also thanked opposition leader Jason Stacey for his all work as previous leader of Ealing Council, as well as outgoing mayor Barbara Yerolemou, who received a vote of thanks from the entire council.

A banquet was held upstairs in the Victoria Hall afterwards as the new Mayor greeted guests and

dignataries, complete with traditional Indian drumming.

Councillor John Gallagher was appointed deputy mayor, along with Dr Rupa Hug as deputy consort.

The mayor’s official charities are Age Concern Ealing and Ealing Association for the Blind.

He will be running events to raise money for these organisations during his 12-month term.

10

ART & CULTURE

Asian Voice - Saturday 29th May 2010

Debut novelists and famed historian showcase India Priyal Sanghavi

By Spriha Srivastava

A lifetime of photography A photographic exhibition highlighting India’s Nationalist history is currently on display at The Nehru Centre. It is indeed terrific how such a goldmine of negatives and prints taken by Kulwant Roy – one of the first Indian writer and photographer who had been selling his pictures to both domestic as well as foreign media. This work of Kulwant Roy had been locked up in a trunk and was found years later by his nephew Aditya Arya, a photographer himself.

The Nehru Centre at South Audley Street exhibits a rare collection of some of these pictures starting from the 1930’s till the 1960’s. The exhibition titled ‘History in Making’ has some marvellous pictures of Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru, and Sardar Patel.

According to Aditya Arya, even the government doesn’t have many of the pictures such as the ones from the closed doors meetings of Muslim League during the Indian National Movement.

Well that surely takes us back to where it all started from – Kulwant Roy. Born in 1914 in Ludhiana, Roy started his work as a photographer in Lahore in the 1930’s and one can see some of his early pictures as part of the exhibition. Later in 1941, he joined the Royal Indian Air Force and that’s the time he took some amazing aerial pictures from the cockpits of the aircrafts. Towards later he found it difficult to tolerate the discriminatory policies of his British Superiors and had to leave the air force after being court martialled.

He then set up Associated Press Photos in Delhi and from there took on the task of Photojournalism.

He

Nehru, Gandhi and Sardar Patel (right) at an All India Congress Committee meeting in 1946, considering forming an interim government

travelled around the world for three years starting in 1958, wherein he took lots of pictures outside which were later sold along with his stories. In 1963 he mailed all his pictures and negatives to his Delhi address but when he came back home, he realised none of his boxes had arrived and he could never trace them.

Kulwant Roy died in 1984 but his photographs have been making news in every part of the world. Even during his life, he sold his photographs to a number of international and national newspapers and magazines. For example, a famous picture of Pandit Nehru, sitting with a bat in his hand during a cricket match was published by a French newspaper, along with the domestic ones. All of this and much more is on display at The Nehru Centre.

Twenty five years after the passing of his uncle, when photographer Aditya Arya opened the boxes that had been bequeathed to him, he was astounded. He was looking at a treasure house of images of preand post-independent India. Photographs systematically organised and annotated, negatives carefully packed together, notes painstaking scrib-

In Simla for the 1946 independence conference - Abdul Ghafar Khan, Nehru, and Sardar Patel (in the rickshaw)

bled at the back of fading photographs. And then Aditya Arya’s journey of archiving began. Drawing from a collection of thousands of old prints and cracked negatives, the initial recovery has led to an exhibition of selected works in Delhi, the generation of worldwide interest in Roy’s work, and the establishment of the Aditya Arya Archive.

However, despite being extremely rich in its collection, the exhibition lacks proper references to the pictures. In a way the exhibition will be enjoyed by those who have spent time reading the Indian National Movement because then they can identify with each and every picture.

For those who do not know much about India’s freedom struggle, for them the exhibition is a collection of pictures of India’s heroes who can be identified easily.

Apart from this, the exhibition is a magnificent display of the final phase of the Indian National Movement and also of the post Independent period when India was slowly taking steps towards building its diplomatic and economic relations.

The exhibition is indeed worth a visit especially because most of these stories we have either read or heard or seen in the form of movies which of course has been dramatised a little too much. But to be able to see photographs, especially some of those which are absolutely rare and genuine, is an experience altogether.

For those who haven’t yet gone to see the exhibition, there is still time till 4th June for you to do so. It will definitely be a shame to miss the lifetime work of an eminent photojournalist – Kulwant Roy.

Let us know what you think.

Email Spriha at spriha@abplgroup.com

Indian writer. Tishani feels there is a pressure to represent the country.

Nitasha says: “When you pick up a book, you don't think whether the writer shares same nationality. It is the story which matters.”

jargon script in the country’s booming IT industry.

However those who's family occupation has been to make bronze deities sculpture continue the tradition.”

Jainism was the most interesting to explore for

India featured prominently at the Asia House Festival of Literature as a myriad of authors spoke about their work related to the country. Three Indian debut novelists Neel Mukherjee (A Life Apart), Tishani Doshi ( The Pleasure Seekers) and Nitasha Kaul (Residue) discussed migration and an Asian's enigma of arrival in Britain.

While Nitasha travels around and Neel live in UK, half Gujarati-half Welsh Tishani has moved back to India. She now has a new per(from l-r) Journalist Sathnam Sanghera chairs a discussion spective on home.

'Migration and Displacement: New Writing in India' between She says: “It helps to authors Nitasha Kaul, Tishani Doshi and Neel Mukherjee leave. You look with different glasses at India.”

The other book which the author. He says: “It is Her novel the aroused much curiosity relatively unknown to the Pleasure Seekers pays and had a packed audiwest as compared to homage to a parents marence was historian Buddhism. It is extremely riage which is fictionWilliam Dalrymple's Nine austere compared to the alised and speaks about Lives: In Search of the more moderate traditional family strucSacred in Modern India.

Buddhism.” tures in India. Neel on The book explores tradiThe festival concluded the other hand weaves tional religious life and with singer Susheela two parallel narratives in how they have been Raman giving a soulful one novel questioning the impacted due to modern performance of devotional outsider sentiment each changes in India. temple songs`. The comcharacter feels in a counDalrymple travelled the mon thread binding both try. “Is home a place country and chose nine events was an apparent where one starts off or traditions such Devdasis love of the predominantly where one ends?” he in Andhra Pradesh and white audience for India asks. Nitasha's novel Baul singers from Bengal. and the thirst to know Residue deals with movHe says: more- which motivates ing across borders which “South Indian both Indian and Western blurs on what home really Brahmins who traditionwriters to continue talkis. ally dealt with astronomiing about the nation All agreed on the cal observations and are through their works. slight exotification of an now handling computer

BOOKWORM The Temple Goers by Aatish Taseer Priyal Sanghavi Aatish Taseer's debut novel has Aatish Taseer a writer back in India after a prolonged stay abroad.

He soon realises the Delhi he left behind is not the Delhi he knew.

He is instantly surrounded by the elite, intellectuals, gossip-mongers, politicians, media and the seediness lurking behind it all. In comes his gym-trainer Aakash, good-looking, ambitious, large- hearted. He introduces Aatish to the other side to Delhi- the seedy underbelly. Here is the world where men are ambitious, take trips to their native village, celebrate festivals with utmost devotion and can literally kill to uphold honour and traditions.

Aatish soon develops an infatuation for Aakash's world. He soon shares beer, meets his house undertakes a pilgrimage with the latter's family. This behaviour understandably irks Sanyogita, his fiesty loyal girlfriend and their

relationship suffers.

Soon a rich, loving and overweight Megha enters Aakash's life .

Aakash is then accused of murder and its upto Aatish and a few others to prove him innocent.

The central theme or what is meant to be is coined by a mysterious character referred to as just 'the writer'.

“The temple-going Indian knows his country backwards. He forever carries an idea of it in his head....There is no others country where countrymen are acquainted with the distant reaches of the land

through their pilgrimages he will make Religion is a form of patriotism.”

The temple-goer Aakash is likable and irritable for the leader.

He is in simplest words, the 'common man'.

Aakash and Aatish's bromance does raise the homosexual love question specially when during a bizarre incident with an aging prostitute.

The novelist Taseer who's lead character apart from sharing the same name, shares the same outsider feeling.

(Taseer has a Pakistani father and Indian mother). It is The character is trying to reconnect to the temple-going Indian.

Taseer successful paints the landscape of cosmopolitan Delhi. However the book twists and turns and sets foot in too many ideas. It moves from being a search for identity to thriller.

The Temple-Goers is an easy-read but skip trying to find deeper meanings.

11

Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

Leicester Voice

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

leicester@abplgroup.com

Killers jailed for 'act of evil' in killing solicitor Vina Patel The husband of murdered solicitor Vina Patel described her death as an "act of evil" as her killers were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Last Friday, at the end of a six-week trial, Surendra Patel said the life of his family had been "unimaginably changed" by the actions of John Cort and Brian Farrell.

Mrs Patel's former business partner Cort (54) of Rutland Street, Leicester, was sentenced to a minimum of 29 years in jail for planning the murder.

Former male escort Brian Farrell (37), of Queensborough Terrace, west London, was ordered to spend at least 28 years behind bars for carrying out the killing.

As the jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts against both men following 22 hours of deliberation, cries of "yes" rose from family members inside the

courtroom. A number of jurors openly wept.

Speaking after the hearing at Nottingham Crown Court Mr Patel, 53, from Leicester Forest East, said: "It was an act of evil, an act of the Devil. He has destroyed my family. Vina was the glue in the family and the laughter in the house. With her around we didn't have to worry about anything. I find myself very angry that somebody could do such a thing to such a nice person for money. I can't forgive him."

Together the couple had two children, Anisha, 30, a pharmacist at Glenfield Hospital and Priyesh, 25, a GP. Passing sentence, Mrs Justice Linda Dobbs described Cort and Farrell as having carried out a "premeditated, calculated and ruthless" murder plot for financial gain in which Cort was the driving force and Farrell the perpetrator.

Sentencing Cort, who

Get on your bike - Sky Ride Leicester is back

Kelly Brook and Sir Chris Hoy launch Sky Ride 2010

Sky and British Cycling, in partnership with Leicester City Council, this week announced the return of Sky Ride Leicester – a free familyoriented mass participation cycling event taking place across the city on Sunday, 29 August .

The Sky Ride event will take in the city’s most iconic landmarks and sites with traffic-free streets, enabling cyclists to enjoy a day of bikebased entertainment and to explore their city on two wheels with family and friends. The free event aims to encourage thousands of people, of all ages and abilities, to get on their bikes.

Cllr Veejay Patel, leader of Leicester City Council, said: “It is wonderful that Sky Ride is returning to Leicester.

We are working on plans for a really exciting route this year. Once again it will allow people the experience of cycling on traffic free roads but the changes will help make this year’s event a really

special day out and help showcase the city to its full.”

The Sky Ride events take place up and down the country starting in Ealing, in west London on 18 July and then moving to major towns and cities across the UK: Bath and Southampton (25 July), Manchester (1 Aug), Middlesbrough and the London Borough of Redbridge both (15 Aug), Glasgow (22 Aug), Leicester (29 Aug), Bradford (29 Aug), Blackpool (31 Aug), Mayor of London’s Sky Ride in central London (5 Sept) and Birmingham (12 Sept).

People interested in Sky Ride or cycling can visit www.goskyride.com for news, information and online registration for each of the Sky Ride events. The site will also feature tips and expert advice on how to ride safely and look stylish plus views from Sky Ride’s cycling ambassadors.

sat stony-faced and emotionless throughout, Mrs Justice Dobbs said: "That you, John Cort, were able to have murdered a close friend of 30 years, an erstwhile lover of 20 years and a partner prepared to help with your divorce, reveals your true character. You are a controlling man who will stop at nothing to achieve your own end."

Turning to Farrell, who collapsed into his seat partway through the sentencing, she said: "John Cort was the driving force but you are not incapable.

You were prepared to help your friend carry out this callous murder."

Cort and Farrell were arrested in June 2009 after a five-month investigation launched when Mrs Patel's body was found at the offices she shared with Cort in Blackbird Road, Leicester.

Over the past six weeks, a jury heard how Cort had hired Farrell –

who he had had a sexual relationship with over a number of years – to carry out the contract killing of his business partner.

The self-styled playboy solicitor hoped he would be able to claim on an insurance policy taken out on Mrs Patel's life that had been raised from £500,000 to £1.5m just weeks before her death.

The jury was told Cort was desperate to cover spiralling personal debt and the theft of more than £650,000 from his firm's clients – money he had either borrowed or stolen to fund a luxury lifestyle he refused to give up.

Those allegations are now under investigation.

Among his many extravagances, Cort dined in exclusive restaurants, stayed at expensive hotels and rented flats for at least two girlfriends in London.

He also claimed never to be in financial difficulty but that he was in the

Jailed: John Cort

Solicitor Vina Patel

process of an acrimonious divorce and wanted it to look like his firm was in debt to avoid an expensive settlement.

During the trial he also denied stealing money from his firm or staging a burglary at the Blackbird Road offices.

Both Cort and Farrell denied murdering Mrs Patel to the last, and as Mrs Justice Dobbs said yesterday presented a "united front" from the moment of their arrest through to the conclusion of the case.

The men sought to

convince the jury neither had had any part in Mrs Patel's death despite damning DNA evidence and phone records that placed Farrell at the scene and showed both men had been in communication through the day.

Even moments before they were led away, Cort's barrister Frances Oldham said her client maintained his innocence. However, Mr Patel said he knew his wife had not died by accident from the moment he found her and said it came as no surprise when Cort was charged.

High school 'should become academy to stay open' say campaigners A top-performing high school is being urged to become an academy and break away from County Hall bosses who wanted to shut it.

Campaigners who fought to stop the closure of Limehurst High School, in Loughborough, said it should take up the Government's offer of academy status.

County Hall had proposed the 400-pupil school be shut as part of a failed bid for £80 million to reorganise secondary education in the town – despite it getting two consecutive outstanding Ofsted reports.

The county council said the closure of Limehurst would remove some of the 700 surplus

school places in the town and allow it to bring in town-wide 11 to 18 schooling. It has yet to announce its future intentions for Limehurst following the failed bid.

Loughborough county councillor Jewel Miah, who led a save the school campaign, says head teacher Jon Mellor should consider the new Government's flagship education policy.

It pre-approves the academy status of outstanding schools, such as Limehurst, granting them greater freedom in day-today running of their affairs as well as funding them directly from Government.

Cllr Miah said: "Limehurst has been backed into a corner by the county council. An acade-

my is likely to be the only alternative to closure. It does give the school a lifeline."

King Edward VII School, in Melton, has been earmarked for closure in August 2011 because of falling pupil numbers but campaigners said the academy policy came too late to help it. Simon Proctor, chairman of Melton Parents' Forum, said: "Six months ago this would have got us really interested but now our focus is on a smooth transition for the pupils heading to alternative schools. The county council has, however, made a pig's ear of education here and I think that schools would be happy to get away from the control – or rather interference – of

Jewel Miah outside Limehurst High School

the county council."

Riverside College, in Rowley Fields, Leicester, was earmarked as a potential academy by the city council before the council opted to close it because of falling numbers.

Sue Newbould, of Unison, said: "We were against the idea of becoming an academy before but if it's that or closure then we would be less hostile.

It's too late. Sadly, we'll be closing in July."

Two brothers killed after falling through ice Two brothers died after they inadvertently walked out on to a frozen lake and fell through the ice, an inquest heard.

Kisor Narandas, 55, and Dinesh Dattani, 45, both died in hospital after the tragic accident at Watermead Park, off Melton Road, during the January cold snap. A third brother was saved in a dramatic rescue by passersby.

The inquest at Leicester Town Hall last week heard the men, who lived in the Belgrave area of Leicester, were visiting the park for the first time to feed the ducks. It heard they were not aware they were walking across a frozen lake because it was covered in snow.

Friends Adam Whitehead and Sam Trewick crawled out on to the fragile ice and managed to rescue Ramesh Dattani after a fourth brother, Bharat Dattani, who did not fall through, screamed for help as the ice cracked. They were unable to get the other two men out.

The inquest heard police officers arrived at the scene within minutes, but were ordered to stay off the ice because they did not have the proper training or equipment.

Giving evidence, Bharat said: "We didn't know there was a lake. We thought it was land – a solid floor."

Mr Whitehead, 22, told

the inquest Mr Trewick had a rope in their car, so the pair crawled out onto the lake to where the brothers were stranded 50 yards out.

While some police officers stayed on the bank, Sergeant Mark Ringrose ignored instructions and went to help Ramesh off the ice after the other men pulled him free.

Asked by coroner Catherine Mason why he disobeyed orders, he said: "It was a very heated moment. I was reacting to the situation in front of me. The frustration was there was a human being potentially alive and we, the emergency services, weren't doing anything about it."

While waiting for the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue technical support team to arrive, an East Midlands Air Support Unit helicopter crew decided to fly over the lake in an attempt to rescue Kisor and Dinesh.

Both brothers died after suffering hypothermia which caused them to go into cardiac arrest. Mrs Mason recorded a verdict of accidental death for both.

12

MEDIA WATCH

Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

Scrutator’s The Queens Speech at the State Opening of Parliament included a significant line on the new orientation in Britain's foreign policy. It read: “My Government looks forward to an enhanced partnership with India.” Francis Williams and William Pavie took this up in The Times (May 26) with a report entitled “Hague heads east for new 'special relationship.' They told of the Foreign Secretary's “plans to visit India over the summer as Britain's new Government tries to turn cultural and trade ties with the emerging superpower into a 'genuinely special relationship.'....The Foreign Secretary's aides later confirmed that the country was considered vital to forging a 'distinctive British foreign policy.' Before the election Mr Hague said that

should have restricted the 3G spectrum sale to the highest bidder instead of permitting a free-for-all sale which has led to a scrum among operators. Isn't the free market meant to be truly free?

Dizzy growth

Light Combat Helicopter being tested in Bangalore

Queens Speech at the State Opening of Parliament

Britain needed to reach out beyond traditional allies in the US and Europe and that has remained a priority for the coalition Government.... An aide to Mr Hague suggested that relations with India had lagged behind China by about five to ten years.

The aide said: 'The truth is that this is a key relationship that has been neglected and we aim to address that.'

India's rapid economic growth and the arrival of a new generation of politicians “meant that Britain was well placed to exploit existing links,” one government said. A Foreign and Commonwealth Office briefing note read: “We need to better recognise India's rising global influence and work closely with the Indian Government to address the many challenges facing South Asia.”

Doubters look to US A couple of Britain-based pundits consulted by the two correspondents opined that the true game-changer in ties with India was the United States and its civilian nuclear accord with Delhi. But that occurred on the watch of former US president George W. Bush. Under the Obama administration the Indo-US relationship, apart from a lavish banquet in the White House last November in honour of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has made little tangible progress.. Britain should go right ahead and make its own pitch with India.

The Wall Street Journal (May 26) also noted the projected new bounce in Indo-British relations. “We can expect Her Majesty's government in the next few years to push hard in its relations with India on multiple fronts and to try to elevate it to a status in the British foreign policy establishment enjoyed by, well, few other than the US....Note, no special relationship with Pakistan. Pakistan is part of the AF/Pak equation.”

Which is as it should be.... No doubt the new government is keen to... repair any lasting sourness from the visit of the

then Foreign Minister David Miliband in January 2009 when he offended elements of the Indian establishment with his talk of Kashmir as a cause for terrorism in South Asia and his ill-directed matey-ness toward his then-counterpart Pranab Mukherjee.”

The Journal concluded: “It also signifies a recognition in Britain, as well as in other countries that are seeking special status with India, that India is an emerging superpower whose significance will only grow in the next two decades. As a growing counterweight to China, in the region and the world. As a gigantic democracy.

As a fast-growing economy.

And, as important, as a nation that has yet to fulfil its potential as a diplomatic force and is still, to some degree, finding its way in the world of geopolitics after its decades of mushy non-alignment and intense focus on internal politics and Pakistan.”

Enough said.

(Se e Co mmen t, pag e 3)

Change of guard The Hindu (May 20) reported the change of guard at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Trombay, with Director Srikumar Banerjee

handing over charge to his successor Ratan Kumar Sinha. Mr Banerjee is also Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission.

Mr Sinha is a veteran in the field, having been Director of the Reactor Design and Develop Group and the Manufacturing and Automation Group at BARC. He has been guiding programmes of new advanced reactors, under design and development, to use thorium.

These include the Advanced Heavy Water Reactor, which will produce most of its power from thorium and has several innovative passive features.

Mr Sinha spearheaded the development of several remote inspection technologies for replacing coolant channels and other internal components of the Dhruva (100 Megawatt thermal) research at BARC reactor.

Meanwhile, Warren P. Miller, the US Assistant Secretary Nuclear Energy, said: “Thorium is only used as an experimental and a research way, but in theory it could be used for (nuclear) reactors. I think the country that's leading research effort is India, actually, which has large amounts of thorium and so they're very interested in it.”

LCH comes through test India's Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) came through with flying colours on its maiden flight in Bangalore. Inaugurating the launch, the Vice-Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal P.K. Barbora showered fulsome praise on the copter, according to a report in the Deccan Herald (May 23).

