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Vol 44 | Issue 18

5th to 11th September August 2015

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

B O L L Y W O O D P29 KATRINA HAS A GREAT FASHION SENSE: RANBIR

SPORTS

P32

INDIA CLINCH HISTORIC VICTORY IN SRI LANKA

INDIAN PRIME MINISTER MODI TO RECEIVE 'OLYMPICS STYLE' WELCOME AT WEMBLEY STADIUM EXCLUSIVE

Rupanjana Dutta The Europe India Forum (EIF) has announced that it will be hosting a reception in honour of Prime Minister Modi at Wembley Stadium on 13 November. Over 70,000 people are expected to attend this special invitation only "Olympic style" event. It will be the largest reception any foreign head of government has ever received in the UK and will also be the largest an Indian Prime Minister has ever received anywhere outside India. The Reception themed "Two Great Nations. One Glorious Future." will kick off with a specially produced cultural show featuring some of the very best British Indian artists. Prime Minister Modi's keynote address will be followed by what is expected to be the country's largest fireworks display, as the visit coincides with the festival of Diwali. Members of Parliament from

across the political spectrum, business leaders, and personalities from the world of entertainment, art and culture are also expected to attend. The event website is www.ukwelcomesmodi.org and the designated Twitter handle is @ukwelcomesmodi, that will be used for all announcements and information relating to the event and its build-up. Professor Nath Puri CBE, a founding member of EIF, said: "Prime Minister Modi has emerged as a iconic figure on the world stage. This Olympics style reception he will receive at Wembley stadium will not only reflect the respect and adulation he has within the British Indian community, but will highlight and celebrate his vision for a peaceful and prosperous India. It will bring together people from all communities and backgrounds in a mood of celebration of all that unites us as countries and people." In welcoming the announcement, The Rt Hon Priti Patel MP, UK

Minister for Employment and Prime Minister Cameron's Indian Diaspora Champion said: "The UK Government places huge importance on the special relationship with India. Prime Minister Modi's forthcoming visit and the community reception will only serve to strengthen the bond of friendship between our two great nations. I encourage as many community organisations to register their support." Virendra Sharma MP, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on India-UK Relations said "The UK's 1.5 million India diaspora are an excellent bridge between the UK and India. Prime Minister Modi has the largest democratic mandate in the history of the world. As a person of Indian origin, I am hugely looking forward to this defining moment where we can celebrate our democracies and shared values."

CONTINUED ON P 2

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ARMED FORCES CELEBRATE RAKSHA BANDHAN WITH HINDUS ACROSS THE UK

Hardik Patel takes agitation nationwide The 22 year old Patidar leader who anchored the recent protests in Gujarat for reservation,

landed in New Delhi last last weekend with ambitions w of promoting his movement across India. In Delhi he met with representatives of the Jat and Gujjar communities and sought their help to turn his agitation into a nationwide one. He has also sent feelers to the communities in CONTD. ON P 16

Prime Minister announces new Asian Peers Critics attack David Cameron over House of Lords appointments

Shas Sheehan

Ruby McGregor Smith

The 45 new Peers appointed on Thursday by Prime Minister David Cameron has once again raised questions about the credibility and expense of the House of Lords. The new arrivals

take the Upper House membership to about 830, including appointment of two new Asian Women Peers and many former MPs, party advisers and donors. CONTINUED ON P 8

ONE ONE with Keith Vaz, MP Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

Dr K.C. Chakrabarty

Dr K.C. Chakrabarty is a seasoned and accomplished banker with over three decades of experience in commercial banking. He served as Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 2009-2014. While at the Reserve Bank, He was responsible for the Supervision of Banks, Currency Management, Financial Stability, Customer Service, Rural Credit and Human Resource Management. He was also the Bank’s nominee on the Financial Stability Board. Dr. Chakrabarty is the former Chief Executive responsible for UK operations of the Bank of Baroda for 3 years before being elevated as Executive Director of Punjab National Bank in August 2004. Subsequently Dr. Chakrabarty assumed the office of CMD of Indian Bank in June 2005 and Punjab National Bank in June 2007. He has outstanding academic credentials. He secured second rank in his Bachelor’s Degree in Science, First rank in M.Sc Statistics and holds a Doctorate in Statistics from Banaras Hindu University. He currently works as a Consultant from London and serves as a Director on the Board of Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd. 1) What is your current position? Consultant. Also serve as a Director on the Board of

Indiabulls. 2) What are your proudest achievements?

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Officer of second largest Bank in the country and then the Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank Of India, Central Bank of the country.

about your current role? After working for 41 years for others I am working for myself.

3)What inspires you? Making meaningful contribution in the lives of poor people to raise their standard of living.

8) What are your long term goals? Add value to the society.

4) What has been the biggest obstacle in your career? Straight and Hard Talk.

Born at a remote rural place where closest bus station was more than 50 KM away, could become the Chief Executive

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5) Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date? Late Shri K. Kannan, my boss and former CMD of Bank of Baroda 6) What is the best aspect

7) And the worst? Not much challenge in the Job.

9) If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change? Subsidisation of the Rich by poor which is rampant globally 10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why? Christopher Columbus, so that he can help and guide me how to get out from there and reach my home or a new inhabited place to live.

Indian Prime Minister Modi to receive 'Olympics style' welcome

Continued from page 1 Shamsuddin Agha, President of the Indian Muslim Federation said, “I am delighted that Shri Narendra Modi, our Prime Minister, will be visiting the UK shortly. I have no doubt that it will

Shamsuddin Agha strengthen the ties between our great nations. It will bring people closer than ever before. It will bolster trade and economic cooperation. The visit will demolish the walls of hatred and

extremism. It will work towards the development of all people irrespective of caste, creed or religion and create a pluralistic, multicultural society in India.” Gurmail Singh Mahli, President of Sri Guru Singh Sabha Southall, the largest Sikh Gurdwara in the UK said “Prime Minister Modi's farsighted leadership is worthy of praise and deserves recognition. Success in our home state of Punjab will share and contribute further in the success of India and we all support the visionary direction of Prime Minsiter Modi.” Yajur Shah, President of National Hindu Students’ Forum UK said “Prime Minister Modi is an inspiration to young people around the world. His tech savvy approach to dealing with some of the most complex problem’s demonstrates that he is a leader for the modern generation. We will be giving him a warm and vibrant welcome to the UK.” Lord Khalid Hameed board member of the British Muslim Research Centre and chief executive of London International Hospital said:

Minister Modi’s forthcoming visit to the UK will be celebrated as the beginning of a new phase in the strengthening of the Indo-British partnership and the enhancing of bilateral investments. The World

Ranjit Singh Baxi Punjabi Organisation and all Indians across UK are looking forward to welcoming Shri Narendra Modi. Working together under his dynamic leadership we will make India a global manufacturing hub – Make in India.” Lord Bilimoria, a cross bench peer of Zoroastrian Indian descent and founding chairman of the UK India Business Council said "The UK and India have an opportunity to really invigorate this unique and deep bilateral relationship. Prime Minister Modi visit I am sure be the catalyst for many great things.”

Lord Khalid Hameed "We have heard of the splendid news of the forthcoming visit of the Indian Prime Minister Modi. It will enhance and increase the goodwill between Great Britain and India, and encourage, with great delight Indians living in the UK." Ranjit Singh Baxi, President of the World Punjabi Organisation said “Prime

Lord Bilimoria

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Can I buy tickets? You cannot buy tickets for the event. It is an invitation only event. However, the invitations have no cost. What is the official website for the event? The official website is www.ukwelcomesmodi.org The official twitter handle is: @UKWelcomesModi The official Facebook page is: UK Welcomes Modi Please check the site, follow the twitter handle and like the Facebook page for up to date information. What is a Welcome Partner? The website is open for Welcome Partner registrations till 5th September 2015. A Welcome Partner is an approved not for profit organisation that the organiser (Europe India Forum) have allocated invitations to. The official website will publish a list of official welcome partners after Welcome Partner registrations close on 5th September 2015. Businesses cannot register as Welcome Partners. Welcome Partners will go through a verification process which will involve the relevant authorities so registration does not guarantee Welcome Partner Status. What is the process for getting an invitation? Organisations who are successfully appointed Welcome Partners will be provide guidance on how to register for invitations via the site from the 5th September onwards. Welcome Partners will issue codes to their associated membership which individuals can then use via the official website to make applications for invitations from. If you are not associated with one of the Welcome Partners you can make a General registration via the official website after 19th September 2015. Anyone that wishes to attend the event can do so by applying for an invitation to the reception. All applications that are received are subject to security checks by the relevant authorities. You can only register for an invitation online using the official website www.ukwelcomesmodi.org

If I register do I receive an invitation? If you apply for an invitation to the event, you are not guaranteed to receive one. General applications will be subject to a lottery system to ensure fair allocation of invitations. Invitations cannot be bought and there is no cost of entry for successful applicants. All those who succeed in receiving an invitation must remember that invitations are strictly nontransferable and will be subject to ID checks on the event day. Can I make multiple applications for invitations? Please do not make multiple applications for invitations via multiple Welcome Partners or General registrations. If you do, you will be removed from the lottery process of invitation allocation. Please note your ID will be cross-checked across all invitation applications and if multiple registrations are made your application will be removed from the lottery process and excluded from consideration for an invitation. Who can attend the event? We welcome anyone who is interested in attending the event to apply for an invitation either via a Welcome Partner organisation you are a member of or are known to, or as an individual applicant under the general application process. How many invites can I apply for? You will be able to register yourself and up to five other people when applying for an invitation. What do I need to attend? In order to attend the event, you must have either: a valid passport, or a valid Driving Licence. An adult carrying valid identification must accompany those under the age of 18 at all times. I or some of my party have special needs, what do I do? If you have any specific needs, please state those on your application. We will do our best to accommodate you. What is the Europe India Forum? The Europe India Forum is a not for profit organisation promoting Europe-India relations for communities, by communities.

COMMENTS

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Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

India’s signals China, Japan India is well placed to weather the present financial instability rocking global markets. The source of this disturbance, China, is where the bubble of mounting debt and over-valued stocks are taking toll of the Chinese economy, which is now in slowdown mode. This, and the continuing tensions in the South China Sea between China and its neighbours, Vietnam, the Philippines et al, and similar maritime disputes between China and Japan in the East China Sea are the backdrop to the forthcoming Victory Parade in Beijing to commemorate China’s (and the Allied) defeat of Imperial Japan in the Second World War. The major world powers involved in the conflict were issued invitations to grace the occasion by their presence. India is one of the invitees, as Indian forces, with 27 Victoria Crosses during the 14th Army’s great campaign to liberate South East Asia, played a critical role, in the effort. From across the Pacific Ocean it was the United States which destroyed Japan’s naval power, while on the northern land front in Manchuria, it was the Soviet Red Army that obliterated Japan’s famed Kwantung Army. That, in essence, represented the trajectory of the Allied triumph. China, mired in a civil war, played a secondary role in the conflict. Its membership of the UN Security Council in the aftermath of the war was an American decision made on political grounds, as China was not a Great Power at the time. China’s invitation to India to attend the victory celebrations in Beijing was predicated on the hope that the Indian President would be present, and that a contingent would march alongside the China’s People’s Liberation Army. After all, this was what transpired at the Victory Day march in the heart of Moscow on 9 May to commemorate the triumph of Soviet army over those of Nazi Germany. The difference lies in the exemplary friendship built over many decades between India and Russia, from Soviet times to the present day. This is far from the case with

China, for reasons that have long been self-evident and need no elucidation here.. The relatively low key representation involves a junior minister in the person of General V.K. Singh. This is scarcely a coded message to Beijing that its territorial claim to Arunachal Pradesh, its alignment with jihadi Pakistan and China’s apparent indifference to terrorist attacks emanating from Pakistani soil on India carries a message of displeasure from New Delhi. India’s response has been firm and transparent: it takes two to tango, just as two and more participants can play the Great Game in Asia and lands afar. India is up for the challenge. Japan, too, has turned down the invitation to attend the celebrations in Beijing. That, and India’s low key presence in the Chinese capital is clearly meant to show Tokyo that New Delhi sets great store on its strategic partnership with Japan, and takes Japanese concerns apropos of China seriously. Vice President Hamid Ansari is scheduled to visit Laos and Cambodia, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the East Asian summit in Malaysia. Add to this Cabinet Minister Nitin Gadkari’s presence at Egypt’s celebration of the opening of the New Suez Canal and India’s diplomatic stance brooks no denial. On the anniversary of the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal the Indian Ambassador in Washington, Arun Kumar Singh, and US Ambassador in New Delhi, Richard Verma penned a joint editorial in the Huffington Post, which read: “Our two countries have been indispensable partners in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions.” Middle Kingdom autistic conceit has done China few favours. When one recalls the once comradely Sino-Vietnam relationship and contrasts that with the bristling hostility that prevails today, Chinese statecraft appears far from impressive in every sense of the term. The ritual kowtow to the Son of Heaven in the hoary past is as out of date as the Dodo. Better wake up to the ground realities, Comrades, while there is still time.

TCS gift to Carnegie Mellon University Indo-American ties have always been strongest at the civil society level, where individuals, groups and business and education institutions play the visionary role. The latest instance of this is the decision of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to gift Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh, a massive $35 million, cementing a relationship between the two great steel entities, which began with Andrew Carnegie and Jamsetji Tata in the early years of the 20th century. Carnegie’s philanthropy helped put CMU on its feet, Tata’s led to the establishment of the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. Both steel magnates were on the same page, hence it was fitting that TCS make this donation to an institution that has long been a unique centre of global excellence in science and technology. The Tata donation to Carnegie Mellon University is the largest corporate gift to CMU from outside the United States. The money will fund a new facility: the Tata Consultancy Services Building for education and cutting edge research, and also endow fellowships for senior academics and scholarships to deserving students. Carnegie Mellon University, which already has a billion

dollar endowment in its coffers, is headed by Indiaborn Subra Suresh, a former Dean of Engineering at MIT, who was thereafter appointed to lead the[US] National Foundation before moving to take charge of CMU. “TCS is proud to invest in this landmark partnership with CMU to promoter market-driven innovation and accelerate advancements in technology, said TCS CEO Natarajan Chandrasekaran. Explaining the rationale behind the TCS gift, he said: “As global leaders, Carnegie Mellon and TCS have intellectual power, creativity, institutional nimbleness, and global reach to capitalize on new opportunities and have a lasting impact on society and industry through cutting edge digital research and a long-term commitment to education.” Well put, indeed. Tata has also made a significant donation to Harvard University, and to the London School of Economics in the UK. It is surely in the life of the mind that India and the US, and the West generally, can contribute most with their special strengths for human betterment. This is a partnership fit for purpose going forward.

Indo-British ties need lift The mass migration from North Africa and the Middle East of disposed humanity is partly the work of human traffickers. The larger responsibility lies with American, British and French leaders who, with a cavalier disregard of reality, chose to intervene militarily in the area to ostensibly establish democracy and created, instead, a hell-hole from which thousands of people seek to escape. Faced with this human deluge, Britain, in particular, is undergoing a seizure about an immigrant threat. Stringent measures have been put in place to keep out the swelling flood. As such, Indian students who once flocked to British universities are increasingly looking to other more welcoming destinations of higher education. Indian companies in the UK face impediments about their skilled Indian staff entering the UK. Such obstacles have now tripped up Britain’s curry restaurants whose annual turnover amounts to 100 million pounds. Many of these restaurants seek expert chefs from India, either on short or long-term visas, but getting the required approval is proving as difficult as threading a rusted needle. Lord Karan Billimoria assembled the managements of these curry houses

and put together a plan to train an assembly line of expert chefs resident in Britain. It could be a way out of the present impasse; only time will tell if it is. This, and other experiences, carry the message that Britain is no longer as open for business as it once was. That said, two-way trade and investment between Britain and India have attained encouraging volumes, but these could reach higher levels in a friendlier environment. But things may be changing for the better. W est Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was in London, about a month or so ago, with a large business delegation, in a bid to attract investors in her investment-starved State following 34 years of Communist-led Left Front rule, which ensured a massive flight of capital. Now comes a shaft of light: the West Bengal government is seeking help from the UKbased FutureCities Catapault to set in motion urban development projects in Rajarhat or New Town (its other name) – the ultra-modern suburb on the outskirts of Kolkata – with the UK Trade Investment and Prosperity in India, as a participant in the venture. Experts are to visit possible sites for detailed planning to begin. Roll on, the blessed date.

When a man has once broken through the paper walls of everyday circumstance, those unsubstantial walls that hold so many of us securely prisoned from the cradle to the grave, he has made a discovery. If the world does not please you, you can change it. Determine to alter it at any price, and you can change it altogether. You may change it into something sinister and angry, to something appalling, but it may be you will change it to something brighter, more agreeable, and at the worst something much more interesting. - "The History Of Mr. Polly" by H.G. Wells (1910)

Cllr David Perry Leader of Harrow Council

Starting the ambitious campaign to make Harrow the Best London Borough for Recycling by 2017 I know that all residents in Harrow care about their local environment, and want our Borough always looking its very best. This is why the Labour Administration has just started an ambitious campaign to make Harrow the Best London Borough for Recycling by 2017. Recycling more means that we produce less rubbish and by separating out food and garden collections it costs the Council significantly less money to dispose of its waste, which means we have more money to invest into keeping our Borough clean. A few weeks ago all residents were sent information about the changes being made to waste collection. I know that some residents have queried the small fee for the opt-in service for the collection of Garden Waste; however the reality is that the Brown Bins for Garden waste were introduced free of charge way back in 2003 and the Council just does not have the money now to carry on providing this service without charging.

Given that the C o n s e r v a t i v e Government has imposed £83m of cuts on Harrow Council and our residents from 2014 – 2018, we are left with no option but to only continue this service with an opt-in charge, as have over a third of Councils in the country, including our neighbouring Boroughs of Brent & Ealing. There will be a two thirds discount for residents in receipt of Council Tax Support, you can share a bin with a neighbour and have assisted collection for the elderly or disabled. Having a free weekly collection for food waste and an optional service for the disposal of garden waste will help residents recycle more, whilst also ensuring we are meeting the savings targets that have been imposed on us. That is why we have started this ambitious campaign to improve recycling rates in our Borough; despite the savings we have to make we will achieve more with less and keep our Borough looking clean and tidy.

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Sweet smell of failure for Manchester smuggler MANCHESTER: A company director, who was jailed for smuggling over three tonnes of tobacco disguised as scented pot pourri through Manchester airport, has been ordered to repay £34,500 in stolen tax. Mohammed Shazed Jameel, 32, of Burnage was ordered to repay the money following a financial investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Zoe Ellerbeck, Assistant Director, Criminal Investigation, HMRC, said: “Jameel and his accomplices made multiple attempts to smuggle shisha tobacco products into the UK to evade excise duty and VAT. We are determined to track down

Mohammed Shazed Jameel tax evasion and recover stolen taxes. “Tobacco fraud costs honest taxpayers more than £2.1 billion a year and seriously damages local, honest businesses. Shopkeepers, or any business, who trade in illegal

goods will be investigated and subject to civil and criminal proceedings. Anyone with information about suspicious tobacco sales or smuggling should contact the Customs’ Hotline on 0800 59 5000.” HMRC traced 33 illegal freight consignments back to Jameel which added up

to over three tonnes of tobacco. He was ordered to repay £34,500 within three months or face a compulsory default jail sentence of an additional two years. Two other men convicted with Jameel received confiscation orders for their involvement earlier in July.

Birmingham Koran could rewrite Islamic history B'HAM: Fragments of the world's oldest Koran, found in Birmingham last month could rewrite the early history of Islam, scholars are speculating. The pages that are believed to be almost 1400 years old, were discovered bound within the pages of another Koran from the late 7th century at the library of University of Birmingham. Written in ink in an early form of Arabic script on parchment made from animal skin, the pages contain parts of chapters 18-20, which may have been written by someone believed to

have actually known Prophet Muhammad, the founder of the faith. Several historians think the parchment appears to be so old that it contradicts most accounts of the Prophet’s life and legacy.

Scholars have claimed that the Birmingham Koran was produced between 568 AD and 645

AD, while the dates usually given for the Prophet are 570 AD to 632 AD. It was supposedly made before the formal text of Koran was put together in 653. It is believes this could even date back to Mohammed’s childhood, or possibly even before his birth. Tom Historian Holland, told the Times: 'It de-stabilises, to put it mildly, the idea that we can know anything with certainty about how the Koran emerged - and that in turn has implications for the history of Muhammad and the Companions.' Keith Small, from the

University of Oxford's Bodleian Library, added: 'This gives more ground to what have been peripheral views of the Koran's genesis, like that Muhammad and his early followers used a text that was already in existence and shaped it to fit their own political and theological agenda, rather than Muhammad receiving a revelation from heaven. Nadir Professor Dinshaw, who studies inter-religious relations at the University of Birmingham, described the discovery as 'startling'. However these dates have been strongly refuted by Muslim scholars.

Son writes poetry to pay tribute to mum SHIRLEY: A grieving son, who lost his mother Ravinder at a holiday, while trekking on a mountain in the US, has written a poetry to pay her tribute. Ravinder died in 40 degrees heat while she was walking on Camelback Mountain in Echo Canyon Park, near Phoenix, Arizona last month. 21 years old Aaron Takhar, from Shirley, in West Midlands described his mother as his best friend and hero. In the poem, which was read out at Ravinder’s funeral last Tuesday, Aaron also referred to his mum as his ‘teacher, chef, coach and sofa buddy.’ Ravinder, who was 45 and worked for Taylor Wimpey, was on holiday with Aaron and her husband. She took a break from the exhausting 2,706ft climb and arranged to meet her husband and son after they went on ahead. But she failed to show up at the agreed

In Brief AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

also celebrated it because she had a wonderful life. “She was a unique and a m a z i n g woman and an even better mom I just feel that needs sharing as I feel lucky to call her my Mama.” Aaron’s Aaron Takhar with his mum Ravinder poem reads: meeting point. “You are my Mom, you are Her body was later my teacher, you are my spotted in a deep ravine off chef, you are my coach, you the main trail by emerare my sofa buddy, you are gency workers following a my best friend and you are five-hour rescue mission. my hero. Special rescue personnel “It would be easy to were at the scene within a consider myself unfortufew minutes, but Ravinder nate given the circumwas already dead. A US stances but instead I conpolice investigation sider myself as the luckiest revealed that Ravinder person in the world died from heat exhaustion. because I had you as a Aaron speaking about mom in 21 of the most the poetry said, “He said: “I amazing years anyone really felt there needed to could ask for. In those 21 be something that not only years we managed to encapsulated her life but achieve what most moms

and sons would achieve in 50 years. “I have no regrets and know our relationship is as strong and loving as you are. The love of everyone here today means you will always live on: “You live on when someone buys something from Ted Baker. “You live on in neat and tidy presents. “You live on when someone does something insanely nice for someone else for no particular reason. “You live on when Liverpool score a goal. “You live on when a son tells his mom that he loves her with all his heart. “You live on in all of us who love you. “I don’t know how to thank you for all you’ve done for me and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to comprehend how much I love you. “Rest in peace Mama. With love from your son Arnie.”

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Fund raised in memory of toddler Muhammad

ASTON: A special fundraising site has been set up in memory of two year old Muhammad Zakariyaa, who got knocked down on last Tuesday, as he ran into the road to meet his grandad. It bears a heart breaking tribute from his brother- “My brother kaka, I miss you so much.” The toddler's grandfather was out with Muhammad's mum Rizwana. They had to park the car on the other side of the road, due to growing traffic before Aston Villa's match. Muhhamad excitedly rushed out of his home upon seeing his grandfather but stepped in front of the car. Medics battled to save him at the roadside but he suffered a cardiac arrest and died later in hospital. The driver of the Nissan has been helping collision investigators with their enquiries. Sgt Steve Newbury, from the force’s Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with Muhhamad’s family. “We would like to hear from anyone who witnessed the collision.” Anyone with information should call police on 101.

Home Secretary visits Birmingham to celebrate local action against extremism

B'HAM: Last week, Home Secretary Theresa May joined groups from across Birmingham to support the range of work being carried out to tackle extremism locally. The event in the city centre showcased the success of several community groups and individuals who are challenging extremism and bringing people together.

As part of the event, local group Odara launched a new poster campaign “Behind Every Woman”. The campaign calls for women to join other women for conversation, support and companionship. Odara provides safe and secure environments for women to discuss sensitive topics that affect their community including grooming, mental health, domestic violence and extremism. Home Secretary Theresa May said: “I am proud to be in Birmingham to support organisations like Odara who work tirelessly to stand up against the extremists who seek to divide us. “Their work is vital because tackling extremism is not something that Government can do alone, which is why we are building a stronger Britain together. “We must work in partnership with local people and communities to challenge those who spread hatred and intolerance. Together we can defeat extremism.”

Golden Anniversary

Congratulations to Bhagwanjibhai and Hasumatiben, aka Benaben, Katwa on their 50 th wedding anniversary. The couple’s son Prakash, daughter-in-law Avani and grandsons Bhavik and Hursh, pictured, threw a party in Birmingham last Saturday to mark the occasion. The round-table pink and black-themed

celebration featured dinner, speeches, dances and live entertainment by Devdutt Joshi. Benaben travelled by ship from Gujarat to Mombasa where she met, for the first time, Bhagwanjibhai and tied-the-knot on August 22, 1965. Three cheers to Bhagwanjibhai and Benaben from the team at Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar.

