AV 6th September 2014

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Claims: Muslim community leaders knew about Rotherham abuse

First & Foremost Asian Weekly in Europe

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Empire Debate in London to mark 400 years of India-UK relationship

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Ahmedabad-London direct flights are essential

Modi’s Japan visit a grand success See Page 25

VOL 43. ISSUE 18

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

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6th September to 12th September 2014

Law Minister Shailesh Vara visits India

The two Asian giants agree to boost strategic ties

ment is working on development and increasing manufacturing activities, Modi said there cannot be a better place to make investments than India.

Calling for a new history between the two countries on the economic front, the Prime Minister said India is the only place where one can find "democracy, demography and demand".

Modi, who was addressing Japanese investors at a seminar organized by the Japan External Trade Organization (Jetro) and Nikkei, also said that India guarantees democracy, safety, security and justice.

He told Japanese investors that India is a "god gifted location" for reaching out to global Continued on page 26

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Japan visit was a grand success as Asia's second and third biggest economies agreed to accelerate talks on the possible sale of an amphibious aircraft to India's navy while keeping a wary eye on a rising China. Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe also agreed to speed up talks on a so far elusive deal on nuclear energy cooperation.

"The two prime ministers reaffirmed the importance of defence relations between Japan and India in their strategic partnership and decided to upgrade and strengthen them," Abe and Modi said in a statement after a summit in Tokyo. The two

countries agreed to pursue comprehensive security and defence cooperation, including maritime security. "Concerning economic matters, we have agreed to move towards a common goal of dramatically increasing Japan's investment in India," Abe said.

Modi thanked Abe for

See also pages 16 and 17 for Modi’s Japan visit stories

inviting him and said he was happy that within 100 days of becoming PM he got the opportunity to visit Japan.

"The attention which Abe accorded to me during this visit shows his love for India," Modi said adding, "the visit had

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raised hopes for the future."

Modi hailed Abe for announcing investment to the tune of $ 35 billion and said, " PM Abe has understood my vision and assured support in various sectors."

On the nuclear deal, Abe said, "I had frank discussion on this issue, we are able to deepen our understanding on both sides."

India offers red carpet to investors, no red tape Making a strong pitch for bringing Japanese investments into India, Modi said there was no "red tape" but only "red carpet" for investors as the government has eased a lot of regulations.

Asserting that his govern-

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Pak mulls 'selective use of force' against protesters Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chaired a joint session of parliament on Tuesday as a deepening crisis over violent protests demanding his resignation prompted fears of an army intervention. But, raising the spectre of more confrontation, defence minister Khawaja Asif said the government was considering taking action including "selective use of force" and arrests.

Sharif enjoys a solid majority in parliament

and by convening both houses he seeks to reaffirm that he is fully in control. His office said parliament would be in session all week to discuss the crisis.

"This is not a protest, a sit-in or a political gathering. This is a Continued on page 26

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Shailesh Vara MP, Britain's Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and Minister for the Courts and Legal Aid at the Ministry of Justice, visited Delhi and Ahmedabad from 1-3 September 2014.

The Minister’s visit is the latest in a series of senior British Government visitors to India to further develop the bilateral relationship with the new Indian Government.

Mr Vara, before leaving for India told Asian Voice, “The relationship between Britain and India is long and solid, and I am keen to strengthen it even further for the benefit of both nations.

I have a number of meetings and events, both in New Delhi and Ahmedabad, during which I will be discussing matters of mutual interest between our two countries.”

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 6th September 2014

Leyla Hussein

so important to our campaign.

Leyla Hussein is a psychotherapist and anti-FGM campaigner. She co-founded Daughters of Eve, which is a non-profit organisation that works to protect girls and women who are at risk of FGM. She now works as the Dahlia Project Coordinator at the Manor Gardens Health Advocacy Project, where she set up the only support group for FGM survivors in the EU. Leyla was awarded the Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women of the Year Award for her campaign work, and her documentary film “The Cruel Cut” was nominated for a BAFTA.

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

My daughter is the single biggest influence on my career. I knew from the moment she was born that I wanted a different fate for her.

1) What is your current position?

I am a lead anti-FGM campaigner and my mission is to end the cruel practice of FGM in the UK. I am also the Dahlia Project Coordinator at the Manor Gardens Health Advocacy Project, where I run the first and only therapy and support group for FGM survivors in the EU. 2) What are your proudest achievements?

Making sure my daughter wasn’t cut is my biggest accomplishment. Breaking this cycle in my family demanded tremendous strength. All of my family has gone through this journey with me and it required a lot of

therapy. We all wanted to set an example and make sure we could break the cycle.

3) What inspires you?

My daughter inspires me. I want to create an environment for her where she feels safe, both physically and emotionally. I want her to one day live in a world where girls can be free of gender-based violence. The tireless, fearless campaigners I work with also inspire me.

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

Trying to end a practice that is so deeply embedded in so many communities can feel like an impossible goal. I’ve faced a lot of backlash recently, which can

be hard to deal with no matter how thick your skin is. Also, cultural sensitivity has been a huge barrier to the discussion on FGM in Britain. That is why changing the language around FGM and referring to it simply as violence and child abuse was

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

The best aspect about my job is that I can use this platform to make a real difference. If my work helps to save even one girl from this horror, I know I have done my job. It is an honour to be able to raise my voice for the girls who cannot speak out.

7) And the worst?

At times, it feels like I’m fighting an uphill battle. Convincing our government that we need to take action and not just talk

about it has been a process that is long overdue. However, the recent progresses we have made keep me pushing forward.

8) What are your long-term goals?

My ultimate goal is to make sure no girl in the UK ever has to endure this vile practice. I plan to keep fighting and putting pressure on our government to make sure this happens.

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

I would appoint an FGM Minister in my Cabinet. There needs to be a single government department in charge so that we can more effectively tackle FGM. 10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why?

Nelson Mandela. He was one of the greatest champions of human rights worldwide, and to me he embodies never giving up fighting for what you believe in.

Claims: Muslim community leaders knew about Rotherham abuse An alleged claim that the South Asian community, especially the Muslim leaders in Rotherham, South Yorkshire were aware that young white girls were being sexually exploited by Pakistani men, yet did not take any action, has shocked Britain.

Nearly 1400 young girls, some as young as 11, were groomed and abused over a 16-year-period beginning 1997 but local authorities failed to take action over fears that they would be seen as 'racists' by the local Pakistani communities.

These gangs, groomed, abused and trafficked vulnerable children while police and social services ignored warnings from parents and activists. On Tuesday the police claimed that twelve new victims have made allegations of child sexual abuse in Rotherham.

The Home Secretary Theresa May on Tuesday has said that the Rotherham Council and the South Yorkshire police are guilty of "appalling failures" and "complete dereliction of duty" over the child sex abuse scandal.

Addressing MPs in the House of Commons, the Home Secretary said the report into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham made "shocking reading," adding there was no excuse for victims' appeals for help being ignored.

Ms May said she would be chairing meet-

Councillors suspended over child sex abuse scandal in Rotherham

ings with other ministers to look at what happened in Rotherham and consider what can be done to prevent the situation happening again.

Following that, South Yorkshire Police announced an independent investigation into the force's handling of allegations, following findings that victims were not taken seriously and even arrested in some cases.

Leading members of the local Asian community too had expressed their outrage at the abuse. In an explosive interview with BBC Sheffield, the head of Rotherham's United Multi-cultural Centre Parveen Qureshi said: "The Asian community leaders, they knew about it, it was discussed at the mosque and other places.

"The leaders who agencies had contacted to discuss issues, they knew about this. Community leaders were aware of what was happening and they were trying to solve that problem for forever not just on this occasion but on many occasions people were talking to the community leaders. It was always discussed in the community what was happening."

She added: 'It was not started over night, it was going on for a long time'.

Ms Qureshi's claim came as politicians called for the resignation of senior council workers who were in charge at the time of the abuse to resign from

their current posts in both Rotherham and elsewhere.

Many however have refused to do so.

Professor Alexis Jay, who conducted an inquiry and wrote the report, reportedly said she found “children who had been doused in petrol and threatened with being set alight, threatened with guns, made to witness brutally violent rapes and threatened they would be next if they told anyone”.

One young girl told the inquiry that “gang rape” was a usual part of growing up in the area of Rotherham where she lived.

The report also found that police treated victims with contempt while the council simply ignored the findings of several internal inquiries.

In a vast majority of the cases that Professor Jay examined, the victims were white children under the age of 16 and the perpetrators named in the files as “Asian males”.

The report also said that council staff were scared of being labelled "racists" by the influential local South Asian community.

The Home Affairs Select Committee has asked Shaun Wright, who was responsible for children's services at the town council for five of the 16 years, to appear on September 10th, along with Rotherham Council's chief executive Martin Kimber and director of

Mr Stone, Ms Russell, Mr Ali and Mr Akhtar

children and young people's services Joyce Thacker.

Mr Wright has faced mounting pressure to step down following a damning report which criticised the failure of both Rotherham Council and South Yorkshire Police to respond to the abuse of some 1,400 children between 1997 and 2013.

He quit the Labour Party last week after it threatened to suspend him over the scandal, but has so far refused to quit as police commissioner despite calls from a number of senior

figures, including Prime Minister David Cameron.

Labour has also suspended four other party members who held senior positions of responsibility in Rotherham at the time of the alleged abuses.

Jahangir Akhtar and councillors Roger Stone, Gwendoline Ann Russell and Shaukat Ali will now be investigated by the party.

Labour party in a statement said: "As Ed Miliband made clear last week large numbers of young people in Rotherham were systemat-

ically abused and then let down by those who should have protected them. It cannot be allowed to stand."

Mr Stone resigned as Rotherham Council leader last week after the publication of the Jay report.

Mr Akhtar stepped down as deputy leader of Rotherham Council last year after it was reported he knew about a relationship between a relative and an under-age girl in care.

He denied the allegations and was later cleared by police of any blame.

Police investigate brothel in Haringey council Police are investigating a brothel operating in Haringey, near a London council’s children’s services building, after residents complained that men loiter in the street waiting to go through a gate into flats to visit sex workers, often calling on wrong flats.

The property is near the building housing Haringey council’s adult, culture and community services and children and young people’s services departments.

In July, police promised residents they would secure a closure order, but nothing has been

done so far. The entrance on Cumberland Road leads into a courtyard and then up to flats. It does not appear on the electoral roll.

Residents have not been able to trace the owner and said they are relying on police to shut down the business.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 6th September 2014

COMMENT

Modi Odyssey to Japan Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s much awaited visit to Japan took off at the weekend, He was given the warmest of welcomes by his host Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital, its cultural lode star from which generations of Japanese have sought and received inspiration. The body language between the two leaders as they embraced bespoke a rare chemistry. Mr Modi presented Premier Abe with a copy of Swami Vivekenanda’s writings (in English as it happens) on Japan, and a copy of the Gita in Sanskrit and Japanese. Mr Modi paid a visit to the city’s oldest Buddhist temple. There is much talk of modernizing Varanasi on the lines of Kyoto, integrating this with the traditional architecture of buildings that have withstood the ravages of time and undertaking as great deal of restoration in the process. The tour commenced on the appropriate note; hopefully this will augur well for the talks on a multitude of contemporary issues, from India’s urban renewal involving the construction of 100 smart cities with Japanese help and advice, Japanese investment in India’s infrastructure and communications, high on the list being a series of high-tech superfast trains in India’s planned industrial corridors. Japanese and Indian engineers have earmarked 15 possible stations lining the corridor from Ahmedabad to Mumbai. The costs of these ventures may be high, but they will repay the investment handsomely many times over, as was the case in Japan four decades and more ago when Japan’s GFP was where India’s is today. Such was the view of a leading Japanese expert, who recalled the initial sceptism in his country about hightech toys. Seeing, however, was believing; within three years Japan’s investment in bullet trains had repaid the original cost and started moving into profit. It would be same with India, he averred, where Jeremiahs abound with their well-worn prognostications of gloom and doom. The spanking Japanesebuilt Delhi Metro, among the world’s best, is surely the symbol of the transformational Japanese presence in India. Japanese companies such as Suzuki, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Yamaha, Mitsuibishi and the rest have a lartge footprint in India, but the potential for deeper Indo-Japanese cooperation in multiple fields is still to be fully tapped. Japanese CEOs in India have presented Mr Modi with a memorandum on the changes they wished to see in India, from a rationalized tax structure, clear guidelines on investment, less burdensome regulations and a cooperative

bureaucracy. Mr Modi reputation for implementation and prompt decision making has travelled with him since his time as Gujarat chief minister. His Gujarat model should become an Indian model, if the country is to move forward at the desired speed in industrial development, scaled up production and much else.

The transfer of Japanese nuclear power technology, without which many western companies using it, cannot proceed to build nuclear power stations in India: this may be a road block. The purchase by India of high performance Japanese naval aircraft shouldn’t be too great a problem, hence a memorandum of understanding on defence between Tokyo and New Delhi on the lines of the accords in operation between Japan and the US, Russia, France and Britain is likely.

China’s rise, like Banquo’s ghost, will cast its shadow during the prime ministerial exchanges. India has been committed to a “Look East” policy, presently reinforced by a an “Act East” policy, as enunciated by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during her recent visit to Vietnam, with which Japan, too, has close ties. The Malabar naval exercises between India, Japan, the US and Australia are part of a broad Asia Pacific security architecture.

Should India establish the military alliance advocated by Mint newspaper? It whimpers editorially that “India is no match for [China],” therefore the alignment was a matter of urgency. The paper lists China’s large military plattform in comparison with India’s, without mentioning that China has a land and maritime periphery many times the size of its southern neigbour, one that needed protection from rivals with an equal or greater military capability.

Furthermore, India’s force projection on land, air and sea has the numbers and cutting edge to cause considerable collateral damage to China. Japan and Vietnam would not be courting a supinely weak India. A hypothetical military alliance with Japan raises the question of Japan’s far-reaching post-war Security Treaty with the United States: will India be drawn into a similar relationship with the US? This is neither feasible nor desirable. A strategic understanding with Japan would permit sufficient space and flexibility to choreograph the diplomacy to fit the national interest od either partner. Too many military alliances turned a controllable crisis into the First World War and set Europe ablaze, with catastrophic consequences for humanity.

Uganda: From darkness to light Under the baleful rule of military dictator Idi Amin, Uganda, once known as the garden of East Africa, was reduced to vast nest of extortionate vipers bent on looting and expropriating the property and wealth of its Asian [read Indian] population, the vast majority of whom were Gujarati and a sprinkling of Punjabis. Amin drove them out of the country with only the clothes they wore and a pittance in their pockets. They arrived traumatized in the UK, Canada and India and took the first faltering steps towards rehabilitation and eventual prosperity. Amin was overthrown by Yoweri Museveni in 1986. As President of a shattered and impoverished Uganda, Mr Museveni set about enticing the departed Asians into returning to their former homeland, promising to return their confiscated properties and making other forms of restitution. Most Asians spurned the risks of a return, but enough did and the effect of their presence has been little short of startling. The community of Patels, Shahs, Mehtas, Madwanis, Jivrajs and the

exceptional Suresh Ruparelia and others, including 30 Bengali families, constitute a tenth of a percent (27,00 in all) of Uganda’s total population of 36 million, contribute over 60 per cent of the government’s revenues. There enterprise and entrepreneurial skills are evident everywhere. Unlike Amin’s time, the Asians are no longer viewed with suspicion and mistrust; they are now viewed as a prized national asset.

Kolkata-born, IIT Madras-qualified engineer 57 yearold Goutam Das has spread his wings, setting up one of East Africa’s largest hardware manufacturing firms, Aquva International Ltd. Uganda’s Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa, during his recent visit to India, met with Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swarasj and apprised them of them of developments iun the country. He carried an invitation from President Museveni to Mr Modi to visit Uganda. The Indian Prime Minister should do so at the earliest. Make India part of the Ugandan success story.

A tale of horror from Rotherham The horror of ”grooming,” that is kidnapping or coercing schoolgirls, some as young as 11 outside the school premises by Pakistani men of an age group of an approximate 20 to 45, introduce them to drugs an alcohol before using them for sexual purposes as their victims are transferred from place to place or by group to group.The story first broke in May/June 2010, thanks to the efforts of a brave retired Labour MP from the north, where these awful crimes were being perpetrated. The exposure then in the mainstream press entailed a measure of culpability bt the local social services and police, both fearful of being branded racist or Islamophobic if their investigation went beyond what was considered o be the politically correct limits. The bad smell refused to go away. The Rotherham Metropolitan Borough appointed Professor Alexis Jay to conduct an investigation and her findings are have been truly shaming. “No one

knows the true scale of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham……It is hard to describe the appalling nature of the abuse that child victims suffered . They were raped by multiple perpetrators, traffickers to other vtowns and cities in the north of England, abducted, beaten and intimidated. Children….were being raped and abused by adults,” said Professor Jay. Police and social workers, afraid of being dubbed racist or anti-Muslim chose to remain silent. The perpetrators were exclusively Pakistani, including Mirpuri, yet the BBC prefers to describe as Asian, a category which includes law abiding citizens going about their lawful business. The Term Pakistan appears to stick in the gullets of mainstream British politicians and much of the media. Rotherrham deserves more attention than, say, Ukraine, the subject of boastful threats and spurious pieties. Charity begins at home.

3 A human being is a part of the whole, called by us 'Universe,' a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts, and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.

- Scientist Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Sarah Teather MP Liberal Democrat MP for Brent Central

India and Britain: A special relationship The relationship between Britain and India holds real importance for both countries. Understandably so – each has had a profound impact on what the other looks like today.

India today is a large multicultural, multi-faith democracy that has risen from extreme poverty to be one of the greatest economic powers of the 21st century.

The country is a remarkable success story, demonstrating the power of hope and determination against the odds.

It is therefore not surprising that politicians often refer to the economic benefits of Britain’s close ties to India. Indeed, the UK’s exports to China and India have doubled in the last five years.

But we should also recognise the profound cultural and social benefits that Indian people have brought to the UK. Over time, many have made Britain their home and we now have the largest overseas Gujarati community in the world.

The British Indian community goes back generations. I grew up in Leicester and now represent a Brent constituency, and I have seen these places grow culturally richer and more socially vibrant as

their Indian communities have grown and thrived.

So our historic relationship retains its strength to this day.

This was shown last week, with the announcement of a major new initiative that will deepen the links between the UK and India even further.

A new exchange programme run by the British Council will see 25,000 young people from the UK visit India over the next five years.

A similar number will travel in the opposite direction. This fantastic opportunity to live and work in India will help to ensure more young people are equipped for the realities of the global jobs market.

But again it would be wrong to focus solely on the economic benefits and opportunities the scheme will bring, as important as those are.

Both countries will be enriched by having talented, bright young people travelling in both directions and learning from each other. Exposure to different ways of life and people from different backgrounds is a gift that extends beyond economic considerations. It’s one that I am sure those on the scheme will cherish.

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 6th September 2014

Death pair may have been involved in a brawl Detectives investigating a double tragedy, believe, that the two men who fell to their deaths from a bridge at Birmingham’s New Street station may have been involved in a brawl with each other minutes earlier.

It is understood straight A student Jeevan Dhanda, 18, from Walsall, had been at Snobs nightclub earlier that night and was trying to get back into the venue via a side entrance near the train station.

The police are examining claims that the keen hockey player was approached by 31 years old Hitesh Dhirajlal, from West Bromwich, that led into an argument. Jeevan's phone was allegedly found in Hitesh's pocket when they were rescued from the busy line at early hours on 7 August.

A family friend of one

Hitesh Dhirajlal (left) and Jeevan Singh Dhand

of the victims, who did not want to be named, reportedly said that it seemed like Jeevan was approached by an older man he did not know and there was some words exchanged and then a scuffle. Jeevan might have felt threatened and it remained a mystery as to how his phone landed up in someone else's pocket!

The revelation came after an inquest last week

was opened and adjourned into Hitesh’s death. He died on August 18 a day after being discharged from hospital and five days after Jeevan, who was due to start university in Leeds.

Jeevan’s family have described him as “a beacon of love and happiness who brought joy to everyone who knew him�.

Paying tribute to Hitesh, his family said:

“Hitesh was a much-loved member of the family, son to Nila Vittlal, brother to Meena Dhirajlal, Premila Dhirajlal and Nisha Kumar. Hitesh will be sadly missed by all. His death has come as a shock to the family. “Thank you to all of our family and friends who have supported, and are continuing to support, us. We ask the media does not intrude and allows us to grieve in private at this extremely difficult time.�

British Transport Police has launched a plea for witnesses in a bid to piece together the final moments of both men.

Anyone who believes they have information which can assist the investigation is asked to contact British Transport Police on Freefone 0800 40 50 40, or text 61016, quoting incident reference 57 of 07/0814.

Ethnic minority communities urged to come forward with WWI stories The organisers of a new exhibition are urging people of Asian, African and Caribbean background to let them know stories about their family members in World War I. Thousands of Empire troops joined British comrades in the four-year war, which started 100 years ago. The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded ÂŁ10,000 to The Race Equality Centre, in Leicester, to create the exhibition. It is due to open in November.

Curator Tara Munroe told the Leicester Mercury: "We're still in the research process at the moment. This month, we're hoping to hear from people from Leicestershire's ethnic minority communities with stories about their family members in the First World War. Within weeks of the outbreak of the war, the Indian Army was in France and there were also troops from the

West Indies and parts of Africa that were in the British Empire."

Tara reportedly said she has found plenty of stories of bravery and heroism from the 800,000strong Indian armed forces and the 15,500 members of the British West Indies Regiment.

About 1,200 soldiers of the West Indies regiment were killed and 47,746 members of the Indian Army were either killed or reported missing in action.

Thousands more were injured in the fighting, which took place in

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France, Belgium, Egypt, Palestine, Italy and elsewhere.

Tara also said that medal citations and mentions in dispatches made interesting reading.

"The African troops were prized for their skills in hand-to-hand combat.

There was a soldier from Trinidad who used to throw hand grenades back at the enemy. He was completely fearless," she said.

There is also evidence of prejudice in the military, including putting all black soldiers together in the newly-formed British West Indian Regiment.

She said: "A lot of white British soldiers weren't happy about having black soldiers fighting

alongside them, while the French leaders thought black soldiers were easier to intimidate and control.

But the exhibition aims to be a positive one about the heroes and the medals."

The project is called Together We Won The War. Tara believes the Empire troops, many of whom were forced to fight, were an important reason why Britain won the war.

"It seems clear to me that in those opening months of the war Britain would have been defeated without the troops from around the Empire who came to fight in Europe," she added.

The exhibition will include photographs, newspaper clippings, documents, letters, memorabilia and family stories, to help build a picture of life at war.

The Race Equality Centre's chief executive, Iris Lightfoote, said the project was important to make future generations aware of the significant roles played by their ancestors.

Father pocketing benefits jailed A father of 4, who pocketed a total of ÂŁ26,545 as benefit payment while keeping quiet about his wife's savings, has been jailed for 20 weeks.

Liyakat Alli (59) admitted three offences of dishonestly making false representations to obtain job seeker's allowance, between 2008 and 2011.

James Bide-Thomas, prosecuting, told Leicester Crown Court Alli failed to mention in 2008 that his wife had ÂŁ40,000 in a savings account.

Alli falsely declared to the Department for Work

and Pensions (DWP) that his wife did not have savings.

The maximum claimants are allowed is ÂŁ16,000.

Michelle Harding, mitigating, said: "He pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. He's a father of four and rents a property." She said since June 2013, Alli had obtained work as a delivery driver and was repaying the DWP at ÂŁ140 a month.

A proceeds of crime hearing will take place to consider if any cash or assets can be confiscated by the court.

Man pretended to be ex-girlfriend's uncle to win her back A man desperate to win back affections of his ex girl friend, allegedly posed as her uncle and gave relationship advice to win her back.

Kewal Jandhu sent a series of emails to Karam Kaur, while pretending to be her relative, being supportive and urging her to give things another go.

Jandu, 36, of Rushford Close, Monkspath, Solihull, had denied two charges of harassment.

District Judge Zara convicted him of one charge but dismissed the other. He said although he believed that Jandhu or someone at his instigation had sent the emails they did not amount to harassment. Taking into account Jandu had already spent two months in custody on remand, he fined him a nominal ÂŁ100 and banned him from contacting the victim for the next five years.

Miss Kaur, from Hall Green, reportedly told a city magistrates court she had started a relationship with Jandu in 2012 which had ended after eight months. “I started to get the emails after the relationship had ended. The

emails were supposedly from my uncle offering me support and advice.�

The 21-year-old said they appeared to come from an address that was genuine and that they were being sent every other day.

Miss Kaur said there was a period when the emails stopped and her former partner told her that her uncle had gone to India. She said they got back together briefly but broke up again.

Miss Kaur said she started getting emails again from her uncle telling her she had made a “rash decision� and that she had left Jandu “heartbroken.�

She also became aware, she reportedly said, that her Facebook account had been hacked into and that her status had been altered.

She said “I had tried to get away and move on with my life. I was scared and distressed. I felt really unnerved that somebody could go to these lengths, to pretend to be someone.�

Miss Kaur said she eventually asked her uncle who denied ever having sent the emails.

Bradford man charged A Bradford man appeared before magistrates after being charged with a number of offences relating to the sale of so-called 'legal highs'.

Pervez Abbas, 63, of Oaklands, Idle, has been charged with offering to supply articles to prepare and administer a controlled drug, in relation to grinders and bongs. He

has also been charged with supplying a drug subject of a temporary class drug order, and possession with intent to supply.

The charges follow the execution of warrants at premises in Sunbridge Road, Bradford, understood to be Barkers newsagents, in March and June.

Man jailed for two years for selling drugs Yuswin Chawda (30), a drug user who supplied cocaine and heroin to his friends, has been jailed for two years, though he has claimed that his actions were not motivated by monetary or commercial gains.

The police found ÂŁ860 worth of drugs when they executed a search warrant at his home in Leicester, on February 26. They also seized ÂŁ335 in cash, which was confiscated by the court.

Chawda admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine and cannabis, from September last year to February and admitted possessing cocaine with intent to supply it and possession of cannabis.

The Leicester Mercury reported that Balraj Bhatia, mitigating, said: "The cocaine was of a high purity level and the benzocaine was to cut it. He

feels remorse for the shame he's brought upon his family and community.

He's devoted himself to charitable works for the community as a musical performer. He's entitled to credit for all the good that he has done."

Mr Bhatia also said Chawda's brother, who suffered from a medical complaint, was reliant upon the defendant for support and taking him for regular hospital appointments.

He said: "Without the defendant, his brother's quality of life would be severely compromised.

His mother also suffers from ill health. His fiancĂŠe does not condone his behaviour in any way. He accidentally went into drugs due to stress, in relation to his brother and, for a short period it took over his life. He won't be involved with drugs again."

UK

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British Pakistani man arrested for Imran Farooq murder A British Pakistani man has been arrested from an address in Walthamstaw address in East London by Scotland Yard investigators in connection with the 2010 murder of Pakistani politician Dr Imran Farooq in north London.

The suspect has been asked to appear before the police again in midNovember this year.

He is said to be an MQM UK unit member.