“It is a red letter day for not only Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), but the whole nation. I am positive the aircraft will meet all the requirements of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in this class of helicopter. The first display has been superb, though the chopper appears bulky and heavy.” Only a few select countries possessed the capability to design and manufacture such machines, he said.

Ashok Nayak, HAL chairman, who also spoke, said that the IAF had booked 65 LCHs for its helicopter fleet. “The Army has has shown keen interest in buying a large number of these machines for its aviation wing,” he said.

The LCH, the military version of the Advanced Light Helicopter (Dhruv), is an attack helicopter featuring a narrow fuselage and tandem seating for pilot and co-pilot. The machine is designed for low detection

and has crashworthy landing gear for better survivability.

With a host of features, the LCH is expected to play a critical role in the air defence aspect of IAF operations against slow moving aerial targets, destruction of enemy air defence operations, escort to special heliborne operations, supporting combat search and rescue operations, anti-tank role and scout duties.

Telecom sale Joe Leahy produced a full-page report in the Financial Times (May 25) on the Indian Government's recent 3G mobile auction which raised $15 billion in revenue. For the operators it's a large sum of money to be paid out. |”We have to see how these services are priced and received by the subscribers and how it will impact their profitability,” said Arun Kejriwal, strategist at Kris Research in Mumbai.

There are nearly half a billion mobile phone subscribers in India, and it is the world's fastest growing mobile market.

But until now larger private operators have been restricted in their ability to deliver voice and data services. Now the new 3G networks will give people fast access to the web from handsets. 3G allows mobile phone users to surf the internet and download music, video and other content at a much faster pace than the current secondgeneration, or 2G, service.

The total number of mobile phones sold in India has jumped nearly 300 per cent over the past few years, from 35 million in 2005 to 130 million in 2009, according to the Indian Cellular Association.

Mr Leahy appears to sympathize with voices protesting that that the government

Mr Leahy fills in the larger picture and analyses its significance. “Unlike China, India welcomes foreign ownership of mobile companies, making it the world's biggest emerging market in telecoms opportunity for global operators.....The telecoms revolution has also become one of the country's primary drivers of development. Millions of urban poor and farmers, from Calcutta rickshaw pullers to Himalayan yak herders, now carry mobile phones. The improved communications enables them to do more business and gives them better access to services, such as healthcare.”

Says one former industry executive: “It's an infrastructure rollout of a magnitude that has not been seen in the global economy for a long time.” He said the biggest operators in India in the past 12 months had installed as much network as Germany did in the past 15 years. “It's something that vastly exceeds the rolling out of electricity, or the rolling out of highways in the 1950s in the United States.”

So are Indian regulators in danger of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs? Are they quite the bumblers some of their Western and domestic critics claim? Has the time come to halt this breakneck expansion for a move to consolidation mode? These pros and cons will need to be weighed with the utmost care. The right decisions, hopefully, will be made, with India's progress to the next level of growth assured.

Postscript An inquiry into the plane crash at Mangalore is presently examining the contents of the aircraft's black box. The reasons for the tragedy will be officially disclosed after the assessment.

Train crash in West Bengal, believed to be the work of Maoist insurgents

(See Commen t, page 3)

HEALTH WATCH

Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

Probiotics help combat flu, allergies and bad breath as well as digestion Most of us know something about the good bacteria (probiotics) in our stomachs. Two million of us now consume them in the form of drinks, yoghurts, powders and capsules.

Science has come to accept there is some truth in the enthusiastic claims made for probiotics that they help fight 'bad' bugs in your gut and improve intestinal health. And now research suggests that probiotics could have benefits that extend beyond the gut, such as treating illnesses from type-1 diabetes to fibromyalgia.

There is also interest in preliminary research suggesting that probiotics might even be able to enhance weight loss.

Scientists are developing specific probiotics to prevent dental cavities, probiotic lozenges for sore throats, probiotic nasal sprays and probiotic deodorant sticks that deal with the bacteria that cause body odour.

There are varying levels of bacteria living all over and in our bodies - mostly in our intestines. For example, the 'superbug' bacterium Clostridium difficile or the ulcer infector helicobacter pylori may live harmlessly within us, but can be the cause of serious illness if the gut environment gets out of balance and they multiply.

The good bacteria, sometimes called 'friendly flora', are on our side. These live micro-organisms improve the balance of the intestinal soup by depriving polluting and dangerous bacteria of food and inhibiting their growth. Left to their own devices they aid

digestion and the absorption of nutrients (basically determining how well-nourished we are).

They also help food and waste move through the digestive system and they also look after the mucus membranes in our body by stimulating the production of mucins and secreting nutrients that are used for tissue repair. And they improve the balance of friendly flora in the urogenital area, reducing the risk of bladder or vaginal infections.

Bugs in the bowel help in the production of B vitamins - vital for the efficient running of our nervous system. however, our natural probiotic levels are easily damaged by factors such as poor diet, stress, alcohol, hormonal fluctuations, cigarettes, surgery and drugs.

Once the critical balance of good bacteria is impaired, bad bacteria waste no time in grabbing any opportunity to take over.

Some of the ways good bacteria help us are: BAD BREATH: Most body

odours, such as bad breath, are caused by bad bacteria.

Malodour can be caused by rotting teeth, unhealthy gums, poor digestion, the ulcer bacteria helicobacter pylori or any number of other illnesses. But the biggest problem is the bacteria in our mouths that feed on the almost constant supply of food that comes their way.

Treatment: As well as practising good dental hygiene, boost your good gut bugs by adding fermented milk products, such as live yoghurt, to your diet. Take a probiotic supplement regularly. There is good evidence it helps to regulate the growth of troublesome bacteria.

CONSTIPATION: A sluggish bowel is often the result of disturbed intestinal bacteria where you don't have enough good gut bugs.

Treatment: Improve your diet. Many people have far too little fibre in their diets, but there's more to a healthy colon than bran breakfast cereals. There are other fibres which are more effective and better for the gut

(fruit, vegetables, pulses, seeds and nuts). Drink water, juices, teas and soups. one cause of dry, hard and slow-moving faeces is a lack of fluid. Add probiotic shots, live yoghurt and buttermilk to your diet or take a best-quality probiotic supplement until the constipation is resolved.

ALLERGIES: There is a link between bad gut bacteria and allergies. Studies are looking at whether probiotics might help asthma and allergy sufferers, by switching off an inflammatory response in the intestine.

Research shows people with allergies have lower levels of healthy gut flora.

Probiotics can help reset that bacteria balance, providing a protective barrier in the gut.

Treatment: Have a daily probiotic drink. Research shows that people who include fermented milk in their diet have a better immunity to pollen (they have lower levels of an antibody that aggravates allergy symptoms). Take probiotic supplements as they can ease the symptoms of respiratory allergies, such as asthma and eczema. Be patient. supplements can take between 12 to 16 weeks to work.

COLDS AND FLU: Probiotics can be of value in boosting a flagging immune system. Studies carried out on healthy people found that those who use probiotic supplements and probiotic foods have fewer colds and winter infections.

Treatment: Protect yourself by taking a daily multi-vitamins and a probiotic supplement, especially during the winter.

Simple test to find out which products cause skin allergies A fast, simple, cheap method has been developed for figuring out whether chemicals in consumer products can cause skin allergies.

Itai Chipinda, Portland State University (PSU) graduate student and his colleagues, note the existence of public sentiment against the use of animals to determine whether ingredients in consumer soaps, shampoos and other consumer products, and

workplace chemicals, may cause skin sensitisation and contact dermatitis.

Chemicals cause dermatitis by bonding to proteins in the skin, and then aggravating the immune system so that redness, irritation, itching, and other symptoms occur.

Existing chemical tests use substances like glutathione that mimic skin proteins and bond to allergy-causing ingredients.

None, however, is suitable

for use in detecting the critical early stages of skin sensitisation, the scientists say.

Instead of glutathione, Chipinda and his team developed a test with nitrobenzenethiol as the skin protein surrogate.

When used on 20 different chemicals known to cause skin irritation, the test produced positive results. It produced negative results when used to test substances that usual-

ly do not produce skin sensitisation, says a release of American Chemical Society (ACS).

Cutting down salt can help control blood pressure Cutting down salt is more effective in reducing blood pressure in kidney patients than using anti-hypertensive medications, reveals a new study.

Researchers Rajiv Agarwal from Indiana University School of Medicine and Matthew Weir from the University of Maryland Medical Centre found that restricting salt intake can help control blood pressure and make it easier

for patients to get down to a proper dry-weight.

Dry-weight is a kidney patient's weight immediately after dialysis, when he or she does not carry the excess fluid that builds up between dialysis treatments. Dryweight is the lowest weight one can safely reach after dialysis without developing symptoms of low blood pressure such as cramping, which can occur when too much fluid is removed.

If a patient lets too much fluid build up between sessions, it is harder to get down to a proper dry-weight.

Achieving and maintaining dry-weight can improve blood pressure between dialysis sessions and limit hospitalizations.

The authors concluded that "medication-directed approaches for blood pressure control should be a secondary consideration to manipulating the diet and

dialysis prescription in order to achieve dry-weight."

13

HEALTH WATCH IN BRIEF Cleaning teeth twice a day can prevent heart attack Brushing your teeth twice day can help protect against heart attack, reveals a new study.

According to scientists, those who fail to keep their teeth clean have a higher chance of suffering heart problems.

The study found that those who never or rarely brush their teeth were 70 percent more likely to suffer heart disease.

During the study, researchers from University College London analysed data for more than 11,000 people

with an average age of 50 taking part in the Scottish Health Survey.

The findings revealed that 62 percent visited their dentist every six months while 71 percent said they brushed their teeth twice a day.

15-minute workout to keep fit A 15-minute workout at the gym helps keep you young as well as fit, according to a study.

Researchers found that brief vigorous exercise tends to slow the ageing process.

Just 15 minutes of energetic activity a day reduces stress and prevents the deterioration of vital cells which lead to us feeling and looking older, reports express.co.uk.

Even if we are stressed, which tends to speed up the ageing process, we can hold

time at bay by working up a sweat.

Psychologist Eli Puterman, who led the groundbreaking research, said the study is built on previous work that showed how changes in DNA result in ageing.

"We have extended those findings to show that, in fact, there are things we can do about it. If we maintain the levels of physical activity recommended by public health bodies we can prevent the damage that psychological stress may have on our body."

To sleep at night, overcome stress during day Dealing with mental stress during the daytime is one way to get a good night's sleep as the body cannot switch itself into a relaxed mode at the push of a button, according to Professor Thomas Pollmaecher of the German Society of P s y c h i a t r y , Psychotherapy and Neurological Healing.

Workers should make sure they get enough breaks during the day and prevent their workload from getting too high.

A stressful job can mean taking that pressure home with you and sleeping badly at night.

Pollmaecher recommends changing into fresh clothing after work.

It can also help if you

imagine a situation that marks a change such as closing a file or letting shutters down.

People who get sufficient exercise in the fresh air are also more likely to sleep well but it is not a good idea to be very physically active late at night as that overactivates the cardiovascular system. Fatty or rich foods can also keep the body busy by being difficult to digest.

Key molecule in acupuncture identified A molecule has been found to play a key role in the effectiveness of acupuncture, says a new study.

Applying that knowledge, researchers were able to triple the beneficial effects of acupuncture by adding a medication approved to treat leukemia in people.

'Acupuncture has been a mainstay of medical treatment in certain parts of the world for 4,000 years, but because

it has not been understood completely, many people have remained sceptical. In this work, we provide information about one physical mechanism through which acupuncture reduces pain in the body,' said Maiken Nedergaard.

The research focuses on adenosine, a natural compound known for its role in regulating sleep, for its effects on the heart, and for its antiinflammatory properties.

14

www.abplgroup.com

Alpesh Patel Consultant Editor Financial Voice Dear Asian Voice Reader, I went into some detail last week about the Queen’s speech and reference to India. So let’s add some financial meat on the bone so that Asian Voice readers get a head start before everyone else piles into the country!

Never before has any country outside the US had as many of its corporate leaders in the Forbes Rich List top 10 as India has today. Not even Japan in its heyday or China matches the feat. To make the case for opportunities in India would seem self-evident then.

After all, if a nation’s own people, who know the country the best, can make fortunes to compete with the world’s largest economy, then surely outside investors too can do very well there. Yet, misperception still obstructs many investment decisions concerning India.

Let’s eradicate them.

Meeting a California Silicon Valley billionaire who has re-emigrated back to India is perhaps one of the more striking proofs of India’s potential. These, the most successful of Indians, who moved to the US in the 1960s from an opportunity-shorn India, return today with their millionaire colleagues, to capture the types of opportunities few, if any places on earth can match. After, all, no other major capitalist economy will even come close to matching India’s growth for decades.

Imagine a business person with a time machine.

They would probably choose to go back to the beginning of last century to the US to make their fortune – the time of Rockefeller and Getty.

Consider during that century, the Dow advanced from 66 to 11,497. This gain, though it appears huge, shrinks to 5.3% when compounded annually. And that nevertheless was the American century – the century when the US became a super power. Consider that that growth rate transformed a backward nation from the horse and carriage to one which freely sent man to the moon. Yet India today exceeds and is projected to exceed for our working life times that return-rate of 5%. The baton of Rockefeller and Getty is truly carried

by Ambani and Tata.

If your investment options were binary: US, the world’s largest economy, or India, think now about this century. For investors to merely match that 5.3% market-value gain, the Dow – recently below 10,000 – would need to close at about 2,000,000 on December 31, 2099. We are nearly a decade into this century, and we have racked up none of the 1,990,000 Dow points the market needed to travel in this hundred years to equal the 5.3% of the last.

Whereas, India, with the real economy targeting 8% for the foreseeable future is far more likely to provide the types of returns to match the transformation the United States had since 1900. Where would you invest?

Asian Voice -

Moderate success for Standard Chartered IDR issue Issue was subscribed 2.2 times, IDR price fixed at Rs. 104

The first ever IDR issue to hit the Indian primary markets, the Standard Chartered Bank’s issue last week was a moderate success, as the retail portion of the issue remained under subscribed, while overall, it was subscribed 2.2 times.

Subsequently, the UK based bank on Monday decided that the price of the IDRs would be Rs.

104. The 240 million IDRs at this price will bring in Rs. 24.90 billion. The price was a 6.5% discount to the last closing price of the StanChart shares at London Stock Exchange (LSE) over the weekend.

24 million new StanChart shares will be issued in connection to the IDRs that are to be listed at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)

JLR to seek a partner in China for car assembly Jaguar Land Rover, the British car brands now owned by Tata Motors of India has plans to start assembling cars in China.

A company spokesman said last week, it would a first of its kind operation for JLR. They would start the China operations

within two years, with a model each of both – Jaguar and Land Rover.

The company would find a local partner for the assembly project. Car parts manufactured in UK would be shipped to China.

In UK, the company

Nano, the small car from the Tata group in India has won the prestigious Gold prize in the best new product segment at the Edison Awards 2010.

A statement by Tata Motors in India said the Edison Awards, recognised as America’s innovation award, symbolise the persistence and excellence personified by Thomas Alva Edison.

Marketplace innovation, marketplace success, technological innovation, market structure innovation, societal impact and design innovation are the criterion for decision.

Bags the Skytrax award as best Indian carrier Kingfisher, the five star airline owned by India’s liquor baron Vijay Mallya got its 5 star ranking renewed, as it was voted the best Indian carrier.

Finniar was voted the best airline in North Europe in a global survey, done by Skytrax, the independent research agency. Skytrax awards are also known as the Oscars of the airline industry. It is worthwhile to note here that only six airlines globally have earned the five star ranking from Skytrax and Kingfisher is one among them.

Best airline in India and Central Asia, best economy class seats and excellent staff service are the three categories for

which Kingfisher got the award, while the Nordic carrier was awarded for its overall performance as a “four-star” airline.

18 million air passengers from some 100 different countries took part in the Skytrax survey that was carried out between July 2009 and April 2010.

“The greatest attribute behind five-star status is

Failed banks to be taken over by other local banks; deposits of customers safe, says FDIC Bank of Florida – Southeast (Fort Lauderdale), Bank of Florida – Southwest (Naples) and Bank of Florida – Tampa Bay (Tampa).

The three had assets worth $595.3 mn; $640.9 mn and $245.2 mn respectively. Jacksonville, Florida based EverBank will takeover the assets and deposits of the three.

Sun West Bank in Las Vegas and Granite Community Bank in California are the two other banks that have been seized by the FDIC.

also has plans to work on a new, smaller Range Rover LRX model. It will be developed at the Halewood plant in Merseyside. Initially, JLR plans to hire 1,000 workers from an agency and they could be later made permanent.

Edison Awards gold prize for Tata Nano

Kingfisher Airlines retains the 5 star rank

Five more banks in the USA sink over the weekend

Three in Florida and one each in Nevada as well as California – the five banks were ordered closed on Friday, taking the total no. of banks failed this year in the country to 78.

FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.) took over the five banks. They will now be taken over by other local banks and they will share the losses of the failed banks with the FDIC. The three banks that failed in Florida were all owned by the holding company Bank of Florida Corp. They included

and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) by next week.

Richard Meddings, group finance director of Standard Chartered said, “The response to the IDR offer has been excellent.

We have achieved a bookbuilding that is well over two times covered against a background of significant equity market volatility.”

Saturday 5th June 2010

Sun West has assets worth $360.7 mn, while Granite Community Bank has assets worth $102.9 mn. They will be taken over by City National Bank of Los Angeles and Tri Counties Bank of Chico, California.

The failures of the three Florida banks are expected to cost the deposit insurance fund a total of about $203 million.

The costs for Sun West Bank are expected to be around $96.7 mn and Granite Community Bank around $17.3 mn.

The pace of bank failures this year is more than double as compared to 2009 for the period so far this year.

Against 36 last year, this year the no. of banks gone down is 78.

The total of banks that sank last year was 140.

The deposit insurance fund went into red last year, with a deficit of $20.7 billion.

Depositors' money insured up to $250,000 per account - is not at risk, with the FDIC backed by the government.

an airline’s ability to deliver the combination of product and service,” said Skytrax chief executive Edward Plaisted.

Oneworld has been named the best interline pact, Cathay Pacific was named the best transpacific airline, Dragonair the best regional carrier while Qantas got the award for its best premium economy

class and seat.

Kingfisher has already signed a pact for the membership of Oneworld and will become a member soon; Finnair is one of the founder-members of the alliance.

Better results achieved, yet the airline is in red Meanwhile, the airline declared better results for the year 2009-10, yet continued to be in losses. As against losses of Rs. 21.40 billion in the previous year, Kingfisher recorded a net loss of Rs. 16.47 billion in the year just ended.

Income from international operations registered a four fold rise, while domestic seat load factor went up by 11%.

Following other major steel makers in India, ArcelorMittal has also formulated plans to venture into the power generation there, mainly to meet their own demand. Owned by UK industrialist of Indian origin L N Mittal, the group is already into the energy sector through a partnership with state owned HPCL, setting up a petroleum refinery at Bhatinda in Punjab.

A group company, LNM India Internet Ventures is already in the power sector as it holds a minority, 8.79 per cent stake in Indiabulls Power.

This entity is engaged in thermal power projects with a total capacity of 6,600 MW. ArcelorMittal has plans to set up captive power plants in Jharkhand, Orissa and Karnataka.

Other Indian steel makers – Tata, Essar group, JSW Steel of the Sajjan Jindal group and JSPL of the Navin Jindal group also have their power projects for the steel plants.

ArcelorMittal to venture into the power sector in India

fInancIal voice 15

Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

India grows 8.6 pc in fourth quarter The Indian economy grew by 8.6 per cent during the quarter ended March 31, lifting the annual gross domestic product (GDP) for 2009-10 to 7.4 per cent, official data released on Monday showed.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said he expected the growth momentum to continue and the economy would expand at 8.5 per cent in the current financial year.

The economy had registered a 6.1 per cent growth in the first quarter, 7.9 per cent in the second, but dropped to a modest 6 per cent in the third.

Growth during

January-March was mainly due to higher performance in mining and quarrying which grew by 14 per cent and manufacturing by 16.3 per cent, data released by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) showed.

Among other high growth sectors during the quarter were hotels and transport services which grew by 12.4%. Financial services, including insurance, grew by 7.9 per cent.

The arrival of fresh crops and a higher output helped agriculture grow by 0.7 per cent, having dropped significantly in the previous quarter of

2009-10 due to a poor monsoon.

The rate of increase in the gross domestic product was 7.4 per cent in 2009-10 compared to 6.7 per cent in 2008-09, mainly due to a robust rise in manufacturing, mining and other allied activities and financial services.

The growth in many sectors has been primarily fuelled by a huge government stimulus to counter slowing demand in wake of the global financial crisis.

During the fiscal under review, manufacturing grew by 10.8 per cent, mining by 10.6 per cent, hotels, financial services

by 9.7 per cent and transport and communication by 9.3 per cent.

