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9 Indians killed in Kabul blast

Britain and India celebrate Holi 2010

ITBP contingent being sent; Officials to be shifted to better places

Scene of suicide attack in Kabul on Friday

gent of ITBP personnel will be sent to Kabul.

Indian officials there will be given personal security

officer. Officials as well as doctors will also be moved to safer places. A team of Indian investigators has

already reached Kabul and joined the probe conducted by Afghan authorities into the Friday attack.

India has extended developmental assistance worth US$1.3 billion to Afghanistan with about 4000 Indians busy working on projects under the assistance programme.

At least nine Indians were among 16 people killed as Taliban suicide bombers carried out a string of attacks in the heart of Kabul.

Continued on page 22

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Indian officials and others working in Afghanistan will get better security cover, will be moved to safer places, it was decided by the Indian home ministry on Tuesday. The decision comes after suicide bombers targeted two Hotels in Kabul, the Afghan capital city, killing atleast nine Indians among others.

Afghanistan agreed to Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s demand for more security for Indians working in the troubled country. As a result of this, atleast one more contin-

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Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

one to one Keith Vaz MP with

Amrit Takhar, Refresh Financial Solutions Amrit Takhar has more than a breadth experience working in both the property and financial sectors. For more than a decade he has been worked as a mortgage broker and his current position is as Business Development Manager for Refresh financial Services.

Amrit is single and living in London.

1) What inspired you to follow your chosen career?

Enabling me to help others financially to achieve their financial goals whether it be relating to their financial circumstances or property.

School bus drivers have been accused of racism after failing to stop for pupils wearing Muslim hijabs.

Young girls have claimed they are being bullied on board for dressing in the traditional veil which covers the head.

To avoid trouble, ‘cowardly’ drivers are allegedly ignoring pupils who wait at bus stops wearing the headscarf.

Following a police investigation, officers will now be drafted on to board the buses to protect the students from ‘racist’ taunts of other passengers.

Members of the Muslim community said

the issue was a long-running one.

Amina Ismail, who works at Liverpool John Moores University, was approached by the victims.

Merseyside police has produced an action plan to prevent any further incidents, including looking at how victims can pass on anonymous information.

The biggest obstacle is definitely not being able to help every single person with their needs.

6) What is the best thing about your current role?

Amrit Takhar

3) What are your long

Action plan to prevent racism

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

My Dad is without a doubt my biggest influence. He has taught me to respect others and treat others with respect, and to never give up

Helping people – it is a real inspiration to see the look on the face of and the gratitude received from those who I have helped

Rain didn't completely stop play during Bhaktivedanta Manor's Holi festival last Sunday.

Special guests included the Mayor of Harrow Cllr Eric Silver, Leader of Barnet Council Cllr Lynne Hilan, Leader of Brent Council's Conservative Group Cllr Bob Blackman, the Mayor of Hertsmere Cllr Rosemary Gilligan, Prospective Parliamentray Candidate for Hendon Cllr Mathew Offord, and Cllr Anjana Patel who is Harrow Council's Portfolio Holder for Schools and Children's Development.

To be recognised as a ‘Financial farmer’ - helping consumers with their financial requirements

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

2) What are your proudest achievements?

Holi in Bhaktivedanta Manor

term goals?

Meeting new people and learning about different lifestyles, making others

aware that there are answers out there for every situation that you may feel is a problem.

7) And the worst?

Not being able to reach as many people as I want to reach and make people aware of the help that is available.

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

If I was Prime Minister I would change financial laws and do my best to reach out to everyone’s needs 9) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figures would you like to spend your time with and why?

Albert Einstein, for his ways and his achievements, knowledge.

A future fair for all communities

By RUPAnjAnA DUTTA The Labour party organised a press conference on Monday 1st March to talk about Labour's new generation of parliamentary candidates best suited to work for their communities. It is indeed impressive to see the Labour party promising a better representation for our ethnic communities if they make a come back in this summer.

Though speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, Jim Fitzpatrick, the Environment Minister, said the Islamic Forum of Europe had become, in effect, a secret party within Labour party, infiltrating the it with Islamic radicals, but it still appeared that the Labours were able to convince that they are somewhere more close to the Ethnic community, understanding the demographic and community needs better, perhaps due to its rule for a decade now.

In this general election, the Labour party flaunts 49 candidates standing from the black and ethnic minority communities, including 12 sitting MPs who are standing in the next election once again.

In a story by Daily Mail on the 22nd of February, the Conservatives claimed that they are fielding 44 BAME candidates. It said that David Cameron has vowed to boost the number of ethnic MPs if he wins the election.

Currently the Tories have 18 women and two ethnic minority MPs Adam Afriyie, who represents Windsor, and shadow minister Shailesh Vara, MP for north-west

not the few, they should appeal to voters from every community.

“Labour’s fight is to create a future fair for all is supported by the politicians from the different communities in Britain that stand in our ranks. We currently have 12 MPs from black and ethnic minority communities. We Rushnara Ali, Sadiq Khan MP, Chuka Umunna and Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP expect that this will rise significantincluding Sikhs and Jains Cambridgeshire. ly after the election.” and 11 Muslims.

But the number of Rt Hon Keith Vaz, MP black, Asian and other Sadiq Khan MP, emphasised that there has minorities could rise tenLabour’s Minister of State been a considerable fold at the next election, as for Transport, introducing improvement in the a direct result of Central Labour’s prospective parinvolvement of different Office's decision to impose liamentary candidates ethnic minorities in the a greater number of 'suitsaid: current politics and a able' candidates on local “The British people get growth of such interest in associations. to make a big choice at the the future generation. He Five sitting female coming election about the rightfully described the MPs are stepping down kind of future we all want growth rate as pleasant and welcoming.

The two candidates who joined Sadiq Khan MP, in the panel discussion Rushnara Ali and Chuka Umunna showed a fantastic ability to convince that they were first locals and then a devoted national politician. They clearly portrayed how politics began at the doorstep could bring a but 33 female candidates for Britain. Labour will change in the Parliament. create a future that is fair have been selected in 117 They also emphasised for all. The Tories threaten target seats, along with six that it is customary for a an age of austerity – a ethnic minority candivoter to vote not for change you can’t afford. dates. colour or religion but for So far 149 women “It is likely to be a the policies that have have been selected to close election. The votes helped to bridge the local stand overall and the party cast by black and ethnic with global. hopes to see between ten minority voters could With emphasis on new to 15 minority MPs and 60 make the difference. media and media's women after the election.

Labour has a solid record responsibility to do politiBut the Labours were in delivering for our comcal justice, the conference not sure if that would be munities on jobs, public ended with an inspiration the reality. In the extenservices and the promoand a hope to have a fairsive list of candidates that tion of equality. Because er Britain and future for they have featured our policies are designed all minorities, if Labours includes 14 Hindus to benefit the many and are re-elected.

Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

COMMENT

Budget for inclusive growth and reform Framing a national budget is difficult at the best of times, in a country of India's subcontinental size, with a population of a billion plus and myriad interest groups striving to catch the eye of the keeper of the public purse, it requires the wisdom of Solomon to satisfy the broadest mean.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is a tried and tested hand, having presented his first budget way back in 1967 when Indira Gandhi was India's prime minister.

It was a vastly different country then and it is to Mr Mukherjee's credit that he has taken the tide of history at its flood and risen in stature as a politician. As the second fastest growing major economy in the world and amid rising public expectations, he has at all times to balance public needs, even as he keeps the economy moving forward in a changing global environment.

So, while market forces must and have been given their head, and the best entrepreneurial energies in the business community accommodated and encouraged to rise to even great heights of achievements and endeavour, Mr Mukherjee can only ignore the plight of the poor and needy at his peril.

Common sense rather than rigid free market dogmas peddled by media gurus in the West has influenced his judgement on where to rein in expenditure and where to loosen government purse strings. In performing the task entrusted to him, he has kept the ship of state on a steady and even course.

Mr Mukherjee and his team of advisers have risen to the occasion. This time they have directed their primary attention to the salaried middle class - more significant now than ever

before and growing – by giving them an unexpected windfall of up to Rs 56,000 per annum and reworked personal income tax slabs and a new tax exemption option.

Most corporates have ample cause for satisfaction with the surcharge on corporate tax coming down from 10 per cent to 7.5 per cent.

Reformers will welcome the declaration of intent in the disinvestment target of Rs 40,000 crore (400 billion) for 2010-11 – and another Rs 14,000 crore for March 2010 (when the current financial year ends). The first steps on the road to fiscal rectitude have thus been taken, with the deficit reduced to 5.5 per cent of GDP. Also, the issue of new banking licences to the private sector after a gap of ten years should please the business sector which has long been pressing for such an opening.

Rural expenditure has risen by 2.5 per cent and defence by 4 per cent, both well down from previous years. However, in view of the uncertain security situation, Mr Mukhejee promised the necessar y allocation emergency funds should the need arise.

There has been a modest rise in the price of petrol. The Finance Minister is banking on higher economic growth in the coming years to augment revenues which, in turn, would fund new anti-poverty schemes and projects. The 175- point rise in the Sensex on the day was fair indication of how the markets perceived the overall impact of the Budget on India Inc. The elephant is India's talisman. The two have much in common. India weathered the global economic downturn better than most. It now expects to come up trumps as the recovery truly gets under way.

Labour-Conservative gap narrows as election looms As Britain gears up for a general election sometime in the summer, the three parties are having their last conferences before the battle. About a year ago, the Conservative lead over the governing Labour party was so huge that a poll then would have led to an opposition landslide/ But a week is a long time in politics, as Harold Wilson, the labour prime Minster in the 1960s cannily remarked.

So here we are a year after the opinion polls were heavily weighted in favour of the Tories; now the same polls are sending out less optimistic signals.According to their latest findings the Conservative lead has declined from 20 per cent and over to something between 2 per cent and six, not enough for David Cameron and his team to command an absolute majority in parliament.

This has set the alarm bells ringing in the Tory camp. Conservatives are attempting to put things right and regain the confidence of the electorate.

The electorate, for their part, are showing some signs of nervousness at the prospect of a Tory victory and its likely consequences. A woman outside the conference venue told reporters that she recalled the 1980s and the Thatcherite axe that not only brought recalcitrant unions to heel, but destroyed the heartland of British manufacturing as well. There are people in the north of the country who haven't worked since then and the social consequences of high employment there have been devastating, as the former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith has proclaimed in a report to his party following detailed investigation on the ground. An emergent underclass, he warned, does nothing to secure the nation's future well-being. Society does matter and Milton Friedman's free market is not the cure-all true

believers would have us accept. Common sense, vision, and out-of-the-box thinking may yet bridge Mr Cameron's and Mr Osborne's credibility gap.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Gordon Brown is looking a trifle more electable than he was only a few months ago. But he has a considerable way to go. The personal campaigns mounted against him have yield few tangible dividends for his opponents. Better to stick to policies. The British economy, while still in the doldrums, has registered a faint 0.3 per cent growth, still some distance away from the promised springtime. The government's stock has fallen and confidence in its ability to take Britain forward is perilously fragile. The legacy of the Iraq misadventure weighs heavily on the public conscience. The shaming poverty and deprivation in London, as an Evening Standard investigative report reveals is surely a wake-up call. Public transport is plagued by gross inefficiencies and frequent breakdowns.

The next government will have its work cut out from day one.

Which leaves us with the Liberal Democrats on the outside track, to borrow a racing metaphor.

There seems little realistic chance of a Lib Dem regime in Downing Street, but the Lib Dems as a coalition partner of one of the two larger parties is a possible outcome in a hung parliament. Vince Cable, the party's spokesman on the economy, carries weight and authority, whether he is putting his case on the economic downturn, bonuses for bank chiefs and issues related to the failing health of the system. His voice rises above the usual cliches and shibboleths of received wisdom once seen as the road to the promised land.

The Lib Dems may yet play a part in the making of a new government in Britain.

Case to answer Channel 4's excellent Dispatches documentary film by Andrew Gilligan , who first blew the whistle on skulduggery on the Iraq war, kept to the high standards expected of him. His subject on this occasion was the disturbing growth of the extremist Islamic Forum of Europe (IFE) and its infiltration into Tower Hamlets branch of the Labour party. Operating from the East London Mosque the IFE agenda is the creation of a global caliphate as the embodiment of Islamism, with its sharia, enforced gender inequality and the abolition of democracy as a governing political norm. Over and above this is IFE's intolerance of non-Muslim faiths and its undermining of local government and its institutions in the borough.

Tower Hamlets is notable for its strong con-

centration of Bangladeshis, who are overwhelmingly Muslim but, on the whole, have a relaxed view of Islam and are disturbed by the growing pressure and intimidation to which they are being subjected by community zealots. They made clear their distaste for religious and cultural bigotry and were keen to be part of living multicultural community.

What is incomprehensible is the financial support and patronage bestowed on leading IFE figures by people in Whitehall. The apparently believe that such inducements will make these extremists democratic and law abiding. Such absurd expectations are bred in moral and intellectual inertia.

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Thought for the Week

Comment is free, but facts are sacred -C.P. Scott Damian Green MP for Ashford Shadow Minister for Immigration

Immigration is an important issue Last week I was thrilled to receive the honour of being Asian Voice’s C o n s e r v a t i v e Parliamentarian of the Year. I would bet it is somewhat unusual for the Conservative Immigration Spokesman to receive this award, so I am very grateful! It was an important evening, recognising the achievements of so many members of the community.

Immigration is permanently an important issue for this country.

Responsible political parties need to make sure it does not become a destructive and toxic one. That is the belief at the heart of the Conservative Party’s immigration policy. I have been determined, as has David Cameron, that the Conservative voice on immigration will be calm and reasoned. And I want to continue that even as the Election Campaign intensifies.

Conservatives believe that Britain can benefit from immigration, but not uncontrolled immigration. Look at any aspect of life today and you can see the contribution that migrants have brought – and not just to the economy.

But we can’t go on like this. Net immigration to the UK increased threefold between 1997 and 2008. This rate of immigration places extra pressure on public services such as housing, health and schools.

A Conservative Government would run immigration better in several ways. We would put an annual limit on non-EU immigration for work; promote integration through an English language test for mar-

riage visas; prevent abuse of the student visa system with tough reforms; and tackle illegal immigration with a national border police force. We would also impose transitional controls to limit the numbers coming from any new countries joining the EU. As well as having a better controlled immigration system we badly need welfare reform and improved skills training so that we are not simply ignoring the millions of British workers including many from the BME communities, who deserve a better deal.

We want to promote integration because everyone coming to this country must be ready to embrace the core values of British society.

No immigration system will inspire confidence if we fail to prevent illegal migration. We have therefore developed important new rules to tighten up the student visa system – the biggest hole in our border controls.

At the Awards ceremony many people told me of the problems they have with the current visa system, in terms of waiting times and delays, which can cause visitors to miss the event they had planned to attend in the UK. Conservatives want a clear and efficient system staffed by competent specialists.

Our plans will improve the system and reduce net immigration significantly, and therefore lead to better community relations, less tension between groups in British society, and an improved position for new immigrants into Britain.

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Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

Beheading of Sikhs in Pakistan

An Avalanche of Catastrophe

I am writing to you on behalf of my organisation in the UK. We are shocked to learn the brutal beheading of two Sikhs and abduction of others. We understand that two other Sikh men still remain in custody of the kidnappers. We are also very concerned about the safety and security of remaining Sikhs in Pakistan.

As you know the peaceful Sikh minority community has been living in the Khyber and Orakzai area for more than two hundred years. This community has come under increasing pressure of the influence of Islamist militants which has grown in that area in recent years and most of them have moved to Peshwar. We condemn very strongly beheading of Sikhs in Kabaili area of Peshwar of Pakistan.

We hope Pakistan government will take necessary step to stop these heinous activities in the country. We also hope that the killers of the Sikhs in Pakistan will be brought to justice.

What is this world coming to? Why the sudden on rush of disasters? - First the heavy snows and rain word-wide, then the earthquake in Haiti followed by the mudslides in Madeira. The heavy rains on 20 February have brought flash floods and mud slides to this beautiful island. Mud gushing down from the mountain has torn the heart from the capital, Funchal, and this magnet for the tourists from where the lovely Madeira cakes and fortified wines made from the peculiar grapes grown on volcanic soil come, lies in ruins. Why these disasters are taking place today? To add fuel to the fire, this weekend, a massive earthquake measuring 8.8 on the Richter Scale, has rocked Chile early on Saturday morning, killing over a hundred people, toppling homes, collapsing bridges and plunging vehicles into the fractured earth. Every nation around the Pacific Ocean, comprising no less than a third of the globe, is under threat of tsunamis.

So what could be done to prevent such disasters from happening again and again? We need to protect the environment and conserve an ecological balance by avoiding the depletion of natural resources like trees and forests – by creating sustainability.

Dr D K Sharma President OBJP

India must become strong

Arun Vaidyanathan suggests, Indian government should protest against beheading of Sikhs in Pakistan, bemoaning India’s apathy about minority in Pakistan.

But a Pakistani-Sikh spokesperson has stressed that this is internal matter of Pakistan. In the same way, India should silence supporters of Khalistan and Kashmir separatism, those who film slums of India and those missionaries which say that Indians are rotting in spiritual darkness. India must also silence foreigners who seek mercy for M. F. Hussain, Afzal Guru and Kasab and western nations who advocate lenient visa rules.

India has missed opportunities and international sympathy to dictate terms via political correctness and diplomacy.

Giving away concessions in four wars and repeated terrorist attacks is proof of un-pragmatic impotency of such procedures. India avoiding confrontation means timidity in international arena.

This is because Indians are brainwashed to follow non violence, in face of remediable injustices, sufferings and terrorism, earning India global ridicule.

Remedial violence as advocated by all religions is practiced with impunity.

India must be strong, learn to dictate terms forcefully to bask in glory of non violence.

Ramesh Jhalla Via Email

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

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Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Should Indian government ask M.F. Husain come to India?

It has been reported that Indian painter M.F. Husain has been conferred the citizenship of Qatar. Even though Mr. Husain is a famous Indian painter, he painted a nude picture of Goddess Saraswati hurting the sentiments of millions of Hindus all over the world. Mr. Husain took undue advantage of India’s secular image. Since he is living in Qatar from 2006, it is fully justified that he should become citizen of Qatar.

Some sections of the Congress party backed by NDTV want the Indian government to bring him back In India. The majority of moderate Indians simply cannot understand why there is a need for a campaign to bring him back?

There cannot be one rule for Hindus and another for Muslims and Christians.

Hindus have every right to get rid of fundamentals who bring disruption in the name of creative art.

Arun Vaidyanathan Via Email

Military invasions

Pound rate falling

Military invasions serve a useful purpose of testing ever more sophisticated weaponry used in ground, sea and air battlefields. They also give practical training in real life combat situations to army, navy and air generals and their soldiers, seamen and pilots.

Terrorism, instead, is high jacking of air planes as happened on 11th September 2001. High jacking then gets connected to nuclear, chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction being planned by one country or another.

In addition, ethnic or racial grouping of one sort rise against other grouping within a country. They fight to take on the incumbent government that may be propped by military support from foreign countries. They produce suicide bombers in training camps, etc.

Your lead article “AfghanistanPakistan requires realism” (AV 27 Feb P3) asks for realism.

May be there is no realism.

The first writer who wrote about war 200 years ago said the desire to fight can be compared to desire to procreate by mating. It is a biological need inherent in human nature. Remember the proverb “The King is Dead, Long Live the King”.

As with previous AV articles by Barry Gardiner MP (AV 30th Jan pg 3) 'Open letter to Hindu forum' wishing to claim credit of GCSE 90% pass rate of Brent schools like the Swaminarayan school (a private school) when the actual results from Brent State schools after billions spent achievement was a pass rate up 35% to 48.9% over 13 years of Labour government.

In his subsequent article Barry Gardiner then goes on to advice Asian Voice readers, mostly Hindu's to buy euro's !!!

Mr Gardiner claimed that the Sterling Pound had gain over the euro in resent weeks as a direct result of PM Brown standing firm to stay out of euro currency, a major economic success.

Tuesday's figures has proved it to be a wrong statement.

The facts are: -For most AV readers, the GB Pound/India Rupee rate matters more then Euro.

-The UK pound has actually declined by 20% against the rupees in the last 18 months alone.

With Indian inflation running at 6% , the reality experienced by NRI's visiting India is that today it costs 40% more than 2 years ago. How may times have you heard from a family member returning stating India is getting very expensive to visit?

Nagin Khajuria Via Email

Improve crematoriums for Hindus With reference to the letter from Dharam Dev(Ilford) in AV page 4 (27 Feb), it is true bodies on open pyres are often not properly burnt to ashes, and remains are found as half-burnt limbs etc in the river Ganges, mostly in cities & towns close to the river. It perhaps seems easy way out to dump parts in the water, & it has been noted by local & tourists.

But the councils in Allahabad, Varanasi etc have duty to take care that safe disposition of bodies take place after death.

Ideally the bodies need to be burnt properly in modern crematorium, & then ashes need to be immersed in river Ganges, by the councils or by relatives as suitable.

The decision whether a body is to be cremated rests ultimately with the person responsible for funeral arrangements. Mr Dev suggests burial in the grave, but for Hindus, it is not a good option. Fire is ultimate cleanser. So better to concentrate & improve on proper cremations, in modern crematoriums in cities or on open pyres.

Congratulations to my fellow Hindu man (Devender Ghai) for his ultimate victory in the court. If it is possibly by one; others may follow soon.

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Ravi Shah Harrow

Is Euro a lost cause?

Some of our politicians and most right wing newspapers are gloating in the expectation of an early demise of Euro, in the same manner as they were predicting the collapse of EEC when it was first launched in the early sixties.

Britain even tried to undermine EEC by creating a rival to EEC with six other tiny and economically insignificant European nations. The attempt failed miserably against the economic might of France and Germany.

Euro may have weakened against US dollar, so has pound, especially against Euro compared to the exchange rate when Euro became an official currency. It has declined from E1:80 to E1:15, a decline of 65 cents or some 40% for tourists who need Euro to go on holidays.

While pound is shunned in non Euro countries, hotpot holiday destinations like Bulgaria and Turkey, Euro is accepted as a local currency, with all goods priced in Euro and special tills where one can pay and receive change in Euro while our precious pound has to be converted into the local currency before we can spend it, thus paying commission on every transaction.

No wonder seasoned travellers prefer to take Euro rather than pound and keep the balance for the next holiday, thus saving a small fortune in commission and bank charges.

Bhupendra M Gandhi Via Email

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

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(Off Coronet Street)

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

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

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

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

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Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

Sarah Teather MP Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East

Every child should have the opportunity to succeed in school This month, I was shocked to learn that a baby born in one of the poorest areas of Brent is predicted to die more than ten years before a child born a short drive away in affluent Kensington.

Life expectancy in Harlesden is one of the lowest in London, at 74 years, while a baby born just minutes down the road enjoys London’s highest life expectancy of 87 years. London is known for having pockets of chronic poverty and extreme wealth jostling side by side. But these life expectancy statistics are a powerful reminder of just want that yawning gap between rich and poor actually means. If you are born into a poorer area, not only will you have to spend your life fighting for the opportunities that are readily available to others, but you will have years robbed from your life as well. That is a devastating indictment of over a decade of Labour government.

Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, is pushing for a massive drive to tackle the growing gap between rich and poor. Liberal Democrats understand that the most effective way to turn around someone’s life chances is through education. Education is the best way to help someone get on in life, get a good job, and learn about the world.

We would raise the poorest children’s school

funding to private school levels with a pupil premium: extra schools money targeted at the pupils who need it the most.

This money could be used to cut class sizes so that children get more individual attention; provide one to one tuition and classes in the evenings; and set teachers free to spend more time in the classroom.

Schools in my own borough of Brent, one of the most poverty stricken in the country, could see a cash injection of £16million under this fairer system. And, once a child has left school, Liberal Democrats are the only party who believe university education should be free, so that everyone who has the ability can go to university without being put off by the cost.

There is no doubt in my mind that these changes would have a dramatic impact on the life chances of local children in my area, and around the country.

The Labour government should be ashamed of the way they have abandoned the most deprived communities while spending a decade chasing the votes of their wealthy neighbours.

This failure to get a grip on poverty and inequality has had devastating consequences.

Quite simply, we now have to do whatever it takes to give every child the same chances in life, whatever their background and wherever they live.

BAPIO unveils another historical landmark British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO), one of the most influential national body of ethnic minority doctors on 1st March 2010, launched its latest project Medical Defence Shield (MDS) to provide novel and comprehensive support to doctors in difficulty.

MDS is designed to offer advice to doctors in the areas of employment and professional issues as well as representation on complaints of bullying, harassment and discrimination. The members of the scheme will be able to access advice from an experienced team of doctors with a

legal background.

It is estimated that there are over 40,000 doctors of Indian origin working in the NHS. There has been an increasing demand from migrant doctors for a service that is sensitive to their concerns and gives due regard to cultural diversity. The Chief Medical Officer of England in his recent Annual Report had acknowledged that the migrant doctors working in the NHS face discrimination and bullying. MDS has been devised to fill a huge gap in within professional services, available to Ethnic Minority Doctors.

5

Teens arrested for murder of shopkeeper Three teenagers have been arrested in connection with the murder of a shopkeeper who died after he was attacked during a robbery at his store.

West Yorkshire Police said two 17-year-olds and an 18-year-old are today being questioned over the death of Gurmail Singh, 63, in Huddersfield.

Grandfather Mr Singh suffered serious head injuries at his shop in the Cowcliffe area of the town on Saturday evening probably inflicted by a hammer - and died in hospital early on Sunday morning.

Speaking outside the shop, Detective Superintendent Dave Pervin stressed he still needed information from the public.

He said those arrested had been detained in connection with both the murder of Mr Singh and an earlier incident at his shop a week ago when the father-of-three attempted to prevent youths stealing goods from his store.

Mr Pervin said: 'My appeal for information in this investigation stands and it is imperative that we still receive information from the public into the incident.

'Anyone who has any information or suspicions that will assist the investigation should continue to contact the police and share that information.'

The detective made a direct appeal to those involved in the attack on Mr Singh.

He said: 'They know who they are. The spotlight is already directly upon them and I call on them to do the right thing and hand themselves in now before we knock at their door and arrest them.'

Mr Pervin also asked local people to come forward if they have CCTV systems operating in the area.

He said the arrests were made by police 'acting on information coming in to detectives'.