The suspect is the second man to be arrested in the case so far. Last June, the Scotland Yard arrested a nephew of MQM chief Altaf Hussain, 52-yearold man Iftikhar Hussain. He was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder and is currently on bail.

Dr Imran Farooq

Further, in May, Scotland Yard released pictures of two suspects allegedly involved in the murder of Farooq.

Scotland Yard claimed that the two suspects, identified as Mohsin Ali Syed and Mohammed Kashif Khan Kamran, were believed to be in Pakistan and had traveled to London on student

visas. They are also believed to be residents of Karachi.

Mr Farooq, a founding member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, had moved to London in 1999 after years on the run from Pakistani authorities who had launched a crackdown on the Movement.

He was granted political asylum in the UK and had been living at Green Lane in Edgware, northwest London. He was on his way back from work when he was beaten and stabbed to death outside his home late on 16 September.

Scotland Yard investigators believe Dr Farooq had been under surveillance in the days before his murder.

BBC Asian Network to focus on British South Indian and Sri Lankan communities The BBC Asian Network is initiating brand new plans to debut a variety of changes to it's existing Sunday schedule by introducing new programs specifically created to aim at new target audiences, showcasing only the finest in music and the arts. The new changes will be sprung into action from October.

A new programme will be introduced on 26th

October 2014 catering for the British Sri Lankan and South-Indian communities.

The program will pinpoint it's focus on the rich music, arts and culture that originates from these communities. It will be a 2 hour after noon program to be aired between 2 to 4 pm.

The host Ashanti Omkar, a music journalist and a key supporter of the

music that roots from South India and the Diaspora.

She is renowned as a regular contributor on Indian film for BBC London, BBCWM, and Monocle 24, and has also been the host of ‘The Southside Show’ for Desi chartbusters.

Raj and Pablo plan to host one show in a week, as a part of the forthcoming changes. The show

5

British-Indian named as 'most romantic man in London' A 23 years old British Indian electrician from Wembley has been named as the 'most romantic man in London'.

The London Evening Standard tracked down Utpal Kanbia, after his elaborate and thoroughly romantic marriage proposal to girlfriend Meena Rabadia was spotted by a police helicopter.

On Monday, Mr Kanbia had arranged hundreds of candles spelling out 'Will you marry me?' inside Gladstone Park in Dollis Hill, north London, a spot where the couple had their first date some 6 years ago.

The proposal was filmed by a Metropolitan Police helicopter returning to base.

The helicopter crew then tweeted the video to its 96,000 followers, saying: “We think we have just seen the most roman-

tic guy in London.” The photograph went viral on social media, forcing the couple to declare officially that they are now engaged.

In an interview with London Live, Mr Kanbia reportedly said that he and Meera had started to get worried when he heard the helicopter overhead. “I started thinking ‘Are we allowed to do this

sort of stuff in a public park? Are we breaking any laws?’ But to be honest we had everything covered in that sense. We had a standby fire extinguisher and water bottles in case it did get out of hand.”

The couple are planning an engagement party in November but haven't set a date for the big day yet.

will present the latest news from Bollywood, interviews of celebrities and music. It will be showcased every Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm. They will still continue in their current position as Bollywood frontmen for the Asian Network. They also plan to present a series of film documentaries.

A new Asian Network

Presents programme will also be aired from 1 pm to 2 pm every Sunday. This will feature concerts, guest presenters, and film specials.

This autumn, the show's schedule includes archive music performances by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in Concert and several British-Asian documentaries.

The Sunday schedule will be as follows from 26th October 2014 06001000 Gagan Grewal, 1000-1300 Asian Network Gold, 1300-1400 Asian Network Presents, 14001600 Ashanti Omkar, 1600-1800 Saima Ajram, 1800-2000 Dipps Bhamrah, 2000-2200 Nadia Ali, 2200-0000 Alpa Pandya.

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Hindujas roll out London's first British built pure electric buses

Nominations now open for Dadabhai Naoroji Awards Nominations are now open for a new awards scheme aimed at marking the achievements of people who are either British or of Indian nationality and have forged stronger links between the UK and India. The Dadabhai Naoroji Awards, dedicated to the first Asian MP in the UK, were launched by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg during his visit to Mumbai.

The awards that will have three categories people who have furthered UK-Indian relations in the fields of commerce, culture and education.

Anyone is able to

London Mayor Boris Johnson with Mr Gopichand Hinduja and Dheeraj Hinduja

London's first pure electric buses with zero tailpipe emissions are all set to be introduced to the British roads, creditthe Hinduja group.

Boris Johnson Mayor of London officially welcomed the introduction of the four British built, Optare MetroCity single deck buses a month back.

The four Optare MetroCity single deck buses are currently being trialled on route H98, which operates between Hayes and Hounslow.

They are manufactured

by Optare, part of the Hinduja Group, a British bus manufacturer based in Sherburn in Elmet, North Yorkshire, and are part funded from the Department of Transport’s (DfT) Green Bus Fund. The buses demonstrate Transport for London’s (TfL) con-

tinuing commitment to trialling new emission free technology in the capital.

The introduction of the four pure electric Optare MetroCity buses is the first step of the Mayor’s plan for all single deck buses in central London to be zero emission at tailpipe, as part of the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone, from 2020. This brings the total number of electric buses now in service in London to six. The first two electric buses in London have been operating on routes 507 and 521 since last December.

A further two are expected to enter service later this year.

Passengers may have noticed that pure electric buses offer much lower noise and vibration levels compared to diesel vehicles, with TfL benefiting

from lower maintenance and running costs. These buses have zero tail pipe emissions, resulting in lower carbon emissions and improved air quality.

Mr. Gopichand Hinduja, Co-Chairman of the Hinduja Group, said: “Optare’s MetroCity electric vehicle is a prime example of the UK’s manufacturing excellence, technology and innovation coming together to provide a zero emissions solution to improve air quality in London. We look forward to seeing more of these vehicles operating in London and cities across the UK and Europe in the future.

Optare is crucial to Hinduja Group’s flagship company, Ashok Leyland’s future global strategy: It is the hub for the company’s expansion in Europe and Worldwide.”

Men jailed for 70 years for a horrific kidnap and torture Six men have been jailed for a total of almost 70 years for a horrific kidnap which saw them torture a 37 years old victim with hammers, who was dumped naked in a Birmingham street after he was bundled into a vehicle at his Upton Road home on August 3 last year.

His terrifying ordeal saw him driven to a storage container in Coleshill where he was stripped naked and beaten with hammers before being repeatedly stabbed at an unknown location.

The victim suffered two broken ankles, a broken arm and broken cheek bone and was also locked in a boot for hours outside an address on Sycamore Road, Handsworth.

Tariq Mahmood, 41, was sentenced to 17 years in prison at Worcester Crown Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to conspiracy to kidnap, false imprisonment and causing

Top: Tariq Mahmood, Tehery Mahmood, Bottom: Steven Taylor, Robert Watters, Paul Murray

grievous bodily harm with intent part way through the four week trial.

Paul Murray, 42, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap and false imprisonment part way through the trial and received 15 years.

Robert Watters, 47, admitted conspiracy to kidnap and was sentenced to three years.

Three other men were all found guilty by a jury.

Tehery Mahmood, 37, was found guilty of false imprisonment and causing grievous bodily harm with intent and sentenced to 14 years. Steven Taylor, 37, was found guilty of false imprisonment and sentenced to two and a half years behind bars.

Another man was sentenced to 17 years in prison but cannot be named due to legal reasons.

Dadabhai Naoroji

nominate an individual who they feel has made a contribution at: http://www.libdems.org.u k/dadabhai_naoroji_awar ds Winners will be presented with their awards at a ceremony hosted by Nick Clegg at the Foreign

Office in the Autumn.

The nominations are due to close at midnight on 30 September 2014.

Launching the awards Nick Clegg said: "It is a great honour to name the awards after Dadabhai Naoroji. The Grand Old Man of India is one of my political heroes, having broken down enormous barriers by entering the British Parliament as the first Asian MP and challenging European prejudices about Indians. He is celebrated for his achievements in India and in the UK, and it is fitting that we should name these awards after him."

'Strictly Come Dancing' gets a British Indian participant The relatively unknown British Indian actress, Sunetra Sarker will join 'Strictly Come Dancing', the producers have confirmed.

Liverpool-born Sarker, 41, pictured, is a working actress who's appeared in myriad TV shows since getting into showbiz in 1988.

It's a welcome return for a British Asian talent on the much-loved show following the appearance of Jimi Mistry on the 2010 series and Mark

Ramprakash who won the trophy in 2006.

Sunetra is best known

for her work on the longrunning BBC One medical drama 'Casualty', although she has appeared on 'Doctor Who', 'No Angels', 'Holby City', 'Emmerdale', 'Brookside' and a host of other productions.

She said: “I don't quite know what I've let myself in for... I'm in total denial!

But the chance to swap my stethoscope for sequins was just too tempting. I am very excited to be part of the Strictly team!”

University of Cambridge Vice-Chancellor on the way back to India

Karan Thapar

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, will be in India in midSeptember leading a senior University delegation for a series of meetings and events.

Consistently ranked as one of the world’s leading universities, Cambridge has strong historic and contemporary links with India.

Strengthening Cambridge’s engagement with India remains at the forefront of the University’s international strategy.

The University is committed to achieving an ambitious expansion in the breadth and depth of research collaborations with Indian academics.

Indian institutions and Cambridge are becoming major partners in worldleading, cutting-edge research in areas of greatest importance to India’s

Lord Bilimoria

Sir James Bevan

continued development such as education, advanced manufacturing, nanotechnology, innovation, health and food security.

On Thursday 18 September the University will be hosting its biggest ever gathering of Indian alumni at the Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi. A day of lectures and panel discussions called Global Cambridge with eminent figures including Karan Thapar, Lord Karan Bilimoria, Sir Mark Tully and British High

Sir Mark Tully

Sir Leszek Borysiewicz

Commissioner Sir James Bevan will also be held.

On Saturday 20 September the ViceChancellor will open the new New Delhi head offices for Cambridge University Press India.

This will be the sixth visit to India by Professor Borysiewicz, a distinguished clinical researcher and virologist, since his appointment as Cambridge ViceChancellor in October 2010. He was previously Chief Executive of the UK Medical Research Council.

UK

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Council chiefs spent more than £120,000 to fend off BBC investigation An investigation by a London newspaper has revealed that Council chiefs in Tower Hamlets spent more than £120,000 on lawyers and spin doctors to defend its reputation from a BBC investigation into allegations of corruption, it emerged Tuesday. The borough which is one of the poorest in Britain, allegedly paid ex-BBC journalist Kim Catcheside £250-an-hour to coach Mayor Lutfur Rahman, pictured, for an interview with her former colleague, Panorama’s John Ware.

The Evening Standard reported that the sums paid to PR specialists Champollion and City law firm Taylor Wessing were released by the Audit Commission almost five months after the ‘The

Mayor and Our Money’ was broadcast in April. It probed claims that Mr Rahman, who controls the council’s £1.2bn budget, had bribed Bengali charities to secure votes in advance of a knife-edge election.

The mayor and council both strongly deny the claims. They now form part of a High Court action brought by local residents. Invoices seen by the Evening Standard reportedly reveal that the borough, which is among the most poor in Britain, spent £41,000 on PR advice and £81,924 on the law firm after learning of the BBC’s planned investigation.

However the Panorama broadcast attracted controversy after it was reported that a jun-

ior researcher working for the BBC had handed over a confidential dossier to the council when she became concerned that the investigation could be “one-sided”.

A Tower Hamlets council spokesperson said: “The Council received a dossier of material from a whistle-blower who worked on the then upcoming Panorama programme who believed it would be unfair and misleading. As the programme was due to air before the Mayoral elec-

tion, we needed to communicate our concerns to the BBC to ensure balanced coverage. There was no in-house legal experience or capacity to deal with issues of journalistic standards and editorial compliance, so suitably experienced external legal firms were approached to pitch for the work.

“Taylor Wessing were selected and advised on the operation of BBC guidelines, based on their experience of tackling investigative reporting and regulatory compliance by the BBC and also on the editorial decision-making processes within the BBC. They also advised on Data Protection considerations for the Council that applied to the personal data revealed in the dossier.”

Indian steel magnate rubbishes reports of mountain purchase Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal brushed away media reports in UK speculating that he bid for an iconic mountain range in Britain.

It was reported thatLondon-based NRI businessman has made a bid of over £1.75 million ($2.94 million) to purchase “Blencathra” mountain, Lakshmi Mittal- CEO of world’s largest steel-maker

Arcelor Mittal and among one of the richest Indians, is also the owner of two of the most expensive houses in London and has is a large stake holder in a premier football club.

The Earl of Lonsdale the local division, has reportedly accepted the offer and said he has been compelled to sell the land to pay off a £9 million tax bill.

However, the locals

have expressed their discontentment at the mountain sale and have lodged their protest to prevent the historic 2,850 feet peak from falling into the hands of a foreign landowner.

But, Arcelor Mittal has denied any link to such an offer. A company spokesperson said, “We have no idea where this story came from, and it isn’t true.”

Lakshmi Mittal

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Police launch investigation on swastika graffiti in East London

Police in East London are investigating two offensive Swastika graffiti have been spotted on a building.

The pro-Nazi graffiti was found scrawled on a building in Comberton

Road, Upper Clapton.

It was discovered by Jewish community safety patrol group Shomrim.

Members of the charity said similar graffiti cropped up in the same location last month.

Brum school pupils shown film promoting Jihadism A group of MPs have been told that a violent, extremist film promoting jihadism was allegedly shown to a group of pupils at Birmingham state school. Ian Kershaw, who led an inquiry into the Trojan Horse allegations, reportedly told the education select committee about the video as an example of "bad behaviour" he had come across during his investigation.

The select committee

is conducting its own hearings about 'promoting jihadism' in a group of Birmingham schools.

Peter Clarke, who led a government-commissioned inquiry into the allegations also said he had heard of the video.

Mr Clarke had earlier told the committee that there had been clear evidence of people who had chose, were sympathetic to, or did not challenge extremist views.

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Law Minister Shailesh Vara visits India

Mr Vara addressing the students and the faculty at the Gujarat National Law University in Ahmedabad

Continued from page 1

He held meetings with ministers, senior judicial officials and visit law colleges in Delhi and Ahmedabad, building on the close links that already exist between the Indian and British legal professions. He also promoted the Global Law Summit that will be held in London in February 2015.

In Delhi, Mr Vara met human rights lawyers and British businesses; Energy Minister Piyush Goyal; Law, Justice and Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad; Home Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju; Mr Justice R M Lodha, Chief Justice of India and Chairman of the Bar Council of Delhi Mr K K Manan.

On 2 September, he visited Delhi’s National Law University.

In Ahmedabad, he met the Director of the Gujarat National Law University and delivered a speech and interacted with students there. He was felicitated by the Vishwa Gujarati Samaj who presented him with a Gujarat Gaurav Award.

Mr Vara also visited the historic Sabarmati

Shailesh Vara meets Chief Justice R M Lodha in Delhi

Ashram.

The Minister already has close links to India. A Gujarati speaker, he was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman by the Indian government earlier this year. He is also the first Indian and Gujarati origin politician to become a British Government Minister under the Conservative Party.

Shailesh Vara is the MP for North West Cambridgeshire and was first elected to Parliament in 2005 and re-elected in 2010.

Whilst in Opposition, he served on the Select Committee for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and in 2006 on the Standing

Mr Vara and British High Commissioner to India Sir James Bevan meet Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Law and Justice in Delhi

Committee of the Companies Bill, scrutinising the largest Bill ever to go through Parliament.

In 2006, Mr Vara was appointed Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, a post he held until the 2010 General Election.

Following the General Election, Mr Vara served as a Government Whip from 2010-2012 and was appointed as Justice Minister in 2013.

As well as Courts and Legal Aid, Mr Vara’s ministerial portfolio also includes responsibility for the UK’s legal services sector, judicial policy and diversity, the Ministry of Justice’s work in the European Union and wider international issues.

Following his election to Parliament, Mr Vara has held a range of other responsibilities and these included being Joint-Vice Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Trafficking of Women and Children, Treasurer of the BBC All Party Parliamentary Group, Vice-Chairman of the Executive Committee of Conservative Lawyers and the Chairman of the C o n s e r v a t i v e Parliamentary Friends of India Group.

Man jailed for assaults on a teen A sexual predator from Ilford has been jailed for two separate assaults on a terrified Brentwood teens. Last year in August and September, Khurram Shahzad, 30, of York Road, targeted his 17year-old victim twice while they were travelling on busy Central line Tube trains.

In both incidents, the victim, from Essex, was unable to escape his advances for several minutes and was too scared

to alert other oblivious passengers.

Shahzad, pictured, was jailed at Blackfriars Crown Court for 21 months and placed on the sex offender register for

10 years. He had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two counts of sexual assault and one of harassment.

BTP’s investigation formed part of Project Guardian, a long-term project involving Transport for London, the Metropolitan Police and the City of London Police which aims to reduce sexual assault and unwanted sexual behaviour on public transport in London.

Michchhami Dukkadam Michchhami means to be fruitless (forgiven) and Dukkadam (Dushkrut) means bad deeds.

Therefore, the meaning of the phrase Michchhami Dukkadam is my bad deeds are fruitless.

So the purpose behind saying or writing to someone "Michchhami Dukkadam" is to convey “If I have done any harm to you, then may those bad deeds be forgiven (be fruitless).” For those who are born in Jain families they are familiarised with the meaning and theme behind it. "I forgive from the bottom of my heart without any reservation all living beings who may have caused me any pain and suffering either in this life or previous lives, and I beg again from the bottom of my heart with-

out any reservation for the forgiveness from all living beings no matter how small or big to whom I may have caused pain and suffering in this life or previous lives, knowingly or unknowingly, mentally, verbally or physically, or if I have asked or encouraged someone else to carry out such activities. Let all creatures know that I have a friendship with everybody and I have no revenge animosity /enmity toward anybody.”- This is the extended belief behind the phrase.

Why do we say Michchhami Dukkadam?

If we reflect back on ourselves we would have an epiphany that our mind is continuously busy either thinking upon something which may be near to us

or could even be as far away as the other end of the world, talking or doing physical activities.

It is constantly juggling thoughts. This thinking, our words or our physical activities would be reflection of our happiness, sorrow, anger, greed, jealousy, and egoism, etc. Depending upon how we react to those, we attract various types of new karmas to our souls.

No moral person would like to attract bad karma and at certain stages any karma at all.

Michchhami Dukkadam encourages optimistic thoughts helps you in seeking forgiveness or pardon those seeking forgiveness.

We wish all our Jain readers Michchhami Dukkadam.

Doctor struck off for 'unnecessary' internal examination A married doctor who has allegedly told a university student that she has a “nice body” during consultation, has been struck off.

Dr Mohammad Tariquezzaman, popularly known as Dr Zaman, a father of 4, performed an 'unnecessary' internal examination when the 20year-old woman complaining of stomach pains, arrived at University College Hospital, London.

The 51-year-old allegedly 'smirked' as he watched her undress, pulled her knickers down to her thighs and commented on her appearance during the 20-minute appointment. Dr Zaman, who has worked in Britain for 18 years, also took her phone number, asked whether she had a boyfriend and invited her out for an Indian meal.

Dr Mohammad Tariquezzaman

The patient's mother, a nurse, contacted police after her daughter told her about the examination at the hands of Zaman.

The doctor, who also worked at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability in Putney, south west London, was cleared of sexual assault by penetration after a trial at

Blackfriars Crown Court in December 2011. But he was struck by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel after they found him guilty of sexual misconduct.

The panel told Zaman that the examination was 'unnecessary' and his actions were sexually motivated.

Zaman has denied the allegations, insisting he was not attracted to 'black girls', denying the panel's findings and insisted that he is being ‘crucified for a sin I have not done at all’ He had been subject to a string of conditions since March 2010, one of which prevented him from conducting intimate examinations without a chaperone, except in life-threatening situations. Zaman now has 28 days to appeal the decision.

Scottish schoolgirl travels to Syria to become a jihadist A Scottish private schoolgirl travelled to Syria to join hands with Islamic fighters – and is beckoning other Muslims to fuel a bloody anarchy on British streets.

Glasgow-born Aqsa Mahmood, 20, daughter of a successful businessman and was educated at a top private school in the city, abandoned a university course to join fanatical Islamic State jihadists fighting in Syria. Aqsa isn't the only one to take suck impulsive decisions. She is one amongst many youths jihadists entice and groom to fuel atrocities. The Jihadist network is webbed across the world.

Since moving to Syria, Aqsa, pictured, has tweeted a series of radical messages, including a call for others to replicate the appalling murder of soldier Lee Rigby, the Boston Marathon bombing and the massacre at the Fort Hood

US Army base in Texas.

Since travelling to Syria, Mahmood has got married and has been constantly tweeting descriptions of her hectic life of cooking, cleaning and looking after children.

However, on Twitter she uses the name Umm Layth and her profile carries a picture of the black flag of brutal terrorist group Islamic State. Shockingly, she has also posted jihadist propaganda, including one such message in June this year stating: ‘Follow the examples of your brothers from Woolwich, Texas and Boston. If you cannot make it to the battlefield, then bring the battlefield to yourself.’

Scotland Police and the security services have confirmed they were aware of Mahmood. Her involvement in radical Islam and her decision to travel to Syria left her family and friends shocked and disap-

pointed.

Her father started up thriving businesses after coming to Scotland from Pakistan and Mahmood was sent to the exclusive Craigholme School. At that time friends remember a typical girl, who loved to adorn make-up and clothes and liked to gossip with fellow pupils.

Mahmood left Craigholme after failing to get an admission in university and went to study at the nearby Shawlands Academy, a mixed state school.

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Leading Lights

Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

Nepal’s Cricket Captain leads by example 26-year old Paras Khadka has been the Nepalese cricket captain since 2009.

It all began when he was a child, he said.

He lived near his school, so, “During lunch hours I would come home, have my snacks, and go back to the school grounds to play cricket. School started at 9am; we used to go in at 8am and play. Holidays were the same. We had support from the school staff. When I was eight or nine, we used to have these inter-school friendly matches. Teachers versus student. Our principal, teachers; we used to get together and play cricket on Saturdays.” Paras was also in the school basketball, football, athletics and athletics teams.

“We had this Under15s inter-school cricket tournament. We were the last registered team to participate. I was the captain of the school team. We beat the best school in the finals. We didn’t know, but that tournament was the Under 15s selection tour-

nament for the Kathmandu regional team.

Because I was the captain of the Kathmandu region I became the captain of the regional team. I got selected for the Nepal National Camp among 22 players.

From there I was chosen

as the Vice chair of the Nepal Under- 15s, then the under 17s, then the under 19s. Whenever there was free time, we played cricket. I didn’t dream of playing for Nepal. I just loved the game. I took hold of a

cricket bat and played anywhere. I didn’t think I’d make it to the senior team.

There were a lot of senior players who had played for a long time.”

Paras leads by example.

Taking Nepal to the 2004 Under19s Bangladesh World Cup was seminal. They played England. “Alistair Cook was the captain then, Liam Plunkett was there. I bowled Ravi Bhopara, I got him out.” Paras bowled the crucial last over in the plate semi-final against South Africa in 2006 to take his team into the final and finished the tournament as the highest wicket-taker for Nepal.

“There were six players, including me, who got selected from the Under 19s for the senior players national camp. There was a three- day match that was about to be held for the first time. Nepal v UAE. We had a selection match and I went in. First innings, Duck. I thought, ‘I don’t belong here!’ The team got selected, went to Dubai, played the Intercontinental Cup. Then there was a game against Malaysia and other matches. After a couple of zeros I put a one in front of the zeros and scored a 100. That was the first time I got selected for the senior team. I scored 44 runs against Malaysia.

We won the game and

since then I haven’t looked back.”

Pre-match practise is vital. “Before every tournament for a month and a half we start training in a camp in Kathmandu, 9-5.”

A couple of hours before lunch. Rest, then practise again. Our coach, Pubudu Dassanayake, guided the Canadian team to the 2011 World Cup and is the biggest reason why we are in the T20 World Cup.” Camp work is specific.

“Batsmen work on a particular shot. We work more on throw-downs

“We have T20 status. We want One Day International status.” these days. We do drills; bowlers do spot bowling.

Hours and hours.

Whenever there is free time you get hold of a coach and get as many catches as you can. Every alternate day we hit the gym. There, we are getting our fibres strong- we work with rubbers. Whenever there is free time you make sure you hit the gym to keep pumping those muscles.”

When Paras stated that he tends to mainline protein, often taking protein supplements, the owner of

9

Monty’s restaurant (where we were eating), immediately started plying him with meat.

Paras said that Nepalese cricket regularly attracts crowds of 20,000.

In the UK, he connected with clubs because he wants his teammates to play here next season.

He also played for a Canada club. “There’s that extra pressure to perform because you’ve been hired as a professional.

Mentally, it improves your game.” He follows the Australian cricket team closely.

Paras wants Nepal to get to a 50 Over World Cup and play in every World Cup possible. “We have T20 status. Now we want One Day International status.”

He wants “a better tie up with Indian cricket.

BCCI is the Mecca. If we can get in touch with BCCI it will really help our cricket grow itself. Get into an agreement, get into a first class league system, have our players go to India and play as many tournaments as they can. That will help us.”

He comments on Indian players, citing first the legend, Tendulkar.

“Virat Kohli, Rehane got a very good 100 at Lord’s. Rohit Sharma, all these young guys are very good cricketers, very good batsmen. A good cricketer can be anybody.”

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YOUR VOICE

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 6th September 2014

Asian Voice

Malapropisms

Byelection in India

Asian Voice is the true voice of all Asians residing in England. It alerts all bonafide Asians of England and keep them aware with all the breaking news of India as well as of local Asians.

Asian Voice is a weekly with its special image of its own. Any English learned leader would be allured at and be tempted to read. Its looks attractive and is well edited. With all its plus points I am proud and extremely happy to congratulate your entire hard working team for the unique service rendered to the entire Asian community in England.

Kumudiniben Valambia’s comments on my letter entitled ”Is there life in an egg?” (AV 23 August) are informative as far as the consumption of root vegetables goes. Her statement that in pulling out root vegetables from the ground entails the killing of the whole plant, and that there is more life in onions, garlic, casava, ginger etc which would sprout if planted, is disturbing and has put me off from my favourite pili pili mogo or those spicy batetawada.

No wonder Jains and some other Hindus do not condone eating of root vegetables! They believe that even plants have life, albeit single sensed - that of touch.

However her use of bombastic words like pretentious, pessimism, ossified traditions, ostensible interest, plutocracy, boisterous beliefs, ventriloquist pedicure and more, which seem to have been picked at random, reminds me of Mrs Malaprop in Richard Sheridan’s play “The Rivals” and are lost on lay people who would need to run for their dictionary. The current trend is to use plain English – to write English as we speak and to avoid Pickwickian language. For the uninitiated, Mrs Malaprop was characterised as someone who would use grand words in an inappropriate manner.

Since BJP came to power three months ago, by elections were held recently in four states and they lost seats in all the four states. The Opposition parties including Congress consider it as a disaster for BJP, which is not true. In Bihar RJD-JDU- Congress combination won 6 seats and the BJP 4 seats and in Bihar in some areas Muslims constitute up to 30 per cent of the population.