The farm sector grew at a lower rate of 0.2 per cent for the whole year due to the adverse impact of an erratic and deficient monsoon seen in previous quarters.

Per capita income grew 10.5 per cent at Rs.44,345 as compared to the previous fiscal's figure of Rs. 40,141.

With economic growth back on track and inflation still high, the Reserve Bank of India is expected to raise key policy rates at the second quarterly review of monetary policy on July 27.

times. It had announced its plans to acquire Tura, a leading beauty brand in West Africa, and has completed the acquisition of the Megasari Group, a leading household care company in Indonesia.

The Indian firm recently entered into an agreement to acquire the 51 per cent stake held by USbased partner Sara Lee Corporation in joint venture Godrej Sara Lee and will own 100 per cent of

that business once the deal is closed.

The Issue brand enjoys volume leadership in Argentina, with a market share in excess of 20 per cent. The business had revenues of over USD 33 million in 2009.

Issue Group is also the market leader in hair colours in Peru, Uruguay and Paraguay and has an emerging presence in Brazil.

"We are very happy to partner with the Godrej Group in Argentina. They are getting access to an extremely strong brand and a dedicated set of employees. We hope that they take the brand to greater heights throughout Latin America and we wish them the very best for the future," Issue group promoters Roberto Hlace and Oscar Villalba said.

Godrej Consumer to acquire Latin America’s Issue Group

Godrej Consumer Products on Sunday said it would acquire Latin America-based Issue Group, a market leader in hair colours in several counties in the region.

Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL) has entered into "an agreement to acquire a 100 per cent stake in Laboratoria Cuenca, Consell SA, Issue Uruguay and Issue Brazil (collectively referred to as 'Issue Group')," the FMCG major said in a statement.

The acquisition provides a self-sustaining platform for GCPL's ambitions in the hair care and household insecticides segments in Latin America, the Indian firm said.

"The Issue Group provides us the perfect platform for establishing a strong presence in the

Tata Beverages to expand in US, eastern Europe Tata Beverages (formerly Tata Tea) is eyeing acquisitions in the US and eastern Europe besides drawing up plans to expand its product portfolio beyond its core tea and coffee, a senior company official said. Besides a strong focus on the domestic market, the Tata group company also plans to strengthen its presence in the overseas markets of the US, Middle-East and Russia, the official said.

“Our strategy to go forward, is to build a portfolio beyond tea and coffee and expand on our new products.

We plan to strengthen our presence in the US, Middle-East and Russia.

Acquisitions in eastern Europe and the US are also on our radar,” the company’s CFO L Krishna Kumar said in Mumbai.

“However, there is nothing immediate on the horizon,” he added.

fast-growing hair colour markets in Latin America," GCPL Chairman Adi Godrej said.

The acquisition is valued at approximately 8 times EBITDA and is expected to be EPS accretive in the first year of operations, it said, but did not disclose how much it will pay to acquire the group.

This is the third acquisition by GCPL in recent

Wal-Mart takes US help to enter Indian retail The world’s largest retailer Wal-Mart has solicited support from the US government for entering the multi-billion dollar Indian retail market, where foreign investment norms are posing hurdles to its entry.

The US-based WalMart Stores, one of the world’s top revenue grossers with over $400 billion of total annual sales and present in 15 countries, is lobbying hard with lawmakers here to help it expand into India, possibly through bilateral talks between the related authorities of the two countries.

Malaysia’s 40 richest has two Indians Two persons of Indian origin figured among Forbes list of Malaysia's 40 richest as the rebounding Malaysian economy expanded 10 per cent in the first quarter of 2010, its highest growth rate in a decade.

Malaysia's 40 wealthiest are worth a total of $51 billion, up from $36 billion a year ago and even higher than the $46 billion they were collectively worth in 2008, the US business magazine noted.

Indian origin Ananda Krishnan with a net worth of $8.1 billion retained his second place after Malaysian Chinese Robert Kuok. They are worth a combined $20.1 billion, or 40 per cent of the top 40's wealth. The country's 10 billionaires are worth $30 billion, accounting for 59 per cent of the total.

The 72-year-old former oil trader Krishnan's most valuable asset is Maxis Communications, Malaysia's largest cell-

RIL makes fifth oil discovery in Gujarat block Reliance Industries on Friday said it had made a fifth oil discovery in a block in Gujarat, but did not give reserve estimates.

The discovery was made in exploration block CB-ONN-2003/1, which is located in the Cambay Basin at a distance of about 130 km from Ahmedabad, the company said in a statement.

Reliance had won the block in the fifth round of auction under the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP).

Well CB10A-J1 was drilled to a total depth of 1,957 metres in Part A of the block. "Hydrocarbonbearing zone was identified at a depth of 1,3761,385.5 metres," it said.

"The well flowed at a rate of 255 barrels of oil per day" during conventional testing of the dis-

covery, the company said.

Well CB10A-J1 was drilled with the objective of exploring the play fairway in the Miocene Basal Sand (MBS) of the Babaguru Formation and Eocence Pays of the Kalol Formation.

"The discovery is significant, as this play fairway is expected to open more oil pool areas, leading to better hydrocarbon potential within the block," Reliance said.

The block covers an area of 635 sq km in two parts, dubbed Part A and Part B. Reliance is the operator of the block with a 100 per cent participating interest.

The company has done 2D seismic surveys over the entire block area, while nearly 80 per cent has been covered with 3D seismic.

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The company is lobbying with the US Congress members as also the departments of commerce, trade and treasury, among others, to put forward its

case on issues like “discussions on India and foreign direct investment”, and “enhanced access for investment in China and India.”

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nent basis.

Most visas are either difficult to obtain or unsuitable, because they need to be reapplied for, which carries risks. Noone wants to emigrate only to lose their visa after a year or so.

The most popular choice, for those in a position to invest $500,000, is the EB-5 investment visa.

In 2003 the US Government reintroduced the Regional Center program. Investments into an approved Regional Center qualify an investor, spouse and all children under 21 to Green Cards (Permanent Residency).

Citizenship can be obtained after 5 years.

For information, visit eb5-visa.net.

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Invest for a Life in the US The United States of America, often referred to as the land of opportunity, has been taking in immigrants at the rate of more than one million every year for over a century.

Unfortunately, because it is so popular, it has become progressively harder to secure a visa for those who wish to live and work there on a perma-

phone service provider, which went public in November, raising $3.4 billion in Malaysia's largest-ever IPO. Krishnan's telecom interests in Indonesia and India are still privately held and he plans to take his satellite TV broadcaster, Astro All Asia Networks, private.

Reportedly mulling listing of shipping arm Bumi Aramada, Krishnan sold interest in property firm Overseas Union Enterprise to partner, Indonesia's Lippo Group, Forbes said.

Newcomers include another person of Indian origin self-made building contractor A.K. Nathan, 54, placed 24th with a net worth of $250 million. He owns and runs Eversendai, a Kuala Lumpur contractor that fabricates, designs and erects the steel frames for buildings. Nathan grew up in Malaysia, aside from some years of schooling in India.

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16

fInancIal voice

Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

Gold prices break Rs. 19,000 mark in India The European debt crisis is continuing to push up the prices of gold in global markets. For seventh day on a trot, the prices registered a rise. In India, the rise also had contribution from the ongoing marriage season.

In New Delhi, the Indian capital, the price of ten grams broke the Rs. 19,000 mark as it touched Rs. 19,050. In global markets, the yellow metal is

well below the record highest price of US$ 1,249.4 per ounce, at US$

1,220. The record price was registered on May 14. Gold has gained 8.3 per cent in the world markets over a period of 2 months.

In India, pure gold (99.9) went up

by Rs 325 to Rs 19,050 per ten grams, while 99.5 per cent pure also spurted by the same margin at Rs 18,900.

REVA acquired by M & M Indian Auto major Mahindra and Mahindra Limited acquired 55.2 per cent stake in REVA Electric Car Company, a move that would stengthen its position in the Electric Vehicles domain.

With acquisition by M&M through a combination of equity purchase from the promoters and fresh equity infusion of over Rs. 450 million (approx USD 10 million), the new entity will be renamed as Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicle Company Ltd. As M & M announced the acquisi-

tion, General Motors severed ties with REVA. The US company had signed an agreement to launch an electric model of their small car spark.

Under the agreement signed between the two companies, Mahindra REVA will have five nominees from M & M, two from Reva’s founder, the

Maini family and one of California based AEV LLC, REVA’s co-founder.

President of Mahindra Automotive and Farm Equipment Sector, Dr. Pawan Goenka was today elected chairman of the newly constituted board.

“It is a very exciting opportunity for Mahindra as it will have one of best technologies available in the electric car space”, Mr. Goenka said.

In India, Mahindra and Mahindra projects the growth rate for EVs at between 80,000 to 100,000 vehicles by 2020, he said.

Essar acquires AGC Networks Essar group, a diversified Indian conglomerate and partners of Vodafone in India announced acquisition of AGC Networks (formerly Avaya Global connect) from Avaya, a global leader in enterprise communications systems.

The Essar group, through its subsidiaries, will pay nearly $45 million (Rs 206.2 crore) to buy

Avaya’s 59.1% controlling stake.

The acquisition is being done through Essar Services Holdings (ESHL). Essar Capital Finance Private (ECF) along with ESHL — Persons Acting in Concert — would now come out with an open offer for an additional 20% stake in AGC Networks at a price

Mukesh Ambani caps salary at £ 2.17 mn Reliance Industries chief Mukesh Ambani has capped his salary for the second straight year at pound 2.17 million, less than half of what he is eligible to draw, while rest of the RIL top brass got a pay hike in FY'10.

"The Chairman and Managing Director's compensation has been set at pound 2.17 million as against Rs 393.6 million that he is eligible as per the shareholders' approval, reflecting his desire to set a personal example for moderation in managerial compensation levels," RIL has told its shareholders.

The remuneration for 2009-10 fiscal to Mukesh Ambani, the country's richest person with a net worth of $29 billion and fourth wealthiest in the world as per Forbes magazine, is still higher than any other directors of Reliance Industries.

But, all the existing executive directors of the

Mukesh Ambani

company saw their pay packages increase from the levels in 2008-09, as per the latest annual report to the shareholders.

PMS Prasad, who played a crucial role in RIL's legal battle with Anil Ambani group and became executive director in August last year, saw his remuneration rise to Rs 15.3 million.

The company's total managerial remuneration rose to Rs 409 million in 2009-10, from Rs 382.1 million, while commission paid to non-executive directors fell from Rs 18.9 million to Rs 17.5 million.

determined under Sebi’s takeover code.

Along with the Indian operations of AGC Networks, Essar is also buying the Australian and New Zealand businesses of the company. AGC Networks is a converged communication solution provider focused on the Indian and the Australian markets.

Alpesh Patel’s Political Sketchbook: More on the Queen’s Speech Continuing the theme of the Queen’s speech and the new UK Government’s efforts for a special relationship with India and the importance to Britain.

Take SMEs in the UK. Thanks to the energetic UK Trade and Investment providing access and know-how on exporting from the UK into India, or the vitality of the UK India Business Council providing a soft-landing in India, SME access to India has become easier.

If SMEs from Britain do not come out to India to become more productive and tap growth, then competitors from around the world will swarm upon the weakest British companies and through corporate Darwinism extinct them. The obstacles are not in India, but in the exporting or investor country, knowing how to leverage the opportunities.

To describe India in statistics would be to describe the Taj Mahal by its dimensions; you can do it, but it denies any beauty. But if you want statistics, consider theses: India has among the higher returns on foreign investment than China according to the US Department of Commerce. By 2032 India will be one of the three largest economies in the world. Indeed

today on purchasing power parity it already is the third largest economy in the world and one quarter the size of the US economy. With 300m consumers and the world’s largest pool of English speaking scientists and engineers. A place where 75million phone subscribers annually, 8 million TV sets are sold annually. By 2015 over 63 million households are expected to have income over $30,000 in PPP terms.

India, although the seventh largest country in the world, has the second largest area of arable land in the world – it feeds the world – as the world’s largest producer of milk, sugarcane and tea and the second largest producer of fruit, wheat, rice, vegetables.

Comparisons to the US are obvious. An economic superpower needs not just persevering and innovative peoples, but abundant natural resources and an openness to the capitalist ideal – India, like the US of last century, fits the bill.

Investment needs the assurance of heritage.

And for investors in India, lies more than any country a heritage of innovation. After all this was the land of medicine and astronomy before the Greeks, navigation before the Romans. Their num-

Plans for Tata made engines to power JLR models It is still a concept, a plan very much in its infancy.

Yet, two years down the line, British cars Jaguars and Land Rovers could be powered by engines manufactured by Tata Motors, the Indian auto majors that now owns the JLR brands.

Bosses at the UK company have very grudgingly agreed to the move purely as an austerity measure.

The companies will form a management team drawn from both sides to combine their expertise, said people familiar with the move, adding that the engineering part will be left to Tata experts while design will be handled by JLR executives.

Despite the vast potential for savings, the move is surprising. Tata Motors is known for creating products aimed at the lower end of the market, while JLR is singularly focused on upscale segments.

Even so, JLR has been

striving to slash costs, working on common parts such as engines and drive trains for the two brands as part of expansion in key markets like China and Russia. “With the company making country-specific models of Jaguar and Land Rover for certain markets like China and Russia, common parts will reduce expenses,” said a senior JLR executive.

The move to marry engine operations is the brainchild of the new leadership team at Tata Motors under Carl-Peter Forster, which has been

vocal about the increased importance of India and China in the future of JLR. The company is also reviewing its alliance with Ford Motor Co, the previous owner from which it sources engines with capacity of more than 4.2 litres and has a five-year contract running to 2013.

“We are looking at 2litre engines that can power the new Land Rover model, LRX,” Mr Forster said recently.

“Ford currently does not have such capacity size and is talking to PeugeotCitroen,” he said.

ber system allowed the rest of the world to count.

Or as Dan Sheinman of Cisco put it, ‘ We came to India for the costs, stayed for the quality and are now investing for innovation.’

Indeed one fifth of Fortune 500 companies have set up R&D centres in India and India is among only 6 countries in the world to have satellite launch capabilities.

Little wonder then this nation had the greatest GDP of any country on the eve of the formation of the British East India Company. There is nothing to suggest her people will not return to resume their destiny.

Political influence does not only come from economic influence, as Pakistan can testify. India as the only major democracy in a region sandwiched by a theocracy and communist nation rightly should feel aggrieved it is ignored when Western powers project their influence into Afghanistan and Iran. Any special relationship with India must have Iran and Afghanistan at its core, and indeed Pakistan, China and Russia – all of India’s neighbours. If you had to list which countries are the most politically significant to the West – each of those would be on the list.

Sai InfoSystem develops Video phones for fixed lines Ahmedabad based Sai InfoSystem (India) Limited (SIS), the third largest IT solutions provider in India recently won the prestigious National Telecom Award for the year 2010. SIS was honoured for developing a new range with many models of Video Telephones that can be used on Broad Band network on fixed line phones.

SIS has unveiled a whole new range of various model of its Video Telephones as well as High Definition IP phones which are independent of operator, can be used with the service of any telecom service provider.

According to Sunil Kakkad, Chairman & Managing Director, SIS, these equipments are connectivity independent, and any Internet Service Provider in the country will be in a position to offer Video Telephony Services by providing these equipments to their customers.

FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

17

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

The End Of Interest Only?

This week has seen one of the biggest changes in the Mortgage Market. A few days ago Lloyds Banking Group announced that they will no longer provide loans on an interest only basis above £500,000. Given that it is the very customer base who most want to use interest only this is quite a big deal.

They have also gone further with loans below £500,000 in that applicants can no longer just say they will pay the loan off via the sale of the property, their buy-to-let portfolio or general bonus payments, but must have either a pension or some kind of savings plan.

Which as previous articles have shown may shrink your funds!

Another lender Northern Rock will no longer accept certain repayment vehicles on its interest-only mortgages.

It will not accept inheritance, bonuses, dividends, regular overpayment and an intention to convert to repayment at a future date as acceptable repayment vehicles.

In March the lender reduced its maximum LTV from 85% to 75% for interest-only.In addition, the acceptance of sale of property as a repayment vehicle will be limited to cases with a maximum LTV of 60% and £150,000 minimum equity.

A spokesman for Northern Rock says every case will now be assessed on an individual basis and an acceptable type of repayment will be something such as savings or other assets. It may seem unfair on those who have a legitimate reason for taking out a mortgage on an interest only basis, however when looked at a bit more carefully

there are some sound reasons.

Unfortunately many people have used interest only as a way of making sure they can actually afford the mortgage in the first place and deferred worrying about how they are going to pay it back. Is there really anything wrong with a lender insisting, as they always used to a decade or so ago, that they can see a structured plan in place to repay their debt? Also, is it really right that someone can borrow 90% LTV and say they will pay the loan back by selling in a few years time? This does not happen with smaller personal loans so why with large ones.

One can see where Lloyds are coming from and they are perfectly within their rights to do so I would rather see underwriters employed to make a caseby-case, sensible, judgment rather than a one-size fits all approach. There are many wealthy individuals for whom interest-only is the correct method and gives them the flexibility they require.

This is a hot topic of debate within every lending institution and it will be interesting to see if other lenders do follow suit. Something does need to be done to limit the scale of interest only borrowing and borrowers need to be much more aware of how realistically they are going to pay the loan back.

The move by Lloyds shows that lenders are not going to allow the attitude of the past decade to continue and, to be fair, there is some merit in this change of policy. However, as with anything, sensible advice and a sensible underwriting policy could give us all the best of both worlds.

Types of Fruit We closed a deal a few weeks back for a client in surrey which was mentioned in a article a few weeks back. The property was a 2 bedroom first floor purpose built property in New Malden and was purchased for £154,000.

The property was sold recently in the Allsops auction on the 25th May 2010 for £177,000. Prior to this date the property had a offer for £185,000, the purchaser did not want to give commitment in the property in advance. We do not like post dated checks and so the property went ahead to be sold in auction. Off course the from one point of view we have lost £8,000 bu from another this was never guaranteed, as this is the nature of the property market. Many deals never make it through to completion even when both parties have the best intentions.

With auction you have a guaranteed sale. At the fall of the hammer the property will have been exchanged no ifs buts or negotiation. The funds will be with the seller’s solicitors within 28 days.

Furthermore with talk of capital gains tax rising timing may be highly important and the gain from a higher offer may be reduced by taxation, as it is likely to take longer to complete.

The clients have purchased 3 properties in the central London area and a freehold property consisting of 2 flats. All of these are producing a strong positive yield. This allows them to be in the position to be able to look at deals which may be lumpy in nature. This may or may not happen. If they do its the cream on the cake if they don’t there is no stress as the other properties in the background will be servicing any mortgages or expenses due. A nice simple and effective strategy to follow especially when starting out on the property ladder.

I remember when visiting an organic farm in Ireland the owners when showing us around showed us a plant whose sole function was to serve the other plants. The roots of these plants went down to 20 feet and so it was able to get nutrients which existed in the depth of the earth which the other plants could

not reach. The leaves of this plant would then be harvested and used as compost for the other plants which do yield fruit. Similarly the high yielding properties are used to fund purchases which yield quicker returns. The quick yield properties yield capital gains, and the properties used to fund these properties yield income. So they are complementary.

The property was purchased with a view of flipping, meaning selling on.

However as always we hedged our bets and also put the property to rent we had 2 offers for rental at £900 per month.

This property was exchanged on the 4th march 2010 to and resold on the 25th may 2010. Within a 2 month period £23,000 has been made on a investment of £154,000.Taking of £6000 for cost we are still left with a respectable £17,000 which is 11% gain in 2 months.

Depending on how you gear the purchase this could represents 100% gain the following shows hoe the principle of gearing will increase the return. All this means is that you use the banks money and not your own to maximises returns.

Call us now to see what kind of fruits will suit you.

n Mortgages n Commercial Finance n Property Sourcing n Gujarat Properties - Sale & Resale T: 0207 706 0187 F: 0203 014 8484

E: info@sowandreap.co.uk W: www.sowandreap.co.uk

31 Southwick Street, Paddington, W2 1JQ Registered in England No. 05083823

18

Special RepoRt

Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

Sachar Report brings out the truth: Muslims in Gujarat are a better lot – be it prosperity or education Quoting the Sachar Committee report on conditions of Muslims in India, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has said the findings the of the committee had exposed the false propaganda about Muslims in Gujarat living in economic and social segregation, in extremely backward conditions.

Modi said in fact, Muslims of Gujarat are proud to be in Gujarat, as they know they are better off economically and educationally than their brethrens in most of the other states in India.

Alleging that malicious

lies are being spread about Muslims being severely discriminated against and persecuted in Gujarat, he described the propaganda as an attempt by antiGujarat elements, motivated by political enmity to break the fast pace of progressive good governance in the state.

It was in 2006 that Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh appointed a high power

committee headed by the Honorable Justice Rajinder Sachar to undertake a detailed study of the economic, social and educational conditions of Muslims in India.

The Sachar Committee report dispels the widespread lies about Gujarat.