Mr Singh was an extremely well-respected shopkeeper who many have described as a pillar of the community.

Police said he was struck at least nine times in the attack, probably with a hammer.

Detectives were looking for four men in their early 20s or late teens.

Two were seen leaving the shop just before the alarm was raised and two more were trapped for some time in the store by witnesses from a nearby pub who became suspicious that a robbery was in

Gurmail Singh

progress.

These two suspects were brought to the floor by witnesses as they fled but both managed to escape.

The shop is tucked away in a quiet area of Huddersfield which local people say is not affected by high levels of crime.

More than 30 bunches of flowers have been laid outside Mr Singh's home, which is just a short distance from his shop.

One of the tributes among the bouquets read: 'In memory of a gentle gentleman.'

Another said: 'A friend of the community.'

One, apparently written by a young child and accompanied by a youngster's picture, read: 'You were a nice man. Very kind all the time. Helpful.

Shouldn't have been killed.' The A4 tribute finished: 'You had a nice shop.'

Customers, friends and community leaders spoke of Mr Singh's hard work and his k i n d n e s s towards people living in the area.

He opened his store from

6am to 9pm, seven days a week - often delivering papers before the doors opened.

Police said Mr Singh came to the UK in 1963 and he leaves behind a wife, two adult sons and a daughter. He celebrated his 63rd birthday on last Friday.

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6

POLITICAL & PUBLIC LIFE AWARDS

Legion of Merits The Members' Dinning Room at the House of Commons buzzed with excitement on Thursday 25th February, as Asian Voice celebrated the annual Asian Voice Political and Public Life awards for 2009.

These awards are given to people who have made a special impact in the preceding 12 months, ranging from international politicians to individuals who have made a big difference in their local communities.

This year it lived up to expectations as a succession of major figures picked up awards for their efforts.

A select group of 250 high profile politicians from all political parties, business men, community leaders, professionals joined to celebrate the achievements.

The evening became much fun, as the hosts and the guests together celebrated birthday of Rt Hon Ed Balls with a cake and a room full of audience singing 'Happy Birthday'.

But it was not only the birthday in the room that created the ambience, many MPs and Lords made flying visit to meet and greet Rev. Jesse Jackson.

An expert panel of judges which included Mr Arjan Vekaria, Lord Patel of Blackburn, Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP and Mr G S Gujral CBE selected the winners from the various nominations made by the readers of Asian Voice.

The room was packed to the brim when the compere of the evening Mr Luke Vaz kicked off the show. The first set of awards this year was presented by special guest and one of the panel of judges, Mr Arjan Vekaria.

He is the President of the Hindu Forum of Britain and one of the 13 faith advisers in the UK. He handed over the awards to the winner of Asian Broadcaster of the year, Mr Dhruv GadhviZee Tv, Journalist of the year- Ms Shefali Oza, Midlands Today and Media company of the year- Ms Sheena Bhattessa- ITSPR. Managing Editor of Gujarat Samachar- Mrs Jyotsna Shah, Mrs Kokila Patel, Executive Editor of Gujarat Samachar, Ms Rupanjana Dutta, Deputy Editor of Asian Voice, Mrs Alka Shah, Advertising Manager Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar, Ms Erien Dubash, Ms Ragini Nayak and a few other guests were on hand to present the traditional garlands to each of the winners.

Valenka Alamo and Cllr Mimi Harker presented the award to Head Chef Mr Anirudh Arora, Moti Mahal for the restaurant of the year and Female Professional of the yearRhaynukaa Soni- HSE respectively. Moti Mahal is

America.

Rev Jackson also presented the Community award to hotelier and Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee, Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, Mr Joginder Sanger, Conservative

Britain and added so much to a country, he has chosen as his home.

Nitin Ganatra was awarded as the TV Personality of the year by Sir Michael Lord. Award for the Sports personality

Asian Voice Political and Public Life awards will be telecasted

by Zee Tv in Out and About on the following dates: Sat 6th March at 4.30 pm Sun 7th March at 10.30 am

Lord Speaker Baroness Hayman presenting the Minister of the Year award to Rt Hon Ed Balls, MP (R)

Lord Speaker Baroness Hayman (R) presenting the Male Lifetime Achievement award to Rev Jesse Jackson (L) with Mr CB Patel, Publisher/Editor of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar one of London’s top gastronomic Indian Restaurants with Harden’s London Restaurant Guide 2010 calling it a classy contemporary Indian. It has also been amongst the first Indian restaurants in London to adopt the use of the ‘Thatee Grill’ - a hallmark of Indian rural cooking.

Rhaynukaa is an Outreach Executive for Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has been raising awareness amongst vulnerable Indian construction workers of both HSE and their rights whilst at work. She has been liaising successfully with a variety of audiences ranging from immigrant community organisations, faith communities and employers.

Receiving the award she said, “I would like to reiterate my thanks to both Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice for this honour. Having been in this role for under a year the support that I have received is extremely positive. Our task is to ensure all construction workers know their rights and can leave work safely every day.

There remains a lot more to be done. I hope that I can count on the continued support of not only Gujarat Samachar and Asian voice but also the Temples, our community elders and our community as a whole."

The Parliamentary Journalist of the Year was Mr Joe Murphy, from Evening Standard and was awarded by Rev Jesse Jackson, a civil rights leader and spokesman in

Parliamentarian of the year to Damian Green and Special Award for International achievement to Mr Som Mandal, Managing Partner of Fox Mandal Little. Sir William Atkinson received the Special Award for Education. Collecting his award, he spoke of his delight at being honoured by the readers of Asian Voice.

The third set of awards were presented by Deputy Speaker, Sylvia Heal MP to the winner of Liberal Democrat Parliamentarian of the Year- Mr Simon Hughes, MP, Campaign of the year to Mr Jagdish Chander, Incredible India and Male Entrepreneur of the year to Mr Rami Ranger, MBE, FRSA. Mr Jagdish Chander is the director of the India Tourist Office in London.

He has worked tirelessly to promote tourism in India.

In 2009 Incredible India campaign won the World Travel Mart award for being the best campaign of the year. Mr Simon Hughes has been the longest serving front bench MPs in Parliament and is the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for the constituency of North Southwark and Bermondsey. He has been the Shadow Secretary of state for Energy and Climate Change.

Mr Ranger, an entrepreneur has added immensely to this country through his tireless work. He is one of the first generation immigrants who have embraced

of the year was given to Mr Rendall Munroe and Labour Parliamentarian Award of the Year was given to Stephen Pound MP, who added enormous humour to his thanking speech.

The final awards were presented by Baroness Hayman to Rt Hon Ed Balls MP, as the winner of the Politician of the Year award and to Rt Hon David Cameron MP, Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition as the winner of the Politician of the Year category. Mr Damian Green received the award on behalf of Rt Hon David Cameron and read out a message from the Leader of the party. Mr Cameron wrote, “Sorry I can't be with you tonight. It was a year ago today that my darling son Ivan died and I realised pretty soon today that I just wanted to be at home.

But this award means a huge amount to me. It has been one of my ambitions to change my party so we can look this tolerant, compassionate, diverse, multi racial and brilliant country in the eye and say: "we are with you, we are like you and we are ready to serve you, all of you".

Whatever the result of the election, the Conservative party with black and Asian candidates in safe and marginal seats can today say that with pride...

I am proud that whether you are Sikh, Hindu or Muslim, whether you see yourself as British Asian,

Lord Speaker Baroness Hayman presenting the award for Politician of the Year category, collected by Damian Green MP on behalf of Rt Hon David Cameron

Sir Michael Lord (L) presenting the Labour Parliamentarian of the Year award to Stephen Pound MP

British Indian or just British, whether your family came here fleeing persecution or seeking a better life, you can see people like Alok Sharma, Paul Uppal, Nadhim Zahiri, Adeela Shafi and say "this is a country and a parliament where there is no limit to what you can achieve".

And yes, I am proud that young Muslim girls wondering what role they can have in british life will have seen Sayeeda Warsi a Yorkshire woman, a Kashmiri, and a Tory take apart the repulsive BNP and that disgusting man Nick Griffin on prime time television and think "yes this is my country too".

So you have made me proud tonight. But believe me I know - I really do

know - that we still have a long, long way to go. Thank you.”

Rt Hon Ed Balls presented awards to Namita Panjabi, winner of Female Entrepreneur of the Year category and Professor Jaspal Kooner, Male Professional of the Year. The last award was presented to Rev Jesse Jackson for a lifetime achievement by Lord Speaker Baroness Hayman.

Rev Jackson made a fantastic speech as he stressed upon the unity of all the ethnicities in the world against the odds and troubles.

Mr C B Patel closed the ceremony thanking all the guests and winners for attending the awards.

Photo Courtesy: Mr Raj Bakrania - 07977759301

Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

Mrs Namita Panjabi (R) receiving Female Entrepreneur of the Year award from Rt Hon Ed Balls

Deputy Speaker Sylvia Heal presenting the Campaign of the Year award to Jagdish Chander (R)

Mr Dhruv Gadhvi (L) receiving the Asian Broadcaster of the Year award from Mr Arjan Vekaria

Mr Anirudh Arora, Moti Mahal (R) receiving the Restaurant of the Year award from Ms Valenka Alamo

Ms Shefali Oza (L) receiving the Journalist of the Year award from Mr Arjan Vekaria, with CB Patel

Ms Rhaynukaa Soni (L) receiving the Female Professional of the Year from Cllr Mimi Harker

Damian Green MP (L) receiving the Conservative Parliamentarian of the Year award from Rev. Jesse Jackson

Deputy Speaker Sylvia Heal presenting the Liberal Democrat Parliamentarian of the Year award to Simon Hughes MP

7

Mr Som Mandal (L) receiving the Special Award for International Achievement from Rev. Jesse Jackson

Mr Joginder Sanger (L) receiving the Community Award from Rev. Jesse Jackson

Ms Sheena Bhattessa (L) receiving the Media Company of the Year award from Mr Arjan Vekaria

Mr Joe Murphy (L) receiving the Parliamentary Journalist of the Year award from Rev. Jesse Jackson

Sir William Atkinson (L) receiving the Special Award for Education from Rev. Jesse Jackson

Professor Jaspal Kooner receiving the Male Professional of the Year award from Rt Hon Ed Balls MP

Deputy Speaker Sylvia Heal presenting the male Entrepreneur of the Year award to Mr Rami Ranger

Mr Rendall Munroe receiving the Sports Personality Sir Michael Lord (L) presenting the TV of the Year award from Sir Michael Lord Personality of the Year award to Mr Nitin Ganatra

8

www.abplgroup.com

Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

Midland Voice Dee Katwa

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

Conservatives face fierce challenge on reflecting society in Birmingham The Tories are, not for the first time, in a bit of a pickle over how to react to Birmingham’s fast-changing demographics. And how a black businessman who accused the Conservative Party in the city of discrimination has had his case for compensation thrown out.

In Birmingham, the Conservatives control the city council with a solidly white grouping of 49 councillors. Considering Birmingham will become Britain’s first majority ethnic city probably within the next 10 years, how relevant in 2020 will the city’s Conservative Party be to the vibrant and cosmopolitan Birmingham?

The ethnic balance is only offered by the Tory coalition partners the Liberal Democrats, who have fared far better by winning, on merit of course, inner city wards with Asian candidates.

Indeed, if it wasn’t for the Lib Dems Birmingham would be in the embarrassing position of having a council cabinet without a single Asian member.

In all fairness, the Conservatives can point to a substantial record since 2004 of picking Asian and African Caribbean candidates in wards like Aston, Nechells and Handsworth Wood, but those that are chosen to fly the Tory flag must know they have no chance of winning in solidly Labour or Liberal Democrat territory.

In Ladywood for example, a swing of some 13 per cent is required for a Conservative win at the May 6 city elections, while in Handsworth Wood the shift is nearer to 15 per cent.

David Cameron, to his great credit, is attempting to drag what a former Tory chairman once described as the nasty party, into the modern era. He wants, or at least he says he wants, a far more representative mix

of women and ethnic councillors and MPs. Time is against him, but he can do it. Last week’s YouGov survey places the Tories on 37 per cent, as against 35 per cent for Labour – the closest gap between the parties in more than two years.

The survey disclosed growing concerns about

Angry: Fitzroy Stevenson

told he “was not the right sort of person for the seat”. He insists that questions raised by mem-

From left: Robert Higginson (Soho ward candidate); Nusrat Ghani (Ladywood constituency PPC); Sharon Pennant (Ladywood ward candidate); Dominic Fisher (Ladywood constituency chairman); Mohammed Shahban (Nechells ward candidate)

Cameron’s elite background and lack of empathy with ordinary families. Just 25 per cent think that Cameron understands problems faced by “people like me”, compared with 35 per cent for Brown. Furthermore, only 28 per cent think the Conservative leader wants to do the best for “all groups in Britain”, against 39 per cent for the prime minister.

Separately, the case of 49-year-old black businessman Fitzroy Stevenson has sparked off controversy and created headlines in Birmingham’s local media. Mr Stevenson claimed he was rejected as a city council candidate in Ladywood after being

Global Poverty, Seeking Justice A groundbreaking multi-faith conference which aims to tackle global poverty and international debt will bring champions from diverse communities under one roof in Birmingham this Sunday (Mar 7). The free event, being held at West Midlands Fire Service HQ, B7 4HW, from 1pm till 5pm, will have stalls and contributions from Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim and Sikh groups. Audrey Miller, pictured, local convenor of the conference, believes the event “will lead to a better understanding of what each faith group is already doing about global poverty and how they are seeking justice for all.” For more information visit www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk/faith

bers of the Ladywood Conservative Association when he attended a candidates’ interview suggested that African Caribbeans generally were considered “uneducated and corrupt”. But an employment tribunal in Birmingham ruled that it had no powers to hear Mr Stevenson’s case.

Employment Judge Goodier said a councillor could not be considered an employee under the terms of the Race Relations Act and that Mr Stevenson should consider pursuing the case in the county court if he continued to feel he had been discriminated against.

L a d y w o o d Conservative Association rejects Mr Stevenson’s

claim of discrimination, pointing out that the candidate chosen to contest this year’s city council elections, Sharon Pennant, is also from an African Caribbean background. Sharon, a solicitor, is also chief executive of the Council of BlackLed Churches UK. The Tories’ prospective General Election candidate from an Asian background is Nusrat Ghani.

Former Birmingham MP Roger King, president of the Heartlands Area Management Executive representing Conservative associations in the West Midlands, chaired an internal party hearing at which Mr Stevenson unsuccessfully attempted to overturn Mrs Pennant’s selection. Mr King told the tribunal: “I was asked to take on the role and act as chairman in order to sort out matters that had caused us some concern.” He said he could not understand why the discrimination case was being pursued, adding that Mr Stevenson had withdrawn his allegations in a letter to the Ladywood party. Mr King said: “On what basis can the county court re-open a case when someone has equivocally withdrawn the allegations?” Mr Stevenson, who has previously stood as a Conservative city council candidate in Nechells, said he had been asked by a party official to switch wards and put his name forward as a candidate for Ladywood. He vowed to take his discrimination claims to the county court. Mr Stevenson added: “I have not withdrawn the allegations. I do not know what Mr King is talking about. If he does have a letter, it certainly wasn’t written by me.” The saga continues.

Farewell to diplomat The committee at the oldest Hindu temple in the Midlands, Shree Geeta Bhawan, held a farewell function in honour of Mr SV Balaji, pictured, deputy consul general at the Indian Embassy in Birmingham.

Mr Balaji, 46, who is married to Madhumita, returned to India this week where he will take up a role in local government. The couple have a daughter, Bhavna.

Rent rise Birmingham’s 68,000 council house tenants will see their rent rise by 3.1 per cent from October under a new rent settlement. It means the average council householder faces a £2.10 rise on their weekly bill for the 2010/11 rent period.

News in Brief Face to Face All are invited to the first in a series of talks, entitled Face to Face, which aim to promote religious integration in a bid to better understand each others' ways of life. The inaugural talk will focus on Zoroastrianism and the speaker will be Jimmy Suratia, new Chair of Birmingham Council of Faiths (BCF), who hails from this community. The population of Zoroastrians in the UK is around 3,800.The talk will take place next Wednesday (Mar 10) at Bournbrook Community Fire Station, Selly Oak, Birmingham from 7pm till 9.30pm. The event will also give people an opportunity to become a member of BCF, cost £5 per year. To find out more visit www.bhamfaiths.org.uk

New role for Paxton Congratulations to Douglas Paxton who has been appointed new Deputy Chief Constable at Staffordshire Police Authority.

Father-of-two Mr Paxton, pictured, from Sutton Coldfield, is currently Assistant Chief Constable with Staffordshire Police. Mr Paxton, who enjoys motorcycling and running, holds three Association of Chief Police Officers national portfolios covering performance, citizen focus and criminal justice business areas. Of Staffordshire’s 1.1 million population, 1.7 per cent are from South Asian communities.

Inspirational movie launched A hard-hitting film, A New Life, has been released

by West Midlands Police. The three-part film, launched in West Bromwich this Tuesday, has been produced as part of a forcewide campaign to encourage young unemployed people to engage with the police by enrolling on the Prince’s Trust Team Programme. The 12-week initiative enables youngsters to build on their personal skills by getting involved in various team building and community projects. To see the film visit www.youtube.com/westmidlandspolice

Work-life balance An inaugural lecture focusing on how to achieve a work-life balance, workplace culture and the management of an organisation’s workforce was delivered by Professor Sam Aryee, pictured, of Aston Business School on Tuesday evening this week.

To find out more visit www1.aston.ac.uk/about/news/events/success

Thumbs up from Tata Midland car maker Jaguar Land Rover returned to profit in the last three months of 2009, reports its Indian owner Tata Motors. The company, which employs 14,500 staff in the UK, posted an after-tax profit of 4.6 billion rupees (£59.6 million) in the final quarter of last year. Tata said stronger market conditions, well-received new models and efforts to cut costs helped put the company back in the black.

Students’ city guide A new what’s on guide for Birmingham-based students is being launched by the city’s five universities. Birmingham: Your Life Starts Here, published by the travel guide Lonely Planet, features interviews with undergraduates and details everything students need to know about life in the city.

Women-only loos

Japanese airline Nippon Airways is to introduce women-only lavatories. A survey in 2007 showed 90 per cent of women supported the idea. An airline spokesman said women do not like using shared toilets as men sometimes leave the seat up.

Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

9

10

ART & CULTURE

Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

“Our London”

National Hindu Students Forum (UK)

CIIr Navin Shah AM

By Kajal Valani, President

London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow

Hindu Students across campus get active with Sewa!

"Selfless service alone gives the needed strength and courage to awaken the sleeping humanity in one's heart."

- Sri Sathya Sai Baba Selfless service. It’s what you expect people who have retired to be undertaking. It’s what you expect people who do not believe in materialism to be getting involved with. It’s what you expect people who have lots of spare timeand nothing to do with it- to be conducting.

On the contrary- it’s what young students in sixth forms, colleges and universities across the country are doing - from the depths of Portsmouth to heights of Glasgow, Hindu Students are organising and taking part in National Hindu Students Forum’s (UK) Sewa Week 2010. This week is put in play from 1st March to 5th March and it is phenomenal!

When I hear of the different ideas that students have come up with, to help others without gain-

ing anything themselves, I am stunned. They are consciously putting 5,000 years of Hindu Dharma into practise and it makes me proud to be part of a movement which creates individuals, groups and institutions that produce acts of service which can be best described as Dharmic.

The beauty of the work that these 20,000 plus students are doing boils down to the realisation that Sewa is not just about raising money and collecting funds. It is also about active Sewa!

From helping in old people’s homes to clearing local streets, to doing soup runs in the freezing cold for the homeless, to dog walking for the RSPCA; these Hindu students make us realise that if they can do itwhat is stopping the rest of us?

It has also been made apparent that Sewa is not just about this one week- it’s also about what you can do all year round.

The national

CUTS IN LONDON’S POLICING. RETROGRADE STEP BY THE MAYOR

Sewa team have been onhand to guide students on how to put ideas together which can be carried out throughout the year. Let’s all get Active, let’s all follow the example set by NHSF students and let’s put extra effort into supporting and joining the Sewa activities out there, or create our own! For more information on NHSF Sewa week and how you can get involved; dhanisha@nhsf.org.uk www.nhsf.org.uk All donations made this year will be split between over 30 local charities chosen by universities, and the NHSF national charity Saraswati Vidyalay. The charity's mission is to banish illiteracy from the face of tribal India by 2012. They aim to achieve this target by bringing primary education to all 100,000 rural and tribal villages in India by 2012. NHSF has helped to build 16 schools over the past two years. You can help to double this number!

Creator of DarkMarket website jailed A man who created a website trading in stolen financial information linked to tens of millions of pounds in losses has been jailed for nearly five years.

Renukanth Subramaniam,

33, (pictured) who allegedly founded DarkMarket, a "Facebook for fraudsters" where criminals could buy and sell credit card details and bank logins.

The site was shut

Are you the

JOURNALIST we are looking for?

Asian Voice, UK’s prestigious newsweekly for British Asians with a stable of several highly acclaimed theme based magazines covering healthcare, pharmacy, accountancy and finance, is looking for an enthusiastic journalist to join its editorial team.

The successful candidate mast have excellent communication skills, good spoken and written English and at least one year’s reporting and writing experience along with the ability to work to tight deadlines. Besides English, the candidate must know how to speak, read and write in atleast two Indian Vernacular languages.

You will be offered the opportunity to cover a range of interesting topics and events and you will bring all your skills to bear in a professional and friendly environment.

Closing Date: 29th March 2010 Please send a detailed CV by post to: Asian Voice Asian Business Publications Ltd Karma Yoga House 12 Hoxton Market, (Off Coronet Street) London, N1 6HW email: rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com

down in 2008 after an FBI agent infiltrated it, leading to more than 60 arrests worldwide.

Subramaniam admitted conspiracy to defraud at Blackfriars Crown Court. He also pleaded guilty to mortgage fraud.

Subramaniam, originally from Sri Lanka, was given British citizenship in 2002 and ran Darkmarket from an internet cafe with the username "Jilsi".

He owned three houses but lived nomadically - staying with friends mainly in Wembley, north London and Ilford in Essex.

He was sentenced to 46 months for conspiracy to defraud and 10 months for five counts of mortgage fraud, the terms to run consecutively.

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Breaking his election promises has become a speciality for Boris Johnson the Mayor of London. He was elected on a manifesto promise of leading and protecting the police service but has now reneged on both of these key matters.

Firstly the promise was that ‘unlike Ken Livingstone’ Boris Johnson would exercise his right as London mayor to chair the Metropolitan Politan Agency. However, chairing of the MPA did not last much as the Mayor resigned last month, handing over the Charimanship to Kit Malthouse AM his deputy mayor for policing who has failed to attend more than 40 meetings of the key Metropolitan Police committees. Given his varied business interests in addition tohis City Hall responsibilities would Mr Malthouse be able to give adequate attention to the major responsibility of heading up the Metropolitan Police Agency? Surely not.

Secondly, the Mayor’s promise to protect and enhance London’s Police service has proved to be a

hollow one. He promised ‘to spend less on press officers and more on police officers’ and ‘to redirect more resources to frontline policing’. How has this translated over the two years of leadership of Mr Johnson? For the first time in the history of the GLA, police numbers are due to be cut by 455 over the next three years. To add insult to the injury, in all London Boroughs, Borough Commanders will have to find 5% ‘savings’ (in reality cuts) to their local policing budgets. I bet the local police are none too pleased about this.

Policing of London has quite understandably been one of the highest priorities for Londoners. For some considerable years now Harrow’s been one of the safest Boroughs on London albeit the perception of the crime of fear has been high.

One of the proudest moments of my leadership of Harrow Council was the rolling out of the Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs) in Harrow ahead of planned programme. SNTs are a great legacy left behind by the former

Mayor of London Ken Lvingstone, as they have played a major role in dealing with the perception of crime, tackling anti-social behaviour and providing a much needed presence of uniformed police in the very heart of our communities. SNTs located in every single ward of London have been doing a wonderful job - appreciated by our diverse communities, Councils and the Senior Police.

Recognition of the work of local police and SNTs was evident when Ian McPherson the Police Commander, attending recently the Harrow Police Community Consultative Group’s AGM meeting, glowingly talked about the importance of community policing and how his boss Sir Paul Stephenson Met Police Commissioner shared his views too.

Shame that the Mayor of London does not share the value of community policing. If he did, he would not have cut the police budgets and numbers in the way he has done - exposing Londoners to burglaries, crime and fear of safety.

Hinduism in the City event The City Hindus Network, in conjunction with the Barclays Capital Cultural Awareness Network, presented Hinduism in the City, an event exploring the role and impact of Hinduism in the City of London on Thursday 25th February.

Dixit Joshi, Managing Director and Head of Equities for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific at Barclays Capital, hosted the event at the Barclays Bank PLC headquarters in Canary Wharf. The special guest speaker for the evening was Shaunaka Rishi Das, Director of the Oxford Centre of Hindu Studies.

This event, which was attended by around 250 City professionals from the Hindu community as well as leading businessmen and community leaders, examined concepts such as: l Holistic thinking: Looking at the bigger picture within organisations and markets l Your next life: Benefits of long term over short term planning l Dynamism: Working to build effective relationships The proceedings were filmed by Zee TV for their Out & About programme and after speeches, Dixit

L-R: Dipesh Patel, Barclays Capital Cultural Awareness Network; Dhruv Patel, Founder and Chair, City Hindus Network; Ramona Mehta, Partner, Mishcon de Reya, Dixit Joshi, Managing Director and Head of Equities for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, Barclays Capital; Shaunaka Rishi Das, Director, Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies

and Shaunaka were joined for a panel discussion and Q&A by Ramona Mehta, a Partner at law firm Mischcon de Reya.

Dixit Joshi said ‘Barclays Capital was delighted to host this event exploring the role and impact of Hinduism in the City, and to show our support for the City Hindus Network. We share with the network a firm belief that it is through diversity and meritocracy that we are better able to achieve our goals. With overwhelming demand and a very impressive attendance, it is clear that the voice of City Hindus is now more relevant than ever and we welcome the opportunity to

ensure that voice is heard.’

Dhruv Patel, Founder and Chair of the City Hindus Network, said ‘This is the biggest event that the City Hindus Network has been involved in, I believe this event is the first event to be held at an investment bank specifically for our community that has been supported by the most senior banker in the City from our community. It has provided the City Hindus Network with the opportunity to further our aims of building unity and community spirit and has given us the chance to invoke further interest from our professionals in Hindu philosophy and culture.’