This time Muslims supported the coalition parties. The same thing has happened in the case of Karnataka where the fight was between Congress and BJP. Janata Dal secular leader Mr Gowda supported Congress. In Punjab Congress won two seats since AAP totally lost the support and same thing will happen in Delhi election also. As in the case of Rajasthan Congress had a strong candidate known to local people and he won by a narrow margin.

The BJP won the election only because of charismatic leader Narendra Modi supported by the hard working BJP workers. Now the party is losing support because of stupid statement made by their leaders as they want publicity. There is no need to talk about Hindustan or Ram Mandir when the party is in power less than 100 days. In order to please Hindi speaking people they dropped English paper altogether in the U.P.S.A examination. There is no need to change the governors appointed by the previous government and most of them happens to be from the South or from Minority community. BJP government should concentrate on development and do more for the poorer states in the North.

Dr H V Kerai Via Email

British Punjabis

The special issue on British Punjabi, is well designed, in attractive format and is comprehensive with complete contents.

Editors deserves all the praise.

The Gujarati-Kutchhis, have lived closely with Punjabis for more than 50 years and must say, as on the cover page it is aptly highlighted, they are Friendly, Faithful and Fierce, I must add to it they are also Fun loving, Foody and NonFussy. To add to the pun, Punjabis are: Productive, Prudent, Positive and Passionate. I would like to mail this special issue to my Punjabi friend.

Wish AV could publish similar enlightening issues on other Indian communities living in the Britain.

Manek M. Sangoi Via Email

Unbelievable human depravity

Reading Sue Reid’s article “The abuse is still going on and now it’s even worse” in Saturday’s Daily Mail filled my heart with sorrow, sadness and anger. How could human beings stoop so low, inflict such pain and humiliation on teenage girls as young as eleven? Bacillus sex exploitation is a curse on humanity. How would they feel if their family members were victims of such depravity? Government rightly came down like ton of bricks on Rolf Harris and their likes, yet compared to what happened in nexus Rotherham, their guilt seem comparatively minuscule.

This is the country that welcomed us with open arms, gave us roof over our head, employment and economic independence, education to our children beyond our wildest dreams? This will provide lethal ammunition to fascist like BNP and EDL who are already demonstrating in Rotherham, fishing in troubled waters. Although most media describes these perverts as of Pakistani background, male femme fatale, I feel sorry for our friends in fringe Muslim communities, Daudi Bhoras, Ismalis, Ahmedias and other minorities who are as loyal and law abiding as any minorities but tarnished with same brush.

It is time government manifest, stop fearing antagonising minorities, being ancillary and bring everyone involved to justice. But with “Dog in the manger” lackadaisical fiduciary politically expedient liberals like Nick Clegg a thorn in

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Michchami Dukadam

Mr. Sheth’s information about annual celebrations, Paryushan and related rites

by Jains is commendable. These celebrations mark eternal tenets that have survived more than 5000 years, grown stronger and will continue to be followed by posterity. The tenets of non-violence, humility, review of past actions and atonement every year, by accepting wrongs is the best way to conquer the inner self. Such a way of life, need no loud publicity, recruitment drive, missionary push, conversion and crusades to swell the numbers. Such tenets shine brilliantly in darkness created by violent world of today.

The Jain teachings also drive home the message that outer self riddled by instinctive, inherent energies can never be conquered, purified or stopped. But righteous way of living by fasting and penance is the only way to cushion the inner self from trauma, contamination and damage caused by upheavals of gross physical matter, composing personal, social, national or global the outer self.

Geetaji has described such state as indifference-“sthitapragna” Sage Patanjali has devised eightfold path “Yoga” to unite self with imperishable higher force instead of perishable, lower self. Conquest of inner self is most harmless because you are me and me is you.

Ramesh Jhalla Via Email coalition government, there will only be Baily bridge response. Vote-bank politics is fast corrupting our politicians.

Subscribe Today Asian Voice in UK for only £27.50 for one year

Bhupendra M Gandhi Via Email

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Arun Vaidyanathan Via Email

PM Modi and his speech

Although India gained independence sixty seven years ago but the British Raj has been exercising a proxy rule through the slavish mentality of most of the politicians and the so-called intellectuals of Indian origin. The proof of such a disgraceful nature, if proof is needed, was the vicious campaign waged from outside India against Modi and in favour of a half-literate foreign woman, a person who is virtually ignorant of what India really is. The main significance of Narendrabhai Modi’s victory is the final end of British Raj in India. He is the first Prime Minister who was born in independent India and his speech was a direct reflection of true patriotism.

This is the first time an Indian Prime Minister has addressed the nation in Hindi, the main Indian language. This is the first time such a speech was translated into eighteen Indian languages and distributed throughout India proving his respect for diversity and plurality that India represents. This is the first time an Indian Prime Minister has addressed his countrymen as ‘Brothers and Sisters’.

The extempore speech is his spontaneous feeling for all Indians, especially for the farmers, the women and the youth. He has started with a number of development projects. There are criticisms that he was not radical enough. The critics will always have something to say. If

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Diwali is now two months away. The New Year is knocking at the door waiting to bring in colours and light to our lives with fervour of joy and ever lasting happiness.

Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar as every year will be publishing the ‘Diwali Special’ Magazine for our fabulous and supportive readers like yourself. This year in the English section, we are doing something special for our young readers. l If you are between 7-25 years of age, write an article in English on 'how you celebrate your Diwali every year' or 'your most memorable Diwali with friends and family' or 'how you celebrate Diwali in your school' in no more than 700 words, along with a suitable photo. l if you an organisation, which has a youth wing or support youth activities, tell us how your young members or youth wing celebrates Diwali in 500-600 words with 2 pictures (in no less than 300dpi).

Last date of entry is Sunday 20 September 2014.

Please email your article to aveditorial@abplgroup.com with your full name, age and contact number.

- Asian Voice

Life in egg?

Kumudini Valambia's (AV 23 Aug, page 10) assertion that we are wrong in thinking that by not eating eggs we are saving life is incorrect.

All egg production systems involve the disposal of unwanted male chicks as they are no use to the industry. Around 30 million chicks are minced alive, gassed, suffocated or their necks are broken every year. Battery cages are arranged in rows of 3-6 tiers inside huge windowless sheds. Unable to fulfil their basic desires such as wing flapping, dust bathing, scratching, pecking, perching and nest building they resort to feather pecking and cannibalism.

To prevent this the hens have their beaks trimmed or de-beaked. Almost 35% of hens die in cages due to bone fragility brought about by getting the them to produce maximum numbers of eggs. After they are unable to lay any more eggs the hens are killed at the age of one year. Almost 27 million hens were killed in England and Wales in 2006. Juat like meat and fish, eggs fall in the category of food that come from massive cruelty.

Nitin Mehta Croydon there is any Indian politician who is most practical it is Shri Modi. The way forward is assured and successful if development is gradual and progressive. He knows this is the right way.

Dr Jatindra Saha Via Email

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EDUCATION/COUNCIL VOICE

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 6th September 2014

COUNCIL NEWS

Labour councillor charged following an alleged assault A Stonebridge Councillor Zaffar Van Kalwala has reportedly been charged with three offences following an incident in Wembley on June 21 this year. He is accused of driving a motor vehicle dangerously, failing to stop after a road accident and attempted wounding with intent. Cllr Van Kalwala won his Labour-strong seat in a by-election in 2007 following the death of Dorman Long.

A school governor at Mitchell Brook Primary School in Bridge Road, Neasden, he stepped down as the co-chair of Brent Youth Parliament earlier this year.

A spokesman for the

Brent Labour Party group told the Harrow Times that Cllr Van Kalwala has been suspended by the London region as a result of the accusations.

He added: “It is an administrative suspension which is standard procedure while any investiga-

tions are taking place into the conduct of a councillor.

“Cllr Van Kalwala is not accused of any guilt and he is innocent until proven otherwise. He remains a Labour party member and remains a councillor.

“He can attend full council meetings but he cannot take part in any Labour Party meeting groups or discussions.”

Cllr Van Kalwala appeared before Hendon Magistrates’ Court where he pleaded not guilty and was given conditional bail.

He will appear at Harrow Crown Court for a plea and directions hearing on October 13.

‘Voices of young people just as important as other residents’ Young people in Harrow are being encouraged to register to vote.

Harrow Council with the support of Harrow Youth Parliament is encouraging young people aged 16 – 24 to register to vote so that they have a chance to have their say on a local and national stage.

The results from the last general election showed that only 44 per cent of 18-24 year-olds voted, compared to 76 per cent of over 65s, making Britain one of the countries with the widest gaps in voter turnout between younger and older people in Europe.

This may be because the majority of young peo-

ple are not currently registered on the electoral roll and therefore are not eligible to vote.

Zak Wagman, Member of UK Youth Parliament for Harrow and Executive Member of Harrow Youth Parliament said: “We welcome this new system which now makes it easier to register to vote and we encourage all young people aged 16 and above to register now so that they don’t miss out on casting their votes. Voting is such an important thing, as it really does control our own futures.

“We know that young people in Harrow want to vote and have their voices heard which was proven at

this year’s Youth Parliament elections where we had the highest voter turnout we’ve had to date.”

Portfolio holder for children, schools and young people, Cllr Simon Brown said: “The voices and concerns of our young people are just as important as other residents.

Harrow Youth Parliament demonstrate our commitment to engage with young people in the decisions and issues which affect their community. As young people think about their future, it is now a perfect time to register to vote so that they are eligible to vote at 18 and have a say on decisions that affect them.”

International recognition for Islington council’s fuel poverty support scheme Islington Council's pioneering Seasonal Health and Affordable Warmth Team has been recognised at an international level for its work in helping thousands of vulnerable residents.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has highlighted it as one of only nine UK beacons of innovation in its ‘Observatory of Public Sector Innovation’ for its efforts to help vulnerable residents deal with severe weather and fuel poverty.

SHINE is a one-stop shop that offers vulnerable residents a package of up to 30 services, ranging from heating and insulation improvements and advice on energy bills, to home safety assessments

and befriending. The services are aimed at reducing winter deaths and hospital admissions through tackling fuel poverty and their many other causes.

The project has been very successful in reaching vulnerable households, with over 2,800 referrals last year alone. Since the service started in 2010, the council has carried out around 30,000 health and wellbeing interventions – with the energy elements of SHINE estimated to have saved vulnerable Islington residents around £800,000 each year.

Residents are referred to SHINE by housing officers, health services and the voluntary sector.

This recognition follows last year’s award for Islington officers winning

the Department of Energy and Climate Control’s National Community Footprint Award and the European Prize for Innovation in Public Administration.

Cllr Claudia Webbe, Islington Council's executive member for environment, said, "by the OECD highlighting this project, we are proud that the successful work our SHINE team does protecting vulnerable residents is being shown to a global audience."

“When times are tough one cannot underestimate the benefits of a single point referral system providing the help and support needed to tackle fuel poverty towards achieving better health and wellbeing outcomes”

11

Afghan refugee who lost his family celebrates GCSE success

A teenager from Southall became the second-best GCSE performer in his college after overcoming a series of challenges. Azrat Bilal, 18, achieved excellent grades despite losing his whole family at a young age. He was forced to leave Afghanistan and had to learn English at the same time as studying for his GCSEs. Azrat arrived in the UK in 2012 with no English – and has now achieved A* grades in

biology and physics, A grades in chemistry and maths, and a C in English.

Azrat said: “When I was a child, I heard my mother say ‘I want my son to be a doctor’ and this has never left my mind. It always gives me a kind of courage and motivation because I want to fulfil what my mum had expected of me.

Ray Ferris, Director of 14-19 Strategy at the college, said: “It is a real privilege to see how far so many of our students have come during their GCSE year.”

Ethnic minorities to outnumber white British in state schools Population trends since 2004 have predicted that ethnic minorities in England will outnumber white British children in state school classrooms within 23 years. A research by Department for Education has reported ethnic minorities will soar by 61 per cent in primary and secondary schools as the number of white Britons drop by 12 per cent. It also suggest increased immigration and falling birth rates will see classroom demographics shift dramatically by 2037.

White British pupils

aged five to 18 are already a minority in many on the UK's major cities, the indigenous population has dropped from 5.4 million pupils to 4.8 million in just ten years - with the most notable changes seen in schools in London and Birmingham.

Meanwhile, the number of pupils from ethnic minorities has risen from 1.14 million to 1.83 million in the same period.

The biggest ethnic-minority group in English schools is of Asian-origin with just under 670,000 pupils. Black British and

white non-British are the next biggest group, with almost 360,000, followed by 320,000 mixed race children in English classrooms.

The figures come a month after a study by UCAS revealed that white teenagers are the least likely group to apply to university after being overtaken by black pupils.

The findings will focus fresh attention on underachievement among white working-class pupils, who are fast falling to the bottom of the educational heap.

Starting school: what every parent should know Given that the national curriculum was created by the 1988 Education Reform Act and first used in schools in 1989, the fact that no one has written a parents’ guide to it before is puzzling. Authors Toby Young and Miranda Thomas aim to demystify the curriculum, and help parents of primary schoolchildren understand what’s being taught in the classroom and what they can do at home to help.

Below are just the core issues that the authors have covered and more can be found in their book ‘What Every Parent Needs to Know: How to Help Your Child Get the Most Out of Primary School’.

Ages 3-4: Before school starts 1. They should be “toilettrained”, i.e. able to go to the lavatory by themselves, wipe their own bottom and wash their hands afterwards.

2. Make sure they can get undressed and dressed by themselves.

3. They should be able to recognise their own names.

4. Given that they’ll be

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embarking on a phonics reading programme almost immediately, it’s helpful if your child is already familiar with the alphabet, maths and the numbers one to 20.

5. Your child should be able to sit still for up to 40 minutes – or at least remain seated in one place.

Ages 4-7: Reception and Key Stage 1 1. The most important thing you can do at home when your child is in Reception is to read aloud to them.

2. One of the key characteristics of the new national curriculum will be the inclusion of computer programming from the first year of primary school.

Ages 7-11: Key Stage Two 1. History: Google Earth has an 'Ancient Rome’ layer. Under 'Gallery’, tick the 'Ancient Rome layer’ box and it then appears in your 'Places’ list.

2.

Geography: The Ordnance Survey website has 104 'Map Symbol Flashcards’ to print out, half of which are the symbols for things such as 'Quarry’, 'Site of Battle’ and 'Public Convenience’ and the other half the descriptions of what the symbols stand for.

3. Maths: Tell your child they can spend, say, 25 per cent of their pocket money on sweets, but only if they can tell you how much that is.

4. Science: Try an experiment to see if adding salt changes the temperature at which water boils.

5. English: Subscribe to an English newspaper for children. The authors like First News, which comes out once a week and gets children used to the idea of an actual newspaper.

Our children love receiving post that’s addressed to them personally – an increasingly rare event.

12

MEDIA WATCH

Sir Richard Attenborough, actor, director, author and larger-than-life figure, a towering influence in postwar British cinema, died in London, age 90. His role as a 23 year-old in Brighton Rock in 1947 was the start of a glittering screen career, but it was his film. Gandhi, that won him rhapsodic acclaim around the world.

Gandhi won a record eight Oscars out of a possible 12, and was arguably Sir Richard’s greatest achievement as a director. If the film was an epic, so was its making which took 20 arduous years, before its public release in 1983. A sceptic, initially, on its viability, he was transformed by a reading of the Mahatma’s life, then threw himself into the project heart and soul. As no producer would touch it, Sir Richard mortgaged his home and raised 22 million pounds; the Indian government, with then prime minister Indira Gandhi’s prompting, made a decisive financial contribution, which brought an unstoppable momentum to the completion of the film. There were glitches on the way, including opposition from the lugubriously self-righteous Morarji Desai who saw himself as keeper of the sacred flame. A group of other high-profile envious celebrities moved the Bombay High Court in support of a ban, but the case was, mercifully, thrown out. The premiere of Gandhi was held in New Delhi to a packed audience. The entire cast, British and Indian, director, back-up staff and all were present. Nobody was quite sure about the reception. They needn’t have worried: following a few tense seconds, the swelling applause went on and on. Relief and joy were writ large every face involved in the production of Gandhi.

It was an unforgettable experience, said one of the British actors. The triumphant end had more than justified the means of love, of unswerving dedication to a cause, including a great scriptwriter and the revelation of a remarkable talent in Ben Kingsley – both winning an Oscar each.

Attenborough’s Journey Richard Attenborough wrote a riveting book on the making of Gandhi. He approached Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last

and his abiding association with Gandhi. While on the subject of his India connection, Sir Richard had played James Outram in Satyajit Ray’s cinematic masterpiece Shatranji Ki Khiladi [The Chess Players], which appeared a few years after Gandhi. The

A Scene from Attenborough’s famous film Gandhi

British Viceroy in India, who interacted closely with Gandhi during the last days of the Raj. Lord Louis put him onto Jawaharlal Nehru. Attenborough vividly recalled his meeting with the Indian prime minister at his office in New Delhi. They were closeted for an entire afternoon, stretched out on the floor looking at old photographs of the Mahatma and talking about his extraordinary life, as they did so.

The PM’s secretary came and went, as Nehru’s appointments were put on hold. It was an experience etched deeply into the Attenborough mind. It was cloned to the outcome – the film itself.

On Attenborough

The Indian media were unstinting in their coverage of Sir Richard’s rise to stardom,

most eye-catching of the many pieces on Attenborough, Amit Roy’s portrayal in The Telegraph (August 26). The man’s warmth, his attention to detail, his endearing habit to address all and sundry, even men as “darling.” He had no enemies, that anyone could recall. He fought for good causes. Sir Richad leaves behind his actress wife Sheila Sim, 92, whom he married at 21, a son, Michael and daughter Charlotte. A second daughter, Jane, and a grandchild, were tragically swept to their deaths, while holidaying, in a tsunami. Sir Richard’s brother, David Attenborough, is a national icon, with his much loved television series on nature and evolution. Richard Attenborough’s memory will surely live on. He enriched all those who were privileged to know and admire him.

Whence comes another?

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 6th September 2014

could well open a can of worms.

This BJP hobbyhorse has little to commend it. Why not keep faith with the three-language formula of Hindi, English and the regional language as acceptable modes of communication? If the truth be told the Hindi belt is India’s most backward, economically, socially and culturally. It has a lot of catching up to do.

Modi’s 100 days Narendra Modi’s first hundred years as India’s prime minister were crowned with the welcome news that the country had

Jewish Centre reopens

Chabad House, Mumbai’s landmark Jewish centre reopened last week. It was subjected to a brutal attack on November 26, 2008 by a posse of jihadi terrorists from Pakistan,

Narendra Modi greeted by Shinzo Abe in Kyoto

registered an impressive 5.7 per cent in the first quarter fiscal (April-June 2014), the highest rise in 10 quarters (over two years) and the clearest signal that the economy was back on track. Much will depend, hereon, on the monsoon. Good farm figures will boost rural incomes and lift the economy. Factory output has increased 3.5 per cent, giving hope of a permanent economic recovery. The Prime Minister said things had stabilized, which should help him during his visit to Japan, where he will be meeting with investors eyeing the Indian market. Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram claimed, with some justice, that the platform for recovery had been laid by the previous Congress-led UPA regime, which left office in May (Hindu, Telegraph, Mint, Times of India et al August 30).

Bihar, Karnataka polls wake-up call for BJP

The Bihar Assembly polls have resulted in an emphatic victory for a coalition of the JD(U), led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, former chief minister’s Laloo Prasad’s RJD grouping and the Congress party, which was routed in the recent general elections, is a reminder to the BJP government in Delhi that complacency can be perilous in politics, as in other things. Nitish Kumar referred to the BJP’s thunderous victory in Bihar in the national polls, which made his coalition’s victory so soon after that event, a notable achievement, accepting that the issues here were local rather than national. Down south in Karnataka, Congress Chief Minister Siddaramaiah received a considerable boost with two victories in three by-elections (Hindu, August 26). The perceived imposition of Hindi in the south and Bengal, for instance,

who set sail from Karachi and l came ashore off Mumbai, which they then proceeded to attack.

Their handlers back home instructed their charges to make Chabad House their first target on the ground that the destruction of Jewish lives and property

Chabad Jewish Centre reopens in Mumbai

would earn them extra brownie points in Islam’s paradise and the route to it would thus be easier. The thugs did what they were told: the young Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka and two guest Rabbis were shot dead.

Their baby son Moshe survived, thanks to their Indian nanny

8 years, lives in Afula, Israel, with his grandparents – Rivka’s parents – Shimon and Yehudit Rosenberg. In Mumbai, young Moshe’s paternal grandparents, Rabbi Nachman and Frieda Holtzberg, were present when the restored site was thrown open by the Chabad-Lubavitch, Jewish group.

Five-storey Chabad House includes a synagogue, restaurant, culture hall and living quarters for permanent residents and visiting guests. The eight bullet marks on the walls are to be preserved in the new premises. The full restoration is work in progress (Telegraph et al August 27)

Fallen heroes

For grieving widow Indhu Rebecca Varghese, “there lived a man who never feigned to be a hero.” It was a tribute to her Chennai-born husband Major Mukund Varadrajan, who died fighting a jihadi unit in the south Kashmir district of Shopian last April. Major Varadrajan, 30, also leaves behind a wife, a daughter of three, Ashrea. He was posthumously awarded the Asoka Chakra, his colleague Haryanaborn Sepoy Vikram Singh, who killed in same encounter was awarded Shaurya Chakra. He leaves behind a wife Sushila, and a son Abhishek (Telegraph August 15)

Akash missiles for Arunachal Pradesh

Six squadrons of India’s surface-to-air Akash missiles with a range of 25 kilometres are being installed in Arunachal Pradesh, the mountain state in North East India. Two squadrons are already in operation in Pune and Gwalior (in west and central India) in proximity with Indian Air Force (IAF) bases holding squadrons of the country’s most lethal warplane, the Sukhoi 30MKI. These aircraft will also operate from Tezpur and Chuabar bases in northern Assam near India’s eastern border with China, and also from the Bareilly air base in the north west of the country. The Akash missile was designed by scientists and engineers at the Defence Research & Development Organization (DRRDO) and have been manufactured by Bharat Dynamics, a public sector company. India’s defences in Arunachal Pradesh, territory which China claims, is being strengthened through better infrastructure and weaponry.

India’s is raising a new Army

Akash missile

Sandra Samuel who sneaked out of the building cradling the twoyear old child, who now, nearing

XVII Mountain Strike Corp consisting 90,000 troops (Times of India August 22)

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 6th September 2014

13

19th Anniversary Celebrations of BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London

India/Japan and EU/Nato Vs the Rest Narendra Modi in Japan, and President Obama in the Baltics for Nato. I write to you having returned from India and I was in Riga, Latvia in the Baltics; a Nato member, former Soviet territory bordering Russia, earlier this year.

How must it feel for Russians from the North in the Baltic Sea to the south in the Crimean Black Sea to be encircled by Nato and the EU? Crimea, where the British and French in 1850 defeated the Russians with the famous charge of the light brigade that reputedly so frightened the Russian troops that the British ended up behind Russian enemy lines, before the French could catch up. So it was legends and reputations of whole nations were built.

The Crimea where during the Second World War the leaders of Britain, Russia and America met to divide Europe. Here where Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt decided how the Great Powers will decide the fate of Europe – so they convene again.

To me the solution is simple. Russia fears encirclement by the West. (China fearing the same in Asia supports Russia.

India shrewdly meets Japan to let the Chinese know encirclement works both ways.)

Russia also wants to maintain its Black Sea naval base in Crimea where so

many Russians are based.

So as with the Cuban missile crisis, the solution should be quid quo pro between the great powers – Crimea goes to Russia, on condition Russia does not prevent Ukraine entering the EU and Nato. (During the Cuban missile crisis it was that Russians remove their missiles from Cuba, and America secretly agreed to remove its missiles from Turkey).

India, with a renewed ally in Japan has made a very shrewd calculation to bypass Russia and China and the small tiger economies and say to Japan, ‘we are your natural ally’. As your interests lie, as a democracy, as a buffer to China, as an antidote to unreliable Russia, as an ally to America, but in our hemisphere, so Indian interests lie. What Japan did in manufacturing after World War 2, is exactly what India wants to replicate, hence the visit to Japan – Japan who is geographically isolated – but no more.

By allying with Japan, India makes herself even more obviously important to Americans who just don’t get why a democracy below Russian, bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan and next to China is their best friend in the world.

Alpesh Patel www.PoliticalAnimal.me

Pioneering initiative to find talented Asian footballers in the UK Global financial trading company TradeNext have launched their Search For An Asian Football Star initiative to discover talented young Asian footballers in the UK. Search For An Asian Football Star (SFAAFS) will offer more than 500

young Asian footballers the chance to showcase their skills in FREE, hourlong training sessions, led

by FA-qualified coaches.

After a series of training and skills sessions at Powerleague centres, the most promising 32 players will be invited to compete

for the ultimate prize – a week at the ‘TradeNext FootballCV Academy’: www.footballcv.com The winner’s week will include a training session at St George’s Park, the Football Association’s state-of-the-art Home of Football Learning.

From its inauguration by Pramukh Swami Maharaj in August 1995, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London (popularly recognised as the ‘Neasden Temple’) has provided worshippers, visitors and local residents with a profound sense of spirituality, community, peace and inspiration. This spirit of reverence and service to society was celebrated on Saturday 16 August 2014 and again in the presence of Sadguru Pujya Kothari Swami (Bhaktipriya Swami), a senior sadhu visiting from India, on Wednesday 20 August 2014.

The evening programme on Saturday was themed around Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s previous visits to London and began with a video montage rekindling fond memories of the opening in 1995 as well as His Holiness’s visits to the Mandir thereafter.

Sadhus spoke about the spirit of service which the Mandir has fostered and shared inspiring incidents with Pramukh Swami Maharaj in London from previous years, encouraging devotees to strengthen their deep spiritual relationTradeNext Chief Executive Mohsin Jameel said: “Our Search For An Asian Football Star initiative represents TradeNext’s corporate goals and objectives, which is to support aspiring talent in the British

ship with him.

Satyavrat Swami concluded by elucidating upon the invaluable role of mandirs in society and highlighting specific personal observances that a mandir fosters which help one progress on the spiritual path.

The ‘patotsav’ ceremony marking the anniversary of the Mandir’s opening and the calendric day that its murtis were first infused with the divine presence of God was marked with further devotion on Wednesday 20 August 2014.

The festivities included a mahapuja praising God and seeking his blessings, and the ritual bathing of the murti of Nilkanth Varni by devotees and visitors in the afternoon. A variety of sweet and savoury dishes were also artistically Asian community. The UK is home to more than three million people of South Asian origin. As a community they have contributed highly to various sectors.

However, in the field of football, there remains a distance. TradeNext aims

arranged before the deities in the main shrines as an offering of thanksgiving. This was followed by the evening assembly, in the presence of Kothari Swami.

The evening programme began with the traditional welcoming of Kothari Swami and other visiting sadhus. After devotional singing, a discourse by Gnanpurush Swami highlighted the positive impact the Mandir has had on the lives of individuals and families over the previous 19 years.