Report pointes out that the Muslims are happiest in Gujarat and consequently proves that the chorus engaged in blaming and damaging the prestige of Gujarat and the Chief Minister Narendra Modi is based on lies and misrepresentation.

In terms of education, according to the Sachar

Committee report (page no. 287), Muslims in the country have a literacy rate that is five per cent below the national literacy rate. But for Gujarat Muslims, their literacy rate is 8 per cent above the national literacy rate.

In fact, Muslims in Gujarat by and large get general education. One of the noticeable features of education of Muslims in Gujarat is that most

Muslims are receiving mainstream education.

They are educated in Government or private schools with the students of other religions.

The total number of students learning in Madrassas in Gujarat is very low in comparison with other states. (NCERT Survey) The study undertaken by the Sachar Committee on educational condition emphatically shows the conclusion that the Muslims in Gujarat are progressing well.

Muslims in Government Services (Sachar Committee Report Page 369)

In this section, analysis of the proportion of Muslims in government services, country’s defence agencies and public sectors is given. Details of the proportion of Muslims in the higher echelons of Home Department and State Transport Department are also given. These figures are also eye-openers.

Looking at this analysis of condition of Muslims in Government service, the allegation that injustice is done to Muslims and there is discrimination against Muslims in the Government Services in Gujarat is proved baseless.

Availability of Basic Amenities to Muslims (Sachar Committee Report Page 357-361) Gujarat is one of the

most developed states of the country. The basic facilities like education, health, roads etc. enjoyed in Gujarat in large scale are not available in any other state. The Sachar

Committee Report has further brought to light that basic facilities in Gujarat are not provided on the basis of religion.

Committee had also examined availability of basic facilities to Muslims in rural areas.

Basic facilities like Education, Health, Post and Telegraph Service, Bus stop and pucca Roads are provided in sufficient proportion in the villages

of Gujarat having Muslim majority.

Economic prosperity: Per Month Per Capita Income of Muslims (Sachar Committee Report Page 365) In the rural sector the per month per capita income of Muslims is higher than even the Hindus, at Rs. 668 per month.

Going in by all other norms too, the Muslims in Gujarat are better off financially, as compared to Muslims in other states or nationally.

In his conclusion, Narendra Modi has said that “Fifty five million Gujaratis are the core focal point of my faith. My

vision for the development of Gujarat is for a development that is all-inclusive, all-nourishing and all-pervasive. The development, which is determined to lay foundation of sustainable prosperity in the 21st century. The development which is not in piecemeal but should be continuous, permanent and result oriented. The development that should not be illusory, but effectively felt by common people. The development, with people‘s participation and human touch, which can reach every deprived person to transform their lives. The development that is capable of satisfying the desire of the people.”

Per Month Per Capita Income of Muslims Urban Sector

Per Month Per Capita Income of Muslims Rural Sector

FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

19

Foreign Exchange Sponsored by

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

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

Volatile and Unpredictable As we have seen in the previous weeks, currency markets continued to be very volatile and unpredictable with plenty to talk about as the markets continued to look closely at the Eurozone and UK with regards to the growing deficit and their exit strategies.

George Osbourne outlined the £.6.25bn spending cuts, which appeared to have little reaction to the announcement with some analysts believing that the cuts amounted to £5bn and could have been sterner.

Major concerns still remain on how the UK will recoup billions of pounds in the economy.

Sterling made gains on the Euro by an upwards revision of Q1 GDP to 0.3%, alongside a detailed plan setting out just how the coalition government plan to cut the first £6.25bln of the nations deficit.

We had news out from the Bank of England who are looking to increase interest rates sooner than expected this is due to the inflation level coming in at 3.7%.

In order to reduce our inflation back to 2% the BoE is expected to raise interest rates to 3.5% by the end of 2011 whereas the city was expecting it to be around the 2.25%. The UK also saw data out in the form of GFK,

which came in at -18 from a previous -16. Due to the market expecting rates to be raised by 50 basis points by the end of the year pushed Sterling higher against the greenback.

George Osbourne

The main focus from Eurozone was on Spain and the bailout of its savings bank Cajasur. This along with Spain’s announcement over spending cuts at the weekend, 4 more of Spain’s mutual owned banks will merge to create the countries fifth largest bank, and speculation that Spanish Unions will strike as a result of fiscal tightening added to the existing uncertainty surrounding the

weaker EU states and saw the Euro lose some of the ground it gained last week.

Despite Industrial orders for the Euro zone rising to their highest in 10 years to 5.2%, and housing prices coming in better than expected at 0.3% the European banking sector remained investor’s main concern. The Spanish central banks takeover of a small investment bank and IMF officials stating Spain must do more to overhaul its ailing banks, sparked fresh concerns of further contagion, in turn dragging the Euro to a low of 1.2175 against the Dollar after a high of 1.2354 being seen earlier in the day. The Euro continued its bearish trend; Germany’s GFK consumer confidence came in worse than expected. The Euro fell against the US Dollar on concerns over funding pressure from the EU banks. To add to all the Eurozone was slightly more active with data out from the German CPI which came in a 0.1% MoM which was in line with last month and also 1.2% YoY. The Euro snapped a threeday decline against the dollar as China said it remains a longterm investor in Europe, damping concerns that the region’s debt crisis will worsen with the Euro off its worse levels at the

start of the week.

The USD remained strong against both EUR and GBP, with positive data from Existing Home Sales reaching a five month high of 7.6%, better than expected. On Tuesday, further impressive results were seen with consumer confidence at its highest since March 2008 and the housing price index rising 0.3%. In addition to market information the dollar gained strength off the back of high levels of risk aversion, as war beckons in the Korean peninsula, investors soon pulled out of riskier assets and currencies and back into the safe haven Dollar currency. As the week progressed data released continued to impress, with durable goods order coming in 1.6% better MoM and New Home Sales following suit exceeding expectations at 14.8% MoM. The strong USD suffered a small set back with GDP coming in at 3.0%, lower than the 3.5% expected by many market analysts, in addition initial jobless claims also worsened by 25k. Despite a small increase reported in the Michigan consumer sentiment index, the Dollar weakened against Sterling on Friday reaching a two week high of 1.4610 on GBP/USD.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 1st June 2010 @ 2pm GBP - INR = 68.67 USD - INR = 47.13 EUR - INR = 57.22 GBP - USD = 145.68 GBP - EUR = 119.80 EUR - USD = 121.60 GBP - AED = 5.3465 GBP - CAD = 1.5290 GBP - NZD = 2.1606 GBP - AUD = 1.7475 GBP - ZAR = 11.225 GBP - HUF = 330.33

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

garammasala

20

Asian Voice Saturday 5th June 2010

IIFA in Sri Lanka faces boycott from South India I am always honest: Nayantara Nayanthara is neither bothered nor irked about controversies doing rounds on her professional and personal lives. “Why should I worry when I am honest?” she asks.

“I have no regrets as I have always been honest and sincere in my work and life. And I understand that an actress have to come across such things,” says the Mollywood girl.

Ask her about her future plans, Nayanthara says she is not planning anything big as such.

“Ten years from now, I

see myself playing homemaker and mom in real life,” she says.

On playing Electra Alexander, her character in Shyamaprasad’s Malayalam film Electra, Nayan says, “It is a complex character driven by love and loyalty. Such challenging roles are hard to come by in Indian cinema, especially for an actress.”

Film fraternity from four states to keep away; problems for those who will be at the show The protests by Tamils are starting to get stronger. They started with demonstrations at Big B’s Mumbai residence, asking him not to attend the IIFA awards in Sri Lanka.

That issue is still hanging fire. Now, film associations from all the four states in South India have announced a boycott of the IIFA awards that would be held this week. The decision was taken after the Tamils con-

veyed their anguish over the treatment being meted by the government of Sri Lanka to the Sri Lankan Tamils.

The film associations have gone beyond mere boycott and announced that any actor or artist who participates at the IIFA event this year will also face a boycott back home in India. Their movies will not be allowed to be screened in all the four states –

Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. Even the film fraternity of all these states would not extend any cooperation with the stars or artists who ignore the boycott.

Mani Ratnam has already announced that neither nor his film will be a part of the IFFA show this year.

Abhishek Bachchan and wife Aishwarya will be busy promoting Raavan and hence will not be a part of the

IIFA extravaganza this year. Kamal Haasan and Rajnikanth, superstars from the South too have declined the invitation. But as of now, Amitabh is scheduled to attending and that has evoked strong protests from the Tamil film industry.

Shah Rukh, Salman and Saif Ali Khan, the khans of Bollywood however will be a part of the award show along with other Bollywood celebrities.

Ranbir turns funny to promote ‘Raajneeti’ Hiding from TV cameras behind Katrina Kaif, sketching funny pictures during a press conference, sharing humorous anecdotes about 'Raajneeti' -Ranbir Kapoor has been uncharacteristically boisterous at his recent media events to make the film look youth-friendly.

'Prakash Jha's strategy of taking the political message of 'Raajneeti' to various educational institutions and on so-called 'serious' public platforms has Ranbir wor-

ried. He doesn't want the audience to think 'Raajneeti' is a political drama filled with reallife political tensions.

Ranbir is employing every strategy he knows to divert attention from the politics of 'Raajneeti',' said a close

friend of Ranbir.

According to the friend, Ranbir wants 'Raajneeti' to be seen as an entertaining follow-up to his earlier film 'Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani'.

'He knows 'Raajneeti' is poles apart from 'Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani'. But he wants the audience to know it's a very entertaining and watchable drama.

'Ranbir's strategy sometimes goes against Prakash Jha's sales-

pitch. The director has been trying to focus on the political content rather than the stars.

Ranbir's antics during the recent press conferences countermands the director's attempts to highlight the theme of present day politics,' said the friend.

Even while promoting a fun film like 'Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani', Ranbir was dead serious. But for 'Raajneeti', Ranbir is bantering, flirting and joking in full public view with his cast and the media.

Mani Ratnam to be honoured at Venice film festival

Suriya all excited about ‘Singam’ superstar Tamil Surya is eagerly waiting the release of his film “Singam.” And it goes without saying that he is praying for the success of this film. In fact, he has one more reason to be excited about the release. Singam happens to be the 25th film in his career.

Surya feels that “Singam” is a commercial film that one can watch with their entire family and that the director Hari has managed to put in a mix of emotions, sentiments as well as comedy. This is Surya’s third film with Hari. Previously the two had worked together on “Aaru” and “Vel,” both of which were hits.

“Singam” also happens to be Surya’s second movie with Sun Pictures. The actor’s first movie with the production house, “Ayan” was a hugely success with the audiences. The actor claims that he understands that since his market value

The Venice International Film Festival will honour Indian filmmaker and director of “Raavan” Mani Ratnam with the 2010 Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award.

In recent past, the award given in partnership with Swiss watch manufacturer JaegerLeCoultre has honoured other major world filmmakers like Takeshi Kitano, Abbas Kiarostami, Agnes Varda, and Sylvester Stallone.

'Mani Ratnam used to make movies only in his native tongue, Tamil, but has been one of a handful of filmmakers to successfully handle the transi-

tion to the Allin his films, some of India market,' says the best-tailored in the Venice Film Mumbai and Chennai Festival Director in recent years, have Marco Mueller influenced the style of explaining the many others as well as choice in a news the design of commerrelease. cials and music videos.

'One of the 'Ratnam's most celMani Ratnam great innovators in ebrated films have contemporary Indian cinema, he become part of the cinematic helped introduce the auteur imagination of the sub-conticoncept to contemporary nent,' Mueller noted.

Bollywood. His movies display As in previous editions, the precision and poise, and have director will also be presented always been removed from the with a Reverso Jaeger-LeCoultre bombast and bluster of masswatch, a one-of-a-kind model produced regional cinema. with a commemorative engraving.

'The lavish musical numbers

Vivek Oberoi’s film Paki runs into trouble while securing permits to shoot in the UK as the script tackles touchy issues like racial abuse and cultural segregation.

A second Vivek Oberoi starrer in a year is trying to make its way through the red tapism and government hurdles to be able to shoot where it is located, namely the UK. Earlier, the Vivek starrer Kurbaan was unable to get consent to shoot in the UK because of the sensitive nature of the subject (global Islamic terrorism). Kurbaan had to be shot in the US. Now Vivek is again the central actor in Paki, a film that chronicles the rags-to-riches story of an NRI in Britain. Since the screenplay tackles topics such as racial abuse and cultural segregation, including referring to all Asians as “Bloody

My director Shiva is in London sorting things out.”

Hopefully, in a month when Vivek leaves for the UK, the problems would be sorted out.

Contrary to rumours, Vivek is not playing a character based on either of the two big success stories from India in the UK...

Sir Swaraj Paul or Laxmi Mittal.

Laughs Vivek, “No, not at all. He’s someone who has been Mani Sir’s friend for years. He isn’t in the limelight at all. I’ve met him once long ago. Now I plan to spend time with him in England before starting work.”

The Mani Ratnam produced film Paki featuring Vivek Oberoi as an Indian in Britain who overcomes all racial, cultural and economic hurdles to make a success of his life is currently trying to find its way out of a permission-to-shoot snare that may or may not be possible to overcome.

Two Vivek Oberoi films run into trouble in UK

has gone on a rise after Ayan, it is his responsibility to give good films to the audiences.

Surya reveals that a conscious effort was made to make sure that “Singam” did “Kaakha resemble not Kaakha” or “Samy” in any way. “Singam’ is about a kind khaki man turning violent due to a series of events.

Well, we do hope that the movie like all other Surya’s movies turns out to be a super-duper hit!

Pakis”, the British government has apparently taken a skeptical view of the project.

When questioned about this, Vivek replies, “I really don’t have a clue about the issues facing that project. I’m still in Mumbai wrapping up work on Rakta Charitra and prepping for the film to be shot in London.

bollykats

Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

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Deepika gets an image makeover Deepika Padukone has capitalised on her urban chic image. That works wonders when she plays progressive characters like that of a model-turnedactress in “Om Shanti Om,” a cab driver in “Bachana Ae Haseeno,” a heritage conservation architect in “Love Aaj Kal” and an architect in “ Ka r t h i k C a l l i n g Karthik.”

These are the films which have establ i s h e d Padukone as an actress in

Bollywood.

That was the story so far. In her next, “Khelein Hum Jee Jan Se” that is set in India before Independence, director Ashutosh Gowarikar is giving her an image makeover.

Padukone will be seen in cotton saris, sporting two plaits and no make-up.

Neeta Lulla, who has designed the costumes for the film, feels that the 24year-old actress has the grace to pull that off with elan.

"This is what the role demanded.

Besides, Deepika doesn't need make-up or urban clothes to look good," says Lulla.

Though some may consider it brave that she let go

of her glamour in the film, Padukone is probably only one of the many other lead actresses who are willingly giving the greasepaint laden look a break. Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan will be seen sporting a loose kurtachuridar with her hair in disarray almost throughout her next film “Raavan.”

Bipasha Basu, who has not yet endorsed the no-makeup look in a single film in her nine-year career, shed it for “Lamhaa” where she plays a Kashmiri Muslim girl. Sameera Reddy goes a step further. She dresses in combat outfit-like attire with unkempt long hair for her character as a Naxalite in “Red Alert-The War Within.”

Sherlyn Chopra posts nude pics of herself on Twitter clicked by Vishal Saxena, a leading fashion and celebrity photographer and Chopra's close friend.

When asked why did she put up the intimate the pictures for everyone to be seen, Sherlyn said, she saw the picture in her collection and thought she should share it with her

Sherlyn Chopra has posted nude pics of herself on Twitter.

Apparently, the actress has been approached by Playboy to do a photo session. And now she wants feedback from the twitterati about how she looks in the buff.

Her dare-bare pic is A Prakash Jha flick, Raajneeti is a dramatic movie about Indian politics, democracy, elections. Its about the ugly underside of the democracy and a lot more beyond politics.

In this country a few people control the destiny of millions. Raajneeti is the story of unstoppable ambition of the privileged few and the bitter and violent battle to achieve it. This is the story of people who understand power - and know how to wield it at will.

The film portrays a fiercely fought election campaign, where money-power and corruption are the accepted norms, and where treachery and manipulation are routinely used weapons. As the personal drama of conflict-ridden characters unfolds against a gritty backdrop, love and friendship become mere baits, and relationships get sacrificed at the altar of political alignments.

The darkness that rises from their soul threatens to envelope all that they hold precious.

Eventually, in the crescendo of increasing violence, the line between good and evil blurs, making it impossible to distinguish heroes from villains. Produced jointly under the banner of Prakash Jha Productions, Walkwater Media and UTV Motion Pictures, Raajneeti is directed by Prakash Jha. He also shares the credit for the screenplay alongwith Anjum Rababali.

The lead cast of the film consists of Nana Patekar, Ajay Devgan, Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Manoj Bajpai, Arjun Rampal, Naseruddin Shah, Sarah Thompson Kane, Darshan Jariwala, Chetan Pandit, Shruti Seth, Kiran Karmarkar and Daya Shanker Pandey. Irshad Kamil, Sameer, Swanand Kirkire and Gulzar have penned the lyrics while Pritam Chakraborty, Aadesh Shrivastav, Shantanu Moitra and Wayne Sharp have scored the music. Playback has been rendered by Mohit Chauhan, Antara Mitra, Aadesh Shrivastav, Pranab Biswas, Hamsika Iyer, Swanand Kirkire, Shankar Mahadevan and Kavita Seth.

New Hindi movies releasing this week 1. Raajneeti

Top 5 Bollywood movies for the week No. Film 1 2 3 4 5

Kites Badmaash Company Housefull Bumm Bumm Bole Kushti

No. Last Week New 2 1 3 4

Total weeks 1 3 4 2 2

friends and followers on twitter.

Talking about the feedback from her followers Sherlyns said, "The feedback on my picture has been great. Some do find it distasteful. To them I would like to say - to each it's own."

‘Freaky Friday’ gets desi with Sonam Kapoor Anil Kapoor has bought the remake rights of Walt Disney Productions' Jamie Lee Curtis-Lindsay Lohan starrer, “Freaky Friday.” He will produce it under his banner and it will star his daughter Sonam Kapoor. The comic drama revolves around a mother and daughter whose personas get interchanged.

Reveals a source close to the actor, "When he was in Los Angeles recently for the wrap-up party of his TV series 24, Anil met up with Disney officials to discuss the deal. It was his beti Sonam who suggested that he remake the film. Just the paperwork needs to be signed. The film will start this year-end, once all the negotia-

tions are complete."

While Sonam will play the daughter's role, Anil is keen to have Kirron Kher play the mother's part (played by Jamie Lee Curtis).

"Kirron has turned down the role citing date problems but relations between the Khers and the Kapoors have been strained, and that could well be the reason for this snub. The other names that the actor is toying with, are Rekha and Shabana Azmi. The film will be directed by Priyadarshan."

Anil Kapoor remained unavailable for comment.

Divya Dutta does a Meena Kumari in 'Chehre' Bollywood actress Divya Dutta is all set to change her chirppy image in film 'Chehre'. Made in black and white, the movie will see Dutta donning a look inspired by yesteryear's stars like Meena Kumari.

The film, directed by debutante Rohit Kaushik, the film has been shot entirely in black.

The suspense thriller is set in the backdrop of 50s era and the story revolves

around the lives of two sisters played by Dutta and Manisha Koirala, who is making a comeback with the movie. It is currently into post production and will be releasing soon.

Dutta, who is known for her fabulous performances in movies like 'Veer Zara', 'Welcome to Sajjanpur' and 'Delhi -6', is looking forward to step into the world of 50s.

"I have been a huge fan

of Meena Kumari and Nutan. Playing a character based in 50s for a black

and white movie was like stepping into their shoes," Dutta said.

The actress said she was shocked when the director told that the movie will be shot in black and white.

"When I heard that the film was not in colour and black & white instead, I was taken aback, but I immediately said yes as I knew it was one of its kind film," she added.

"Yes, Malaika has appeared in this fun dance number which is going to be a highlight of 'Dabangg'. Salman too would be making an appearance in the song though it is not clear whether he would be dancing along with Malaika or not," a source said.

Incidentally, this is for the first time that Malaika would be appearing in an item song for a home production even as Arbaaz, Sohail and Salman have been making films for quite a few years now.

The song will have a raunchy touch to it. SajidWajid, regulars with Salman Khan after giving music in films like 'Veer', 'Wanted', 'Partner', 'Mujhse Shaadi Karogi' and 'Tere Naam', have composed for 'Dabangg' while Jalees Sherwani has written the lyrics.

Other than Malaika Arora, the song also features Sonu Sood who is the main antagonist in the film. Since his character is required to have a funny touch, his dance moves too were devised on the same lines.

Malaika putting on her dancing shoes for Arbaaz’s film Three years after her superhit item number 'Honth Rasile' in 'Welcome', Malaika Arora is putting her dancing shoes again for husband Arbaaz Khan's debut production 'Dabangg'.

Malaika had created a stir with her 'Chaiyya Chaiyya' number opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Maniratnam's 'Dil Se' in 1998 when Bollywood was just waking up to the concept of item girls.