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

11

CII hosts successful discussion on Indian Economy and the Climate Change agenda The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), organised an exclusive panel discussion about “Indian Economy and the Climate Change Agenda” on 24th February 2010 at St. Stephens Club near St James Park. The distinguished panelists included Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, Director and Founder, Warwick Manufacturing Group, Warwick University; Mr Nitin Desai, Co-Chair, UK-India Round Table; Mr Tarun Das, Former Chief Mentor, Confederation of Indian Industry and President, Aspen Institute India and Dr Neil Bentley, Director, Business Environment, Confederation of British Industry In Copenhagen while nations struggled to come to consensus, India emerged as one of the key players in defining the next steps forward. The interactive session discussed how one of the fastest growing economies in the world gears up to meet the challenges of climate change at the same time as meeting its developmental agenda. The session also

looked at common experiences working towards a low carbon economy in the UK and India and the potential for further collaboration in developing new technologies and capitalising upon an expanding global market for green goods and services.

The session was moderated by Mr Tarun Das. He set the scene for discussions by sharing the industry expectation of reaching 8-9% growth in 2010-2011, in an economy where 600 million people in the rural India moving towards growth which will fuel the internal demand and growth.

Lord Bhattacharyya, started his remarks by commenting on the excellent workforce- professionals; engineers that India is providing. The young Indians are exuding with confidence and entrepreneurship. India signifies an intellectually based industry where the Indian entrepreneurial psyche has resulted in the country experiencing a 78% growth even in times of financial downturn.

Lord Bhattacharyya further commented that with

remaining 20% of global emissions. It has also shown a complete lack of leadership from Europe and a skepticism regarding the Climate Change agenda with its epicentre in London.

Dr Desai stressed the need for reducing the uncerLord Bhattacharyya, Mr Tarun Das, Dr Nitin Desai, Dr Neil Bentley tainty in the clithe new levels of ready to take on change. mate change agenda. Fall Infrastructure developDr Desai further said of Copenhagen has resultment foreseen in India, it that in the Prime ed in a relaxation in busiwill be interesting to see Minister’s council on ness sector which is a the future levels of growth Climate Change, concern. There is a need in India. strongest pressure for to emphasis the climate Dr Nitin Desai, buildspeedy adaptation of change agenda and other ing from the remarks solar programme has goals like energy security; made by Lord come from the Indian importance of renewable industry that has seen an Bhattacharyya, said that and nuclear energy. This opportunity in the change the nature of boom witwill be India’s step and is ready for a long nessed by Indian econotowards the agenda. term plan to bring in this my has been due to the Equally important as change. huge increase in corpoenergy efficiency are the Copenhagen has rate savings and investissues of water efficiency; shown an emergence of a ments which have forest; bio-diversity; 40-40-20 world where increased four folds over water management.

USA and China represent the last five years. The Dr Desai felt that the the first 40% of global challenge is “how to action on climate change emissions; Europe, India, maintain the growth is going to shift and lead Russia and Japan reprerate”. India has witnessed to more bi-lateral agreesent the next 40% and the emergence of a new ments between governrest of the world the class of entrepreneurs ments.

Ultimately the market forces will determine the approach to climate change, it will be the prices of fossil fuel which will decide the speed of climate change agenda.

Transition of economies to low carbon economies is going to affect lives and this change is being driven by business.

Dr Neil Bentley said that British industry is committed to climate change. There exists a global 7 trillion USD opportunity in the low carbon technologies.

Mr Tarun Das summed up the discussions saying, there was a resistance to liberalisation, but it did happen.

Similarly, it is upto business associations to stress the importance of climate change and work on the agenda. European business associations need to be put under pressure to respond to the demands of time.

The right kind of business is committed to moving ahead, committed to making a change.

He concluded the session saying, “believe in something and you can get it done”.

Are you still taking the risk with asbestos?

UK Health and Safety Law protects you even if you are not working here legally

Rhaynukaa Soni Outreach Executive

Asbestos is the greatest cause of work-related death in Great Britain, accounting for an estimated 4,000 deaths a year. A quarter of those dying are tradesmen or maintenance workers who unknowingly disturbed and breathed in asbestos fibres while doing their job.

This means that every week on average 20 tradesmen, including 8 joiners, 6 electricians and 4 plumbers, die from asbestos-related disease.

The number of asbestos related deaths continues to rise.

Asbestos diseases

When materials containing asbestos are disturbed or damaged fibres are released into the air.

When these fibres are inhaled they can cause serious diseases including among others mesothelioma (which is always fatal), lung cancer (almost always fatal) and asbestosis (very debilitating but can be fatal).

These diseases will not affect you immediately but later on in life, so protect yourself now to prevent you contracting an asbestosrelated disease in the future.

Where can you find asbestos?

It is estimated that more than half a million workplace premises could still contain asbestos. If you are working in buildings constructed or refurbished before 2000 then there is a high probability that you might find asbestos on site.

Generally, asbestos is only a risk if it is disturbed or damaged. If materials containing asbestos are in good condition and unlikely

to be disturbed or damaged, then it is safer to leave them where they are.

Some common asbestos products and locations are:

Sprayed coating Found as fire protection on structural supports such as columns and beams. This is a high hazard asbestos product that can generate very high fibre levels if disturbed. Only HSE-licensed contractors should work on this material.

Pipe insulation Found in or on heating systems such as boilers or around pipework. This has many different appearances but is mostly a fibrous material

which flakes and powders easily. This is one of the most dangerous materials containing asbestos because disturbance of the lagging or insulation releases fibres very easily in to the air.

Only HSE-licensed contractors should work on this material.

Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB) was commonly used as fireproofing material but it had many other uses such as partition walls, fireproofing panels in fire doors, ceiling tiles, soffits and panels below windows.

It is difficult to tell the difference between AIB items and other non-asbestos materials like wall and window panel boards, ceiling tiles and plasterboard. Work on AIB normally needs a HSE-licensed contractor because fibres are easily released in to the air if the board is cut, drilled or broken.

Asbestos cement roofs are mainly made up of large sheets of corrugated asbestos cement; they are

often found on industrial or farmyard buildings, but also can be found as roofs on garages and sheds.

Textured coatings were used to produce decorative finishes on ceilings and walls and have had various trade names like 'Artex’.

They may have been painted over and are sometimes applied on top of other types of asbestos such as AIB. Working with asbestos If you are not sure if there are asbestos materials where you are working, stop and check. People in charge of workplace buildings have a responsibility to provide you with information on the location and condition of any asbestos in the building – ask to see the asbestos register.

Don’t start work if: l You are not sure there is asbestos where you are working – stop and ask! l The asbestos materials are sprayed coatings, board or insulation and lagging on pipes and boilers, only

Helpline: 0207 556 2181 e-mail: desi@hse.gsi.gov.uk Website: www.hse.gov.uk/construction/gujarati

HSE-licensed contractors should work on these. l You have not been trained to do non-licensed work with asbestos, basic awareness training is not enough.

To work safely with asbestos l Asbestos Essentials task sheets will show you how to do a range of non-licensed tasks safely. They are free to download at www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/e ssentials l Follow the task guidance sheets closely but as a minimum make sure that you: l Wear a properly fitted, suitable mask (disposable FFP3 type) - an ordinary dust mask will not protect you! l Wear suitable disposable overalls (type 5) l Use hand tools not power tools l Keep materials damp not too wet.

Further information HSE’s asbestos web pages at www.hse.gov.uk/hiddenkiller

12

MEDIA WATCH

Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

Scrutator’s It has been Sachin Tendulkar's week. Even the Indian budget took second place to the derring-do of the country's greatest sporting icon and its most treasured asset. His phenomenal feat of scoring an unbeaten ODI double century at Gwalior against a South African attack, rated as one of the best in the world, set India alight. Terrorist threats and fears of bomb blasts were forgotten as a nation of over a billion people celebrated an achievement unique in the annals of oneday cricket. In the aftermath of 26/11 he helped lift the gloom with a century against England in the Chennai Test. Nothing could erase the scale of the Mumbai tragedy, but Tendulkar reminded the grieving throngs that the future beckoned and there would come a time to move on. He incarnates the never-say-die spirit that has enabled India to survive its most daunting challenges.

Sachin Tendulkar celebrates in accustomed fashion

Simon Briggs, in his tribute in The Daily Telegraph described our hero as the most famous Indian since Mahatma Gandhi. Mr Briggs went on: “With his extraordinary performances over the past two decades, not to mention his exemplary conduct off the field, Sachin Tendulkar has proved that it is possible to be a sporting icon without turning into a monster.... In the light of the various light of the various indiscretions committed in recent weeks by Tiger Woods, John Terry and Ashley Cole, it would be easy to conclude that while power corrupts, sporting success corrupts absolutely.”

As for the Tendulkar innings, the former Middlesex spinner and coach and England Test star, John Emburey, said on Sky Sports: “It was absolutely spectacular. There are no more superlatives you can say.

Every superlative about that guy has been said.....He was just measured in everything that he did including his footwork. He was going for the gaps. There was no slogging, they were all great shots. It was top quality hitting.”

Tendulkar said: “I'd like to dedicate this [innings] to the people of India for standing behind me for the last 20 years throughout the ups and downs.”

Hyundai exports

Farmers prosper

For a multitude of foreign investors India is clearly the place to be. A frontpage Business Line (February 23) report told of South Korean auto major Hyundai's Indiabased export roll into the far corners of the globe.

The company completed one million car sales in overseas markets from its India base with its recent load to Australia. By the end of the year there should be 121 countries importing 'Made in India' Hyundai vehicles of every shape and size.

The exponential 82 percent increase in India's car production in December 2009 helped jack up the country's industrial growth year-onyear by 16.8 per cent.

Overall GDP for 2009-10 ending March 31 may very well exceed the government's target of 7.2 per cent for the current fiscal.

Cassle Farrell (BBC News, February 20) reported a significant instance of rural progress in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, where the scorching summer months are the bane of local farmers.

Enter Amitabha Sadangi, chief executive of I n t e r n a t i o n a l Development Enterprises India (IDEI), who “makes his way to a fledgling banana plantation beside a mud hut. With Mr Sadangi is business expert Alvin Hall. Theyve come to meet Eknath Tabaji Sangulpaye, whose hut and field represent his entire worldly wealth.

Eknath is one of Mr Sadangi's most recent customers. If he is to avoid the yearly migration to the city, he must find a way of growing crops on his meagre land all year round.”

His aim was to give Eknath “crops all year round.”

This is done through a novel method of irrigation: black plastic tubing crisscrossing his planation, distributing small jets of water directly to each plant. This form of irrigation required 70 per cent less water than the flood irrigation method.

Eknath's banana yield increased exponentially, so too did the yield of nearby farmers Janardhan Kuber and his cousin Subash Kuber. The former's two crops of tomatoes had yielded him to earn a stag-

help them gain political capital in the country, and “comes after India last year started to crack down on Chinese-made grey market handsets. Many of them lack legitimacy identification numbers available relevant for security purposes or product quality certification.”

India had excluded Chinese companies from government tenders or infrastructure projects for national security reasons.

“Chinese handsets had grabbed 40 per cent of the

It said: “In signing up (February 17) writes: over 118 million sub“The country's top scribers in India, Bharti defence scientist has, for Airtel, the country's the first time, revealed biggest mobile operator, that India's new Shaurya has ranged deep into the missile, which can carry rural hinterland....Take a a one-tonne nuclear warhead over 750 kilomeride in the four-wheeltres, is specially designed drive taxis that usually to be fired from Indian ply rural India's dusty submarines and could roads and you are sure to form the the crucial third see a mobile phone leg of India's nuclear recharging from their cigd e t e r r e n t . . . . . V. K . arette lighter. For its next Saraswat, the DRDO 100 million customers chief and Scientific Bharti is looking even Advisor to the Defence farther afield.... it confirmed plans to buy the Minister, revealed [to the operations of newspaper]: “We have Zain, a designed the Shaurya so Kuwaiti telethat it can be launched coms firm, in from under water as easi15 African ly as from land..... The countries, gas-filled cannister that with about houses the the missile 42 million fits easily into a submas u b rine. scribers....

“India's undersea Zain has deterrent has revolved struggled in around the K-15 ballistic the African missile, built with significant help from Russia. market.....

The K-15 was to equip B h a r t i the INS Arihant, India's believes it nuclear-powered submacan turn Z a i n ' s rine...... after rigorous African busitesting, the Shaurya ness around could be the the mainCongratulations from his South African opponents using the stay of Arihant's arsesame tricks nal.”

Indian market last year, gering $2,000 – easily that served it well in Non event but we are being locked enough to support his India.” None of these killings family all year round. 'tricks' entailed subprime out of the market now,” Meanwhile Jain mortgages, as far as can said Mr Tang. “We must be The Jeremy Page report Irrigations Systems Ltd be seen, or inflated bank seen as producing Indian in The Times (February bonuses that have laid (JISL), one of the world's handsets with Shenzhen 25) on the Indo-Pakistan the UK and US low. The largest manufacturers of manufacturing knowtalks in New Delhi and levels of thieving in these micro-irrigation products, how.” their negative outcome parts are indeed stratoshas signed a memorandum This strategy follows would surely have gained pheric! of understanding (MoU) a high-profile pledge by in honesty and percepwith Philippine-based Huawei, the world's section had it referred to the International Rice ond largest telecoms Shaurya missile beheading of two Sikh Research Institute (IRRI) gear vendor, last month traders in Peshawar by for collaborative research to invest $500 million in India's need to protect its the Pakistani Taliban. and adaptive field trials on India to prevent the comassets from regional Their crime? The refusal paddy using micro-irrigapany being affected by predators and those convert to Islam. To the tion. Jain said it would broader tension between allied to them in distant babarity was compoundwork closely with IRRI India and China. parts was highlighted by ed the heads of the dead scientists to determine Katherin Hille conan increased defence men which were sent to a optimal irrigation and 'fercludes: “None of the allocation in the national Gurdwara. The silence of tigation' systems for irricompanies represented budget presented to parthe British media would gated rice and wheat.

by Mr Tang's association liament in New Delhi by appear to suggest that is well-known, but the finance minister Pranab this was a non-event, the thousands of groups that Mukherjee. Some ongoChina groups victims not being white make handsets or their ing projects are nearing British. Coverage would eye India companies around completion, others have have put the spotlight on Shenzhen have become a started, while a number Pakistan as a terrorist Writing in the Financial force in global markets.” are in the planning stage. haven and Pakistan is, Times (February 17), Among these projects after all, a favoured Shanghai-based Katherin is Shaurya, India's Bharti in Africa Anglo-American client.

Hille tells how a “group of underwater nuclear misDraw your own concluChinese handset makers is sile which will form the The Economist sions. to consider manufacturing triad of India's nuclear (February 20) tracked For this columnist the in India in attempt to be deterrent.

Indian telecoms giant Business fourth estate is now a recognised as legitimate Bharti's quest in Africa.

Standard's Ajay Shukla suppliers in their most fourth-rate estate. important export market.

The decision also reflects the effects on business on India's uneasy relationship with with eastern neighbour.” The Shenzhen Mobile Communication Association was to undertake an exploratory trip to India involving a dozen of its members to negotiate related ventures.

“The goal is to set up several production or assembly lines with a total capacity of up to 10 million units,” Tang Ruijin, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee Finance Minister (second from left) , Minister for Overseas Indian executive president, said.

Affairs, Mr. Vayalar Ravi, Minister for Road Transport and Highways (far left), Mr. Kamal The manufacturers hoped Nath and former Chairman of National Knowledge Commission, Mr. Sam Pitroda at the 8th production in India would Pravasi Bharatiya Divas See page 3 for comment

Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

Alpesh Patel

DavyMarkham of Sheffield gets Indian owners

Consultant Editor Financial Voice

Hindustan Dorr-Oliver acquires the UK firm for £9.5 mn

Dear Financial Voice Reader, So what does the market’s crystal ball say this time around? I thought I would start with the riskier end of the market – the smaller companies on AIM. Some do end up producing ridiculous results – like Specialist Energy Group Plc – up from a few pennies to touch 60p. Albeit the volume of trading on these stocks is not huge. But you can imagine the attraction of £1,000 turning into £10,000. Or of course being wiped out because of the risks involved.

Of course if you play the statistics and work on the basis that a venture capitalist would that one or two in 10 will give you a 5x return, three companies will lose all your £1000 investments, and the rest will break even then out of 10 investments you still make money if one returns a 5x return and three go bust and the rest return your capital.

Your targets as a mini-Venture Capitalists then are companies usually trading below 15p as it tends to be these that elevate to 75p rather than a company trading at £1 going to £5. The likes of Shanta Gold when you look at their share prices you will see why there is risk in this strategy. But some people make a handsome living out of it.

AFC Energy is another typical target. You will see companies with Gold or Energy in their name are both speculative but some make a return. How do you find these names. Will I use Sharescope. You can use Google but scanning is a bit harder on the internet than on a specific software.

Alexander Mining is not ‘Gold’ but is the other magic word and flavour of the moment – ‘Mining’.

The key is to look for companies with price charts on a steady rise. This is difficult with AIM stocks because they often have a limited trading history.

Finding details from their annual reports is a bit tough too often. But then again, the risks are already built into the business model.

Software Radio Technology is an exception to the ‘Energy’, ‘Mining’, ‘Gold’ rule. The strategy of investing in AIM stocks as a mini-Venture Capitalist is something I used to do in the late 80s when at school and it used to work quite well. I then moved onto options trading, then futures. But it’s something well worth revisiting. A simple search on the web reveals AIM newsletters too. With globalisation some of these companies of adventurers going out to far flung lands like Africa (!) are making successes of their businesses.

But I cannot emphasise the risks. Do not get greedy. And greed is about being in a rush. No one is switching off the markets. Greed is also about making big bets. Some of the worst investors I know close their ears to ‘don’t bet big’. They are and will always be life’s losers, because betting big means losing big.

And when you win, large or small you can still be in the game. When you lose small you can be in the game. When you lose big, you are down and out.

AIM investing, like trading in the markets generally reveals your character flaws. If you have a pot of risk capital, not savings, but risk capital, which you are prepared to lose, and know you may well lose it, then divide it into 10 equal lots and undertake the above strategy.

Alpesh Patel, www.sterlingmarkets.com

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UK based Engineering company DavyMarkham will now become a subsidiary of an Indian corporate group. Hindustan Dorr-Oliver (HDO), an engineering solutions company of the IVRCL Infrastructure and Projects, a Hyderabad based group has announced the acquisition.

The heavy engineering company based in Sheffield

After months of discussions, Tata Motors were able to strike the £340 million EIB loan deal for their British brands – the Jaguar Land Rover. The Indian conglomerate announced the deal last week. After the UK government showed hesitance in providing guarantees, Tata Motors mobilised guarantees from private banks for the JLR funding.

Tata Motors said in a

designing, manufacturing and assembling large equipment used in mining, quarrying, power generation, oil, gas and nuclear sectors.

statement that the EIB loan completes the last major element of the funding plan for JLR, which has been an important part of its efforts to strengthen its consolidated balance sheet over the past year.

The £340-million facility has been granted under the European Clean Transport Facility that finances activities aimed at lowering carbon dioxide

emissions. The lenders include State Bank of India, Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Credit Suisse, Standard Chartered Bank, Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan. Last year, Tata Motors had raised £500 million loan for meeting the requirements of JLR. One of the main reasons for the delay in securing the EIB loan was the lack of guarantors.

While Tata Motors did-

n’t reveal the details of the eight-year loan, it may turn out to be slightly more expensive in terms of interest rates as against a UK-government backed loan. Loans with sovereign guarantees are typically cheaper. With a new boss – Ralf Speth at the helm, JLR is moving with restructuring its operations including axing jobs and may down the shutters at one of its three plants.

India is top export market for Dubai for 2nd year India has topped the list of export markets for Dubai for the second consecutive year with a share of 40.6 per cent at 21.3 billion dirhams (Rs 268.348 bn).

Switzerland comes next as Dubai's second largest export market with a share of 16.6 per cent at 8.7 billion dirhams (Rs 109.6 billion). Saudi

Arabia is third, followed

by Pakistan and Iran.

Among the most significant goods and products Dubai exports to the aforementioned countries is gold, which again finds the largest market in India.

Dubai's exports of scraps and metals to India value 693.371 million dirhams (Rs 8.32 billion).

billion), while growth rate over the past five years reached 47 per cent.

Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation executive chairman and Dubai Customs Director General Ahmed Butti Ahmed said the UAE adopted a strategy, which played a major role in attracting investment.

The Emirate's non-oil direct exports grew at an average rate of 23 per cent in 2009 compared with 2008.

The value of exported goods through all Dubai Customs entries amounted to 52.4 billion dirhams (Rs 629 billion) in 2009 against 42.6 billion dirhams in 2008 (Rs 511.2

L N Mittal, board members receive lower pays for 2009 Chairman and CEO takes a 12% cut, total compensation down by 23% British Indian steel king and ArcelorMittal boss L N Mittal accepted a 12% cut in his pay for the year 2009, while the total compensation paid to all board members works out to be 23% lower.

In the annual report, the group has said the board members had voluntarily decided to reduce their salaries by 12 per cent, in view of the conditions in the steel markets globally.

On account of the slump in steel demand, ArcelorMittal posted losses in the first and the second quarter of 2009 and resorted to cost cutting to tide over the crisis.

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was acquired for a consideration of £9.5 million, HDO said on Tuesday.

DavyMarkham is a 180-year-old manufacturing company engaged in

DavyMarkham's Managing Director Kevin Parkin and financial director Duncan Hay will continue their current roles along with the management team, the Indian firm said. DavyMarkham was on the verge of closure four years ago, but HDO extended financial support and the UK company managed to make a positive turnaround.

£340 million EIB loan for JLR

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Mittal was paid around $3.6 million in 2009 against $4.1 million in 2008.

His other peers on the board, including Vanisha Bhatia, Narayanan Vaghul and Wilbur Ross, received a total of $2.7 million in 2009, about 23 per cent lower pay than their remunerations of 2008. This was on account of extra payout in form of $2.1 million performance incentive to Mittal.

Besides the board, the company's managing committee which comprises likes of India CEO Vijay Bhatnagar and the steel maker's Human Resource Head Bikram Agarwal,

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took a pay cut of 10 per cent against their 2008 remunerations. However, their comparative salary was not given.

The company has saved $2.7 billion in 2009

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through various cost cutting and is targeting to save around $5 billion by 2012. During the economic crisis of last financial year, ArcelorMittal had initiated several temporary and permanent costcutting measures.

"It will come as no surprise to you that 2009 was not only the most challenging year since the creation of ArcelorMittal but also the most difficult period.

"Looking ahead to the remainder of 2010, I am certainly more optimistic than I was 12 months ago.

The crisis has been very difficult for all of us," Mittal said in the report.

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14

FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

Fresh Reliance bid for LyondellBasell also rejected the way for Apollo to merge LyondellBasell with its Hexion Specialty Chemicals according to the paper.

On February 22, a source said Reliance Industries had raised its bid for LyondellBasell to an offer which values the company at $14.5 billion.

Lyondell was forced into bankruptcy just over a year ago amid a cash crisis, has been sparring with creditors for months over a $22 billion lawsuit the creditors brought against the banks, advisers and executives who put together Lyondell's leveraged buyout by Basell in 2007.

Venezuelan co may buy stake in ONGC-MPL

TCS bags multi-year pension project deal from UK

held some talks initially. I can’t comment further,” he said on sidelines of the launch of a CSR initiative of ONGC Officers Mahila Samiti (OOMS) in Mumbai on Sunday.

The OMPL project is expected to be commissioned by this year-end.

According to plans, OMPL will produce 920 TMT (thousand metric tonnes) of paraxylene and 140 TMT of benzene per annum.

ONGC has a 46% stake in OMPL while subsidiary Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) has a 3% stake in it which together amounts to 49%.

The balance 51% is proposed to be offered to the public or strategic partners.

India's largest software vendor TCS is to enter into a contract to administer the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) in UK. The contract with the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority (PADA), a non-departmental public body (NDPB) will be divided into two stages and running into 10 years. NEST is the new low cost pension scheme, previously known as personal accounts, that any employer can use to meet new workplace pension duties starting from 2012.

The first stage will run to October 2010, allowing TCS to begin the activity required to set up and administer NEST.

Apollo Management, a US private equity firm that leads a group of creditors is expected to reject Reliance Industries Ltd's bid for bankrupt chemicals maker LyondellBasell, the New York Post said, citing people familiar with the situation.

The move would pave

Venezuelan governmentowned oil major, Petroleos De Venezuela, is likely to buy stake in ONGC Mangalore Petrochemicals Ltd, (ONGC-MPL) which is promoted by ONGC and MRPL for setting up an aromatic unit in Mangalore SEZ. “Discussions are already on. The Venezuelan company, which is the fifthlargest oil producer in the world, is looking for a controlling stake in the project,” a source said.

But exact size of the deal is yet unknown.

ONGC chairman R S Sharma confirmed that the Venezuelan company did evince some interest in the project.

“Petroleos De Venezuela showed interest in the project. And we

Essar sells tower biz to American Tower for £ 291 mn Essar Telecom Infrastructure (ETIPL), the telecom tower business of Essar group, is being acquired by Transcend Infrastructure (TIL), an affiliate of American Tower, for about £291.44 million in all allcash deal.

A TIL spokesman said it had entered into a definitive share purchase agreement with three Indian companies of the Essar Group to acquire substantially the entire issued share capital of ETIPL in an all cash deal.

The transaction values approximately pound 291.44 million, and is subject to certain post closing adjustments, TIL said in a statement. The transaction is also subject to certain pre-completion requirements and is expected to be over in three months.

Essar Group Director (Strategy and M&A) Vikash Saraf said, "ETIPL is a one of the pioneers in the wireless tower outsourcing business and has built a substantial portfolio of attractive and well

located towers, a marquee client base and one of the highest tenancy ratios in the business. Going forward, the company under the aegis of ATC can look forward to significant growth and consolidating its position".

American Tower Executive Vice President and President (Asia) Amit Sharma said, "The addition of ETIPL to American Tower’s existing Indian operations will significantly strengthen our ability to serve our telecom customers; this will help them in enhancing their network coverage and in launching new technologies like 3G and WIMAX." ETIPL is one of India’s largest independent tower companies with a portfolio of approximately 4,450 wireless tower sites, including a number of towers under construction. They operate across 12 of the 22 telecom circles in India and have an industry leading tenancy ratio of 1.8x.