The programme culminated with the keynote address of Kothari Swami. He placed particular emphasis on the spirit of devotion that the Mandir has inspired, and shared several inspiring incidents from the devotional life of Pramukh Swami Maharaj. to bridge this gap and showcase future talent.”

The SFAAFS training sessions kick off at Wembley Powerleague, Royal Route, London HA9 0WS, on Saturday September 13 – starting at 10.00am.

Celebrating the 125th birth anniversary of Sarat Chandra Bose On Saturday 6th September we will be commemorating the birth anniversary of Sarat Chandra Bose who was the last leader of Opposition and of the Congress Parliamentary Party in the Central Legislative Assembly in India in 1946. Bose an untiring opponent of the partition, was also an integral member of the Congress working committee and the party's highest decision making body.

His continuous attempts to keep the state of Bengal undivided unfortunately went in vain. The media fondly

called him “Churchill of India” for his cigar smoking habit, oratorical skills and his appearance that resembled the former British Prime Minister.

Adding to the accolades of achievements Bose was the founder of a daily newspaper called The Nation, whose first London correspondent was Shirley Williams.

There are many books written on this political supreme. Among the best are “Brothers Against the Raj” by Professor Leonard Gordon. Bose's private secretary, devoted more than 100 pages to his employer in Thy Hand Great Anarch. In protest

against the partition he resigned from the Nehru government. However, he died prematurely of a heart attack in1950 leaving India deprived of a politician that could have

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Renowned Actor and Director, noted for his film Gandhi, dies Richard Attenborough, renowned British actor and film director, passed away on Sunday 24 August at the age of 90.

His son Michael confirmed that he died at lunchtime on Sunday, just five days away from his 91st birthday. He was one of Britain's leading actors, before becoming a highly successful director.

The director appeared in films including Brighton Rock, World War Two thriller The Great Escape and later in dinosaur blockbuster Jurassic Park.

However, he is renowned for his production of the 1982 Oscar best picture “Gandhi”.

The film won eight Oscars, including two for Attenborough as best director and for producing the best picture.

Attenborough detailed his struggle to make the film in a book, “In Search of Gandhi,” published in 1982.

Lord Attenborough, who was born in Cambridge, was the older brother of Sir David Attenborough, the naturalist and broadcaster, and John Attenborough, who was an executive at

Alfa Romeo before his death in 2012. He was well known within his wide circle of friends for his anecdotes and words of wisdom.

Lord Attenborough was given a knighthood in 1976. In 1993 he became a life peer as Baron Attenborough of Richmond Upon Thames, accepting the Labour whip.

The renowned actor who was also a long-serving president of Bafta met his wife Sheila Sim, a fellow actress, when they were students at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) in London and co-starred in a play, The Lady With The Lamp. They married in 1945 and went on to have

three children together: a son Michael, who became a theatre director, Jane and Charlotte, 54, an actress.

During his 60-year career, he gathered 74 acting credits after appearing in 1942 war film In Which We Serve, directed by Noel Coward.

After news of his death was announced on Sunday evening, tributes flooded in for the silver screen star.

Prime Minister David Cameron reportedly said he 'was one of the greats of cinema'.

Others expressing their love for Lord Attenborough included Ben Kingsley, who shot to superstardom after his performance as Mahatma Gandhi. He said: ‘He placed in me an absolute trust and in turn I placed an absolute trust in him and grew to love him. I along with millions of others whom he touched through his life and work will miss him dearly.’

Sir Roger Moore, an old friend of the star, tweeted: ‘Greatly saddened to hear the great Richard Attenborough has left us. Such a wonderful and talented man.’

'Empire Debate' in London to mark 400 years of India-UK relationship

Shahi Tharoor

William Dalrymple

Keith Vaz, MP

Nelofar Bakhtyar

a Commercial Treaty and Environment Program Former Indian Foreign obtain security assurances inquiry into the Design of Office Minister Shashi on behalf of the burgeona Sustainable Financial Tharoor and best-selling ing East India Company.

System. Under discussion author and historian Emperor Jahangir was will be the motion 'The William Dalrymple will so pleased with the Treaty Indian sub-continent benjoin in a unique debate that he is said to have efited more than it lost marking the 400th written James I with barefrom the experience of anniversary of the beginly concealed enthusiasm: British Colonialism'. ning of formal relations "For confirmation of between India and our love and friendGreat Britain. ship, I desire your Dalrymple, one of Majesty to comthe world's pre-emimand your mernent experts on chants to bring in India, and fellow their ships of all author and columnist sorts of rarities and Tharoor will be rich goods fit for my joined by several Kwasi Kwarteng palace; and that you Martin Bell other distinguished be pleased to send me During the three-hour public figures during the your royal letters by every session the distinguished 'Empire Debate', to be held opportunity, that I may panel will aim to explore at the UK Supreme Court rejoice in your health and the legacy of colonisation, in London on Thursday prosperous affairs; that not only in India proper 18th September. our friendship may be but in those nations Chaired by Keith Vaz, interchanged and eternal" carved out of sub-contiMP for Leicester East and Incidentally, 1614 also nent in the 20th century. chair of the Parliamentary saw the arrival in London The debate is part of Home Affairs Select of the first Indian man to events marking the beginCommittee, the debate set foot in Britain: an ning of formal relations will also feature Nelofar unnamed worker from between India and Great Bakhtyar, Arts Editor of Surat who was brought Britain in 1614 when King Newsweek Pakistan; over in an East India James I dispatched Sir Martin Bell, former Company vessel by a Thomas Roe as British politician and BBC Company chaplain and Ambassador to the court war correspondent; Kwasi who was promptly chrisof Mughal Emperor Kwarteng, MP and tened 'Peter' by King Jahangir. author; and Nick Robins, James.

Sir Thomas had been author and co-director of The Empire Debate is sent to Agra to arrange for the United Nations

Bob Blackman praises HSS activities

By Jeel Shah

Bob Blackman, MP for Harrow East and Chairperson of All Party Parliamentary Group for British Hindus praised the Youth Leadership Training and character building activities of HSS UK while addressing over 800 packed audience at the concluding function of the Sangh Shiksha Varg (SSV), a 9 Day residential youth leadership training course on Sunday 3 August 2014.

The Course is an annual event of HSS which was held at the Roundwood Park School in H a r p e n d e n .

Hertfordshire.

In a short but inspiring speech, Bob said “Far too many myths have been allowed to develop about what HSS does which needs to be dispelled. This is not my first visit to HSS summer camp. My first visit was in 1992 in Leicester. I saw there what I see here now. Young people learning the benefits not only of physical education, not only of mental education but also learning as individuals and as part of a team.”

Praising HSS, he said “We should dispel myths that have grown about HSS. Such stories that it is a paramilitary organisation, that it trains people to hate other people need to be challenged. What you see is that it trains people to be physically fit and who would think that is a bad thing. It trains young people with mental education as well and teaches meditation. It enshrines core values of Hinduism which is to create a peaceful world. Who would think that is a bad thing? Being peaceful is the core value of Hinduism and to maintain peace one needs to be vigilant.”

Diversity of participants

Leadership, teamwork and discipline are just three of many important qualities that 110 boys (Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh UK) and 53 girls (Hindu Sevika Samiti UK) developed over the nine day leadership training course.

The attendees came

Dr Kusoom Vadgama

from 41 towns in the UK and represented 14 states of India which shows the diverse reach HSS has across the community.

The course was an educational arena which instigated complete character development through the practice of physical and intellectual activities.

Each morning the participants arose at 6 am and began their day with prayers and physical activities such as Yoga to calm the mind and wake up the body. Later during the day participants engaged in intellectual activities in form of discussions, role-plays, and lectures, designed to increased their knowledge and understanding of the Hindu Dharma.

The participants also chose one physical and one intellectual subject to master over the nine days in focused workshops.

Of the many intellectual subjects on offer popular ones were Public Speaking, History of Hinduism and Mahabharata.

The most oversubscribed physical activities were Music and Niyudh (Indian Martial Art).

These focused workshops developed self control, confidence and knowledge of the participants to aid them in becoming better leaders.

The day would end with a special night time activity in form of team building exercises, roleplays or a singing competition. This let the participants wind down after a packed day but still developed many soft skills helpful in the society and workplace.

Training future leaders

The training course was run by 34 full time instructors who facilitated all the physical and intellectual training.

King James I

one of a series of events organised by 'Project 400', an initiative by the IndoBritish Heritage Trust which helps promote social, political and cultural ties between the two nations.

There were 72 fulltime and part-time volunteers who took charge of all behind the scene logistics to make sure the facilities were kept clean, food was cooked and site was secure. Over the 9 days, the course consumed 10,000 rotis (chapattis) kindly donated by 200 local families across North London and Hertfordshire. Over 70 pints of milk and 22 loaves of bread were used every day as part of 5 meals served to the attendees from sunrise to sunset.

The last day of the course was a public function known as Samarop where participants would showcase their talents in front of their parents and guests. They performed arts of Yogasana, Niyudh (martial art) in front of over 800 guests.

The chief guest Rt Hon Bob Blackman MP for Harrow East, delivered an inspiring speech which emphasised on the contribution of Sewa, Hindu Dharma and young leaders to the mainstream life of UK. The Samarop ended with Nilesh Solanki (2014 Course Leader & Head of PR for HSS UK) delivering a powerful, inspiring and bold speech consisting of personal anecdotes addressing religious conversion, grooming and other challenges faced by Hindus in the UK. The nine day training course created future leaders in the workspace, society and more importantly the Hindu Samaj.

The theme of universal peace and oneness echoed throughout to inspire future leaders who would benefit the communities and embrace the world as one family.

Hindu Swyamsevak Sangh’s motto is “we achieve by our own efforts”. This shows the dedication of all the instructors and volunteers who took time out of their personal lives to create an inspiring course to invest for the future of our world, taking the meaning of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The world is one family into a new dimension.

Sir Thomas Roe

Dr Kusoom Vadgama, founder of IBHT, said:"Project 400 is a monument to the 400 year old Indo-British relationship.

It is also an opportunity to put on record the much neglected history of India

Mughal Emperor Jahangir

in Britain to the same level of detail as that of the history of the British in India.

History of the British Empire is not complete without the history of the people of the Empire in Britain.”

UK

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EXCLUSIVE

Rani Mukerji: “I think it’s time for censor board to re-evaluate their decision”

Shefali Saxena Mirroring the real and contemporary face of crimes against young women in India, YRF’s latest release Mardaani has been winning accolades worldwide. Asian Voice reviewed Mardaani and brings you an exclusive interview with Rani who interacted with the media post the release of the film.

Mardaani isn’t just another film adding to the criminal film clichés.

Although it is predictable in terms of Bollywood criminal investigations narratives, its empowering element is what makes powerful enough to alarm the audiences, highlighting how such incidents are just a matter of one moment’s bad timing.

Mardaani revolves around Pyari, a young flower seller living in a shelter home. She goes missing, falling into the trap of an organized trafficking gang in India. “It’s very brave of her (the actress) parents to let her do a character like this. To have played such a role at this age with maturity and finesse is amazing,” confessed Rani.

Besides projecting an immensely empowered woman like Shivani Shivaji Roy, Mardaani also exemplifies the ‘modern Indian husband’, the

character of Dr. Bikram Roy (Jisshu Sengupta) which is a rare sight on celluloid in India.

“I think today’s men are hugely supportive of their working wives,” said Rani.

The most imperative point on which Mardaani strikes the right chord with the audiences is the way it is filmed. Writer Gopi Puthran’s vision is outstandingly showcased

by Polish cinematographer Artur Zurawski who has aesthetically transformed extremely sensitive scenes, described as an ‘asset’ for the movie by Rani.

Matching up to an ace actress like Rani Mukherji in the same frame, newbie Tahir Raj Bhasin (Karan Rastogi) who plays the ruthless gangster in the child trafficking racket, has delivered an outstanding performance. Rani seemed impressed over sharing screen space with him, “That’s something for us

actors to learn because when I came in I was trying to grow and I was trying to see what I was good at. Today the actors are quite particular and they know how to do their scenes. It’s amazing to work with such good actors.”

Rani feels that the A certificate of the film is acting as a hindrance to spread the real message of Mardaani, “I think it’s time for censor board to re-evaluate their decision.

Chief Ministers of states are coming out and declaring it tax free speaks a lot about the movie. That is the victory of the film and that is something I will cherish for my life.”

She further added, “We are trying to appeal for a U certificate and we will seek help from the Chief Minister. If a country like England can certify it as with a 12 plus U certificate, I think India, where the film is made and children should be able to watch it is being deprived of the film.”

It will be interesting to see if Director Pradeep Sarkar comes up with a sequel to Mardaani. On this Rani said, “We will definitely think about it and see if there’s another mission that Shivani can go on to.”

Arijit Singh performing at a smashing concert in the O2 on Friday 29 August 2014.

Photo courtesy: Raj D Bakrania, Prmediapix

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Cherie Blair Foundation for Women Empowering women, driving growth The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women operates in 70 countries around the world, helping women to build their confidence, capability and access to capital to become successful entrepreneurs and business owners. We believe that women’s economic empowerment is key to their full participation in their societies.

Our Approach

Our focus is exclusively on women entrepreneurs who are already running micro to small businesses or have business potential, but are struggling to maintain their position or expand. The Foundation consists of three programmes that provide sustainable solutions and targeted support to these entrepreneurs: The Enterprise D e v e l o p m e n t Programme: helps to address the many challenges faced by women entrepreneurs by providing business training, enhancing access to financial services and links to new markets.

The Mentoring Women in Business Programme: matches women entrepreneurs with mentors based on the needs of the mentees and the interest and expertise of the mentors.

Mentor-mentee pairs spend 12 months together working one-onone to help mentees reach their business goals.

The Mobile Technology Programme: uses mobile technology and services to deliver business-specific education and econom-

ic opportunities for women entrepreneurs.

Our Programmes

From a spice seller in India to a poultry farmer in Nigeria, our programmes reach a diverse group of women across the globe.

We are introducing new projects and scaling up programmes on the basis of our previous successes. For example in Rwanda, we are partnering with Accenture to provide skill-building courses and mobile loans to over 15,000 women entrepreneurs.

And we are working

with the Vodafone Foundation in India to train 2,500 women entrepreneurs in India on using a mobile application to increase their sales. We are proud of our ability to continue to support and reach out to women entrepreneurs across the globe.

Our Impact

The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women has now been active for five years, and in that time we have reached over 100,000 women.

Some of the highlights include: - Over 1000 women mentored via the internet as part of our Mentoring Women in Business Programme 84% of them were able to access new markets as part of this programme.

- 870 mobile money

agents trained in Rwanda, Ghana and Tanzania in a project with United States Agency for I n t e r n a t i o n a l Development to grow the role of women in the mobile money value chain.

- 2,200 women were provided with business incubation and training in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

- 100,000 women entrepreneurs received business training ‘hints and tips’ through their mobile phones, in a ground breaking project in Nigeria, Indonesia and Tanzania.

- Over 1000 rural workers in India supported by the development of a m o b i l e application, saving them the equivalent of three month’s travel over the course of the year.

Additionally, we have produced ground-breaking research on the importance of mobile technology for women. In 2010 we published, with GSMA, Women & Mobile: A Global Opportunity, quantifying the gender gap in mobile technology across developing countries, and in 2012 the Mobile Value Added Services: A Business Growth Opportunity for Women publication looked at how best to use mobile technology to help women entrepreneurs.

The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women is proud to be charity of the year at the Asian Achievers Awards and we look forward to the evening.

So Much for the Love of Food - Reviewing ‘The Hundred Foot Journey’

Charusmita

A film about the journey of life, love and passion for culinary experiences is bound to arouse curiosity amongst cinema lovers.

‘The Hundred Foot Journey’ manages to tempt you with its impressive star cast, cross-cultural Indo-French images and enticing visuals of food flavours which are almost tangible to our gastronomic senses. So much for the love of food!

Placed at the core of the film is the story of Hassan Kadam (portrayed

by Manish Dayal) who, along with his family, has to leave home in India after their house is set on fire by rioters and the fire kills his mother. The family halts in South France and decide to do what they are sure of succeeding atopening a restaurant.

Little do they know that their Indian dream of culinary acclaim is laden with

obstacles, courtesy of Madame Mallory (played by the Academy award winner Helen Miller), owner of a classical French restaurant just 100 feet across the street. The Kadam family is headed by ‘Papaji’ (Indian National Award winner Om Puri) and upon his insistence, the family open an Indian eating joint called ‘Maison Mumbai’, much to the dismay of Madame Mallory and thus, a cold war ensues between the two.

Meanwhile, a deep romantic relationship brews between Hassan and the sous chef of Madame Mallory’s restaurant, Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon), who had initially helped the Kadam family settle in the French village of SaintAntonin-Noble-Val. The first half of the film is about how the differences of the two owners leads to an all out war and eventually after an incident of

hate-crime against the Kadams, Madame Mallory softens, realises that Hassan is a culinary ingenious and after initial reluctance from ‘papa’, takes him under her wings. What follows is a journey of Hassan Kadam from boyhood to becoming a man. A thousand miles to find what you love, a few moments to realise that you’ve left it all behind. Will he return to the people, place and food he truly loves? Or will he continue his journey of culinary innovation in the city of Paris?

This comedy-drama maintains a safe balance between Indian and French culture which is generally lopsided in indie or crossover films. Manish Dayal’s performance as the naïve boy Hassan is a performance to watch out for. But the chemistry shared by Puri and Mirren

takes the cake. Noted Bollywood actress Juhi Chawla makes a guest appearance in the role of Hassan’s endearing mother from who he inherits

Farzana Dua Elahe

the love of cooking.

Although the film’s running time was 155 minutes but felt longer. The larger than life story was intended to be inspirational and aspirational but being full of clichés, it failed to bring

to life unexplored element of resonance with the audience. Having said that, ‘The Hundred Foot Journey’ is highly recommended for people who enjoy the feel-good factor in films along with stunning landscape visuals and don’t mind a predictable plot.

Mahira (played by Farzana Dua Elahe), the eldest daughter in the Kadam family had one of the central character in the film’s story- hers was the only sane voice, a balanced perspective of a caring daughter who wanted to keep her father’s dream intact without compromising on the aspirations of her brothers. Om Puri, who plays her father in the film, inspired Farzana tremendously and she remembers him fondly as being extremely humble despite being one of the most admired actors in the

Indian film industry. She herself related closely to the character of Hassan in the film- an ambitious young person who knows what he wants from life and whose passion drives him in life. Given a chance, Farzana would love to work in Bollywood, “I’ve grown up watching Bollywood films and any opportunity that comes my way would be a thrilling experience”, she adds. We know from the film how much her character Mahira loves cooking, but what about her real life? “I enjoy cooking as a group activity with friends, family or partner but that’s about it. The film certainly has inspired me to try Indian cooking now”, she quips. And what does Farzana have to say to the foreign restaurateurs based in the UK? “Stay true to your flavour and style, believe in your dreams and the rest will follow!”

16

MODI’S JAPAN VISIT

PM offers prayers at ancient Buddhist temples in Kyoto

Modi in conversation with the head priest of the Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) Temple

Kyoto: On the second day of his Japan tour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited two prominent ancient Buddhist temples here - Toji and Kinkakuji offering prayers and mingling with the common people and tourists.

The dress-conscious Modi was attired in allwhite kurta pyjama, sleeveless jacket and white sandals when he visited the temples, apparently to send out a message of solemnness of the occasion.

In Kinkakuji, the Prime Minister mingled with tourists and visitors, shook hands, pulled ears of a child and posed for

photographs with groups of people. He began his day with a visit to the ancient Toji Temple, which is inspired by the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh of Hindu philosophy. He was accompanied by his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe when he went around the famous temple which is a Unesco world heritage site.

Modi was at the temple complex for about half an hour during which he enquired about the history of the eighth-century Buddhist pagoda. Chief monk Mori took the Prime Minister around the complex having wooden temple including the five-sto-

ried main pagoda.

"I am Modi, you are Mori," he told the chief priest Yasu Nagamori jokingly after reading name on his Identity card.

The main pagoda stands 57 meters tall, making it the tallest pagoda in Japan, and has become a symbol of both the temple and Kyoto as it can be seen from many places across the city.

While leaving the complex, Modi thanked Abe for accompanying him to the temple and spending time with him. Abe, on his part, told Modi that this was only the second time that he had visited Toji temple, the last being during his student days.

The Japanese Prime Minister had specially come here from Tokyo to meet Modi and be with him.

Monk Hasi, who also accompanied Modi at Toji temple, said: "We are happy that the Prime Minister visited us. It is a matter of pride for our temple. He has a big heart".

Earlier, a number of Indians carrying the Tricolour had gathered at the temple to see Modi, who went and shook hands with the excited crowd.

'Expansionist' tendencies deplored

Tokyo: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday deplored the "expansionist" tendency among some countries which "encroach" upon seas of others, in oblique comments against China which is having a maritime dispute with Japan.

He did not name any country but the comments may be seen as targeting China which is engaged in territorial disputes with a number of its neighbours, including India, Japan and some others including Vietnam.

India and China share over 4,000 km of Line of Actual Control. China claims approximately 90,000 sq km of territory in Arunachal Pradesh besides 38,000 sq km in Jammu & Kashmir.

Also, relations

Modi and Abe hosts a Tea ceremony as a special gesture for the Prime Minister oil and gas deposits. between Japan and China Brunei, Malaysia, have been tense over Vietnam, the Philippines island disputes in the East and Taiwan also lay claim China Sea and exploitato parts of the sea. tion of undersea gas Modi underlined the deposits in the area. need for closer and deeper China claims 90 per cooperation between cent of the South China India and Japan.

Sea, believed to contain

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Tokyo: Holding that the environment of "disappointment" was over, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday invited Japanese businesses to join India's developmental efforts with a promise of non-discriminatory and speedy clearances and announced setting up of a special management team under PMO to facilitate business from Japan.

Addressing top business leaders of Japan and India here, Modi flagged the recent decisions to liberalize FDI policy in the railways, defence and insurance and said rules and laws are being changed in India which would show results in the near future.

Modi, who has enjoyed immense reputation in Japan as then Gujarat chief minister in terms of ensuring the state's progress, said India wants to emulate Japan in terms of quality, zero defect and delivery systems while carrying out skill development.

He underlined the need for closer and deeper cooperation between Japan and India to champion the cause

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the J

of global "vikas vaad (development) instead of vistar vaad (expansionism)".

"We have to decide if we want to have 'vikas vaad' or 'vistar vaad' which leads to disintegration. Those who follow the path of Buddha and have faith on 'vikas

vaad', they develop. But we see, those having ideas of the 18th century, engage in encroachments and enter seas (of others)," he said in comments that may be seen as targeting China which is having conflict over South China Sea with some neigh-

Japan cooperation, Tokyo will help India in providing financial, technical and operational support to introduce Bullet trains, a project that Modi has been actively pursuing.

On the civil nuclear deal, which was expected to be finalised during the visit, Abe said they have directed the officials to accelerate negotiations for early conclusion of

an agreement to strengthen partnership.

While India is said to be pursuing the deal with Japan on the template of the landmark Indo-US nuclear accord, Tokyo is said to be not that enthusiastic about that being the basis.

The 3.5 trillion yen (34 billion USD) of investment from Japan to India including Official Development

Japan to invest over $33.58 bn in I

Tokyo: Japan on Monday announced doubling of its private and public investment in India to about $ 34 billion over the next five years even as the two countries decided to elevate their ties to a Special Strategic Global Partnership.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe during their summit talks also reaffirmed the importance of bilateral defence relations in their strategic partnership and agreed on greater defence equipment and technology cooperation.

The summit meeting between Indian Prime Minister and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe took place on the third day of Modi's five-day visit to Japan.

The two countries also decided to expedite talks on sale of US-2 amphibian aircraft to India for enhancing maritime security.

At a joint press conference, Abe also announced that as an example of Indo-

Asian Achievers Awards is organised every Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar to honour

Venue: Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London W1K 7TN

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bouring countries.

While wooing Japanese businesses, Modi cited the latest growth figures of 5.7 per cent in the first quarter of this financial year and suggested that the phase of disappointment was over.

"See the work done in

100 days of my government.

Earlier, the GDP used to hover around 5-5.4 per cent and led to an environment of disappointment ... But in the first quarter of our government, there has been a growth of 5.7 per cent. It is a big jump. Now there is

renewed hope," he said.

Targeting the previous Manmohan Singh government, he said the situation was bad for one decade. He specifically mentioned the UPA government's 'Go, NoGo' policy with regard to environmental clearances and said it would put anybody in a "dilemma" with regard to taking any decision.

He said India, after 30 years, has a government with full majority, which puts increased responsibility on the government to deliver as 1.25 billion people of the country have an urge to see the quality of life change.

Inviting Japanese businesses, particularly to infrastructure and clean energy sectors, the Prime Minister asked them to keep in mind the Gujarat experience.

He promised single-window clearances, speedy decision-making which is nondiscriminatory in nature.

He said two representatives of Japanese business can be part of an Indian team which decides on business proposals. They can be permanently part of this decision making.

Assositance (ODA) during a 5-year period will be under the aegis of India-Japan Investment Promotion Partnership for development of projects, including infrastructure and building of smart cities. The five-year period will also see the doubling of the presence of Japanese firms in India, Abe said.

countries. Coinciding with the summit, Japan removed six of India's space and defence-related entities from its Foreign End User List.

On the nuclear cooperation issue, Abe said "important progress" has been made in the past several months.

He said the two sides were able to have a frank discussion and a deeper understanding on this issue.

Modi said India and Japan are old friends and that his current visit will give an opportunity to both of them to further intensify their ties. Modi said a developed India and a prosperous Japan was important for Asia and for global peace and security.

India and Japan are two big democracies and they are also part of the three big economies of Asia, he noted.

He said 21st century is said to be Asia's century but for that to become a reality it is dependent on cooperation between India and Japan and

that is why the two countries have decided to elevate their relationship.

"This is not just raising the relationship from one category to another... Our relationship is not only regional in its framework, but will have a global impact," he added. Modi also said that Japan occupies top priority in India's foreign policy. He was effusive in his praise for Abe saying he spent a considerable amount of his valuable time to be with him in Kyoto for two days and in Tokyo.

The Prime Minister said Abe has agreed to cooperate with India in all areas taking into account his vision of inclusive development of the country.

"We will help you," Abe told Modi, adding he was ready to extend his help in Ganga cleaning project when he raised the issue.

"This is an example of his love and respect for India," he said, adding the relationship between the two countries was also spiritual in nature.

Japanese counderpart Shinzo Abe in Tokyo

India; ready to support Bullet trains

Thanking Abe for providing him an opportunity to make Japan his first bilateral visit outside South Asia, Modi said,"we both have decided to raise the relationship to a special strategic and global partnership by giving it a special emphasis".

Asserting that his visit ushered in a dawn of new era in Indo-Japan relations, Modi said there was no "limit" to partnership between the two

year by UK’s leading news weeklies British Asian par excellence

MODI’S JAPAN VISIT

Agreement signed to develop Varanasi into smart city

Varanasi- Kyoto Partner City agreement signed in the presence of Modi and Abe

Kyoto: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a five-day visit to Japan on Saturday, a day that saw the inking of a partnership agreement between Varanasi, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and Kyoto, which was the capital of Japan for over 1,000 years.