She will now jive on the tantalising title 'Munni Badnaam' in the film, which is set against the

backdrop of politics and crime in UP and Bihar, starring Salman Khan and Sonakshi Sinha, daughter of actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha.

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Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

Bengal train tragedy toll is 148 PCPA Naxalites own up the sabotage; say goods train was the target PCPA, one of the many faces of Naxalites have owned up attacking the Mumbai bound Gyaneshwari Express coming from Kolkata, though they said they did not intend to target a passenger train. The derailment and subsequent collision of a goods train with the coaches of the train led to death of 148 passengers of the train, while around another 150 injured passengers were given treatment at various hospitals.

After the Friday late night disaster, it took more than 50 hours to clear the entire debris and recover all the dead bodies.

Almost half of the dead were mutilated so badly they could not be identified and DNA tests have been conducted to estab-

Depicted in the story of Devyani and Sharmishtha

Rescue workers and volunteers survey the railway accident site near Sardiha, 135 kilometres from Kolkata in West Bengal on May 28.

lish their identities.

A leader of the Naxalbacked People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA), accused of planning and executing the derailment of the train in West Bengal, has admitted that his group was behind the sabotage, but added that they were not planning to target civilians.

PCPA leader Bapi Mahato told The Indian Express that they were planning to target a goods train and not a passenger train.

The accident occurred on Friday after 13 coaches of the Mumbai-bound train went off the tracks and five of them were crushed by a goods train coming from the opposite direction.

Dubai – Pune plane hit air turbulence; came down 6,000 feet before regaining height gers survived as they were thrown out of the plane after it broke into pieces.

"As many as 112 passengers of the Air India Express Dubai-Pune flight IX-212 miraculously escaped unhurt. The pilot lost control of the aircraft and it did lose some height," an Air India spokesperson said.

Another report suggests that the auto pilot of the plane got disengaged in the absence of Commander Anupam Tiwari, who was in the toilet at the time of the incident. The co-pilot could not control the aircraft as it started to descend 2000 feet per minute.

The Director General of Civil Aviation has launched an investigation into the incident and will question the commander,

co-pilot and crew members. The pilots and cabin crew of the flight have already been derostered.

Mangalore runway length to be increased The runway length of Mangalore airport, which saw a major air crash recently, will be increased from the present 8,000 feet to 9,000 ft to include a larger spillover area, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has said. “We have already taken a decision to extend the runway from 8,000 ft to 9,000 ft. In that 9,000 ft, the spillover area and all such factors will be taken into account,” the Minister said. He maintained that the government would have an “open mind” to implement any measure arising out of the lessons from the Mangalore air crash.

Jaya Bachchan declines Mulayam’s Rajya Sabha offer

Atleast in the case of the Bachchan family, Amar Singh has scored over Mulayam Singh, at last.

The former lieutenant of Samajwadi Party boss managed to see that Jaya Bachchan declines the offer of the Rajya Sabha nomination, indirectly a snub to Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Amar Singh did get in touch with Amitabh Bachchan last week after Mulayam Singh announced on Wednesday that Jaya Bachchan will be renominated for the Rajya Sabha ticket that she is due to vacate. Finally, on Friday Jaya announced that she would not accept the ticket.

A red-faced Mulayam tried to explain away the

By Rajen Vakil

Divine use of Sex Energy

Another Air India flight came close to disaster

Yet another Air India tragedy was averted when a Dubai-Pune flight had a narrow escape May 26 after the pilot lost control over the aircraft and it suddenly lost height, officials said in Mumbai on Monday.

Air India Express flight IX-212 coming from Dubai to Pune was reportedly caught in air turbulence and started losing height. 112 passengers and the crew had a miraculous escape. The flight losing height created an alarm for the ATC in Muscat, as there was another plane flying around 6000 feet below.

This incident happened just four days after the horrible crash at Mangalore that killed 158 people, including all the crew members. 8 passen-

In divine light

Jaya Bachchan

embarrassment by saying that Jaya turned down the option because of family commitments and that she was fully with the SP. "Unhone kaha hai ki pariwarik karano se woh abhi rajneeti mein sakriya bhoomika nahin nibha payengi (She has said she will not be able to play an active role in politics owing to family reasons)," Mulayam said. The set-

back for Samajwadi leadership also confirmed that Mulayam and his advisors, in their eagerness to isolate and humiliate Amar, had not bothered to even sound Jaya out when they announced her nomination. Clearly, they thought that given the scramble for a berth in the upper House, Jaya, an intensely political person, would find the offer irresistible.

A yes from Jaya would have dealt a devastating blow to Amar at a time when he is struggling to remain politically relevant.

Mulayam differentiaed Jaya Bachchan from Jaya Prada, and praised the former from public platform.

That was also the reason why SP gave her the ticket.

Devyani and Sharmishtha, (daughters of Shukracharya, the guru of the Asuras and Vrishparva, the king of the Rakshasas respectively) together with their maids, were swimming in a river.

Passing by was Indra, the king of the Devas.

He took the form of wind and blew their clothes away. When they came out, Sharmishtha started wearing Devyani’s clothes by mistake. On seeing this, Devyani got enraged and said, “O daughter of a Rakshasa!

How dare you, who are my disciple, wear my clothes?”

To this Sharmishtha replied, “My father enjoys the fruits of the mantras that your father chants; yet, your father lives on my father’s generosity and begs alms from him.”

Devyani then tried to get her clothes off Sharmishtha, who getting angry pushed her into a well. Taking her for dead, Sharmishtha and the maids left.

King Yayati was passing by and hearing Devyani’s cries, inquired who she was. On learning that she was a Brahmin and the daughter of Shukracharya, he held her hand and pulled her out of the well. He then left for his kingdom.

Devyani then told her personal maid to go to her father and narrate the incident.

Shukracharya ran to the forest to console his daughter. Shukracharya was a wise guru and he told Devyani that any suffering that came in one’s life could only come if one had done something to invite it. He explained that suffering never comes of its own; one sows a seed and reaps the fruit. He then told Devyani that she must have done something for the event to have happened with her.

To this Devyani retorted, “Whether I repent for my sins or not, hear what Sharmishtha had to say.

She said that you just chant mantras for her father, the king, and that you live on his generosity like a beggar.”

This angered Shukracharya and he remarked, “The gods, demons, and men worship me, for it is I who give water for the welfare of the people and it is my energy that nourishes the herbs to grow

medicines.” He went to Vrishparva and informed him that he was leaving the demons and their kingdom for good. He reminded Vrishparva how he had previously tried to kill Kacha and now his daughter had tried to kill Devyani. The king tried to console him, begging him to stay. Shukracharya said he would not leave them only if the king made his daughter happy. So Vrishparva asked Devyani what she wanted; Devyani asked that Sharmishtha become her maid.

Once again they were playing in the forest when King Yayati passed by. Devyani confronted him and told him that he must marry her as he was the only person who had caught her hand. So Yayati went to Shukracharya and asked permission to marry Devyani.

Shukracharya agreed and told Yayati that Sharmishtha would accompany them as Devyani’s maid and that he should look after her but never have any relationship with her. Yayati has two children with Devyani, of which one was called Yadu.

One day, Yayati sees Sharmishtha and is attracted to her. They have three children; the youngest one called Puru. When Devyani heard of this, she was angry and went to her father, who cursed Yayati with pre-mature old age. Yayati begged Shukracharya to take back his curse.

Shukracharya told him that if he wanted youth, he could borrow it from any one of his sons. Out of Yayati’s sons, only Puru agreed to loan him his youth.

Yayati enjoyed his youth for a thousand years and indulged in all the pleasures of life.

He then realised the futility of indulgences, so he gave Puru’s youth back and went to heaven.

Let us interpret this story. We have seen that Devyani means dev + ayan or moving towards gods. She is the daughter of Shukracharya (or sex energy). Rakshasas are those who misuse sex energy and the daughter of their king is Sharmishtha, meaning sensual pleasures (or the attractions of life).

Man has two choices – to allow his sex energy to move on the path of excitement and pleasures or to move towards the gods, that is the upward movement of sex energy through transformation and transmutation.

They both have a relationship with Yayati, which comes from the word yatna or effort. To transform his sex energy, man must make an effort (yatna), and that is why Devyani marries Yayati. Patanjali puts a great deal of emphasis on the word yatna when he says ‘tatra sthitau yatna abhyaas’ – to achieve a state of yoga, man must do abhyaas or practice.

He then explains what practice is – yatna or continuous effort.

As we practice, many times our sex energy is again seduced and pulled back in the indulgences of life, depicted by Yayati having children with Sharmishtha. In indulgence, we lose the energy of youth and become old even if our bodies are still young. This is shown in Shukracharya’s curse to Yayati. Yayati borrowing youth from his son to enjoy the pleasures of life shows that one cannot suppress sex energy; that one has to go through all the pleasures of life and through indulgence, reach a level of understanding where he willingly gives back the youth to his son. Only a person with rich experiences can really transform sex energy.

Through Devyani’s son Yadu, came the race of the Yadavas, in which Krishna was born. Thus, by transforming sex energy, the epitome of consciousness is achieved.

From Sharmishtha’s son Puru, the Pandavas and the Kauravas, who fought the Mahabharata war, were born. This symbolises that only chaos and strife can result through sensual indulgences.

Every seeker on the spiritual path has the choices of how to channelise his sex energy, and the path he chooses is his own free will.

(Edited by Chintu Gandhi. Illustration by Siddharth Ramanuj.)

The author can be reached by emailing 3srb@live.com

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Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

Afzal Guru demands a quick hanging for himself The parliament attack convict, Afzal Guru has asked for a quick decision on his mercy petition.

The Delhi man has said he is fed up with the solitary confinement. He wants a quick hanging if he is to face that

fate.

In his plea, Guru has also said that if a decision is not being taken on his mercy petition, then he should be shifted to Jammu and Kashmir.

Death sentence for 3 in Akshardham Temple attack case upheld Death sentence to three and prison terms to three others in the Akshardham Temple attack case were upheld by Gujarat High Court on Tuesday. A ‘Pota’ court had awarded the sentences in July 2006.

The terrorist attack on the Akshardham Temple in 2002 had claimed lives of 32 people.

Adam Ajmeri, Shan Miya alias Chand Khan from Bareilly and Mufti Abdul Qyyum Mansuri were awarded death sen-

tence, while a local youth from Dariapur in Ahmedabad, Mohammed Salim Shaikh was sentenced to life imprisonment. Abdulmiyan Qadri was given a 10-year term and Altaf Hussain was

sentenced to imprisonment for five years.

Two militants, identified as Murtuza Hafiz Yasin and Ashraf Ali Mohammed Farooq, and having links with Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Taiba were killed by National Security Guard (NSG) commandos during the attack on the temple in Gandhinagar on September 24, 2002.

The attackers using automatic weapons and hand grenades had killed

32 people, including 28 temple visitors, three commandos, including one from NSG, and a constable of the State Reserve Police (SRP).

Twenty-eight accused in the case were still absconding. Most of them were from Pakistan or Gulf countries.

All accused were alleged to have links with banned terrorist organisation like Jaish-eMohammad and Lashkare-Taiba.

India’s 2nd largest Bahubali idol on its way to Gujarat Songadh will become a global attraction after the giant idol is consecrated Songadh village in Gujarat, near the famous jain pilgrim centre of Palitana will become only the second place in India to have a giant, 41 feet high idol of Lord Bahubali after Shravanabelgola in Karnataka.

Shri Kund Kund Kahan Digambar Jain Swadhyay Mandir Trust is developing a jain pilgrimage centre there. To be

known as Jambudwip, it will be a sprawling complex in 9 acres of land.

The idol of Lord

Bahubali has been carved out of a single, 400 ton block of granite. It has been sculpted by well known sculptor Ashok Gudigar, a gold medalist and a national award winner.

The idol is 14 feet wide and 6.5 feet in depth. Most of the work on the idol is completed, while the remaining will be done after the idol reaches Songadh. It has already

started its journey to Gujarat last week from Karnataka. It will take a little more than a month for the huge special truck to reach Songadh.

The town is important for Digambar jains as one of their most prominent saints, Pujya Kanji Swami was based at Songadh and preached the principles of Jainism for more than 4 decades.

Gujarat to transplant corals from Gulf of Mannar to Gulf of Kutch In a bid to improve marine ecology of the state, the Gujarat Ecology Commission would be transplanting corals from the Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu to the Gulf of Kutch.

“We will be taking up a coral transplantation project on a pilot basis for five years to improve marine ecology in the Gulf of Kutch,” GEC member secretary E. Balagurusami told PTI. “Under this project,

we aim to transplant corals from Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu to Gulf of Kutch. This transplantation would be done in five to six islands,” he said, adding this would be done with the help of Tamil Nadu forest department.

“Since the ecological conditions in Mannar and Kutch, including the salinity in water are identical, it has been decided to transplant corals from Gulf of Mannar,” he said.

President rule in Jharkhand again State assembly in suspended animation

Jharkhand is under President’s rule again and JMM chief Shibu Soren is the reason. After both, BJP and the Congress expressed their inability to form a government in the state, Governor M O H Farook sent in a report to the union home ministry on Monday recommending the imposition of President rule. The cabinet committee on political affairs chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met Tuesday morning in New Delhi to approve imposi-

tion of president's rule and put the legislative assembly in suspended animation.

This came after Soren stepped down as chief minister on Sunday, a day before he was to prove his majority in the assembly.

President Pratibha Patil has given her approval to the move, said official sources. The fivemonth-old JMM-led government was propped up by the BJP with 18 members, the AJSU with five legislators and the Janata Dal-United's two members.

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Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

India wants UK to return Kohinoor, other artifacts The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has joined an international network for the return of priceless artifacts taken away during British rule, including the Kohinoor diamond and the Sultanganj Buddha.

ASI Director-General Gautam Sengupta said the list of

Air India smashes strike, sacks leaders Air India management cracked down on employees owing allegiance to the two striking unions, as services of 58 were terminated and several others were placed under suspension.

Hours after the Delhi High Court declared the two-day strike by Air India employees illegal, the state-owned airline, given a free hand by the government to deal with the crisis, cracked down, terminating the services of 17 union leaders, suspending 15 engineers and

penalising others who boycotted work.

The strike led to cancellation of over 140 ICcoded flights operated by Indian Airlines, affecting 30,000 passengers and leaving almost 5,000 flyers stranded.

At the airline headquarters, lawyers worked to abrogate all pacts signed with these two unions.

Late tonight, AI had prepared a list of those whose productivity-linked incentives would be withdrawn.

Indian Navy employee held for spying for Pakistan An employee of the Indian Navy has been arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan and police claimed to have recovered from him some "secret and sensitive" documents like photograph of the Hindan Air Base and map of Meerut Cantonment.

24-year-old Chand Kumar Prasad, posted in the Navy's Aircraft Maintenance Unit in Mumbai, was arrested by Delhi Police's Special Cell from New Delhi Railway Station yesterday, police

sources said.

He was allegedly passing on classified information to a Pakistan High Commission official through another person, they said.

Police sources said certain "secret and sensitive" documents like photograph of Hindan Air Base and map of Meerut Cantonment were recovered from Prasad.

He was produced before a magistrate today and was remanded to fiveday police custody.

Caste Issue – A Cause for Concern in UK

Girdhari Lal Bhan

Recently, the Government has proposed to bring the issue of ‘Caste Discrimination’ under the purview of the Equality Act as a distinct and specific issue; it has gone further: it proposes to potentially treat Caste-based discrimination as equivalent to Racial Discrimination. The evidence received by the Government that influenced its Paper on the subject came from submissions made by Caste / Dalit lobbyists. Conscious that this evidence is hearsay and not authenticated data that can inform whether the problem exists and, if so, its magnitude and typology, the Government has commissioned independent research to look into this issue, and we welcome that. We believe that Caste based discrimination does not occur here in the UK within the Hindu community, and would wholeheartedly support Government actions to eradicate it should it be found that it does.

It is important to bear in mind some salient points on this issue: 1.

Caste as it is

US Indians feel the Headley effect Continued from page 1 civilian nuclear deal on Capitol Hill say they are “anguished” by the new travel rules. They feel they are paying for the sins of LeT operative David Coleman Headley as India has launched a series of visa reforms.

Worldwide, hundreds of thousands of ex-Indian nationals have signed a petition to protest India’s move to force Indians to renounce their old passports for a stiff fee.

Indians who have become naturalised US citizens have to surrender their old Indian passports and obtain a ‘surrender certificate’ for up to $425 before receiving a new visa to travel to India. Failure to provide the ‘surrender certificate’ would mean the denial of an Indian travel visa.

The situation is worrisome for many. According to a report in DNA, an English daily in India, a Gujarati businessman, G P Shah, 58, giving an account of his experience said, “I lost my Indian passport 15 to 16 years ago and have been travelling to India all these years on my multiple-entry visa.

My mother is now dying of

cancer and I have to see her. What am I to do?” He had to stand in a long queue outside the Indian consulate in New York last weekend. Shah was planning to use the long May 29 Memorial Day weekend holiday in America to travel out to see his mother in Ahmedabad.

Instead, he has spent it

Government of India which didn’t follow its own rules for the last four decades. Now they are whipping us!”

Indian consulates across the US have irate hordes descending on them as millions of Indians have obtained foreign citizenship in the past 50 years and obtained

Sudden decision upsets travel plans of many running around the consulate furnishing a notarised affidavit saying he has lost his passport. In some cases, Indians are being asked for police reports if they have misplaced their old passports.

The Indian embassy in Washington says the policy isn’t really new at all but rather “tougher enforcement” of a rule that has been on the books since 1955, but rarely implemented.

“Why are they asking us now for our old Indian passports?” asked Indrani Mukherjee, a librarian from Manhattan who said she lost her Indian passport decades ago. “If this is the law, then it should have been enforced right from the start. It is the

India's treasures held abroad was "too long to handle" and there was a need for a "diplomatic and legal campaign" for their restitution from institutions, including the British Museum, the Royal Collection and the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

Indian visas without having surrendered their Indian passports. “It is a bureaucratic nightmare,” said an Indian embassy official who did not want to be named. “Delhi makes the rules and here we are stuck working weekends trying to sort out the bloody mess and paperwork.”

“As dual nationality is not allowed by India, an Indian passport should automatically be considered void once an Indian citizen accepts a foreign passport. To require such persons to visit the issue retrospectively after several years is both futile and insensitive,” said Sanjay Puri, chairman of the US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC).

understood is not to be mistaken for varna and jati that have historically stratified the society in the Indian sub-continent. In Hindu scriptural terms, stratification into jatis is to be based on aptitude and vocation, not determined by birth, and no group is to be considered inherently superior or inferior. The evils of discrimination and untouchability are social malpractices that have evolved and that are to be found within all faith populations in the Indian subcontinent, not just Hindus. As such the Caste issue should not be linked to Hindu religion but to the society as a whole in the Indian sub-continent.

2.

Against the nonavailability of any independent evidence on Caste practices among the British citizens originating from the Indian subcontinent, it is wrong for the Government to assume that ‘…..The evidence so far suggests that the Hindu and Sikh communities from the Asian Diaspora are the most likely to be affected by caste discrimination.’

We refute this, and express our concern that it seeks to paint an unfair

picture of our faith group without any real evidence.

3.

Claims that the ‘upper castes are fairskinned people who discriminate against the dark-skinned people of the lower castes’ are made; these are fallacious but also mischievous as they attach racial overtones to Caste practices. The Caste issue has been politicised in India to such an extent that it is now threatening to fragment the society, and to seriously harm the government’s aim of achieving social cohesion and national integration.

4.

Since its Independence in 1947, India has enacted laws to make Caste Discrimination illegal and provided socio-economic benefits to the disadvantaged segments of the population. This has achieved positive results: i) C a s t e Discrimination does not take place any longer in the public domain; ii) The poorer segments of society have benefitted from the ‘Reservation Policy’ in the fields of education, employment, resource allocation, etc.

5.

The downside has been that the incen-

tives provided by the Reservation Policy / Positive Discrimination are motivating people who have traditionally belonged to the lower social orders to perpetuate the Caste System. This experience from India should alert the Government here to formulate its policies such that problems that have ensued in India are not replicated here. It is in this context that we remain concerned that the Government has considered the possibility of treating Caste-based Discrimination as Racial Discrimination.

This would indeed be a retrograde step.

Here in the UK, we are aware of no place of Hindu religious worship – temple/mandir – that practices caste based discrimination, or indeed any discrimination, against any devotee / visitor. We are not aware of any employer practicing such discrimination. If there is one, we would strongly denounce and disown such practices. We believe that any such discrimination, if practiced by anyone, can and should be dealt with by the already existing powers vested in the Equality legislation.

Sri Sri Ravishankar fired at in Bangalore Continued from page 1 The alleged attempt on Sri Sri Ravishankar’s life evoked strong reactions among his devotees as well as other religious and spiritual leaders in India and abroad as well.