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Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

Here come the "foreigners" The Daily Telegraph's front page headline on Wednesday 26th August was, “8 million foreigners living in Britain”. The report was on a study conducted by Oxford University. It is extremely shocking that a leading daily publication used inappropriate terminology to describe the scenario; words such as “8 million foreigners” is the title was uncalled for and inaccurate. Such description does not encourage community cohesion. According to experts from the University of Oxford, the UK's foreignborn population may have been pushed to 8 million. The Oxford report reveals that the foreign-born population increased from 6 million to 7 million in the three years to 2009, although it took five years for the figures to rise from 7 million to 8 million. The figures of the report includes British citizens who were born abroad to parents who were already British citizens, British servicemen and women, as well as immigrants who have become UK citizens. Although the figures include British citizens who were born outside of Britain, the coverage of this news have been misleading by certain sections of the media, as many have emphasised 8 million “foreigners”, rather than “foreign-born residents”. It may give out the wrong notion that the nation are being inundated with 8

million foreigners who have conveniently forayed into this country. Headlines by well-reputed and established newspaper publications, such as The Times and The Daily Telegraph, which makes no qualms in highlighting how “foreigners” and “foreignborn” people are swamping into Britain, overpopulating their land. Even if the purpose of the article was not to emphasise the increase in Britain's population thanks to “immigrants”, the title, nevertheless, gives out a negative notion. The articles from The Times and The Daily Telegraph mention that the reports include British citizens who were born abroad to parents who were servicemen and women, and immigrants who consequently became British citizens, however, they have failed to establish the fact that there were people who came from countries that were part of the British colony, which made them British. Imperialism and colonisation have not been mentioned. There is more stress upon the figures of 8 million foreigners, which seems like a cause of concern to them. On the other hand, the headline of the article in The Times, (Wednesday 26th August, page 2) “EU migrants push number of foreign-born residents to 8m”, was more coherent with the subject of the article. Although the headline mentions “foreign-born”, it gives

more of an indication that the figures are because of the new EU migrants, unlike the headline for The Daily Telegraph, which comes across as though 8 million foreigners have made their way into Britain together, or 8 million unwanted people of foreign heritage are living in the UK. As prominent publications, it is their duty to produce reliant and coherent journalism. No doubt, they have mentioned the fact that there has been an increase in the population. But again, the emphasis has been on “foreigners” causing this rise, which can give the readers the wrong indication that illegal immigrants may have caused the increase in population. The UK has already tightened up its immigration policies and have made it extremely difficult for those who wish to migrate to this nation, especially difficult for those who wish to enter British territories illegally. But the articles could lead to further segregation within the UK, making the “foreign-born” British citizens feel unwelcome, as well as feel as though their home is not their own. There seems to be a certain obsession within the media circuit of pinpointing the outsider and making feel delinquent of something that may not done. They may be a proud British and a true patriot, yet they will always be considered and labeled as a “foreigner”.

Dewani may face public questioning as UK inquest resumes Shrien Dewani (35), was cleared in 2014 for the allegations of murder of his wife, Anni Dewani, while on their honeymoon in Cape Town, in 2010. However, it is said that Dewani is allegedly expected to be publicly questioned for the first time, when Anni Dewani's inquest resumes. While on trial in South Africa, Shrien Dewani did not have to testify in court. Anni's father, Vinod Hindocha is hoping that the coroner, Andrew Walker will call Dewani as a witness. Hindocha said, “There are so many unanswered questions that need to be put to [Dewani]. This will be our last chance to find out what really happened. It's our last shot at justice.” It is said Andrew Walker will be making a decision at a hearing on 9th September 2015. If Dewani is summoned, he will be questioned under oath by the coroner

Ambedkar's house sold in London

On last Friday, India has signed the deal to acquire the ownership of a threestorey bunglow here, where the architect of Indian Constitution Dr B R Ambedkar lived as a student in 1921-22, while studying at the London School of Economics (LSE). It will be converted into an international memorial. The sixbedroom house went up for sale through an estate agent last year. Santosh Dass, President of the Federation of Ambedkarite and Buddhist Organisations UK said that Maharashtra's Minister for social justice and special assistance Raj Kumar Badole has exchanged contracts with regard to the 2,050 sq ft house at 10 King Henry's Road, in northwest London. The state government had earlier announced its decision to acquire the £3mn property, where a blue plaque commemorates the fact that Ambedkar lived there, though the exact amount for the deal was not announced.

Shrien and Anni Dewani first, and then by the lawyer representing Anni's family. As per the Ministry Of Justice's guidelines, “where relevant, the coroner will warn a witness that he or she is not obliged to answer any question which might incriminate him or herself.”

Gandhi Jayanti at Tavistock Square

The Indian High Commission and India League are organising Gandhi Jayanti, on Friday 2nd October 2015, at Tavistock Square, London, from 11am onwards. The event will be opened to the general public and will be graced by the Indian High Commissioner, Ranjan Mathai, as well as many other dignitaries. Gandhi Jayanti, is commemorated to celebrated Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, also famously known as Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. Gandhi was born on 2nd October 1869, in Gujarat, India, and this year will be his 146th birth anniversary. Mahatma Gandhi was known for his principles of Satyagraha (Truth) and Ahinsa (non-violence) which aided India to gain her independence against the British Empire. In India, he was termed as the Father of the Nation, addressed to him by Subhash Chandra Bose, for his selfless devotion towards the people of India.

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Fast Stream looks to recruit 10th anniversary of the diverse future leaders in Shikharbandh Jain temple Civil Service A report has suggested that the civil service graduate recruitment has become more diverse from last year.

10th anniversary of the 1st Shikharbandh Jain temple in Europe, in Northaw, Herts

Reshma Trilochun On Thursday 27th August 2015, the Oshwal Association of the UK celebrated the 10th anniversary of the first Shikharbandh Jain temple in Europe, situated in Northaw, Herts. The

Lord Popat

and the teachings of Lord Mahavir. There are an estimated 5 million Jain in the world, and the Oshwal community is 100,000 across the world. The UK has the largest Oshwal community outside of India, with approximately 26,000,

everything I have because without this community, I am nothing...”. Martin Councillor Worster, Mayor of Hertsmere was also present at the celebration launch. He said, “I'm delighted to be invited here... I'm delighted to be here with you to share your 10-year celebration.” He continued, “This country prides itself on religion. We are very diverse and we're very receptive to freedom of

The Civil Service Fast Stream recruitment report shows that: l The proportion of successful applicants from ethnic minority groups is the highest we’ve ever achieved, rising to 14.2% from 13.6% in 2013. l The proportion of successful applicants with a disability went up to 9.8% from 8.7% in 2013. l The proportion of successful applicants from parents with manual backgrounds went up to 4.4% compared to 3.7% in 2013. l 65% of successful applicants were educated in state schools. Even more graduates from diverse and poorer backgrounds are being encouraged to apply for the Civil Service Fast Stream which opened it's doors from September 1st. The Fast Stream programme offers talented

graduates a quicker route to leadership and the opportunity to make a difference to people’s lives. Graduates get a starting salary between £25,000 and £27,000 a year and could earn over £45,000 after 4 to 5 years. The Civil Service has taken great strides to improve its diversity and reaching out to underrepresented groups is a top priority for all of its youth recruitment activity this year. Respecting and valuing differences will help to ensure that Civil Service policies and services reflect the needs and experiences of the people it serves. The fast stream is the largest public sector graduate recruitment programme offering permanent contracts and employs over 800 people each year. Through 16 separate specialisms it enables graduates to start a wide range of careers in government. Minister for the Cabinet Office, Matthew Hancock, said: “We are

building a One Nation Civil Service, that is more reflective of those we serve. We are calling on young people from all backgrounds, from every corner of the UK and those who might not have thought the civil service was for them to apply for our graduate programme. "Nobody should be defined by the circumstances of their birth and a One Nation Civil Service will help every young person who joins the chance to reach their full potential." Cabinet Secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood, said: “The civil service needs leaders at all levels. Whoever you are and whatever your background, the Fast Stream will give you the skills you need to become a senior leader. If you think you have the talent and commitment to succeed, this is an unmissable opportunity to be involved at the heart of government in tackling the big issues facing our country and society.” To apply visit www.gov.uk/faststream

Making society prosperous Mayor Martin Worster

Kajal Valani Sheth

four-day celebration largely residing in Greater comprised of stage perLondon and the South formances to Bhajans, East. and ending with the traAshokbhai Shah, who ditional raas garba. Prayer-dance was elected as the There were many digniperformance by Meera President of the committaries who had attended tee in 1996 said, “This the launch to the 4-day worship, which is very community has given me celebration of the 10th important. It brings peoeverything that I have and anniversary. ple together; not just this I am happy to give it There was also a play faith but all faiths.” showcased during Lord Popat was also the celebrations, present at the event called Maina and spoke about his likSundari, produced ing for smaller temples, and directed by like the Shikharbandh Bindi Rashmi Jain temple, instead of Shah, from building greater estabNairobi. It was a lishments. He said, religious play “This is my personal based on a Jain view, I'm not for buildepic. ing new temples. I'm On her associfor building new toilets ation with the rather than temples. O s h w a l But what I do support: Association, Bindi I support community Rashmi Shah, centres and small temsaid, “I was ples, like what you have approached by the here... I'm really please O s h w a l to see that you have a Association of the great small temple UK because I have there; I've been there a done several plays couple of times myself.” and programmes I The location has continuously do been very popular as a that in Nairobi; it wedding destination is my passion. for many Jains and They approached Hindus as well. They me to come and do believe that temple one production for makes it auspicious and them.” makes them feel Oshwals are blessed while tying the largely followers of the Jain faith Producer and director of "Maina knot. Sundari", Bindi Rashmi Shah

Collective Growth: Secure future...... This is the tag line for the upcoming Conference: World Hindu Economic Forum (WHEF) London 2015, taking place 1113 September 2015 at the Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel Westminster. What does the Tag line actually mean? We believe and practice Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam i.e. the whole world is one family, and a family that works together and shares together is truly a family that progresses. We Hindu’s know how to create wealth, and also share this knowledge of wealth creation with others. Our ancestors have expressed their wisdom in the Vedas “Sat Hasta Samahara, Sahastra Hasta Sankira”. It literally means “Create wealth with 100 hands and share it with 1000 hands”. WHEF seeks to bring together financially successful elements within the Hindu Society such as traders, bankers, technocrats, investors, industrialists, businessmen, professionals, along with economists and thinkers, so that

each group can share their business knowledge, experience, expertise and resources with their fellow brethren. We also aim to encourage, support and mentor budding Hindu entrepreneurs. The end goal is to generate surplus wealth and make society prosperous. The WHEF journey began in 2012 in Hong Kong, followed by successful annual forums in Bangkok 2013 & New Delhi 2014, along with several regional forums along the way.

Today, there are economies passing through a turbulent phase, but at the same time we have emerging economies that are providing us great opportunities. The issue is how to leverage the global situation for collective growth and a secure future. Hindus should cooperate and collaborate globally so that market access is facilitated

amongst them. Market access across geographic zones and countries, spreading from Auckland to Alaska and Oslo to Johannesburg, cutting across the entire globe – needs to be created. Similar cooperation can be envisaged in the area of capital, enabling availability of appropriately priced capital. WHEF believes that technologically savvy Hindus should be matched with those who can convert technical innovation into business with ideas, funds and market access. The London conference expects over 400 delegates and invitations have been extended to government ministers and public personalities from the UK and India and some have already confirmed attendance. At the previous Delhi conference, WHEF attracted over 1700 delegates from 53 countries. It was graced by business leaders, government ministers and a wide range of individuals interested in economic affairs. You can register via www.wheflondon.com or contact info@wheflondon.com for further information See you there!

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Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

Armed forces celebrate Raksha Bandhan with Hindus across the UK Rupanjana Dutta Hindus and non-Hindus from the Armed Forces got together with the local communities across the UK last week to celebrate Raksha Bandhan; a major Hindu festival that celebrates the bonds of protection that exist within society. Organised by the Armed Forces Hindu Network for the first time, the concluding event was held at the Ministry of Defence Headquarters on Thursday 27 August, where members of the AFHN tied rakhi on the wrists of senior representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Armed forces, to represent the bond of protection between the community and the defence forces. This morning event in London started with a welcome and a formal set of prayers by the Acharya Hindu Chaplain Krishanji, followed by an introduction by Surg Lt Cdr Manish Tayal, Chair of AFHN. There were speeches by representatives from the National Hindu Students Forum and City Hindus Network. Lt General Andrew Gregory, Chief of Defence people spoke about the significance of diversity and the rakhi festival, followed by dance performance by Arunima Kumar dance company. He said he was hugely honoured to host this festival of raksha bandhan and celebrate the bond between the community and the Armed forces. Speaking to Asian Voice, he said, "The similarity between all our communities are the shared values. In Armed forces community what we are trying to ensure that everybody can be true to themselves, respect their values and traditions. That's not always easy, but this is what we are trying to achieve. You can practice your faith, rules of your religion, the more we understand each other's faith, better we will do. "We are not as diverse as we would like to be. The number of BME (Black, Minority, Ethnic) people recruited in Armed Forces is way below (10%) the number of BME people coming out of secondary school (22%) and primary school (26%). We should reflect the society, otherwise the com-

Lt General Andrew Gregory speaking about significance of Raksha Bandhan

munities will not see us as a part of their society and we will not be realising in the talent in those communities. We have a diversity inclusive programme, which is all about creating an inclusive culture, so that people could be themselves, and make a more diverse Armed Forces. It's a huge priority for me, as otherwise we are wasting talent." Radhika Keshav who is a student of Cardiff University and represented NHSF spoke about the importance of raksha bandhan. She said, "It is easy to lose yourself in University life and forget about our culture. Rakish Bandhan brings us together and reminds us of our roots." Prinai Nathwani from the City Hindus Network spoke at the event in London, commenting: “The first exposure that I had to Hindu principles and values were the stories I was told as a kid. There’s a common thread that runs through these stories, which is the triumph of good over evil and the requirement that every one of us ensures that good prevails. The link between that and what the UK Armed Forces do is abundantly clear, and that’s why it’s important we have events like this – to have effective engagement between the Hindu community and the Armed Forces. It’s about recognising the common and shared values.” The festivals also applauded the contribution of Hindu serving personnel throughout the history of the UK Armed Forces: World War I, where 750,000 Hindus deployed overseas in the British Indian Army (earning 8 Victoria Crosses); World War II where 1.25 million Hindus fought in the British Indian Army (earning 18

Surg Lt Cdr Manish Tayal addressing the audience

Victoria Crosses); and the 950 Rakhi tying ceremony at the MoD Headquarters current serving personnel. sentatives from the Hindu comcourse the Armed Forces.” Sgt Shiv Chand from RAF munity, including Nilesh Solanki The bands tied around the who has served for 29 years told and young members from the wrists of serving personnel also Asian Voice how the armed forces HSS (UK). represented a promise for the have changed over the years, Before the event conHindu community to respect the becoming much more cluded, there was a work they do, and a desire that open to diversity, prayer by young girls they keep safe. This symbolism "Over 30 years the from BAPS heralds from when Sachi, wife of Armed Forces have Swaminarayan Temple, Lord Indra (King of Heaven), tied changed immensely. Neasden, followed by a a sacred protective amulet to his We were not allowed spread of delicious lunch. wrist before he went into battle to wear a rakhi with with evil King Bali, whom he ultiour uniform before. mately defeated. Now they understand Birmingham Speaking from the Raksha what it is about. celebration Bandhan event in Birmingham, "This rakhi Minister for the Armed Forces reminds me of my Sgt Shiv Chand Speaking from Balaji Penny Mordaunt said: “Our chalfamily, a bond of profrom the RAF Temple in Birmingam, Dr lenge in the UK Armed Forces is tection and by family I Rao, the Temple Chairman, said: to ensure this solemn vow of not only mean my parents or sis“It was pleasure and honour for Defence and protection extends ter, but it means my country too. Balaji Temple to host Raksha beyond the family, beyond even

Arunima Kumar Dance Company performing a classical dance

"The response we have got this road show from Scotland to London celebrate rakhi for the first time, has been fantastic." Guests included many repre-

Bandhan alongside the Armed Forces. Having serving personnel join in reminds us of the many ways we are protected; by our family, our friends and of

the community, to the country itself. This is the exact principal we see today in the Hindu community as we celebrate Raksha Bandhan. Events like today remind us that Defence depends on more than money and muscle. It’s about individual commitment, that willingness to take on responsibility for the wellbeing of others and bringing the nation together.”

Asian Achievers Awards

Hindu and Non-Hindu participants in Raksha Bandhan ceremony at the MoD HQ

Our Asian Achievers Awards that would celebrate its 15th year on 18th September 2015, will be hosted at Grosvenor House. The theme of this year's award is Uniformed and Civil Services, celebrating the contributions of Armed Forces and its members in our community.

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Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

What next for Patels and others As I See It

The state wide agitation by Patels which was joined by several other high castes to be included in the 'reservation quota' has become peaceful since the tragic events of Tuesday and Wednesday last week. This development is appreciated by all those concerned as well as by the people at large in Gujarat, India and abroad. No doubt Hardik Patel and some of his colleagues have been making boisterous announcements in Delhi and other places. This is understandable and to a certain extend acceptable. In the coolness of mind, I would like to dwell on few important issues: 1. Violence and vandalism from any quarter- from protesters and especially from the police is completely unacceptable. It has been reported in several independent mediaboth print and electronic that the police behaviour was brutal and shameful especially when they attacked homes, cars and unarmed innocent individuals ruthlessly. 2. The government Gujarat ought to accept its full responsibility for this shameful behaviour of the police and other members of the security forces. Those in power must accept their full responsibilities and come clean. There is a tendency of passing the buck about who ordered police to arrest Hardik Patel as well as who gave them permission or instruction to behave brutally and ruthlessly. Ultimately the buck stops at the door of the Chief Minister of Gujarat Smt Anandiben Patel and finally at the desk of PM Narendra Modi. Rule of law and order requires that those who are in power shall not use excessive force on protesters, who were initially peaceful and non violent. Any soothing touch without owning one's own responsibility is not honourable and realistic in a democracy. 3. Patidar Anamat Andolan Samity (PAAS) has begun a consulting process among its leadership, beginning with Surat on Tuesday. This is both advisable and welcome. Those who claim to speak on behalf of the Patels and other so called high castes should ensure that however justifiable their demands may be, the best route is through peaceful and non violent process. 4. It must be remembered especially by the leadership and members of PAAS that the present limit of 49% in educational establishments and government

jobs are part of the Indian constitution and the decision has been taken by the Supreme Court of India not to have any more additions whatsoever. In the circumstances any demand for inclusion by any one or group of castes is not wise or realistic. Instead of caste, economic and social deprivation bases for elevating age old discrimination and equal opportunities is however a desirable proposal which will require time and patience from all concerned. Mass protest, ultimatums or verbal violence is not the best option. Let me briefly suggest to all those who demand 'justice' what they can learn from the campaigns of Mahatma Gandhi, especially the one in Bardoli led by Sardar Patel. A proper dossier was prepared of the injustices about the hike of revenue on the peasants of Bardoli, especially in a drought stricken period. At the same time, Sardar Patel always kept a door open for negotiation and ultimately a sensible compromise was reached by the then Governor of Bombay Presidency, the Viceroy of India and India Office of the British government in London. I took liberty to forward the As I See It column (AV page 8, 29 Aug) to the Gujarat Chief Minister, Leaders of three main groups of PAAS as well as to all main Patel organisations in UK on the following lines“The events in Ahmedabad and several other places in Gujarat since Tuesday 25th August must have raised concerns in the membership of your organisation, as well as you yourself as a leader. Like me, you are slightly relieved that the violence surrounding the protests have almost stopped. The subject matter is complex and even complicated. Please read carefully the reports in this week's Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar, as well as my own views (which may, if I may say so, could have reflected your own sentiments to a certain extent) on page 8 under "As I see it". Some TV channels and at least three Indian national dailies also have, after speaking or interviewing me, reported my responses, which are almost on the lines of my column, mentioned above. If your organisation has issued any press statements or there are any written views from any of your members, please kindly forward them to me at the earliest. I've been in touch with both the protestors and the

government people in Gujarat, as well as have spoken to several individuals in USA, Canada, East Africa and elsewhere. Patels in Britain number about 200,000 (Hindu Patels only). We have close connections with our kith and kin on various levels. We are expected to understand them as well as express to them our views. I hope you will agree with me on this point. A meeting of Patel Representatives is being planned most probably at 2pm on Sunday 13th September, at a suitable place. Please make a note in pencil in your diary right now. I will convey you further information as soon as possible. But in the meantime, kindly let your office bearers and members know about this meeting. Prior to the above mentioned meeting, perhaps it would be appropriate to have our own meeting to plan adequately the agenda as well as a proposed resolution to be adopted at the main public meeting. Finally I'm approaching you at the earliest opportunity to hear your views and advice. Please write to me, as well as phone me if necessary on my mobile.” The response has been positive and a meeting of the representatives of the Patel of UK based organisations is planned between 2-5pm on Sunday 13 September. The venue is it yet to be finalised, though we have several organisations offering their centers. I would request all Patel organisations, individual members of Patel to let me know latest by Monday 7 September, whether they wish to attend the public meeting. A suitable venue will be decided in consultation with concerned stake holders. Finally, to a certain extend there is a problem faced by large number of youth from Patel and other castes in India, who are seeking jobs or further education. To that extend there is an element of youth looking for avenues for further progress. It can be a justifiable demand at the same time the end and means ought to have a certain meaningful consideration in a democratic set up. I urge all readers as well as others to please convey their views at the earliest to me by email at cb.patel@abplgroup.com and make this exercise meaningful, constructive as much as possible. Long live India, long live Great Britain.

- CB

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Prime Minister announces new Asian Peers Continued from page 1 The Tory appointments which numbers 26, includes the name of the only Asian woman CEO in a FTSE 250 company, Ruby McGregor Smith CBE. She joined Mitie as the Group Financial Director in 2002, and was appointed the CEO in 2007. Born in Lucknow, India, Mrs Smith was honoured with a CBE in 2012 and received the Woman of the Year Award at the Asian Achievers Awards in the year 2011. (The Awards that are hosted by Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar are now in its 15th year and will be held at the prestigious Grosvenor House Hotel on 18th September). Shas Sheehan, a Liberal Democrat candidate for the 2015 election from Wimbledon has also been honoured with a Peerage. She was born in Lahore, Pakistan and is also a former Councillor for Kew. Shas is famous for being deeply involved in several community groups. Besides, Ruby and Shas, other Asian names in the “dissolution honours” include Ramesh Chabra a special adviser to the Chancellor of the Exchequer - will be conferred the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for public service. Ameetpal Gill who is director of strategy at 10 Downing Street has also received the same honour. Lalini Phoolchand - deputy head of the direct communications unit, 10 Downing Street has been honoured with an MBE for public service. Cllr Shaffaq Mohammed, the Liberal Democrat councillor from Sheffield has also been honoured with an MBE. He was born in Kashmir but grew up in Sheffield in 1980s.

Critics question HoL appointments

Defenders of the Lords have pointed out that the new occupants include many people with successful careers in the military, business or academia. But critics have attacked the decision, stating that the House can only manage upto 270 Peers at the most. They have also hinted at the past expenses scandal and have raised fresh concerns about peers who hardly participatein the Lords debates. They believe, accordingto the current rate of growth, the chamber could soon have almost 1,000 occupants.The PM has also been accused of “bringing Parliament into

disrepute” for elevating Douglas Hogg, the former Tory MP who quit the Commons in disgrace over an expenses claim for his moat. The national newspaper Daily Mirror has joined the critics, and been backed by 10,000 readers supporting the campaign demanding the unelected House of Lords to be abolished. The Mirror delivered five huge sacks of letters to Downing Street, calling on Number 10 to listen to the nation’s demands. Despite the Conservatives getting more than half of the new peerages, the party is still at a relative disadvantage in the Lords — at least when compared with its majority in the Commons. The appointments take the parties’ total to 252 Tory peers, 219 for Labour and 112 for the Lib Dems, as well as 179 cross-benchers. Labour this time has received eight peerages, with the former cabinet ministers Alistair Darling, Peter Hain and David Blunkett among the nominees. Tessa Jowell, a possible Labour candidate for London mayor, also joins the House of Lords. The Liberal Democrats received more peerages than Labour in the “dissolution honours”, reflecting their involvement in the previous government — since when they have been reduced to only eight MPs. Their 11 new peers include three knights — Sir Alan Beith, Sir Menzies Campbell and Sir Malcolm Bruce. Separately, Dr Vince Cable, former business secretary, and Danny Alexander, former chief secretary to the Treasury, were both knighted on Wednesday. Andrew Sangar, Councillor, Sheffield City Council and lately Election Agent to Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP, has received an MBE for his political service. The House of Lords dates as far back as the 11th Century and what was called the witenagemot, an Anglo-Saxon council to the King made up of nobles, church leaders and landowners. Its role was to propose and discuss new laws. By the 14th Century, it had officially split into two groups, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. This is when the right to peerage was introduced. Historically, the House of Lords had greater power than the Commons but as democracy took root that lessened. However, that has not stopped more and more Lords being named.