The partnership agreement was signed soon after Modi was received warmly by his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe. The partnership focuses on how to preserve heritage while building smart cities. It was signed between Kyoto Mayor Daisaku Kadokawa and India's Ambassador to Japan Deepa Gopalan Wadhwa, said India’s ministry of external affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin.

Since the end of the Nara Period (794 A.D.), Kyoto has been at the crossroads of Japanese history. Till the Emperor moved to Tokyo, it was the capital of Japan for over 1,000 years. With its ancient temples and shrines, Kyoto is practically the cultural centre of Japan.

Akbaruddin said that Kyoto had been included in Modi's schedule as it "dovetails into Modi's emphasis on rejuvenation of cities while preserving

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17

their cultural heritage".

Abe and Modi hugged each other, and then fed fish in keeping with the tradition in Japan.

Modi arrived in Japan on a five-day official visit, hoping to boost ties in infrastructure, trade, defence and civil nuclear energy. This is his first bilateral sojourn outside South Asia since he took office in May.

cussed with Abe the roadmap for "our global and strategic partnership in the years ahead".

With the Modi government having initiated a project for starting bullet trains in the country, that issue is also expected to engage early attention at the discussions.

While the two countries have cooperation of navies that apparently

Shinzo Abe, in a special gesture, flew down to Kyoto to receive Modi.

Before leaving for Japan, Modi expressed confidence that his visit would open a "new chapter" in bilateral relations and give a boost to their defence and security cooperation.

"We will discuss how to boost our defence and security cooperation, including in defence technology, equipment and industry, in line with the evolving domestic policies of the two countries," the prime minister said.

From Kyoto, Modi travels to Tokyo, where he dis-

share perceptions in terms of maritime security and anti-pirate operations, negotiations are underway for sale of US-2 amphibious aircraft by Japan to India.

This is Modi's third official bilateral visit after becoming prime minister in May this year. He made bilateral visits to South Asian neighbours Bhutan and Nepal after becoming prime minister.

Besides that, the only other visit he made abroad was to Brazil for the BRICS (Brazil, India, China, Russia, South Africa) summit.

Ph Hos illi ted pp a T By om son Media Partners

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 6th September 2014

Dear Financial Voice Reader,

How To Raise $75billion?

Forget the companies who pitch to VCs looking for $10m or even $100m. I’ve just returned from India where I’ve been listening to such companies making their pitches. And I’ve just finished listening to 6 leading British money management companies, pitching for our monies at Chatham House (you may know it as the Royal Institute of International Affairs) – it’s where Gandhi spoke when seeking Indian Independence, right before he met King George.

With HM Queen as our Patron, it’s pretty important to get the right money managers with whom to entrust our funds. As you can imagine the ones pitching are the best in the business, between them, they have pulled in funds of $75billion+.

So what are the lessons for fund raising for your own business? (These are from my years as hearing pitches from Goldman Sachs to smaller asset managers and hedge funds).

Don’t read the presentation Assume that if we are interviewing you to give you money to manage, then we’ve read the presentation, and know it better than you. So if we tell you we’ve read it, and you only have 30 minutes, then assume we’ve read it and don’t waste your precious pitching time telling us what we already know.

Printed Materials Should Not Be Slides Don’t print out your slides, especially if they are in 22 size font and have a few bullets. I’m not a teenager, I’m not attention deficit disorder diagnosed. I am not a Candy Crush playing Silicon Valley Red Bull intoxicated teenybopper. I can read Greek philosophy with an IQ that puts me in the top 1%, so I can handle complete sentences and 10pt font. That’s why you came to me for money.

Your hand-outs should be in A5 slides format so the fonts aren’t larger than 12pt – anything larger looks like you think I’m blind, as well as stupid.

You should also in A4 have a written document, explaining everything in far more detail. We are talking serious money, I can handle explanations which last more than 20 pages, and actually have paragraphs and isn’t just written as if for a blog. I read grown up books for fun.

Think Why Giving You Money Fits into My Needs I don’t need to hear why you’re so good. Everyone I’ll be listening to is bloody good. That’s just basic. I need to know you’ve thought about me. I want to hear that you’ve gone through my webite, my literature, asked me before the meeting my needs, my other investments and then told me why yours fits with mine. I don’t invest in isolation with people who think about themselves. Oh by the way, your fees ARE negotiable, even if you already have $50 billion under management, because everyone’s fees are negotiable.

Want me Guess what doesn’t work? A laid back attitude like you’re doing me a favour. I want to know you’re keen for my money. You want a relationship with me. Make me feel special.

Customise Your presentation has to be customised to me, I don’t just mean my name and date on the cover page, I mean in the A4 document which lots of explanations of how what you do fits with what I need.

Other errors You don’t need your logo on each page. I know who you are. Be confident. Work well with your partner that you are presenting with. Of course explain how you have lots of clients like me, but I am different and you will customise your approach.

Differentiate The biggest issue I have is, ‘why are you different’?

What do you give me, others do not. And it all comes down to risk/reward. How can you assure good growth, and mitigate losses, and at the same time do it by doing something slightly different.

Invest in your presentation skills Sadly money does not go to the person with the best track record. Else Warren Buffett would be the only fund manager in the world. It goes to the best marketer. So I don’t care if you’re good with money. If you are not good at communicating, then you are nowhere. It’s weird I know. Get lessons on presenting with confidence.

Anticipate What I Will Ask If you have not worked out what I will ask, if you have not interviewed yourself, then how the heck do I get any confidence you can anticipate the markets and so look after my money?

Modi effect – India’s GDP registers 5.7% growth in April-June quarter

'Achche Din' are back again, and it's taken just about 100 Modi days for the green shoots of hope to break through the topsoil of policy paralysis and despondence that the National Democratic Alliance government inherited.

Official figures say the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew 5.7 per cent during the first quarter of the current fiscal, up from the 4.6 per cent growth rate recorded in the preceding quarter. Growth in the manufacturing, mining and financial services sectors are the steeds the latest economic turnaround is riding.

Sentiment is the key: With the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government pushing hard to bolster the economy through fast clearance of growth-oriented projects and other affirmative action - in sharp contrast with the previous United Progressive Alliance government - positivity seems to have been unlocked, if not yet unleashed.

Economic growth has hit a two-and-a-half-year high during the April-June

Many people, especially in western countries, believe that all/ most Indians want to become doctors and engineers. There is also factual evidence which does correlate with this statement. There are many Indians who choose to take up these profession with 6 out of 10 young Indian students wanting to become a doctor/engineer in 2013.

However, there are signs in this year which show that Indians are diversifying into other career paths and professions such as investment management and business. CISI (Charted institute for Securities & Investment) have published a list of names of people in the Finical Times who have passed with merit of distinction in the Private Client Investment Advice and Management (PCIAM) and the ICAEW/CISI Diploma.

Amongst this list, there were many Indians who have passed with distinction in various cours-

quarter, the highest in 10 consecutive quarters. "We are at the starting point of the pickup in the growth cycle in India," said Sonal Varma, an economist with Nomura.

New high: The pickup in growth was mainly on account of a rebound in the manufacturing and mining sectors.

Manufacturing, which makes up nearly 15 per cent of the economy, expanded by 3.5 per cent in the three months to end June, recovering from a 1.4 per cent annual contraction in the past quarter. The mining sector expanded 2.1 per cent compared with a 0.4 per cent annual fall a quarter earlier. Growth of the agricultural sector, however,

slowed to 3.8 per cent from 6.3 per cent in the March quarter.

The weak monsoon is also expected to impact the growth of the sector, which constitutes 14 per cent of the economy, during the next quarter.

The highest growth rate during the first quarter was recorded by the financial services sector at 10.4 per cent. The construction sector expanded 4.8 per cent during the quarter up from 1.1 per cent growth in the yearago period. CRISIL chief economist D.K. Joshi said that the GDP growth figure for the first quarter is on expected lines.

"Manufacturing would continue to grow during the current fiscal. Mining could see a slowdown, but it would depend on policy initiatives from the government," he observed.

"Agriculture growth would show a negative trend in the second quarter due to the weak monsoon. However, we expect consumer goods, auto, textile and pharma sector to do well," Joshi added.

According to the National Council of

Applied Economic Research (NCAER), the business confidence index continued to show an upward trend for the quarter ended June 2014.

Policies: There is a dark lining, however. The fiscal deficit is galloping away - it is already at over three-fifths of the 2013-14 budgeted expenditure-and economists say achieving that goal would be tough.

It is also worth noting that year-on-year growth was also helped by a favourable statistical base because of weak economic activity last year. In the first three months of his term, Modi has focused on incremental measures like faster regulatory clearances to make it easier to do business.

But he has yet to hit his stride in tackling structural reforms, such as a proposed general sales tax that would unify the market, needed to revive investment and deliver sustainable growth.

Despite claiming the strongest election mandate in 30 years, Modi lacks a majority in the Rajya Sabha to get the approval for key bills.

That has already delayed the proposed legislation to increase foreign direct investment limits in the insurance and pension sector.

es.

The Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) is the largest and most widely respected professional body for those who work in the securities and investment industry in the UK and in a growing number of financial centers globally.

List of Indians who have diversifying into other career paths: •Bond and Fixed Interest Markets: Kulbir Grewal MCSI • F i n a n c i a l Derivatives: Anuj Amin, Anil Khetani •Fund Management: Kareem Abdel Aziz, Hussain Abdullah •Global Operations Management: Sanjay Gill, Gaurav Miglani, Archit Jalan •Private Client Investment Advice and Management: Aiysha Choudry ACSI, Nikesh Desai, Sameer Kaushal ACSI, Charanjit Kooner, Kunal Lakhani, Aditya Mishra ACSI, Tapan Patel, Kiran Shah, •Regulation and

Compliance: Akila Induwara Atapatthu ACSI •Financial Markets: Ranjeet Guptara ACSI, Sinita Handola • P o r t f o l i o Construction Theory: Ranjeet Guptara ACSI, Kushan Jayawardena, Shameer Patel, Jay Patel, Aran Samra •Applied Wealth Management June 2014: Harkesh Kaul ACSI, Aran Samra •Corporate Finance Techniques and Theory: Samantha Amarasinghe, Rohan Badade, Diya Luhar ACSI, Premal Parekh •Corporate Finance and Strategy and Advice: Anil Mirpuri The list above shows that there are young and aspiring Indians who are pursuing a variety of professions beyond Medicine, Pharmacy, Accountancy, Engineering etc. This therefore indeed proves the future generation of Indians are diversifying in profession and as a community.

The BSE Sensex on Tuesday breached the psychologically key level of 27,000 points for the first time to hit its third consecutive record high as bluechips such as HDFC Bank gained after recent data raises hopes about the economy. The Sensex rose as much as 0.5 per cent to a record high of 27,002.75 points. The milestone came a day after the broader Nifty surpassed the 8,000 point level for the first time. The index on Tuesday hit a record high at 8,076.65 points.

British Indians are diversifying

BSE Sensex hits new high

Ratan Tata invests in Snapdeal.com

In a boost to India’s fledgling e-commerce sector, Ratan Tata, Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus, has invested in online marketplace Snapdeal.com. “Mr Tata has made a personal investment in the company,” Snapdeal co-founder and CEO Kunal Bahl said.

The investment amount, however, was not disclosed.

REAL ESTATE VOICE

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 6th September 2014

19

To trade or not to trade Suresh Vagjiani

Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

Tomorrow we are – hopefully - exchanging on a property we ourselves had exchanged on a couple of months ago. The purchase price was £1.85m and the resale price is £2m, the time period was roughly two months. The property was never completed, merely exchanged, meaning we only parted with £210k, and this was all that was required.

It was anticipated we would never complete this deal, it would sell prior to completion, purely due to the amount of margin left in the deal.

However our analysis is not always correct, otherwise this would mean we have the ability to see through time. On the occasion we have had to complete we have to stand ready with a loan in place, which is an unnecessary expenditure of several thousand pounds in one sense, and in another it is our insurance policy.

The property is a freehold house in Victoria, with an end value of £2.7m (yes, plenty of margin!!).

The incomin g purchase r has just divorced and is usin g the mo ney from her settle me nt to pu rchase this in c ash, witho ut the ne ed for a mort gag e. To find a property with this amo unt of marg in g ive n the location is rare, I'm su re in time it will be seen she has invested her share o f t he procee ds very well.

We’re in the process of tying up two more buildings which are coming up close to Hackney, an area I know reasonably well. My brother had a post office in this location many, many years ago and consequently under duress I was forced to train as a relief post master so that I was able to run it over holiday periods. The area was filled with DSS claimants and immigrants mostly from Bangladesh and Turkey. This of course was very good from a Post Office point of view, as the more the claimants the higher the salary. This was going back 20 years! During my time there I had witnessed a great many things, including a shooting which resulted in a team of paramedics being flown in by helicopter in the main street to try and operate on the victim; and fraud by the public in the post office was a common occurrence. I also had a spell of living there whilst at university, this meant I could cycle in from this close location to Angel. I did, until by bike got stolen - twice I might add!

Only then did I buy one from Loot for £40 so the next time it happened it wouldn’t be so painful.

Since this time parts of this borough have changed drastically, the prices of property have risen dramatically. Though the area was a potpourri of immigrants with blocks of council houses all around and a hereditary culture of benefit claimants, there was a saving grace, its location. The area is close to the city, one bus ride will take you into Liverpool Street station with Old Street and Barbican stations being in close proximity.

sure someone will buy this deal from us at £2.5m quickly netting us and our investors a tidy profit. However, are we missing the real value of the deal by grabbing that which is closest to us?

Perhaps the real value in this deal is to hold these properties and allow them to mature like fine wine. Are we going against the grain of property investment by exiting the deal too quickly, merely picking up the crumbs and missing the cake?

Certainly our investors will be happy with the short and quick return, most people like the security of having their money under their control and having it back quickly. Furthermore we will not have to get our hands dirty to get this gain as well as paying for stamp duty and interest costs, it will be clean.

The other point of view is this is still an area which seems to be rising due to its close proximity with the city. If we complete the deal and the end value is £4m a modest yearly rise of 3% in price means a gain of £120,000 on a continuous basis, on average I don’t think this would be an unreasonable assumption.

This is the one saving grace which has ensured the price in this location wo uld in cre ase, de spite the various factors which weigh it down. This d emonstrate s the most important factor Lo catio n, Location, Lo cat io n is still the overrid in g fac tor when investing in pro pe rty.

We will be purchasing two large houses in this location for £2.25m together- which is cheap. The end value is expected to be a minimum of £4m developed. So again there seems to be a trade in this, I'm pretty

The Real Deal

What’s more is if we line up our duck s correctly we may be able to ext ract most if not all of the in it ial capital put in to the de al. This wo uld be after a 6 mont h period in orde r t o extract at the val uat ion and not the pu rchase pric e, which in this scen ario is n ot an issue as it will take th is lo ng to deve lop the prope rty in the first plac e.

Mayfair, London, W1 Purchase Price: £3.5m

l A large three bedroom flat in this highly sought after location l Long lease l Very quiet flat l Around 1,550 sq. ft. area l Properties on this street are being sold for around £3,200 per sq. ft. while this is coming at around £2,260 per sq. ft. l Very good long term buy and hold opportunity

On the assumption the work to chop it into flats costs in the region of £750k, our total cost for the deal would then be £3m. As individual flats we should be able to release 75% of the valuation of £4m, this would mean £3m is then released again whilst the property is doing what it does best - going up passively, whilst paying the mortgage with the rent. There will be some money stuck in this deal but it will be a nominal amount as we have ignored fees like stamp duty and interest cost.

There are pros and cons to both scenarios, with trading you cannot expect trading deals to come regularly, at times it seems they’re like buses, when they come they come two in a row. The other point which sticks out is when wealth is in the form of cash in a bank it degenerates, in a property it produces – typically; both in terms of growth and yield.

Call us now to secure this deal!

0207 993 0103

We provide a turnkey solution. Contact us now:

Specialists in

Central London Property Sourcing

info@sowandreap.co.uk

www.sowandreap.co.uk

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

Follow us online:

Sowandreapuk

SowandReapProperties

Tips of the Week l Many business owners use property as their insurance policy when they fall into tough times in business, dipping into property has been their saving grace. l The mantra for property is always Location, Location, Location! Property in a good location will attract quality tenants and strong capital growth.

20

BUSINESS

Modi to inaugurate Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2015

The seventh edition of the biennial Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2015, the brain child of then chief minister of the state and now the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, will be different from its earlier editions. This time the man behind Vibrant Gujarat Summit, Modi will not be the host. The Prime Minister will inaugurate the three-day summit beginning from January 11, 2015 at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.

Gujarat chief minister, Anandiben Patel pitched for the event in New Delhi inviting envoys, leading industrialists and investors to participate in the event. Started in 2003 with modest investment announcements, Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit swelled in size and scale over the years. By 2007, the event took a shape of a major congregation of who's who of India Inc lining up to share the dais with then chief minister Modi.

The 2013 edition, which saw much attraction from the small and

the next edition.

Speaking at the curtain raiser for Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2015 in New Delhi, Anandiben stated that the u p c o m i n g Summit will provide a platform for engagement with other countries on modernisation, youth, skill development, women empowAnandiben Patel and Saurabh Patel erment, knowledge sharing medium enterprises with and networking. focus on technology trans"Gujarat has created fer, employment generaan ecosystem, where busition and skill developnesses get favourable enviment, became a platform ronment for investment. for other states to come This has established together to interact with Gujarat's prominence as a global industries and global business hub," said attract investments in Anandiben addressing a their respective states. In gathering of business lead2013 event, about 2,100 ers and foreign representaforeign delegates from 121 tives. countries and about 5,800 Acknowledging indusdelegates from India partry's trust and support in ticipated in the event. building Gujarat' growth In the same spirit and story, the CM said, "With enthusiasm, the new leadyour support, Gujarat ership in the state has today accounts for more started sending word on

T h e Central Board of D i r e c t T a x e s (CBDT) in India set up a high-level committee to scrutinize all income tax cases arising out of the retrospective tax amendment. The fourmember committee will be headed by the joint secretary of the foreign tax and tax research-I unit of the CBDT. It will decide on such cases within of 60 days of receiving them from the assessing officer.

It will be incumbent upon the assessing officer (AO) to approach the committee when faced with an I-T case that is for the period before April 2012. The other members on the panel include joint secretary (tax planning and legislation), the commissioner of income tax appeals and the director (foreign tax and tax research-I), who will also be the Secretary of the committee.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley had announced this new mechanism in his Budget speech on July 10. According to the terms of reference for the new committee, it would, on receipt of the reference from the AO “shall examine the proposed action of the Assessing Officer and after providing an opportunity to the assessee, take a decision on the proposed action.”

The AlphaOne City Centre Management has opened its latest retail, dining and cultural centre at CG Square in Ahmedabad on August 28. Earlier, AlphaOne, part of Alpha Management Services (AMS), has signed an agreement with Venus Infrastructure to take on the management and marketing of CG Square.

Nearly 250 well-wishers and business associates attended the opening ceremony held at CG Square. Prominent people present on the occasion included hosts Dr Prodipta Sen, Executive Director, Alpha G:Corp and Director, Alpha Management Services and Rajesh Vaswani, Executive Director, Venus Infrastructure; Ashish Sarin, Director & CEO, Alpha G:Corp; Rajesh Mehta, Director & CEO, C&C Alpha Group, India; Vaastu Consultant Vijay Shankar Sharma; senior officials of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Councilors.

Prodipta Sen thanked all those present at the function and said, “We are excited to expand our footprint in Ahmedabad at CG Square. This will also enable us to further realize our vision in Gujarat. CG Square will be one of the most satisfying and enriching outing options in its category. It will be the new cultural hub with novel entertain-

Panel to decide India’s retro tax cases

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 6th September 2014

than 7.5 per cent of India's GDP, 18 per cent of India's fixed capital and 25 per cent of India's exports.

Gujarat is playing a big role in India's growth story."

The chief minister also held one-to-one meetings with business leaders which included representatives from Maruti Suzuki, Mitsubishi Corporation, MoserBaer, Hindustan Power Projects, Honda Motorcycle and Scooters India Ltd, Hero MotoCorp, Honda Cars India, DCM Shriram and top officials of public sector majors like ONGC, BHEL and GAIL. While the envoys from Japan and Korea held meetings with the chief minister in New Delhi, high-level delegation from Thailand and Israel also met Anandiben.

The summit will see seminars and B2B meets and one-to-one meetings by representatives and business leaders from countries including Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, UK and USA.

AlphaOne opens retail centre at CG Square in Ahmedabad

Lamp Lighting at CG Square - Dr. Prodipta Sen and Mr. Rajesh Vaswani

ment and fine-dining options for Amdavadis, thereby becoming a boutique destination in Ahmedabad. There was a discernable gap in cultural and refined activities consistently available in Ahmedabad, and the demand by Amdavadis for such options entailing art exhibitions, debates, theatre and informative talks.

As a responsible corporate citizen, we will also have the opportunity to address the concerns of CG Road with efficient parking management and effective traffic circulation via valet parking and traffic marshals, thereby facilitating conveniences and services of the highest standards and quality.”

Rajesh Vaswani said, “We signed-up with AlphaOne City Centre Management after witnessing the unprecedented success and popularity of AlphaOne for the past few years. We associated

with them for this prime property as a strategic move to create win-win situations for all stakeholders. Centrally located as it is at CG Road with easy access from all sides, CG Square is now set to become the most popular destination for Amdavadis offering neverbefore retail, dining, cultural and entertainment choices right here. We look forward to great success in this venture for each person involved and for the complete satisfaction of our patrons.”

CG Square will have the choicest international, national and regional mix of brands. The main anchor included Shopper’s Stop, along with many EBOs including UCB, Levis, US Polo, Global Desi, AND, WB Kids, Nike, Sunglass Hut, Claires, Simply Sizzl, Ruff Kids, Mothercare, Peora, Indian Terrain, W and LP Sports.

Modi’s Japan visit marks a defining moment: FICCI

Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abe

“Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi’s Japan visit marks a defining moment in our relationship and will be registered in history as one that significantly elevated the level of engagement between India and Japan across areas. The agreements that have been signed and the understanding achieved under the guidance and leadership of Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Abe will bring the two countries closer in both strategic and economic spheres,” FICCI president Sidarth Birla said.

“We are particularly enthused about the launch of the Japan India Investment Promotion Partnership under which the two sides have agreed to double the flow of FDI into India and the number of Japanese companies over the next five years.

FICCI firmly believes that we must

encourage greater export oriented FDI from Japan into India and this visit of PM has laid the groundwork for the same. Japan has committed to realise total financial flows of close to 3.5 trillion Yen into India over the next five years in projects that would form the building blocks of India’s growth such as smart cities, transport systems, clean energy, skill development and food processing”, Birla added.

“Besides economic and strategic connects, the two sides have also laid great emphasis on promoting people to people contact. Promoting tourism, youth exchanges, educational collaboration and cultural exchanges are integral to the growth of our relationship and our leaders have expressed their determination to further enhance the same”, he added.

15 mn bank accounts opened 1 day in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched one of India’s biggest financial inclusion programmes calling for an end to "financial untouchability" and urged banks to connect every person across the country. Spreading the banking net wide is one of the key policy focus areas of the Modi administration and the launch of the scheme within 100 days of the government signals its commitment to take on the challenge of executing mega programmes.

The Jan Dhan Yojana, the massive financial inclusion drive, aims to open 750 million bank accounts and provide banking facility to the vast segment of the population which still remains cut off from the financial system.

Under the scheme, a person opening an account will get a Rupay debit card, a Rs 100,000 accident insurance policy as well as a Rs

30,000 life insurance cover.

The facility of an overdraft would be added to the accounts after keeping a watch on the credit history and operation of the accounts for six months.

The government had to defer the facility as banks had expressed concern over the move.

The PM said the nationwide success of the enrolment drive would give confidence not just to the officials of the finance ministry and the banking sector, but also to those across the government, that they can achieve goals they set for themselves.

"Never before would insurance companies have issued 15 million accident insurance policies in a single day. Never before in economic history would 15 million bank accounts have been opened on a single day," Modi said.

CURRENCY VOICE

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 6th September 2014

21

Foreign Exchange

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

Euro beginning to raise against Dollar British banks approved fewer home loans last month than they did in June, as tighter rules on mortgage lending introduced late in April took some of the heat out of the housing market, industry data showed on Tuesday.

German business confidence declined for a fourth month, reflecting a faltering euro-area economy that European Central Bank President Mario Draghi says might need more stimulus.

Germany has been the engine of the euro area’s revival since last year and its resilience could be critical now as growth stalls and political tension with Russia threatens trade flows.

Draghi signalled last week that he could step in with broadbased asset purchases as the region’s inflation outlook worsens.

The EUR began to rise after falling to its lowest level in almost a year against the USD as speculation cooled that the ECB will add further monetary stimulus when it meets next week. A report released stated that the ECB would unlikely add more stimulus unless the August inflation report raised the risk of deflation in the Eurozone.

In Germany inflation figures for August remain unchanged at

0.8% from July. While Germany has some of the strongest inflation in the Eurozone it the figure is still well below the ECB’s target level of 2%.

There is continuing pressure on ECB president Mario Draghi to take further action such as quantitative easing to help stimulate the Eurozone. Germany’s unemployment rate also remained unchanged at 6.7% for the month of August.

The pace of new-home sales fell to the slowest in four months in July, signalling US real estate lacks the vigour to propel faster

growth in the economy. Housing has advanced in fits and starts this year as tight credit and slow wage growth kept some prospective buyers from taking advantage of historically low borrowing costs.

US consumer confidence reached its highest point in nearly seven years, boosted by strong job gains. The optimism suggests that Americans will be more likely to spend in the months ahead, an important boost to the economy.

Orders for durable goods also jumped up by 22.6% for the

month of July, driven mainly by a 318% rise in aircraft orders.

Another good sign for the US is their improving the budget deficit, (the difference between government revenues and expenditures) it is expected to narrow to its lowest as share of the economy since 2007. According to the report this can be attributed to the declining jobless rate which is resulting in increasing both individual and corporate tax revenues, therefore increasing government revenues. This will help narrow the gap next year to about a third of the record $1.4 trillion deficit reached in 2009.

The economy in the U.S. expanded more than previously forecast in the second quarter, growing at an annual rate of 4.2%.Propelled by the biggest gain in business investment in more than two years which bodes well for the rest of 2014. .

More good news for the US was a report showing companies are buying more equipment as earnings and profits improve.The GDP report showed that pre-tax earnings rose 8% last quarter, the most since the third quarter of 2010, after a 9.4% drop in the prior period.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 2nd September 2014 @ 3pm

GBP - INR = 100.18 USD - INR = 60.66 EUR - INR = 79.62 GBP - USD = 1.65 GBP - EUR = 1.26

EUR - USD = 1.31 GBP - AED = 6.06

GBP - CAD = 1.80

GBP - NZD = 1.98

GBP - AUD = 1.78

GBP - ZAR = 17.73

GBP - HUF = 397.25

www.rationalfx.com

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

22

LONDON

George Galloway who supports Palestine attacked

London: Outspoken Bradford West MP George Galloway who supported Palestine cause has been punched repeatedly in the face by an attacker after calling him 'Hitler' in a west London street last week. The attack took place while the MP was posing for pictures in Notting Hill. He has been receiving death threats and hate mail after calling for Bradford to be “declared an Israel-free zone” three weeks ago, according to his spokesman.