Karnataka police chief, Dr. Ajai Kumar Singh visited the site, the Kanakapura ashram of the guru on Monday. He described the firing as in incident, rather than an attempt to murder, which was reacted upon sharply by Sri Sri. Even Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said on Monday that according to his information, based on oral reports, Sri Sri Ravishankar was not the target of firing.

Governments hinted at internal rivalry between some of the devotees of the guru, something Sri Sri strongly denied.

Though the Art of Living guru could not name anybody as suspects, he said it was ridiculous to suggest that it was just an incident and not an attempt on his life.

Meanwhile, the injured devotee is reported to be out of any danger.

He suffered the bullet wound on his thigh.

Sources said the spiritual leader had sought Z-

plus security from the Centre in the past. A security upgrade, however, was unlikely, sources added.

The Karnataka Police and forensic experts, who have conducted preliminary examination of the scene of alleged gun fire at Ravishankar’s ashram and the bullet wound picked up by a devotee, have concluded that no attempt was made to shoot at Ravishankar by anyone.

Karnataka DGP Dr Ajai Kumar Singh said a stray bullet from a gun fired in the air may have caused the accidental injury to a devotee.

Investigations have revealed that a short bullet from a .32 factory-made revolver caused a grazing injury on the thigh of a devotee at the ashram. The devotee has been identified as Vinay Kolumath, a software professional.

“From the nature of the injury it is apparent that it was the base of the bullet that caused the injury on the devotee and not the nose. This normally happens when a bullet has lost its velocity and descends from a higher trajectory,” sources involved in the probe said.

With the effective range of a .32 revolver

being only 150 feet, the injury caused on the devotee is likely to have been caused by a gun fired at least 700 feet away, sources said. The .32 factory made revolver is not a prohibited weapon and is available to the public under a valid license.

Ravishankar on Monday expressed disappointment with the police description of the firing event and defended the delay in filing of a police complaint. “We don’t know what happened. We heard a noise. Our administrative and security wings took time to ascertain exactly what had happened. It took time to contact the police since the ashram is 45 minutes away from the police station,” Ravishankar said.

He said the police should look at the incident seriously and not brush it aside. Speaking to various media, he also said he is not going to stop his programmes and will be moving freely without any fear.

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, Arya Samaj leader Swami Agnivesh and Deepak Chopra are among the leading personalities to have criticised the alleged attempt on life of Sri Sri Ravishankar.

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Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

Thai ex-PM Thaksin charged with terrorism Bangkok: A Thai court issued an arrest warrant against ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on terrorism charges, accusing the fugitive former leader of fomenting two months of unrest in Bangkok that left 88 people dead.

If found guilty of the charges, he could face the death penalty.

Thaksin, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup and later fled

abroad ahead of a corruption conviction, has been accused by the government of being a key force behind Red Shirt protesters who seized areas of downtown Bangkok before being overcome by army troops last week.

Thaksin denies involvement. His lawyer claimed the charge would undermine hopes of reconciliation in Thailand.

Canada says sorry to India, to review visa policy Two-year-old smokes Toronto: Canada will undertake a review of its immigration rules after a diplomatic row with India over denial of visas to people on grounds that their service in army, police and intelligence units made them complicit in humanrights violations.

Canada announced this as Immigration Minister Jason Kenney issued an apology, observing that Canadian immigration officials should not have cast aspersions on India's institutions.

The incidents, he said, showed visa officers have

too much latitude.

The Canadian High Commission, over the last few years, has denied visas to a number of senior serving and retired officials of the Indian armed forces and intelligence establishment, claiming that their organisations or they themselves have served in sensitive areas like Jammu and Kashmir and engaged in violence and human rights violations.

The incidents, some of which were recently highlighted in the media, sparked outrage in India with external affairs min-

ister SM Krishna terming them unacceptable.

Going into a damage control mode, an embarrassed Stephen Harper government apologised and pledged to review immigration rules in an effort to repair relations, the Globe and the Mail said.

Canada's immigration law bars anyone who has committed war crimes or has engaged in terrorism, systematic or gross human rights violations, or genocide. Canada and India, Kenney said in a statement, work closely togeth-

er on security.

"The Government of Canada therefore deeply regrets the recent incident in which letters drafted by public service officials during routine visa refusals to Indian nationals cast false aspersions on the legitimacy of work carried out by Indian defence and security institutions, which operate under the framework of democratic processes and the rule of law," he said.

The apology came with a pledge that Canada will review its policy on declaring foreigners inadmissible.

China seeks assurance from Patil on Tibet issue

Beijing: Chinese leaders on Friday sought an assurance from India that it regarded Tibet as an integral part of China. The matter was raised with visiting Indian President Pratibha Patil by Jia Qinglin, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which is one of the two houses of the Chinese parliament.

Confirming that the Tibet issue was among the several issues raised at the meeting with the President, Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao said Jia appreciated India’s efforts in 2008 not to allow the torch of the

Olympic rally to be disturbed. He also expressed the hope that New Delhi will not allow Tibetans to carry out anti-Chinese activities in India.

Patil responded by say-

Kathmandu: After a brief respite when they buried the hatchet and bailed the government out of a dire constitutional crisis, Nepal's opposition Maoist party, on Tuesday, stepped up their campaign to topple Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, warning that the peace agreement would crumble unless he stepped down by Wednesday.

Declaring that they would not engage in further talks with the ruling parties till the embattled prime minister resigned, the former guerrillas, on

Tuesday, began consultations instead with the other parties in parliament in a bid to redouble pressure on the premier.

The consultations pointedly excluded the ruling Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) and its main ally, the Nepali Congress that have been unitedly opposing the Maoist demand for the prime minister's resignation. At the end of the consultations, Maoist deputy chief and lawmaker Narayan Kaji Shrestha Prakash said that the

Hu Jintao and Pratibha Patil listen to the national anthems in Beijing on May 27

ing that India considered Tibet as an integral part of China and struck to its commitment not to allow anti-China activities on its soil. Indian officials pointed out that Chinese government usually seek a reiteration of commitment on the Tibet issue from visiting leaders of all countries, and it is not surprising this was done in the case of India.

Patil also met Chinese vice president Xi Jinping and Ma Xiaotian, deputy Chief of General Staff of the People's Liberation Army, who attended a reception hosted by the Indian government. Xi, who represents the

younger generation of Chinese politicians, called for an intensification of exchanges between the youth of both countries.

Jia, who is ranked number four in Chinese hierarchy, suggested that the communication between the parliaments of the countries be enhanced as part of the overall efforts to take the state-to-state relations forward. He expressed the hope that the bilateral trade target of $60 billon will be met this year in the light of encouraging improvement of business between the two countries in the first four months, Rao reported.

Madhav Kumar Nepal

unconditionally within five days, the Maoist leader said. But now, the crisis averted, the Maoists feel backstabbed with the prime minister raising conditions for his resignation.

Nepal is asking the former rebels to disband their guerrilla army and paramilitary units as well as return the public property they captured during their 10-year "People's War" - a demand that saw the ruling parties and the Maoists deadlocked for two years and prevented a new constitution from being written.

Nepal Maoists begin fresh campaign to topple PM

prime minister had made a commitment to his party on Friday, when Nepal's government faced dissolution but was saved by the Maoists who voted to extend it by one year.

The PM had agreed verbally to step down

South Korea moderates rhetoric against North Washington: South Korea appears to be moderating its rhetoric against North Korea over the Cheonan sinking two days after China appeared reluctant to pull up Pyongyang over the incident.

According to the Christian Science Monitor (CSM), Seoul has temporarily stopped propaganda balloons and loudspeaker broadcasts over the border.

Signs suggest that there is a desire to cool down tensions with North Korea before they boil over into fresh outbreaks

of violence with unpredictable consequences.

The relatively low-key response on Monday comes just one day after China refused to take a stand against North Korea over the March 26 sinking of the Cheonan, a South Korean naval vessel.

First, South Korea's defense ministry said it was putting off a propaganda campaign of balloon drops and mega-loudspeaker broadcasts into North Korea that the North had said it would answer by firing into the speakers.

Then South Korea's

unification ministry indicated the government was carefully modulating its responses to the Cheonan sinking in order to test the North Korean response.

"We should decide policy considering various considerations," was the highly ambivalent reply of Vice-Unification Minister Um Jong-sik, when asked why the government had decided to delay a propaganda blitz that was certain to invite outrage from the North.

Just as significant was the sense that neither North nor South Korea

want to shut down the economic complex at Kaesong, just above the line about 40 miles north of Seoul, where more than 100 South Korean factories employ more than 40,000 North Korean workers.

The complex remains the last point of normal contact between the two Koreas since President Lee Myung-bak shut down all inter-Korean trade and financial dealings with North Korea on May 24 in retaliation for the sinking of the Cheonan, in which 46 sailors died.

40 cigarettes a day!

London: Ardi Rizal, a two-year-old boy who lives in a fishing village in Musi Banyuasin, has become a chain smoker. He smokes at least 40 cigarettes a day. He got addicted to smoking after his father gave him a cigarette when he was just 18-months-old, reports thesun.co.uk. He weighs more than 25 kg and finds it almost impossible to run with other kids. "He's totally addicted. If he doesn't get cigarettes, he gets angry and screams and batters his head against the wall. He tells me he feels dizzy and sick," said his mother Daina.

Rizal smokes a particular brand and his habit costs his parents more than 5 USD a day. The officials of the village have offered to buy the family a car if he quits.

However, Rizal's father Mohammed, a fishmonger finds no problem with his habit and believes his son is quite healthy. "He looks pretty healthy to me. I don't see any problem," said Mohammed.

Upset Hindus seek immediate recall of ‘Kali Mints’ Nevada (USA): Upset Hindus have asked for the immediate withdrawal of "Kali Mints" sold by a Washington (USA) based firm, calling it inappropriate. Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) on Tuesday, said that inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees.

Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, stressed that Goddess Kali was highly revered in Hinduism and she was meant to be worshipped in temples and not to be used in selling mints.

Bhavna Shinde of Forum for Hindu Awakening has also termed such usage of Goddess Kali as "upsetting and denigrating".

Now, ‘Islamic’ skirts for Aceh women

Meulaboh (Indonesia): Islamic police in Indonesia's Aceh province have been issued with 20,000 long skirts and ordered to cover up women deemed to have broken Muslim dress codes, an official said last week.

The province on northern Sumatra island has banned Muslim women from wearing figure-hugging clothing such as tight trousers, under Islamic by-laws that have outraged less conservative parts of the mainly Muslim archipelago. Vice and virtue officers in West Aceh district have been told that they should ask women wearing the wrong clothes to put on the government-issue skirts on the spot.

3 judges shot dead at a court in China

Hunan (China): Three judges have been shot dead at a court in China's southern Hunan province by a man armed with a submachine gun, reports say.

Three other judges were injured before the man, who was also carrying two more weapons, killed himself. Officials said the attacker was a 46-year-old local man who worked as head of security at a post office.

Shootings are relatively rare in China, as few people have access to firearms. The shooting happened at the Lingling District People's Court, said Xinhua.

According to reports, the man, named by officials as Zhu Jun, had reportedly borrowed the weapons from a colleague saying he needed to inspect them. He barged into an office at the courtroom and opened fire on the officials.

Indian jailed in Australia for sexually abusing children

Melbourne: An Indian salesman in Australia was sentenced to jail on Monday after being convicted of sexually assaulting children and possessing child pornography. Mujahed Ur-Rahman, 29, pleaded guilty to sexually penetrating a child aged under 16 and two other charges relating to separate incidences on another victim, committing an indecent act on a child aged under 16 and possessing child pornography.

The Victorian County Court sentenced Mujahed to three years and nine months' jail, with a non-parole period of two years and three months.

26

Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

Jacob Zuma to become dad for the 21st time?

Johannesburg: South African President Jacob Zuma is apparently set to become a father for the 21st time. He is said to be expecting the new baby with his second wife, Nompumelelo Ntuli (better known as MaNtuli), amid rumours that their relationship is on the rocks. Officials in the presidency pulled a veil of secrecy around the latest

revelations. "It is a family affair and I am not willing to comment on this matter," 24.com quoted Zuma's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya as saying. He refused to acknowledge that the matter is in the public interest since taxpayers will have to support yet another child of the president.

19 killed as Israeli commandos storm Gaza-bound aid flotilla Early morning attack on high-profile convoy triggers widespread outrage Dubai: Israeli commandos on Monday attacked a high-profile Gaza-bound aid flotilla, killing up to 19 people and triggering in its wake a wave of outrage across the globe.

The convoy of six ships was assaulted in the early hours after commandos slithered down from helicopters and confronted passengers on board, mostly pro-Palestinian activists.

Video footage from the lead ship Mavi Marmara showed Israeli troops storming it as helicopters hovered overhead.

Israel has acknowledged that the flotilla was attacked in international waters, 65 km from the Gaza coast. “This happened in waters outside Israeli territory, but we have the right to defend ourselves,” Israeli spokeswoman Avital Leibovich was quoted as saying.

10,000 tonnes of aid The ships comprising the flotilla arrived from Britain, Ireland, Algeria, Kuwait, Greece and Turkey. Insani Yardim Vakfi (Humanitarian Aid Association), a Turkish, non-governmental organisation had coordinated the relief mission. The 700 passengers on board included a Nobel laureate and several European parliamentarians, concerns about whose safety and wellbeing have caught the attention of the European Union. The convoy was ferrying 10,000 tonnes of humanitarian relief supplies for Gaza residents who have been reeling under a blockade since the end of Israel's winter war with Hamas in Gaza in 2009.

Justifying its violence, the Israeli military accused “demonstrators on board” of opening fire

British man denies hand in Thai riots London: A British man arrested in Thailand after being filmed allegedly inciting people to burn down a Bangkok shopping centre has protested his innocence, the BBC reported. Jeff Savage, 48, said he was "wound up after being under sniper fire" during anti-government protests and his comments were meant to be sarcastic. He also denies being involved in the destruction of the Central World shopping centre days later.

Dozens of people were killed during the red-shirts protests in the capital. Savage, from Tonbridge, Kent, said: "I am being stitched up, being fitted up. I thought (my arrest) was just for overstaying my visa, but now this is serious. "They are trying to pin a whole lot of stuff on me, and a few others... that we had nothing to do with. We are being made scapegoats."

60 - year-old Chinese woman gives birth to twins Beijing: A 60-year-old retiree has become the oldest woman in China to give birth, bearing twins after becoming pregnant via in-vitro fertilisation, state media reported last week. The woman, whose real name was not given, gave birth to the two baby girls prematurely on Tuesday in Hefei, capital of the eastern province of Anhui, the official China Daily said. The births came 34 weeks after she became impregnated to ease the pain caused by the death of her 28-year-old daughter, Tingting, who died in a "gas poisoning" incident early last year along with her husband, it said. "Their cry resembles my late daughter," she was quoted as saying after the birth were born via Caesarean section.

Indian-origin boy wins National Geographic Bee

Washington: A 13-year-old Indian-origin boy from Florida has won the 22nd annual National Geographic Bee - courtesy his knowledge about Haiti.

By correctly answering that Cap-Haitien is the largest city in northern Haiti that was renamed following Haiti's independence from France, Aadith Moorthy received a 25,000-dollar college scholarship, free trip to the Galapagos Islands and lifetime membership to the National Geographic Society. Grinning on stage after the win, Moorthy said that he'd felt confident all along, reports National Geographic News. He said: "I wanted to win-that was my goal," he said, adding that he "thought the questions would be harder." The National Geography Bee is held every year at the National Geographic Society in Washington, DC.

Turkish demonstrators wave Palestinian flags and shout slogans during an anti-Israeli protest in Istanbul on Monday

and wounding four of its soldiers. It said the troops were also attacked with “light weaponry,” including knives and clubs.

Rejecting this view, a correspondent for Al Jazeera satellite television, who was on board, said the passengers did not open fire.

On the contrary, they raised a white flag of surrender on the ship ahead

of the Israeli assault.

The raid was preceded by the arrival of Israeli naval ships, which flanked the convoy from a distance, but contacted the captain of Mavi Marmara.

In order to avoid a confrontation, the organisers apparently diverted the path of the relief ships and reduced speed.

Wave of fury The unexpected pre-

dawn attack by Israel has set off a wave of fury in large parts of the world.

Turkey, a one-time ally of Israel, announced it was recalling its Ambassador from Tel Aviv.

“Israel will have to endure the consequences of this behaviour,” a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement said. The Arab League advised member countries, to “reconsider” their dealings with Israel.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of carrying out a “massacre.” In Europe, Turkey, Spain, Greece, Denmark and Sweden summoned their Israeli Ambassadors to lodge their protest.

The attack has led to massive street demonstrations in Turkey as thousands in Istanbul marched from the Israeli consulate to the main city square.

Many Arab capitals braced

for an explosion of street protests in the coming days.

UN condemns raid, calls for probe The UN Security Council is calling for an impartial investigation into Israel's deadly commando raid on ships taking humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and condemning the "acts" that resulted in the loss of lives.

After an emergency meeting and marathon negotiations, the 15 council members agreed early on Tuesday on a presidential statement that was weaker than that initially demanded by the Palestinians, Arabs and Turkey.

They had called for condemnation of the attack by Israeli forces "in the strongest terms" and "an independent international investigation.

Indian investigators in US to question Headley Washington: A team of Indian investigators arrived in the US on Tuesday to interrogate for the first time David Coleman Headley, accused of helping Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists carry out the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

The team comprises officers of the National Investigation Agency and a law officer. This will be for the first time that 49year-old PakistaniAmerican Headley will be facing direct questions from Indian investigators since his arrest in October last year.

Besides the Indian

team, those during his stay expected to be in India. present during Sources in the questioning India said the would be four-member Headley's team has prelawyer and an pared questions officer of the about his stay FBI. in the country The quesespecially durtioning of ing March David Coleman Headley, cur2009, his last Headley rently being visit to India. held in the federal lock-up The travel details of Headley, the globe-trotting Metropolitan Correctional prized asset of the LeT, are Centre here, is going to revolve around the places being sought mainly as he had visited after the investigators believe that Mumbai terror attacks and this visit may have been to the people he had finalise the synchronised remained in touch with terror strikes on Jewish

Rajapaksa rejects demands for probe into rights violation

Indian doctor says huge civilian toll in Lanka war Colombo: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has rejected demands from the global community for an independent probe into the alleged human rights violations during the last phase of the civil war, saying a commission appointed by the government will look into the issue.

Rajapaksa said if the commission appointed by him points finger at anyone, even at his relatives, he will take action against them. He was asked why the Sri Lankan government was not allowing any independent body to investigate of it was so confident that the army did not commit any crimes.

Sri Lanka is under pressure from the global

Mahinda Rajapaksa

community to allow a UN agency to probe the human rights violations.

"You don't ask that from the Americans! You don't go and ask that of the British about Iraq, or Afghanistan or what is happening in Pakistan?

"Be fair with us...be fair with us... don't treat Sri Lanka like this because

we defeated terrorism," the President said.

Huge civilian toll One year after the end of the Sri Lankan civil war, one of the Indian doctors who treated Tamil refugees during the last months of the conflict says there were “massive casualties” among the civilian population.

The Sri Lankan government has denied any targeted killing of civilians and contested figures by the United Nations that 7,000 civilians died in the final phase of the conflict.

“We were not prepared (for what we saw) when we reached the camp… the extent of injuries… long lines of people,” the doctor said in an interview to Hindustan Times.

houses located in five cities, the sources said.

They said the government has kept 'backup staff' in readiness if the team needed any assistance.

The statement of Headley would be recorded by the Special Law Officer of India after which the NIA, which has registered a case against Headley and PakistaniCanadian national Tahawwur Rana for waging war against the country and Unlawful Activities Prevention (Act), may file a chargesheet against him.

Bhangra music in White House Nevada (US): Bhangra music was reverberated in the East Room of US White House on May 24 during the celebration of “Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.”

Besides president Barack Obama, the main other participants at the function were Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi, education secretary Arne Duncan, US Congressman Mike Honda, Redondo Beach (California) Mayor Mike Gin etc. About the bhangra music, Obama remarked: “uniquely American sound that may not have been heard in the White House before.”

27

Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

Court allows A Q Khan to move freely Lahore: The Lahore High Court Friday lifted all restrictions on disgraced nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, saying he was free to move anywhere in the country.

'His movements can not be restricted, as he is a free citizen of the country,' the court said while disposing off the petition filed by Khan, who mentored Pakistan's nuclear

programme and was then accused of proliferating the country's secrets abroad, challenging the restrictions on his movements.

The court ordered the government to abide by the deal the government made with Khan on his security and ensure that he was not harmed.

57 Hindus convert to Islam ‘under pressure’ In focus

Islamabad: Over 50 Pakistani Hindus have converted to Islam in the Sialkot district of Punjab within a week (between May 14 and May 19) under pressure from their Muslim employers in a bid to retain their jobs and survive in the Muslimdominated society.

As many as 35 Hindus converted to Islam on May 14, another 14 on May 17 and eight on May 19, 2010. All the 57 Hindus who have converted belong to the Pasroor town of Sialkot.