Barclays Capital is acting as financial adviser to

Essar in connection with the transaction.

The sale will give Essar, which operates as a 33 per cent partner with Vodafone as a mobile service provider, funds to bid for 3G mobile licences taking place on April 9.

Indian tower and mobile operators merging or selling assets as growth slows and competition intensifies in the market.

GTL Infrastructure, India’s largest independent operator of mobile-phone towers, last month agreed to buy 17,500 transmission sites from mobile operator Aircel for pound 1.22 billion to help it double its network in India.

For American Tower, this is the third acquisition in India in less than 12 months aims to drive international growth in emerging markets, including India.

Alpesh Patel’s Political Sketchbook: On Politics and Patriotism

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the past which can be regained; safety on the streets, communities looking after each other, economic stability. For the left, they allude to ideals which need implementing – hence Labour’s focus on ‘fairness’ – unfulfilled promises – even add liberty, equality and fraternity (which Labour have not – seemingly both ignorant of their own history and how to move to the benchmark concept, or maybe they misplaced the Strategy Handbook.)

But you have to be delicate. The right cannot in talking of the past be seen as rose-tinted and taking us backwards.

And the left’s message of perfecting the future becomes more difficult the longer they’ve been in power – open to the charge ‘well you’ve been in power, how much longer do you need to take us to nirvana?’

But to understand patriotism beyond common history or striving ideals, you need to play in the territory of the guy from the other side of the political spectrum. For the right that means speaking not just of past, but of a better future by pursuing British beloved ideals of individual liberty and national independence. These principles especially resonate when individually and nationally the financial crisis feeds the fear of losing control of our destiny.

And that is what this election has lacked – the big overarching principles. Instead it gets bogged down in detail.

Tell us your character and values, and let us worry about which way you will vote on the details.

Some on the right have problems with patriotism when it comes to an issue of especial interest to readers of this paper: immigration. A problem which funnily

Game on. Cameron spoke this past week about patriotism: his patriotic duty to remove Labour from office. The ‘Election Strategy Handbook’ states you must pull out the ‘patriotism’ card in every election – and someone in Tory Central Office is reading that Handbook.

(In fact they’re reading this column – nowhere else other than in this column has pushed Cameron to speak without notes, and he did it this week in his major keynote speech at the Tory Conference. We also have pictures of him reading Asian Voice. I rest my case m’lud).

Back to the Handbook - so what’s the proper way to use patriotism in politics?

It’s a ‘master concept’, a benchmark. In elections, these if used correctly can be over-arching, easier to communicate and understand for the electorate and bestow on the user both vision and energy – think Thatcher (the ‘free economy and the strong state’).

So Cameron has the opportunity to capture a vision, energise a party and a nation. Mistaken he would be if ‘patriot’ is defined by which way he votes on the details not by who he is. Because patriotism is about character and principles as is politics at its highest.

And from that benchmark, then policies and how we vote should flow.

From the definition of patriot should follow the answer ‘is a non-dom taxpayer still nevertheless a patriot?’

To the Conservative, patriotism is intertwined to conservation – to the past and heritage– to a national history and common culture; to serve and sacrifice for causes greater than self.

For the right to win the hearts of minds in an election, they have to allude to better times in

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the readers of this paper do not have. And from them can the right overcome its traditional problem of how to be a patriot and handle immigration; the cricket test ie supporting India in cricket whilst carrying a British passport is to be celebrated not worrisome. Overcome it by ensuring you provide that liberty on the trivial (because that ideal is your heritage), but focus on the substantive: you ensure new immigrants and school children do take oaths of allegiance, speak English, and are taught about nationhood. This has the advantage of winning both sides around the centre.

More so than in America, we in Britain must state E Pluribus Unum; ‘from many, one’ and that is the motto of the British patriot.

The columnist hails from Karamsad and is a Board Member of the United Nations Association (UK) and Trustee of Chatham House (The Royal Institute of International Affairs). He is a former Visiting Fellow at Corpus Christi College, Oxford.

He read Philosophy, Politics, Economics at St Anne’s College, Oxford when he also interned in the US Congress researching the illicit nuclear proliferation activities of AQ Kahn. He also has a degree in law and qualified as a barrister. He is a former Bloomberg TV presenter and Financial Times columnist with 250+ columns published in the FT and author of 13 books. He is officially designated ‘Dealmaker’ for the British Government, looking for high potential technologies of strategic importance to the UK. He runs a fund management company.

Alpesh.patel@tradermind.com

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fInAnCIAL voice

Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

Tatas, M&M make it to global brands list of Credit Suisse Indian Hotels of the Tata group and auto giant M & M are the two Indian entities that have made it to the global brands list compiled by Credit Suisse.

The list of 27 includes computer hardware maker Apple, Hyundai Motor, luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz, world's largest watchmaker by sales Swatch, networking site Facebook and online market place Alibaba.com.

According to Credit Suisse Research Institute, the global brands figuring in the list would significantly outperform the market over the next 3-5 years as they build and leverage brand equity to grow in size, scale and profitability.

"We believe a strong

brand is one of the most powerful and sustainable advantages a company can have, but one that is often ignored by the financial markets," Credit Suisse, Director, Omar Saad said.

The other brands which figure in the list include online shopping firm Amazon, luxury

lifestyle company Polo Ralph Lauren, US apparel firm Under Armour.

Brand power is strongest in industries where there is close proximity to the end-user.

There is ample room for product differentiation among competitors and reputation plays an impor-

tant role in consumers' purchasing decisions, the report added.

The report said that tough times in the financial market provides opportunity to best brands to solidify their presence, as weaker competitors scale back and new entrants delay risky plans.

"Investing in companies that are transforming from niche player into a powerful brand that can be proliferated across new markets and categories offers investors extremely attractive returns," Credit Suisse said.

The list of 'Great Brands of Tomorrow' also include the likes of China's Tsingtao Brewery, China Merchants Bank, South Africa's Capitec Bank.

Maruti A-star joins the global recall list Led by Toyota and followed by other reputed car makers globally, including the Hyundai of South Korea, the car recall list is getting longer.

Maruti Suzuki of India has also joined, going for a recall of 100,000 units of their latest product, A star for defects in fuel tanks.

The recall again raises doubts about Japanese carmakers.

Maruti Suzuki is the Indian subsidiary of Japan’s Suzuki Motor and is the second Japanese car in India to be called back for defects. Honda did so a few weeks back with its City sedan. Globally, Toyota and Honda have seen their brand value take a hit after large-scale recalls.

Maruti Suzuki said it decided to recall the cars

Car recalls, though an accepted phenomenon globally, are not very popular in India as companies fear adverse market reaction. Honda had last month said it would recall 8,532 units of the City for a power window switch replacement. The company had also recalled the Accord and CR-V models in 2007 for fixing possible defects. after coming across an “anomaly’’ in the fuel tank of some vehicles. “These vehicles belonged to lot made till August 22, 2009, only. In these cars, when fuel is filled up to brim, beyond the fuel auto cut off position, a possible fuel leakage from the fuel pump mounting area may take place,” the company said. It added that the company had not received any customer complaints

in this regard.

However, even as Maruti’s domestic market may remain less affected by the development, it could still be bad news for the company as A-Star is an export-oriented model and is sold in several markets across Europe where the reaction can be worse.

A-Star is also sold to Nissan that sells it as ‘Pixo’ in the European markets.

Indian exports continue upswing in January Exports from India continued for the third month in January, registering an 11.5% growth over the same period last year.

Government data released on Tuesday said even the imports went up by 35.5 per cent, while the trade deficit at almost double the level as compared to January 2009.

Exports in January stood at US$14.3 billion.

Imports rose 35.5 percent from a year earlier to $24.7 billion. The trade deficit stood at $10.4 billion in January compared with $5.4 billion a year earlier.

Exports for AprilJanuary, the first 10 months of the 2009/10 fiscal year, were down 17.8 percent at $131.9 billion from the same period in the previous year.

Prudential’s AIG deal without stake in Indian JV Tata will buy the AIG shares in insurance business Prudential of UK concluded a deal to buy out the Asia business of troubled US Insurance giant AIG, but the stake in Indian joint venture of Tata AIG is not included. Tatas have decided to buy out the AIG share, and will decided to take in another partner at a later stage.

In another meeting, senior executives of

Prudential and the ICICI group discussed the implications of the buyout on their Indian insurance venture. According to people familiar with the matter, Prudential reinforced its commitment to the group. Barry Stowe, chief executive officer of Prudential Corporation, Asia, was present in the meeting.

RIL’s Jamnagar unit beats the heat on SEZs At a time when developers are increasingly scrapping their special economic zone (SEZ) projects, Reliance Industries’ SEZ at Jamnagar, which houses a Rs 25,000-crore refinery, emerged as the country’s largest SEZ in the current financial year, with exports crossing Rs 62,000 crore till January.

“By March 2010, SEZ exports from Jamnagar refinery are expected to touch Rs 75,000 crore.

This will contribute about 35-40 per cent of the country’s overall SEZ exports,” Development Commissioner (Jamnagar SEZ) Upendra Vasishth said. Reliance set up its refinery, over 700 hectares

of the 1,700 hectares earmarked for the SEZ project.

In 2008-09, exports from SEZs in India were clocked at a modest Rs 99,689 crore. The multiproduct Surat Special Economic Zone, or SURSEZ, was the largest exporter with Rs 15,000 crore worth of exports, followed by the Nokia SEZ in Tamil Nadu with Rs 10,000 crore exports, according to a Central government official.

Nokia SEZ ranks third Surat SEZ’s exports crossed Rs 20,000 crore till January this year.

Nokia ranked third with Rs 10,000 crore of exports till December 2009.

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Register now at organdonation.nhs.uk Text REGISTER to 84880

16

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asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

By

Swati Bhan

Home remedies to cure gum bleeding Gum bleeding or inflammation of the gum tissue caused by a certain bacteria.

This bacteria produces toxins that eventually destroy the gums.

The swelling and bleeding caused by gum disease will turn into an irreversible stage that destroys bone and soft tissue if left untreated. Before gum disease reaches the severe stage, it can be cured by better oral-hygiene practices.

Brushing Brush three times a day for at least 3 minutes each session. Adults usually rush through an oralhygiene routine and do

sure. Do not mash the toothbrush bristles onto the surface of your teeth.

To use your toothbrush effectively, brush with only the bristle tips. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles. Hard, stiff bristles can damage sensitive gums and cause bleed-

Life style

Baking soda also neutralizes bacterial acid, deodorizes your mouth and polishes your teeth.

Flossing Floss your teeth at least once a day. Use wax floss because it is easier to get between the teeth

By Mamta Bhatia, Psychologist

Life is like a game of golf This weeks article focuses on how you can sharpen your strengths and use the qualities of others to succeed in your own life!

In order to learn the best swing from professionals, model your behaviour on people that you feel are simply excellent. You need to get better at every opportunity. Motivation is an inner force that compels your behaviour, motivation is always generated from the inside.

You are acting on an inner need if you are motivated. Memory and imagination are responsible for motivation. If you visualise what you will achieve, you will achieve it. Motivation lives in our memories. How strong of force are things in your life? Are your skills able to help you achieve on your goals. How important is winning to you, being number one? Do you have a concern for excellence? To win you need to express the very best that is in you, do not be your own worst enemy, be your own best friend.

All motivation comes

from internal images, highly motivated achievers tell action filled goal orientated explanations.

Imagine the things you want so precisely. Don’t be passive, be active.

Passivity defies motivation. The only two fears you were born with were falling over and loud noises, every other worry you have, you have made up. Go back to blog 2 and see what’s really in your control.

We all have one thing in common, in all of our lives one day we will die.

So, why would you fear anything? All you need to achieve a dream is action and persistence.

Keep going and keep going. Persistence is the one thing that unites every human being in terms of achieving success. We will only ever do something if we want to.

You have to make the choice, are you prepared to make the choice, a true decision?

Make a plan: 1. What are you going to achieve, by when?

2. Never have a plan B, never.

If you feel such passion only have a plan A, see it believe it and start to feel that you are achieving it. Put in all the energy you have and those currents will drive you to your destination.

How long does it take to make a decision? A second, so do it now, every second is a chance to turn it all around. You may want to, speak to someone you trust and respect about your dilemma. If your situation is causing you to lose sleep you should ideally turn to someone professional. A professional coaching service that is provided at www.thinkspalondon.co m will make sure that you are supported by a trusted coach to help you deal effectively with your challenge.

A professional coach at think spa can offer great advice, counsel and ultimately act as a sounding board. All too often we worry about the end result, get embarrassed by our efforts and give up. True change is about the process, enjoy the journey.

Good Luck!

If you have any questions write to mamta@abplgroup.com

kitchen

Treats

Hot Kachori not brush long enough.

Nine minutes a day can be enough to reverse gum disease. You can dry brush your teeth while doing something else like watching television. This helps remove plaque.

Focus your brushing on a few teeth at a time.

Sweeping brush strokes that cover several teeth at a time miss large areas of plaque. Develop a routine by starting with the same section each time and moving methodically around your mouth.

Lighten up on your pres-

ing. Try a rotary electric toothbrush to ensure thorough brushing.

Remember to brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth to cut down on the amount of bacteria in the mouth.

Baking Soda Mix 1 tsp. baking soda with enough water to form a paste. Brush once or twice a week with this paste. Baking soda is an abrasive powder that removes plaque without harming your tooth enamel or gums.

without getting stuck.

Flossing is the only way to dislodge the food particles and bacteria that hide between your teeth and gums. Remember to be gentle with gums affected with gum disease. Do not force the floss into your gums and cause bleeding.

Rinsing Rinse your mouth at least once a day.

Mouthwashes that contain alcohol can kill bacteria. Fewer bacteria living in the mouth mean that less plaque will form to damage the gums.

Rinsing is not a substitute for brushing and flossing regularly.

Mix ½ tsp. salt with 4 oz. of warm water.

Swish the saltwater around in your mouth for 30 seconds.

Spit out the saltwater. This solution will soothe your gums and kill bacteria.

Ingredients: For cover: • 1 1/2 cup plain flour • 3 tbsp. oil • salt to taste • cold water to knead dough For filling: • 1 cup yellow moong dal washed and soaked for 1/2 hour • 1 tsp. garam masala • 1 tsp. red chilli powder • 1/2 tsp. dhania (coriander) powder • 1/2 tsp. coriander seeds crushed coarsely • 1/2 tsp. fennel (saunf) seeds crushed coarsely • 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds • 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds • 1 tbsp. coriander leaves finely chopped • salt to taste • 2-3 pinches asafoetida • 1 tbsp. oil • oil to deep fry • 1 tbsp. plain flour for patching Method: For cover: • Mix flour, salt and oil, knead into soft pliable dough.

• Keep aside for 30 minutes.

For filling: • Put plenty of water to boil. Add dal.

• Boil dal for 5 minutes, drain.

• Cool a little.

Heat oil in a heavy pan.

• Add all seeds whole and crushed allow to splutter.

• Add asafoetida, mix.

Add all other ingredients.

• Mix well. Do not smash the dal fully.

• But enough to make the mixture hold well.

• Remove from fire, cool.

• Divide into 15 portions.

• Shape into balls with greased palms.

• Keep aside.

To proceed: • Make a paste with water, of flour for patching.

• Keep aside.

• Take a pingpong ball sized portion of dough.

• Knead into round. Roll into 4" diam. round.

• Place one ball of filling at centre.

• Pick up round and wrap ball into it like a pouch.

• Break off excess dough carefully.

• Do not allow cover to tear.

• Press the ball with palm, making it flattish and round.

• Repeat for 4-5 kachories.

• Deep fry in hot oil, on low flame only.

• If the kachori get a hole anywhere, apply some paste.

• Return to oil and finish frying.

• Turn and repeat for other side.

• Fry till golden and crisp. Small bubbles must appear over kachori.

• Drain and serve hot with green and tamarind chutneys.

Making time: 1 hour (excluding soaking and cooling times) Makes: 10-12 pieces Shelf life: 2-3 days Note: Take care to fry on low.

Hurried frying will result in soggy and oily kachories.

FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

17

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

Downfield Close, Little Venice, London, W9 2JB

Early Bird Gets The Worm The property I mentioned in an earlier article, in Tottenham, went for £114,500 to a client of ours who had previously bought using our help. This is the second property he has purchased, the first being in Wembley, 3 Park Crt which he picked up for £127,000 and resold on after refurbishment works and extending the lease, for over £215,000 within a six month period making a tidy profit. The property on first appearance appeared to be a difficult one, it had a short lease and proved difficult to get a mortgage on. But at this price delays in selling or issues are affordable.

Although he is on a good salary, from a background in IT, he now has caught the property bug and taken his second bite again.

This one is a small one but better to take a few small ones than a big one and choke later. We think there is at least £20,000 to make on this property instantly.

We are in the process of building a portfolio for a client of ours. The first property, a three bedroom near Edgware Rd station took slightly longer than anticipated to achieve the rental required. There seems to be an influx of three bedroom properties on the market, this coupled with the fact that the property did require work meant the normally instantly rentable property took longer.

However in the third week without work even being done the property got two offers. We finally rented it for £650 per week, less than the figure we hoped of £700, but still a very good yield of 10.2% based on

a purchase price of £332,000. The one and two bedroom flats are still flying out, the increased jump in yield for a three bedroom property may be the reason why there was a slight over supply of them. The one bedrooms rent for £350, the two for £495 and the three’s jump up to £700£750. The price for a three bedroom does not jump up the same proportion so the yield for a three bedroom is very good, perhaps the reason why there has been an influx of them.

The second property we bought completed last week, a three/four bedroom property in Warrick Avenue, an ex local flat with views of the canal. Possibly one of the nicest ex local properties I have ever seen. The property had been occupied by the same family for decades and now was on the market. The family wanted to leave the city life and out their last days in the country.

Funnily enough the previous family was doing the same. There seems to be an exodus out of the city. When I studied mortality as a subject at university - morbid but yes we studied death, I remember one of the factors which determines the length of your life is the post code you live in. Your postcode will affect your life and hence the life assurance premium you will pay.

Out in the country you will survive longer than in the city.

The flat was so nice someone who wasn’t even in the country wanted to take it just from the picture on the internet. He phoned us up on Saturday, said he was interested and

asked if it will it still be available when he flies in on Monday afternoon. We said perhaps it might be, but if someone comes in and puts a deposit down on Monday morning it will be gone. Not wanting to take the chance he sent over a holding deposit for us to pick up on Sunday via western union.

The property can be appreciated simply from the plans and pictures.

From the aspect the feel of the property can even be indicted. A west facing property is likely to have a good vibe as there would be lots of sunlight pouring in daily. We tried to ask for £1050pw for this property as it is a four roomed property.

I know I was pushing it as the fourth room could hardly be called a bedroom. However this is a prime property in a pukka location and if you don’t ask you don’t get! However the gentlemen who wanted the property was quick to point this out. He was however happy to pay £750pw for the property. I say he was happy but actually the DSS will be paying so any one would be happy.

And to us and the investor, where it comes from is not for us to question, only that it does come with regularity and the amount is the same.

The property has the potential to be converted into a spacious four bedroom in the future.

From the floor plan it can be seen the lounge and kitchen are huge, unnecessarily large from a rental yield perspective. As a four bedroom the property would definitely get the £1050pw week.

Gujarat Properties - Sale & Resale Mortgages Commercial Finance Property Sourcing

A well presented three bedroomed maisonette set over the third and fourth floors to a high standard with bright and spacious rooms and a charming balcony. The property comprises sizable reception room opening to balcony, smart eat-in kitchen, sizable study, three well proportioned bedrooms, bathroom and separate WC. Downfield Close offers a great location, moments from the picturesque surroundings of Little Venice and within easy reach of the shops and amenities of Maida Vale. Warwick Avenue Underground Station (Bakerloo Line) is found close by, offering reliable services into and out of central London and the West End. Leasehold Guide Price = £355,000 Additional Details Local Authority: The City of Westminster Council Tax: £687.62 per year (Band D) Ground Rent: £10 per annum (2008) Service Charge: £1,300 per annum (2008) Lease Expires: July 2110 Key Figures from Cash Flow Statement: • Purchase Price: £355,000 • Estimated Valuation: £370,000 • Current Equity: £15,000 • Return on Deposit: 25.98%

Sow & Reap

Call On: 0207 706 0187 Email at: info@sowandreap.co.uk

Sow & Reap Properties Limited is trading as Sow & Reap.

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

18

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Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

Kapil’s

Spriha’s

Corner

KHICHADI

By Spriha Srivastava

Of ghosts, wizards and other fantasies School life is a never ending journey to identify one self. Be it the ‘good’ self or the ‘bad’ self. Assignments, exams and discipline are things every student has to pass through whilst in school. But it was only in this eventful journey that Anirudh Vasdev met with the writer within him. After getting his debut book, Of Ghosts, Wizards and Other Fantasies, launched at the London Book Fair last year, Anirudh is now busy working on his second book and pursuing a bachelors in English from the University of Delhi. I spoke to him in detail about his liking for writing and his inspiration behind this. He says he has greatly admired Roald Dahl’s writings.

the satisfaction and the belief in my dream that keeps me going.

What does it take to be an author?

Do you want to be a full-time author?

To be a good author it takes a lot of patience, persistence and understanding. Knowing what your reader wants and catering to his demands are other guidelines that may/may not be kept in mind. Depends whether you want your book to sell or not.

No, I don’t want to be a full time author. No offense to any authors who are reading this but those who do sedentary jobs for longer than 6 hours a day habitually; I consider them to be total losers….

by Kapil Dudakia - email: kapil@abplgroup.com ‘Be the Change’ In the words of the great Mahatma Gandhi, ‘be the change you wish to see in the world’ – yet today’s politically motivated use the term ‘change’ is so often a masquerade for half-truths and mischievous intent. So for those parties who have suddenly developed this urge for change I say to them, people

How did you first start writing?

I first started writing in class1. (If you want to know how I started writing, as in, the reason/developments that led to it… there’s a story behind that as well. No kidding) When did you first think of getting your work published? Did the idea come to you naturally or did someone suggest that you could?

Probably 4thstandard, But back then everyone (including me) thought my writing to be to immature to even worth being considered as publishable material. I don’t exactly remember who suggested ‘publishing’ as an option to me back then, must have been my dad or one of my school teachers perhaps. But I know this much that it didn’t come naturally to me.

If it was the latter, what points did they put forward to encourage you to go to a publisher?

My creativity, good collection of different themes, my versatility as a writer and the fact that I was so gifted at such a young age. My teachers were truly very supportive.

What are your future plans?

I’m working on my next book which is going to be a collection of 13 short stories. I have written only 2 so far of the targeted 13.

Who are your favourite authors and which is your favourite genre of books? Is there an inspiration?

My inspiration as an author and the author I truly respect the most is Roald Dahl.

Even though I never met him and infact I was born in the year in which he passed away, (perhaps to carry on the legacy of good writing, as I would like to believe it), his works and understanding what he was trying to convey had a big impact on my mind.

Who was your editor? How do you rate your interaction with him/her?

My editor was Mrs. Mary Joseph at Sterling publishers. She was brilliant. I have never met a person as meticulous and methodically hard-working as her.

Her way of working was remarkable.

How many copies of the book were printed?

Approximately 3,150 Who dealt with the publisher? Was it you or someone like a parent or an agent? How was it negotiating with the publishers?

My father and two of his friends Mr. Mangesh Naik and Mr. Rajeev jain played very significant roles.

Were you paid?

No. I’m still praying for my royalty.

Who gives you the most feedback on your work? Whose feedback do you value highly?

Well, my friends, father, family and now ME. I rate my work, rewrite and even discard a lot rather most of it. But this is has happened only after the book got published. Only when I feel a paragraph is conveying the point that needs to be conveyed in tune with the theme of the story do I move on to the next one. This as James Cameroon (Director of AVATAR) calls it is the “Curse of Perfection’ which can be very frustrating at times but very satisfactory. It’s

How did the release go?

Well, I’ve had three book functions in total now. The release at the London Book Fair, which was last year on 21stApril followed by a book-reading session at the Nehru Centre, London.

The launch of the book’s Indian edition was done by Mr. Salman Khurshid and Mr. Rajmohan Gandhi at the IPWC association on 8thFeb. Each of these functions has found its own little place in the corners of my heart. I can’t say which one was the best or worst. All were awesome and truly unforgettable.

Let us know what you think.

Email Spriha at spriha@abplgroup.com

Mahatma Gandhi

want to witness change in you and in your party first. Change in your rhetoric. Change in the way you do politics. Genuine change that is borne of the heart which transforms the mind and ultimately translates into verifiable action for the good of the nation.

And what do we get?

The Shadow Chancellor talking about ‘boom’ and ‘bust’ when surely there cannot be anyone left in the world who does not understand that what we have had is a global economic and financial meltdown. Please lay the blame on Gordon Brown for the many other things he might have done, but the voting public know that this financial disaster was global and with multiple origins.

Making statements which the voters know not to be true can only result in alienating them further. I would not be surprised if Mr Osborne is asked to refrain from saying too much over the coming days, surely they cannot afford any more own goals.

When someone talks about change, I expect it to be profound and on the scale of, for example, say changing the electoral system. Maybe a referendum to come out of Europe completely.

How about bringing in compulsory internship with the armed forces for anyone under the age of 21 years who is not in employment or

in fulltime education?

Or having armed forces boot camps for anyone under the age of 21 years who is guilty of minor breaches of the law (for very serious crimes, jail is of course still the only option).

The country is ready for any party that has the stomach to bring back civil discipline and social responsibility.

Elevenses anyone?

Not to be out done by the Shadow Chancellor, the ‘Silver Fox’, Chancellor Alistair Darling made some incredible statements of his own to the effect that Number 10 had let the ‘forces of hell loose’ to try and silence him.

Now let me think – the Labour Party have managed to crawl back to within a few percentage points in the polls, the Tories are all over the place in a blind panic and the election is only months away, so what

Alistair Darling

do you do? Ah yes, let’s make war between Number 10 and 11; and give the press something to write home about. The capacity of politicians to shoot themselves in the foot, or is it putting their foot in it (assuming you have not shot them off already!) seems unbound and unchecked.

It seems the pressure of the election is telling on everyone, and it has not even started yet officially. Can you imagine what it will be like over the next few weeks?