He said: “George was posing for pictures with people and this guy just

George Galloway attacked him, leapt on him and started punching him and calling him Hitler. It appears to be connected with his comments about Israel because the guy was shouting about the Holocaust.”

Police arrested a 39year-old man on suspicion

Doha: Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah said terrorism would soon spread to Europe and the United States unless it is quickly dealt with in the Middle East, the Saudi state news agency reported. The king made the statement during a reception for foreign ambassadors held in Jeddah.

"I ask you to convey this message to your leaders... Terrorism at this time is an evil force that must be fought with wisdom and speed," said King Abdullah. "And if neglected I'm sure after a month it will arrive in Europe and a month after that in America."

The world's top oil exporter shares an 800km (500-mile) border with Iraq, where Islamic State militants and other Sunni Islamist groups have seized towns and cities.

Riyadh has long expressed fears of being targeted by jihadists, including some of its own citizens, who have taken part in conflicts in Iraq and Syria. Earlier this year, it decreed long jail terms for those who travel abroad to fight.

Britain raised its terrorism alert and Prime Minister David Cameron said Islamic State posed the greatest ever security risk to the country.

London: The parents of the five-year-old cancer patient Ashya King are being barred from visiting him until at least the end of the week as part of “inhuman” restrictions placed on them after the boy was made a ward of court by a judge. The parents Brett and Naghemeh King remain in custody in separate prisons in Madrid and could be in jail until Thursday, after an extradition hearing was postponed on Monday.

Ashya is under police guard in a hospital in Malaga, hundreds of miles to the north. The family fear his health may deteriorate because he is likely to be afraid and "confused".

Spanish authorities relented on Monday night on their refusal to let Ashya's oldest brother, Danny, 23, visit the young cancer patient in hospital, lawyers for the family confirmed. Another of the six siblings, Naveed, 20, had earlier told Channel 4 News: "We’re not allowed to go and see Ashya at all.

There is police standing outside his hospital room.

The hospital are not revealing any information to us.” David Cameron backed the Kings saying they were only trying to “do the very best for” their son, and other senior MPs

Saudi king warns of terrorism threat

of assault and he remains in police custody. The spokesman did not know whether the attacker was an Israeli, an EDL-supporter or had some other motivation for attacking the Bradford West MP. They said Galloway had described himself as being 'in a pretty bad shape'.

The MP was interviewed earlier this month

by West Yorkshire police following a speech in Leeds, in which he claimed that Bradford was an Israel-free area.

Galloway, who campaigns in support of Palestine, made the comments at a

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 6th September 2014

meeting in Leeds. A clip was later posted on the video-sharing website YouTube.

He told the meeting: “We have declared Bradford an Israel-free zone. We don't want any Israeli goods; we don't want any Israeli services; we don't want any Israeli academics coming to the university or the college.

We don't even want any Israeli tourists to come to Bradford even if any of them had thought of doing so. We reject this illegal, barbarous, savage state that calls itself Israel – and you have to do the same.”

Cancer patient’s parents barred from seeing him

he said, having replaced the previous Labour government’s regime of control orders. Among measures understood to be under consideration are proposals to make it easier to remove people’s passports through temporary seizure powers at the border. Officials are also looking at the prospect of a “temporary bar” on British citizens suspected of terrorist activity from returning, a measure that would stop short of stripping them of citizenship and

House prices to increase by 25% in 2019

London: Savills, a property management company, has predicted that house prices will increase by 25% in 2019. They also forecasted that the house prices this year will increase by 9.5 % and that London will finally be overtaken by other parts of the country. The property company has said that even the increase this year in the property market has “exceeded all expectations” as the original estimate of increase was 6.5%.

Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage to fight general election

London: London mayor Boris Johnson and Ukip leader Nigel Farage will be fighting the next general election. Johnson was hailed as a future Conservative leader after confirming he had filed his application to stand as Tory MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip in West London. Nigel Farage is standing for election in South Thanet in Kent.

California restaurants to allow dogs to dine with its owners

California: Restaurants in California has decided to allow the dogs to dine with its owners now. The new law will soon permit canines at restaurants, so long as they have outdoor space. Federal law does not ban domesticated animals from restaurants, but the Food and Drug Administration discourages petfriendly policies. Many states, therefore, prohibit them. But they are undermined by more tolerant rules at the local level. Austin, for example, allows dogs on restaurant patios, though Texas does not.

You are welcome to study in America, but not welcome to stay

accused the British authorities of “criminalising” the family.

Hampshire police issued a European arrest warrant on suspicion of child neglect after the Kings removed Ashya from Southampton General Hospital without the consent of doctors treating him for a brain tumour. They were arrested on Saturday.

Portsmouth city council was awarded a temporary wardship order on Friday, demanding that Ashya be presented for medical treatment. The decision is due to be amended in the High Court on Wednesday.

It is understood the Kings travelled to Malaga to sell a property to pay for proton beam radiotherapy, a relatively new treatment which the family says doctors in Southampton refused to sanction.

Brett King, 51, had contacted a centre in Prague, where a course of

treatment costs £20,000, on August 20, and it said it was ready to start treating Ashya “immediately”.

Iva Tatounova, the director of strategy, said: “There would have to be a recommendation from the doctors in Southampton, but we are here. The money can be sorted out later.” A judge in Madrid adjourned the Kings’ extradition hearing until Thursday, for more documentation. Kings’ mother, Patricia King, said: “My son took his boy because they were to put an order on him to stop him leaving, taking Ashya away from them. That’s the reason they left when they did. It’s terrible not letting Ashya see them. It’s absolutely inhuman.”

She revealed that the police searched her home in Southsea, Hampshire after her son disappeared, with three officers rifling through her belongings before leaving empty handed.

Britain warned against banning return of jihadists London: Sir Menzies Campbell, a leading Liberal Democrat, has warned the Cameron government that its plans to ban British terror suspects from returning could be illegal as officials scrambled to work out how to fill “gaps” in the anti-terrorism laws.

Michael Fallon, the defence secretary, while denying government move to ban jihadists from returning said that laws against jihadists needed to be tightened. The courts were the biggest challenge,

In Brief

rendering them stateless.

The package could also include beefed-up powers under the terrorism prevention and investigation measures (Tpims) regime.

There have been calls, including from David Anderson, QC, an independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, for the ability to impose “internal exile” on suspects.

The security services will also be able to access information about airline passengers more easily under new measures, and

the government is expected to increase co-operation with Turkey and Germany.

Jihadists are believed to have returned to Britain Campbell said: “I think it’s rather difficult and it might well constitute illegality to ban jihadists from returning to the country. To render a citizen stateless is regarded as illegal in international law. To render them stateless temporarily, which seems to be the purpose of what’s been proposed, can also, I think, be described as illegal.

Washington: Bright foreign students are welcome to study in America but are not welcome to stay after you complete your studies. The number of foreign students at universities in America reached a new high of 819,644 last year. Many of them came from China on F-1 visas, which are reserved for students. Chinese studying in America now number 200,000, up from 16,000 in 2003. Students from India, South Korea and Saudi Arabia also flock to America’s top-notch universities. Foreign students contribute over $30 billion to the American economy, according to a new report. But few are invited to stay past their studies. The number of H1B visas, which are given to skilled foreign workers, has barely budged over the past decade. But American employers want those bright minds to stick around. Under pressure from business, the White House is considering giving thousands of high-tech workers new green cards.

Former security guard threatens to bomb Britain

London: Omar Hussain, 27, who worked at a supermarket as a security guard has become a fighter with the Islamic state has now threatened to bomb Britain. School friends described him as a weird social outcast who told girls to dress conservatively and put their hair up or face punishment from God. Hussain appeared anonymously on Newsnight told the BBC: “I hate the UK. The only reason why I would intend to return to the UK is when I want to come and plant a bomb somewhere.” Asked whether Islamic State had beheaded people around Aleppo, he said: “I believe there were three or four guys we beheaded.

He set off for Syria in January after telling his family that he was going to a mosque for Friday prayers. He has been involved in fighting around Aleppo and claimed to a friend in his home town to have witnessed the beheading of James Foley, the American journalist.

Fraudster jailed for 4 years after stealing £3 mn

London: Dennis Harold, 60, who defrauded a London-based recruitment company of nearly £3 million has been jailed for four years. He stole the money from the firm and frittered away the cash on gambling and a Thai bride. Between 2007 and 2013 payroll administrator Harold swindled Devonshire Appointments by inventing temporary staff and paying wages into more than 20 bank accounts in false company names. His co-defendant Shamsur Rahman, 38, worked with Harold and discovered the fraud in 2008, the Old Bailey was told. Rather than report it to company bosses he demanded a cut and pocketed £1.1m. After he was made redundant, Rahman continued asking Harold for money from the fraud, prosecutor James Norman said.

WORLD

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 6th September 2014

In Brief

Taxi driver attempted sexual assault on undercover police officer

London: Jamil Iqbal, 41, a taxi driver, has admitted attempted sexual assault on an undercover police officer 11 months after he was cleared of sexually assaulting a teenager. Iqbal had invited the woman into the front seat, made ‘overt sexual remarks’ to her, waved a vibrator at her, asked her to touch it and told her he loved her. Father-of-six Iqbal had just dropped off his wife and family when the incident occurred because he ‘couldn't control himself that day’, Burnley Crown Court was told. The attempt to touch the officer came after Iqbal was cleared of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl in January last year. Iqbal had been accused of groping the teenager in his cab in April 2010. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years, with two years’ supervision.

Bank rate cuts affect savers

London: More than 3 million savers will loss interest up to to £200 each as banks and building societies move to simplify their accounts by the end of this year.

The banks blame the City regulator for the move, but consumer groups said banks could be using the exercise as an excuse to shut down higher-paying accounts. About 6 million customers with the government-backed Royal Bank of Scotland Group, which includes NatWest, will be switched to new accounts this year, and 1.5 million of these will see a drop in interest rates. Some could see returns fall from 1.64% to 0.75%.

Afghan victim of metal container had fled loan shark

London: Meet Singh Kapoor, an Afghan man found dead in a shipping container at a dockyard on the River Thames, had fled his homeland to escape loan shark, his uncle has revealed. Kapoor died in front of his wife and two sons while locked in the “metal coffin” on a cargo ferry from Belgium. Kapoor was among 35 people found this month when their screams alerted officials at Tilbury docks in Essex.

Speaking from Afghanistan, Dilip Singh, Kapoor’s uncle, said his nephew had fled his home town of Jalalabad 18 months ago because an Afghan warlord had demanded £241,000 to repay an initial loan of $70,000 he had taken. Kapoor was unable to pay, Singh said, and therefore felt he had little choice but to flee with the help of people smugglers.

Some students spend up to 10 hours a day on their phones

Texas: A study has found that female students spent an average of 10 hours a day texting, emailing and on social media while their male counterparts spent nearly eight hours. Some even say they feel stressed if their phone is not in sight. A team at Baylor University in Texas said the idea of becoming addicted to using a mobile phone was ‘an increasingly realistic possibility’.

The online survey asked 164 students how long they spent using different functions or apps on their phone.

When asked, 60 per cent said they might be addicted to their mobile. Overall, they spent the most time texting, at an average of 94.6 minutes each day. They spent 48.5 minutes using email and 38.6 minutes checking Facebook, while the internet claimed 34.4 minutes and listening to music took 26.9 minutes.

Ice bucket challenger dislocates her jaw

London: Isabelle Roberts, 20, who undertook the ice bucket challenge had to be taken to A&E to have her jaw put back into place after she dislocated it by screaming so loud. Roberts, from Tipton, West Midland, said: "The water was so cold so I screamed but as I did it my jaw just started to stick. "I tried to close my mouth but it would not close, it was locked, and then I came to the realisation that something was wrong. "Then my mum and sister came to the realisation and they started wetting themselves, but I had to be rushed to A&E." The internet craze is aimed at raising money for research into ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a form of motor neurone disease) and in the UK to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association and Macmillan Cancer Support.

People advised to eat less red meat

London: Scientists have found that by cutting down the intake of red meat can help the environment and meet the increasing global food demand. They said that people should not eat no more than two portions of red meat per week. A study by Cambridge and Aberdeen universities found that population growth and the trend for Westerners eating more meet means that soon farmers will not be able to raise enough livestock. They warn that attempting to produce more meat could be devastating for the environment.

23

Modi invited to address meeting at House of Commons

New Delhi: It is not just US Congressmen alone who are keen to hear Narendra Modi. After an open invitation from the US Congress to the Prime Minister to address a Joint Session, an Indian origin MP from UK Virendra Sharma has written to Prime Minister to address a meeting at the House of Commons.

Sharma, a member of House of Commons and Chairman Indo-British All Party Parliamentary Group, has written a letter to Modi inviting him to address a meeting at the House of Commons. "I would also like to take this opportunity to invite you to Britain for me to host an event to address a meeting in the House of Commons," wrote Sharma

is his letter to Modi.

Sharma will be in Delhi to attend Ground Zero Summit from 13th to 16th November and plans to meet Modi to discuss issues affecting Indians abroad especially in UK. Sharma is a Labour MP from Ealing Southhall since 2007 and had a humble background beginning his career as a bus conductor in UK following his arrival from India in 1968.

Incidentally his letter

was written barely five days before British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg's visit to India. Last year few British MPs had reached out to Modi, who was then the Gujarat CM, inviting him to address the House of Commons.

Prominent among them was British MP Barry Gardiner who invited Modi to visit the House of Commons and speak on 'The Future of Modern India". Gardiner, who is also the chairman of Labour Friends of India, said that he invited Modi because he is the chief minister of a state with which Britain has more FDI than the rest of India put together.

But Sharma's letter was the first invite from a British MP for an address

after Modi became the PM. It may be recalled that UK ended its decade old boycott of Modi after he became the CM of Gujarat for the third consecutive time in 2012. Its High Commissioner James Bevan flew down to Gandhinagar to meet Modi and subsequently Prime Minister David Cameroon reached out to Modi as the latter was declared as the BJP's PM candidate last year.

With an eye on the Indian market and the PM's commitment to fast and efficient delivery system, the Cameron government continues to woo Modi and was invited to witness the Commonwealth Games in UK this July-August.

ate opposition and, in some cases, to provide support for possible American military operations. The countries likely to be enlisted include Australia, Britain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, officials said. The officials, who asked not to be named discussing sensitive internal deliberations, said they expected that Britain and Australia would be willing to join the United States in an air campaign. The officials said they also wanted help from Turkey, which has military bases that could be used to support an effort in Syria.

Turkey is a transit route for foreign fighters, including those from the

United States and Europe who have travelled to Syria to join ISIS. Administration officials said they are now asking officials in Ankara to help tighten the border. The administration is also seeking intelligence and surveillance help from Jordan as well as financial help from Saudi Arabia, which bankrolls groups in Syria that are fighting President Bashar al-Assad.

The Pentagon, meanwhile, began surveillance flights over Syria in an effort to collect information on possible ISIS targets as a precursor to airstrikes, a senior official said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an organization that monitors the humanitarian consequences of the conflict in Syria, reported that "non-Syrian spy planes" carried out surveillance of ISIS positions in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor. Although America's allies in the region have plenty of reasons to support an intensified effort against ISIS, analysts said, the United States will have to navigate tensions among them.

documented several cases in which the fighters then sold the women as brides for USD 1,000 each to other IS members after forcing them to convert to Islam.

“The Observatory documented at least 27 cases

of those being sold into marriage by ISIS members in the northeast of Aleppo province, and parts of Raqa and Hassakeh province,“ the NGO said.

It added that some Syrian Arabs and Kurds had tried to buy some of the women in a bid to set them free, but the women were only being sold to ISIS members. The Observatory said it was unclear what had happened to the rest of the 300 women, and strongly denounced the “sale of these women who are being treated as though they are objects to buy and sell.”

US mobilizes allies to widen assault on ISIS

Washington: The United States has begun to mobilize a broad coalition of allies behind potential American military action in Syria and is moving toward expanded airstrikes in northern Iraq, administration officials said. President Obama, the officials said, was broadening his campaign against the Sunni militants of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and nearing a decision to authorize airstrikes and airdrops of food and water around the northern Iraqi town of Amerli, home to members of Iraq's Turkmen minority. The town of 12,000 has been under siege for more than two months by the militants.

"Rooting out a cancer like ISIL won't be easy, and it won't be quick," Obama said in a speech to the American Legion in Charlotte, NC, using an alternative name for ISIS. He said that the United States was building a coalition to "take the fight to these barbaric terrorists," and that the militants would be "no match" for a united international community.

Administration officials characterized the dangers facing the Turkmen, who are Shiite Muslims considered infidels by ISIS, as similar to the threat faced by thousands of Yazidis, who were driven to Mount Sinjar in Iraq after attacks by the militants. The United Nations special representative for Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov, said in a statement that the situation in Amerli "demands immediate action to prevent the possible massacre of its citizens."

As Obama considered new strikes, the White House began its diplomatic campaign to enlist allies and neighbours in the region to increase their support for Syria's moder-

ISIS sells Yazidi girls to jihadis for $1,000 each

Beirut: Several dozen Yazidi women kidnapped by the ISIS in Iraq have been taken to Syria, forced to convert and sold into marriage to militants, a monitoring group said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based NGO, said it had confirmed that at least 27 Yazidi women had been sold for around $1,000 each to ISIS fighters.

The group said it was aware that some 300 Yazidi women had been kidnapped and transported to Syria by the jihadists, but it had so far

documented the sale into marriage of 27. “In recent weeks, some 300 women and girls of the Yazidi faith who were abducted in Iraq have been distributed as spoils of war to ISIS fighters,” a statement said.

The group said it had

24

INDIA

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 6th September 2014

Jayalalithaa re-elected AIADMK Gen Secy

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was unanimously re-elected as the General Secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

Speaking to the cadres, Jayalalitha extended her gratitude and happiness on being re-elected as the General Secretary. She also stated that under her regime the party has attained a massive growth.

"You have unanimously re-elected me as the General Secretary and I accept it with happiness and emotions. Many have travelled

leader MGR passed away, the cadres were about 1700,000 and now it has grown to 15 million," said Jayalalithaa.

She also exhorted party cadres to remain united and said that AIADMK has no enemies anymore, especially after the astounding victory in Lok Sabha polls.

"We have attained a massive victory in the Assembly poll and the Lok Sabha elections. Today we couldn't even see our political enemies. We see only people all over. The only party working for people is AIADMK. The only vision of party is to

work for people and if we all are working together unitedly and we will see only the victory further. I once again thank everyone for re-electing me as General Secretary," she added.

Jayalalitha has been reelected as the party's General Secretary unanimously for the seventh consecutive time, and this was announced by the organising secretary Visalakshi Nedunchezhiyan.

About 2,467 nominations representing Jayalalithaa's name as General Secretary were filed from various cadres throughout Tamil Nadu.

Davey told the students that 84 per cent the student visa applicants were successful in 2013. Our work regulations allow students at higher education institutions studying at or above degree level to work 20 hours per week in vacation, he added.

He said the joint investment between UK and India in science and innovation has increased to pound 50 million over the last five years making it the fastest growing area of bilateral cooperation with India.

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation charge-sheeted former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanidhi and others in the AircelMaxis deal case.

The charge sheet, filed in the court of Special Judge O P Saini, charged Dayanidhi Maran with criminal conspiracy and making illegal pecuniary gain for himself in the deal.

It alleged that the former minister entered into a criminal conspiracy with T Ananda Krishnan, owner of the Malaysian company Maxis, and coerced C Sivasankaran, owner of Aircel, to sell his shares to Krishnan allegedly in lieu of investments in Sun Direct TV Pvt. Ltd. Maxis owner also named: Besides the Marans, the CBI has named Ananda Krishnan, Ralph Marshall, a senior executive of the Maxis Group, and four companies, including the Sun TV. The charge sheet was filed a day after the

Dayanidhi Maran and Kalanithi Maran (R) Supreme Court refused to entertain a plea by Dayanidhi seeking to restrain the CBI from filing the charge sheet on the plea that the probe was “not complete.” Former telecom secretary J S Sharma, who has since passed away, has also been mentioned as an accused in the charge sheet but he has been put in column 2 of the report meant for those who won’t be tried.

The CBI had in 2011 registered an FIR stating that C Sivasankaran, owner of Aircel, who had sought spectrum licence, was forced to sell his company to Maxis. In March 2006, the Maxis Group bought 74 per cent stakes in Aircel.

near Taoru, some 32 km from here, recently decided to put an end to the ban on marrying children within same village and brought the proposal to Gurgaon Gaon village recently.

Jaurasi-Fatehpur holds `Chaudhar` (leadership) of 12 villages while Gurgaon Gaon enjoys this status in 18 villages.

"Jaurasi village, later extended and established as Fatehpur village, had brotherhood relations with Gurgaon Gaon, Basai, Dhanwapur, Garauli Kalan, Garauli Khurd and Kadipur for over 600 years," Atalvir Kataria, a panchayat leader, said. Marriages were not allowed among these villages.

New Delhi: Kuldeep Bishnoi-led Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC-BL) has decided to snap its ties with BJP, putting an end to the prolonged tussle between the two parties which have been in an alliance for three years now.

"We tried our level best to keep the alliance working...made sincere efforts...They (BJP) are not ready to stick to agreed alliance principles. So we have taken a decision," a top HJC leader said here.

The HJC chief had accused the saffron party for "betraying" it. "Betrayal is in the nature of BJP," Kuldeep Bishnoi had said, addressing a gathering at Ananj Mandi at Loharu in Bhiwani district.

He had claimed that he had been serving and cooperating with the BJP from the "core of his heart for the last three years".

BJP leaders in Haryana have said that the party is in a position to contest all the 90 seats on its own and accused Bishnoi of trying to "break the ties".

The alliance between

J Jayalalithaa

from various parts and applied nomination for me and I thank them. I am working for 26 years and the party has attained a massive growth. When our

UK delegation meets Andhra CM to discuss investment

Hyderabad: A delegation led by Britain's Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Edward Davey met Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and exchanged ideas with him on the potential for investments in renewable energy sector in the state, a statement said.

Davey also expressed happiness over Shell’s investment in the LNG terminal in the state. “Andhra Pradesh’s coastline would be its greatest advantage and that UK would be keen in supporting the state in establishing ports and infrastructure,” Davey added.

Earlier, as part of the programme, the UK minister visited Muffakham Jah College of Engineering and interacted with the students. Trying to woo the students to choose UK for higher education, he said there is no limit on the number of Indian students who can study in the UK.

N Chandrababu Naidu and Edward Davey

Gurgaon khap permits same-gotra marriages

Gurgaon: For a state known to ban marriages within the same `gotra` (clan), a community in Haryana`s Gurgaon district has been forced to abandon a 600year-old tradition of brotherhood within the community and allow such marriages.

The tradition has taken a break mainly because of rampant female foeticides leading to a skewed sex ratio of 879 girls for every 1,000 males, making Haryana the worst among Indian states in this aspect. The country`s sex ratio improved to 943 in the 2011 Census against 933 females per 1,000 males in the 2001 census.

The Jat Khap Panchayat (community council) of Jaurasi-Fatehpur village

Charge sheet against Maran brothers filed

Haryana Janhit Congress snaps ties with BJP

Kuldeep Bishnoi

BJP, which is eyeing to wrest power from ruling Congress, and HJC has seen a rift since the Lok Sabha polls, as HJC failed to win the two seats it contested while BJP bagged seven constituencies.

The ties between the partners were under strain due to differences on seatsharing for the assembly polls, with Bishnoi seeking 45 of the 90 seats and demanding that he be declared the chief ministerial candidate of the alliance, both of which the BJP is opposing.

Bishnoi, younger son of former chief minister late Bhajan Lal, tore into the BJP's claim of having many deserving candidates for the post of chief minister, saying many of them have lost successive elections.

South Brief

Karnataka CM to expand cabinet soon

Bangalore: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has been given a free hand to expand his cabinet, but won’t be allowed to create the post of deputy chief minister. The AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Digvijay Singh said: “Cabinet expansion is the discretion of the Chief Minister.” Speaking to news persons after a two-hour-long coordination committee meeting, Singh said: “The party high command will not interfere in the Ministry expansion.” While the council of ministers could comprise up to 34 ministers it now has 30. Siddaramaiah had already indicated that four vacancies would be filled.

Party sources added that “the process will be completed by next month”.

Kudankulam N-plant to go commercial next month

Chennai: The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) is expected to start commercial operations of its first 1,000 MW unit at Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) next month, said a senior official. "We have to get the AERB's (Atomic Energy Regulatory Board) permission to restart the unit,” an official said. He said the unit, after restarting, would take around one week to reach its full power levels. He said all the mandatory tests have been completed and the reports have been submitted to AERB.

Old Telangana jails to be turned into museums

Hyderabad: All old and abandoned jails in Telangana will be converted into museums in a bid to link the prison department to society for its betterment, a top official said. "In the first phase, Sangareddy Jail will be turned into a museum to promote local culture, history, art and language. This is the most innovative and the first endeavour in our country. Our ideas is to link the jail department to the society for its betterment," Director General (TelanganaPrisons) V K Singh told reporters. Singh said that a shopping complex will come up near Chenchalguda prison as part of the initiative.

North Brief

12 injured in Punjab college clash over Pakistan match Chandigarh: Twelve students at a private engineering college in Punjab were injured following a clash between students from Kashmir and others over support to Pakistan team during an international cricket match, college sources said. Police said that at least 12 students were injured in the clash between both sides at the hostel of Swami Parmanand College of Engineering and Technology near Lalru, 35 km from here. The clash took place while the students of the institution were watching a one-day international match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka on TV.

Badal seeks intervention of Jaitley, Uma for project clearance

Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal sought intervention of Union Ministers Arun Jaitley and Uma Bharti for "prompt clearance" of the project to restart work on the 'Sakki/Kiran Nallah' (drain) in Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts. In separate letters to both the Union Ministers, Badal apprised them of this project, which would play a pivotal role in saving the border districts of state from the scourge of floods, an official release said.

Man gets 10 years' jail for raping minor

Hisar: A local court has awarded ten years' rigorous imprisonment to a man for raping a minor in her house last year. Additional District and Sessions judge Madhu Khanna Lali convicted Ashish (22), a resident of Sham Nagar in Hisar, of rape and sentenced him to ten years' imprisonment. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on him, and in case of default of payment of the fine the convict would further undergo imprisonment for six months. The incident occurred on April 15 last year, when the girl and her 5-year-old brother were alone at home.

INDIA

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 6th September 2014

Ahmedabad/London direct flights are essential

By Dhiren Katwa

Nearly a million British Gujaratis are making huge strides in education, professions, entrepreneurship and in other walks of life.

Direct flights between London and the business capital of India's fastest growing states will benefit both the UK as well as India in all aspects of life.

I was very happy with the report of the revived campaign for the direct flight in the Asian Voice dated 30th August 2014.