According to some Pakistani electronic media reports, Mangut Ram, a close relative of some of the

new converts, who lives in Sialkot, said that these Hindus had to embrace Islam because they were under pressure from their Muslim employers. He said four Hindu brothers along with their families lived in the village of Nikki Pindi.

Mangut Ram said that Hans Raj, Kans Raj, Meena/Kartar and Sardari Lal along with his nephews and sons worked at an eatery in Karachi.

According to Mangut Ram, his co workers often used to speak against Hindus in Karachi where his family worked. “The owner of the shop where I worked said that after a few months of his employ-

ing me the sales dropped drastically because people avoided purchasing and eating edibles prepared by Hindus. Many people opposed the large presence of Hindu employees at his shop and my boss felt pressured to change the situation,” he added.

Ram said Sardari Lal and his brother Meena/Kartar had worked at the sweets shops for several years and made a decent living that allowed them to support their families. He said other Muslims employees of the nearby shops discriminated against them and persecuted them. The shop owner was forced to think

about their future at his establishment. “That was when the two brothers and their families decided to embrace Islam in order to keep their jobs and be secure,” he added.

Ram confirmed that 13 family members of Sardari Lal, 12 members of Meena/ Kartar, their nephew Kans Raj’s son Boota Ram along with three adults and several children of these families embraced Islam on May 14, 2010. He said that Sardari Lal’s older brothers Hans Raj and Kans Raj remained Hindus. Hans Raj too has said that he might consider converting to save his job.

US planning unilateral attack on Taliban Washington: US military is looking at options for a unilateral strike in Pakistan if a successful terrorist strike on US soil is traced back to the country, senior Pentagon officials were quoted as saying on Saturday.

Plans for a unilateral strike were developed after ties between Times Square bombing suspect Faisal Shahzad and elements of the Pakistani Taliban were established, Washington Post reported.

"Planning has been reinvigorated in the wake of the Times Square," the paper said quoting officials. But US retaliation, officials said, would be

70 killed in mosque attack Lahore: At least 70 worshippers were killed when gunmen attacked two mosques of Muslim minority community in the eastern Pakistan city of Lahore on Friday last, officials said.

The gunmen opened fire shortly after Friday prayers and threw grenades at two Ahmadi mosques in residential neighbourhoods in Pakistan's cultural capital.

Sajjad Bhutta, deputy commissioner of Lahore, said at least 70 people had been killed in the twin attacks in Garhi Shahu and Model Town. A total of 78 were injured.

contemplated only under extreme circumstances such as catastrophic attack that leaves President Barack Obama convinced that the ongoing campaign of CIA drone strikes is insufficient.

The military bombing would focus on air and missile strikes but also could use small teams of US Special Forces currently deployed along the border with Pakistan.

"One of the senior military officials said plans for military strikes in Pakistan have been revised significantly over the past several years, moving away from a "large, punitive response" to more measured plans

meant to deliver retaliatory blows against specific militant groups," the daily said.

US special operations team in Afghanistan has pushed for years to have wider latitude to carry out raids across the border, arguing that CIA drone attacks do not yield prisoners or other opportunities to gather intelligence.

But a helicopter borne US Special Forces raid against targets in Pakistan in 2008 prompted protests from Islamabad.

The Post said a senior official had told Pakistan that it has only weeks to show a real progress to crackdown against the

Taliban.

Washington is insisting on Islamabad to launch a major strike on the Haqqani network of the Taliban which is suspected to have safe havens in North Waziristan, where Pakistan Army has shown reluctance to go in.

The paper said Islamabad has been "put on a clock" to launch a new intelligence and counter-terrorist operation against the group.

The paper said US officials have told Pakistan that Washington reserves the right to strike in the tribal areas in pursuit of world's most wanted terrorist Osama bin Laden.

Court allows sex change operation for the first time Lahore: For the first time in the history of Pakistan, a court has allowed a man suffering from gender identity disorder to undergo an operation to change his sex.

Sami Saleem, 30, had filed a petition with the Rawalpindi-based bench of the Lahore High Court in which he had said that his physical characteristics were like those of a man while his feelings and thoughts were like those of a woman.

Saleem said he had consulted a psychiatrist and had undergone counselling for two years, and that doctors had con-

firmed that he was suffering from gender identity disorder and needed an operation to change his sex.

He said he had contacted many doctors to conduct the gender reassignment surgery but all of them had declined, saying that there is no law in Pakistan which permitted them to carry out such an operation.

The doctors also advised him to get permission from court, he said.

Acting on Saleem's plea, a single-judge bench in Rawalpindi allowed him to undergo an operation to change his sex.

Earlier, Lahore High Court Chief Justice Khwaja Muhammad Sharif had dismissed a similar petition filed by Saleem, saying he should approach the Rawalpindi bench as he lived in the garrison city.

Saleem had mentioned in his petition that gender reassignment surgeries were being conducted in several Islamic countries, including Iran and Egypt.

However, observers said the verdict is expected to trigger a heated debate, especially among religious groups and Islamic clerics who are opposed to such practices.

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Ban on YouTube lifted Islamabad: The Pakistani authorities have lifted a ban on website YouTube though Internet links with objectionable material such as blasphemous caricatures will continue to be blocked, officials said. The Information and Technology Ministry lifted the ban on YouTube, which was blocked six days ago after the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) began cracking down on "blasphemous" and sacrilegious content. Officials said videos deemed offensive to Muslims that are posted on YouTube will continue to be blocked. Acting on an order of the Lahore High Court, PTA initially blocked social networking website Facebook for hosting a page that promoted a contest to draw blasphemous caricatures of Prophet Mohammed.

New chargesheet against 5 in Bhutto murder case Islamabad: Pakistani prosecutors last week filed a fresh chargesheet against five suspects in the 2007 killing of Benazir Bhutto, saying they were linked to the suicide bomber who assassinated the former premier under a conspiracy hatched by slain Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud. The fresh chargesheet was filed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the anti-terrorism court of Judge Malik Muhammad Akram Awan. The judge is conducting the trial of the five men accused of involvement in Bhutto's assassination within Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi due to security concerns. The five suspects, Muhammad Rafaqat Hussain, Hasnain Gul, Aitzaz Shah, Abdul Rasheed and Sher Zaman were arrested in the wake of Bhutto's assassination by a suicide bomber shortly after she addressed an election rally in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007. Sources said the fresh chargesheet stated that the suicide attacker was known to Hussain and Gul and had stayed at Gul's residence. The chargesheet also named former Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, who was killed in a US drone attack last year, as the mastermind behind Bhutto's assassination.

Musharraf evacuated from UKbound flight following bomb scare New Jersey: Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf was among the passengers taken off a London-bound flight of Virgin Atlantic at New Jersey airport in the US following a bomb scare, a media report said. Musharraf and other passengers were evacuated from the aircraft after a security alert about a suspicious traveller and reports of a bomb in the airliner, Geo News said. The aircraft was later cleared and all the passengers were given the go-ahead to board it.

However, Musharraf was taken to a local hotel and accommodated there. A passenger, reportedly from the Middle East, bought a one-way ticket on the flight and paid for it in cash. The man was arrested and the channel quoted US security sources as saying that they feared he might pose a threat to the flight. Virgin Atlantic's management declined to give the reason behind the emergency.

Lakhvi’s petition seeking acquittal rejected Islamabad: Pakistan Supreme Court on Thursday last rejected a petition filed by LeT commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi seeking acquittal in the Mumbai attacks case after his counsel withdrew the plea.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry said Lakhvi, one of the seven suspects being tried for their involvement in Mumbai attacks, could approach the higher courts after the anti-terrorism court decided the case.

Malik Rab Nawaz Noon, the senior advocate who represented the government, said that the Supreme Court bench did not agree with the contention of Lakhvi’s lawyer that Ajmal Kasab’s confessional statement to Indian authorities had no value in Pakistan courts.

Ajmal Kasab is the lone surviving terrorist of the Mumbai attacks and has been sentenced to death by a Mumbai court.

In his petition, Lakhvi had sought his acquittal in the Mumbai attack case in a Rawalpindi-based anti-terrorism court and the termination of criminal proceedings against him.

Lakhvi’s counsel had also asked the apex court to bar the anti-terrorism court and the prosecution from using Kasab’s statement against his client because it was recorded by an Indian magistrate. In his confessional statement, Kasab had named Lakhvi as the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people.

28

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

This week on CB Live, Kokila Patel, Executive Editor of Gujarat Samachar will talk about the newly-opened Hindu Sanatan Mandir at Wembley with Subir Patel from SGP Contract who built the temple, and have a political discussion with Kantibhai Nagda from Sangat Advice Centre.

If you do not have a tv, go to www.tvunetworks.com and watch CB Live on TVU Player Channel 75203

Sneh Joshi - 020 8518 5500 You will feel energetic and confident as the week begins. New beginnings are favoured around now, as long as you do not bite off more than you can chew. Your thinking is inspired, so listen to your thoughts. This may be a time of expansion and improved opportunity and it would be unwise to let yourself become complacent.

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20

To ask questions please call on: 020 8963 1001

For more information e-mail:

cblive_matv@yahoo.co.uk

Don't miss !!!

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21

Only on CB Live - MATV Sky 793 - Thursday 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Coming Events l Baade-Sabaa Kathak recital by Asavari Pawar.

She is trained by her father Guru Pratap Pawar of the Lucknow Gharana and has been performing since she was eight years old. Friday June 4 at 6.30 pm. l Azadeh Moaveni talks about her latest book Honeymoon in Tehran which is about Iranian life in the era of President Ahmadinejad.

Monday June 7, 6.30 pm at Asia House, 63 New Cavendish Street, London W1G 7LP. Tel- 020 7307 5454. l The Merchants of Bollywood, Tuesday 18th May- Saturday 5th June Tue-Sunday at 7:30pm, Sat and Sun Mats at 2:30pm, Peacock Theatre, Holborn l The Indian Portrait exhibition exploring Indian artists work over three centuries in depicting human form and changing role of portraiture today. Till June 20. National Portrait Gallery St Martin's Place London WC2H 0HE l Southbank Book Club discussion on Booker prize-winning novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel.

The free event must be booked. Wednesday, June 2 at 6.30pm. You can reserve your ticket online (£1.45 transaction fee) or by phone 0844 847 9910 (£2.50 transaction fee). l Britain's Got Bhangra musical showing the rise of Bhangra. May 24th- June 4th. Warwick Arts Centre, Gibbet Hill Rd, Coventry, West Midlands CV4 7AL - 024 7652 4524. l Pravachan of Shrimad Bhagwat Gita by Shri Maheshbhai Sharma from 2pm to 3pm. Bhajans

by Shree Budhdevbhai Kansara and many other artistsat Adhya Shakti Mataji Temple 55 High Street, Cowley,Middlesex UB8 2DX on Sunday June 6. l Learn classical and contemporary Indian dance moves by the Beeja Dance Group. For children, 5 years and older. Tickets can be booked one hour prior to the event. Entry free. Till Friday June 3 at 11.30am. National Portrait Gallery, St Martin's Place, London, WC2H 0HE.

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WIN JOHNNIE WALKER BAGS Two satchels and two weekend bags from Johnnie Walker are up for grabs to gift your Dad this Father's Day. Send in a picture of you along with a friend or relative holding a personalised Johnnie Walker Black Label bottle to johnniewalker@mediamoguls.com.

Deadline June 30.

The personalisation service is available at Selfridges, Harrods, Fortnum & Mason, Harvey Nichols, thewhiskyexchange.com and Gordon Macphail.

Number of female Muslim 'imamahs' to increase Women imams could be leading prayers in UK mosques after 15 years, as per a leading Muslim scholar. Fiyaz Mughal , director of Faith Matters, a conflict resolution organisation funded by the Government and private individuals, said discussions have already begun among British Muslim leaders. He said: “Historically women have played a key role in Islamic development.

There are discussions which are examining women's leadership within

pastoral care and even within prayer.”

There has been a rise in number of Muslim Islamic scholars. Some women already lead prayers at home or in settings like prisons and are popularly addressed as 'imamah'.

Hafizah Khan is one such woman who works on the female side at Peterborough prison. She says: “I believe there will be female imams. The female side of Islam in Britain has become stronger.”

Your inborn drive to be always pushing ahead receives added impetus during this week. Your energy levels will be high and you will find much scope for taking fresh initiatives and getting fast results. Your communications are well lit up but you have to ensure that you do not upset people around you with your brashness.

Your attention turns to money and finance this week. You are satisfied with your love life, but now you’ve got to get busy making cash. You have much professional territory yet to cover, with planets in your financial sector, there is not reason why you should not get there. Good period for communications.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

If you're currently romantically involved, your lover could well go from strength to strength in the area of passion. The work that you are involved with at this time is likely to demand a great deal of energy and initiative from you. This will also involve a lot of moving around and a need to establish a wider network of contacts.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23 Whatever you are aiming to achieve, everything is now swinging in your favour. Do not be afraid if you are working towards promotion or wish to begin a new venture. It is a time of high potential in regard to worldly achievement. Important interviews, meetings, negotiations and correspondence are highlighted.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

The cosmic energies are decidedly invigorating at the moment. If you are taking a holiday, so much the better ! Not only do you have Mercury putting a favourable emphasis on travel but, with Mars you can be sure of deriving the utmost pleasure from adventures and excursions.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23 It is a particularly favourable time for dealing with financial interests with a long-term basis and all jointly held resources. There are influences around you now that will do much to give you greater confidence. The feedback you are receiving from others is helping to strengthen your self-image.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22 You will make best progress by focusing your mental and physical energies on what you want to achieve. Intense focus is what is needed now so do not let yourself be distracted by non-essentials. A good time to develop fresh insights into other people and a better understanding of your own unconscious motives.

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Asian Voice switchboard: 020 7749 4000 Gujarat Samachar switchboard: 020 7749 4080 Sales: 020 7749 4085

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21 Co-operative ventures are likely to generate financial success. So, if hoping to drum up support or backing, it would certainly do no harm to adopt a more pushy and outgoing approach to life. As social life will tend to draw you into a wider circle, the chances of meeting someone attractive are greatly increased.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

All close ties of love and affection will benefit from the gentle influence of Venus. If you are married or have a well-founded relationship, it seems that the pattern of events will somehow draw you closer together emotionally. For those concerned about thier career, this is a fine time to do some serious thinking.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

The need to push ahead with personal interests and to assert yourself with added force will take precedence over everything else for some time to come. Mentally you will be in top form, perhaps feeling quite passionate about expressing your ideas and views. A goal you have been striving towards will at last be reached.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20 With Venus traversing your sign of leisure for some time to come, it will put you in the right mood if you intend to indulge your pleasure-loving instincts. Venus, the planet of love and romance throws a pleasing light on affairs of the heart.

Existing emotional differences can be easily sorted out now.

time

Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

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Tie types Syrian capital One-room apartment Bologna tongue Gave shape to Opposite of an enlarger Sturm___Drang Small dishes Now __ seen it all!

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Emotionless Hammer part Jeweish sect member Radio static letters flowerless plants Cormmon mushroom Ulan__.

Empty nesters’ vacation 40 Novelist carr 41 Order__Line 42 “Vegas$” star

sCRAMBLE - 56

Rearrange the letters in the four word jumbles, one letter to each square/circle, to make four ordinary words DOTII

How to play

Now arrange the letters in the circles to form the answer to the riddle or to fill in the missing word as indicated

BsUNT FIRTTH ADENTW

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies___us. - Ralph Waldo Emerson(6)

solution of scramble - 55

45 47 48 49 51 52 53 55

Tight-mouthed Stallone role Mexican menu item Death rattles 12:00 Pair of 501’s Indian bean tree Italian Possessive pronoun 56 With plastic 58 “Java” trumpeter 60 Crystalline gypsum 61 July 26th honoree 62 International agreements 63 Gnatlik files Down 1 Even though 2 Prehistoric period 3 Dead end 4 Roulette bet 5 Draws 6 Soft drinks 7 Throuws into confusion 8 Plato or aristotle. e.g.

9 Wed 10 Baba and MacGraw 11 Sermon topic

12 More encrusted 13 Irregular 14 Keerkegaard and Hansen 21 Shoshone 24 wind from the sahara 26 Last period of the Paleozoic Era 28 A shore 30 Entrance area 32 45% of M 34 Sawbuck 36 Iron ore 37 Passing through a membrance 38 Ozzy of Black Sabbath 39 Maternity ward VIPs 42 Greatest degree 43 Fassbinder or Rilke 44 Eaves dripper 46 Gibson or Torme 49 Spokes 50 Burst of energy 53 Dollar fraction 54 High: pref.

57 FDR power group 59 Once owned

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Words: Eased, fairs, foment, shapes.

Answer: Yesterday is history. Tommorrow’s a mystery. Today is a gift.

That’s why they call it the Present.

sPELLATHON -90

WHATZIT? - 90

LOOP THE LOOP - 56

MINDBENDER - 90 One of us falls, and never breaks.

One of us breaks, but never falls. What are we? solution of 89 : POISON (Replace every instance of the word “times” with an ‘X’.)

Find the familiar phrase, saying or name in this arrangement of letters.

sudoku-90

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

solution of spellathon - 89 : noon, onion, OPINION, pinion 20

5

Example

7 5

In the driver’s seat.

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The numbers in the pink squares refer to the sums of the digits that you must fill into the empty spaces directly below or to the right of the pink square containing the number. For instance, in the given example, the 2 boxes below 12 must contain 2 digits that add upto 12, whereas for 20, the 3 boxes places horizontally next to it must add upto 20.

No zeroes are used here, only the digits one through nine.

solution of KAKURO - 89

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1 Sollution-89:

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Rules Connect adjacent dots with vertical or horizontal lines, creating a single loop.

(Fig A).

Crossovers or branches are not allowed 3 3 3 (As shown by dotted lines in Fig B).

1 3 1 2 Numbers in the puzzle indicate the 3 3 1 number of lines that should 1 0 2 2 surround it, while empty cells may 2 2 3 3 be surrounded by any number of 1 2 3 1 2 lines.

You can’t draw lines arround 3 3 2 3 zeroes.

Each puzzle has just one unique solution.

How to begin: Example (Fig A) - Begin with the zero next to 3. Since no lines can be drawn around zero, mark crosses around it, as shown. Now there is a cross in one space around 3. So we know the three lines of 3 can only be drawn in the remaining three spaces. Next these lines can only be extended in one direction each. Continue, using the same Solution of LTL No. 55 logic. x x x Hints: Keep elimi3 3 3 3 3 nating possibilix x x x ties by marking x 2 x x x 0 x x crosses in x x spaces between x x 2 x x 2 3 3 dots where a line x x x x isn’t possible, x 2 1 x i.e., if you have x x x x x x already complet2 3 3 3 2 ed required lines x x x x or where a line x x x x x x 1 1 1 extension may x x x x x create a branch 2 x 2 x 2 3 or cause a deadx x end (Fig B)

Today’s Ratings: 01-average | 02-good | 03-outstanding

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solution of sudoku-89 HOW TO PLAY Each row, column and square 3x3 box is a subgrid of 9 cells. Fill in the grid so that each sub-grid contains the digits 1 to 9.

Every puzzle has one solution.

Note:

A digit cannot appear more than once in any particular digit combination. For instance in the example, we cannot have the combination of 8+4+8 for 20.

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www.abplgroup.com

asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

By

Simple steps to take care of migrane Many conclude migrane as just another kind of headache. But once made aware of migrane there are alternative methods other than the painkillers which should be avoided to cure migrane as a disease.

Use of Magnesium, Vitamin B2 are two such methods. Some recommend the sponging of Ice pack or even Acupressure There are

others who even suggest Aromatherapy Medical experts suggest some of the best ways is to have a watchful diet which i n c l u d e s avoiding artificial sweetener that contains aspartame, avoid monosodium glutamatecontaining foods and the diet should also contain high-fiber and , low-fat diet Experts even suggest hydration and meditation which can be seen as the best alternative methods to take care of migrane. Experts

point out that good breathing exercises and energy healing too are some of the ways of taking care of migrane.

Dieticians also suggest that a healthy diet which would enable a person to avoid migrane or take contrl of migrane

Any que stio

Swati BhaN

However one should have enough of Complex carbohydrates, Vitamin B complex, Magnesium, Calcium ,Iron Caffeine and ginger.

A person suffering from migrane should also avoid processed foods and instead have Black tea with cloves.

The person should always consider having a warm shower, avoid strenuous exercise and also avoid cologne The person should avoid direct sunlight and also see to it that they do not have excessive sleep The person should eat regular meals and always sleep in a proper posture. The person should take adequate care to avoid

Life style

ns wri te to mam ta@abplgroup.com

By Mamta Bhatia, Psychologist

How to find ‘the one’ (Part 2) From my interactions with people, it seems that finding a partner these days has become somewhat difficult. It is for this reason, I write an article for all souls that are looking for love.

Regardless of whether you are a man, women, young or old - as human beings you have an inherent need for companionship and there is nothing wrong with that.