Open Letter In my open letter to all the parties I had put forward five points for them to address directly, and to give me a full response. So today I say to all of our national umbrella bodies: write formally to the leaders of each of the

main parties and put these five points (and any others that you feel are relevant) and ask for a response within two weeks. Thereafter prepare a report which details what each party is saying, what each party will do and how they will verifiably show that they are good for our community.

Publish such a report and send it to every one of our 450 plus organisations in the country.

Our national organisations need to become proactive in this regard.

Too often we allow those who give false promises and mislead us, or tell us one thing and do another – to come to our holy functions and take part in worship and celebrations. Do not allow our dharma to be sold so cheaply and to be so disrespected by those who speak with fork tongue.

I also note that Tony McNulty found the time to go to Gujarat but still cannot be bothered to apologise to the people of Harrow with regard to his antics and those of his friend Mr Abhay Lakhani.

Indeed, did you know that Mr Lakhani still claims on his face book page that he is a Parliamentary Advisor on Community Issues, Member of National Council of Hindu Temples, Executive Member of Hindu Council (UK) and CoChair of Narottam Virji Lakhani Foundation.

Come come Mr McNulty, you are a man never short of words, your silence in this matter is rather deafening.

In the pipeline So what can you expect over the coming weeks to spice up this election? How much of a patriot can one be if you are also a nondorm? Terrorist groups and their influence on some faith schools – the Tories are bound to bring this up to show how the Government has slipped up. The ‘Prevent Agenda’ will certainly come up and be ready for news of how some local groups might have misused these funds for their own ends. And that age old favourite, immigration, it must be time for that to come into the debate as well.

Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

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Sanjay Dutt to star in political thriller?

Ranbir wants Deepika back in his life While Deepika Padukone admits she is totally over her ex-beau Ranbir, the same can't be said about the Kapoor lad, claims the latest buzz in town.

We hear that Ranbir, who's in US shooting for his film 'Anjaana Anjaani' with Priyanka Chopra, has been frantically sms-ing Deepika urging her to come back in his life, after he got wind of her alleged link-up with Shahid Kapoor.

Confirming the news a close friend of Dips said, “It was Ranbir who told

Deepika that the relationship was off. She took it on her chin and moved on, keeping the hurt to herself. But the minute Ranbir heard about rumours linking her to

Shahid Kapoor, he started sms-ing Deepika and their mutual friends, asking if the rumours were true.”

Though Deepika's dignity dissuades her from talking about her past, there's a distinct possibility of reconciliation.

Moreover, what makes this love triangle interesting is the fact that Shahid is now trying to renew his relationship with Priyanka Chopra that ended on a rocky note a few days before Christmas last year.

The couple has been surrounded by a series of

misunderstandings and is now making desperate attempts to rekindle past affair.

While it is not clear who broke the ice, Priyanka and Shahid, who stay in the same building Raj Classic at Yari Road, Mumbai, are frequently calling each other and sending text messages.

Shahid also messaged Priyanka congratulating her on the National Award for “Fashion.” As expected, Piggy Chops thanked him for the wishes but after some time.

SRK wants to overtake Tharoor on Twitter Shah Rukh Khan’s latest wish is to overtake politician Shashi Tharoor on micro-blogging website Twitter. The actor, who became a member of the social networking site at the behest of his friend, filmmaker Karan Johar, has managed to scoop some 169,565 followers in just 40 days.

But Tharoor, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs, is way ahead of Khan with his 661,456 followers.

"In few months I am

going to overtake Shashi Tharoor (on twitter). I am going for him. He is our

god," Khan said at a function.

Tharoor said he would be happy to be overtaken by Khan. "I had predicted this the day Shah Rukh joined twitter. I will be happy rather than regret it," the politician said.

The 44-year-old actor, who was honoured as the Entertainment Icon, said he joined the website after Johar's insistence.

"Karan told me that people are anyway abusing you so why don't you let them abuse you directly. I can says whatever I want to say. There are so many people who want to know about you," Khan said, adding that Amitabh Bachchan started the blogging phenomenon in Bollywood.

Bachchan, 67, said he initially wanted a website but was introduced to blog and started liking it. The megastar, however, said he will not join twitter.

Vivek Oberoi seeks soulmate and superhit Vivek Oberoi has many wishes – he is hoping his forthcoming film “Prince”, which is his first solo hero movie in five years, brings positive changes in his career and he also wants to meet his soulmate soon.

“I am very excited about the film because it has something that I have never done before. I am the solo hero, so it is very important for me. I hope it would give a positive turn to my career,” Vivek told reporters after the music

presents

launch of “Prince.”

Asked if he is seeing someone in real life, he said: “I am a very romantic person. I am waiting and hoping someday I will also get someone special in my life. You never know someday I may find her in a crowd like this. I hope to find someone simple, someone lovely, someone who steals my heart.”

Vivek’s last film as solo hero was 2005 movie “Kisna – The Warrior Poet”.

TRIBUTES

English Folk to Bengali Folk - The

Shreyas Talpade, Tusshar Kapoor and Kunal Khemu (who replaces Sharman Joshi) were accepting a far smaller fee and if Arshad was paid pound 423,100 the other actors would feel short-changed. ” Arshad stuck to his guns. Stories came out saying the actor, now hot at the box-office after “Ishqiya” (or so he believes) did not like the

script of “Golmaal 3.”

Says Rohit, “We were really keen to have him in the film. And yes the price has been worked out between Arshad and the producers. So he’s on. ” Strangely though Rohit confirmed Arshad’s presence in “Golmaal 3.”

Arshad was still in denial.

Said the actor, “I am not sure yet. They’ve been after me for some time now. But I’m not able to make up my mind. I need to give time to my own production ‘Hum Tum Aur Ghost.’ So I don’t know how I’ll manage the dates.”

However, sources from “Golmaal 3” insist that Arshad is in at a staggering fee (for a non-lead actor).

Way!

This year, Samyo returns to Queen Elizabeth Hall to take your breath away with a stunning new array of specially commissioned new compositions which pay tribute to a variety of eclectic themes ranging from the English Folk Songs to Bollywood!

Arshad gets £ 423,100 for ‘Golmaal 3’ Arshad Warsi has agreed to be part of “Golmaal 3” after the producers Ashtavinayak agreed to pay him a whopping pound 423,100.

After frantic negotiations the deal was finally cut last week. And yes, Arshad has finally agreed to be part of “Golmaal 3.”

His pound 423,100 fee is higher than every member of the cast barring Ajay Devgn. Even higher than Kareena Kapoor who has a 3-film deal with the producers.

Says a source, “Arshad after Ishqiya was adamant on his fee. The producers tried to convince him to take a much smaller fee arguing that his co-stars

Vivek Agnihotri, who is all set to direct political thriller “Freedom” based on the events of the last three decades, says Sanjay Dutt may play an important role in it.

“Yes, it (the cast) is more or less finalised.

While R Madhavan is already on board, talks with Sanjay Dutt are in the final stages as well,” Agnihotri said.

The film would begin from the 1975-77 Emergency and the sterilisation campaign by Sanjay Gandhi during that period. Some of the other major episodes which would be brought alive on screen are the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the Bofors scam, and other prominent scams in the last three decades.

Given the fact that the director is exploring more than half a dozen ugly episodes from the history of modern India, doesn’t he fear protests and confrontation from political parties as well as others? “What can one do, the truth can’t be erased, right?” Agnihtri asked. “And then courtesy the kind of politicians that we have been having in the country, both in the past as well as the current times, you can’t deny the relevance and topicality of the issues.

“Perhaps people have changed but not the thought process. ‘Freedom’ will be told in the format of a political thriller and I can promise to be truly honest and unbiased in my job.” Would the story be told in a chronological manner or would there be overlaps and going back and forth, as seen last in “Love Aaj Kal”? “No, ‘Freedom’ will have a linear narrative”, said Agnihotri, who had earlier attempted a non-linear narrative in his debut effort “Chocolate”.

“The beauty of the subject is that it stays as topical as ever as it starts in the 70s and takes us to the current times. Even if I had to make ‘Freedom’ in 2020, it will still retain its charm.”

Powered by Youth Music

Don’t miss this one of a kind concert, which showcases orchestral Indian music through the contemporary and vibrant young voices of modern day multicultural Britain.

Sun 7 March 2010, 7:30pm Special £8 ticket offer for Asian Voice readers! Call the Southbank Centre box office at 0844 875 0073 and quote ‘Asian Voice Offer’ now!

Hurry - there are a limited number of tickets left!

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Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

Claudia kisses Salman for publicity Police protection for Ajith?

Following an apprehension that his house would be attacked, police personnel were deployed outside Thala Ajith’s residence in Thiruvanmiyur. Reportedly, the move came after some persons, claiming to be fans of Ajith, attacked film stunt director Jaguar Thangam’s home earlier.

Earlier, the stunt director, in an interview to a Tamil magazine, criticized a remark Ajith had made at a function organized by FEFSI to felicitate Chief Minister Kalaignar Karunanithi. (In the function Ajith, who is known for his quick, diplomatic messages, made a very sincere request that cinema and politics should not be forcibly co-mingled.

The actor also requested the CM to make a public statement that members of the cine industry must not be forced to participate in demonstrations based on political or social issues. While the whole of the industry sat shocked, not knowing how to respond to Ajith’s honest words, it was Super Star Rajinikanth, who was seated beside the CM, who stood up and clapped. The rest of the industry followed suit.)

s, d n ie fr e b ’t n a c s e s s e tr Ac says Nayantara

an interNot so long ago, in evision tel lar pu po view with a s quite wa a tar yan Na l, ne an ch actress an t tha ing frank in say friends od go be m do sel can , and ies rar po tem with her con son. rea the t no is sy lou jea d, I “No matter what is sai t it tha y stl must say quite hone rohe o tw for ult fic is very dif not that It’s s. nd frie be to s ine h other we are jealous of eac envying e tim r ou nd spe d an t the tha t jus It’s each other. t. tha e lik is ry ust ind simiWe are all going after that y, usl lar goals, so obvio re. the is n itio pet sense of com it’s the But more than that, ple to time factor. For two peo nd spe to ve be friends, they ha may ike rs sta o Tw h. eac same movie, might str time with d while working in the an er n way. ow r he or his es go h act in a movie togeth ce the movie is over, eac ch. It good friendship. But on erratic we don’t have time to stay in tou so s had ha are o wh a, tar yan Our schedules Na tted the beautiful mi ad ,” relaort d eff an of ple bit a peo takes quite know how tic and otherwise, to enough liasons, roman ustry work! tionships within the ind

Srikanth pins his hopes on Drohi With his recent releases falling flat at the box office, popular Tamil-Telugu actor Srikanth, well-known in Andhra Pradesh for his roles in Okariki Okaru and Adavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule, is pinning all his hopes on his upcoming project Drohi, directed by Sudha Kongara, once an associate of Mani Ratnam, and produced by Gemini Films.

In Drohi, he plays a slum dweller. His co-stars are Vishnu, Poorna and Poonam Bajwa in important roles.

The shooting is complete and the post production works are going on. The producers are taking efforts to launch the audio by mid-March. The release date of the film is yet to be announced.

Srikanth’s other projects are Maa,

Topless German model and Big Boss contestant Claudia Ciesla was seen at a charity event in Mumbai on Sunday last week, where Salman Khan was present.

According to some press photographers Claudia walked up to Salman and kissed him.

The entire act was a publicity stunt for the media cameras to boost Claudia's falling TRPs as she has been unemployed and out of work after Big Boss.

Apparently Claudia made all the right noises and played to the gallery to attract maximum media attention. She made the most of Salman Khan's presence at the event.

Wonder what Salman Khan has to say about such publicity stunts. Both the stars were present at the launch of India’s first ever international cycling event in Mumbai. According to a press release, Claudia, who is just back from Germany went up to Salman and

congratulated him and expressed her support in the noble cause that the superstar has been endorsing. Claudia met Salman for the first time since media reports that linked her to the superstar that surfaced last year.

However, the generous Bade Dilwala superstar displayed his class and his 'bigheartedness' while greeting the German-born actress and also chatting up with her at the event.

Claudia bid farewell to the superstar by giving him a peck on his left cheek that had the superstar blushing away to glory. And Claudia went away gushing with joy at being reunited with her good old friend.

Kareena going out of her way to help Soha’s boyfriend Lady luck smiled on Kunal Khemu once again when Kareena Kapoor turned into his guiding angel in Bollywood. The '99' star who is currently dating Saif's kid sister Soha Ali Khan got a strong recommendation from Bebo and landed up in 'Golmaal 3'.

The buzz has it that Kareena told Rohit Shetty that Kunal would be an asset in his forthcoming Golmaal instalment. Confirming the news a source said, “Recently Saif, Kareena, Soha and Kunal met for dinner. Kareena and Kunal had an intense conversation about his movies and forthcoming projects.

She thinks he is a very talented actor and is just making the wrong choices with his movies. She mentioned the same to him and dis-

cussed 'Golmaal 3' with him.” “Golmaal director Rohit was hunting for the star cast and Kareena was aware of that. We hear she had a word with Rohit, who was convinced by Kareena's reasoning. The director immediately decided that Kunal should be sharing the screen space with Kareena, Ajay Devgan Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Arshad Warsi and Mithun Chakraborty,” adds the source.

Pregnancy report angers Ash, refuses to perform Aishwarya Rai is furious these days and in no mood to forget or forgive the tabloid which recently published a report of her having pregnancy problems because of stomach TB. She also backed out of performing at an award function associated with the mother company of the tabloid, for which she was being paid around pound 121,350.

Aishwarya, who seldom dances at events after her marriage, had agreed to this particular function after a lot of consideration. But the moment she came to know that the 'blacklisted' daily was involved with the function, she backed out.

The Bachchan family has been demanding apology from the tabloid. She has even sent them a stern mail asking for an apology

for publishing such baseless reports while hubby Abhishek had blasted the daily on Twitter. However the apology hasn't come yet.

Shilpa joins Twitter

Police Police (simultaneously made in Tamil and Telugu), Manavar Dhinam, Nanchil Aiyntham Thisai, Kaveri Thalaivan and Sadhurangam.

Actor Shilpa Shetty is the latest celebrity to join the micro-blogging site Twitter, which is fast becoming a favourite haunt for Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan.

The 34-year-old actor, who has her own blog, joined the networking site on Friday.

Shetty, who is also the coowner of IPL team Rajasthan Royals, used the opportunity to promote her team.

“Hello Hello i am the newest inclusion to twitterdom! In London now. IPL Jitters kicking in. Launched the new mascot ‘Moochu Singh’ too cute!! (sic),” the actor wrote.

Shetty was welcomed by filmmaker Karan Johar, an avid tweeter, who had earlier encouraged Arjun Rampal, Ranbeer Kapoor and Shah Rukh Khan to join the website.

“Ok...@theshilpashetty in the house and joins the family...give her love!!!,” Johar tweeted. Other Bollywood celebrities on twitter are Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Mallika Sherawat, Riteish Deshmukh, Preity Zinta, Lara Dutta, Shahid Kapoor and Anupam Kher.

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BollyKats Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?

Freida Pinto to play Greek priestess in new flick Indian beauty Freida Pinto is going places. After bagging a role in Woody Allen’s film, the “Slumdog Millionaire” actress is set to portray a Greek priestess in “War of the Gods.”

The film, about the Greek mythology, will be directed by Tarsem Singh and begins production in April. The story revolves

around a young warrior Theseus who leads his men into battle with the immortal Greek gods to defeat evil and the powerful elder gods of the Titans in order to save mankind, Variety online reported.

Pinto, 25, will portray Phaedra, an oracle priestess who must join Theseus, played by Henry

Cavill of The Tudors fame.

Phaedra joins Theseus to prevent the cataclysmic war from erupting.

The film will be produced by Gianni Nunnari of Hollywood Gang Prods, Mark Canton of A t m o s p h e r e Entertainment and Relativity topper Ryan Kavanaugh.

Ekta Kapoor choses Gauhar Khan as Bollywood’s new age Helen

A comedy flick with one of the leading comedy actors Paresh Raval in the act after a long time, “Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?” is produced by Kumar Mangat and Amita Pathak under the joint banner of Warner Bros. Pictures and Wide Frame Films.

Puneet and Munmun are a happily married couple living in Mumbai. Their lives take an intresting turn when a distant relative, Chachaji turns up unannounced at their doorstep from a far off village.

Ekta Kapoor has chosen Gauhar Khan as the new-age Helen to dance on the popular cabaret number “Piya tu ab to aaja” in her upcoming venture “Once Upon A Time in Mumbai”.

Based on Mumbai’s underworld in the 1970s, the film is being directed by Milan Luthria and stars Ajay Devgn in the lead role.

Raju Khan has been brought to do the choreography for what’s touted as the most expensive cabaret ever shot in Bollywood.

Gauhar danced to the beats of “Piya tu ab to aaja” so hard last week that a shard of shattered glass wounded her leg.

The director and her excited producer intend to unveil their new-age Helen and the prized recreation of the smouldering cabaret number from the 1970s at an elaborate press

Deepika loves to work with Madhur Bhandarkar

The guest overstays his welcome so much so that the exasperated couple come up with various plays to hasten his departure to hilarious results.

The leading cast of the film consists of Ajay Devgn, Paresh Rawal, Konkona Sen Sharma, Satish Kaushik, Mac Mohan, Sanjay Mishra and Akhilendra Mishra.

The film is directed by Ashwani Dheer. He has also written the story, while he shares the credit for screenplay alongwith Tushar Hiranandani and Robin Bhatt. Lyrics are by Irshad Kamil and Music by Pritam.

New Hindi movies releasing this week 1. Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?

2. Road, Movie 3. Rokkk 4. Thanks Maa 5. Hello Zindagi

Top 5 Bollywood movies for the week

No. Film 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

My Name Is Khan Toh Baat Pakki 3 Idiots Click Ishqiya

No. Last Week 1 New 2 New 3

Total weeks 2 1 9 1 4

Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone said that if given a chance she would love to work with Madhur Bhandarkar while dismissing reports that she has teamed with the director for a sequel to his film “Corporate.”

“Not that I am aware of this (that I’m working with Bhandarkar). But if he comes to me with the film and the script is interesting, I would love to work with him. He is one of the directors I would love to work with,” Deepika, 24, told reporters.

The actress, who made her Bollywood debut with Farah Khan’s “Om Shanti Om”, was in New Delhi with actor Farhan Akhtar to promote their movie “Karthik Calling Karthik.”

Asked about the unusual pairing in the movie, she said: “I don’t understand what’s the big deal about this unusual pairing. I think one should just fit the character according to the director’s wish.”

conference later this month.

Pritam Chakraborty, who has given music to the song, says he refused to do a straight remix of “Piya tu…”

“I really see no point in doing a straight-off remix specially when it’s an R D Burman track. That means the original is still fresh in the listeners’ mind. Why should I tamper with an evergreen? So what I’ve done for Milan’s cabaret is to incorporate just a bit of RD’s ‘Piya to ab to aaja’ from ‘Caravan’ and ‘Duniya mein logon ko’ from ‘Apna Desh’. The rest of the song is my original composition,” Pritam said.

Apparently when Gauhar heard the song,

she flipped out.

“Yes, they all loved the song. But I won’t do a re-mix of an R.D. Burman or any other composition,” s a i d Pritam.

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IndIA

Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

Join the movement for streamlining visa process for India Last week, I received a letter from one Mr Yusufbhai Panchbhaya.

London based India House [Indian Embassy] has amended rules for Indian visa and like Yusufbhai, many of our brethren are either in dark or in confusion, not only about the visa but also on Person of Indian Origin [PIO] and Overseas Cards and they want certain clarity on such issues.

Earlier also our readers have raised their concerns over the difficulties they face in obtaining visa for India.

To address the grievances of the readers and people of India origin, a meeting of trustees of National Congress of Gujarati Organisations [NCGO, UK] was held last week. It discussed at length on the issue. There was a complaint that India House even did not bother

to acknowledge the letters and petitions they received from leaders of some organizations.

NCGO has, therefore decided to set up a task force to study in detail the issues involved and represent the grievances to the India House and the Government of India. Mr Raj Joshi, a barrister by profession, has fortunately agreed to be coordinator of this task force and he is

Also see Page 24 for direct flight campaign engaged with this task without charging his fees.

Mr Joshi, till last year, was serving as the director in Crown Prosecution Service. In his capacity as a director, he served as legal expert for 25 long years. We are fortunate enough that we have been able to rope in such a tal-

ented and well educated person to help us.

Readers of Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice are invited to write their experience - good or bad on the visa problems and other related issues. They should send in their letters to the office address of Gujarat Samachar-Asian Voice. In a democracy, people need to be vocal as only the voice of vocal is heard. Don’t tolerate any injustice silently.

Two weeks ago on Thursday, viewers of MATV’s CB Live programme too raised their complaints and problems.

Like our readers, I appeal to them also to come forward with their views and suggestions. You can preferably write in English or Gujarati, but do write.

C.B. Patel Publisher-Editor Asian Voice-Gujarat Samachar

Karnataka cities turn violent over Taslima article

Two killed in Shimoga, Hassan also witnesses rioting Violence rocked two Karnataka cities on Monday suddenly following publication of an article, believed to be written by controversial Bangladeshi writer Ms. Taslima Nasreen. The article, opposing burqa incited violence and police action, killing two men in Shimoga, while another city – Hassan also witnessed processions, torching of vehicles and stone throwing Taslima Nasreen, the writer denied having written the article for any of

Solar rickshaw in Chandigarh to reduce pollution The cycle rickshaw is all set to propel itself into the carrier of green Chandigarh with FM announcing exemption from custom duty and also a concessional excise duty.

As part of the collective effort to make city green and pollution free the municipal corporation had already decided to promote the concept of solar rickshaws.

Joint commissioner TPS Phoolka said, 'We are have acquired 10 such rickshaws and are getting good response. We hope to get more in future.'

Bangla writer denies having penned the article

Taslima Nasreen

Karnataka print media, as she said it was an attempt to malign her.

In Shimoga violence,

eight were injured. The police were forced to impose curfew in both the cities. Karnataka home minister P V Acharya said the government has taken all possible steps to check violence from spreading in the state. "We have ensured an elaborate bandobust in all 30 districts of the state and prohibitory orders have been clamped in several sensitive districts," he said.

Bihar MLA kills self after shooting wife, daughter In a tragic incident, Bihar’s ruling JD(U) MLA Abhay Singh allegedly committed suicide after killing his wife and infant daughter last week. The police recovered the bodies with gun shot injuries from Abhay’s bedroom.

Hearing the news, Abhay’s father Narendra Singh, minister in Natish Kumar Cabinet, fell unconscious. He was rushed the Indira Gandhi Institute of Cardiology in Patna.

Abhay, a two-term MLA from Jamui, was staying in his father’s min-

isterial bungalow. Attaché, the police is yet to ascertain the circumstances that led to this shocking incident, it has been learnt that Abhay came back home at around 2 am and was in a drunken state.

His wife objected to it and the couple had a heated altercation following which he is understood to have shot her. On second thought, he also shot his six-month-old daughter before killing himself. His elder daughter survived as she was sleeping with her grandmother in an adjacent room.

9 Indians killed in Kabul blast

Continued from page 1 The bombers struck at a number of guest houses, particularly at Park Residence, rented out by the Indian embassy for its staffers and those linked to India's developmental work in Afghanistan.

A few Indians have

Taliban target Indians in Kabul, 9 killed been injured, most of whom are reported to be out of danger, India’s minister for external affairs S M Krishna said.

Arrangements are being made for their adequate and expeditious treatment, if necessary, by

evacuating them to India, he added.

The Indians, who died in the incident included embassy staffers from consulates in Herat and Kandahar, a member of a medical mission and Government officials, embassy sources said without giving their identity or breakup.

in divine light

By RAjeN VAkil

Purification of the emotional centre In previous articles, we have seen that Arjuna represents the emotional centre. Just as the sex centre works with vital energy, the emotional centre works with psychic energy. A yogi has to work to free the sex energy from excitement, and also to free the psychic energy from likes and dislikes.

We relate to life through our five senses; every moment energy from our surroundings flows into us in the form of impulses.

These impulses are received, analysed, and worked upon by the brain. The energy within us that receives these incoming impulses is psychic energy. It is akin to a member of household receiving guests at the door. This energy needs to be purified because it is tinged by likes and dislikes; the emotional centre gets attached to what it likes and rejects what it dislikes. Just as stocks in the market rise and fall, so too our attachments turn to rejections and vice versa. If a child listens to the parents and fulfils their expectations, the child’s stock rises. If and when the same child does not listen or fails to perform, the family tends to dislike every small thing that is done. Obviously, the price of the child’s stock has now fallen.

When we love someone, we equally hate that person subconsciously.

We are unaware of this because at that point in time, the love is seen and the hatred unseen. After six months of being together, love and hatred exchange places. Now, we start hating the very person we loved, and complain that he/she is not the same person anymore. Likewise, all our emotions are subject to the law of opposites and our being keeps swinging between these opposites.

Real love does not have any opposites; it can neither change to hatred, nor can it increase or decrease with likes or dislikes.

Real love cannot attach to anyone and hence, is not bound. As we purify the emotional centre, we light the lamp of real love within us.

This light falls on everyone we relate with, just like the light of a lamp falls on everyone in front of it. A lamp burns brighter as the intensity of the flame increases; as the intensity of real love increases, so does its sensitivity. This sensitivity

fills our whole being with a kind of joy and ecstasy independent of the phenomenal world. That is why perhaps Jesus said that Love is God.

dangerous crocodile.

Arjuna finds out that these crocodiles were actually five fairies (apsaras), cursed to become crocodiles. Since

In the Mahabharata, Arjuna alone had to go into an exile, leaving Draupadi and the other Pandavas in Indraprastha. He started his exile from Gangadwar, literally, door of Ganga. While bathing in the river, a snake-maiden princess (nagakanya) pulls him to her father’s palace beneath the waters.

Here, Arjuna sights the sacrificial fire he was to light up after his holy dip.

She is full of desire to embrace Arjuna. Arjuna initially declines the relationship, but she refuses to listen and Arjuna has to spend a night there. In the morning, as Arjuna was leaving, she gives him a boon that no creature of the watery worlds would ever be able to harm him.

Nagaloka, or the region of the snakes, symbolises our deep unconscious, full of passive desires waiting to become active. Snakes symbolise these desires; water represents emotions having roots in the deep unconscious.