Shopkeeper fined £17,000 after raid on flat A trading standards swoop has led to a string of convictions and a hefty fine for one Slough shopkeeper. Manmeet Singh Kalra, owner of Slough Food and Wine in Farnham Road, was prosecuted by Slough Borough Council after a pre-planned raid on a flat above his shop on 9 September 2014. Trading standards officers, accompanied by police and licensing officers, seized £35,000 worth of illegal tobacco products from a bedroom and a locked cupboard. The haul included 1,702 50g packs of hand rolling tobacco and 702 packets of cigarettes, all of which broke labelling laws by not carrying English health warnings. Officers also found eight people sharing the four-bed flat, with a family of two adults and two children living in one bedroom. Concerned about living conditions, trading standards officers enlisted the council’s neighbour-

hood services team to inspect the flat. One of the bedrooms, occupied by a single man, was damp and mouldy, and the electrical system throughout the flat wasn’t earthed correctly, which put all of the occupants at serious risk of harm. Officers also discovered the flat wasn’t licensed as a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) - a legal requirement for any property of three or more storeys where five or more people from two or more households are living. Mr Kalra, 39, was sentenced at Reading Magistrates’ Court on 25 August, after admitting possession for supply of 2,404 illegal tobacco products, failing to license a HMO, failing to maintain the electrical system, failing to keep the bedroom in good and clean repair, and failing to display his contact details in a prominent location. He was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £17,012.

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Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

Ealing’s First Asian Conservative Councillor And Formidable Charity Fundraiser Seema Kumar was born in Kenya, read psychology and ran a successful travel business until she got married. Seema is a highly active and voluntary professional charity supporter with a 31- year history and speaks Urdu, Punjabi, Swahili, basic Russian, German, and a little Gujarati. She was the first female Asian Conservative councillor to be elected in the London Borough of Ealing. She is also an event organiser and committed to helping Ealing. Seema tells us she was the first Asian to win the Panache Global Award for Excellence in Leadership and Politics from an African organisation. Seema was elected councillor for the Ealing Broadway Ward in 2014. Prior to that, she was selected in the local 2002 election to stand in Walpole Ward. Persistent and committed, she stood in the local election of

2006 and was elected councillor for Acton Central Ward until 2010. She is currently shadow cabinet member for business and the communities. Seema scored another f i r s t when she became female A s i a n Deputy

Mayor for Ealing borough – she undertook this role 2008/9, fulfilling over 200 engagements. She was also one of the two prospective parliamentary candidates for the Ealing and Southall byelection in 2007. She is on the social scene, and was a cochairman of the

Seema Kumar

Asian Voice | 5th September 2015 60th anniversary celebrations Ball of India and Pakistan along with the then Conservative Party chief and Opposition leader David Cameron in 2007. She is chairman of Ealing Acton Conservative Association’s patron’s club, which is running successfully in its eighth year. Seema has promoted Ealing Art Group, allowing local artists to exhibit their work in prime locations for display and sales. One committed and talented art group member, Brenda Elvin, said, “We are very grateful for all the hard work that Seema puts into supporting us- these wonderful exhibition opportunities are all due to her.” In 2004 Seema became the Chairman of the Children’s Hope Foundation and organised several fundraising events to assist children in poverty, education, disability and medical equipment. She has written a cook book called “Definitely Dishy” on various cuisines for Children’s Hope. Seema says, “I am proud of the launch of the “Young Ambassadors of Children’s Hope Foundation in 2014. The committee has a 10 year old chairman!” As the Director of Children’s Hope Trading

1994. She raised funds for Ltd, Seema set up and curthe CCL by running the rently runs the charity’s international stall at its first retail outlet promiinternational fair annually nently situated at the for over 15 years. entrance to the Mall on Ealing Broadway. It tends Seema helped to to mainly sell high end fundraise on the commitdesigner wear, since many tee of “Concern for Mental of the clothes are donated Health,” which she continby Seema and her circle of ues to support, along with friends. the “Phoenix Project” She says, “I am particubased in Ealing. As if this larly proud of my charity were not enough, Seema is retail project.” a keen supporter and She has raised funds member of the (WIA) for the Raqib Anwar Women’s India Foundation Trust, formed Association UK. by a doctor. She enabled She is a strong personthe foundation of a mother ality and looks as though and baby hospital in she means busiBangladesh. ness, so it would She was also be a brave perVice Chairman for “I am son who “Save the particularly would cross Children” in her. Chiswick and proud of my “I am Hammersmith charity retail committed in the 1980s to the weland served on project.” fare of the the Committee Councillor young and of the elderly and Commonwealth Seema Kumar have helped in Society for the many areas to Deaf. resolve concerns for Seema assisted with the needy. I am a nature fundraising for "Help the lover who has travelled the Aged" with Princess world and write poetry, on Helena Moutafian, any subject, and above all I Chairman of Asian Family have raised our children Counselling Service with family and communibased in Ealing in the ty values, respect of culture 1990s. and traditions, caring and In the 1980s, she was giving. the youngest treasurerand then chairman- of the My motto is ‘progress Commonwealth Countries with compassion’.” League charity from 1992-

READERS’VOICE

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Readers Voice

Just want to thank Mr Rudy Otter for setting an example of short letter. I always look forward to reading shorter letters. I find them succinct, easy to read and generally more interesting than "War and Peace" Briefly speaking, it's not the quantity, it's the quality ! Dhiraj R. Radia London

Gujarat Unrest, alternate view

Reading Gujarati newspapers online, one may understand unrest among Patidar Patel community. It seems, although Patidar is prosperous community, there is significant minority who struggles to make ends meet. They certainly need help and employment. But as Saurabh Shah wrote in his article, it is duty of the community to take care of the weak, siting example of other communities, especially Jains, Ismalis, Parcis and Daudi Bhoras who look after the weaker members of the community. Reservation has been thorny issue, manipulated mainly by Congress at election time, offering particular community special status to win election. This temporary measure has long been out-dated, in need of surgery, rather amputation. But no political party or government has the courage, wisdom and tenacity to abolish it, along with Haj subsidy in a secular nation, special status for Kashmir and unified civil law based on UN charter where all citizens enjoy equal rights. Until people of Bharat wake up to such anomalies, special treatment and political posturing, unscrupulous politicians will always exploit such sentiments, especially at election time, to the detriment of the wellbeing of the nation. How we need a politician like Sardar, Guru Nanak, Chanakya and Modi rolled into one at this troubled time? Bhupendra M. Gandhi By email

Desperate people

I feel sorry for poor immigrants arriving on defective boats, risking their lives to seek salvation in European countries. These are desperate peoples, cutting through fences or climbing over them, jumping on vehicles heading to Britain, a country they regard as “paradise”. They have no idea of the hostility that is building up against them and don’t care how they are perceived. All they desire is to get here, stay here, and bring their families too. This is a big problem not only for Britain but the whole of Europe also.Greece, for instance, is barely able to look after its own affairs, yet finds itself overwhelmed by boatloads of unexpected new arrivals. Miraculously Greeks are doing their best to look after these unfortunate people.By the way, I must say my sister is expressing my thoughts very carefully in these letters. She is getting better all the time.

Healthy food

Vijay Joshi By email

Interesting article by Rupanjana Dutta last week on weight problems troubling Asians. People overeat when they are stressed or bored. Remember your stomach is only as big as your clenched fist. In Japan they eat healthily and moderately, regarding food as “medicine” for the body. Rudy Otter By email

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UK immigration problem

In recent years immigration has become one of the most debating issues in the UK, especially in England. The merits and demerits of the net migration figure of 330,000 in 2014 into the UK have been debated in length and breadth all over the UK, again especially in England. The fact is immigration is mostly an English concern while in Scotland immigrants are in general welcome. Migration of people from one place to another has been there throughout the history of mankind. Demographic change is natural because by nature man seeks to have a better life. It is also caused by human behaviour and activities such as war and conflict between nations. The most important element missing in this debate is what role historically the nations collectively known as Western Europe has played in causing mass migration into Europe. Mass migration in a huge scale began when the West invented gunpowder and gun. They started a movement to the Americas called ‘pilgrimage’ with boats full of guns and gunpowder! In Plymouth seafront there is a spot called ‘pilgrimage point’ where the first so-called pilgrims started their boat journey from. History tells us what the pilgrims had done to the native population of North and South America, Australia and New Zealand. They are now land of ‘white people’. The English were the biggest colonisers. Onethird of the world was under their control. The English language was forced into all these places making it as the most popular language in the world. The consequence of all these historical actions cannot be avoided.

Saying what needs to be said I have to say that I have learnt a great deal about myself from your letters page! Apparently I am disloyal to everyone and I don't understand the feelings of people. I never knew all that but now I do. Mr Jayesh Patel says that the anti discrimination clause about caste is based on flimsy evidence and hearsay. That may well be so but it is part of an Act of Parliament now which means that attention was paid to the so called flimsy and hearsay evidence by both Houses of Parliament. He also says that both Houses passed the legislation because there was no Hindu representation. I have to point out to him that during the debate Lord Dholakia, Lord Popat, Lord Parekh all spoke against it. I call that substantial Hindu representation. Not only that but Hindu organisations lobbied vigorously. So that statement is also not correct. I have said this before but I'll repeat it. The Government cannot now "scrap" the clause. When it is activated and found to be of no use it can be repealed. That will also go through both Houses and there is no guarantee that there will be an agreement on repealing it. There is absolutely no point in continuously asking for it to be scrapped or struck out, it cannot be - it is part of an Act of Parliament and only both Houses of Parliament can repeal it. I was very surprised that Lord Popat gave the impression that Government could just put a line through it. I am very proud to say that I speak for myself. I do not represent anybody and I never want to represent anybody because no-one else is willing to stand up and say the things that need to be said. Baroness Shreela Flather By email

Endorse their views Your detailed coverage of reservation campaign is comprehensive. Anyone would concur with you that dialogue is best course to redress the grievance. It appears that Hardik Patel’s hard work and soft approaches got negative response, resulting in anger. It may be assumed that Hardik Patel was scapegoat for Congress, AAP and Nitish to dent Gujarat's role model image. Hardik forgot how Anna Hazare was silenced / Baba Ramdev was attacked at midnight/ a sadhvi and military officers jailed. Thus Hardik is lucky to get short detention. Why Patidars are suffering in spite of contributing billions to government, via diamond trade, land ownership, farming, remittance by foreign diaspora etc. Is this campaign a signal of diminishing returns from agricultural occupation? Is there some dire situation lurking behind prosperity of Patidars? Is Hardik angry at some professional and very prosperous people in some states badly exploiting OBC status, and where forward class (Brahmins) are suffering. Patidars are unquestionably most prosperous/ therefore capable to lift whole nation on its shoulders for long period. Why do they have to opt or OBC status with meager concessions? Both CM and PM has emphatically said NO by imposing 5000 para military to restore peace. Please insist on reservation based on economy status rather than caste. Ramesh Jhalla by email

Light on Vinoba Bhave Vinoba Bhave was born on Sept. 11, 1895. He studied Bhagwat Gita, became Spiritual and Celibate at early age. While learning Sanskrit at Banaras University. he was impressed by Gandhi in 1916, Vinoba visited his Kochrab Ashram in Ahmedabad. He liked his Ideals of Selfsufficiency, India Independence Struggle of Truth and Nonviolence, Service to community and helped Gandhiji in running Wardha and Sabarmati Ashrams in Praying, Spinning and other activities! He too was earnest in India Freedom Fight, supported even 1942 'Quit India' Movement of S. Bose. He too was Jailed by the British many times at different prisons, once over 5 years. Like Gandhi ihe wrote many books in prisons, Gita in Marathi, Essence of Koran, Eddance of Christian Teaching, etc. He was Linguist, well versed in Marathi, Gujarati, Hindi, Sanskrit, English and others! Once he requested Land for Harijans' Development. Shri Ram Chandra Reddy donated 100 acres which commenced his Bhoodan (Land Gift) Movement in April,1951! Daily he started at 3 am and went on foot to Hundreds of villages all over India collecting lakhs of acres of land and gaving to poor farmers. From 1954 he collected even the whole villages about 1000! American Reporter Hallam Tennyson walked with him to observe and write about his Amazing Bhoodan Movement! Once Gandhi was asked by Congress folks, 'who is your Favourite?' They thought Nehru. Next morning Gandhi replied, 'Vinoba Bhave'! Dr S. Radhakrishnan appreciated his Devotion to India and Hinduism. PM Indira Gandhi cut short visit to Russia for Breznev death to attend Vinoba's last rites on Nov. 15, 1982. He was conferred 'Bharat Ratna' posthumously in 1983!

Jatindra Saha By email

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EDUCATION

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Rupanjana Dutta Indian students have been dissuaded from entering British higher education over recent years due to Home Office and UK Border Agency visa restrictions. Significant numbers have shunned the UK and chosen to study in the United States and Australia as a result. However, new online degree courses could change all of that. Keypath Education – a world leader in education marketing and online enablement – has launched its European operations this week promising a multimillion pound investment in UK universities. Keypath, which delivered marketing and technology services for over 4000 universities since 1989 as PlattForm, has said that it has seen considerable interest from UK universities in launching online degrees, and that this would be their sole focus until 2017. In June the company announced the appointment of Rajay Naik as CEO (Europe) to lead the expansion. Naik previously spent five years as a Director at The Open University and before that was a member of Lord Browne’s landmark

Rajay Naik higher education review. Speaking exclusively to Asian Voice he forecasted “substantial and strategic innovation” by Britain’s universities over the coming years: “We enjoy some of the best universities on the planet and technology is offering our sector an incredible opportunity to expand, innovate and enhance the student experience. We are proud of our reputation for quality and the new brand allows us to unify our global operations whilst concentrating our focus on online higher education. We are looking forward to working closely with more British universities over the coming years and contributing to the continued success of UK higher education.” Keypath research, design, launch, market and deliver online degree pro-

IMMIGRATION RULES SINCE 06 APRIL 2015 OPTIONS FOR OVER STAYERS Asian Voice |5th September 2015

Keypath education announces new European operations and a Brit-Asian CEO grammes for their university partners in the UK, United States and Australia. British universities have expanded online offerings in recent years but their breadth of provision is tiny in comparison to the United States where over twentyone millions students study for degrees online. Naik, an architect of the FutureLearn platform which offers free courses from over 70 partners, says that is set to change: “The global ambition of our universities continues to expand and they appreciate the constraints of conventional campuses. Higher quality online degree programmes allows universities to innovate, students to have more choice and our sector and economy to prosper.” Rajay Naik, who has been a part of the Asian Voice Youth Conference, a few years back, further elaborated on the advantages of online degrees. “Students in Mumbai, Montreal and Munich can study with a UK university without needing to leave their home, job or family. It opens up a world of opportunities, particularly for those who do not have the financial ability to leave their home to go to university."

The immigration rules since 06 April 2015, have introduced few stringent rules and policies, however, simultaneously the Home Office has introduced more flexible regime attracting right of appeals in the UK. People who have submitted the application and they have been complying since their arrival in the UK are less penalised than people who have been absconding. This is the time when the Home Office wants everyone to inform them about each detail. There is guidance about the new information and change of circumstances where people have any further information the Home Office expects every one to inform them and keep updating them continuously. People who have never submitted any application since their arrival in the UK would be in trouble. The Home Office approach is more focused and clear now for these people. The Home office wants these people to leave the UK and then they would be granted out of country right of appeal. Whereas, if you have been complying and trying to regularise your stay by submitting your application or

submissions regarding your updated matter then the Home Office would consider your request. You may be asked by them to provide them additional grounds in your family and private life in the UK. If the Home Office still maintain their refusal then they would grant right of appeal. Once an applicant had a right of appeal, he has more prospects. The main change is that the application submitted before April 2015 would considered under old regime and the home Office can be requested by the applicant to reconsider. Such request is only made if the application or matter has reasonable merits. Hence the message by the Home Office is that absconding is not acceptable anymore and over stayers or people whose application has been declined must either make a fresh application or leave the country on voluntary basis. Fehmina Farani

Farani Javed Taylor Solicitors Verulam House, 60 Grays Inn Road London WC1X 8LU Mob.: 07773 706 866

Home Secretary slammed by former Tory MP on 'foreign students statistics' Theresa May has yet again reiterated that she is determined to ensure that non-EU students leave the UK on completion of their course. In an article for the Sunday Times, Mrs May wrote: "The gap between the number of non-EU students coming to this country and departing each year is 96,000 - half the net migration from beyond the EU." She also argued that Europe’s Schengen Visa system was “broken”, saying that EU migrants will have to show they have a job lined up before they are allowed into the UK. However Ex-universities minister David Willetts has slammed Mrs May's suggestion calling the figure not a solid basis for policy. Mr Willets, told the BBC Radio 4, “"People who come here to study should study, perhaps do some post study work and then go back to their country. "We are selling them a service, we reap a lot of benefits from that, but studying in Britain is not and should not be a means to settlement. "My disagreement I'm afraid is that the particular

David Willetts figures that were being cited … for number of students staying on is very unreliable. "It is a widely disputed and doubted figure and would not be a solid basis for policy." Mr Willetts said the information was provided by the International Passenger Survey (IPS), but had been questioned by bodies including the Commons Public Accounts Committee. "I don't think it is a reasonable indicator. It is based on a survey - by the time you get down to the number of students - of a few hundred students," he said. The former Tory MP further said that in some cases people were recorded as students when they arrived but classed as workers when they left.

Other "better and more reliable" research by the Home Office between 2007 and 2012 indicated just 2% of students failed to comply with their visa requirements. The former MP reportedly added, "My view is that the vast majority do leave," he said. "I don't know why she is using these figures, if she is going to rely on them ... "Of course they are in circulation, but they must not be used as is a basis for policy. "It is not the case that out of the 150,000 or so overseas non-EU students who come to Britain every year 100,000, two thirds, of them suddenly breach all their visa conditions and stay on for many years. "There is no reliable evidence that suggests that is actually happening."

MEDIAWATCH

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Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

India’s Register General and the Census Commissioner have released statistical data, segment by segment, of the country’s population growth. Hindu numbers show a marginal decline from 80.5 per cent in 2001 to 79.8, in 2011, down 0.7 per cent. In the same period, the Muslim share rose from 13.4 per cent to 14.2 per cent, up .8 per cent. However, the Muslim rate of growth has slowed. In West Bengal and Assam the rise in Muslim numbers has been sharpest, above the national average. For instance, in the Bengal district of Murshidabad, the numbers and ratio of Muslims to Hindus have widened appreciably in favour of the Muslims; in the Malda and North Dinajpur areas the gap in numbers between the two communities is noticeably narrower.

Indo-US ties excellent Lavoy continues: “This is by far the strongest the [Indo-US] relationship ,has ever been. Not only that. It’s our leaders President Obama and everyone else, Prime Minister Modi and his cabinet look at the future - both sides here see a very bright future where we see a deep opening and expansion of bilateral cooperation and working together to solve regional and international problems. We think the relationship is excellent,” he concluded. (Times of India August 24)

of the present financial volatility emanating from China (Times of India August 25)

Naved confession

Mohammed Naved, the Pakistani terrorist caught in Kashmir following a firefight between India security forces and a jihadi unit that had infilAnil Ambani

India’s newest Bank launch

Ahmedabad disturbances

The Bengal and Assam figures would appear to suggest that the level of infiltration from neighbouring Bangladesh has been a determining factor in numbers and ratios respectively. Moving over to data pertaining to other communities, Christian numbers are static at 2.3 per cent, while Sikh, Buddhist and Jain numbers showing marginal declines from 1.9 per cent to 1,7 per cent, 0.8 per cent to 0.7 per cent respectively (Times of India, Hindu, Telegraph August 26)

Gujarat agitation turns violent

Job reservation has become the buzzword of Indian politics. The benchmarks of such provision is either religion, language or caste. Gujarat’s Patel community has been agitating for job reservation (in government administration and in education, where such quotas can be enforced and not in the private sector, where they cannot). The leader of the present movement is 22 year-old commerce graduate poster boy, Hardik Patel, an unknown barely two months ago, but a familiar figure now addressing mammoth crowds in Ahmedabad and elsewhere. His arrest by the police led to rioting with State Chief Minister Anandiben Patel calling in the Army to quell the disturbances in which at list 10 people have died.

Modi appeal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared on television calling for peace and the commencement of a dialogue between the parties. Patels are and have been for a while solidly supportive of the ruling Bharatiya Party (BJP), whose affiliated the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has called for the quota system to be revisited. Hardik Patel

says he’s against the very concept. The Patels are a visible success in commercial activity, the problem, it would appear, is in the rural sector, where as a farming community, the Patels are suffering considerable hardship. Hardik Patel stated that Gujarat’s dire rural hinterland was fit for comparison with the situation in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The demand for jobs exceeded availability by a wide margin, he said (Times of India, Hindu August 27, 28)

PM brainstorm with CEOs, experts

With financial convulsions from China rocking international markets, Prime Minister Modi is set for a brainstorming weekend with business executives (CEOs) and economists on how best to steer the Indian economy to the uplands of growth, while riding the current global turbulence. Outcomes will be watched with keen interest at home and abroad by prospective investors (Times of India August 26)

Red carpet, In red tape

Prime Minister Modi has made “remarkable progress” in his first 15 months in office in rolling out a red carpet for foreign investors wishing to do business in India, said Peter Lavoy, Special Assistant to US President Barack Obama. “I have never seen any Indian government make such quick progress on so many issues , in such a short time.. That said, your bureaucracy has a certain worldwide reputation ….Even though India continues to make this progress, we are confident that as the entirety, the whole of government recognizes their opportunities to move much more quickly to achieve the potential and vision of the Prime Minister.”

Bandhan, which began as an NGO in 2000, has now become India’s first Microfinance Institute (MFI) to turn into a universal bank. Last week Chandra Shekhar Ghosh as Managing Director and CEO launched the venture in Kolkata in the presence of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, his West Bengal counterpart, Amit Mitra and other dignitaries from the banking world. The bank has 501 centre branches and a loan book of Rs10,000 crore across West Bengal primarily, and Assam, Tripura and elsewhere. It has a total of 19,500 employees (Telegraph, Times o9f India, Mint, Business Line, Hindu August 24)

Subsidy for shipbuilders

Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, stated recently the government had prepared n enabling subsidy for shipbuilders calculated to take the industry forward to the level. He said that in view of the global requirements for manpower in maritime development, his ministry would be setting up a specialist university for maritime courses at Ratnagiri in Maharastra. By 2020, continued the minister, the maritime industry would be providing jobs for a skilled international workforce of 60 million The proposed government subsidy would be of around Rs25 crore. The government also planned to build seven new ports in the country (Business Week August 25)

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Mohammed Naved captured Pakistan terrorist

trated across the border from Pakistan, told National investigation Agency (NIA) interrogators that most Lashkar-e-Taiba jihadis were LeT members and that organization had sleeper cells across Jammu and Kashmir (Times of India August 27)

Pakistan jihadi captured

Another Pakistan jihadi, 22 year-old Sajjad Ahmed from Punjab, was captured after a 20hour gun battle in a forested area of Baramulla, Kashmir, between a five-man Lashkar-eTaiba unit and Indian security forces, which included Special anti-Terrorist commandos flown by helicopter, in which four of his accomplices were killed. A huge cache of arms and ammunition was seized (Hindu August 28)

Anil Ambani in joint venture

Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Defence & Aerospace has been selected by Russia for a joint venture to manufacture 200 Kamov 226T helicopters for

India’s armed forces. Under the three-way contract signed between Reliance, Russia’s Rosobron Exports and the Russian Defence Ministry, Reports say that Reliance will have a 51 per cent stake in the joint venture which entail the transfer of technology from Russia. The Reliance plant for the manufacture of the helicopters will be located in Nagpur, Maharashtra. (Times of India August 28)

Smart City project

Of the 98 Indian cities and towns marked out for smart city status over the next five years , 24 are capital cities , another 24 are business and industrial centres, 18 are cultural and tourism sites, five are port cities and three are education and health hubs. Nine cities, Bangalore, Kolkata, Shimla, Puducherry, Daman, Patna, Itanagar, Thiruvanthapuram and Gangtok failed to qualify for Smart City approval.

Centre-State cooperation

The success of the Smart City project will be largely dependant upon the financial support of State governments and their private sector investments which are expected to generate Rs 49,000 crore. The Centre, for its part, has set aside Rs 48,000 crore for the mission, the money to be released to local urban bodies at regular intervals during the next five years (Hindu August 28).

Space triumph

Rajan’s demands

The Governor of the Bank of India (RBI), Dr Raghuram Rajan, has stated that his team would focus on three areas: getting inflation down to the targeted level; to clean up bank balance sheets and ensure lenders have enough capital to pass on the interest rate cuts to the RBI. This was “work in progress.” He maintained that growth continued to remain lower than its potential. In a word, government must motor ahead with banking reforms (Business Line August 28). Earlier, Rajan stated that the Indian economy would become a magnet for global funds and the transfer of wealth from the West to India as a result

Indian GSLV satellite launch

India achieved yet another spectacular success with the launch last Thursday (August 27) of its three-stage heavy GSLV rocket Mk2-D6 with the indigenous cryogenic upper stage, which placed a 2,117kg GSAT-6 communications satellite in orbit, adding a further feather to the cap of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The goal of the launch is primarily to empower the country’s strategic users and other authorized customers. The rocket’s cryogenic stage was “technically a very complex system” compared to solid or earth-storable liquid propellants due to its use of propellants at extremely low temperatures and the associated thermal and structural challenges, stated ISRO. (Hindu August 28).