However, for centuries getting married has been seen as the ‘done thing‘ to the point where if you are not married it is questioned. This attitude is unfortunate as many people learn that tying the knot is easier said then done and often rush into situations with little thought. Modern living dictates for an expected busy schedule.

With heavy work loads and everyday responsibility seeing to family and societal commitments very little time is left for yourself. Read below for more simple tips to help you get closer to finding love.

Live by your own rules and do not compare. When close friends highlight the positives in their relationship it is easy to think what they have is perfect. Often people only share the good parts of their relationship - not the negatives.

Subconsciously you may ’wish’ to have something similar and so you could be driven to

use other peoples criteria to judge a potential partners eligibility.

What people find is that doing this leads to disappointed because the individuals they meet could never fulfil such high expectations. One thing you must be clear on is that no relationship is perfect and perfection is subjective. If you expect perfection in accordance to other peoples criteria, you will be disappointed.

Therefore it is important to know your boundaries, what are you willing to compromise on and what will you not give up. Live for yourself and by your own rules. What makes you happy may not be acceptable for someone else. Ultimately, you will be in that relationship not your friends.

If things feel fine for you, go ahead because you know yourself better then anyone else.

Secondly, live in the moment and do not let historical battle scars ruin what could come in your future.

Be proactive about meeting people rather then worrying about what was. If you spend all of your time in contemplation about being single you will take time away from being proactive and forward thinking in your pursuit to meet the one for you.

Alternatively, think about what is in your control now and identify your strengths.

When you

identify your strengths you grow in confidence and this is very important.

If you like yourself, others will like you too. If you are down on yourself you achieve nothing but a negative state of being. Every second you have a choice to turn your thoughts around and create a more happier confident you.

When you choose to be like this authentically, you will see how quickly the world changes around you and how fast positive things are attracted into your life.

Remember nothing is impossible and if you ever doubt this look around you for great role models and re-inspire yourself to get the happiness you deserve in life.

Contact me at mamta@thinkspalondon.com if you have any questions and read next weeks article for further tips to help you find the one. For daily inspiration follow thinkspalondon on twitter and become a fan of think spa London on face book. Also, In June I will be running another intimate coaching session, contact me asap to secure your place. Good luck, I send you peace and energy.

Written by Mamta Bhatia a London based Psychologist at ThinkspaLondon.com.

Mamta fuses Eastern wisdom with Western application giving you easy to apply tools to live a happier fulfilled life.

Mango pickle

pain should avoid tyramine containing foods like chocolate, beer, cheese, nuts, bananas.

excessive noise, avoid gum chewing and avoid any form of nitrites. A person should limit the consumption of alcohol, and only eat very cold substances slowly The person should take care of proper scalp and face calisthenics, should essentially stop smoking or even avoid second hand smoking.

Another magic mantra to take care of migrane cure is o do regular yoga.

• Raw mangoes 500 gms.

• Fenugreek seeds 3 tbsp.

• Fennel seeds 4 tbsp.

• Red chili powder 2 tbsp.

• Turmeric powder 2 tsp.

• Mustard seeds 3 tbsp.

• Mustard oil 350 mls.

• Salt As per taste 1. Cut raw mangoes into half, remove seed and then cut ¾th inch sized pieces.

2. Apply turmeric powder and salt, rub nicely and then keep it for half an hour. Drain out excess moisture.

3. Grind fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds

and mustard seeds to a coarsepowder.

4. Heat mustard oil until smoking point, remove and let it cool.

5. Mix fenugreek seeds, fennel and mustard powder with red chili powder.

Add half of the mustard oil to this mixture and rub this spice and oil mixture to the mango pieces. Mix thoroughly.

6. Put this into an earthenware jar and pour the remaining mustard oil. Cover the jar with a muslin cloth and

keep it in the sun for 5-6 days.

7. Make sure you stir the contents o f the jar for the first two weeks at least once a day. This is to ensure that the mango pieces are always in contact with the oil.

Note: In most of the Indian pickles, salt and oil are used as preservatives.

Sport world

Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

No clash with WADA, cricket-specific doping code is needed ICC chief Lorgat announces launch of online ticket sales for World Cup 2011 Announcing the launch of online ticket sales for World Cup cricket 2011, to be played in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh on Tuesday in Mumbai, ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said there is no clash with WADA, what ICC and BCCI want is just a cricket-specific doping code. The point of contention between the parties is the ‘Whereabouts’ clause in the WADA code.

Cricketers in India as well as other countries have expressed their concerns as they feel it is an intrusion into their privacy and also a security issue.

At the media confer-

ence, Lorgat also brushed aside suggestions that WADA director general David Howman had issued an ultimatum to the ICC and its member boards last month to fall in line with its code in its entirety by November.

"I'm not sure that's what he said. In fact he was very complimentary about the progress cricket has made in terms of doping. He is very much with us in terms of putting something specific for cricket," Lorgat said.

"Being a signatory, we expect the ICC and cricket to remain committed to the WADA code. The ICC

has done a lot in the last three years, now they just need to give the final push," Howman had told reporters in Delhi on May 24.

BCCI CAO Ratnakar Shetty said that the way out is a cricket-specific whereabouts clause as pointed out by Lorgat.

"We need a practical solution. We need a cricket specific whereabouts clause as Mr. Lorgat said.

The ICC's Executive Board is seized of the matter and is in the process of putting up a plan for WADA," he said.

The World Cup Central Organising Committee's

Kareena with Matt Damon in FIFA music video India will be present at the World Cup Football in South Africa, though in a different context. While India is far from qualifying for the event, Indian music composers are already working on a track for the event. SalimSulaiman, the Bollywood musicians have also been signed up to perform live at the opening and closing ceremonies. But the most sensational piece of news is that Kareena Kapoor, aka Bebo would be star-

ring with Matt Damon for a FIFA music video.

Kareena is reportedly signed up for a FIFA music video.

Sources have revealed that Kareena Kapoor is in talks with event promoters and has taken time off from her schedule for the video, also featuring Kevin Spacey and Jessica Alba. It is indicated that the action around this music video is big, with the budget that could surprise Bollywood deals.

Cricket is to make its debut at the forthcoming Asian Games, to be staged in Guangzhou, China.

India, considered a sure medal prospect will miss, as participation of either men’s or women’s cricket teams in the event is ruled out, atleast for now.

Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), made this announcement

on Tuesday in Mumbai.

Chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty said the Asian Games are scheduled for November 12 to 27 and BCCI would not be able to send Indian teams because of their prior international commitments. This has been communicated to the Indian Olympic Association, he added.

Olympic Council of Asia General Assembly recently granted approval to T20 format of the game for Asian Games. India will be playing New Zealand at home in November.

Minus India, Asian Games is likely to have participation from Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh cricket teams.

Indian cricket teams not to play in Asian Games

Sahara again wins Indian Cricket team sponsorship Airtel lost by a margin of Rs. 4.5 mn; no takers for women, India A and U- 19 teams As the bids were opened on Monday for the sponsorship of Indian cricket team, Sahara India, the current sponsors of the team again emerged the highest bidders, beating the only other contender – Bharti Airtel.

BCCI had invited bids for sponsorship of Indian men’s and women’s teams, the India A and the Under 19 teams. Sahara group placed bids only for the men’s cricket teams.

Sources in the BCCI have indicated that the board is not much concerned about no sponsorship offers for the rest of the teams and will also not make any further attempt to find out sponsors for them.

Sahara offered an amount of Rs. 33.40 million per match against the Bharti Airtel offer of Rs. 29.90 million.

Sahara were considered a surprise bidder, as after winning the Pune team in the IPL auctions, the group boss Subroto Roy had said they would have a rethink for the sponsorship deal. They picked up the bid documents at the last moments with a view to keep competition at bay.

At Rs 33.40 billion a match, the Sahara deal is worth between Rs 4.81 billion.

Under the terms of the previous deal, Sahara paid Rs 1.91 crores ($ 412,000) per Test, Rs 2.09 crores ($

455,000) per ODI and Rs 1.57 crores ($ 340,000) per Twenty20. The new price is the same across all three formats, and more than doubles the price of a T20 game, highlighting its appeal and popularity.

The board had originally issued a tender late last year with a base price of Rs 3 crores ($ 650,000) per match, but failed to attract a single bid. As a stop gap measure, the Sahara Group agreed to extend its sponsorship of the Indian team for a further six months.

The Indian board issued the tender on Monday inviting companies to bid for the rights and the bidding period closed on Saturday.

chairman and ICC's president-elect Sharad Pawar purchased the first of the 100,000 tickets available for all matches online from Tuesday. “Five per cent of tickets for all the matches can be bought on line,” he said.

31

Sulieman Benn disobeys Gayle, sent off the field It is perhaps the first of its kind incident on a cricket field in an international match. West Indies spinner Sulieman Benn was asked to bowl over the wicket by his skipper Chris Gayle. But he said he had never done it before, and possibly didn’t obey. This was a huge

upset for Gayle, as he ordered Benn to return to the dressing room.

Benn's behavioural issues came to a head during the Perth Test in December, when he was suspended for two ODIs following a clash with Mitchell Johnson and Brad Haddin.

Australia tour of England 17 June 19 June 22 June 24 June 27 June 30 June 03 July 05 July 06 July 08-09 July 13-17 July 21-25 July

Only ODI - Ireland v/s Australia Middlesex v/s Australian 1st ODI - England v/s Australia 2nd ODI - England v/s Australia 3rd ODI - England v/s Australia 4th ODI - England v/s Australia 5th ODI - England v/s Australia 1st T20I - Australia v/s Pakistan 2nd T20I - Australia v/s Pakistan Derbyshire v/s Australian 1st Test - Australia v/s Pakistan 2nd Test - Australia v/s Pakistan

Clontarf Cricket Club Ground, Dublin Lord’s, London The Rose Bowl, Southampton Sophia Gardens, Cardiff Old Trafford, Manchester Kennington Oval, London Lord’s, London Edgbaston, Birmingham Edgbaston, Birmingham County Ground, Derby Lord’s, London Headingley, Leeds

Football World Cup Matches Date 11-06 11-06 12-06 12-06 12-06 13-06 13-06 13-06 14-06 14-06 14-06 15-06 15-06 15-06 16-06 16-06 16-06 17-06 17-06 17-06 18-06 18-06 18-06 19-06 19-06 19-06 20-06 20-06 20-06 21-06 21-06 21-06 22-06 22-06 22-06 22-06 23-06 23-06 23-06 23-06 24-06 24-06 24-06 24-06 25-06 25-06 25-06 25-06 26-06 26-06 27-06 27-06 28-06 28-06 29-06 29-06 02-07 02-07 03-07 03-07 06-07 07-07 10-07 11-07

Teams Venue South Africa v/s Mexico Soccer City - Johannesburg France v/s Uruguay Green Point Stadium - Cape Town Nigeria v/s Argentina Ellis Park Stadium - Johannesburg South Korea v/s Greece Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium – Port Elizabeth England v/s United States Royal Bafokeng Stadium – Rustenburg Algeria v/s Slovenia Peter Mokaba Stadium - Polokwane Australia v/s Germany Moses Mabhida Stadium - Durban Ghana v/s Serbia Loftus Versfeld - Tshwane/Pretoria Denmark v/s Netherlands Soccer City - Johannesburg Cameroon v/s Japan Free State Stadium – Mangaung/Bloemfontein Italy v/s Paraguay Green Point Stadium - Cape Town Slovakia v/s New Zealand Royal Bafokeng Stadium – Rustenburg Ivory Coast v/s Portugal Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium - Port Elizabeth North Korea v/s Brazil Ellis Park Stadium - Johannesburg Chile v/s Honduras Mbombela Stadium - Nelspruit Spain v/s Switzerland Moses Mabhida Stadium - Durban South Africa v/s Uruguay Loftus Versfeld - Tshwane/Pretoria France v/s Mexico Peter Mokaba Stadium - Polokwane Nigeria v/s Greece Free State Stadium – Mangaung/Bloemfontein South Korea v/s Argentina Soccer City - Johannesburg Germany v/s Serbia Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium – Port Elizabeth Slovenia v/s United States Ellis Park Stadium - Johannesburg Algeria v/s England Green Point Stadium - Cape Town Ghana v/s Australia Royal Bafokeng Stadium – Rustenburg Japan v/s Netherlands Moses Mabhida Stadium - Durban Cameroon v/s Denmark Loftus Versfeld - Tshwane/Pretoria Slovakia v/s Paraguay Free State Stadium – Mangaung/Bloemfontein Italy v/s New Zealand Mbombela Stadium - Nelspruit Ivory Coast v/s Brazil Soccer City - Johannesburg North Korea v/s Portugal Green Point Stadium - Cape Town Switzerland v/s Chile Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium – Port Elizabeth Spain v/s Honduras Ellis Park Stadium - Johannesburg Uruguay v/s Mexico Royal Bafokeng Stadium – Rustenburg South Africa v/s France Free State Stadium – Mangaung/Bloemfontein Greece v/s Argentina Peter Mokaba Stadium – Polokwane Nigeria v/s South Korea Moses Mabhida Stadium - Durban Algeria v/s United States Loftus Versfeld - Tshwane/Pretoria England v/sSlovenia Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium - Port Elizabeth Ghana v/s Germany Soccer City - Johannesburg Australia v/s Serbia Mbombela Stadium - Nelspruit Italy v/s Slovakia Ellis Park Stadium - Johannesburg Paraguay v/s New Zealand Peter Mokaba Stadium - Polokwane Cameroon v/s Netherlands Green Point Stadium - Cape Town Japan v/s Denmark Royal Bafokeng Stadium - Rustenburg Ivory Coast v/s North Korea Mbombela Stadium - Nelspruit Portugal v/s Brazil Moses Mabhida Stadium - Durban Switzerland v/s Honduras Free State Stadium - Mangaung/Bloemfontein Spain v/s Chile Loftus Versfeld - Tshwane/Pretoria Round of 16 1A v/s 2B (1) Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium - Port Elizabeth Round of 16 1C v/s 2D (3) Royal Bafokeng Stadium - Rustenburg Round of 16 1D v/s 2C (4) Free State Stadium - Mangaung/Bloemfontein Round of 16 1B v/s 2A (2) Soccer City - Johannesburg Round of 16 1E v/s 2F (5) Moses Mabhida Stadium - Durban Round of 16 1G v/s 2H (7) Ellis Park Stadium - Johannesburg Round of 16 1F v/s 2E (6) Loftus Versfeld - Tshwane/Pretoria Round of 16 1H v/s 2G (8) Green Point Stadium - Cape Town Quarter Finals 5 v/s 7 (C) Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium - Port Elizabeth Quarter Finals 1 v/s 3 (A) Soccer City - Johannesburg Quarter Finals 2 v/s 4 (B) Green Point Stadium - Cape Town Quarter Finals 6 v/s 8 (D) Ellis Park Stadium – Johannesburg Semi Finals A v/s C (I) Green Point Stadium - Cape Town Semi Finals B v/s D (II) Moses Mabhida Stadium – Durban 3/4 Place Loser I v/s II Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium - Port Elizabeth Final Soccer City - Johannesburg

32

Asian Voice - Saturday 5th June 2010

England beat B’desh at Lord’s Steven Finn shines with his first five wicket haul in a test match Tamim Iqbal scored a fighting century against the home team on Sunday at the Lord’s. Yet all he could do was to enhance the reputation of Bangladesh cricket, as they not only escaped an innings defeat, but also extended the 1st test match to the final day.

England finally won by eight wickets on Monday with more than a session to spare.

Bangladesh started the final day at 328 for five and there were doubts if England would be able to bundle them out in time to win. Steven Finn made the breakthrough and later, the Bangladesh innings folded up right in the morning session.

Finn turned out to be one of the frontline

Steven Finn (centre) celebrates after dismissing Mushfiqur Rahim for a duck at Lord's on Monday.

bowlers and also captured his first five wicket haul in test cricket.

England finally had a target of 160 runs. Andrew Strauss led the chase with a confident 82.

In the end England's eight-wicket victory came with ease.

Strauss and Alastair Cook were gifted a 60-run start by some woeful bowling and negative fielding

settings.

England would have had serious problems dismissing Bangladesh twice in this match, without Finn. The 21-year-old has led the bowling effort in both innings, impressing with his maturity, accuracy and stamina.

However, he just missed a 10 wicket haul that would have made him the first since Ian Botham did it at the Lord’s in 1978.

M a h m u d u l l a h removed Cook as the left hander was given out lbw. {Brief scores: Eng 505 and 163 for 2 (Trott 36*, Pietersen 10*) beat B’desh 282 and 382 (Tamim 103, Kayes 75, Siddique 74, Finn 5-87) by 8 wickets}.

India crush Sri Lanka with ease

Sharma ton helps his team on Sunday Rohit Sharma’s heroic effort on Friday went in vain, while on Sunday he piled up another one, this time it became fruitfull, as India crushed Sri Lanka by seven wickets with more than 6 overs to spare. In the victory march, Virat Kohli also played an important knock of 82 and gave Sharma all the support that he needed to overcome a manageable target of 243 runs. However, the difference between the two teams was the ease with India reached their goal, while the Sri Lankans were seen toiling hard.

Overnight rains had left enough moisture on the pitch and the Sri Lanka were forced to adopt a watchful approach.

Rohit Sharma survived some iffy moments to settle down and played a few typically stylish hits. Two stood out for their skill and beauty: He sashayed down the track and lifted Randiv inside-out over covers. He then flicked

South Africa on way to a whitewash West Indies lose a close game to make it 0 - 4 Hashim Amla again starred with a huge ton.

South Africa had a hiccup or two before they ultimately sealed the 4th ODI at Dominica on Sunday on the last ball to make it 4 – 0 against the hosts West Indies.

Both the teams committed blunders under pressure. It all ended up as a missed chance on the last ball, with Darren Sammy unable to effect a run out. South Africa had fumbled, as they saw the run rate climb up to 8.60 after 45 overs and had to opt the mandatory batting powerplay. In the final over, they needed just 3 runs and got two of them in the first two balls.

The high scoring encounter ended up with

Hashim Amla celebrates his second century of the series

high drama as three dot balls followed, taking the suspense to the last ball.

West Indies were with Kemar Roach and Jerome Taylor, both injured.

Hashim Amla was at

the centre-spread again with a cool century, his second in the series. He battled exhaustion, scored the bulk of his runs in singles - only 30 of his runs came off boundaries when he reached his century and could have batted till the end if his body allowed him.

West Indies set innovative fields for Graeme Smith - placing two short midwickets - but not for Amla.

The intensity dropped after Smith's dismissal as Amla calmly collected the singles and reached his fifty, off 45 balls.

He took charge of two stands of 59 and 119 with Smith and Jacques Kallis respectively, and continued grafting it out till he

neared his century. A squirt to backward point got him there, but he was already running low on battery, squatting on the pitch whenever he had a breather. He tried hitting out to conserve energy, but eventually fell to a tired shot to long-off.

The three main players in West Indies innings were Dale Richards, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Darren Bravo, who dictated terms in different styles to take West Indies to 303 and give the Sunday crowd at Windsor Park a match to watch.

Springboks run amok as West Indies collapse; series sealed West Indies failed to capitalise on the success of their bowlers on Friday

at the same venue in the 3rd ODI, as even after restricting South Africa to an easily gettable 224, the batting failed to rise to the challenge.

28 was the highest score in the innings. Just three batsmen failed to get into the double figures, but they could all pull it on to just 157 runs, giving South Africa a thumping victory by 67 runs. {Brief scores: 4th ODI - SA 304 for 3 (Amla 129, de Villiers 57*, Kallis 51) beat WI 303 for 6 (Chanderpaul 66, Richards 59, Darren Bravo 45*) by 7 wickets.

3rd ODI – SA 224 (de Villiers 70, Pollard 3-27) beat WI 157 (Morkel 421, Langeveldt 3-30) by 67 runs.}

Rohit Sharma celebrates his second ton in a row

Perera from just outside off stump wide of mid-on for a gorgeous boundary.

He later pulled Dilhara Fernando and lofted Randiv for sixes and brought up his ton with a cut against Mendis.

Lankan innings was all about Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mathews.

Dilshan hit his first boundary off his 35th ball and it wasn't until his 50th delivery that he chose to rush down the track to play a big shot. It was his abstinence against the new ball that really stood out, though.

Zimbabwe beat India by 6 wickets Earlier, hosts Zimbabwe gave a strong display of their prowess, as they beat India by 6 wickets with 10 balls to spare. India, playing without a couple of their senior players, were failed by the inexperience of their bowling attack. Even a decent score of 285 could not be defended by the Indian attack speaks all.

It was the first match of the tri-series at Bulawayo on Friday. For the home team, it was their first victory against India in eight years. {Brief scores: 2nd ODI - India 243 for 3 (Rohit 101*, Kohli 82) beat SL 242 (Mathews 75, Dilshan 61) by 7 wickets.

1st ODI - Zim 289 for 4 (Taylor 81, Ervine 67*) beat India 285 for 5 (Rohit 114, Jadeja 61*) by 6 wickets}.