Sighting of the sacrificial fire shows that Arjuna had brought the fire of consciousness into depths of the unconscious mind. Arjuna initially refusing the snakemaiden princess shows that he was free of excitement. His consent unravels that to be free of all desires, the most powerful desire must be fulfilled by higher yoga practices of yoganidra, i.e. entering the unconscious consciously and fulfilling our deepest desire.

Arjuna, then, goes southward and comes to a place of five temples, each located on five different lakes. All the priests have run away, leaving the area desolate, because each lake has a

Arjuna now has the boon of not being harmed by creatures of the watery world, he dives into the waters and as the crocodile get hold of him, he pulls it ashore.

Immediately the crocodile transforms back to a fairy. He does this with all the five crocodiles.

Crocodiles lurk just below the surface of water and thus depict our subconscious, which is just below the conscious. These are five potent patterns or emotions within us that are a barrier to increasing our level of consciousness.

These are novelty (desire of new sources of excitement), memory (desire for repetition of past pleasures), fantasy (desire for excitement in the future), stimulus from within, and touch or stimulus from the outside.

Any of these can seduce our energy. Being crocodiles, these are false emotions that can be transformed into something higher. Apsaras or fairies are symbols of the latent powers which manifest through the transformation of negative emotions. These powers are insight, intuition, perception, and the ability to sense and feel the divine.

To sum up, by practicing yoganidra, if we can enter our unconscious and subconscious minds, we can free our souls of the many patterns that keep it bound in captivity of the seductions and indulgences of the senses. Once this is done, we can work to transform our negativities into higher energies.

(Edited by Chintu Gandhi. Illustration by Siddharth Ramanuj.)

The author can be reached by emailing 3srb@live.com

Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

23

M F Husain given Qatar nationality Controversial Indian artist M.F. Husain is a Qatar citizen now. Last week, the gulf state offered him nationality, and his son in Mumbai said the painter has accepted it. According to reports, Husain did not apply for the nationality but it was conferred on him at the instance of the emirate's ruling family.

Spreading light in distressed women’s life Sajjan Kumar gets bail K K Joseph Jyoti Sangh, as the name suggests, spreads a new light in the life of women in trouble. Women in distress can approach this organization, which in turn help them in finding a solution.

This organization was founded by Mrudulaben Sarabhai in Ahmedabad on April 25, 1934 with the blessings of Gandhiji and was inaugurated by India’s first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to make women confident and self-supporting by encouraging and enhancing their capabilities in intellectual, mental, physical, social and vocational fields. It encourages women to stand up against social evils, be it practices or beliefs, and lead a happy and normal family and social life with respect and dignity. It empowers women to demand their rights. Over the years it has acquired a unique image as a women’s organization not only in Gujarat but at national and international level.

It motivates and encourages women of Ahmedabad city and surrounding areas to attend a series of programmes in different fields like family counselling, legal rights, vocational training and small scale business to make them confident to take a lead and live their life with dignity. It also inculcates the sprite of nationalism and secularism among people to eradicate communalism.

Jyoti Sangh has helped scores of women in finding a new meaning to life.

Sharadaben Trivedi was illiterate when she first visited the organization.

Later she received education as well as training in tailoring and leather works. She became an expert in leather works and joined the organization as a teacher. She recently retired formally from the organization but is still working.

Another beneficiary is Pratikshaben Sonalbhai Patel. She was married and after sometime, problems cropped in her life. She could no longer tolerate the harassment of her husband. She approached Jyoti Sangh. Even after the mediation of Jyoti Sangh there was patch-up with her husband. Ultimately she was forced to take divorce. Later she received training in making snacks, papad, pickles, etc. Now she is able to make enough money from this occupation and lead a normal life.

Another interesting example is Kusumben Jani. She was a resident of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh.

When life became unbearable, she boarded a train to Ahmedabad and later reached the office of Jyoti Sangh. The organisation intervened in her dispute and wrote many letters to her husband, but he did not respond.

Since

police help and finally putting up a case in the court.

School for mentally challenged The aim of this school is socialization and rehabilitation of mentally challenged young girls in society. The school equips them in personal care, home management, learning activities, art,

Kusumben was afraid of returning to Mathura, the organisation helped her settle in Ahmedabad.

Since she was good at making woollen clothes, with the help of Jyoti Sangh she was able to earn enough to lead a normal life. She is now remarried and well settled in life.

Family counselling centre This centre started functioning in 1934 and was the first of its kind in Gujarat.

Experienced counsellors deal with a variety of social and family issues like dowry, mental and physical harassment, girl child issue, alcoholism, financial problems, adjustments in joint family, adolescent problems and problems of old age. The counsellors deal in a scientific way to help the woman by counselling family members, visiting homes, taking

craft and cultural activities etc.

Vocational training centre This centre gives training in various fields to make women get work easily and be economically self-reliant. Training is given in art, craft, music, sewing, embroidery, needle and fancy work, computer, home science, leather work, machine knitting, flower making etc.

Production unit The main objective of this unit is to provide employment to needy, poor and not so well educated women. The unit prepares snacks, papad, pickles etc and sell it through Jyoti Sangh outlets. The unit takes orders and supply food during seminars, conferences and exhibitions.

Sexual health project This project is specially designed for the commercial sex workers. It is

supported by National Aids Control Organisation and technically aided by Aids Control Society and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. About 4,000 sex workers are covered under this project.

Jyoti Sangh has started another centre at Bhimjipura, Nava Wadaj, in Ahmedabad where industrial training is imparted. This centre also conducts multi-purpose women welfare schemes since 2006.

According to Dr Bharti Gandhi, president of the organization, they handle more than 60 family dispute cases every month. More than 30 per cent of the disputes are successfully settled through counselling.

Unsettled disputes are referred to the family courts. According to Dr Gandhi as per changing scenario, they have decided to open new fields for training like focusing more on computer knowledge, English language classes, internet use and vocations which offer work easily.

Even though this organization mainly caters to the needs of women, now they take up the cases of men also. On the eve of international women’s day, more organizations like Jyoti Sangh are the need of the day in India.

Women call the shots in these villages Swati Bhan

Out of the shadows of their husbands, they are the real rulers now. They might be the rulers of a few thousands but they are glad that they at least control their villages.

These are the women sarpanches of villages around Ahmedabad.

They are glad they have been democratically elected and are now able to serve the interests of the people of their villages. All of them are confident to complete their tenure of five years.

Coming from rural backgrounds they have been in awe of those who have been in power. Now when they themselves are in power, they realise the importance of being the real women in power.

Mrs Anjana Patel of Bopal says, “When election were held in our village it was a triangular contest and I did not go out of the way to convince people and cast their vote for me.”

She recalls that the people had reposed their faith in her and she had

won by a margin of little over 500 votes. “Once the results were declared, I realised that the people want their unfulfilled demands to be taken care of,’’ said Patel. She then decided to hold a meeting with the villagers and prioritise her work. With cooperation from villagers - both men and women, she says her tenure as a sarpanch has been one without much hitches. She added that the people of her village have assured her that she will see a smooth five year of her tenure. She has already completed two and a half years.

The case of Sharda Thakore of Ghuma village is however not so much of a smooth ride.

She admits that she had been elected with a majority but when it came to working with the villagers she did face some initial struggle, from especially the men folk of her village.

“Whenever I wanted some work to be done in the village and I wanted the help of the villagers some of them did resist,”

said Thakore.

She adds that it was almost two years after being in power that many people especially the men folk realised that she was working toward the welfare and development of the village and that is when they started cooperating with her and abided by her decisions.

Another success story is that of Magniben of Devpura village. With very little educational qualification, she realised that the most important decision was to bring the villagers together on the same platform and make them united.

“It was initially difficult as there were a lot of difference of opinion but we were able to draw a consensus and it was only after efforts from villagers that the village has seen changes and is on a progressive path.”

She said that she would definitely complete her tenure of five years and if need be would contest the elections again to seek a second term for the betterment of her village.

in 1984 riots case

Sajjan Kumar, former Congress MP from Delhi and one of the prime accused in the anti-sikh riots of 1984, got anticipatory bail from the Delhi High Court last week.

The court had on February 22 reserved its order on the anticipatory bail plea of Kumar and other accused Mahendra Yadav, Brahmanand Gupta, Krishan Khokhar, Balwant Khokhar, Peru and Ved Prakash, who have been chargesheeted by the CBI. A lower court had issued non-bailable warrants against 64-year-old Kumar and others after they failed to appear before it on summons. The politician had pleaded he was being harassed by the CBI after he had appeared before the investigating agency many times in the past but it had not then felt the need to arrest him.

He had reportedly gone missing since February 19,

leading to suspension of his Personal Security Officer (PSO) by the Delhi Police. The CBI had on February 23 informed the court that they could not arrest Kumar as he could not be located, prompting the judge to slam the investigating agency for "not being serious in apprehending" the Congress leader.

CBI had chargesheeted 12 people, including Kumar, on January 13 in two separate riot cases for allegedly making provocative speeches, leading to the killing of 12 persons in the violence that broke out following the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.

The probe agency had filed the chargesheets in the court after concluding its investigation into the cases registered on the recommendation of Nanavati Commission in 2005.

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Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

Join the campaign for direct flight to ahmedabad You all might have read in recent issues of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar that efforts are on to make emphatic representations in Gujarat, Delhi and also in Mumbai for restoring the London – Ahmedabad direct flight.

Make your voice heard. Passengers travelling to Ahmedabad have been facing manifold hardships.

Particularly elderly people, pregnant women and passengers with similar problems experience the hardships the most.

A fact that also needs to be taken in consideration is that the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in

Ahmedabad is technically one of the most advanced and well equipped airports in India.

If smaller and less advanced airports like Chandigarh, Cochin, Chennai etc. enjoy direct flights to London, denial of the same to Ahmedabad is a grave injustice.

We would urge all our readers and well wishers that not only should all of you join the campaign and sign the petition, but also mobilise support for it by making your family members, relatives, friends and others who need to travel to Ahmedabad and Gujarat also sign the petition and forward the same.

During the Vishwa

Sam Pitroda

Narendra Modi

Praful Patel

Gujarati Conference recently, organised by Vishwa Gujarati Samaj, Editor and Publisher of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar had made a forceful plea before the Civil Aviation Minister of

India Praful Patel, Special advisor to the Prime Minister and Chairman of the Knowledge Commission of India, Sam Pitroda and other leaders who attended the conference.

With a view to give a definite push to this just demand and convert it into a campaign, the Trustees of the NCGO have set up a task force for the purpose and Kapil Dudakia has been

appointed as the co-coordinator of the same.

Kapilbhai is an experienced man. He had previously held an important position as an Ofsted inspector in schools.

Two weeks ago on Thursday, some viewers of MATV’s CB Live Programme, presented their complaints and sought an early resumption of the direct flight. We are publishing a petition here for the purpose.

If Gujarat or Gujaratis are being ignored, we simply need not take such a treatment lying low.

C.B. Patel Publisher-Editor Asian Voice-Gujarat Samachar

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD FOR DIRECT FLIGHTS CAMPAIGN If you want a direct flight from London to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad; if you have a desire to get a permanent, easy connection with people of Gujarat, do sign and get others to sign this petition and send it to “Asian Voice” or “Gujarat Samachar” office by post or fax it to our office (no. 020 7749 4081), at the earliest.

THE CAMPAIGN to facilitate direct flights between London Heathrow and Sardar Vallabhbhai International Airport Ahmedabad, Gujarat has generated much interest amongst Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar readers.

All those wishing to add their names to the list of petitioners, which includes several prominent politicians, business people and community members are requested to complete the tear-off the form and send it to the offices of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar , 12 Hoxton Market, London N1 6HW, from where they will be forwarded to the Chief Minister

of Gujarat, Shri Narendra Modi, The Civil Aviation Minister Shri Praful Patel, Government of India and to the Chairman of Air India, Mumbai Shri Arvind Jadhav as well as to Shri Sam Pitroda, special advisor to Indian Prime Minister Shri Manmohan Singh and Chairman of the Knowledge Commission of India.

Please note : If you wish to register more than 10 names on your petition, then simply photocopy the tear-off form and add the extra names. All petitions must clearly state your full names,postal address and must be signed and dated.

REGISTER YOUR SUPPORT WE THE undersigned hereby support the direct Air India flights between London and Ahmedabad for the following reasons : q There are more Gujaratis living and travelling abroad than any other Indian community, and this figure is increasing. q About 40% of Air India passenger to the UK are Gujarati. Indeed on some flights, close to 80% to 90% are Gujarati. q India is the 2nd largest investor into United Kingdom, according to British Government figures. Many of these Indian companies are either owned, controlled, or significantly staffed by Gujaratis. q The UK is the Second Largest investor in India, and the largest cumulative investor in Gujarat. q Nearly 50% of all visas issued by British High Commission in

NAME 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

ADDRESS

India are to Gujaratis. q Currently, air passengers travelling between the UK and Gujarat are required to change planes either at Mumbai or Delhi. This inevitably leads to considerable inconvenience, delay and expense – particularly for families with young children, pregnent women, the elderly, and the increasing number of business travellers. q We believe that the introduction of direct flights will not only be of benefit to the Gujarati diaspora, but also prove commercially successfully for Air India.

Form also available online at www.abplgroup.com to download and Fax on 020 7749 4081 Email: support@abplgroup.com

SIGNATURE

DATE

25

Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

Goodies on Income Tax, FDI being simplified Pranab Mukherjee starts stimulus roll back in Budget 2010-11

In a budget that was otherwise welcomed by almost all classes, particularly business and industry, Indian finance minister Pranab Mukherjee gave unexpected relief in personal income tax rates.

But the joy was short lived, as his proposals for increasing various taxes on auto fuels led to acrimony in both houses of the parliament. Fears of price spiral going up were also expressed as petrol and diesel prices have almost gone up by Rs. 3 per litre already, since Friday midnight.

Mukherjee also initiated roll back of the finan-

cial stimulus partially, though the rate of service tax remained untouched.

He proposed more taxes on cigarettes and tobacco products, consumer goods and home appliances like refrigerators, TVs, air conditioners etc.

For the corporate sector, the surcharge on tax was lowered by 2.5%, but he raised the rate of MAT (Minimum Alternative Tax) on companines that otherwise enjoy tax exemptions. Some expectations about raising the FDI ceilings were belied, though he said the procedures for FDI are being simplified.

He also

India's Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee (C) waves as he leaves his office to present the federal budget 2010-11 in New Delhi on February 26

announced that more private entities will be given banking licences. Banks owned by the government of India will also get some more capital infusion.

Car manufacturers were quick to announce increase in prices.

While the political class is drumming up opposition to the Budget, dubbing it as highly inflationary, the ruling combine is hoping to draw public support for the measures it has taken for the salaried class as well as the farmer and industry.

Wih the real estate and banking sectors set to get a big push, the markets

have already responded positively while the general consensus from the corporate sector is that it is a balanced and responsible budget.

Keeping the focus on inclusive growth, Mukherjee announced a concessional interest of five per cent for farmers on timely payment by doubling subvention to two per cent while improving availability of credit and giving greater impetus to the food processing sector.

The allocations for social sectors have been hiked to Rs 1,37,674 crore, which constitutes 37 per cent of the total plan outlay.

Gujarat makes used vehicles more costly Mamata wants the railways Tobacco products too attract fresh dose of taxes The golden jubilee year budget in Gujarat had nothing much to cheer for the common man, while it made sale and purchase of used automobiles – two wheelers and cars alike costlier. Smokers as well as those addicted to tobacco products in other forms will also have to pay more.

Gujarat Finance minister Vajubhai Vala presented state budget a day ahead of the union budget.

All tobacco products, including bidi, cigarette and gutkha, will become dearer from April 1, 2010 in Gujarat. The state government on Thursday imposed a 5% additional tax on 15% value-added tax (VAT) currently being charged on processed tobacco and its products.

Presenting a Rs 68,705.91-crore Budget for 2010-11 in the Gujarat state assembly, state finance minister Vajubhai

Gujarat Finance Minister Vajubhai Vala presenting budget in the assembly on Thursday.

Vala said the additional tax on tobacco is being imposed as “tobacco and its products are injurious to health” and reduction in its consumption “is necessary in the interest of society”. This was Vala’s sixteenth Budget in the state assembly, the most by any finance minister in the country. Energy and petrochemicals, health, education, water supply and Sardar Sarovar

remained the focus areas with outlay of Rs 1,735 crore (increase of 87%), Rs 1,900 crore, Rs 1,900 crore, Rs 6,089 crore and Rs 3,625 crore respectively. Exempting “unmanufactured tobacco” as it is being used for “medicinal purpose”, Vala said, the additional tax on tobacco would fetch the state coffers Rs 100 crore.

The minister also sought to take advantage of

List of new trains New Duranto Express trains (non stop): Yeshwantpur (Bangalore) – Delhi (A/c, daily); Mumbai – Secundrabad (A/c, 2 days a week); Pune – Howrah (A/c, 2 days a week); Mumbai – Ernakulam (A/c, 2 days a week); Indore – Mumbai (A/c, 2 days a week); Jaipur - Mumbai (2 days a week); Chandigarh – Amritsar; ChennaiComibatore; Puri – Howrah and Howrah – Digha.

New Karmabhoomi Express trains (fully unreserved): Dharbhanga –Mumbai; Guwahati-Mumbai and New Jailpaguri-Amritsar.

New Janmabhoomi Express train (mainly targeted to serve defence personnel) between Ahmedabad – Udhampur.

Bharat Tirth trains (circuit routes to connect well known pilgrimage centres): 1 Howrah-Gaya-Agra-MathuraVrindavan-New Delhi-HaridwarVaranasi-Howrah 2 Howrah-Chennai-PuducherryMadurai-Rameswaram- KanyakumariBangalore-Mysore-Chennai-Howrah 3 Howrah-Vizag-Hyderabad-ArakuHowrah 4 Howrah-Varanasi-Jammu TawiAmritsar-HaridwarMathuraVrindavan-Allahabad-Howrah

5 6 7 8 9

10

11 12 13 14 15

Howrah-Ajmer-Udaipur-JodhpurBikaner-Jaipur-Howrah M u m b a i - P u n e -T i r u p a t i Kancheepuram-RameswaramMadurai-Kanyakumari-Pune-Mumbai Pune-Jaipur-Nathdwara-RanakpurJaipur-MathuraAgra-HaridwarAmritsar-JammuTawi-Pune P u n e - Ra t n a g i r i - G o a - B a n g a l o re Mysore-Tirupati-Pune Ahmedabad-Puri-KolkataGangasagar-VaranasiAllahabadIndore-Omkareshwar-UjjainAhmedabad Bhopal-Dwaraka-Somnath-UdaipurAjmer-JodhpurJaipur-MathuraVrindavan-Amritsar-Jammu TawiBhopal Bhopal-Tirupati-KancheepuramRameswaram-Madurai- KanyakumariThiruvananthapuram-Kochi-Bhopal Madurai-Chennai-KopargaonMantrayalam-Chennai- Madurai Madurai-Erode-Pune-Ujjain-VeravalNashik-Hyderabad- Chennai-Madurai Madurai-Chennai-Jaipur-DelhiMathura-VrindavanAllahabadVaranasi-Gaya-Chennai-Madurai Madurai-Varanasi-Gaya-Patna SahibAllahabad- Haridwar-Chandigarh-

the huge second hand car market by levying a tax of 15 per cent of original tax paid on resale of vehicles.

Expecting it would fetch Rs 30 crore, he exempted tractors, autorickshaws carrying up to three persons and vehicles used by the physically challenged from the tax category.

Vala simultaneously declared the government’s intention to slash by 2% the set-off being offered on VAT on purchase of goods going out of Gujarat.

Saying it would fetch Rs 600 crore to the coffers, the minister said, “This will not impact adversely on the people of Gujarat”.

The minister put a rider: “The reduction in set-off will happen only if the Centre doesn’t agree to pay compensation for reduction in central sales tax from four to one per cent starting with April 1, 2007”.

to move faster, wider

A new train to Bangladesh announced; no fare or freight hike The Railway budget presented by Mamata Banerjee has envisaged a huge investment in infrastructure, of US$ 9 billion, but that there is no matching increase in government funding and even borrowing by railway has been reduced.

Mamata has decided to bring down the freight rates of food grains and kerosene with a view to ease the inflation. No hike in railway fares have been proposed, while the charges for e-ticketing have been reduced nominally.

Indian railways is a 64,000 kms of network with 17,000 trains running every day. More than 18 million people travel on the trains and 2 million tonnes of goods is carried daily. Laying of new tracks has been very slow all these years, but now the railway minister has set

Kurukshtra-Amritsar-Delhi-Madurai 16 M a d u r a i - M y s o r e - G o a - M u m b a i Aurangabad-Hyderabad- Madurai New trains: Sulatanpur-Mumbai Express (weekly); Sulatanpur-Ajmer Express (weekly); Asansol - Digha Express (weekly); Howrah - Puducherry Express (weekly); Kishengunj – Ajmer Express (weekly); Kolkata - Ajmer Express (weekly); Kolkata - Anandpur Sahib Express (weekly); Una - Haridwar Link Express (three days a week); Hyderabad – Ajmer Express (2 days a week); Rajgir-Howrah Express (3 days a week); Mumbai – Shirdi Intercity Express (3 days a week); Haridwar – Mumbai CST Express (A/c – 2 days a week); Valsad – Haridwar Express ((weekly); Ajmer – Indore Link Express (daily); Nagercoil-Bangalore Express (weekly); Kanpur – Chitrakoot Express (daily); New Jalpaiguri – Chennai Express (daily); Delhi (Sarai Rohilla) Shri Ganganagar Express (3 days a week); Bhuvaneswar – Pune Express (weekly); Habibgunj – Jabalpur Intercity Express (daily); Calicut – Thriruvananthapuram Janshatabdi Express (5 days a week); Pune – Ernakulam Superfast (2 days a week); Coimbatore – Tirupati Intercity Express

targets of laying 1,000 kms of track every year.

Railways had close to 54,000 kms of tracks in 1950, which has gone up to just 64,000 kms as of 2010. It means just an average addition of less than 175 kms per annum.

Now, Mamata has ambitious growth plans, of adding 10,000 kms of tracks every year.

Among the new passenger friendly initiatives are mobile vans for e-tickets, setting up of six new water bottling plants to provide clean and safe drinking water and more academies at five centres to give boost to sports, introduction of 54 new trains, extention of routes of 21 trains and increasing frequencies of a few trains. Mumbai will get 101 new suburban trains.

She also announce a new train between Bangladesh and India.

(3 days a week); Shimoga – Mysore Intercity Express (daily); Bangalore – Tirupati Intercity Express (3 days a week); Kolhapur – Sholapur Express (daily); Jaipur – Pune Express (weekly); Ranchi – Jayanagar (3 days a week); Madurai-Tirupati Express (2 days a week); Tirupati – Secunderabad Express (2 days a week); Sambalpur-Howrah Express (weekly); Ahmedabad-Agra Express (3 days a week); Gonda – Varanasi Intercity Express (daily); Secunderabad – Munuguru Express (3 days a week); Alipurduar – Lumding Intercity Express (daily); Guwahati – Mariani Intercity Express (daily); Gandhidham – Jodhpur Express (3 days a week); Rajkot – Porbandar Express (3 days a week); Kolkata – Darbhanga Express (2 days a week); Howrah – Behrampur Express (3 days a week); Baripada – Shalimar Intercity Express (3 days a week); Kharagpur – Purulia Intercity Express (3 days a week); Gwalior – Chhindwara Express (2 days a week); Rampurhat – Sealdah Intercity Express (3 days); Howrah – Shirdi Express (weekly); Puri – Valsad Express (weekly) and Puri – Digha Express.

26

Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

SEWA’s Ela Bhatt chosen for Niwano Peace Prize Tokyo: Ela Bhatt, the founder of Ahmedabad based Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) and noted social worker has been chosen for the Niwano Peace Prize this year for her contribution to the uplift of poor women in India. Ms. Bhatt, recognised as one of the pioneers in the development of the most oppressed and poorest women of India for more than three decades, will receive the award here on May 13. The award, which recognises the significant contribution of an individual to inter-religious understanding and cooperation leading to world peace, comes with a certificate, a medal and prize money worth ¥20 million. She set up SEWA in 1972.

Roundup 300 feared dead in Uganda landslides Kampala: Up to 300 people are feared dead after heavy rain triggered landslides that swept through villages on the slopes of Mount Elgon in Uganda, officials said on Tuesday.

The chairman of the eastern Bududa district, Wilson Watira, said that mud and boulders crashed through homes and health centres overnight in the villages of Nameti, Kubewo and Nankobe.

Watira said that rescuers had recovered between 40 and 50 bodies, but that he expected the death toll to increase. 'We estimate that 300 people died,' Watira said. 'As I speak, we are trying to rescue people. All the houses are buried and it is difficult to recover all the dead bodies from the rubble because we have no excavators. 'The situation is terrible.' The minister for the northern region, David Wakikona, who rushed to the scene, said that at least 10,000 people have been displaced.

Kenya leaders try to heal rift Nairobi: Kenya's president and prime minister have met for the first time since a power struggle broke out a week ago which threatened the unity government.

They agreed to settle issues that had strained their relationship, Prime Minister Raila Odinga's spokesman said. They fell out after President Mwai Kibaki overturned a decision by the prime minister to suspend cabinet ministers over corruption allegations. The pair formed a coalition to help end riots after the 2007 election. After the talks, Mr Kibaki's office released a brief statement saying: "The consultations centred on a wide range of issues touching on the grand coalition government."

I appeal to honourable members to shun the divisive parties and politics, and focus on the greater good of our country.

Indian-origin media baron shot dead in Nepal Kathmandu: Less than a month after a controversial media magnate was gunned down in daylight in the best-protected area of the capital, a media tycoon of Indian origin was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Nepal's restive southern plains adjoining the border with India.

Arun Singhania, the 50-year-old publisher of the Nepali daily Janakpur Today, published from southern Nepal, died during the Holi revelry in the Terai on Monday evening while on his way home, police said on Tuesday. Singhania received three bullets shot from close quarters by unidentified assailants who accosted him on two motorcycles, police said.

Janakpur, southern Nepal's famous temple town renowned for its Janaki temple, remained paralysed after the Janakpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry called a shutdown to protest the murder.

The Federation of Nepalese Journalists also condemned the killing and said they would stage a protest rally in the restive town to demand the immediate arrest of the culprits.

Zimbabwe given back IMF voting rights after 7 years Harare: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has agreed to restore Zimbabwe's voting rights after a seven-year suspension for unpaid debts. But the fund said the country was still ineligible for loans until it had paid off more of the $1.3bn (£841m) it owes to creditors.