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Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

Mother and kids travelling to Syria detained

Uganda’s open invitation to all

PM Modi – Should It Be Hindustan, Bharat? Dear Prime Minister Modi-ji,

As you visit Britain later this year, I have a question. Should your country be called Hindustan or Bharat? When a country is 70% Hindu, and the only historic home of the oldest of all faiths, then that country is home, wherever its sons and daughters may live. For too long nations have limited their protection to their own Citizens. India, must extend this principle – to cover all those whose ancestors have called Hindustan their home. Because unlike those of all other faiths, Hindus have no traditional, ancestral home, except India, it must be the policy of your Government that all Hindus wherever they are in the world will be extended the umbrella of protection of your Government. From this day onward, the first determinant of your relations with any Foreign Government must be their treatment of the Hindu population within their borders. It has to be the business of this Government how Hindus are treated worldwide. If they want better relations with India, first make the best relations with Hindus in their own country. This doctrine is not novel in international relations. The people of Israel provide protection for Jews wherever they are in the world, of whichever nationality. We

shall extend no lesser protection to Hindus. Nor should anyone ask, what of those of other faiths? Muslims, Christians, those of all other faiths who are Indian nationals will continue to have the full unwavering protections of the Indian State. As Hindustan becomes and economic superpower, what use this wealth, this status, the hands of friendship of other nations, if they do not respect our people, for Hindus wherever they are will always be Hindustani first. You are often called a Hindu Nationalist. So be it. You have never been embarrassed of the title. This is Hindu Nationalism. This is an example of what it means. Justice for all, appeasement of none. The Hindu nation is not confined to borders drawn by a colonial power. We are the Hindu nation, world over. Hindustan holds dominion over us all. Extend this Doctrine to all Dharmic faiths who have no home except India – including the Sikhs, Jains, Parsees too. I have termed this the Modi-Patel doctrine in tribute to India’s first Deputy PM, Sardar Patel, who was responsible with bringing all the States into the Union at Independence and thereby earned the title the ‘Iron Man of India’. Hereafter India will be Iron-like in its resolve in the protection of Hindus. We look forward to your visit.

A mother and her four children, who were feared to be travelling to Syria from London have been detained in Turkey. Zahera Tariq (33), was reported missing from her home in Walthamstow, along with her three sons, aged 4, 11 and 12, as well as her nine-year-old daughter. Richard Walton, Met's counter-terrorism command said, "We had very real concerns that she may have been planning to travel with her children to Syria and she has now been detained with the children in Turkey." It is further alleged that Zahera Tariq, was to join the family of her sister, Aisha (30), who is already in Syria. Her sister and brotherin-law are said to be linked to the radical preacher, Anjem Choudary. Tariq's brother-in-law, Siddhartha Dhar, is said to be a former disciple and aide to Anjem Choudary.

Dhiren Katwa Uganda’s senior most diplomat in the UK is encouraging Britons to visit and invest in Uganda. “The Uganda of yesterday is very different to the Uganda of today,” HE Professor Joyce Kikafunda, Uganda’s High Commissioner told a gathering of around 100 guests. The special get-together, the first of its kind of a proposed series, was held at Uganda House, near Trafalgar Square in London last Friday. Dr Special guest Sudhirbhai Ruparelia was unable to attend, due to flight delays. Guest speakers included MP for Sutton Paul Scully, Jaffer Kapasi,

Chairman of Uganda Asians International Forum and Midlands’ Honorary Consul General of Uganda-in-waiting, Subhash Thakrar, former Chairman of London Chamber and Nandish Yajnik from Canada. Also in attendance was Dhirubhai Dattani from Dhirubhai Leicester, Vadera Kishan and Devani, the Tories’ Deputy Chairman in London. HE Professor Kikafunda, pictured with motivational speaker Paresh Rughani, took the opportunity to introduce her staff team. A people’s person, Professor Kikafunda is the friendliest, modest and down-toearth High Commissioner I have ever met.

COMMUNITY

Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe celebrates 109th Parsi New Year Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

On Tuesday 18th August 2015, the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE), the oldest Indian/Asian religious voluntary organisation in the UK, celebrated the 109th Shahenshai Navroze (Parsi New Year) in London with pomp and splendour. On this auspicious occasion, the Chief Guest was His Excellency Mr Ranjan Mathai, High Commissioner for India, accompanied with his wife, Mrs Gita Mathai. Dr David Landsman OBE, Executive Director of Tata Ltd and former British Ambassador to Greece and Albania, accompanied with his wife Catherine Landsman of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, also joined the ZTFE in their 109th Navroze celebrations. His Excellency Mr Ranjan Mathai and his wife, Mrs Gita Mathai, were traditionally welcomed to the Zoroastrian Centre by Parsi Zoroastrian women dressed in their finest gara and kor silk saris. After the achoo michoo ceremony was performed at the entrance, Mr and Mrs Mathai were garlanded with fresh flowers and requested to enter the Zoroastrian Centre with their right foot first. ZTFE President Mr Malcolm M Deboo then introduced Mr and Mrs Mathai to the Trustees, Managing Committee, former Presidents and other senior members of the Zoroastrian community. Following the tour of the Grade II* Heritage Listed Art Deco Zoroastrian Centre, Mr and Mrs Mathai and Dr and Mrs Lansman were shown photographs of the first Navroze celebrations in London, held in 1906 at the famous Criterion

HE Ranjan Mathai, Mrs Gita Mathai, Malcolm M Deboo, Sarosh Zaiwalla and others tial £100,000 to SOAS in Restaurant, London. The 2013, to core fund ‘The photograph included the Everlasting Flame: then ZTFE President, Dr Dadabhai Naoroji (1st Zoroastrianism in History Sir and Imagination’, the exhiIndian MP), Mancherjee Meherwanjee bition may not have lifted Bhowanaggree KCIE (2nd off. He thanked all of those Madam who in 2013 had the foreIndian MP), Bhikaiji Cama who later sight to donate to SOAS for mounting the first exhibithat year unveiled the first tion on Zoroastrianism in Indian flag at the Socialist the West. Congress in Stuttgart, ZTFE Patron Lord Germany, and the young Karan F Bilimoria CBE DL Mohandas K Gandhi, said, “We have been proud dressed in while tie and of our achievements in black dinner jacket, togethevery field er with his wife Kasturba. imaginable...This is what Following the drinks makes the Parsi communireception, Mr and Mrs ty special and this is what Mathai and Dr and Mrs led Mahatma Gandhi to Lansman joined the say about the Parsi comZoroastrian Community in munity: “in numbers, the Zartoshty Brothers beyond contempt; in conHall for the four course tribution, beyond comNavroze celebratory meal. pare”. In his welcome speech, “I am looking forward the ZTFE President very much to the exhibiMalcolm M Deboo, said tions next year and the that the Zoroastrian comwonderful news that munity is always loyal to Indian government has whichever country they decided to sponsor, to the reside, whether it is the tune of nearly one and a UK, USA, Canada. He half million pounds, three thanked the Government exhibitions on the of India for sponsoring to Zoroastrian Parsis, includthe tune of INRs 15 crores ing the very successful ‘The (approximately £1.5 milEverlasting Flame: lion) for The Everlasting Zoroastrianism in History Flame Exhibition and Imagination’ exhibiProgramme in New Delhi tion, which was exhibited from March till May 2016. at the Brunei Gallery, He added that that it was School of Oriental and because of the members African Studies (SOAS), and well-wishers of the here in London. This, along Zoroastrian Trust Funds of with two other exhibitions, Europe, donating the ini-

will be in Delhi from March 19th onwards and this has been spearheaded by my cousin Dr Shernaz Cama of Shri Ram College New Delhi, So, all in all, lots to look forward to and most importantly I wish you all Navroze Mubarak and a very happy and prosperous New Year.” His Excellency Ranjan Mathai, High Commissioner for India said, “The legacy of the Parsi contribution to India is too large to be recounted... “The greatest achievement of course that the Parsis are known as India’s greatest philanthropist with a reputation caring and sharing! We are all hopeful the “JiyoParsi” programme of the Ministry for Minorities Affairs will succeed. You would be happy to know that an important exhibition “The Everlasting Flame: Zoroastrianism in History and Imagination” will be held at the National Museum of India, New Delhi, with official patronage very soon. “Here in the UK, you have carved out an important place for yourself in the hearts of British society, from Dadabhai Naoroji to Freddie Mercury to the Tatas. “I look forward to welcoming you also during Prime Minister’s visit to UK. There will be a large community gathering during the visit. “On this happy occasion let us now recall with pride the achievements of the Zoroastrians in the past – started in Iran and flourished in India, and in fact everywhere else around the world. And let us work together for the bright new future. Saal Mubarak. Jai Hind.” Photo credit: Raj D Bakrania, Prmediapix

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Kingsbury Swaminarayan Mandir marks its first anniversary

Cllr Muhammed Butt, Counsellor Shree Gyan Singh, Acharya Swamishree Maharaj and MP Barry Gardiner ular annakut presented to One year on and thouLord Swaminarayanbapa sands of visitors later, Swamibapa, music by Shree Swaminarayan Shree Muktajeevan Mandir Kingsbury Swamibapa Pipe Band and marked its first anniverashirwad from His sary with a week of exuHoliness Acharya berant celebrations. Swamishree Maharaj. Sitting majestically at the Venerable guests were top of Kingsbury’s hills, joined by viewers from the Mandir, which is the around the world throughLondon hub of Maninagar out all events through the Shree Swaminarayan live online broadcasts on Gadi Sansthan, has quickwww.SwaminarayanGadi. ly become an integral part com/london. Eminent of its local community. community representaInspired by their global tives all recognised the spiritual leader, Acharya unity, spirituality and the Swamishree Maharaj strong collaboration Shree devotees kicked off celeSwaminarayan Mandir brations with a Bhakti Kingsbury has had with Sangeet evening provided the local area through by the Mandir’s Mukta blood donation camps and Orchestra, renowned proother notable charitable ducer Amit Thakkar and events. celebrated singer Dipti The highlight of the Desai. The revelries conAnniversary Celebrations tinued, with a Bhakti was a flag raising ceremoNrutya event the next ny on Sunday, 23rd August evening. Captivating perduring which the Mandir’s formances from devotees flag was raised by Acharya as young three were given Swamishree Maharaj; the by Shree Muktajeevan Union Jack was raised by Dance Academy with local MP Barry Gardiner dances ranging from tradiand Leader of Brent tional bharatanatyam to Council Muhammed Butt; gujarati folk dance. The and the Indian Triranga week culminated in was raised by Counsellor Patotsav celebrations on Shree Gyan Singh from the Sunday 23rd August, with Indian High Commission. spiritual rituals, a spectac-

Ahmadiyya Muslim community condemn extremism at their 49th Annual Convention The World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa (Caliph), His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, delivered a powerful and authoritative response to critics of Islam who blame the world's problems on the religion. His Holiness made the comments during his concluding address at the 49th Annual Convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the UK on Sunday, 23 August 2015. Whilst delivering a comprehensive defence of Islam’s true teachings before an audience of

over 35,000 gathered at Hadeeqatul Mahdi in Hampshire, he condemned all forms of terrorism and extremism as completely against the teachings of Islam. This year delegates from 96 countries attended the Jalsa Salana. Apart from the thousands of Ahmadi Muslims, many nonAhmadi and non-Muslim guests and dignitaries attended the three-day convention. One of the highlights of the Jalsa Salana was the pledge of allegiance, known as the Bai’at that took place on Sunday afternoon, where the par-

ticipants pledged allegiance to Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad as the Fifth Khalifa (Caliph) of

the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). The participants formed a human chain leading to

the Khalifa as they repeated the words of the pledge in unison. In his concluding

address, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad rejected the notion that religion was the cause of violence or warfare. Apart from the 5 addresses delivered by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, various other speakers and scholars took to the stage during the course of the threeday event. Various exhibitions were also on display including a photographic exhibition documenting the history of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, an exhibition displaying a replica of the Shroud of Turin and a human rights exhibition.

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TLIGHT

Naytika Shah A Tale of Two Dancers

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Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

Mo Farah grabs gold at World Championship

Sunetra Senior

The invincible Mo Farah grabbed a drink mid-race before he grabbed the title of becoming the first man in history to pull off a distance 'triple-double'. Competing in the 5000 m men's final at the World Championships, stopped to drink water before he joined the pack, catching up soon and making up for lost time and completing the race in 13 min 50.38 sec. He paced himself with perfect ease, taking the lead with his signature burst of speed. Farah has made it in three successive world 5000m titles and won golds in both track distance events at the Olympics and two World Championships. It took seven laps before he moved forward, cruising past Ethiopian Imane Merga. He celebrated his victory with the trademark 'Mobot'. He later revealed he suffered from a hamstring strain. “I didn't feel great, my hammy was playing up a bit, but the medical team helped me through it and tonight to come out here and make a double means

so much to me,” he told the British media. “I was kind of getting nervous for the first time in a little while, but thanks to all the medical team. It was amazing to do it.” “It's definitely been hard,” an emotional Farah said. “If you'd have said to me seven years ago, you'd have one medal I would have said OK, but to win as many medals as I have is just incredible. And it was great to make history, particularly at this moment when my wife and kids couldn't be here.” On being hailed as the “greatest British sportsperson of all time”, by commentator Brendan Foster, Mo Farah said, “It's be incredible to be Sir Mo, wouldn't it?” “We have had so many sporting legends, so to be able to continue that and to be in the same category as them is amazing. For all the kids watching there, it takes hard work and dedication. If you believe in something you can get there. My message to you is, 'you can be like me'. Hopefully one day we will find the next Mo.”

As if a powerful perfume, the essence of Prakruti Dance - a one of a kind Bharata Natyam acadSpirituality emy based in suburban London- is reflected in the silvery yet sure voice of creator Naytika is the essence Shah: “I was looking to live by more than just of being, and is big pay cheques,” she told us, “the big that not nature questions in life cannot be answered by itself? those. They lie in humanity, which is what the arts and dance especially as an instinctive form, allow us to access. ” In an age where technology and glamour are centralised, she re-routes the energy back to the soul. As we talked about her journey, including being invited to consult with the Indian High Commission, and her company ‘Prakruti’ being a joint venture with her sister Nilpa, there was a real poignancy to Naytika’s passion. Spirituality is not just a goal; it is a competing social landscape. Almost as martial as it is meditative, the sisters work to release the clean power of classical movement, and with it that of tradition: and the spirit.

Your dance academy came about in 2008. Tell me more. What is the story behind ‘Prakruti Dance’s’ Inception? I studied Bharata Natyam, holding a Masters Degree in Dance. After that, it was a natural step to open up a dance school. The same goes for my partnership with sister Nilpa. We always do everything together! I started the school in Kenya, but because it was unsafe, my father pushed me to come here. Soon after, Nilpa and I participated in one of the first of many London projects together, ‘The Eternal Flow of Dance’ and the company took off from there.

How do you mix the Indian classical dance with a modern touch? Indian Classical Dance (ICD) is a means to reach the highest purushartha, which is the spirit. In this sense it can be seen as a form of meditation- I truly believe this sense of connection with a higher power is the aspiration man was born to achieve and is sometimes forgotten today. We use modern Bollywood music in classes to communicate the mood of the story, but it is always to connect to the esoteric nature of the soul. There is also an element of post-imperial classical revival in this too. During British rule, the temple’s Devi Desi dancers, the name meaning ‘servant of God’, were shed in a sexual light and stigmatised as prostitution. After the ban was lifted, the practice had died in the temple, but was gaining momentum in the theatre. This is part of the modernity we tap into too; the connection between past and present. ICD was an art for reaching God, and for today’s generation, it can align the mind, the body

Your Slogan is ‘Dance is a celebration of everything that happens in nature’. Tell us more? Spirituality is the essence of being, and is that not nature itself? Our dances are to celebrate that life which connects us all.

How do you engage youth in your classes? The dance lessons are not just about the correct movement and form; we discuss the role of that dance, which expands out to wider life lessons. The Bharata Natyam is control over every part of the body. It is the means by which we can stay in the

We did not need to alter BN for the audience to truly appreciate its beauty

here and now. It is one of the highest forms of concentration and it teaches how to focus the mind. It creates spatial awareness as a performer while also instilling confidence.

Your great passion is ‘to bring about awareness of Bharata Natyam as a beautiful art form that is rich and majestic’. Does this include empowering women? Definitely; it is a legitimate way through which she can express herself. It is the way she can experience herself as an individual, without any worries. In terms of strength, we were actually asked to show the importance of dance to a congregation of foreign diplomats through the Indian High Commission in Kenya.

What are some other highlights? We have been lucky enough to have many great opportunities; for example regular performances at the V&A and writing and directing a play for the Young Jains. But the most interesting story is when Nilpa and I were doing that incipient performance, ‘The Eternal Flow of Dance’, in London. It was very telling because when people hear about Bharata Natyam, they assume it is going to be idle and boring, but people who were prepared to walk out during the intermission, actually enjoying it so much that they s tayed for the whole show! We did not need to alter BN for the audience to truly appreciate its beauty.

Finally, what is a motto keeping you going in this very unconventional and ethnic-specific career path? I have a spiritual Guru and His teachings guide me everyday - everything happens for the best and you must pursue what you love without expectation of fruits. This is what will make it worthwhile. W

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PATEL QUOTA SPECIAL

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Hardik Patel takes agitation nationwide CONTINUED FROM P1 Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and western UP. The young Patel claims the Patidars are spread in several corners of India, from Rajasthan to Andhra Pradesh, and are nearly 2.7 million. “The Kurmis of Bihar and their leader Nitish Kumar is ours; the Andhra chief minister Chandrababu Naidu is also part of the Patidar family,” he said. The Gujjars, part of the OBC list, have been demanding quota benefits under a separate category of special backward classes

for almost a decade. After touching base in the state, an enthusiastic Patel quoted, “We want to take our movement to every part of the nation. I have come to Delhi to make future plan of action.” The Patidar Anamat Sangharsh Samiti leader invoked Sardar Patel as the icon behind a nationwide agitation demanding reservation for different communities. In the meeting at the Gujjar Bhavan in

Patparganj, East Delhi, that was attended by Gujjar leaders from eight different states, he said, “Just as Sardar Patel united scores of small principalities and Kingdoms in British India to become one country, I will make sure that we, the vanshaj (descendants) of Sardar Patel will unite all communities agitating for OBC status and present a national front.” Earlier, he addressed a press conference where he announced his intention to “bring the agitation for reservation to Jantar Mantar in Delhi.” “I

will travel across the country to wherever there are demands for reservation and unfairly being kept out of the OBC list,” he said. He refuted any plans to enter politics or politicise the PASS movement. “I am not desirous of entering politics or allowing any politician into this movement. We are only agitating for addition of the Patidar community into the list of Other Backward Classes (OBC),” he said.

The meeting where he was heralded as “the future prime minister of the country”, Hardik Patel urged his supporters “to speak with swords instead of garlands”, saying this was the only way to “conquer India”. Taking a dig at the dozens of leaders who garlanded him during the event, he said, “My language may seem different to you because I believe in straight talk, not pleasing people. Achchi baat hai phoolon ke haar se swagat karte hain, par meri maano toh yeh haar pehnana chhodo. Jahan haar pehna,

wahin haar shuru. Haar chhodo aur talwar nikalo… Yahan pe talwar se baatein chalti hain (It’s good that one is welcomed with flowers. But if you ask me, that’s the beginning of defeat. Forget flowers, bring out the swords. Here, that’s the only language that works).” “Nobody could break the Luv-Kush pair. We have to be a front so tight that nobody dares look at our mothers and sisters.” Hardik has repeat-

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edly underlined the supposed links of Gujarat’s Leuva and Kadva Patels to Lord Ram’s sons Luv and Kush. “Our Patels in Gujarat think no one listens to us in Uttar Pradesh, that we get robbed in UP. Give us a year, the whole country will have to heed us.” Stating that the Patels respect Mahatma Gandhi and idolise Sardar Patel, he added, “but when pushed, we can become Chandrashekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh”. “This is the only way to get fateh (victory) over India. All castes have to be one and fight. If someone touches any of our sisters, break his hand,” Hardik said. “They will come to our homes, beg us to take reservation,” he added. “After our agitation, the Gujarat Police entered our homes and told our women, 'If you want reservation, come to us'. Eight thousand and nine hundred farmers have committed suicide in Gujarat, all of them Patels. In the last decade, only 465 of us have got government jobs in Class III-IV ranks.” Making it clear there was no space for dissenters as far as he goes, he said, “Even if people are from your own community and not supporting you, throw them out. Out of 27 crore Gujjars, if even one crore are not supportive, pick them and throw them out, even if it’s the prime minister or chief minister… A single fox can disturb a herd of tigers. Even if that is my father, throw him out. Our priority should be unity, unity and unity.” Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his radio show 'Mann ki Baat', called the agitation, the “Dance of Death”, saying the entire nation was pained if the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel witnessed something like this. “But in a short span of time, the people of Gujarat handled the situation and played an active role in stopping the situation from worsening. And Gujarat once again began its journey on the path of peace,” Modi said. “Peace, unity and brotherhood… this is the right path.”

The unrest that began after police briefly detained Patidar agitation leader Hardik Patel, ended with burned buses, blood smeared roads and curfewbound neighbourhoods.

Authorities in Gujarat struggled to restore peace after days of unrest and clashes against civilian protesters and the police. State secretary for home affairs G S Malik said that at lease seven civilians were killed in police firing and one police constable in Surat city was killed in the confrontation. The unrest that began after police briefly detained Patidar agitation leader Hardik Patel, ended with burned buses, blood smeared roads and curfew-bound neighbourhoods. The dramatic murder mystery of Sheena Bora took a back seat as people asked who ordered Ahmedabad cops to behave and act the way they did with the protesters. Trouble brewed right after the rally, when Hardik Patel decided to sit on a hunger strike. Police told the protesters that were permitted to hold a rally at the GMDC ground in Ahmedabad only till 5 pm, and asked them to vacate the place. Almost as if waiting for a cue to resort to their lathis, they rained when the crowd resisted evacuation. “Dozens of people sustained injuries as the police started wielding batons,” a spectator said. The repercussions of the 'cops gone wild' stint were soon seen across the city, and later across the state, as police chowkies were set ablaze, BJP headquarters in Patan were attacked and the Collector's office in Gandhinagar was stoned. Mobs torched public buses, pelted stones at fire brigade and exhibited open vandalism. Action taken by the cops

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Bhavesh Patel Bhavik Vamja set a domino effect as event unravelled to the point where MLAs and ministers were unsafe in their own homes. Army was deployed and they conducted flag marches in the city to instil confidence among people. District collector Rajkumar Beniwal said five companies of Army with over 500 personnel was brought in. This was the first time the army had to be deployed in Gujarat since religious violence in 2002 that left more than 1,000 people dead. Dozens of videos and photographs of police brutality circulated, leading to anger and vows of retribution. Some of the clips reveal vandalism, arson and targeted violence by cops in Patel strongholds, leading to deaths and damage to private property. Hardik Patel in an interview asserted that Patidars were not

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PATEL QUOTA SPECIAL

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General Dyer' dabad police? AsianVoiceNews

responsible for the violence and hit out at the police for its action, saying, “We were treated like terrorists, and violence broke out only after police mercilessly beat up the protesters.” Pointing out that the protests by the Patidars have been non-violent, he alleged a “political conspiracy against a peaceful movement.” “I already told you we did want a violent protest but the way the police hit the youth at the ground, all of this was a result of that. We never asked anyone to indulge in violence but the police hit the people gathered like terrorists and they hit our women in the night. I have never seen such police brutality,” said Patel. The police action against the Patels has already borne the state high court's wrath, as it reprimanded the police, asking it not to cross limits and work within the framework of existing laws. Acting on a public interest liti-

ITH

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gation filed by an NGO, the court advised the state government to take action against cops guilty of oppressive action. “They should not be saved,” it said. The two-judge bench of acting Hansaben Chief Justice Jayant Patel and Justice NV Anjaria, while admitting a PIL, directed the state government to submit a report on what actions it has taken against errant policemen. “The state must make police aware about their powers. Females were also beaten by male officers. Police should not transgress the law. Restoration of peace should stand high on priority,” the court told state home secretary P K Taneja, who was summoned for the hearing. It also ordered an inquiry into the death of Shwetang Patel, who allegedly died in police custody. Now that the city and the state drags itself to normalcy under strained tensions, many wonder if the desperation shown by the Ahmedabad police to arrest Hardik Patel, and the violence they unleashed on people was scripted or merely a bad judgement on the government's part.

Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

Patidar MLAs scared to move out After Gujarat was turned into a battlefield following police action against Patidar leaders who were holding protest rallies demanding reservation for their community, at least 2 BJP Patel MLAs were chased by angry Patidars in Surat. Leuva Patidar's Varachha MLA Kumar Kanani and Karanj MLA Praful Panserya fled from their meetings when community members lashed at them, raising slogans of “Jai Sardar”. Blaming the police crackdown for the wave of hostility that swept through the state, the crowd retaliated at Panserya's remarks over the community earning a bad name by entering police records. Chief Minister Anandiben Patel had given instructions to MLAs to talk to voters of their constituencies and prompt them to shun violence. The advise, however,

Anandiben Patel did not bode well for those who acted upon it. MLA Kanani, who went to a residential neighbourhood and asked people to maintain peace and not damage public property, was confronted with questions like, “Where were you for two days?” Panserya later told the media, “We called a meeting with residents of Patidar societies in Simada and appealed for peace. DCP Damor was also there. The people were angry over police action

against Patidars. We tried to explain to them that it was important to restore normalcy in the city. We experienced the anger of people. But we will not give up our attempts and will hold more such meetings.” Meanwhile, the monsoon session of the state Assembly was dampened with the agitation as many BJP and Patel MLAs gave it a miss. At least 4 out of 9 Patidar BJP MLAs from Surat opted out. From the 120 BJP MLAs in Gujarat, 37 belong to the Patel community. Absentees maintained their presence was required in their respective areas given the tense situation. The Assembly complex appeared a “khakhi fortress” due to heavy police presence in view heightened security for ministers and others. “I have been holding meetings with people in my area… we are making

peace appeal also,” said Majura MLA Harsh Sanghvi. After the session ended, MLAs were calling their sisters over to Gandhinagar for the Rakhi festivities, citing they were too scared to return to their constituencies. Most of them have houses in the state capital, apart from official accommodation. “For the first time, we have felt so fearful despite it being our government. If ministers are not safe how can we feel safe,” said an MLA from Saurashtra. “I might visit later as the mob may attack us during the festivities,” said an MLA from north Gujarat. Patidar mobs had attacked houses and residences of at least 16 Patel leaders, including homes of senior ministers Nitin Patel, Rajnikant Patel, after police showered lathis on protesters and supporters of Hardik Patel.

Swetang's funeral turns state event The funeral procession of a 32 year old Swetang Patel who allegedly died in police custody in the wake of Patidar quota violence was held in Ahmedabad amid super tight security. Swetang's funeral procession started from his house in Bapunagar, joined by over 300 locals along with his mother Prabhaben and sister Palak. Anticipating another round of scuffle, the government had deployed around 600 personnel from local police, State Reserve Police, Rapid Action Force and Central Police Force along the one km route from the deceased’s house till the crematorium. All the arrangements were scrutinised and supervised by high-ranking police officers. “It is very unfortunate that this death took place. We demand action against the culprits,” said a local resident. Swetang was allegedly taken away by the police on August 25, and beaten up until he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. The Gujarat High

Nakum said. Last Court had ordered rites were peran autopsy of his formed by sister body which revealed he had Swetang Patel Palak as Swetang was the only son in died of a severe head the family. Prabhaben has injury. vowed to fight for justice. As the procession She said, “I demand susmoved along, a large number of people joined in to pension of all the responsipay homage, pushing the ble police officers. They crowd count to almost must be given life imprison1,000. Police stopped trafment for killing my son. I fic for almost 20 minutes to will fight till the end to get justice.” Palak said, “We are avoid confusion. “The pronot given any assurance of cession reached peacefully any kind from the governat the crematorium without ment yet. No one from the any untoward incident. We government has have not imposed any curapproached us.” few in the area. Locals have The youth's death is one also cooperated and of the many examples of refrained from shouting police brutality that was up any inflammatory slogans,” on display during the reserpolice inspector K D

vation agitation. The state high court ordered a CID probe and directed the administration to file an FIR after the autopsy showed it was a clear case of homicide. So far, 9 policemen, including 2 inspectors and a sub-inspector, have been booked for the alleged custodial death. Assistant Commissioner of Police K D Pandya named P D Parmar and R R Vasava of Bapunagar among the others. However, the victim's family advocate said the FIR did not mention names of all the police officials involved in the death. “We had demanded that all those responsible be named, but they (police) did not register an FIR as per our demand and left out many high ranking officials, including ACP. We do not want to make lower ranked policemen a scapegoat in the case,” advocate B M Mangukia told reporters. “We sat in the police station for about five hours to register an FIR…. This is noncompliance of the high court order and a contempt of court as well.”

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Consultant Editor Financial Voice Alpesh Patel Dear Financial Voice Reader,

The volatility of the market tells us one of the classic mistakes people make when it comes to trading and investing – they do not have a mentor! Reasons you need a trading mentor: 1. The markets are a skill Like all skilled based activities you need a coach, a mentor. I’m lucky, in trading I’ve counted as a mentor Bill Lipschutz, former Global Head of Forex at Salomon Brothers when Warren Buffet was his boss. You need an outstanding mentor. 2. Learn from someone elses mistakes, not your own. A mentor will have lots of mistakes in their experience. It will save you a fortune to learn from their mistakes. 3. Save time – time is money The advantage of using a mentor is they can point you in the right direction for a broker, how to trade, pretty much anything and everything. 4. Access A good mentor can give you access to their networks. When I mentor people to trade, I give them access to senior people at brokerages so they get best treatment. That’s what a mentor does. 5. Accelerate learning A good mentor understands and is trained to mentor. I took mentoring education formally when I cofounded TIE – the Indus Entrepreneurs which is one of the UK largest mentoring organisations and whose charter members include mentors such as James Caan and Dinesh Dhamija of eBookers and Tom Singh of New Look. A good mentor is trained to know how to make sure you learn quickly and effectively how to trade. They accelerate the learning. They know the potholes and how to avoid them. 6. Access to capital Mentors oftentimes have done the due diligence on you and so are the best placed to help get your trading off the ground. My mentors ended up being the initial investors in my hedge fund too. The great thing about mentors is they develop a mentoring relationship with you. 7. Business partner A mentor eventually changes their relationship with you. As you become better at trading, they often become a partner, an equal. This is great because you chose your mentor based on who you aspired to be like, and now that is exactly what has happened. When they are your partner – a little like in Dragons Den, you know beyond advice, and money, you deep commitment. So if the markets have been tough for you – get a mentor – it’s the answer to everything – and making profits.

Tata Steel to mothball Wales plant as tough markets persist Britain's largest steelmaker, Tata Steel has revealed plans to mothball a plant set in south Wales due to tough markets that are pushing the company's focus on higher-value products. It said it would redeploy employees at the plant in Llanwern, Newport, which makes strip products used in autos, construction, domestic goods and packaging, although British press reports said the company would cut 250 jobs. The move comes merely a month after Tata said it may cut up to 720 British

jobs, mainly at Rotherham in northern England, to revamp its speciality and bar business, which has been hit by cheap imports and high energy costs. “In the past year, we have also been making positive improvements to our manufacturing capability,” Stuart Wilkie, director of Tata Steel's Strip Products UK business, said in a statement. “But surging, and often unfairly traded, imports have combined with a strong pound to create a very challenging business environment.”

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India sees opportunity in slower growth in China: Jaitley AsianVoiceNews

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And in a slowdown environment in the world, an economy which can grow at 8-9 per cent, like India, certainly has viable shoulders to provide the support to the global economy As massive commotion surrounds Asian equity markets, Indian finance minister Arun Jaitley said the country could easily outpace China to become a key driver of the global economy. In a recent interview, he said, “The world needs other engines to carry the growth process. And in a slowdown environment in the world, an economy which can grow at 8-9 per cent, like India, certainly has viable shoulders to provide the support to the global economy.” “My message to the people wanting to do businesses in India is that there is a red carpet laid down for you. India needs investments, India invites investments and we are going to be one of the more investorfriendly destination,” he

said, adding that the current government will never resort to retrospective taxation. “In an environment where there is a relative global slowdown, India seems to be doing reasonably well. We finished last year with 7.3 per cent growth rate, will probably finish this year with a slightly better growth rate than that and next year hopefully will be a little better,” Jaitley said. Estimates released by the International Monetary Fund have stated India to overtake China as the fastest growing emerging economy in 2015-16, clocking a growth rate of 7.5 per cent. However, there will be a deceleration in China as the growth rate will slide from 7.4 per cent in 2014 to

Arun Jaitley which has still been left out 6.8 per cent in 2015 and 6.3 off the benefits of the per cent a year after. “I see reforms will be a challenge. this as a great opportunity. Asked about the recent The Chinese normal has crash in the stock markets now changed. It is no longer following the devaluation of the 9 per cent, 10 per cent, the Chinese yuan, Jaitley 11 per cent growth rate. If said: "When the Chinese we can continue to reform economy slowed down a litat a faster pace and really attract global investment, tle, it didn't impact much. then our ability to provide When the devaluation and the currency war started we that shoulder which the did get somewhat adversely world economy needs will affected. When global marbe much greater,” Jaitley kets fell, we also felt a huge said. impact in terms of currency Even then, the finance and markets. But within a minister said that convincday we had recovered." ing the section of society

Indian food watchdog gives foreign groups a shock Nestlé’s Maggi noodles bore the brunt of food regulations in India when officials banned the product, citing concerns over lead levels. Unilever and Japan’s Nissin Foods recalled their Knorr Chinese noodles and Top Ramen, while other companies quietly stopped selling other products. Not that these foods were withdrawn because of safety concerns, but were pushed off from shelves for fear of falling short of the standards set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. “It was a commonly accepted practice for food companies to apply for a licence and simultaneously launch in the marketplace, assuming they would get it,” said Nitin Mathur, an industry analyst for SG Corporate and Investment Banking. “But Nestlé was an eye-opener for everyone. What they thought was an accepted practice wasn’t acceptable any more.” Data shows that Indians consume $ 63 billion worth of packaged food each year as compared with $220 billion in China. But sale of packaged foods are set to rise rapidly in

India, an estimate $88 billion by 2019, according to KPMG. Western companies are closing in, with both, CocaCola and rival PepsiCo in the midst of $5 billion Indian expansions. Mondelez International, is in works for a $190m, 54hectare plant in India; its largest in Asia. Chocolatemaker Mars International is spending $160m on its first plant in the country, while Kellogg, the US cereal maker, has invested $100m in the past 18 months. “All the big food manufacturing companies are looking at India as a high potential market because the penetration of categories is very, very low,” says Rajat Wahi, a partner at KPMG, the professional services firm. “All the fast-moving consumer goods companies are look-

ing at significant growth in the next 10 years.” All these companies, however, have to go through the ultimate guard, that is on a mission to promote safe and healthy food, and will not settle for anything less. In the recent times, the FSSAI has rejected a number of Starbucks’ syrups and sauces, one of its decaf coffees and a spiced tea. It has also banned Kellogg’s Special K Red Berries, a General Mills Choco Lava Cake, and mayonnaise and salad dressings made by Field Fresh, Del Monte Foods’ Indian joint venture. Imported foods, including perishables such as cheese, have often faced long delays in ports because of the regulator’s objections over the food or its labelling. Defending its approach, the FSSAI is clear on what it wants. “If industry is coming out with a product, it has to be safe food, and it has to be wholesome,” says Yudhvir Singh Malik, chief executive. “My plea to industry is: whatever you are putting out, please think that your child is also eating it.”

Indian origin man held for insider trading in US Indian origin former security analyst at J P Morgan Securities, along with two of his friends have been charged with trading on inside information about technology deals that costed nearly $ 7,00,000 in illicit profits. Ashish Aggarwal, 27, of San Francisco, Shahriyar Bolandian, 26, of Los Angeles, and Kevan Sadigh, 28, of Los Angeles, are charged with multiple counts of securities fraud, the Justice Department said in a statement. The Securities and Exchange Commission also charged Aggarwal, who worked in J P Morgan's San Francisco office, with illegally tipping his close friend with confidential information about clients involved in impending mergers and acquisitions of technology companies, the agency said. According to the indictment, Aggarwal allegedly obtained material, inside information about two J P Morganadvised deals; Integrated Device Technology's planned acquisition of PLX Technology in 2012 and salesforce.com's acquisition of ExactTarget in 2013.

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Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

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The Mantra for Property

Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

Last week I met a long time property veteran of Edgware Road, you could say he's part of the Edgware Road mafia. I always thought him to be an Arab, as these are the people whom he does his business with, what’s more I often saw him with coloured chanting beads, these are usually carried by the Arabs on Edgware Road, walking and whilst smoking the Hookah pipes. However when I questioned him he declared himself to be a Jew, who speaks Arabic, the beads he carries around to reduce the number of cigarettes he smokes as a distraction for when he gives up, which he has done time and time again. He has been based in the upper part of Edgware Road for several decades, I have known him for about 15 of these years. Needless to say he knows the patch very well, and has his finger on the pulse. Usually his property dealings happen within his closed circle of contacts which he has built up over the years. He knows all the players in the market and has seen them rise, and some fall. I sat with him a week ago, he is now concentrating his clients’ money on the north side of the A40 flyover. This is a patch of Central London which has yet to rise to match the surrounding areas. This intuitive local perception he has is backed firmly by a Knight Frank Report which predicted the north side of Hyde Park, which starts from Bayswater Road upwards, to rocket in the short term future; more so than the other sides of Hyde Park, which have all had their time now.

Some o f the most expensive resid ent ial pro pe rty in the worl d su rrou nds Lon don ’s H yde Park. The 625 acre area of g re en space wh ich make s up Hyd e Park is see n to be the epicent er of the prime cent ral L ondo n re sid ential market and pro perties located close to the park achieve l arg e premiums. This patch to the north has traditionally been seen to be the poor side of Hyde Park, it has had an unsavoury reputation especially along Sussex Gardens for many years, known also for its cheap hotels which line this street (which are not so cheap anymore, not to purchase anyhow). The regeneration of this area will be completed with the arrival of Crossrail at Paddington in 2018 and the development of the wider Paddington Basin area, where many blue-chip companies have already relocated including Marks & Spencer, Rio Tinto and AstraZeneca. The area’s future growth has been underpinned by two major acquisitions one is the purchase of Whiteleys Shopping Centre by Qatar money and the second more recent is the purchase of West End Green by Berkeley Homes, a 2.66 acre site on Edgware Road, to the north of the A40 flyover. Berkeley Homes is planning to build a 600 unit new property scheme in this location.

nate the area north of the A40 and Edgware Road on the side towards Baker Street. This is where the Lisson Grove Estate is nestled. I have been saying f or many years th ere is a myth att ache d t o ex co uncil propert y. The perce ptio n this label creates d oes n ot match the reality whe n pu rch asing an ex cou ncil in Central Lond on. In f act I would su ggest th e reverse is t rue , ex co uncil propert ie s c an often make bet ter Buy to Le t in ve stme nts than their private c ount er part s. This is d ue to t hre e reaso ns: one, they we re built when prope rty prices were not at a premium, because land was no t so scarc e at t hat t ime , therefo re when you purchase a two bedroo m it is a properly sized two bedro om pro perty, unlike many of t he n ew builds sproutin g up all o ve r Lond on. Secon dly the lease is g eneral ly a l ong one , and to extend this is n ot ext ort io nate. Third ly the service charges ten d to be low, this means you might actu all y be abl e to make some mon ey f ro m t he ren tal income, a rarity when purchasing private pro pe rty in t he C entre of Lon don.

Tony Pid gley, Chairman of t he Berkele y Grou p said: "Edgware Road has great histor y; fantastic transport links and sits between two of L ondon's best parks. We are ver y excited ab out delivering a world class development which will have its own distinct character and integrate with the existing community.” Though the north side of Hyde Park has been called the poor side of the park, this little patch has been seen as the poor part within this poor part. This reputation comes from the mostly ex local blocks which domi-

The Real Deal

We have a project going on in Bell Street which is in this ‘poor part of the poor part’ of Central London. The project consists of four freehold town houses, which we originally purchased with a view to sell on quickly once permissions had been granted. However for one reason or another we have ended up developing the project through to completion. The project in all honesty has not been going to plan, we purchased the site for £4.4m and we had serious offers at 5.2m and a touch higher as well soon after, which we did not accept. There was a down valuation by the bank’s valuer who decided the site value is only £4m as opposed to the valuation we had of £4.8m at the time of purchase, and the project costs have grossly over run. Despite these setbacks I believe in this project, the timeline and the costs have both over run, but I believe in the area which is what drove the investment in the first place; this will be the saving grace. The first mantra of property investment is location, ultimately this will lift the project upwards, and I suspect to values we even did not anticipate at the time of purchase. Currently we have a freehold in a very posh part of London, which we are due to get the contract on very shortly. The property is being purchased for just over £1,000 per sq. ft., in an area where prices go for £2,000 per sq. ft., being freehold you dispense with permission normally required from the developer. This property even as it is is worth £3.2m, we are managing to pick this up for £2.5m, and this opportunity is currently open for investment.

Hyde Park, London, W1 Purchase Price: £1.75m l A large two bedroom raised ground floor flat in a highly sought after location l Share of freehold l Very high cielings l Period features l Low service charges l Properties in this location are being sold for around £2,200 per sq. ft. while we are getting this for around £2,075 per sq. ft. l Very good buy and hold opportunity Call us now to secure this deal!

0207 993 0103

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Tips of the Week l A heavily discounted property may not be the best buy. Where is the price going to go in the years to come? It may stay the same, or go even lower. l The market will not be rising in all locations at all the times, therefore when developing property it is wise to have another exit plan besides reselling.

BUSINESS

Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

Vodafone India to roll out 4G by 2015 end

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India's economic growth slows to 7% in April-June quarter AsianVoiceNews

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Analysts expected growth for the quarter to come in at 7.4 per cent, but a weak showing from the services sector acted as a drag on Asia's third-largest economy.

Vodafone India said that it plans to launch 4G services by end of 2015 in “important data markets” including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Kochi. Additionally it will also roll out its own 3G networks in another seven circles; Northeast, UP West, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Kerala and Odisha, to expand its overall 3G footprint across the country. “Testing of 4G services has commenced successfully. Vodafone India has partnered with leading global technology infrastructure service providers for the network rollout,” the statement said. “With some of the latest technological developments on the anvil; Vodafone is

building robust and resilient network architecture with a strong backhaul to support the volumes and need for speed from customers,” it added. The company acquired additional 4G spectrum in five circles, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Kerala and Karnataka in the February 2014 auction,which, together contribute close to 50 per cent of the total data revenue. In 2014-15, Vodafone India rolled out over 23,000 sites taking its overall network footprint to more than 131,000 sites. Globally, Vodafone has launched 4G in 18 countries. There are over 20 million 4G customers across the group.

India gives relief to foreign investors on MAT issue India has waived retrospective imposition of a minimum alternative tax (MAT) affecting foreign funds, the Finance Minister said on Tuesday, a move that could resolve a dispute that had shaken investor confidence. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government had accepted the recommendations of a panel set up to examine the issue, and said he would make the change permanent through legislation in the next parliament session. "Confidence among investors could be a consequence of this," Jaitley said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to maintain India's image as a bright spot in the global economy following a series of political setbacks that have slowed his reform agenda. Tax consultants Deloitte hailed Tuesday's decision, calling it a bold step considering the fact that it could cost the government revenue at a time when the finance ministry is trying to cut its fiscal deficit. "The decision will also help to further the government's position that it discourages tax terrorism and

welcomes foreign investment in India," said Rajesh Gandhi, a partner in Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP. India posted lowerthan-expected economic growth of 7 per cent for the June quarter on Monday, adding to a growing sense of pessimism after opposition parties forced the government to drop legislation to make it easier for government and industry to acquire land for development. Jaitley told a news conference that pending the change in the income tax law, a notice would be circulated to tax officers ordering them not to issue any more claims under the levy known as MAT. On Sept. 29 India's top court is due to hear a legal challenge filed by Mauritius-based Castleton Investment Ltd against the government over a number of tax-related issues, including on whether MAT can be imposed on foreign investors. It was not immediately clear if the hearing will still go ahead, given that the government's move on Tuesday would seem to take the wind out of the sails of investors' main complaint.

India's economic growth slowed by more than expected in the quarter to June, according to data released on Monday that will worry Prime Minister Narendra Modi and prompt more urgent calls from his aides for interest rate cuts. Gross domestic product expanded an annual 7 per cent rate in the April-June quarter, government figures showed. That was slower than provisional growth of 7.5 per cent in the previous quarter. Analysts expected growth for the quarter to come in at 7.4 per cent, but a weak showing from the services sector acted as a drag on Asia's third-largest economy. "Growth conditions are still weak and are picking up in a very, very gradual manner," said A Prasanna, economist at ICICI Securities Primary Dealership. While India matched growth in China, the loss of momentum comes just as Modi's image as the coun-

try's economic saviour starts to fade 15 months after his historic electoral triumph. He swept to power on a promise of speedier growth creating millions of manufacturing jobs. But businesses are getting restless with slow progress in removing barriers to growth. The data will also strengthen the chorus from Modi's administration for a rate cut. Some bureaucrats

are already arguing for an immediate reduction of as much as 50 basis points in the Reserve Bank of India's main 7.25 per cent policy rate. "In our view, (it) clearly paves the way for two more repo rate cuts before the close of the financial year," said Jyotinder Kaur, principal economist at HDFC Bank. The RBI has cut the policy repo rate 75 basis points since January. But it

left the rate on hold at its last policy review early this month. While it has not ruled out further monetary easing, it has tied up future rate cuts to the inflation outlook. Many in the government are worried that growth could slip below the official target of 8 to 8.5 per cent for the year to March, and sees the RBI's caution as worsening the situation.

New committee to direct India's monetary policy The Modi government plans to change the Reserve Bank of India Act before the end of the fiscal year, to set up a new committee to direct the country's monetary policy. The committee would comprise of appointees from the government, the Reserve Bank of India, and other independent members appointed by the government. However, any changes made, will have to be approved by the Parliament. The Central Bank and the Finance Ministry have been trying to resolve differences over the panel's

composition; mainly over the balance of representation between government and RBI appointees. The finance ministry last month

Central bank and government have reached a “broad consensus” on the composition of a rate panel hinted at retreating from a blueprint that would have ensured its effective control over a seven-member committee. RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan reported

that the central bank and government have reached a “broad consensus” on the composition of a rate panel, not disclosing details. Meanwhile, newly appointed union home secretary Rajeev Mehrishi said the composition of the panel would reflect the views of Rajan, the government and lawmakers, but details would be disclosed first to the parliament. “His views have been noted and would be taken into account in making any decision. But what the decision is does not depend solely on the RBI governor,” Mehrishi said. He also reported plans

to set up an independent public debt management agency (PDMA), mainly under New Delhi's control, in the current fiscal year, which ends next March. He said the finance ministry had agreed in principle with the RBI to allow Indian bonds to be settled through Euroclear, world's largest securities settlement system, as part of efforts to boost capital inflows and deepen the bond market. “It is a FEMA requirement so RBI has to consult the government,” he said. “So we will respond to RBI. I think this week or latest by next week.”

Sensex closes 587 points down on weak GDP data The benchmark index of Indian equities markets, the 30-scrip BSE Sensitive Index (Sensex), on Tuesday plummeted 586.65 points to one-year low of 25,696.44. Nifty also tanked 185.45 points to close at 7,785.85. Earlier, BSE extended its rout to crash by 700 points, while NSE Nifty cracked the 7,800-mark due to lowerthan-expected GDP data and sell-off

in global equities. The GDP growth slowed to 7% in the June quarter, from 7.5% in the previous quarter amid deceleration in farm, services and manufacturing sectors. The 30-share index which slumped below the crucial 26,000-mark in early trade, continued to slide and dived by 703.21 points or 2.67% to trade at 25,579.88 during the midsession.

The gauge had lost 109.29 points in the previous session. All the sectoral indices led by metal, bank and realty, tumbled up to 4.15%. The NSE Nifty too came under selling pressure and cracked another crucial 7,800-mark by dropping 218.85 points or 2.74 cent to 7,752.45. All the 30-Sensex constituents led by Coal India,

Axis Bank, Hindalco, M&M, BHEL and Tata Steel were trading in the negative zone with losses up to 5.25%. Among other Asian markets, Shanghai Composite index was down 1.23%, Japan's Nikkei tumbled 3.84% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng dived 2.24%. European markets were also in the red in their opening deals.