Way back in 2003 the direct flights began after a campaign by Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar and correctly supported by Hon. Shri Narendra Modi, the then Chief Minister of Gujarat who has now completed first 100 days of his administration as the Prime Minister with outstanding success.

The decision to stop this much needed facility was taken by the then UPA government. It was a political diktat and in spite of several pleas not even a single flight per week was granted by the UPA government.

Once again, due to great public demand in 2012 the re-launched campaign petitions were presented to the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi by Manoj Ladwa (as he had previously done along) with Mr Paresh Rawal, the famous Bollywood actor and now a member of Lok Sabha.

Dear readers, you will

My full support for re-starting direct Ahmedabad-London flight: Anar Patel Gujarat CM Anandiben’s daughter serving society with core human values

be happy to know that like me, Manoj Ladwa is born and brought up in Birmingham. He is one of the most loyal and longstanding associates of Shri Narendra Modi in the UK. I was impressed that the campaign in Gujarat, India is co-ordinated by Mr Bhupatrai Parekh whom I know is a very senior journalist and well connected with leaders of all main political parties in Gujarat.

It is right and proper that Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar have initiated involvement of politicians from both the UK and India.

I have seen the letter promptly written by Priti Patel- MP and Prime Minister's UK Indian Diaspora Champion and I was really delighted that H.E. Mr Ranjan Mathai so promptly replied to her on 26th August. The assessment referred to by the High Commissioner was perhaps not up to date about the traffic potential.

As to the availability of resources of Air India, the point is understandable.

The Civil Aviation Ministry of the Manmohan Singh government some say, almost ruined Air India by several improper and incorrect decisions. A

letter has been sent by CB Patel to Civil Aviation Minister Shri Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati on 28th July 2014. Modi's government is taking bold initiatives on several fronts for accelerated development of India. The need for direct flights from UK/ USA is very much in the forefront.

As Air India has experienced so beneficially with launch of Birmingham/Delhi/Amrits ar direct flights, let Air India start a few flights per week as a start. It is almost certain that the new flights will be economically viable.

Let me also submit that economic viability is just one of the many benefits of such a facility. In tomorrow's world there is a vast potential of multifaceted progress between UK and India, between London and Gujarat.

PM Modi spoke about the well being of Indians during his Independence Day address. Air India and the Civil Aviation Minister should consider the hardships, agonies and inconveniences of disabled, elderly people, pregnant women and families with young children to change flights and wait for 2-4 hours in transit.

Loomba Foundation launches project to empower widows

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal during the function of Loomba foundation at PAU

The Loomba Foundation, the UN accredited global NGO working for the cause of widows and their children, has launched a unique project together with the Punjab Government to empower 5,000 widows in the state.

Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal was the chief guest for the launch function held at Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan in Ludhiana. He, together with Lord Raj Loomba and Lady Loomba distributed sewing machines to some of the beneficiaries to formally kick-start the project. Lord Loomba

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said, "Having been born in Dhilwan, I have always been connected to the soil of Punjab, no matter where my destiny has taken me. Even though I am a parliamentarian in the UK, and my Foundation works actively to bring widows out of abject poverty in different parts of the world including India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi, South Africa, Syria, and Guatemala, nothing gives me more joy than to see my own homeland joining hands for this cause so seriously. We celebrated

India's 68th Independence Day last week, but we are yet to ensure financial independence for millions of our widows. I hope that this partnership with the Punjab Government proves to be just the beginning of a long relationship that aims to completely eradicate the stigma and the hardships associated with widowhood across Punjab and the entire Bharat. I therefore hope that other states in India will also come forward and join hands with The Loomba Foundation to empower widows with livelihoods."

(L-R) Rajendra Patel, Nahid Saiyyad and Anar Patel

Mrs Anarben Patel, social activist and daughter of Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel, has offered her wholehearted support to the campaign to re-start direct AhmedabadLondon flight. During her visit to the Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar office in London, she discussed a wide range of issues while enjoying a delicious Gujarati meal.

She recalled the inconvenience she had to undergo while flying to London like halting en route and wasting valuable time due to lack of direct flight. She offered her wholehearted support to the drive for resuming the direct flight. Chief of Wellbeing Department, Birmingham University Mrs Nahidben Saiyyad who was accompanying Anar said, “due to suspension of direct flight, Air India is bearing huge losses while other competitive airlines are earning massive profits.”

Like her mother, Anar has also inherited the values of social service. She is down-to–earth in her nature with never ending commitment to serve the deprived and underprivileged. Anar began her social service while studying in the 8th standard by giving tuition to poor children. She continued this service while pursuing BSc at St Xavier’s college in Ahmedabad.

Anar along with her husband and daughter Sansriti had performed a

huge ‘Seva Yagna’ under the banner of ‘Manav Sadhna Trust’ in Kutch in the aftermath of the massive earthquake in 2001 by re-building 455 houses, 3 check dams and 6 schools along with revamping of 6 ponds.

Quite interestingly, the inauguration of this village was done by the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. The ‘Manav Sadhna Trust’ was conferred with the award of repute called, “Gujarat Gaurav Award” for completing such a noteworthy work within 6 months with the help of local people. She is also involved in ‘Safai Vidyalaya’ like her fatherin-law Ishwarbhai Patel who has spent his entire life for working in the field of conservancy and cleanliness, she had conducted as many as 50 awareness camps aiming at water facility and sanitation across tribal villages.

Anar and her friends conduct classes for the underage working children. About 9,000 children are being benefited by her ‘Manav Sadhana Trust’.

As part of ‘Gamshree Trust’ of Anandinben Patel, Anar has been serving for women’s welfare and empowerment.

More than 2,000 women are earning over Rs 25-30 per hour by making handcrafted clothes and several other work of art. All such products are sold in ‘Gamshree shop’ and its whole profit is utilised for uplift of women and

developing their business.

Both Anar and her husband are associated with ‘Seva Café’, situated in Shoppers’ Plaza at N a v r a n g p u r a , Ahmedabad. Every customer of this café is voluntarily asked to pay from his/her heart and it’s absolutely fine even if one doesn’t pay. But almost 99 per cent customers happily pay from their hearts.

Interestingly, there are over 400 volunteers paying their services in this café.

Anar’s yet another organization called, ‘Crafts Roots’ is on the go to developing the handicraft business of about 17,000 skilled women workers. And it has further targeted to integrate 350,000 skilled women in it. Some leading fashion designers are also associated with this organisation to train skilled women workers to bring perfection in their art works. Under ‘Connect India’, volunteers from across UK, USA and other nations also unite with ‘Manav Sadhana Trust’.

Anar is not only active in social service but also owns a pharma company, banking firm and about 11 retail outlets. She has excellent ability to coordinate between services and occupation, whereas her husband is a trustee of ‘Gandhi Ashram’ and takes care of a topmost Environment Sanitation Institute.

An Indian social activist accused of faking his death has been found alive in Bangalore. Chandra Mohan Sharma, 38, a member of Aam Aadmi party, has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of a man whose remains were discovered in a burnt-out car in Delhi on May 1.

The body, dressed in

Sharma’s clothes and carrying his wallet, had been identified as that of the activist, by his family.

They claimed that he had been murdered for exposing corruption.Last week, he was arrested in Bangalore, where he has allegedly been working in a Honda car factory under a new identity for the past four months.

A married man, he is accused of faking his death to start a new life with another woman.

Preetinder Singh, a police officer in Bangalore, said that the body in the car was that of a beggar whom Sharma had met outside a shopping mall in Delhi, strangled and placed in the driver’s seat before setting the car ablaze.

‘Murdered’ activist found alive with lover

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INDIA

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 6th September 2014

Parties close ranks to slam Musharraf's Modi remark

In a rare closing of ranks, the ruling BJP and Congress slammed former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf for his statement describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "anti-Pakistan" and "anti-Muslim".

The BJP rubbished Musharraf's statement while the Congress said secular forces in India are capable of preserving its pluralism and "don't need any outsider's advice".

"Now if Gen Musharraf has said that Modi is anti-Pakistan, he must understand that Modi is pro-India and a true Indian. If Pakistan interferes in India, the PM will have to take steps

Continued from page 1 rebellion. It is a rebellion against state institutions.

It is a rebellion against the state of Pakistan," interior minister Chaudhry Nisar told parliament.

"Clear guidance from this parliament would give strength to the police. ...

They are not revolutionaries, they are intruders and terrorists," he said of the protesters.

Sharif made no remarks in parliament, taking notes and listening to speeches. A spokesman said Sharif might speak at the end of the session.

Pakistan has been in turmoil since mid-August when tens of thousands of protesters led by Imran Khan, a former cricket player, and outspoken cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri flooded into the capital Islamabad refusing to leave unless Sharif resigns.

The protesters accuse the government of corruption and Sharif of rigging the election last year. He denies that and has refused to step down.

The demonstrations turned violent over the

against it," said BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain.

"PM wants good relations with India's neighbours so he tried his best for it. But Pakistan does not seem to be interested in good relations. It is trying to spread the domestic fire across the borders," he said.

The BJP leader said

Modi doesn't see Hindus and Muslims through different prisms but treat as equals.

"As far as Muslims are concerned, nowhere else are they better off than they are in India. Instead of bothering about what is happening in India, Musharraf should be concerned about Muslims in Pakistan who are fighting against each other," said Hussain.

Congress said India doesn't need advice of an outsider to preserve pluralistic idea of the country. "In so far as preserving the idea of India from the majoritarian impulses of the PM is concerned, the secular forces in India

have the wherewithal of doing so without outside advise," said Congress leader and former union minister Manish Tewari.

On Musharraf's comment that there should be no doubt that Pakistan is a nuclear-powered state capable of defending itself, Tewari said, "Gen Musharraf has an unfortunate history of rattling the nuclear sabre. However at this point in time they are at best the ramblings of a man struggling to remain relevant."

The Left has also hit out at the Pakistani leader.

CPM leader Sitaram Yechury said, "It is only natural that such reaction will come from Pakistan."

weekend as protesters armed with clubs and wearing gas masks to protect themselves against teargas tried to storm Sharif's residence. At least three people were killed and hundreds wounded.

But the capital was quiet on Tuesday, with no reports of violence. As members of parliament streamed into the assembly, a crowd of a few thousand protesters massed peacefully just outside in the so-called red zone - a central area where Sharif's office, ministries and many embassies are located. The chaotic scenes in the usually orderly capital have unnerved a nation where power has often changed hands through military coups rather than elections, prompting speculation that the military was prepared to intervene again.

Few expect the army to actually seize power this time but many believe it is using the protracted crisis to weaken Sharif and consolidate exclusive control of key security and foreign policy issues such as rela-

tions with India and Afghanistan.

D i v i s i o n s : Highlighting divisions within opposition ranks, a former major ally of Khan's, Javed Hashmi, has said that Khan was effectively acting on the orders of the army, suggesting that the crisis was akin to a "soft coup".

Hashmi has fallen out with Khan and condemned protesters' attempt to storm Sharif's house over the weekend.

The army has denied it had anything to do with the protesters, saying it was entirely neutral and apolitical, but some in the government have long accused it of orchestrating the demonstrations to destabilize civilian rule.

Sharif, who was ousted in an army coup in 1999 during an earlier stint in office, has been at odds with the army since he swept to power last year in Pakistan's first democratic transition of power.

He has displeased the top brass by calling for better diplomatic and trade relations with India

and Afghanistan as well as resisting the army's plan to mount an offensive against Islamist Taliban insurgents in Pakistan's northwest.

The treason trial of a former army chief and president, Pervez Musharraf, who launched the 1999 coup against Sharif, has also angered the military.

Anti-Sharif protests began to simmer in June when several of Qadri's activists were killed in clashes with police in the city of Lahore, prompting widespread criticism of the authorities' heavy-handed tactics against the opposition.

In Islamabad, which has been largely paralyzed by the protests with many streets blocked off and businesses suffering losses, the atmosphere remained tense with police and troops protecting government buildings.

On Monday, hundreds of people storming and ransacked the state television headquarters, prompting the army to step in to clear and secure the building.

Narendra Modi delivering the keynote address, at a Seminar hosted by JETRO and NIKKEI, in Tokyo is no better place than adding India should repliIndia for your growth and cate the Japanese model of expansion," Modi said on work culture at home to the fourth day of his fiveattract Japanese investday Japan sojourn. ment.

In a sign of their "If we can provide simiwarmth, Modi and Abe lar work culture, govergreeted each other with a nance and efficiency that bear hug when they met on Japan has, we can make Saturday in Japan's ancient them feel at home in capital of Kyoto for an India," Modi said. informal dinner. Modi is He told Japan that if it one of three people that is looking for growth, then Abe follows on Twitter, there is no better place while the Indian leader than India. admires Abe's brand of "I assure you that there

nationalist politics.

"The 21st century belongs to Asia ... but how the 21st century will be depends on how strong and progressive IndiaJapan ties are," Modi told Japanese and Indian business executives earlier.

Earlier on Saturday the two countries signed a partnership agreement between Varanasi, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and Kyoto, which was the capital of Japan for over 1,000 years. The partnership agreement was signed soon after Modi was received warmly

by Abe. The partnership focuses on how to preserve heritage while building smart cities. It was signed between Kyoto Mayor Daisaku Kadokawa and India's Ambassador to Japan Deepa Gopalan Wadhwa.

Pak mulls 'selective use of force' against protesters

Modi’s Japan visit a grand success

Continued from page 1 markets. Referring to his government's 100 days in power, Modi said it has achieved what could not be achieved in the last twoand-a-half years. The country's GDP grew 5.7 per cent in the April-June quarter, the highest in more than two years. Modi said his government was ready to offer whatever was required to promote foreign investment into India.

"Without Japan, India is incomplete and without India, Japan is incomplete", he said.

According to him, the coming together of Japan's hardware skills and India's software expertise can create miracle. Modi hoped Japan would follow "Look at India" policy.

"Just as India is focusing on Look East policy, we expect Look at India policy from Japan," Modi said,

In Brief

Plants boost office productivity

London: A study has found that presence of plants in the office can boost productivity. Experiments conducted at two large commercial offices in the UK and The Netherlands found that plants significantly increased workplace satisfaction, self-reported levels of focus, and perceived air quality.

People digging beach in search of buried gold London: People are digging the beach in Folkestone, southeast England in search of gold bullion buried there

by German artist Michael Sailstorfer as part of the Folkestone Triennial. An artist claims he has buried £10,000 of gold on a beach in Folkestone as part of a timeless piece of art. Treasure hunters get to keep the 30 bars if they can find them once the tide is out. The project, called Folkestone Digs, has been shrouded in secrecy until now. It is part of the town's triennial festival which happens every three years and has previously included work by artists including Tracey Emin, Jeremy Deller and Martin Creed. It allows artists to use public spaces in the town as a canvas. This year German artist Michael Sailstorfer has hidden 30 bars of 24-carat gold, worth £10,000, under the sand of the Outer Harbour beach.

'Knee defender' causing chaos on flights

London: A new device called the knee defender – designed to prevent people leaning back in their seats – has sparked a row over the right to recline. Now, dozens of the gadgets are believed to be on their way to the UK after worldwide sales spiralled in recent days.

And passengers may have to get used to finding their seat sabotaged by the traveller behind after the industry safety watchdog said it had no power to ban the products from flights. The knee defender clips onto the lowered table and prevents the flier in front from tilting their seat. Although it looks innocuous, its effects can be explosive. Last Sunday, a US flight had to be diverted when a fight broke out between two passengers over its use. A man had attached a knee defender to his table to make sure he had space to work on his laptop. When a woman in front tried to recline, he refused to remove it, even when flight crew intervened. The woman became so upset that she threw a glass of water over him, and the row prompted the pilot of the four-hour flight between Newark and Denver to make an emergency landing in Chicago.

Police told not to waste time by escorting people

London: Police officers have been told not to waste public time after they responded to call from Paul Gascoigne for an escort to the shops. The 47-year-old former England star, who has battled problems with alcohol addiction and mental health, called the emergency. Officers turned up at his home in Sandbanks, Dorset and later accompanied Gascoigne, whose emotion and talent charmed the nation at the 1990 World Cup, to Tesco on Sandbanks Road to do some shopping.

Longer-term mortgages tempting first time home buyers

London: The longer-term mortgages are prompting the first time home buyers to go for it despite having to pay back double the value of their home. The number of people taking on longer-term agreements being offered by the likes of Nationwide and Halifax has risen sharply in the last four years, with lower monthly payments proving attractive. Figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders show that of the almost 80,000 first-time buyers in the second quarter of 2014, more than 22,000 took out mortgages with terms exceeding 30 years, an increase of nearly 10 per cent since 2010. The number of non-first-time buyers taking on the longer mortgages also rose from five to 12 per cent since and 4,000 people remortgaged their property with a mortgage of more than 30 years, more than five times the number in 2010.

Six killed in attack on Afghan intelligence agency

Jalalabad (Afghanistan): At least six people were killed and dozens wounded when a suicide car bomber and Taliban gunmen attacked an office of the Afghan intelligence agency in the eastern city of Jalalabad, officials said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, part of a broader pattern of bold offensives by militants across Afghanistan that has emerged in recent weeks during the summer "fighting season." The violence coincides with a political deadlock in the capital, Kabul, where rival presidential candidates have been unable to resolve months-long disputes over an election meant to mark the first democratic transfer of power in Afghan history.

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HEALTH WATCH

Sushma’s Health & Beauty Blog

Junk food may kill appetite for healthy food

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t is a known fact that 'junk food' makes you put on weight, indisciplined and impatient, and in some cases may also cause brain damage. If these weren't enough, here's another reason why you should stop eating junk food right now.

A new research says that junk food can not only make you put on weight but also destroy your appetite for healthy food. To prove this, researchers at the University of New South Wales, Australia conducted a series of experiments to see how junk food impacts eating habits and diet preferences.

The study was conducted over 2 weeks on two different groups of rats. One group was fed with healthy rat food while the other was fed junk food (with almost 150 per cent more calories) like pie, dumplings, cookies and cake. Both the

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groups were also given cherry and grape sugar water to drink.

Not only did the second group of rats end up weighing 10 per cent more than their healthy counterparts, there were also certain behavioural changes that were noticed.

The team taught young male rats to associate two different sound cues, each with a particular flavour of sugar water - cherry and grape.

The healthy rats

responded appropriately to the sound cues while the junk food-fed rats got it all wrong. If they heard a noise associated with grape sugar water, they drank more of it even though they had already consumed a lot of it before. They became indifferent in their food choices and no longer avoided the sound that associated with the drink they had already consumed. This indicated that they had lost their natural preference for nov-

elty. The change even lasted for some time after the rats returned to a healthy diet. The researchers believe that a junk food diet causes lasting changes in the reward circuit parts of the rats' brain, the part that is responsible for decision-making.

Researchers said that these results have great implications on a person's ability to limit his intake of certain kinds of foods as the brain's reward circuitry is similar in all mammals.

Professor Margaret Morris said "The interesting thing about this finding is that if the same thing happens in humans, eating junk food may change our responses to signals associated with food rewards." He added by saying that "It's like you've just had ice cream for lunch, yet you still go and eat more when you hear the ice cream van come by."

stages, Osteoporosis often develop.

With low bone density, the chances of facing these complications are higher than normal. Women face a greater risk of having low bone density because they have a smaller bone structure, ergo less bone mass. Starting from the

early 30s, bone density begins to decline amongst women.

This is problematic because of the future risks involved, as well as the hindrance it can cause to daily lives, especially for those with active lifestyles. The causes of lowering bone density are few, and primarily pertain to heredity and lifestyle. Research has shown that genetics plays a crucial role in its onset.

If family members have the condition, it is likely to develop.

Moreover, individuals who are thin or smallframed are more at risk.

Low oestrogen levels that cause infrequent or irregular periods, directly lead to

low bone density.

Vitamin D and Calcium deficiencies are also accountable. With respect to lifestyle, poor diet, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and insufficient exercise contribute to its occurrence.

Bearing all this in mind, it’s imperative to take preventive action in good time. Yoga, Pilates, physical fitness and training successfully increase bone strength, but do not provide the Vitamin D and Calcium required to maintain the mineral content.

Low bone density is a condition that cannot be cured; however, precautionary methods go a long way in laying the foundation for healthy bones and overall wellness in the future.

activities as well as make you feel miserable during the day. Insomnia, a sleep disorder, can also have adverse effects on your health. Below are a few tips for a better night's sleep: Make it comfortable: Make sure that your bed is not too hard nor too soft and that your pillows are in proper balance. One can sleep well if the bedroom is quiet, dark and noise-free.

Limit caffeine: Try not to have coffee after noon as it stimulates your brain

thus affecting your sleep.

If you are an insomniac, avoid food or beverages that contain caffeine after noon.

Regular schedule: Keep a regular sleep schedule, even on weekends. Avoid taking naps during the day if you couldn't sleep at night.

Say no to gadgets: Once you are ready to hit the bed, keep all your gadgets, including your phone away from you.

Research has shown that the blue wavelengths pro-

duced by your smartphone and other gadgets significantly subdues the melatonin production (the hormone that helps you fall asleep).

Meditate: Regular meditation is believed to help people with insomniacs. It helps calm your mind, thus, alleviating sleep disorders.

Meditation can also help you put aside thoughts from the day, which is the best way to balance physical, emotional and mental states.

Low bone density can cause problems for women in their 30s

or decades, bone health has been a matter of concern for children and older individuals primarily. Recent research in this field has, however, unravelled this myth.

Women in their early 30s have been found to have low bone density. These studies indicate that one out of two women suffers from the condition.

But what does bone density really mean? Bone density refers to the mineral matter per square centimeter of bones. As we age, our bones get thinner and hence weaker. Thus, they fracture more easily and also take longer to heal. Ailments such as Osteopenia, and in later

Five simple home remedies for Insomnia

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ften you wake up in the middle of the night, you don't fall asleep again no matter how much you try, instead you end up tossing and turning restlessly all through the night.

This can affect your day's

To Our Readers

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

Don’t get worked up over Anxiety

‘’I can’t get my mind to stop, its driving me crazy’’, ‘’I can’t get to sleep as I’m feeling anxious and I don’t know why’’ At some point or another in our life, we all suffer from anxiety. Whether it be an upcoming job interview, sitting an exam or even awaiting results from a medical examination. Life becomes difficult; however, when we feel anxSushma Bhanot Pharmacist, Ayurvedic and ious on a daily basis our qualHomeopathic Consultant, ity of life is compromised.

Lecturer and Author. Heads Research carried out by Mind Research and Development Organisation concludes that at Coolherbals ‘’1 in 25 people in the UK suffer from General Anxiety Disorder’’ This type of disorder is anxiety but over a prolonged period, where worry takes over the mind and constantly repeats itself.

Simply the Adrenaline hormone takes over from the relaxing Acetylcholine hormone in controlling the actions of the body. What can you do about it? Ayurvedic thinking is that we can control the hormones through chakras in the body. In Secrets of How To Do Ayurvedic Massages... Head to Toe written by myself and Sushma Bhanot explain that how we can influence mood changes through massage.

When we massage Marma points in the skin – a place where two or more tissues meet or a point where the inner and outer bodies connect- energy goes from here to the Chakras through Nadhis or channels. Chakras are energy depots that convey energy to the endocrine glands which release hormones. Hormones are chemical messengers that influence amongst other things how we feel. Try an ayurvedic massage for relieving muscle tension, relieve stress and improved sleep. For your nearest therapist contact us.

Relaxing breathing exercises, physical exercise, yoga, tai chi, self-hypnosis, meditation, and biofeedback can help reduce stress. Try deep breathing and letting go slowly. This will bring more oxygen to the lungs and help remove toxins.

Try relaxing reading a book or listen to soft music, go for a walk in the park. Focus your mind on possible solutions if it is a problem that is causing anxiety. Quite often people focus more on the problem. Remember FEAR is only False Evidence Appearing Real. Coolherbals Homeopathic drops have been shown to help to prepare for upcoming stressful situations .Please call us now.

The herb valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is best known as a herbal remedy for insomnia and anxiety. Valerian is usually taken an hour before bedtime. It takes about two to three weeks to work and should not be used for more than three months at a time. Side effects of valerian may include mild indigestion, headache, palpitations, and dizziness.

Ask your Doctor or Pharmacist if you are on any medication such as sedatives and antihistamines and avoid it with alcohol. Some herbs such as Ginger warm up the body and help relax. There are various formulations available with Valerian and Ginger.

Try a warm bath with plant essential oils added such as lavender bergamot or sandalwood. For more information on exercises and simple techniques to beat anxiety email ravi@coolherbals.com or phone 020 8597 9039.

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 6th September 2014

Udhaynidhi to romance Hansika yet again

It is Tamanna for Siva Karthikeyan Arya does the unthinkable T

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ctress Hansika and Udhayanidhi Stalin’s 'OkOk' was a monstrous hit, and the chemistry between them is hard to go without notice. Now they are joining hands yet again under Ahmed’s directional venture. Ahmed’s 'Endrendrum Punnagai' was one of the decent hits of the last year, and as sources say, this movie will be yet another commercial entertainer from the director. Hansika is already committed to a couple of films 'Romeo Juliet' with Jeyam Ravi, 'Megamman' with Arya, 'Vaalu' with Simbu, 'Aranmanai' under Sundar C. Udhayanidhi Stalin is currently shooting for 'Nanbenda' which is directed by Jagdish, an associate director of Rajesh along with Nayanthara and Santhanam in the lead cast.

The shooting of this untitled venture will commence upon completion of 'Nanbenda'.

T

he latest buzz in the K-town is, Escape artist Madhan has signed Tamanna for Siva Karthikeyan's 'Rajini Murugan'. Siva will be playing as a real estate agent, and this movie will be the second outing for team 'Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam'. Ponram, who made his debut as a director with 'VVS' is continuing his partnership with Siva, and retained the crew, and the movie will go on floors from November. Siva Karthikeyan is currently busy with, 'Taana' aka 'Kaaki Sattai' which is also a second term for team 'Ethir Neechal'. The movie is almost 70% over and the crew is all set to shoot a couple of duets in Norway, and Anirudh is composing the music for this project. The movie is expected to release before Diwali.

Bangalore is like my second home-Trisha W

hen other heroines have been trying to survive for a few years, Trisha is going strong for almost 12 years. After ruling the hearts of Tamil & Telugu people, she has made her entry in a grand way to Kannada movies with 'Power'. She has shared the screen space with Kannada superstar, Puneeth Rajkumar. Our own Chennai girl is almost reversing the clock and getting younger as days pass by.

'Power' had been getting tremendous response. In a press meet, sShe apologized for not attending the audio release as she was busy with other projects. She is happy to start her Kannada career with a high profile release and promised to stay connected with Sandalwood if she finds right projects. She ended the meet by saying, Bangalore is like my second home as she can reach the city in just 4 hours. Trisha is currently busy with 'Thala 55' and awaiting the release of 'Bhoologam'. She has signed a couple of projects with Jai & Jayam Ravi, and might feature in 'Queen' remake as well.

‘Chaarfutiya Chhokare’

It is a social thriller directed by M a n i s h Harishankar.