In the meantime, Zimbabwe can take part in IMF decision-making. The move recognises the country's efforts to repair its economy and improve relations with donors. There are signs that the country's economy is improving a year after former foes, President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai united in a coalition government.

The IMF said it had taken the decision to restore Zimabawe's voting rights after a request from the county's Finance Minister Tendai Biti.

US doc indicted for raping 103 children In worst child sex abuse case, the pediatrician was charged on more than 400 criminal counts Dover, Delaware: A Delaware grand jury returned a sweeping indictment last week against a pediatrician accused of serial molestation in what could be one of the worst child sex abuse cases in US history.

The 160-page indictment returned by a grand jury charges Dr Earl Bradley of Lewes with 471 counts of sexual crimes against 103 children.

Attorney General Beau Biden said all of the alleged victims, including one boy, were caught on more than 13 hours of video recordings, some dating to 1998, that were seized from Bradley’s office and home. “The charges in this indictment are unique in the history of the state of Delaware, as far as I can tell,” he said.

Israeli refuses Nobel nomination Oslo: Israeli nuclear whistle-blower Mordechai Vanunu has again asked to be removed from a list of Nobel Peace Prize nominees, the head of the Oslobased Norwegian Nobel Institute said last week.

Vanunu, a former nuclear technician who was jailed for leaking details of Israel's nuclear programme to a British newspaper in 1986, cited that he did not want to be associated with Simon Peres, a former Nobel Peace Prize laureate and current president of Israel. Vanunu was released from prison in 2004 after serving an 18year sentence for treason.

In a letter published last year he claimed that Peres "was the man who ordered my kidnapping".

Dr Earl Bradley

“These were crimes committed against the most vulnerable among us - those without voices,” Biden added as tears welled in his eyes and he paused to collect himself.

Biden said that while there have been other cases around the country involving multiple victims, “I know of no other that has this many victims.”

The charges against Bradley include rape, sexual exploitation of a child, unlawful sexual contact,

continuous sexual abuse of a child, assault and reckless endangering.

Bradley, who was arrested in December and initially charged with 29 felony counts for allegedly abusing nine children, is being held with bail set at $2.9 million.

His medical license was permanently revoked by the state Board of Medical Practice last week. Bradley’s attorney, Eugene Maurer, said he had not read the indictment but was not surprised by the allegations.

“I’m sure they have their reasons for including all these different victims in this indictment,” said Maurer, noting that under state law, a single conviction of rape would be enough to put Bradley behind bars for life.

Maurer added that the

“real battleground” in the case will be Bradley’s mental state, not what is seen on the videotapes or alleged in the indictment.

The indictment alleges Bradley was videotaping his sexual exploitation of patients as far back as December 1998. Many victims were assaulted repeatedly, some on consecutive days, according to the indictment, which alleges that one girl was raped more than a dozen times over a period that lasted more than a year.

Authorities would not say whether they think Bradley had videotaped all of his alleged assaults or whether there may be more victims. “I expect that we will add to this indictment with new charges over the coming months,” Biden said.

Massive quake in Chile kills 723 Santiago: At least 723 people have been confirmed dead in Saturday's devastating earthquake in Chile, latest media reports said.

Till Sunday, the toll stood at 708. According to reports, the President has declared a 30-day emergency in Maule and Biobio, the worst hit areas, along the west coast.

Chile has asked for international help and several foreign countries and international organisations like the EU and the UN have promised help.

Tsunami sweeps away entire towns on Chilean coast. Earlier reports said at least two million Chileans had been affected by the massive earthquake.

"The power of nature has again struck our country,"

Several big aftershocks were later felt in the south-central region, including ones measuring 6.9, 6.2 and 5.6 on the Richter scale.

According to reports, nearly 1.5 million housA resident observes the San Francisco de Curico church after it was damaged es were damaged, highways in the quake on March 1 were sliced to a spokeswoman said. pieces, bridges and buildThe mayor of ings collapsed in the 8.8 Concepcion city has said magnitude quake just food stock is running out. before dawn on Saturday Police reportedly used tear about 200 miles southwest gas and water cannons of the capital Santiago. against looters at a superThe quake hit near the market on Sunday. town of Maule, 200 miles The President has southwest of capital city of declared a “state of catasSantiago, at a depth of 22 trophe” in the country. miles underground.

Obama chooses another Indian-American Washington: In yet another appointment of IndianAmericans in the Obama administration, an eminent attorney from the community has been chosen for the US President's Advisory Committee on the Arts.

Obama has appointed eminent Indian-American attorney, Amy K Singh, as

President's Advisory Committee on the Arts for the prestigious John F Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, the White House has said.

Based in Obama's home town Chicago, Singh practises in areas of entertainment, advertising and marketing, and provides counsel to clients on event

production and promotion, television production, talent and other matters.

Before starting her own practice, she held several positions, including as general counsel/senior vice president of DDB Chicago Inc, and as an associate in the Chicago office of the firm now known as Sidley Austin

LLP. Singh was a member of the junior board of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is currently on the board of the Mikva Challenge.

She works to support the arts and youth which develops civic leadership in Chicago's high school youth, the White House added.

Gaddafi declares ‘holy war’ against Switzerland Benghazi (Libya): Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has declared a jihad against Switzerland in a worsening diplomatic row between the two countries. Gaddafi criticised a recent Swiss vote against the building of minarets and called for Muslims to boycott the country.

'If Switzerland was our neighbour we would

declare war,' Gaddafi said last week in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi at an event to mark the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammed.

'Muslims need to mobilise in all the Islamic countries of the world and refuse to allow Swiss planes to land, their ships to dock or allow Swiss products enter their countries.' Libya's rela-

tions with Switzerland soured when Gaddafi's son Hannibal was detained in a Swiss jail after he and his wife were accused of beating their servants in Geneva in July 2008.

The north African country has withdrawn billions of dollars from Swiss banks and last week began turning Europeans away from the country,

after Bern issued a blacklist banning 180 Libyans, including Gaddafi, from entering the country.

'Let us wage jihad against Switzerland, Zionism and foreign aggression,' he said. 'Any Muslim in any part of the world who works with Switzerland is an apostate, is against Mohammed, God and the Koran.'

Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

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Hafiz Saeed advocates war if India not prepared for talks Islamabad: The Amir of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, who continues to enjoy the protection of Pakistani establishment has said that Islamabad will have to “fight a war at all costs” if New Delhi is not prepared to hold talks. “India wants war... If India is not prepared to hold talks, Pakistan will have to fight a war at all costs,” Saeed said in an interview to a Pakistani news channel. Pakistan foreign secretary Salman Bashir, who was in New Delhi last week for talks with Ms Nirupama Rao, had refused to acknowledge his role as the mastermind of the Mumbai attack. He had dismissed Indian evidence against Saeed as “mere literature”.

US says no to nuclear power plant to Pak In focus.........

Washington: The US has categorically told Pakistan that it would not get any atomic power plant or civilian nuclear deal on the lines of the one signed with India.

"The United States is working closely with Pakistan to help meet its growing needs. Nuclear power is not currently part of our discussions," a senior Administration official said.

17 militants killed in military operations Peshawar: At least 17 militants were killed and a security personnel was injured in clashes between Taliban fighters and security forces in northwest Pakistan on Friday, officials said.

The skirmishes occurred in Pastawana area near the garrison city of Kohat during a joint operation by the army and paramilitary forces.

The paramilitary Frontier Corps said 17 militants were killed and a security personnel was injured in the fighting.

A cache of arms, explosives and eight suicide jackets were recovered by the troops, it said.

Under US pressure, Pakistan is waging multiple military offensives against militant hideouts in its northwest.

Its northwest tribal belt is branded by US as the most dangerous place in the world and the chief sanctuary of Osama bin Laden led al-Qaida.

Leaders of Pakistan, who have been pitching hard for a nuclear power plant, have been told about the decision recently.

The senior Administration official, preferring anonymity, said the US has also told Pakistan that there is no way that they can get a civilian nuclear deal similar to the one the Obama Administration has signed

with India.

The Indo-US civilian nuclear deal is specific to India only and there is no thinking going on in the administration to create a template for it, the official said.

Moreover, given the past experiences that the US had with Pakistan on nuclear proliferation issue and the episode of disgraced Pakistani scientist A Q Khan accused of

transferring sensitive technologies abroad, the official said both the top American lawmakers and those in the US Government have serious concerns about the safety of Pakistani nuclear weapons.

Under these circumstances, it is quite difficult to consider "that (nuclear power)" option for Pakistan, the officials pointed out.

Manmohan’s ‘successful’ Saudi visit worries Islamabad Islamabad: Indian prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's recent visit to Saudi Arabia is being seen by the Pakistani media as a deliberate attempt by New Delhi to elbow Islamabad's relationship with its long time ally Riyadh.

An editorial in one of Pakistan's leading English dailies said that Singh's visit has brought to light the shifts taking place in Saudi Arabia's relations with its south Asian neighbourhood.

The editorial in The Nation that Saudi Arabia has been a long time 'friend' of Pakistan and pointed out that Islamabad has even allowed a degree of intrusive access to this 'special ally'.

"Saudi envoys have on many occasions played critical roles in Pakistan's domestic political scene and there has been an unwritten norm that public criticism of the

confirmed or denied Gabols assertion.

Maulana Abdul Malik, a lawmaker from the tribal areas, supported Gabols stance on polygamy by reciting a verse from the Quran: "Faithful are allowed to wed twice, thrice or four times provided they can maintain justice between wives".

Rehman, also a senior leader of the PPP, referred to a recent statement by Pakistan Muslim LeagueQuaid-e-Azam (PML-Q) legislator Samina Khawer Hayat in the Punjab assembly that a Muslim man can have more than one wife without getting permission from his first wife.

Rehman expressed her concern over the silence of the Punjab and federal governments on this issue.

She said the Jamiah Al Azhar of Egypt had issued a fatwa or decree that no one is allowed to indulge

Karachi: A Pakistani court on Tuesday dismissed a petition to ban Indian movies after the country's players were snubbed in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction in Mumbai in January. The Lahore High Court ruled that the IPL's decision to ignore Pakistani players was a move by a private company. Justice Waqar Hasan, who heard the case, said he does not find any reason to ban Indian movies since it was a decision of private fran chises. A private petitioner wanted Indian movies to be banned in Pakistani cinemas after none of the 11 Pakistani players was picked in the IPL auction.

Pak snubs US, turns down request to hand over Baradar

Islamabad: The Pakistan government has turned down a US request to hand over the Taliban's second-in command Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who was recently captured in Karachi. According to insiders, during his meeting with officials of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Director Robert Mueller had urged them to extradite Baradar to the US for further interrogation. However, Mueller was told that an accused arrested in Pakistan could be repatriated to the country of his origin only if he had not comm itted any crime here. Pakistan has already made it clear that it would only hand over Baradar to Afghanistan if Kabul requests it to do so.

Taliban behead three 'US spies'

Speaker of the Saudi Shura Council Abdullah Ibrahim Al Al-Sheikh (R) welcomes Manmohan Singh in Riyadh on March 1

Kingdom was not acceptable. After all, Saudi Arabia has come to Pakistan's rescue unflinchingly in times of need and crises," the article said.

The editorial also criticised the political leadership for failing to ink an 'Agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Prisoners', which India managed to do during Dr Singh visit.

It may be noted that India has also signed an extradition treaty with the

Saudi Arabia.

"How come Pakistan has not been able to get such agreements with Saudi Arabia? We hear of Pakistanis being beheaded frequently in Saudi Arabia and often for crimes which would not carry the same punishment in Pakistan.

So/, why have we been unsuccessful in getting an agreement on the transfer of sentenced prisoners or have we simply not tried?" the editorial said.

Most MPs have more than one wife Islamabad: Polygamy very much prevalent among Pakistan law makers and more than eighty per cent of MPs have more than one wife. Pakistan Peoples Party leader and Minister of State for Ports and Shipping Nabil Gabol told the National Assembly or lower house of Parliament on Thursday that 80 per cent of its members had more than one wife.

"It should be left for the ulema (clerics) to issue a decree whether anyone can have more than one wife or not," he said in the National Assembly or the lower house of parliament last week.

Gabol was responding to a statement by former information minister Sherry Rahman, who said a man is not allowed to remarry without permission from his first wife.

Surprisingly, none of the members in the House

Court refuses to ban Indian films over IPL row

in polygamy under the prevailing circumstances.

Speaker supports 'polygamy' Pakistan’s National Assembly speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza has apparently supported 'polygamy', saying Islam is 'very much' clear about the issue.' Interacting with media persons at the Lahore Airport, Mirza said there is no two opinions on the issue. "There is no need for any comment from my side on the issue because our religion is

Dr Fehmida Mirza

very much clear on the subject" The Nation quoted Mirza, as saying.

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Miranshah (Pakistan): Taliban militants have beheaded three men including two Afghans in Pakistan's lawless northwest tribal belt, accusing them of spying for the United States, officials said last week. The headless bodies were found dumped by the roadside in the Mir Ali area of the tribal North Waziristan district, which borders Afghanistan, local police officer Muneer Zaman said.

"Their throats were cut and the bodies were dumped on the roadside," he said from the region's main town Miranshah. A note placed near the bodies said the men were beheaded because "they were US spies -- anybody found engaged in espionage will meet the same fate".

A security official confirmed the killings, saying the beheaded Afghans were refugees while the local man was an ordinary Pakistani tribesman.

One more Sikh abducted

One more Sikh has been reportedly kidnapped by Taliban in Swat Valley. The victim, Robin Singh, was kidnapped some days ago. Taliban have demanded a ransom of pound 217,942 for his release. Singh is an IT student in Mardan in Swat Valley. Earlier two Sikhs were beheaded by Taliban after their families failed to pay a ransom of pound 432,733.

Some more members of the minority community are still reported to be in the custody of the Taliban.

Pak finance minister to step down

Karachi: Pakistan’s finance minister Shaukat Tarin is to step down as he wanted to focus on private business interests. Following reports, many contenders have thrown up their hat in the ring. Two main contenders are a fund manager and a government minister, officials and a newspaper said. Shaukat Tarin, a veteran banker, successfully negotiated an International Monetary Fund loan for Pakistan in 2008.

Financial markets and aid donors will be looking for someone who can sustain reforms ahead of a tough 2010/11 budget that will have to meet terms Tarin has agreed with the IMF. Pakistan daily News reported that the two front-runners for the job appear to be a technocrat, Nasim Beg, and a lawyer-turned-politician and member of President Asif Ali Zardari's ruling party, Makhdoom Shahabuddin. Investors would prefer Beg rather than a politician become finance minister, analysts said.

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UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

This week CB Patel, Publisher/Editor of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar will talk about the different issues and problems concerning the state of Gujarat, India.

Sneh Joshi - 020 8518 5500

If you do not have a tv, go to www.tvunetworks.com and watch CB Live on TVU Player Channel 75203

Week commences 6th March 2010 ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20

To ask questions please call on: 020 8963 1001

For more information e-mail:

cblive_matv@yahoo.co.uk

Don't miss !!!

Thursday 7pm to 8pm

Only on CB Live - MATV Sky 793 - Thursday 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Meetings for students Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice, Sangat Advice Centre, and National Congress of Gujarati Organisations (UK) organising a meeting on 12th March, 12pm for students from Gujarat who have faced problems due to some unavoidable circumstances and various issues including admission in bogus colleges.

Members of the Brent Police and Home Affairs committee Chairman Rt Hon Keith Vaz will also be present to guide these students. Lunch will be served at the end of this meeting.

Venue: Sangat Advice Centre, Sancroft Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA3 7NS. Contact: 020 8427 0659

Coming Events l Holi, Saturday 6th March 1pm-4pm, Orleans House Gallery, Twickenham TW1 3DJ Contact: 020 8831 6000 l 22 gam Patidar Samaj (UK) holding Chaitra Navaratri Garba at Chalk Hill School, Wembley on Saturday 20th March 2010 from 7.30 pm till 12.00 midnight.Contact: 01933673887 l The Debt Collector- a story by Seema Anand, Saturday 6th March, St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace, Bishopgate, London EC2N 4AG, Contact: 07776 136 609 l Tributes by Samyo is on Sunday 7th March at 7.30pm at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London. Asian Voice readers receive a special discounted price of £8, which you can get by quoting “Asian Voice Offer” and calling the box office on 0844 847 9910. www.southbankcentre.co.uk / www.milapfest.com l Simply Rahat by Ustad Rahat Fri 19th March, Palace Theatre, Manchester, 7.30pm, www.manchesterpalace.org.uk Sat 20th March Royal Festival Hall – South Bank Centre, London, 7.00pm, www.southbankcentre.co.uk Sun 21st March, De Montfort Hall, Leicester, 7.00 pm, www.demontforthall.co.uk Mon 22nd March, Symphony Hall, Birmingham 7.30pm, www.thsh.co.uk l UK Charity launch- Music Concert by Sonal Shivkumar at Bhavans, London W14 9HE 14th March, 2010 at 6.30 pm, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, London W14 9HE Contact: 020 7381 3086/4608, https://www.eventelephant.com/helpsmile

Samyo pays tribute top East and West Samyo is a dazzling orchestra of young musicians, featuring a variety of Indian musical instruments, like the veena, sitar, mridangam, tabla, flute and violin. The orchestra is classical, contemporary and unique.

This year, Samyo returns to the QEH with one its most ambitious productions ever, a series of Tributes to various themes and genres. The music is all brand new and specially commissioned for Samyo, and includes tributes to: "Indian Dance" by Praveen D Rao "Bengal" by Pandit Tarun Bhattacharya "The Lake District" by Pete Moser and special arrangements paying homage to World Music and Bollywood, by Conductor Gaurav Mazumdar.

Samyo is a NYMO (National Youth Music Organisation), supported by a fund from national charity Youth Music and

together with its partners works to bring together talented young musicians at a national level, for inspirational training and advanced performance opportunities.

The orchestra was founded and is run by Milapfest.

This is your chance to hear music which combines East and West, traditional and modern, and celebrates the talent and potential of a group of fine young musicians. Be there to support this unique initiative, and a shining example of the success of music education and training in Britain!

Tributes by Samyo is on Sunday 7th March at 7.30pm at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London. Asian Voice readers receive a special discounted price of £8, which you can get by quoting “Asian Voice Offer” and calling the box office on 0844 8479910 www.southbankcentre.co. uk / www.milapfest.com

Amazing predictions

Sneh Joshi, the UK’s leading Vedic astrologer, writer and TV personality can answer questions on: Health Problems Investments Married Life

Marriage Compatibility Love Affairs Court Cases Any other problems

Call 020 8518 5500 and face your future with confidence!

Editor: CB Patel Associate Editor: Anne Hoose Deputy Editor: Rupanjana Dutta Tel: 020 7749 4098 - Email: rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com Senior News Editor: Dhiren Katwa Chief Financial Officer: Surendra Patel Tel: 020 7749 4093 Email: surendra.patel@abplgroup.com Accounts Executive: Akshay Desai Tel: 020 7749 4087 Email:accounts@abplgroup.com Advertising Managers: Alka Shah Tel: 020 7749 4002 - Mobile: 07944 151 893 Email: alka.shah@abplgroup.com Kishor Parmar Tel: 020 7749 4095 - Mobile: 07957 694 909 Email: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com Advertising Sales Executive: Nikhil Gor - Email: nikhil.gor@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4009 Media Consultant: Rovin John George Email: rovin.george@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 Business Development Managers: Urja Patel - Email: urja.patel@abplgroup.com Liji George Tel: 020 7749 4013 - Email: george@abplgroup.com Design and Layout: Harish Dahya & Ajay Kumar Tel: 020 7749 4086 Email: graphics@abplgroup.com Customer Service: Saroj Patel Tel: 020 7749 4080 - Email: support@abplgroup.com (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd. 207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad Tel: +9179 2646 Fax: +9179 6061 Chief Executive Director: Kamlesh Amin Tel: +91 922 710 4308 Email: kamleshamin123@yahoo.co.in

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Strengthen close ties of affection, sort out emotional differences and proffer the olive branch to your loved one. You often sabotage your emotional interests by keeping too much inside. However, your inner pressure builds up and manifests as irrational moods that others find hard to understand.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21

Now is the time to cultivate an easier relationship with life, get out and about, explore fresh possibilities and make new friends. Any effort to enrich your life by making changes is almost certain to work in your favour and you will be surprised how circumstances help you once you make the initial move.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 Do not kid yourself that emotional problems can always be solved by material means. This only covers the cracks and does nobody any good in the end. Be prepared to confront the issues.

If love has left you feeling rather dejected or cynical, it looks as though soon events will pull you out of this mood of despondency.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22 Try to take things in your stride rather than anticipating what might happen. Keep calm as conflict and disagreement could be sparked off by your short-sightedness. Think carefully about the implications of your actions. Intense focus is what is needed now so do not let yourself be distracted by non-essentials.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23 Mars is in its retrograde phase in your sign, promoting a new cycle that will force you to slow down and reflect on your past achievements and future goals. It is now time to take stock, consolidate and plan ahead. The art of making haste slowly should therefore be cultivated and do not allow other people to rush you.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23 The opening up of a more diverse social life is a point in favour of romantic attachments. The need to push ahead with personal interests and to assert yourself will take precedence over everything else for some time to come. The general pattern of things continues on a progressive and buoyant theme.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

Relationships are likely to widen your horizons, but exercise caution, because some opportunities won't prove quite as amazing as they first seem. Unpredictable energies continue to influence your health sector, bringing erratic highs and lows.

Anything or anyone that drains your time should be reassessed. Find time for relaxation.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22 You will be pleased to see that your social life livens up during this week. It is as if a lucky twist of events and something unexpected that will provide you with a key to your heart's desire.

There is a definite expansive trend where money is concerned, so do not be surprised if this turns out be a time of and lucky breaks.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21 It is essential that you adopt a very open attitude now for this is a time of lucky opportunity and a chance to greatly enrich your working life and at home. New windows on the world are about to open and this will have a maturing effect on you.

There is a rather secretive aura surrounding new romance.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20 Financial affairs maybe a problem to contend with in regard to a joint venture. If you feel that something has been hanging in the balance, whatever happens you will get a clearer picture of the situation eventually. Allow matters to ride as impatience will not give you the whole picture.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19 Your attention turns to money and finance this week. You are satisfied with your love life, but now you’ve got to get busy making cash.

With three planets in your financial sector, there is no reason why you should not get there. Good period for communications and meeting influential people.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20 Your inborn drive to push ahead receives an added impetus during this week. Your energy levels will be high and you will find much scope for taking fresh initiatives and getting fast results - something that always makes you feel good.

Your communications are well lit up but do not upset people around you.

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Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

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58 Wear down 59 Gun lobby letters

Across 1 Profundity 6 Erect 11 VW Predecessors?

14 Dumbstruck 15 Former defense secretary Les 15 Old croee 17 Lunch combo 20 Half of D 21 Mob melees 22 plumps (for) 23 Footwear combo 27 Lbs. and kgs 28 Potato style

60 Baonesbreaking combo 64 Big __, CA 65 Art house film 66 Napped leather 67 Bit of binary code 68 “The Highwayman” poet 69 Dashing Flynn Down 1 Harrow parts 2 Son of Cain 3 Sao __, Brazil 4 County div., often 5 San Simeon castle

Solution of Crossword-76

SPELLATHON - 77 Today’s Ratings: 02-average |03-good | 04-outstanding

How many words of four or more letters can you make from the letters shown in today’s puzzle? In making a word, each letter may be used once only.

Each word must contain the central letter. There H should be at least one I O seven-letter word. Plurals, D foreign words and proper names are not allowed.

N M British English Dictionary I is used as reference.

Solution of Spellathon - 76 kite, knit, rink, sink, sinker, skein, skier, skin, skirt, skit, stink, STINKER, strike, tinker, trek

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3 20 12

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Solution of sudoku-76 HOW TO PLAY Each row, column and square 3x3 box is a sub-grid of 9 cells. Fill in the grid so that each subgrid contains the digits 1 to 9. Every puzzle has one solution.

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later in the year to Henry’s disappointment she gave birth to the future Queen Elizabeth I. Failure to produce a boy and an accusation of adultery (though evidence not clear) led to her execution in 1536.

While all this was happening, Henry had set her eye on Jane Seymour, a lady-inwaiting to Anne Boleyn, so, after Anne’s execution he married Jane, but she died shortly after giving birth to a son (future Edward VI) in 1537. Henry remembered Jane Seymour as his ‘only true wife’ as

from a dynastic viewpoint she had achieved all that has been expected of her.

Although Henry married three more times, there were no children.

Henry’s next marriage to the German (Protestant) Princess Anne of Cleves (1540) was an arranged diplomatic match as a means of securing alliance with the German Protestant rulers.

However, king found her unattractive and the marriage was annulled in the same year.

Henry’s marital misfortune continued when he wed (1540) the youthful but unfaithful Catherine

Howard whose disloyalty brought about her execution. Finally Henry found more solace with his sixth and last wife Catherine Parr, a twice-widowed but childless woman, whom he married in 1543. By now in his middle age, Henry was overweight, irritable, and chronically ill – a shadow of his former self, but Catherine, a sensible and devoted lady looked after him and his three children (Edward, Mary, and Elizabeth). Henry died in 1547 and was buried alongside his ‘true wife’ Jane Seymour in St. George’s chapel at Windsor Castle.

He was succeeded by his sickly son Edward VI in 1547 at the age of nine who survived another six years and died (unmarried) at the tender age of 15 in 1553. Of Henry’s six wives only Anne of Cleves and Catherine Parr survived him. The latter remarried shortly after Henry’s death.

Henry was well-educated, well read in Latin, a man of cultural tastes and a great patron of arts, education, and architecture.

He achieved many things such as strengthening the navy during his almost four decades of reign, but in public memory, he is more remembered as a despotic and much-married monarch than for anything else. The fate of his six wives is commemorated in a simple verse : Divorced, beheaded, died.

Divorced, beheaded, survived.

And finally, you can discover more about life and times of Henry VIII with a visit to a sumptuously decorated Hampton Court Palace (pictured) in Surrey. Situated on the river Thames, it was Henry’s residence for many years and serves as his pre-eminent memorial.

WHATZIT? - 77 Find the familiar phrase, saying or name in this arrangement of letters.

A golf gall..