CURRENCYVOICE

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Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

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

US economy grew amid Chinese turmoil

Last week the People's Bank of China cut its key lending rate by 0.25 percentage points to 4.6% in an effort to calm stock markets after two days of turmoil. It is the fifth interest rate cut since November and will take effect today. The People's Bank said that the interest rate cut was to reduce "the social cost of financing to promote and support the sustainable and healthy developments of the real economy". It also acted to increase the flow of money in the economy by cutting the amount of cash banks must keep in reserve, effectively freeing them to lend more cash. Amid the Turmoil of the Chinese share market The US economy grew more than expected in the second quarter on bigger gains in consumer and business spending shows the US is back on track and gives further optimism on the Federal Reserve hiking rates. The US released strong growth figures in the shape of its preliminary GDP figure. Gross domestic product, the value of all goods and services produced, rose at a 3.7 percent annualized rate,

Foreign Exchange

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exceeding all estimates In another major data release, the US also released positive jobs data with unemployment claims falling to a three week low. Demand for skilled workers is picking up as the unemployment rate falls, Convincing hiring managers to keep staffing levels consistent with sales. Pay raises, alongside strengthening job security will help to provide a bigger boost to consumer spending in the US which accounts for almost 70 percent of the economy. Another report Thursday from the Commerce Department showed a bigger advance in household purchases in the second quarter than previously estimated. A 3.1 percent increase in spending helped boost gross domestic product to a 3.7 percent gain in the three months ended in June. Stanley Fischer, the Fed’s vice chairman, stated that it was “too early to tell” whether there’s a compelling case for a September rate hike. Still, in a speech over the weekend, he noted that inflation is still below the Fed’s goal of 2 percent, a

rate determined best for “price stability and maximum employment.” However, Fischer closed his statements by stating that “because monetary policy influences real activity with a substantial lag, we should not wait until inflation is back to 2 percent to begin tightening.” Which effectively is a signal that rates can be raised even before the inflation of target of 2% is met. Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said on Saturday that a slowdown in China's economy could push down further on inflation but it did not change, for now, the central bank's position on when and how it might increase interest rates. Speaking at an annual U.S. central banking conference in Jackson Hole, Carney reiterated his view that the recovery in Britain's economy "will likely put the decision as to when to start the process of gradual monetary policy normalization into sharper relief around the turn of this year." Manufacturers are also increasing their vigilance in key markets in light of growing risks and uncertainty in the

global economy, according to a new survey of almost 300 companies published by EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation. The survey showed that 47% of companies are concerned about the possible sharp slowdown in China, of which 10% are reviewing their business plans. U.K mortgage approvals also showed an increase in July to their highest level in 17 months. Banks approved 46,033 mortgages for house purchases; this is the highest number we have seen since February 2014. That was up from 44,802 in June and up 11 percent from 12 months ago It was a fairly quiet news week in Europe with uncertainty regarding greeces Debt repayment calming down. German retail sales beat expectations gaining 3.3 per cent year-on-year despite Eurozone confidence being shaken by the Greek debt crisis. Monthly figures showed retail sales jumping by 1.4 per cent from June to July, according to figures released by Germany’s statistical office Destatis.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 1st September 2015 @ 5.30pm GBP - INR = 101.75 USD - INR = 66.35 EUR - INR = 74.78 GBP - USD = 1.53 GBP - EUR = 1.36

EUR - USD = 1.13 GBP - AED = 5.63

GBP - CAD = 2.02

GBP - NZD = 2.42

GBP - AUD = 2.18

GBP - ZAR = 20.57

GBP - HUF = 428.74

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In Brief

Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

Isis confirms Briton killed in drone attack

RAQQA (SYRIA): US officials said that British computer hacker Junaid Hussain from Birmingham, who became an Isis militant, has been killed in a drone strike in Syria. His British wife had earlier claimed that he was still alive. He is the 53rd British jihadist to die in Syria and Iraq, according to a database kept by the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation. US sources said Hussain was the second most wanted British Isis member after Mohammad Emwazi, the Isis executioner who has featured in numerous beheading videos. Hussain was third on a US list of Isis targets at the time of his death and was said to have had a significant role as an instigator and director of plots in Britain, Europe and the US. Hussain was married to a British former punk rocker from Chatham, in Kent, named Sally Jones, 45. She converted to Islam and joined Isis after an online romance in 2014. The couple were dubbed “Mr and Mrs Terror”. There were claims that Jones had denied that her husband had been killed.

Indian American honoured with top scholar award

NEW YORK: An Indian American professor from Duke University is set to be presented with the "2015 SMS Emerging Scholar Award" from Illinois-based Strategic Management Society (SMS). Aaron Chatterji will be honoured at the 2016 SMS annual international conference and will receive $5,000 as prize money. He will also present his research at the conference, India West news portal reported. The prize is awarded to a relatively young or new scholar who displays exemplary scholarship that promises to have an impact on future strategic management practice. Chatterji served as a senior economist with the White House Council of Economic Advisers where he worked on a wide range of policies relating to entrepreneurship, innovation, infrastructure and economic growth. He has authored several columns in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, has appeared on TV and radio and was recently profiled in The Financial Times and Fortune.

First ever MPhil degree in Hindi awarded in Pak

ISLAMABAD: For the first time in Pakistan's history, a university has awarded an M.Phil degree in Hindi. Military-run National University of Modern Languages (NUML) here has become the first Pakistani university to award the degree. NUML student Shahin Zafar is the first student from a Pakistani university to receive an M.Phil degree in Hindi. Her thesis, titled 'Swatantryottra Hindi Upanyason Mein NasriChittran (1947-2000)' was supervised by Professor Iftikhar Husain Arif and endorsed by the Higher Education Commission, Dawn News reported. A university spokesperson was quoted as saying that due to dearth of Hindi experts in Pakistan, Zafar's thesis was evaluated by two experts from India's Aligarh Muslim University.

Thousands rally against Malaysia PM

KUALA LUMPUR: Big crowds of protesters returned to the streets of Kuala Lumpur to demand the resignation of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak over a financial scandal, after the first day of the massive rally passed peacefully on Saturday. Thousands of protesters camped overnight wearing yellow shirts of the Bersih movement the coalition for clean and fair elections even after authorities blocked the organizer's website and banned yellow attire and the group's logo in a bid to deter the rallies, which were also held in other Malaysian cities. Former Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad, who is spearheading the protest, joined the protesters for a second day and called for a “people's power” movement to topple Razak. “The only way for the people to get back to the old system is for them to remove this prime minister“, said Mahathir, who was once Najib's patron and is now his fiercest critic.

Indian man shot dead in US

WASHINGTON: A 25-year-old Indian national has been shot dead outside his house during an altercation in the US state of Virginia and the police have arrested one person in connection with the murder. Shaolin Chandam from Manipur was shot several times during an argument in LaSalle Gardens in Hampton last week, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Hampton Police arrested 25-year-old Keenan Palmer in connection with the case. The investigation found that the suspect and victim got into a verbal altercation on August 25 during which the suspect displayed a firearm and shot the victim, police said in a statement.

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US supports Lanka's war crime probe

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US supports Sri Lankan government in conducting its own investigation into alleged war crimes

COLOMBO: The United States has announced it wants to sponsor a resolution at next month’s U.N. human rights session that supports Sri Lankan government in conducting its own investigation into alleged war crimes. “The U.S has announced it will be offering a resolution at the September session of the Human Rights Council. It will be a resolution of collaboration with the gov-

ernment of Sri Lanka and with other key stake holders,” Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal said. The announcement of a joint resolution with the Sri Lankan government presents a major shift by Washington on the South Asian island nation. America was working towards adopting three resolutions at the U.N. human rights session on Sri Lanka, the last of which last year called for

Nisha Biswal an international indeMaithripala Sirisena. She pendent investigation into did not say what the new the alleged abuses. resolution would contain, but said it will follow a Biswal said, however, report by the U.N. Human the U.S. now supports a Rights Council scheduled local investigation promto be released next ised by the new Sri Lanka month. government of President

Pak cites India as the only external threat ISLAMABAD: The Senate defence committee led by Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed visited military's joint staff headquarters in Rawalpindi, where it was briefed by Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Committee, General Rashan Mahmood and his team. Pakistan military told the committee that India posed the only external

threat to the country, perceiving threats with its purchase of weapons worth USD 100 billion, 80 per cent of which, they cited as Pakistan-specific. They shared their thoughts saying the Indian Army's “shopping spree” would continue over the next five years where it would buy weapons worth another USD 100 billion.

India, the world’s second largest arms importer, has more than doubled its military spending over the last decade. Delhi’s defence budget for this year was USD 40.07 billion, the paper said. Members were told this required a continuous evaluation of the situation and up-gradation of the response mechanism. The committee was

also informed that the situation was volatile in view of the suspended dialogue between India and Pakistan and the absence of any conflict resolution mechanism. They also familiarised the committee on how the Joint Staff Headquarters worked as a higher defence organisation and Strategic Plans Division, custodian of the nuclear programme.

IS delivers 'second blow' to America WASHINGTON: The Islamic State has recently claimed to have started its own currency by minting gold coins, according to a newly released video. In the documentary styled footage, the group presented its new currency, claiming to have started minting and circulating its gold coins. In the video entitled “The Rise of the Khilafah and the Return of the Gold Dinar” the ISIS shows the smelting of gold, silver and copper coins. The ISIS currency comes in several denominations of gold, silver and copper, and are imprinted with Islamic symbols, “completely void of human and animal images in accordance with

Shariah law,” according to the narrator in the propaganda video. The reverse side of one coin shows seven wheat stalks, “representing the blessing of spending in the path of Allah,” says the narrator. The video, narrated in English with Arabic subtitles, begins with an extensive analysis on “the capitalist financial system of enslavement, underpinned by a piece of paper called the Federal Reserve dollar note,” and the corruption

that allowed for the American destruction of the monetary system. If the coins are real, they are unlikely to be of much use as accurate estimates of the value are impossible given that the weight of the metal is unclear and there is no international exchange rate for an unrecognised currency. It is also unclear on how Isis would mint enough coins to replace national currencies in its strongholds also with all photos so far appearing to show the same two coins. None of the metals are mined in Iraq or Syria which lead experts to believe any precious metals the group possesses have been purchased, stolen or

looted in other forms and melted down. It is attempting to set its own exchange rates for one gold dinar at $139 (£88), a five dinar coin at $694 (£440), three silver dirhams ranging between $1 (64p) and $9 (6), and two copper coins at a few pennies each. Last year , ISIS had announced its plans to mint its own currency in gold, silver and copper and had stated that the aim of the currency was to stay away from the “tyrant's financial system”. The group is considered to be one of the richest militant organisations that extract income from theft, oil smuggling, extortion and human trafficking.

Journalists killed during live interview WASHINGTON: In yet another incident that brings to light America's problem with guns and racial tension, two television journalists were shot to death by a co-worker during a live broadcast from a strip mall in a small Virginia town. Journalists Alison Parker, 24 and Adam Ward, 27, both from CBS affiliate WDBJ7 in Roanoke, were covering a story of Bridgewater Plaza, when they were ambushed by an African American gunman.

Parker was interviewing Vicki Gardner, head of the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce, who was also shot in the back but survived and underwent a surgery. On live television footage, one could hear Parker crashing to the floor screaming as eight shots ring out. There was a brief glimpse from the falling camera of the gunman, who then fled the scene. The station quickly cuts the feed to a horrified, wide-eyed anchor in the

studio. The gunman, later identified as Vester Flanagan alias Bryce Williams, was a disgruntled employee of the station and shot himself in the course of a highway police chase. Flanagan managed to post on social media, a clip of the shooting from his perspective and a couple of messages of his racial issues with Parker and Ward. He alleged Alison of making racist comments at him and that he had complained to the Equal Employment

Opportunity Commission. WDBJ7 later tweeted a message including a photo of the two, “We love you, Alison and Adam.” “I cannot tell you how much they were loved, Alison and Adam, by the WDBJ7 team,” the station's general manager Jeff Marks said. “Our hearts are broken and our sympathies go to the entire staff here, but also the parents and family of Adam Ward and Alison Parker, who were just out doing their job today.”

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US warns Pak over saying the N-word WASHINGTON: The United States has warned Pakistan over brandishing its nuclear status after the recent cancellation of NSA-level talks with India. It has also asked both the neighbour countries to resolve their longstanding issues with constructive dialogue. “Secretary of State Kerry has said repeatedly that he wants the two nations to continue to work together, with construc tive dialogue, to resolve their issues, and we understand that there are issues that are longstanding,” State Department Spokesman John Kirby told reporters. “But that's what really needs to happen, is sitting down, dialogue, cooperation, talking through these things, and trying to work through some meaningful solutions,” Kirby said. After the NSA-level talks were cancelled earlier this month, Pakistan's N ational Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz had said that since taking over the government last year Prime Minister Narendra Modi considers India a regional power, forgetting that Pakistan is a “nuclear power”.

Bangkok blast suspect arrested

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THAILAND: A key suspect in the recent Bangkok shring bombing was captured at Thailand's border with Cambodia. The man who is now detained, was reported by some Thai media outlets to be carrying a passport for a Chinese citizen with an Islamic name, from the western province of Xinjiang. The captured man resembled the one who was seen leaving a backpack at the blast site. The police has also issued fresh arrest warrants for three suspects believed to be Turkish, amid growing speculation that the country's worst terrorist attack was carried by the Turks. Prime Minister Chan-o-cha described the man as a “main suspect” in the deadly bombing that claimed 20 lives, 6 Thais and 14 ethnic Chinese tourists. “It would be great if he were. Then we will know who they are, where they came from, who's behind this,” said Gen Prayuth, noting that the suspect resembled a yellow-shirted man seen in a surveillance video apparently planting the bomb. National police spokesman, Prawut Thavornsiri said investiga-

Sri Lanka's Eighth Parliament settles in COLOMBO: India's neighbouring country Sri Lanka's Eighth Parliament came into being with President M a i t h r i p a l a Sirisena's call for reconciliation and coexistence. In his address to the Parliament, the President said the country had to take “bold political decisions” on the issue of reconciliation. “It is up to us to take the initiative in this regard,” Sirisena said. The new government would give importance to accomplishing expeditious economic progress in the conflict-hit regions of the Northern and the Eastern provinces, besides adjoining areas. Referring to the political culture of confrontation, the President said that one principal party (SLFP) had ruled the country for 35 years and another (UNP) for 32 years. Calling upon the newlyelected Members of Parliament to support the government’s efforts towards developing the new political culture, he said the common plan of action, that features ideologies of all four parties,

the UNP, the SLFP, the Tamil National Alliance and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna would be incorporated along with his manifesto. He also assured the House that electoral reforms, acceptable to all the parties and the civil society, would be adopted. Where the area of foreign affairs is concerned, the government would focus on Asia, which was, he said, expected to register a high level of economic growth in the years to come. In the last eight months, the country's ties with other countries had improved to such an extent that its pride and glory among the comity of nations had been restored, the President added.

tors believed the suspect was “an important person in the network” behind the bombing, and described him as appearing “similar” to the prime suspect captured on security camera footage. There have been no claims of responsibility for the August 17 atrocity or a second aborted bomb attack when a similar device was abandoned in a canal shortly afterwards and exploded with no casualties the next day. Immediate suspicion is directed towards Thailand’s domestic turmoil, a Muslim insurgency in the south and international Islamic terror groups. However, recent proofs bring to light a possible link-up between Turkish-Uighur militants, notably a radical ultra-

nationalist Turkish terror faction called the Grey Wolves, and human trafficking crime gangs. “It is important the security services recognise squarely that the Erawan atrocity was the not the fumbling revenge of a locally-based criminal gang facing a police 'crackdown', but rather a wellplanned and technically sophisticated international terrorist operation,” said Tony Davis, a respected Bangkok-based security analyst who first publicised the possible Grey Wolves connection. Thai police have taken the captured suspect to Bangkok for interrogation but officials denied media reports that he was captured inside Cambodia and handed over to Thailand.

Migrants from Pakistan and Bangla to get Indian citizenship NEW DELHI: The Indian government is working on an ordinance to amend the Citizenship Act to grant citizenship to “persecuted” Hindu refugees from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Primarly aimed at Hindu migrants from Bangladesh who have crossed over into Assamd and West Bengal in large numbers, the ordinance will cover refugees from all three nations. Assembly polls are due in both eastern states next year and ruling party BJP hopes the move will brighten its electoral prospects. The government is currently in works on a policy paper on the modalities of granting natural citizenship to the refugees. The complicated and contentious part, according to sources involved in the process, is to work out who to include and on what basis to include them as citizens. A task force set up by the home ministry is also working on how to grant citizenship to the scores of Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists and Chakma refugees.

Anticipating commotion and opposition in the Parliament, BJP may bring a bill in the winter session to send a message to Bangladeshi refugees living in Assam without proper documents that it intends to include them in the system. The process of including Hindu Bengali refugees in Assam starts with verifications to update the National Register of Citizens in the state that begins soon, and only applicable in Assam. With the verification for NRC to commence, “those who do not have any documents to show that they are residents are being subjected to harassment. Many Bengali Hindu migrants are affected by it and hence the urgency for their inclusion,” said a senior BJP leader. “They are living as faceless, identity-less people as they do not have any identification proof, so we are asking the government to include them without asking for identity papers. They are minorities in Bangladesh and Pakistan and have been persecuted there... they ran away without any papers.”

WORLD

In Brief

Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

Jeremy Corbyn’s women-only train carriage plan dismissed

LONDON: Labour Party politician Jeremy Corbyn’s proposal to start women-only train carriages to save women from harassment has been dismissed by Education secretary Nicky Morgan and Dave Prentis, the general secretary of Unison. Others also opposed the proposal and accused Corbyn of peddling a defeatist, throwback solution to harassment. “Some women have raised with me that a solution to the rise in assault and harassment on public transport could be to introduce women-only carriages,” he said. Faced with a barrage of criticism, including from his three rivals, the hard-left candidate’s aides later claimed that he had only attempted to “kick-start a conversation amongst women”. Among senior politicians, at least, it proved to be a one-sided argument when it came to the merits of women-only carriages. Segregated travel is available in many parts of the world. “Ladies only” compartments were first introduced in 1874 by the Metropolitan Railway but phased out on British railways in 1977. Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said that segregation to “keep women safe” was turning the clock back, not tackling the problem. “We shouldn’t have to shut ourselves away from men for our own safety,” she added.

Indian babysitter jailed over child's death

MILFORD (US): An Indian national who had worked as a baby sitter in Connecticut was sentenced to 14 years in US federal prison for the death of a 19-month-old boy in her care last year. Kinjal Patel, 29, was sentenced under a plea deal entered in Superior Court in New Haven in which she did not admit guilt but conceded there was enough evidence to secure her conviction. Under the agreement she will also serve five years' probation for causing the death of Athiyan Sivakumar, who died at Yale-New Haven Hospital in January 2014 of multiple injuries, including a fractured skull. Police say Patel initially told them that while she was babysitting the boy he suffered a head injury after slipping on the floor. She later admitted she became angry and pushed him in the face, causing him to fall backward and strike his head. The boy died three days later.

Decomposing bodies of 70 migrants found in abandoned lorry

VIENNA: Austrian police have found the decomposing bodies of more than 70 migrants in a lorry abandoned on a motorway near the Hungarian border. The grim discovery was made as Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, met Balkan leaders in Vienna to discuss how to cope with the thousands of migrants pouring into the region each day. Police in the Burgenland region stopped to check the lorry, thinking it had broken down, but found no driver on board. They then noticed the smell of decomposing bodies, and signs that blood had been dripping from the back door, which was open. Officials said later that the lorry had been parked at the spot for some days, and that the migrants appeared to have been dead for days. No identities were released and no explanation for their deaths was given. Merkel said she was “very much shaken by the appalling news” and added: “This is a warning to us that we must quickly tackle the issue of immigration, in a European spirit, in a spirit of solidarity, and find solutions.”

Man opens fires at Indian eatery in Oz

SYDNEY: A gunman fired at a popular Indian restaurant in Sydney's Harris Park packed with about 40 people, but the bullet missed, hitting the diners by just centimeters, the second such incident in last four months. The gunman, dressed in a blue tracksuit, fired a shot through the front window of Billu's Indian Eatery, before fleeing.

Afghan forces retake Musa Qala from Taliban

LONDON: Afghan forces have confirmed that they have retaken Musa Qala, a desolate district in Helmand Province, from the Taliban. According to reports, more than 20 British soldiers died at Musa Qala during Britain's involvement in the war. The Defence Ministry of Afghanistan said that around 220 Taliban fighters were killed in the operation. A tribal elder from Musa Qala Haji Muallem said that national security forces, backed by US airstrikes, captured large weapons caches and expelled the insurgents from the district governor's office and police headquarters. During the past four days, 33 security forces personnel have been killed, or injured, said Helmand Governor Mirza Khan Rahimi.

INDIA

Gunmen kill Karnataka rationalist leader Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

DHARWAD: Sending shock waves across Karnataka, gunmen shot dead eminent Kannada scholar and rationalist leader M M Kalburgi at his residence in Dharwad, about 450 km from Bengaluru, on Sunday. Police suspect the involvement of right-wing extremists as the modus operandi appeared to be similar to that used in the murders of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar in Pune two years ago and CPI leader Govind Pansare in Kolhapur in February 2014. In all three cases, bike-borne gunmen killed their victims. Kalburgi's research and writing on the M M Kalburgi

Veerashaiva movement and philosophy, and his rationalist critique of obscurantist beliefs have frequently angered rightwingers. The outspoken writer's security cover was withdrawn only a few months ago. A former vice-

Rats bite infant to death at AP hospital GUNTUR(ANDHRA): In bizarre incident, an infant was bitten to death by rats at the government hospital here. Rodents bit the 10day- old boy's left eye, fingers and caused injuries to his face. His parents have alleged that the doctor on duty did not respond to the emergency when called, which resulted in the baby's death. State chief minister Chandrababu Naidu ordered immediate suspension of all the officials on duty that night and asked the health secretary to investigate the matter and submit a report to him. Naidu expressed his shock on Twitter, saying, “Shocked and deeply disturbed after learning that a baby boy died after bitten

by rats in Guntur hospital.” The government has already announced compensation of £2,000 but the victim's parents were demanding £10,000. Chavali Lakshmi, the child's mother said that she had alerted the staff. “Our son was about to undergo a surgery but we noticed wounds on his right hand. Rats had nibbled them (fingers) off,” she told reporters. Naidu has also issued a stern warning to health officials that such incidents should not occur in future.

Protesters dragged out of Harsimrat’s function MANSA (PUNJAB): Protesting family members of unemployed linemen, mostly women, who raised anti-government slogans at a recent function addressed by union minister of food processing, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, were dragged and gagged by policemen. The protesters have alleged that policemen used foul language and misbehaved with them before women police personnel arrived. Children were injured when their mothers were dragged and clothes of some of the women protesters were torn in the brawl. The administration had already received a hint of the linemen’s plans and, as a last ditch effort, had begun a meeting with the leaders of

the union to persuade them not to spoil the function. They had even identified some of them and sent them out of the venue. The police had not registered any case against Amandeep Kaur, Gagandeep Kaur, Virpal Kaur, Kiranjit Kaur, Gurjant Singh, Balwinder Singh, Antar Singh and Baljinder Singh who had been rounded up. However, this wasn't the only protest that marred the function. A group of SAD leaders, led by Bhikhi Market Committee chairman Baldev Singh, staged a walkout complaining they were not given due respect by the organisers. They were coaxed by the police to return to the venue.

chancellor of Kannada University in Hampi, the 77-year-old scholar was speaking on his phone when an unidentified person knocked on the door of his house. Kalburgi opened the door, only to be shot pointblank in the forehead with a.32 revolver. We heard what appeared to be two gunshots and rushed to the verandah to see my father lying in a pool of blood. We raised an alarm. Neighbours shifted him to hospital,” said Roopadarshi, his daughter. He was taken to a private nursing home and from there to the district civil hospital, where he was declared brought dead. Kalburgi is survived by his wife, a son and three daughters. The elderly couple lived in

Dharwad with a grandson. A son and daughter live in Bengaluru, while another daughter stays in Vijayapura. Roopadarshi, a US resident, was visiting her parents and son, a student in a Hubballi engineering college. Police suspect the hand of Hindu extremists, given Kalburgi's writings had questioned idol worship and superstition. Roopadarshi told media there was no discord in the family and Kalburgi had no personal enemies. She said the killing could be the handiwork of someone angered by his writings. Hubballi-Dharwad police commissioner Ravindra Prasad said a special team had been formed to crack the murder at the earliest.

Now, 'Amma' health check-ups CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa has announced a new health scheme that would help in detecting illnesses early. Amma Master health check-ups would soon be available at government hospitals for less than a £10. The package includes blood, sugar, heart, kidney, and liver tests; even cervical and breast cancer tests for women. Other than that, many important tests and check ups at primary health centres would be made available free. The scheme has taken a leaf from Jayalalithaa's Amma Canteens that sell Idli for one rupee; a move that helped her win sweeping majority in Lok Sabha

In Brief AsianVoiceNews

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AP cops hunt for ‘psycho’ who attacks women with syringe

HYDERABAD: Over 200 policemen are scouring parts of Andhra Pradesh's West Godavari district for a 25yearold youth who targets women and injects them with a syringe in the thigh and runs off. The first complaint in this regard was received on August 22. According to them, the miscreant moves on a black bike and has attacked 18 women. However, much to the relief of the victims, laboratory tests of the injected material have established that it was harmless.

Film shooting cancelled following bee attack

ERODE (TAMIL NADU): Crew and other members of a film shooting unit near Erode in Tamil Nadu was halted following attack by a swarm of honeybees. Several people, including actors, were injured as the event resulted in the cancellation of the shoot. Some ran away from the place and took shelter in nearby houses and huts to escape the attack, while some of them suffered stings on their bodies and are currently undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital.

Cross-culture romance entangled in red tape

CHENNAI: The cross-culture romance between a native Tamil and a Belgium national has been entangled in red tapism. Suresh Kumar met Sara Roggeman at a ship where they both worked. He said they got married at a small temple at Namakkal district but the temple authorities refused to solemnise their wedding citing that he is a Hindu and the bride a Christian. Without certificate, their marriage cannot be registered and Roggeman could not come and live with her husband in India.

Akali, BJP workers in verbal duel at Amritsar

J Jayalalithaa polls last year. It was later followed by Amma Pharmacies, Amma Cement and Amma Water. However, many are apprehensible about the quality of infrastructure in government medical college hospitals, and are questioning if they could be able to go for health checkups at massive scale.

Haryana gets 21 allwomen police stations CHANDIGARH: Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar inaugurated all-women police stations in 21 districts of the state, on Rakshabandhan eve. Also at the event were three union ministers, Birender Singh, Rao Inderjit Singh and Krishan Pal Gurjar. Addressing the function, Khattar said, “All-women police stations will instil a sense of security among women. Similar police stations will also be opened in small towns and cities of the state. This concept has brought Haryana on the world map.” “Since women could easily narrate an incident to a woman, these allwomen police stations would go a long way in empowering them to report what they encountered. Each police station would

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have a mediation centre to take up matrimonial disputes and the office of Protection-cumProhibition Officer will take up cases of dowry-cumdomestic violence.” Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) YP Singhal said, “With the opening of these police stations, we hope that women in the state would be able to access a new statewide security system that promises an environment conducive to fearless reporting and sensitive investigation of crimes against them by women police officers.” Each station would have at least 38 police personnel besides a support staff of 810 male police officials to conduct raids, apprehend the accused and other related duties.