1

1

C O U R A S N E P R A I S L G O E E S E N T B T E A S I N R O D E H F L A A T T E R I V E A N O D T I P O A N A P P G L E

The six wives of Henry

Henry VIII (1491-1547) is the most famous, controversial, and instantly recognisable monarch (1509-47) of England. The second son of Henry VII (Tudor dynasty), Henry became heir to the throne on the death of his elder brother Arthur in 1502, to whose widow Catherine of Aragon (daughter of king of Spain), he married in 1509. He is best known of English monarchs largely because of his six wives.

This unrivalled record was partly due to his character and partly due to a complex chain of events and dynastic requirements such as the need for producing a male heir.

Henry’s first wife Catherine had a surviving daughter Mary, but had failed to produce a male heir. Henry was convinced that his marriage with his brother’s widow was unlawful (and to make things more complicated, his mistress Anne Boleyn was pregnant), so he appealed to the Pope in Rome to grant an annulment of his marriage so as to marry Anne, but the Pope said no. Frustrated by this, Henry requested his newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer to annul (declare invalid) his marriage to Catherine. He also broke his ties with the Pope (Roman Catholic Church), created the Church of England and made himself its Head.

After divorcing Catherine, Henry married Anne Boleyn in 1533 and

Solution of 76 :

5 2

A L L R D A L E J U S T R O I L E R Y A D E E T E E C G S A A U T F L R E L G A Z A E S E N E T T R A S

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By Dr Anil Mehta

MINDBENDER - 77

4 6

E L L

L O B H E Y P R E D R S

Sudoku-77

5

55

48

58

7

54

41

47

57

4

30

44

49

9

29 37

46

56

13

16

18

20

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builder 6 Hazardous gas 7 Varied: abbr.

8 None for me, thanks 9 Immoral deed 10 Finish 11 In good order 12 Diplomat’s talent 13 Cries of distaste 18 Long and Vardalos 19 Stir-fry pans 24 Pitcher 25 Fail to mention 26 Vocalist Vikki 29 CEO part 30 Work station 31 Concerning 32 Mix 33 New state name 34 Yar in Juarez 35 D.C. summer setting 36 Compass dir.

39 For men only 40 Writer Quindlen 41 Title for M. Cluseau 46 Anti-Red grp.

47 Byrnes and Hall 50 Prepared for action 51 Golfer Palmer 52 Prtuberances 53 Tube tyre 54 Set of beliefs 55 Stand for somthing?

56 __buco 57 Bowl over 61 Reunion group 62 Winter ATV, __Cat 63 Lord’s Prayer starter

pass

Solution of - 76 :

KAKURO - 77

The numbers in the pink squares refer to the sums of the digits that you must fill into the empty spaces directly below or to the right of the pink square containing the number. For instance, in the given example, the Solution of KAKURO - 76 2 boxes below 12 must contain 2 digits that add upto 12, whereas for 20, the 3 boxes places horizontally next to it must add upto 20. No zeroes are used here, only the digits one through nine.

Note: A digit cannot appear more than once in any particular digit combination. For instance in the example, we cannot have the combination of 8+4+8 for 20.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth

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HEALTH WATCH

Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

Good nutrition key in fighting flu and cold virus Urja Patel vegetrition.com It really doesn’t matter what profession you are in when it comes to suffering from the ill effects of flu or a cold. One fact remains - providing your body with good nutrition is essential for resisting and recovering from a cold and will help get you back on your feet faster.

The common cold and flu (influenza) are very common infections of the upper respiratory tract (nose, throat, ears and sinuses). Colds and flu are caused by viruses.

The infections are contagious, passed on by tiny droplets and hand contact. There are hundreds of different types of virus that can cause a cold, which explains why children get repeated colds.

The flu virus is constantly changing its structure, so new strains appear each year. There are three major types: A (often the cause of flu epidemics), B and C. The flu virus is constantly changing its structure, so new strains appear each year and as we don't have immunity to the new strains we can catch flu repeatedly.

A cold causes a stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, cough, mild fever and tiredness, lasting two to four days. Flu, on the other hand, is more severe with a high fever (usually 39ºC or above), chills, headache, intense muscle pains, exhaustion, loss of appetite, cough and sometimes a blocked nose and sore throat. It may last a week or more, and possible complications include pneumonia.

Here are a few suggestions on how you can help your body overcome the symptoms and help get you back on your feet: Fluids. Drink plenty of fluids to flush toxic byproducts out of the body as quickly and efficiently as possible. The ideal liquids are water and fresh fruit juice. Drink some hot fluids as this will warm your throat and have a mild decongestant effect, which helps relieve nasal stuffiness.

Taking herbal drink such as ginger tea is doubly helpful because of their heating effect as well as the antiviral effect. Avoid drinks that have diuretic

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(fluid-eliminating) properties, such as tea and coffee.

Avoid milk and other dairy products. At least one study has shown that a compound in milk triggers the release of histamine, a chemical that contributes to runny nose and nasal congestion which can make chest, sinus, and nasal congestion worse.

Avoid alcoholic drinks.

Avoiding alcohol during this period is important as these are dehydrating and will therefore deplete the body of vitamin C, and puts extra strain on the liver, which has to work extra hard to detoxify the body during illness.

Balanced Diet. If your appetite is reduced don't feel obliged to eat, as long as you drink plenty.

Foods should be as light and easily digestible as possible, with a strong emphasis on vegetable soups, broths and salads.

Avoid high-fat, indigestible foods such as cheese and pastries.

Supplements. Although a good balanced diet generally provides the body with all the vitamins and minerals needed for it to stay healthy fighting the cold and flu will inevitably take its toll.

Take supplements as needed to ensure you are receiving the recommended dietary allowances for vitamin A, the vitamin B complex (vitamins Bl, B2, Bs, B6, folic acid), and vitamin C, as well as the minerals zinc and copper. A multivitamin will be helpful as it will prevent any deficiencies from occuring.

Grapefruit. Grapefruit is a great food for fighting a cold. It is high in vitamin C. It also helps detoxify the liver. The liver is your front line to the immune system, and when immunity is impaired, you need something that’s alkaline and not acidic to detoxify it. If you have been prescribed medications such as cholesterol lowering drugs, psychiatric medications, antihistamines, etc, please consult your doctor or pharmacist to make sure that it is ok to take grape fruit.

Vitamin C. In studies that showed benefits of vitamin C, the participants took at least 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C a day from the first time

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symptoms of cold appeared until the cold completely cleared up.

Proponents of Vitamin C recommends a dose of 5,000 milligrams or more a day. One of the major problems when you use this mega vitamin doses is that you may suffer from diarrhea.

To avoid diarrhea, use calcium ascorbate powder. Calcium ascorbate is the form of vitamin C that's least irritating to the digestive tract and least likely to cause diarrhea. Commercially, it is available as Ester C. Take 1 teaspoon, mixed in juice, four times a day.

Anyone who suffers from kidney stones should avoid using vitamin C supplements for extended periods. Most kidney stones are made of calcium salts, but anyone who suffers from rarer oxalic acid-type kidney stones should be extremely cautious in their use of vitamin C. Zinc. If your diet is deficient in zinc, your body could be low in neutrophils, and you're susceptible contract all types of infections, including colds and cold sores. In a research study to test the effectiveness of zinc lozenges in treating cold, the researchers found that cold-infected volunteers who schewed on a 23-milligram zinc gluconate lozenge every 2 hours had significantly shorter colds than coldinfected volunteers who sucked on a placebo.

Other research has shown that lozenges made only with either zinc gluconate-glycine or zinc acetate shorten the duration of cold symptoms.

Mushrooms: Incorporate more mushrooms into your diet. Oriental mushrooms such as shiitake, maitake, and reishi contain compounds that bolster your immune system.

So by eating these types of mushrooms, you're better able to fight off a cold.

Spicy Food. Any food

Extracts of bitter melon 'can block breast cancer'

spicy enough to make your eyes watery will have the same effect on your nose, promoting drainage. If you feel like eating, a hot, spicy choice will help your body fight your cold. Break up congestion with a bowl of chili or other spicy foods containing horseradish, hot pepper sauce, hot mustard or curry. Hot Mexican or Indian foods are good congestion busters.

Avoid sweets.

Neutrophils are a special type of white blood cell that engulf and destroy cold viruses and other foreign invaders.

Neutrophils become lethargic when you eat sweets. So, it is a good idea to stay away from sweets when you have cold as well as as a preventive strategy during the cold season.

Vitamin A. Vitamin A is a nutrient vital to the mucous membranes throughout the respiratory system during a cold or flu. It can be taken in the form of beta carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, in higher dosages.

Steam inhalation. To clear up nasal congestion, use steam inhalation adding eucalyptus oil to the water.

Bed rest. Getting plenty of rest during this period is vital. During sleep, your body's immune system goes into high gear to protect you from illness.

Lack of sleep can reduce immune functioning making you susceptible to sickness.

Vegetrition is a Berkshire based nutritional consultancy specialising in vegetarian and vegan nutrition therapy and advice.

'Milk drops' can treat allergies Just put a few drops of milk protein under the tongue and it will help the child overcome allergic to milk.

The approach, known as SLIT (sublingual immune therapy), involves giving children small but increasingly higher doses of the food they are allergic to until their immune systems learn to tolerate the food without triggering allergic reactions or symptoms.

Previous research from Hopkins Children’s Centre showed that a similar approach known as

HEALTH WATCH IN BRIEF

oral immunotherapy (consuming milk directly) can successfully treat children with milk allergies.

The current study suggests that both approaches could be effective in treating milk allergies in most patients, authors say, but that oral immunotherapy appears to be slightly more effective than SLIT. Researchers caution that both therapies can lead to violent allergic reactions in some patients and should be always done under a doctor’s supervision.

Extracts of a fruit grown on tropical vines appears to have breast cancer blocking powers, say researchers.

Scientists found key ingredients of the green and knobbly bitter melon fruit interfered with chemical pathways involved in cancer growth.

It turned off signals telling the breast cancer cells to divide and switched on signals encouraging them to commit suicide.

Experts told Cancer Research journal more trials were needed.

Although promising as an anti-cancer agent, trials in animals and then humans are still needed, study co-author Dr Rajesh Agarwal from the University of Colorado, US, said.

And there is no proof that eating lots of bitter melon would offer any cancer protection, he said.

Bitter melon, sometimes called bitter gourd or wild cucumber, is grown in Asia, Africa and South America.

Its extract has been used for many years in folk medicines as a remedy for diabetes and infections.

The latest findings suggest it may have a role in cancer prevention.

The researchers hope, ultimately, the extract could be used as a dietary supplement for breast cancer patients to

stop disease recurrence.

Dr Agarwal said: "Breast cancer is a major killer among women around the world, and in that perspective, results from this study are quite significant. This study may provide us with one more agent as an extract that could be used against breast cancer if additional studies hold true."

Jessica Harris of Cancer Research UK said: "Many plant chemicals can kill cancer cells in the lab but very few end up as useful cancer drugs. It will take a lot more work and trials in people before we know if this extract could benefit cancer patients or about any unwanted side effects. Many cancer treatments have been developed from plant chemicals, but only after years of thorough research. The most up-to-date, reliable evidence shows that drinking less alcohol, being physically active and keeping a healthy weight can reduce the risk of breast cancer."

Red wine component pill successful during heart attacks Researchers seeking a more reliable alternative than aspirin for heart attacks may have found it in a red wine molecule called resveratrol.

University of Connecticut (U-C) researchers induced heart attacks in animals and found that resveratrol significantly reduces damage to heart muscle.

Scarring and fibrosis were limited and the animals survived an otherwise mortal event.

Dipak Das, professor at the U-C Cardiovascular Research Centre, Farmington, says that resveratrol provokes a “pre-conditioning effect” whereby antioxidant defenses in the heart are switched on prior to a heart attack. This limits damage to heart muscle.

Das says that resveratrol’s preconditioning effect is “the best yet devised method of cardioprotection.”

The dosage of resveratrol is critical in producing the

pre-conditioning effect.

Das found the human equivalent dosage of 175-350 milligrams reduced damage to the heart during a heart attack.

Since resveratrol also thins the blood and inhibits clots that form in coronary arteries in a similar fashion to aspirin, and exhibits other beneficial properties, such as anti-adhesion factors that inhibit plaque from sticking to artery walls, it may be superior to aspirin.

The optimal health benefit derived from red wine is achieved at a consumption level of three to five glasses, which would be considerably more expensive than a resveratrol pill, and certainly pose the problem of inebriation.

Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

www.abplgroup.com

He did in style. Only the little master has mastered the art and that fact was on display in full bloom on Wednesday, at Gwalior in India.

Yes, Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman in the cricket history to score a double century in One day internationals.

That he achieved the feat at the ripe age of 37 years makes it all the more praiseworthy. Further, he batted through the entire 50 overs of the Indian innings and remained unbeaten.

Sachin, reacting to the flood of congratulatory sentiments, dedicated his achievement to all Indians, cricket fans who have supported him through his career.

He also said he would like an Indian batsman to break this record in future.

Saeed Answar of Pakistan and Charles Coventry of Zimbabwe shared the previous highest record of ODI score that was 194 runs.

At the captain Roop Singh Stadium, Sachin’s inning was like a work of an artist. There was no brutal force, and yet typical Sachin authority was stamped all over the innings. So mesmerizing was his show that even as his partner, skipper Dhoni rained fours and sixes in a cavalier fashion and faster than Sachin, spectators and cricket lovers were less interested in that, they were all anxious to see their beloved artist touch the 200 barrier. The little master was tired and exhausted, yet determined to play on. His previous best was 186 not out, against New Zealand at Hyderabad in 1999.

Sachin’s guts are reflected in the fact that in India’s score of 401 runs, Sachin always maintained a ratio of more than 50 per cent at every 50 run stage, except the last stage of 351 to 401. Of the Indian score of 350, Sachin had 196, while finally, in

31

Indian total of 401, the little master had 200 not out – this shows that while Dhoni did the most of the scoring, Sachin’s share was just 4 runs in the last 51 runs.

In this world record batting effort, he played 147 deliveries for his unbeaten 200. He dispatched the ball 25 times across the ropes, while slammed 3 sixes.

Gwalior also seems to have a special place in Sachin’s destiny – his previous two performances also had been match winners for India, with one of them being a century.

It is no surprise that greats of the game – Imran Khan, Naseer Khan and even critics like Peter Reebok have showered praise on the little master.

In his ODI career, the little master has played 442 games till Gwalior match, having batted in 431 innings.

His total runs are 17598, at a strike rate of 86.26 and an average of 45.21 runs. He has remained unbeaten 41 times; has scored 46 centuries and 93 half centuries.

Modi, IPL team owners Hockey World Cup: Schedule (Pool A) bugging England players Matches Date Time Teams PCA director Ian Smith terms the move as crazy Even though IPL commissioner Lalit Modi had earlier claimed that heavens will not fall if international cricketers do not play in the IPL, the tournament boss and IPL team owners are bugging England players as if they are crazy, PCA director of legal affairs Ian Smith has said.

P r o f e s s i o n a l Cricketers Association (PCA) directors the aim of Modi and others is to seek

India beat Pakistan 4-1

India opened their Hockey World Cup campaign with a dashing win against arch rivals Pakistan on Sunday in New Delhi. India beat the neighbours by 4 – 1.

India converted two penalty corners, while Pakistan could convert just one. Sandeep Singh scored twice, while Shivendra and Prabhjot scored one goals each.

commitment from players of their participation in the lucrative tournament that is about to kick off in India after a week. At the same time, the foreign players are reluctant to let go the big money that is at stake, but are equally scared of the security situation.

Smith described the security situation in India as better then a few weeks ago, yet he says some concerns still remain.

Smith said the firm handling IPL's security was up to mark but the players' bodies were looking for assurances from the government of India.

England beat SA 6-4 in Hockey World Cup Second win after they defeated OZ on Saturday Beating South Africa on Tuesday in their second game of the World Cup Hockey tournament in New Delhi, England kept up the momentum that they generated from their first encounter against Australia on the first day of the tourney.

At the Major Dhyan Chand National

Stadium, European champions defeated the Proteas 6 – 4, with Richard Mantell (2 goals), Robert Moore, Ashley Jackson, Nick Catlin and Iain Mackay scoring 3 goals each on either side of the break, while Marvin Harper (2 goals), Lloyd NorrisJones and Thornton

Mcdade hit the board for South Africa, getting through twice in each halfs.

England have now earned 6 points from their two matches. They will play Pakistan while South Africa will take on the mighty Australians in their next pool matches on Thursday.

Indian women seal ODI series against England 3 – 2 Indian women lost the final ODI game against the visiting England team at Mumbai after they had already pocketed the series.

On Monday, England won, thanks mainly to their late order batting by Danielle Wyatt.

She notched up unbeaten 25 off 26 balls, as the visi-

tors sealed the match with just one ball left.

For India, Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur scored fine half centuries, helping India post a challenging 206 runs, but first Heather Knight and later Wyatt defied the home team attack to lead the team to victory.

Earlier, India won the 3rd and the 4th ODIs at Vishakhapatnam convincingly. On Friday, 26th February, England managed only 152 runs, losing 9 wickets. India replied with 156 for five, winning the game with 5.2 overs left.

On Wednesday at the same venue, England could man-

age only 130 runs and did not last the full 50 overs.

India sealed the series with a thumping 7 wicket victory and 9.1 overs to spare. {Brief scores: 5th ODI - England 210 for 8 (Knight 49, Wyatt 25*) beat India 206 for 9 (Kaur 84, Raj 50, Shaw 3-34) by 2 wickets}

5 March 5 March 5 March 7 March 7 March 7 March 9 March 9 March 9 March

16:35 18:35 20:35 16:35 18:35 20:35 16:35 18:35 20:35

South Korea Netherlands Germany South Korea New Zealand Germany Germany Netherlands Canada

v v v v v v v v v

New Zealand Canada Argentina Canada Argentina Netherlands New Zealand South Korea Argentina

Matches 4 March 4 March 4 March 6 March 6 March 6 March 8 March 8 March 8 March

(Pool B) 16:35 South Africa 18:35 England 20:35 India 16:35 Australia 18:35 South Africa 20:35 India 16:35 Spain 18:35 Australia 20:35 India

v v v v v v v v v

Australia Pakistan Spain Spain Pakistan England England Pakistan South Africa

11th12th Position 11 March 15:35 POOL A 6th v POOL B 6th 9th10th Position 12 March 15:35 POOL A 5th v POOL B 5th 7th8th Position 12 March 18:05 POOL A 4th v POOL B 4t 5th6th Position 12 March 20:35 POOL A 3rd v POOL B 3rd Knockout Stage Semi-finals 11 March 18:05 Winners of Pool A v Runner Up of Pool B 11 March 20:35 Winners of Pool B v Runner Up of Pool A Third place play-off 13 March 16.05 Loser Semi-final 1 v Loser Semi-final 2 Final 13 March 20.35 Winner Semi-final 1 v Winners Semi-final 2

English Premier League Matches Saturday, 6 March Arsenal v/s Burnley West Ham v/s Bolton Wolverhampton v/s Man Utd Sunday, 7 March Everton v/s Hull Monday, 8 March Wigan v/s Liverpool Tuesday, 9 March Portsmouth v/s Birmingham Sunderland v/s Bolton Wednesday, 10 March Burnley v/s Stoke

Emirates Stadium 15:00 Boleyn Ground 15:00 Molineux 17:30 Goodison Park

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D W Stadium

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Fratton Park 19:45 Stadium of Light 19:45 Turf Moor

19:45

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Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010

McCullum, Southee shine in NZ win OZ settle for a 1 – 1 in the 2 game T20 series

A breezy knock of 116 unbeaten, the second highest in a T20 international by Brendon McCullum helped hosts New Zealand at Christchurch on Sunday to post a challenging 214 runs. Michael Clarke and Cameron White responded with as much aggression as Australia also ended up scoring 214 runs. With the scores tied; the match went into a Super Over and New Zealand ultimately won the match, squared the 2 game T20 series 1 – 1.

Tim Southee was on the mark, yielding just six runs to Cameron White, David Warner and Brad Haddin, while Shaun Tait perhaps bowled as if he was starting an ODI inning. He wasted the first two deliveries as wides, while Martin Guptill sent the ball to the boundry as he faced the third legimate ball, bringing victory to the home team.

Just two days ago, New Zealand just managed to bat for the full 20 overs, but were all out for 118 runs on the last ball of their innings. 119 was not much of a challenge for the Australians. David Hussey scored 46 and the visitors reached their target with 4

Nathan McCullum congratulates his brother Brendon at Christchurch on February 28

overs to spare, beating the home team by 6 wickets at Wellington on Friday.

Sunday though was a different day, and McCullum proved it. His whirlwind batting in a 56 ball essay had the home crowd rocking. Clarke and White went about the job in style, with White being the most aggressive, hitting 64 off just 26 balls. It became the edge of the seat drama, as 3 runs were required of the last ball, but Clarke was run out after they ran 2 runs.

White survived a runout and found two boundaries and a six down the ground off Jacob Oram to cut the margin to 12. In Southee's final over the bowler showed the maturi-

ty of a 30-year-old, not a boy who is 21, by delivering more pin-point yorkers to keep his side in the game.

Despite the flurry of absorbing action at the end, it was McCullum's fireworks over the first half of the match that were the highlight. He showered boundaries around the tiny stadium and the change in attitude left the Australians, who had rested Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson, wondering if there was any way to stop the run avalanche.

They were able to slow it a couple of times, but McCullum carried his team through the loss of six wickets and achieved the side's highest total.

His hundred came up

in 50 balls, equalling the record of Chris Gayle, the only other century-maker in this format. Nathan McCullum joined his brother at the end, getting 14 in a 50-run stand in 3.2 overs.

McCullum proved he wouldn't be intimidated by Australia's quick bowlers when he charged the third ball of the day from Tait and bashed him for four through cover. There were 10 runs from the eventful over, which also contained the ugly bowled of the outclassed Peter Ingram for 0 and Tait sending a finger signal to McCullum.

The Australian newball bowlers couldn't match Friday's performance as they gave up 42 in the first four overs.

This was the first defeat for the Australians in the entire summer after they completed the home series against Pakistan and West Indies without losing a single game. {Brief scores: 2nd T20 – NZ beat OZ after Super Over; match tied in regulation time. NZ 214 for 6 (McCullum 116*) OZ 214 for 4 (Clarke 67, White 64*). 1st T20 - OZ 119 for 4 (Hussey 46) beat NZ 118 (Franklin 43, Johnson 3-19) by 6 wickets.}

Tamim shines as B’desh beaten

England win 1st ODI in Mirpur Even as Tamim Iqbal scored a fine century, he didn’t find enough support from the other end on Sunday. England beat the home team in the first ODI with 6 wickets as Paul Collingwood and Alastair Cook easily achieved the target.

For the Bangladesh batsman, it was his third ODI ton. He reached the three figure mark in 94 balls and went on to score 125. But apart from his effort, the home team almost gifted away too many wickets and later quite a few runs too. On the other hand, England were pretty tidy, though they also had their share of problems in the match.

Tamim did get a life, but he also had the England attack under some pressure. He displayed good maturity, while his strokeplay was fairly spread all over the ground. He reached the ton with a six and a four off Kevin Pietersen, receiving a huge applause from a passionate crowd.

For England, debutant Craig Kieswetter was in focus, but Cook sounded the warning of his good comeback with a fine touch.

After the departure of Kieswetter, Pietersen and Cook, Collingwood played the anchor. He notched up his 50 from 64 balls.

Tamim Iqbal launches handsomely down the ground at Mirpur on February 28

Tamim did not find much support. After an opening stand of 63 they slipped to 82 for 3.

England turned the screw further with two wickets from successive balls in the 29th over when Mushfiqur attempted a suicidal single to cover and Mahmudullah clipped his first ball to midwicket. Naeem at least showed some composure in a seventh-wicket stand of 63, but when he drove Luke Wright's first delivery to cover the innings folded with 26 balls unused. {Brief scores: England 229 for 4 (Collingwood 75*, Cook 64) beat B’desh 228 (Tamim 125, Swann 3-32) by 6 wickets}.

South Africa beat India in the last ODI India take the series 2 – 1; Sachin ‘Man of the Series’ South Africa started the tour of India with a bang, and ended with a consolation win in the third and final ODI at Ahmedabad on Saturday, having already lost the 3 match series on Wednesday at Gwalior.

They ended it 2 – 1. In Gwalior, Sachin Tendulkar set up a new record, of scoring the first ever double century in One Day Internationals.

With his tremendous batting and whirlwind contributions from Dhoni and Karthik, India put up a 402 runs target for the visitors and beat them comprehensively by 153 runs.

A century by de Villiers also was not good enough for the Proteas.

But de Villiers and Jacques, their captain scored tons in

Ahmedabad in the last encounter and posted a very stiff target of 366 runs for India. The home team, having rested most of their frontline batsmen, could not even play their full quota of 50 overs, as they ended up at 275 runs and lost by 90 runs.

For the visitors, 365 was their highest against India, and though the home team did pile up 401 runs in just the previous game, in Ahmedabad, 366 proved a bit too much.

AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis hit contrasting centuries. They went on to build on the platform laid by the openers Amla and Bosman. It was de Villiers who played the most aggressive knock of the innings and it showcased his skill

India celebrate their 2-1 series win at Ahmedabad on February 27

in picking gaps.

While de Villiers indulged himself right from the start, it was Kallis who provided the necessary glue to hold the innings together. It was a typical Kallis innings; he had reached his fifty from

68 balls with just one boundary.

Earlier, it was Amla and Bosman that set up South Africa for the big total.

India realised that pace, especially considering their inexperienced

seamers, was not the way to go on this track and relied on the slow bowlers. But the inexperience of the attack proved too costly in the end.

As India set out to chase, they could never get the momentum

required to reach such a big target.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma lifted India from 40 for 2 with a 95-run partnership but the run rate was slow. Roelf van der Merwe combined with Morne Morkel and Johan Botha to slip in a slew of tight overs and both batsmen couldn't break free. Suresh Raina later threw his bat around to collect a few boundaries, India were never really in the chase. {Brief scores: 3rd ODI - SA 365 for 2 (Kallis 104*, de Villiers 102*, Amla 87, Bosman 68) beat India 275 (Kohli 57, Raina 49) by 90 runs.

2nd ODI - India 401 for 3 (Tendulkar 200*, Karthik 79, Dhoni 68*) beat SA 248 (de Villiers 114, Sreesanth 3-49, Pathan 2-37) by 153 runs.}