AMRITSAR: BJP and SAD members engaged in a verbal face off at the Amritsar assembly segment recently, as both the parties raised slogans against each other. BJP's Navjot Kaur Sidhu who represents the constituency, had protested against lack of funds for developmental works in her area, following which, £1 million was eleased by the state government. When Sidhu reached the assembly segment for inspection, a few Akali workers raised slogans against her, provoking retaliation from BJP. She also indulged in a verbal duel with the opposition.

Drug trafficking allegations against BJP, Akalis leaders

JALANDHAR: Congress has demanded the resignation of Punjab BJP chief Kamal Sharma on moral grounds following drug trafficking allegations against members of his party and the leaders of ruling coalition in the state. State Congress general secretary Satnam Kainth said, “On moral grounds, Sharma should immediately resign or should be expelled by the BJP.” Referring to the allegations, he said the state's image has been tarnished and demanded a CBI probe into the matter.

Punjab deputy CM comes out in full support of GST

NEW DELHI: Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has attacked Congress for blocking the GST reform legislation, accusing it of wanting to undo whatever the BJP government has been doing. “I am shocked how the Congress has backed out of something which they used to propagate once. I think all things can be sorted out in discussion, but their aim is not issues. Their aim is to just make sure whatever BJP does, undo that. That is the agenda and not what is good for the state or what is good for the country,” he said.

BSF recovers heroin worth £2 mn in Punjab

CHANDIGARH: Following a tip-off about heroin being smuggled into the country from neighbouring Pakistan, the Border Security Force has recovered 4 kg of heroin worth £2 million from along the India-Pakistan border in Ferozepur sector. “The BSF troopers observed suspicious movement of Pakistani smugglers on the other side of border security fence near the International Border. The smugglers started throwing some packets over the fence,” a BSF spokesman said. “The troopers opened fire but the smugglers managed to escape.” With the latest haul, the BSF has seized nearly 148.5 kg of heroin this year in Punjab.

INDIA

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Lord Meghnad Desai opens academy of economics in Mumbai AsianVoiceNews

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Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

The MDAE is designed to be an institution of excellence that will provide graduate students with the academic rigour and applied skills to meet the dynamic needs of a globalised workplace

Renowned British-Indian economist Lord Meghnad Desai has announced the launch of the Meghnad Desai Academy of Economics (MDAE) in Mumbai. Opened with a vision “to learn, think, apply and prepare students to take leadership positions in the global economy,” the MDAE offers a one year post-graduate certificate course. “The MDAE is designed to be an institution of excellence that will provide graduate students with the academic rigour and applied skills to meet the dynamic needs of a globalised work-

the industry," said Ajit Ranade, the MDAE's head academic and chief economist of Birla Group. He said his experience in both academic and corporate revealed a gap of what the industry is looking for and the people who are trained in economics, and the economics allied, as they are not ready to hit the ground running. “At MDAE, there is a process of learning and applying in the workplace to fill that niche gap by ensuring that the curriculum will be taught from a practitioner's point of view,” he added. The MDAE's Academic

place. Its approach of marrying theory with real-world practical education from the corporate sector will provide students of economics and finance with enhanced toolkits when they enter the workforce,” Lord Meghnad said. The 75- year -old Vadodara born said students from the institute will surely become great economists and considerably contribute in shaping the future of economics. "This is a very unique venture, with great emphasis on training and curriculum and courses which will produce people who are readily absorable in

Board includes ViceChairperson Indu Shahani, principal of Mumbai's HR College, Tushar Poddar, PD Singh and journalist Niranjan Rajadhyaksha.

Lord Meghnad Desai

Former Gujarat minister Sanat Mehta passes away Former Gujarat finance minister and farmers' right activist, Sanat Mehta died in Vadodara recently, following a cardiac arrest. He was hospitalised three months back due to heartrelated problems, but resumed work after his health improved. There was major confusion over the activist's death, after his son Sheetal

shared news of his demise. Mehta was found breathing when he was brought home in an ambulance, and the doctors declared his condition as “improving”. However, he breathed his last later in the evening. Born on April 18, 1925, in Jesar village of Bhavnagar district, Mehta participated in the coun-

try's freedom struggle, even going to jail during and after the movement. A veteran Congress leader, he was very critical of Narendra Modi government's pro-industry policies, calling them 'antifarmers', as he vehemently fought for rights of agriculturists. He was the strong force behind Kanubhai Kalasaria's agitation

Sanat Mehta

against Nirma's cement plant, three years back, in Mahuva near Bhavnagar. Sanat Mehta and wife Arunaben Nadkarni were close associates with Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice Editor and Publisher, C B Patel. Mehta and Patel knew each other since 1954, and were actively involved with the labour union. Mehta

has visited Gujarat Samachar office in the UK and was also present at a function in Vadodara where C B Patel was honoured with an NRI award. The news of Mehta's passing away brought with it memories of a man who started off as a student leader, carving his niche to become a staunch farmers' activist.

Muslim population grows faster than Hindus in India India’s Muslim population is growing slower than it had in the previous decades, and its growth rate has slowed more sharply than that of the Hindu population, new Census data revealed. The decadal Muslim rate of growth is the lowest it has ever been in India’s history, as it is for all religions. The Muslim population still grows at a faster rate than the Hindu population, but the gap between the two growth rates is narrowing fast. India now has 966.3 million Hindus, who make up for 79.8 per cent of its population, and 172.2 million Muslims, 14.23 per cent. Among the other minorities, Christians are 2.3 per cent of the population and Sikhs 1.72 per cent. The RegistrarGeneral and Census Commissioner released the data on Population by Religious Communities of Census 2011; the distribution of data is divided by the six major religious communities, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain, besides “Other religions and persuasions” and “Religion not stated.” The data are released by sex and residence up to the levels of

Muslim sex ratio improves further

DECADAL GROWTH RATE FALLING %of Population

Religious groups

1991

2001

Muslim, Hindu Fertility Rates: The Gap Narrows

Decadal Growth Rate in%

2011

1981-1991 1991-2001

between 2001 and 2011, followed by Uttarakhand and Kerala. As has been the case since Independence, the rate of increase of the Muslim population is higher than that of the Hindu population as a result of higher Muslim fertility, higher child mortality among Hindus and a greater life expectancy among Muslims, demographers say.

The sex ratio among Muslims now stands at 951 females for every 1,000 males, substantially better than 936 in 2001, while among Hindus, it is 939 females for every 1,000 males, a slight improvement over the 2001 value of 931. Assam remains the State with the largest Muslim population as a proportion (34.22 per cent) and saw the largest increase in the Muslim proportion

2001-2011

Overall

23.9

21.5

17.7

Hindus

81.5

80.5

79.8

22.7

19.9

16.8

Christians

2.3

17.7

22.5

15.5

Sikhs

1.9

1.7

25.5

16.9

8.4

Buddhists

0.8

0.7

36.1

22.8

6.1

Jains

0.4

4.1

25.9

5.4

Others

0.4

0.7

0.9

15.8

1.1

4.4

sub-districts and towns. “This is completely along expected lines, and has been an ongoing process,” P Arokiasamy, demographer and Professor at the International Institute of

Population Sciences, said. “With rising education and changing family expectations, declining fertility is an expected demographic phenomenon. It begins among better educated groups with better access

to health care, as in India’s southern States, and then other groups catch up and converge,” Arokiasamy explained. In Kerala, for instance, the Muslim fertility rate (while higher than among the Hindus) is

0.8 4

3.59

0.4

3.3 3.1 3

2.9

2.78

2.43

2.44 2.26

2.7 2.4 1.95

1 NFHS1 Muslim

NFHS2

Hindu

Christan

NFHS3 Sikh

extremely low, especially compared with all communities in the northern States, he said. The Census data on religion was put on hold for quite some time. While the 2001 Census data on religion was released in 2004 and the 2011 round results were expected in 2014. the numbers weren't released, even as a draft of the key data was selectively leaked. RSS thinkers have conveniently used the data as proof for the end of Hindus.

INDIA

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Passengers entering India have to declare over Rs 25,000 Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

As per revised customs declaration forms, passengers entering India will now have to declare Indian currency exceeding Rs 25,000 and LCD, LED or plasma televisions. All flyers coming to India will need to declare Indian currency exceeding Rs 25,000, said the Customs Baggage Declaration (Amendment) Regulations, 2015, notified by the Finance Ministry. Also, all passengers of Indian-origin and foreigners of over 10 years of age residing in India and coming from any country other than neighbouring China,

reduced duty free allowance on cigarettes, cigars and tobacco by 50 per cent. The Indian Customs Declaration Form has an additional field

Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar, can bring goods worth Rs 45,000 along with them. The limit was previously 35,000. The new rules have also

which will help passengers declare any flat panel televisions brought by them. The form currently has fields for declaration of dutiable and prohibited goods, gold jewellery and bullion, satellite phone and foreign currency notes exceeding USD 5,000 or equivalent. Passengers also need to mention about meat, meat products, fish, dairy and poultry products, seeds, plants, fruits, flowers, other planting material and aggregate value of foreign exchange, including currency exceeding USD 10,000 or equivalent in the existing customs form.

Preparations in full swing over NaMo's US visit at SAP Center has a fair representation of all Indian communities, organisations, age and gender groups. Modi will travel to the US to attend the 70th annual session of the UN General Assembly. While no official announcement has been made yet, Modi is

second visit to the US. The I n d o - A m e r i c a n Community of West Coast said individuals could register fir the September 27 reception at the SAP Centre, deadlines closed on August 31. All the registrants will be put to a computerised draw of lots to ensure the 18,000 audience

Preparations for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's late September visit to the Silicon Valley has started in full swing. Individual registration to the Silicon Valley community reception for Prime Minister Narendra Modi have kicked off, less than a month before his scheduled

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also expected to travel to San Francisco to address the Indian- American community in the Silicon Valley on September 27. Given, only a maximum number of 18,000 people can be accommodated at the SAP Centre for the mega event, organisers said they are working on some other plans, which are still under planning stage. This will be Modi's second visit to the United States as the Prime Minister. Last year he addressed over 20,000 Indian Americans at the prestigious Madison Square Garden in midtown Manhattan.

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Apex Court stays order stating Santhara illegal

Supreme Court Bench comprising of Chief Justice H.L. Dattu and Justice Amitava Roy has put a stay on Rajasthan High Court's order stating Santhara as illegal. The High Court, in a judgement on August 10, 2015, declared the practice, which involves voluntary fast-unto-death, illegal and an offence punishable under the Indian Penal Code. The Bench heard a batch of petitions filed by various religious bodies of Jain community members against the High Court order on Santhara. The pleas had sought a stay on the High Court judgement, claiming it was passed without appreciating the basic philosophy and tenets of Jain religion. A Jain custom of embracing voluntary death, Santhara involves practitioners taking an oath to stop eating until they die of starvation. According to Jains, this is a way to purge oneself of bad 'karma' and attain 'moksha'. The centuries-old practice hit the news since 2006 when 93year-old Keila Devi

Hirawat from Jaipur performed Santhara, triggering a debate in the world media whether such a practice is out of place in the modern era. Jain saints argue that Santhara is a voluntary act carried out rationally and cannot be considered suicide. They say it is something one does with full knowledge and intent, unlike suicide which is typically an emotional and impulsive act. Leaders of the Jain religion took their campaign to the highest judicial body after the Rajasthan state high court declared that the centuries-old ritual of santhara was illegal as it amounted to assisted suicide. “Santhara is an integral part of the Jain religion and the court can't interfere with its customs,” the petition read. Human rights activists had brought the case in Rajasthan arguing it was an inhumane ritual with no place in the modern world, raising concerns that elderly Jains might be encouraged to starve themselves to save their families the costs of supporting them.

Saraswati Sanman (Educational Awards) A Levels- Best achievers awards

Article 13 of the United Nations' 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recognizes the right of everyone to an education. Education began in prehistory, as adults trained the young in the knowledge and skills deemed necessary in their society It has been argued that high rates of education are essential for countries to be able to achieve high levels of economic growth. Empirical analyses tend to support the theoretical prediction that poor countries should grow faster than rich countries because they can adopt cutting edge technologies already tried and tested by rich countries. In the Indian culture Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and arts, represents the free flow of wisdom and consciousness. Saraswati is the daughter of Lord Shiva and Goddess Durga. It is believed that goddess Saraswati endows human beings with the powers of speech, wisdom and learning. She has four hands representing four aspects of human personality in learning: mind, intellect, alertness and ego. A level Examination results have been declared and almost 400,000 stu-

dents have received their grades. Karma Yoga Foundation would like to honour and award a token of appreciation to the best achievers, irrespective of religion, caste or culture to students from the Indian sub-continent (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) settled in the UK. The following cash awards would be given: £2500.00 to the best achiever (Total £2500.00) £1001.00 each to 3 achievers (Total £3003.00) and £501.00 each to 5 achievers (Total £2505.00) Together with Mr. Kanti Nagda, one of the Trustees of Karma Yoga Foundation, three eminent independent Judges will be appointed and their decision would be final. You are requested to send in your nominations by 25.09.2015 to:Mr. Kanti Nagda Karma Yoga Foundation 12 Hoxton Market London N1 6HW

HEALTH&WELLNESS

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AsianVoiceNewsweekly | Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

Diabetes and vegetarian diet FOOD

FITNESS

LIFESTYLE

Insulin resistance Glucose absorbed into our blood stream after digestion of food is the main source of our energy. But it has to enter the cells of our body to produce energy. The transport of glucose into the cells is facilitated by a hormone called insulin which is produced by specialized beta cells of pancreas. Insulin resistance is a state when our body develops certain factors which can oppose the action of insulin. This essentially means that too much of insulin would be required to achieve its normal functioning. This causes burden on the insulin producing cells of the pancreas and predisposes to the development of diabetes and complications like heart attacks. Although insulin

resistance can be genetic, the common causes are • Obesity, especially abdominal obesity • High saturated fat intake • High refined carbohydrate intake • Sedentary lifestyle • Chronic stress • Poor sleep • Ageing Vegetarian diet and insulin resistance Vegetarian diet is becoming increasingly popular worldwide. India has got the largest vegetarian population in the world. Ancient Indian vegetarian cuisine, despite its regional diversity, was very scientific. Changing cuisines of modern times due to advancement in technology and availability of a variety of food items, have made vegetarian dishes much richer with potential to cause insulin resistance. As diabetes is increasing even in vegetarian population, there is now an urgent need for better understanding and planning of modern vegetarian diet to improve diabetes care of the vegetarian diabetics. • The good aspect of vegetarian diet is that it is very easy to plan a low fat,

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Aims of eating in order to reduce insulin resistance • To feel energetic not only to carry on day to day activities but also to undertake regular phys-

Strategies for healthy eating Mindfulness in eating: The starting point is to try and understand our attitude towards diet and eating. A good strategy for this is to have a focussed week by deeply observing and recording everything about our eating in a food dairy. This should help us to explore the following • What do we eat? Focussing on the nutritional quality of the food & beverages available at home, work place and at eat outs. What choices we make from these and why? • How much we eat, how fast we eat and at what times? Focussing on the quantity of food and pattern of eating • Why do we eat or drink beverages? Focussing on hunger and other triggers for eating like mood, tiredness, poor sleep etc. • How active are we and how does that relate to eating? • How is our sleep? what is its influence on our eating pattern? Quantity of food: This depends on several factors like age, physical activity and weight or waist circumference. In simple terms if the waist circumference is above normal, quantity of food intake should be cut down gradually aiming to bring the waist circumference to normal. Eating pattern: Food should be chewed well and eaten slowly. It is better to eat three meals a day and space out breakfast, lunch and evening meal. It is very important not to skip meals.

Quality of food Carbohydrates: Two main types of carbohydrates are sugars and starchy carbohydrates like rice, wheat, oats, millets etc. All carbohydrates are converted to glucose after digestion but their effect on the pattern of rise in blood glucose levels after eating are different. Some carbohydrates like sugars, white rice, potatoes etc. produce a rapid rise in blood glucose and are known as high glycaemic index foods. The carbohydrates which produce a gradual rise in blood glucose are known as low glycaemic index foods and these include wholemeal chapattis, bulgar wheat, oats, basmati rice, pulses, nuts, vegetables including yam, plantain, cassava etc. The choice of carbohydrates therefore should be that of low glycaemic index. It is important not to overcook food in order to maintain low glycaemic index of carbohydrates. In general, starchy carbohydrates should constitute one third of our plate at each meal as they are the major source of energy and are particularly important to provide glucose to our brain. Sugars and sugary drinks should be avoided. Proteins: One of the challenges with vegetarian diet is to get adequate amounts of good quality proteins without increasing carbohydrate intake. Pulses like lentils and beans are important source of proteins for vegetarians but only combining these with cereals like rice and wheat converts them into first class proteins. In this aspect our popular staple foods like kichadi, chapattis with dhal etc, are excellent. For lacto-vegetarians low fat milk, low fat yoghurt and butter milk are good sources of proteins. Fats: Saturated fats like butter and ghee should be cut down to a large extent. Unsaturated fats, especially monounsaturated fats like rapeseed oil, olive oil etc. should be chosen for cooking. A combination of these oils may be useful in adding variety to the dishes. Fried

foods should be avoided as much as possible. Grilling, steaming or oven baking are healthier options instead of frying. If dairy products are used, low fat options should be chosen. Vegetables: The recommendation of eating five portions of vegetables and fruits a day should not be difficult for vegetarians. Green leafy vegetables must be included in the diet. Salads with raw vegetables should also form a part of every meal. High fibre content in the food reduces the absorption of carbohydrates and prevents quicker rise in blood glucose levels. It can also help in reducing cholesterol. We should aim to eat vegetables comprising of at least one third quantity of each meal plate. Spices: Many of the spices like fenugreek, cinnamon, and turmeric have been shown to be good for our health. Therefore these can be used rather liberally in our cooking. Nuts: It will be very good to add small amounts of unsalted nuts like walnuts, almonds etc. in our daily diet to improve the nutritional value of our diet. Other important aspects of vegetarian diet In addition to reducing sugar and fat, salt intake should also be reduced. Nutritional assessment for possible deficiencies like vitamin B12, vitamin D, Iron, Calcium etc. should be discussed with the doctors and supplemented if necessary. Elderly patients and those on insulin should monitor blood glucose frequently while modifying their diet and interact with their diabetes team closely to reduce medication safely. In this way, the major concern of hypoglycaemia can be avoided. Vegetarian diet is very good for diabetics if planned well. It would be more beneficial in conjunction with physical activity and relaxation techniques. Acknowledgements – Mrs Susan Curtis, Senior Dietitian, Manchester Diabetes Centre, Manchester.

our 50s or 60s to think about cardiovascular disease prevention, the cat's already out of the bag.” Dr Navar-Boggan said

the surprising part was that “even if you control everything else in your life, you didn't smoke, your blood pressure and weight are normal, and you don't have diabetes, elevated cholesterol over many years can still cause problems in the long run.” Statins don't cost much and are mainly taken by the patients over 65 with heart disease, or those highly likely to develop it within 10 years. Increasing evidence sug-

gests long term use is safe and ever more experts say the benefits far outweigh any risks from side effects. Dr Navar-Boggan said, “It’s never too soon for young adults to talk with their doctors about a comprehensive strategy for heart health, first and foremost focusing on diet and exercise. Our study suggests, though, that young adults who cannot control cholesterol with diet and exercise alone may benefit from medication earlier in life. The plaques in arteries

that break off and cause heart attacks later in life take years to develop.” Doireann Maddock, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said, “It’s never too early to start thinking about your heart health. By eating a healthy diet and keeping physically active you can help improve your cholesterol level. If you’re over 40, you are entitled to a health check from your GP or practice nurse which includes a cholesterol check.”

Dr Kashinath Dixit is a Consultant Physician and Diabetologist working at Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust. His special interests include prevention and management of the complications of diabetes like cardiac, renal and sexual dysfunction. He is also one of the few Medical Andrologists in the UK and is the first Endocrinologist to obtain certification in Clinical Andrology from the European Academy of Andrology

ype 2 diabetes which is the most common form of diabetes (about 90%) is increasing at an alarming rate throughout the world. It is particularly a major problem in South Asians mainly due to genetic predisposition and lifestyle factors. The key abnormality underlying type 2 diabetes is known as ‘Insulin Resistance.’

low calorie and high fibre diet. Several research studies have shown that vegetarian diet can reduce insulin resistance and improve diabetes. Vegan diet which is completely devoid of animal products has been shown to be better than lacto-vegetarian diet. • The down side is that vegetarians can end up eating more carbohydrates than normally required and this can increase the glucose load on our body. The other issue is that the requirements of protein and other nutrients like iron, calcium, vitamins etc may not be met. Fried savouries not just add to the fat and calorie intake but also increase the salt intake. • The most detrimental aspect of vegetarian diet, especially for South Asians is the availability of traditional sweets like Gulab Jamun, Jalebi etc. and also the newer innovative sweets, all of which are high in saturated fats, sugar and calories.

ical exercise • To achieve good day to day blood glucose control • To achieve good cholesterol control • To achieve and maintain normal body weight, especially normalise waist circumference less than 90 cm (35.5 inches) for men and less than 80 cm (32 inches) for women

Taking statins early can help prevent heart disease later in life

S scientists say it is too late to start looking after one's health in their 50s or 60s, and are looking for studies to look at the long term effectiveness and safety of statins in younger adults.

To Our Readers

We are publishing these items in good faith, kindly consult your Doctor before you try to implement it. We do not hold any responsibility for its efficacy...

Duke Clinical Research Institute in North Carolina said every decade of high cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease by nearly 40 per cent. It warns that the effects of a build up of cholesterol over many years compare to the long term impact of smoking. Lead author Dr Ann Marie Navar-Boggan, said “what we're doing to our blood vessels in our 20s, 30s and 40s is laying the foundation for disease that will present itself later in our lives. If we wait until

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Dulquer Salmaan in Mani Ratnam's next Two Tamil Films in Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

ani Ratnam's next will be a revenge drama where Karthi and Dulquer Salmaan will fight against each other. “It's going to be a revenge

drama that will be based on the theme that revenge is not the ultimate solution. Both Karthi and Dulquer Salmaan will lock horns in the film,” a source said. This is Dulquer's

Chiranjeevi makes appearance in son Ram Charan’s film

uperstar Chiranjeevi will feature in a 5 minute cameo in son Ram Charan's yet to be titled Telugu action film. Director Srinu Vaitla said, “Chiranjeevi will appear for 15 minutes in the film. I can't divulge much information about his role but I can assure that his fans will love it. We are yet to shoot

his portion and we intend to do it soon.” The movie shows Ram Charan as a stuntman, flaunting a Bruce Lee tattoo. 'Bruce Lee' marks the Telugu debut of Tamil actor Arun Vijay who plays the antagonist, and includes Rakul Preet Singh in the cast. On the verge of completion, the film is produced by DVV Danayya.

Oscar race

second film with Ratnam as he played lead in his previous 'O Kadhal Kanmani'. The upcoming has already signed Keerthi Suresh as one of the leading ladies while Ratnam

is in works to finalise the second. “The regular shooting of the film will start from December or early next year. It'll be wrapped up in three months,” the source said.

Prakash Kumar joins Nayanthara in 'Bruce Lee'

f rumours are to be believed, GV Prakash Kumar will romance Nayanthara in his upcoming 'Bruce Lee'. A romantic comedy, the movie will be directed by newcomer Prasanth Pandiyaraj and produced by Kenanya films. In the meantime, Prakash has signed up with two additional films with Studio Green, one is an untitled project with director Sam Anton and the other, ' K e t t a Paiyanda Intha Kart hi' which will be directed by debutants Guna and Shankar.

his year's jury for India's Oscar entries, lead by Amol Palekar, has already watched over 45 films and news is that two well acclaimed Tamil films have been already selected. Dhanush-Vetrimaaran produced 'Kaaka Muttai' directed by Manikandan and S S

Sunny Leone in Karan Johar's movie?

'Welcome Back'

Uday Bhai and Majnu Bhai are back! And with them comes a riot of laughters and

mishaps. Sequel to 2007 'Welcome,' Anees Bazmee brings back the madness with 'Welcome Back.' The cast includes Nana Patekar, Anil

Kapoor and Paresh Rawal in the same roles from the prequel and John Abraham and Shruti Haasan as new additions.

f t e r making a cameo appearance in A k s h a y K u m a r ' s 'Singh is Bliing', Sunny Leone has been reportedly signed on by filmmaker Karan Johar. As per reports, the actress will do a cameo in Johars' next film 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'. The movie stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Anushka Sharma and Ranbir Kapoor in lead roles. A source said that Johar understands that the actress is a major draw at the Box Office and roped her in for her oomph factor. Thrilled to be moving into the big league, Sunny's grouse on how no A-lister wants to work with her despite her record of hits has seemingly ended.

Rajamouli's record smashing 'Baahubali' have made the cut along with Aamir Khan's 'PK', Priyanka Chopra's 'Mary Kom', Neeraj Ghaywan's 'Masaan', Vishal Bharadwaj's 'Haider' and Prashanth Nair's 'Umrika'. The final list will be officially announced on 25th September.

Indian classic ‘Pyaasa’ restored for upcoming Venice Film fest

imeless Indian classic 'Pyaasa' has become the first film to be restored in its original quality for the upcoming Venice Film Festival, where it will be screened on September 11 and 12 in Sala Volpi auditorium. Ultra Media and Entertainment, who own rights to the movie has restored the film for the occasion with the objective of preserving and presenting it in its original quality to global audience. “It took us nearly four months to restore this film frame by frame and we are happy that the final outcome of the restored version can now be seen in its original form. Out of the many classics that we have restored, Pyaasa has a special place in our hearts,” Sushil Kumar Agrawal, CEO, Ultra Media & Entertainment said.

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Katrina has a great fashion sense: Ranbir

arfi' actor R a n b i r Kapoor who was recently the showstopper for designer Manish Malhotra's maiden all menswear line, dumped his inhibitions and talked about girlfriend Katrina Kaif, showering praise and calling her one of the best fashionistas of the industry. “I think Katrina has a great fashion sense. I really think she carries herself very well,” he said, adding, “And so does Kareena, Priyanka, Parineeti, Alia and Shraddha.”

Salman's 3-year old fan wants to marry him!

Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

alman Khan has fans from all age groups, a fact recently proven by the star himself. Salman shared a video featuring a three year old girl, keen to marry the 49 year old. The cute video shows the girl's mother asking her what she will do when she meets Salman Khan, to which she replies she would like to marry him and be her husband. When quizzed how can he be her husband when he is not near her, the little one asks her mo to call him or do magic. She danced to 'Munni Badnaam Hui'; and when shown the actor's famous moustache avatar, she refused to acknowl-

Speaking on how conscious showbiz has made him about his looks, he said. “We are constantly being judged, photographed. So I try and dress the best I can... If I wear a cap, if I have dark circles, I put on a sunglass. I do that because I want my fans and the audience to get the best of me. I am sure others do it too.”

Pakistani Heart-throb Fawad Khan To Attend UK Medical Aid To Pakistan Charity Gala In London

'Hafiz Saeed' goes underground!

fter Jamaat-udDawa chief Hafiz Saeed petitioned in Lahore high court to ban Kabir Khan's Saif Ali Khan and Katrina Kaif starrer 'Phantom', the makers of the film have taken precautionary steps by keeping actor Shahnawaz Pradhan

underground. Pradhan plays the role of Saeed who is one of the main accused in 26/11 Mumbai attacks. “The security of all our actors is extremely important for us and now that his identity is revealed, there are precautionary measures being

Aamir rescues nephew Imran's 'Katti Batti'

a t t i Batti' director Nikhil Advani has reportedly acknowledged Aamir Khan's involvement in the project as C r e a t i v e Consultant. “Aamir has been maniacally obsessed with this film. He has gone all-out to ensure it turns out to be a special film. Katti Batti would not be the film it is now without Aamir’s contribution. After I signed Imran for the film I narrated the script to Aamir. He immediately suggested some changes that I incorporated,” said Advani. “The last 22 minutes of Katti Batti are completely Aamir’s. I have no hesitation in acknowledging his contribution in any way he wants.”

taken,” the film's spokesperson said in a statement. 'Phantom' is adapted from S Hussain Zaidi's book 'Mumbai Avengers' which is set five years after the attack, when a retired army officer spearheads a covert mission to seek out and kill the masterminds.

'Jazbaa' to be dubbed in Arabic, other languages

edge him, mistaking him for 'Chachu'. When clarified it indeed is Salman, she said the actor does not have moustache and she didn't like him having one. Salman shared the video with a caption that said “How Sweet!”

ishwarya Rai-Bachchan's comeback film 'Jazba' will possibly be dubbed in different international languages. Director Sanjay Gupta revealed his intentions to take the movie across borders. “I don't want to make any claims that we're making the film to cross the borders. But there is an intention in place. There are cuts of the film being readied, dubbed and released widely all across the UAE. It's been dubbed in Arabic. We're also dubbing it in other South American languages (Spanish and Portuguese) and English. So there are international cuts with a slighter shorter length that will be going out apart from the diaspora release,” he said. 'Jazba' is a remake of a Korean film and stars Aishwarya and Irrfan Khan.

he dashing Fawad Khan is all set to descend into London to support the UK Association of Medical Aid to Pakistan charity at their annual gala on September 5th at the plush Radisson Blu Hotel. Founded in 2005, the UK Association of Medical Aid to Pakistan is a disaster relief charity that helps people in crisis who have been displaced by wars, natural disasters etc in Pakistan. The funds raised facilitate basic needs for survival such as clean water, Education, Hepatitis Awareness and medical treatment. Their annual gala is usually a star-studded affair bringing the elite Pakistani community together for a night of glamour and giving. Fawad Khan, last seen in his very successful Bollywood debut Khoobsurat alongside Sonam Kapoor will use his star power to raise funds for the cause by auctioning some special items at the gala. On his association with the charity, he commented: “I’m excited to come to London and extend my support combined with yours to such a worthy cause. It’s important for us to unite together and help those in dire need of it. This one's for Pakistan". Rakhshi Memon, UK Association of

Medical Aid to Pakistan said: “We strive to provide life-saving support to people that have been affected by conflict and disasters in Pakistan and to have the country’s most famous actor Fawad Khan support us is a big honour.”

Kangana wants income disparity to end

Boney Kapoor to make film for wife Sridevi

angana Ranaut currently on top of her game, has expressed her views over income inequality in Bollywood. The highest paid actress with a deal of pound 1.10 million, she said, “I can speak for myself. I don't know what others are doing. If you're doing one scene and two songs in a film, you cannot expect to be paid at par with the actors. And if you have given one of the biggest blockbusters of all times, you can go ahead and demand that much money.” She said, “I am complaining too. There was a point when my complaint wasn’t rational and yet, I felt that way even earlier. But the data wasn’t supporting me. Queen did make money, about pound 10 million, but still I wasn’t sure how much money could I ask for after that. Also, giving a pound 25 million is a different thing altogether. My getting pound 1.10 million is a small step towards that equality you are talking about, and as a woman I would also want to see…to be treated as an equal,” added Kangana.

oney Kapoor is producing a woman centric film for actresswife Sridevi, which will also mark the directorial debut of popular ad filmmaker Ravi Udwayar. A source said, “The story had been written with Sridevi in mind. Boney loved it and immediately came on board.” It was initially speculated that Akshara Haasan, daughter of Kamal Haasan will play her daughter in the film, which were quickly dismissed by Boney. He cleared matters saying, “Akshara is not in the film. Yes, it is a woman-centric drama, but not a remake of any film. It is not titled Mother.”

Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

Coming Events

l Zee London Mela. Sunday 6th September, 1pm9pm. Gunnersbury Park, Popes Lane, London W3 8LQ. Visit: http://www.londonmela.org l Twnty20 Cricket In Support Of Help The Heroes. Thursday 17th September. The Kia Oval. Visit: www.cricketforheroes.com l Gujjubhai Gotaale Chadhya. Friday 18th September, 6pm. Winston Churchill Hall, Pinn Way, Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 7QL. Contact P.R. Patel: 07957 555 226. l The Bhagavad Gita Conference. Thursday 24th September- Friday 25th September. The Nehru Centre, 8 South Audley Street, London W1K 1HF. Email: deputydirector@nehrucentre.org.uk l Caste- Out Of The Shadows. Saturday 5th September, 9am- 5pm. Sangat Dialog Punjab. Tuesday 8th September, 6pm- 8pm. SOAS, University Of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG. Visit: www.soas.ac.uk/south-asia-institute/events/ l London Trivial Treasure Trail- The Rang De Way. Saturday 5th September, 4pm- 6pm. Central London. For more information, visit: https://www.rangde.org l Gandhi Jayanti. Friday 2nd October, 11am. Tavistock Square.

Janmashtami

l Shri Krishna Janmashtami Celebrations. Saturday 5th September 2015, 9am- 10pm. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, 105-119 Brentfield Road, Neasden, London NW10 8LD. Contact: 020 8965 2651. l 25th I.S.S.O. Anniversary. Sunday 6th SeptemberSaturday 12th September. Three Swaminarayan Temple (I.S.S.O), (Under Shree NarNarayan Dev Gadi), 72 Colmer Road, Streatham, London SW16 5JZ. Contact: 020 8679 8050. l Janmashtami Celebrations. Saturday 5th September. Dhamecha Lohana Centre (DLC), Brember Road, South Harrow HA2 8AX. Contact Vishal Sodha: 07732 010 955. l Janmashtami. Saturday 5th September, 9:30am. Gujarat Hindu Society, South Meadow Lane, Preston PR1 8JN. Contact: 01772 253 901. l Janmashtami. Saturday 5th September, 7pm. Nand Mohatsav. Sunday 6th September, 7pm. Apple Tree Centre, Ifield Avenue, Crawley, West Sussex RH11 0AF. Contact Chandubhai Nayee: 01293 519 130.

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Welcoming young readers to write in our Diwali issue Dear Readers, Diwali is now three months away. The New Year is knocking at the door waiting to bring in colours and light to our lives with fervour of joy and ever lasting happiness. Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar as every year will be publishing the ‘Diwali Special’ Magazine for our fabulous and supportive readers like yourself. This year in the English section, we are doing something special for our young readers. 1. If you are between 5-25 years of age, write an article in English on either of the following topics in no more than 350 words, along with a suitable photo: l how do you celebrate your Diwali every year OR l Your most memorable Diwali with friends and family OR l how do you celebrate Diwali in your school'. 2. If you are 2-25 years of age, you can also draw/paint a picture of what Diwali means to you or your memorable Diwali, with a suitable photo caption, your full name, age; scan and send the picture to the the below address, by the mentioned deadline. 3. If you are within 9-25 years of age, you can also write a short story within 350 words or a poem within 150 words for our Diwali special. 4. If you are a part of an organisation, which has a youth wing or support youth activities, please tell us how your young members or youth wing celebrates Diwali in 300 words with 2 pictures (in no less than 300dpi). Send your articles/stories/poem with your photo and/or painting/picture to aveditorial@abplgroup.com. Last date of entry: 18 October 2015. - Asian Voice

Scotland road accident kills two

OLDHAM: Two men from Oldham have died in a road accident in Scotland. Tosief Ahmed, 21, and Asad Majeed, 22, were killed during a collision near Gretna Green on Sunday morning, after their car is believed to have hit the column of a bridge near junction 21 on the southbound section of the A74(M). Both men were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident by ambulance staff called to the incident, said Police Scotland. Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact the Road Policing Unit at Lockerbie via the 101 number.” Editor: CB Patel Associate Editor: Rupanjana Dutta Tel: 020 7749 4098 - Email: rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com Senior News Editor: Dhiren Katwa Freelance Correspondent: Rudy Otter Chief Operating Officer: Liji George Tel: 020 7749 4013 Email: george@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Kishor Parmar Tel: 020 7749 4095 - Mobile: 07875 229 088 Email: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com Business Development Managers: Rovin J George - Email: rovin.george@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 - Mobile: 07875 229 219 Urja Patel - Email: urja.patel@abplgroup.com Graphic Designers: Harish Dahya & Ajay Kumar Tel: 020 7749 4086 Email: graphics@abplgroup.com Customer Service: Ragini Nayak Tel: 020 7749 4080 - Email: support@abplgroup.com Leicester Distributors: Shabde Magazine, Shobhan Mehta Mob: 07846480220 (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd. 207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad. Tel. +91 79 2646 5960 Bureau Chief: Nilesh Parmar (M) +91 94266 36912 Email: nilesh.parmar@abplgroup.com Consulting Editor: Bhupatbhai Parekh, Ahmedabad, Gujarat Tel: +91 79 2630 4142

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ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 If your ambitions have

been undefined, don't worry as from now on, you understand exactly what kind of impact you need to make on the world. Sun and Jupiter in your work sector rules your daily life. All those little details should run perfectly, without you constantly worrying. Health-wise you will be feeling fit and relaxed.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 Jupiter,

planet of growth and expansion is transiting your Solar 5th house with Sun. With these transits you are likely to see benefits, and experience growth, in the areas of romance, creative expression and children. For single Taureans, meeting a special person is highly likely.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 Jupiter, the planet of plenty

in your 4th house, with Sun will bring noticeable improvements to your environment. This is a time when you put down roots and seek to belong. Besides, the focus can be on cultivating and nourishing your inner foundations that support you and your growth.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22 Jupiter, the planet of growth and expansion with Sun are transiting your solar third house. During this period educational and communication opportunities present themselves and your ideas will be well received. The ability to express and communicate your ideas is extremely important to you at this time.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23 Sun and expansive Jupiter are transiting your solar second house. During this cycle, you are likely to see and enjoy benefits to your earning power and this will boost your own sense of security and wealth. Money problems from the past may clear up, if you manage your resources properly. VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

Sun and expansive Jupiter are transiting your sign. Mercury is transiting your 2nd house. Your charisma, appearance and self-expression are to the forefront. This transit heightens your optimism and generosity, and the entire cycle has the potential for being a relaxed, fortunate, and hopeful time in your life. Furthering your personal ambitions comes more easily.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23 Sun and expansive Jupiter transits your solar twelfth house. This transit brings benefits to activities that take place "behind the scenes". Meditation and retreats may be particularly helpful to you now, as they regenerate and invigorate your spirit. With Sun and expansive Jupiter riding high in your 11th house, you should enjoy a very popular phase in your life where everyone wants to invite you to parties. This will give you a chance to meet people of your own calibre and pursue any romantic liaisons that might present themselves.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

Urvashi Jagadeesan (India) Mumbai: Kanti Bhatt, Hemraj Shah (Jumbo Advertiser) Horizon Advertising & Marketing: 2012, Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad. Tel +91 79 2646 5960 Email: horizon.marketing@abplgroup.com Business Manager: Hardik Shah (M) +91 99250 42936 Email: hardik.shah@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Neeta Patel (Vadodara) M: +91 98255 11702 Email: neeta_abplgroup@yahoo.co.in Business Co-ordinator: Shrijit Rajan M: +91 98798 82312 Email: shrijit.rajan@abplgroup.com International Advertisement Representative: Jain Group (South India) Tel: +91 44 42041122/3/4 Fax: +91 44 25362973 Mumbai: +91 022 2471 4122 Email: jain@jaingroup.net Delhi Office: Tel: +91 9311581597

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SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21 With Sun and Mercury in your solar 10th house, your career is lit up and bodes well for the coming weeks. Some of you will be in a reflective mood and taking stock of your lives and working out the best direction to take. This is a good time to re-assess your home and work balance. CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

Expansive Jupiter with Sun in your Solar 9th house of travel and spirituality is good for widening your horizons. Business dealings, particularly long-distance ones and those involving publicity and promotion, are likely to be profitable now as Mercury is well placed in your Solar 10th house of status .

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

Sun and expansive Jupiter transit your solar eighth house of joint finances, loans, taxes, sexuality, and psychological matters. This is a time of increased accumulation of wealth and in some cases, a significant tax refund or inheritance, or other such benefits. Sun and expansive Jupiter in your opposite sign makes you feel invincible, but the way to utilise this transit is to sift through all the opportunities that come your way. You know you have no choice but to streamline and reassess your priorities. Try to create a balance between expansion and conservation.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

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Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

Indian athletes set two national records at World athletics meet

Though Indian athletes were not able to win any medal at the 2015 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Beijing, they were able to create two national records, two personal bests and three season bests. This year's results were one of the best by them in comparison with the last three world championships. In fact India has so far won only one medal in the world athletics championships, Anju Bobby George won bronze in long jump in 2003.

Indian women's hockey team qualifies for Olympics

After a long gap of 36 years Indian women's hockey team will take part in the next year's Rio Games fied for the Olympic Games. India took the quota place on the basis of its fifth-place finish in the women’s Hockey World League Semifinals in Antwerp, Belgium last month. International Hockey Federation (FIH) confirmed that Indian women’s team has qualified for the Rio Games. “India qualified after England defeated Spain in the semifinals of the Unibet

Indian women’s hockey team will return to the Olympics after a long gap of 36 years as it qualified for next year’s Rio Games, courtesy England making it to the final of the ongoing E u r o H o c k e y Championships in London. England’s semifinal victory over Spain, coming after the Netherlands’ win over Germany in the other semifinal in the European Championships freed one quota place as both the finalists have already quali-

E u r o H o c k e y Championships in London, which ensured that the only teams - The Netherlands and England - who can now win the event have already qualified for Rio through the Hockey World League Semi-Finals,” the FIH said in a statement. “The winner of the E u r o H o c k e y Championships will qualify for the 2016 Olympics as European continental champions, opening up a further qualification spot

which India secure as the team who ranked highest at the Hockey World League Semi-Finals not already qualified,” it said. Indian women’s team now join nine other teams, who have already qualified for 2016 Rio Games - Korea as Asian Games champions, Argentina as Pan Am Games champions and Great Britain, China, Germany, Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand and the USA through the Hockey World League Semi-Finals. Indian women’s hockey team last featured in an Olympics in the 1980 Moscow Games, where they finished at a respectable fourth position.

RECORD-BREAKERS: The rise of Lalita Babar in the last few years has been quite meteoric. The 26year-old long distance runner came into prominence with a bronze-winning performance in 3000m steeplechase at the 2014 Asian Games, where she broke the national record with a time of 9 minutes and 35.37 seconds. She bettered her own record again in June this year, when she clocked 9:34.13 to win the Asian Championships gold in Wuhan (China). In Beijing too she did not disappoint and raced into the final of the steeplechase event - the first Indian to reach a track event final with another national record time of 9:27.86. Even though she finished a disappointing eighth, after leading the pack almost till the last lap, it was another sub-9:30 (9:29.64) performances from the gutsy Lalita. Another Indian national record was set when Jaisha Orchatteri broke her own record in the women's marathon as she crossed the finish line in 2:34:43. The 32-year-old marathoner had set the national record (2:37:29) early this year at the Mumbai Marathon. Jaisha also finished a creditable 18th ahead of her compatriot Sudha Singh, who clinched in 19th spot with a personal best time of 2:35:35. In the process the duo also booked their tickets to the 2016 Rio Games. THE FINALISTS: Along with Babar, two more Indian athletes qualified for the final of their respective events - Vikas Gowda in discus throw and Inderjeet Singh in the shot put, though both failed to live up to expectations in the finals. Inderjeet, who won multiple international gold medals in 2015 including the Asian title, qualified for the medal round at eight position with a throw of 20.45m in the preliminaries, but finished 11th with a disappointing 19.52m in the finals. He still became the first Indian shot putter to reach the final of the world championships, fourth after Anju, Gowda and Lalita.

Khel Ratna award conferred on Sania Sania Mirza became the second tennis player to receive the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, India's highest sporting honour after Leander Paes on a day when Sports Ministry was fighting a court case that raised questions against its process of selecting the awardees. The President also gave away the Arjuna awards even as the line-up was low on star power in the absence of cricketer Rohit Sharma, who missed the ceremony alongside boxer Mandeep Jangra and quarter miler M R Poovamma. In all, the (retired) Justice V K Bali led panel had recommended 17 names for Arjuna.

Sania Mirza receives the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award from President Pranab Mukherjee She had flown in just to Sania, who attracted the receive the ward ahead of loudest applause from the the US Open which began esteemed gathering at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, on Monday. received a medal, certificate The Arjuna awardees and cash prize of £7,500. received statuettes, certifi-

cates and award money of £5,000 each. The ceremony, however, was shrouded in controversy with the ignored athletes and coaches not accepting the recommendations of the Ministryappointed panel. Just when it seemed there would be no controversy in the lead up to this year’s function, paraathlete H N Girisha approached the Karnataka High Court challenging Sania’s recommendation for Khel Ratna. While Girisha will still be hopeful of getting the award later, another court case pending is of wrestling coach Vinod Kumar, who went to Delhi High Court claiming he was more

deserving for the Dronacharya award than his rival Anoop Singh, whose name was recommended by the government-appointed panel. It will be known in the next weeks whether he gets the Dronacharya or not. As it panned out, the haggling for awards continued against expectations of the government which had introduced new points system to ensure free and transparent selection process. Nonetheless, the ceremony provided pride and motivation for athletes who were eventually bestowed with the honour. While Khel Ratna was awarded after a year’s gap,

Dilip Chenoy, MD and CEO, NSDC, said that parents should allow children to play sports as it would enable them to imbibe soft skills such as teamwork and communication. He added that the SSC would aggregate the efforts of the sports sector for employable workforce development by inviting participation, engagement and approval of the stakeholders. In his address, A

Didar Singh, Secretary General, FICCI, said that signing a Sports Sector Skills Council grant agreement with NSDC would go a long way in promoting sports as a profession. Also, the Sports SSC would enable more opportunities to work in different segments within the sector like in sports medicine, sports manufacturing, sports event management, sports science and technol-

FICCI celebrates National Sports Day

Like every year, industry body FICCI celebrated national sports day on August 29, to mark the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. This year, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) released a grant to FICCI to focus on Sports Sector Skill Council which is dedicated specifically to this industry. This is to meet the estimated

demand for incremental human resource requirement of 2.1 million in the industry. FICCI with the support of ministry of youth affairs and sports organizes the celebration in an attempt to create awareness about this day and to promote sports culture in India. Emphasizing the importance of allround education, Professor Hans Westerbeek, Dean, College of Sport and

Exercise Science, Victoria University, Australia, said that sports play a critical role in achieving a healthy mind and healthy body. He added that promoting and encouraging children for physical activity is essential as it would help in avoiding diseases, which are expensive to cure. He added that Australia and India were now working in tandem to promote sports as a profession.

17 were recommended for Arjuna against the usual number of 15 or less. It was a proud moment for ace pistol shooter Jitu Rai, who was hard to ignore considering his stupendous success in the last two years. The 28-year-old had won gold in the 2014 Commonwealth Games as well as a gold in the Maribor World Cup in the same year, besides becoming the number one shooter in the world. Also there was Dipa Karmakar, India’s first woman gymnast to win a medal in the Commonwealth Games, besides hockey star P R Sreejesh and wrestler Babita.

ogy, and sports coaching. Vijay Sharma, film producer, narrated interesting anecdotes from the life of Major Dhyan Chand and also mentioned his numerous achievements. He added that Major Dhyan Chand was a player who was respected and felicitated at both national and international level for his exceptional contribution towards Indian hockey.

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IndiaIndia's clinch historic victory in Sri Lanka victory also marks the first win under the captaincy of Virat Kohli Asian Voice | 5th September 2015

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India on Tuesday broke a 22-year-old jinx on Sri Lankan soil with an emphatic 117-run win over the hosts in the third and final cricket Test, recording their first ever overseas series triumph from a 0-1 deficit. After setting a daunting victory target of 386, India managed to dismiss Lankans for 268 despite captain Angelo Mathews valiant century to wrap up the series 2-1, their first overseas series victory since June 2011 against the West Indies. This also marks the first win under Virat Kohli's captaincy. Ravichandran Ashwin took four wickets to propel India to its first test series win in Sri Lanka in 22 years. With 21 wickets, Ashwin was also named the Man of the Series. India hadn’t won a test series in Sri Lanka since 1993 under captain Mohammad Azharuddin. Angelo Mathews scored a fighting 110 and shared 135 runs for the sixth wicket with Kusal Perera (70),

Perera together and the pair brought up their partnership off 233 balls. Perera made half centuries in each innings of his maiden test with 55 in the first innings. He lost concentration shortly before the tea break and was caught trying to reversesweep Ashwin. India took the second new ball in the first over after tea and Ishant immediately dismissed Mathews after a 328- minute vigil, facing 240 deliveries and hitting 13 boundaries.

giving Sri Lanka a chance to save the test. But Perera’s dismissal shortly before tea exposed the tail and the hosts lost their remaining wickets in five overs after the break. Fast bowler Ishant Sharma took three important wickets, of which Angelo Mathews turned

out to be doubly special as it marked a 200th Test wicket milestone for Ishant. Lanka won the first test in Galle by 63 runs and India won the second match by 278 runs. Lanka started the day at 67/3. Kaushal Silva was the first to be dismissed, caught by Cheteshwar Pujara off

seamer Umesh Yadav for 27, ending a 53-run stand for the fourth wicket with Mathews. Lahiru Thirmanne (12) was caught by Lokesh Rahul off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, reducing Sri Lanka to 1075. Thirimanne’s dismissal brought Mathews and

Ishant Sharma, 3 Lankans charged for misconduct: India paceman Ishant Sharma and three Sri Lankan players have been charged for misconduct during the ongoing third Test between the neighbours, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said. Sharma, who was fined 65 per cent of his match fees for giving send-offs to Lahiru Thirimanne and Dinesh Chandimal in the second Test, landed in trouble with the Sri Lankans in

the final contest as well. T h i r i m a n n e , Chandimal and paceman Dhammika Prasad, who had an animated altercation with Ishant on Monday, have also been charged with code of conduct breaches, the ICC said. "Details to be announced after the conclusion of the Test," the governing body said on Twitter. Tempers flared on Tuesday when Ishant, after taking a single and running past Prasad, was seen smacking his own head, as if daring the bowler to try and bounce him. Chandimal joined from the slip, brushing shoulders with Ishant. At the end of India's second innings, Ishant ran towards the Indian dressing room to change and get ready to bowl and Prasad was also seen sprinting behind the Indian, as if trying to catch up with him. Ishant gave animated send-offs to Upul Tharanga and broke into wild celebration after Chandimal's dismissal.