The storyline is based on the subject of child-trafficking. The film features Soha Ali Khan, Seema Biswas and Zakir Hussain. The plot revolves around Neha Malini (Soha), who is an NRI girl returning to India to start a school in a village in north Bihar. Starting off optimistic and happy about her endeavour, she is unaware of the hardships, obstructions and risks awaiting her in this small, serene village. She is pleased after meeting three boys Awadhesh, Hari and Gorakh but soon finds out that it is the beginning of a nightmare. Being hardcore criminals, these three boys become the centre of her activities. After seeing this, she vows

to stop the criminal and sexual exploitation of the children in the village.

Paresh Rawal has no plans to launch sons

he friendliest actor in the K-town is known as a fitness freak too. A few weeks ago, Arya kept shuttling from his home to the ECR, the shooting spot of 'Meagamann' in cycle to maintain h i s physique.

W h i l e shooting for 'Arrambam', Arya decided to travel with his bicycle and implemented the same after completing his part. Arya rode all the way from Pondy Chennai in just 6 hours. "That was an awesome trip, I have gone there so many times, but nothing has been as wonderful as that cycling experience."

Arya is currently busy with, Vishnuvardhan's 'Yatchan' and the team is stationed at, M a n a p p a d , Tiruchendur. "I do not have access to gyms in this small town, so I go on a long ride in cycle to keep myself fit," says Arya in an interview.

Amitabh dances with Deepika, Arjun Kapoor to 'Bootiya'

‘Mary Kom’

It is a biographical sports drama film directed

by Omung Kumar and produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali on a story and screenplay written by S a i w y n Quadras.

Rob Miller of ReelSports, the sports action director for “Chak De! India” and” Bhaag Milkha Bhaag,” coordinated the sports action sequences for the film. Based on the life of the Indian boxer Mary Kom, the film stars Priyanka Chopra in the lead.

Sunil Thapa, Darshan Kumaar, Shishir Sharma and Zachary Coffin also star in the movie.

P

aresh Rawal, a self-made actor, wants his sons to learn the ropes and find a place for themselves in filmdom. He has no plans to launch them. His eldest son is being mentored

by Naseeruddin Shah, said Paresh and added: “My second son is into screenplay… he is into writing.” “I never had any launching pad. I can give them advice, but if you think I will invest Rs.100 to 150 million and launch my kids, then I will not do that. Besides I don’t even have that much money,” he said. “Let them struggle and find their own way,” added the actor who entered filmdom in the early 1980s and found a foothold after his hair-raising performance as a ruthless smuggler in ‘Naam’.

T

he peppy track "Shake your bootiya" made megastar Amitabh Bachchan put on his dancing shoes for a jig with Arjun Kapoor and Deepika Padukone on a new episode of "Kaun Banega Crorepati". The song from the young stars' forthcoming film "Finding Fanny" is on everyone's lips and the 71-year-old enjoyed dancing on it when the duo joined him on the set of KBC's eighth season, which he hosts.

After shooting with them, Big B took to his blog to not just share some photographs, but also to share his experience.

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 6th September 2014

My name is Ranveer Ching!

B

Katrina's sister to dance to 'Dal Makhani'

ollywood actresss Katrina Kaif's sister Izabelle loves Indian food, specially Dal Makhani. So, the team of IndoCanadian film production "Dr. Cabbie", in which Vinay Virmani plays the title role, decided to dedicate a full song to the actress. Izabelle, who is cast opposite Kunal Nayyar, in the film, has danced as well as her elder sister Katrina did in "Sheila ki jawaani".

Vinay says Izabelle's dancing took everyone on the sets by surprise. "She is quite the chip off the block. I mean, we have all seen her sister dance, right? What do these Kaif sisters eat," Vinay asked.

Says a source from "Dr. Cabbie": "Katrina is constantly inquiring about Izabelle's role and the release plans for the film. When she heard about the song 'Dal makhani', she immediately wanted to see her baby-sister dance," said a source.

If the source is to be believed, Katrina even plans to promote the film with Izabelle when the movie releases in India.

"She wants her sister's debut to be

R

anveer Singh known for his adventurous approach to choosing movies and creating memorable cinematic characters, has been signed on as the brand ambassador for ‘Ching’s Secret.’

Ranveer will soon be seen in a music video for the brand titled - My Name is Ranveer Ching! Directed by Shaad Ali with music composed by Shankar Ehsaan Loy and lyrics by Gulzar, this high-energy video has been choreographed by none other than Ganesh Acharya, who has also devised a signature Ching's move. While the song has been sung by Arijit Singh, Ranveer has also belted out the 'Manchow Rap' in his own inimitable style adding the Schezwani zing to the chartbuster. Not only that, he has also penned the lyrics for the rap.

Ranveer, who is known to choose his endorsements very judiciously, is super excited with this association. "I'm really happy to be associated with Ching's Secret. I am personally a Hakka Chinese fanatic! So I leaped at the offer when the good folks at Ching's Secret approached me to be their brand ambassador! I'm a big fan of their noodles, soups and their masalas - they're really, really hot and spicy - just the way I like it! I am proud to be the face of the pioneer brand of the Hakka Chinese flavour in India and the

Priyanka not interested in Ice Bucket Challenge

F

ormer beauty q u e e n Priyanka Chopra has been nominated by many to take up the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, but she doesn't seem to be interested.

The challenge involves dumping buckets of ice water over one's head to spread awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Apart from Hollywood stars like Tom Cruise, Robert Pattinson and Nicole Kidman accepting it, Bollywood stars like Akshay Kumar, Bipasha Basu and Abhishek Bachchan also took up the challenge. But Priyanka is not joining the league.

world. Ranveer Singh and the secret of Ching- forward together! :)" says Ranveer.

Ching’s Secret is the brand that is partly responsible for making Chinese the second most popular cuisine in India! Synonymous with Hakka Chinese since 1996, it quite literally offers all the food ingredients and products required to make delicious Chinese at home.

Catering to the demanding Indian palate that craves for Chinese with a desi twist, Ching’s has constantly come up with innovative, do-it-yourself Chinese food products. From the one-of-a-kind Schezwan Chutney to the Instant Schezchow Soup (a special blend of Schezwan and Manchow, with noodle bits) or the range of Chinese Miracle Masalas for a quick, 3-step approach to making Chinese food to the speciality sauces, Ching’s gives its die-hard customers instant Chinese gratification!

"A hatke brand like Ching’s needs an equally hatke brand ambassador.

Ranveer Singh, being the hottest and most hatke star of his generation, is a perfect brand fit. As a brand aimed at today’s youth and young housewives, we felt Ranveer was the ideal youth icon who had pan-Indian appeal across all age groups," says Ajay Gupta, MD, Capital Foods.

SRK becomes Interpol ambassador

I

nterpol, the world's largest international police organization with 190 member countries, has named Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan as its ambassador. "It's a very special honour to be a part of Interpol's Turn Back Crime Campaign as an ambassador...I believe we can, we should, and we must stand together against the few who commit crimes against any human being, in whatever form or guise these crimes might take," SRK was quoted as saying in an Interpol statement. The first Indian actor to get the honour, Shah Rukh joins actor Jackie Chan as an ambassador for the campaign, which includes support from footballer Lionel Messi and Formula 1 drivers Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen.

smooth. She also wants Izabelle to have her own identity. There was a suggestion that she be christened 'Izabelle Kaif' for her screen avatar. Katrina insisted on the family name," the source added.

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UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 6th September 2014

Public Health England hosts roundtable discussions with Sikh and Hindu leaders Public Health England (PHE) last week ran a series of roundtable discussions on dementia with faith leaders, in support of the Dementia Friends campaign.

The events focused on how PHE can work together with Sikh and Hindu leaders to give people better understanding of dementia and address cultural barriers that can lead to South Asian people seeing a doctor about their symptoms later than white people, by which time the disease has become more severe.

Launched in May, the Dementia Friends campaign tackles one of the largest health issues facing England and a growing issue for ethnic minority communities. Of the 665,000 people in England and Wales living with

dementia, it is estimated that approximately 25,000 are from ethnic minority communities. This figure is expected to rise significantly as the ethnic minority population ages. By 2026 it is likely to have doubled to nearly 50,000 and by 2051 to over 172,000 – representing a seven-fold increase in 40 years.

The Dementia Friends initiative, developed by Alzheimer’s Society, aims to give people an understanding of what it is like

COMPETITION

to live with dementia, dispel common myths and stigma associated with the disease and show how we can all make a real difference to people living with the condition.

The roundtable discussions are part of the Dementia Friends initiative which forms part of the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia.

The campaign builds on commitments declared at the 2013 G8 Dementia Summit, which included a call to improve the quality of life for people living with the condition.

The Hundred-Foot Journey Culinary Contest For Food Enthusiasts After rave reviews from across the pond, London is set to get its fix of the culinary goodwill with the official release of The Hundred-Foot Journey on September 5th, a gastronomical feast of a film exploring the fusion of Indo-French cultures, represented beautifully through the universal language of heart-warming food for the soul.

To celebrate the release of The Hundred-Foot Journey and the culinary themes within the film, the traditional French-Indian restaurant La Porte Des Indes, is giving

away 1 signed copy of its popular cookery book, The Legacy of France in Indian Regional Cooking

by Mehernosh Mody, Sherin Alexander Mody and John Hellon.

To participate, please answer the simple question: Who plays the role of Papa Kadam in The Hundred-Foot Journey?

Email your correct answer to aveditorial@abplgroup.com by 21 September with your full name and contact number. The winner will be chosen from correct answers on a lottery basis.

COMPETITION

Two tickets are up for grabs to see legendary Paresh Rawal in 'Dear Father' on Sunday 12th October 2014 at Apollo Hammersmith, London. All you have to do is answer the following question to have a chance of winning. The winner will be chosen from all correct entries on a lottery basis. All entries need to be sent to aveditorial@abplgroup.com by no later than Saturday 13th September. Good luck!

What was the last film that Paresh Rawal starred in?

1) Raja Natwarlal 2) Rabba Main Kya Karoon 3) Himmatwala Editor: CB Patel Associate Editor: Rupanjana Dutta Tel: 020 7749 4098 - Email: rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com Editorial Executive: Tanveer Mann Tel: 020 7749 4010 - Email: tanveer.mann@abplgroup.com Senior News Editor: Dhiren Katwa Freelance Correspondent: Rudy Otter Chief Operating Officer: Liji George Tel: 020 7749 4013 Email: george@abplgroup.com Chief Financial Officer: Surendra Patel Tel: 020 7749 4093 Mobile: 078712 229 220 Email: surendra.patel@abplgroup.com Chief Accountant: Akshay Desai Tel: 020 7749 4087 Email:accounts@abplgroup.com Business Manager: Alka Shah Tel: 020 7749 4002 - Mobile: 07944 1121 893 Email: alka.shah@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Kishor Parmar Tel: 020 7749 40912 - Mobile: 078712 229 088 Email: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com Business Development Managers: Rovin J George - Email: rovin.george@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 - Mobile: 078712 229 219 Urja Patel - Email: urja.patel@abplgroup.com Graphic Designers: Harish Dahya & Ajay Kumar Tel: 020 7749 4086 Email: graphics@abplgroup.com Customer Service: Ragini Nayak Tel: 020 7749 4080 - Email: support@abplgroup.com (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd. 207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad.

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view take stock of where you’re at rather than to launch any ambitious new business plan. Opportunities abound, professionally and socially, so make the right choices. There may be something to sort out with a partner, particularly of a joint financial nature.

This week should see you TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 at the peak of your creative powers and at the height of a romance. It’s an exciting, expansive time, when you should find it easier to be who you are and do what you want. This is a tremendously exciting time for you, in which you can embrace changes you might not even consider at other times.

Domestic and family GEMINI May 22 - June 22 interests are likely to require lots of attention as the Sun remains in your solar fourth house. With Venus and Sun in this sector could produce auspicious results for those buying or selling property. There may be some sort of financial snag that impedes the free flow of funds - take expert advice.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22 Sun and Venus are transiting your solar third house. These Planets will emphasize all forms of communications, dealing with relatives and neighbours, and short trips and visitors.

There are various limitations or upsets to deal with as the week progresses. Try to be diplomatic with your loved ones.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23 The Sun and Venus in your solar second house highlights your monetary interests and belongings. This week you will revel in exhilarating developments in career, business matters and moneymaking schemes. Take a positive stand on personal issues too, as you will be able to make an excellent impression on your loved ones.

Coming Events

l Jaspar Centre hosts Single and Ready to mingle along with Ilu Ilu matchmaking wedding bureau, on 14 September 2014, 4-7pm, Rosslyn Crescent, Harrow HA1 2SU. Contact: 020 8861 1207 l Jinja reunion London 2014, Sunday 14 September 2014, Watermill Hotel, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 2RJ, 2pm-midnight Contact: Bhanu Patel 020 8556 9283

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 From a financial point of

l Sun 7 September, Bhajana by Shree Budhdevbhai Kansara, Shree Manubhai Kotak and visiting artists at Adhya Shakti Mataji Temple, 55 High Street, Middlesex UB8 2DZ, Contact: 07882253540 l Nehru Centre, 8 South Audley Street, London W1K 1HF 5 Sep - Play: Artho- The meaning of wealth (A Play in Bengali with English subtitles)-Written & Directed by Debasish Banerjee

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23 You’re likely to find yourself doing a lot of thinking about both new and existing partnerships, and maybe toing and froing in one relationship in particular. Home and family duties and responsibilities may weigh heavy on you. In effect, you’re building a new foundation, so the work you put in now will pay off in the future.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23 You could work with someone on a project that calls for clear communication and a high degree of cooperation. You may also find yourself thinking deeply about what it is you really want to do, and who you really want to be with. The decisions you make now will be important for the path you take.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22 Saturn continues its journey through your sign, lending its support for you to redefine your sense of self, in a way that will give you a greater understanding of yourself. You’re being prodded to live your life in a more fluid way. This may be welcoming to a watery sign like yourself, especially as you love a challenge.

Bureau Chief: Nilesh Parmar (M) +91 94266 36912 Email: nilesh.parmar@abplgroup.com Consulting Editor: Bhupatbhai Parekh, Ahmedabad, Gujarat Tel: +91 79 2630 4142 Urvashi Jagadeesan (India) Mumbai: Kanti Bhatt, Hemraj Shah (Jumbo Advertiser) Horizon Advertising & Marketing: 2012, Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad. Tel +91 79 2646 5960 Email: horizon.marketing@abplgroup.com Business Manager: Hardik Shah (M) +91 99250 42936 Email: hardik.shah@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Neeta Patel (Vadodara) M: +91 98255 11702 Email: neeta_abplgroup@yahoo.co.in Business Co-ordinator: Shrijit Rajan M: +91 98798 82312 Email: shrijit.rajan@abplgroup.com International Advertisement Representative: Jain Group (South India) Tel: +91 44 42041122/3/4 Fax: +91 44 25362973 Mumbai: +91 022 2471 4122 Email: jain@jaingroup.net Delhi Office: Tel: +91 9311581597

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SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21 It is an excellent time for exercising your mental energies, clarifying your ideas and getting involved in discussion. Exercise caution when it comes to making financial decisions as being hasty will cost you ! Wait before going full steam ahead with grand actions and gestures. Focus on essentials and establish a solid foundation, so that you feel secure.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20 Your career seems to take a new positive direction now. Opportunities for promotion and financial gain present themselves throughout this period. Self improvement and discipline with health and diet have just become easier. You have changed your habits and made it a new way of life now and inner growth continues.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

Hard work and a disciplined approach will keep your head in the right place.

You will continue to be in a restless mood for some time to come. This makes you impatient with restrictions and even more determined to cut your own path.

Do not get over-anxious if everything seems to be in slow motion - it is time to pull a few strings.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

As the Sun transits your seventh house, you have a greater need than usual to be in a relationship. The emphasis is on "us" rather than "me". Social interactions of a personal nature are highlighted. This is likely to be an extremely busy time for most of you. Use tact and diplomacy in your dealing, otherwise you are likely to come across as over confident and egotistical.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 6th September 2014

India number one in ICC ODI rankings

Their dominating performance against England coupled with Australia’s shock loss to Zimbabwe on Monday made India the sole number one team in the latest ICC ODI rankings.

“World champion India have been confirmed as the number-one ranked side in the Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings following Zimbabwe’s three wickets victory over Australia in a triangular series match at Harare on Sunday,” the ICC said in a statement.

India had joined Australia on top of the table after winning the third ODI in Nottingham at 114 ratings points, but took sole possession at

the coveted number-one spot after Zimbabwe recorded their first victory over Australia in 31 years.

This result meant Australia have dropped three ratings points and slipped behind South Africa and Sri Lanka into fourth position on 111 ratings points.

South Africa, following victories over

Australia and Zimbabwe, are sitting in second spot on 113 ratings points, while Sri Lanka also have 111 ratings points but are ranked above Australia in third position by a fraction of a point.

For world champion India to finish as the number-one ranked side, they need to win the remaining two matches against

England and then hope Australia beat South Africa either on September 2 or 6 (if both the sides clash in the final).

Australia may have slipped to fourth position but they too can finish the series in number-one position if England beat India in one of the two matches and Australia defeat South Africa on September 2 and then again in the final on September 6.

In this scenario, Australia will end up on 114 ratings points, followed by India in second position, and Sri Lanka and South Africa in third and fourth spots, respectively.

Glenn McGrath the National Cricket Academy in 2000, the BCCI had stopped sending their pacers to MRF Pace Foundation for training.

Many of the pacers, though, came on their own to train under Dennis Lillee, the former coaching

director, and now McGrath. Aaron and Pandey, in fact, have been MRF products, learning their trade under the Aussie pace greats.

In the recent past, the relations between BCCI and MRF Pace Foundation have improved and the group of 11 pacers will be the first to be sent by BCCI to Chennai for training in 14 years. "The boys will be sent to the MRF Pace Foundation. The ties between BCCI and MRF have been renewed and we are happy that our bowlers will be working

under McGrath," a BCCI source said.

The other pacers who will be sent in the first batch are Rahul Shukla, Veer Pratap Singh, Deepak Chahar, Nathu Singh, Ankit Rajput, Anureet Singh, Shardul Thakur and CV Milind.

"We are looking at the best crop of pacers in the country to work under McGrath. I am sure it will stand them in good stead before a very important season, which includes the series to Australia and the 50-over World Cup Down Under," the source added.

Sachin Tendulkar since first picking up a cricket bat as a child in Mumbai 35 years ago," Tendulkar said about his book.

The autobiography is being published by

Hodder & Stoughton and will be simultaneously released globally through Hachette India.

"Over the past 25 years, Sachin Tendulkar's colossal batting triumphs for India have singled him out as one of the greatest players in cricket history.

He is universally admired and respected and, most impressively, remains a very modest man," said Hodder & Stoughton editor Roddy Blookfield.

The darling of millions of cricket lovers worldwide, Tendulkar retired from the game in 2013

after playing for 24 years.

The most celebrated Indian cricketer and the highest run-scorer in the history of international cricket, Tendulkar was honoured with Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, on the last day of his cricket career.

His autobiography details his remarkable story, from playing in the by-lanes of sub-urban Mumbai to his first Test cap at 16, to his 100th international century capped by the emotional final farewell that brought India to a standstill.

Indian pacers to train under McGrath

Glenn McGrath might have predicted difficult times for India in Australia later this year, but the Aussie legend will work with some of the top pacers of India in the lead-up to the high-profile series.

BCCI's tie-up with MRF Pace Foundation has already been formalized and the first batch of trainees will be in Chennai from September 1-10, working under McGrath.

Leading the group of pacers is Varun Aaron, who played in England, along with the likes of Ishwar Pandey and Ashok Dinda.

With the beginning of

Sachin's autobiography releasing on Nov 6

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar's "Playing It My Way - My Autobiography" will be released Nov 6, the publishers announced . "I knew that agreeing to write my story would need me to be completely honest, as that is the way I have always played the game. It would require talking about a number of aspects I have not shared in public before.

"So here I am, at the end of my final innings, having taken that last walk back to the pavilion, ready to recount as many incidents as I can remember

Perera powers Sri Lanka to series win over Pakistan All-rounder Thisara Perera led Sri Lanka to a seven-wicket victory on the Duckworth/Lewis Method against Pakistan in the series-deciding third and final One-day International on Saturday.

Perera grabbed 4-34 and tore through Pakistan’s batting lineup with lively short pitched deliveries to restrict the visitors to 102 in 32.1 overs, Pakistan’s second lowest ever ODI total against Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s target was revised to 101 after rain intervened in between a flurry of Pakistan wickets

and the match was cut to 48 overs a side.

The home team raced to 104-3 in 18.2 overs with Tillakaratne Dilshan scoring an unbeaten 50 off 55 balls, raising his half century by hitting the winning boundary. “The bowlers set the tone, Dhammika and Malinga

early and then Thisara,” said Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews. “The pitch was doing a little bit in the early hours and then it flattened out a little bit, but when you’re chasing 100 you should play positive cricket and not block.”

Perera, who scored a

blazing half century and also took three wickets in Sri Lanka’s series leveling 77-run victory last Tuesday, was again instrumental in restricting Pakistan to a low total.

Fawad Alam top scored with an unbeaten 38 but wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals which negated Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq’s decision to bat first after winning the toss.

“The wicket had a bit spongy bounce… if you scored 240 or 250 that would have been useful,” Misbah said. “But we lost too many early wickets and could not recover.”

SPORT WORLD

Sindhu’s credible performance at world badminton

31

PV Sindhu may have lost her semi final match, but she made India proud by winning back to back bronze medals at World championship. She played some gruelling matches in the pre quarter finals and quarter finals against tough opponents. After losing the first set against Bae, she was on the verge of losing the match but in the second she came back from 12-16 down to win the game and then the match which showed her fighting spirit. She raised the standard of her game and proved that she is future of Indian badminton with Saina Nehwal who lost in the quarter final. Apart from her determination, she showed that the Chinese players can be defeated. In the quarter final she showed the same spirit. Her two medals in the World Championship show that the Indian women are showing their talent. This proves that the Indian badminton is on the rise. In the recently concluded Commonwealth Games, P Kashyap won a gold medal. Sindhu has to work on reducing the unforced errors, which are not allowing her to play her natural game. Sindhu will feature in the Asian games in 3 weeks. If she has to win a medal, her main idea should be to work on fitness. She will be pitted against the Chinese, Koreans, Japanese which pose more challenges than the CWG. She was not up to the mark in the semifinal game and Marin played a much better game.

She lost in straight sets 21-15, 21-15. Overall it was a credible performance by the young Indian.

Rooney named new England captain

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will take over from Steven Gerrard as England captain, manager Roy Hodgson said. The 28-year-old forward has won 95 caps since making his debut against Australia in February 2003, scoring 40 goals, and was also named captain of United two weeks ago. He succeeds Liverpool midfielder Gerrard, who stepped down after England's group-phase exit at the World Cup, and will begin his tenure as permanent captain in next week's friendly at home to Norway. "I think Wayne's an obvious choice and he certainly deserves it," Hodgson told journalists.

Ishant not interested in playing county cricket

Ishant Sharma, the Indian pacer, is not keen to play county cricket in England.

Would you be interested in playing in county cricket, "No, I am not interested," was a curt reply from the lanky pacer, who was not allowed to give an elaborate answer by the organisers of an event. One of the heroes of India's Lord's Test win, Ishant was asked which among Lord's (2014) and Perth (2008) was a more satisfying effort according to him, there was another terse reply with any elaboration. "There can't be any comparisons between the two performances."

Ronaldo wins best player award

Cristiano Ronaldo, whose extra-time penalty put the seal on Real Madrid's 4-1 Champions League final victory over Atletico Madrid in May, was named UEFA's Best Player in Europe. Ronaldo scored 17 goals in all as Real won the title for the 10th time. The Portuguese was presented with the award in Monte Carlo by UEFA President Michel Platini at the end of the draw for this season's Champions League.

He won ahead of Bayern Munich's Arjen Robben and Manuel Neuer in a live vote by a panel of 54 journalists. "I'm really happy, so I must say thanks to my team-mates because without the team, individual awards would not be possible. I don't have this trophy in my museum, so my brother is going to put it there immediately," he said.

SPORT

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 6th September 2014

India thrash England; take unbeatable lead

India thrashed England by nine wickets to win the fourth one-day international at Edgbaston on Tuesday and take an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

The world champions restricted England to a meagre total of 206 all out, with seamers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami sharing five wickets between them after India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss.

India then cruised to their victory target of 207 with more than 19 overs to spare.

Ajinkya Rahane (106) scored his maiden one-day international hundred and shared an opening stand of 183 with Shikhar Dhawan (97 not out).

Bhuvneshwar Kumar started the proceedings with a maiden. The newcomer Dhawal Kulkarni bowled the second over giving away 6 runs. Bur in came Bhuvneshwar Kumar to bowl his second maiden over in a row.

While he maintained a

good line and length, it was Rahane and Raina's superb work in the field that was eye-catching.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar's third over was the most rewarding one for him and for Team India.

First, he castled Hales' defence with a peach of an inswinger and then he dismissed Cook in the same over with a help from Raina in gully.

England were rocked once again when

Mohammad Shami removed Gary Ballance in the 8th over.

Ballance tried to play one to the leg-side. But the angled bat found an edge as Rahane took an easy catch in the covers.

Eoin Morgan and Joe Root were strangled

for runs by the Indian seamers. After troubled start, England managed to bring up their fifty in the 19th over. The duo continued to rebuild England inning with a much needed partnership.

Just when these two were looking good to strengthen England's position, Eoin Morgan lost

his wicket giving an easy catch to Suresh Raina who was at Dhoni's favourite leg-slip off Jadeja's bowling. Joe Root too followed Moragn to the dressing room soon after. The man who 'can do no wrong' in the ongoing ODI series, Suresh Raina struck to put England in further trouble.

But India's nemesis in the Test series, Moeen Ali once again troubled India; this time with the bat. He smashed Indian attack in

the batting powerplay and brought up his half-century in 37 balls.

However, England kept losing wickets. Jos Buttler was adjudged LBW off Mohammad Shami's bowling. Chris Woakes tried to accompany Moeen Ali in the middle. But Suresh Raina's excellent work in the field (again) ended Woakes' stay.

Moeen Ali guided England to cross 200-plus total. But a dance down the track went wrong and he got out bowled off Ashwin's bowling.

England eventually scored 206 failing to last 50 overs.

While the pair of Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar scalped 5 England wickets, the trio of Raina, Ashwin and Jadeja picked 4 wickets among themselves. Suresh Raina, India's go-to-man in the ongoing ODI series once again was on a roll with a wicket, two catches and a run-out against his name.

Rayudu, Ashwin shine Earlier in the second and third ODIs India won comfortably. In the third

ODI, Ambati Rayudu scored an unbeaten 64 to defeat England by six wickets.

Ravichandran Ashwin, however, took home the Man of the Match award for his excellent performance with the ball as he picked up three wickets giving away just 37 runs.

Ajinkya Rahane, who was promoted to opener's slot, made 45 while Virat Kohli struck 40, his highest innings score of the tour so far, as the Indian batsmen had an easy outing against a pedestrianlooking English bowling at Trent Bridge.

'Stubborn' Raina breaks India's jinx Suresh Raina scored a 75-ball hundred - his fourth ODI century and first outside Asia - to help the visitors post a formidable 304 for 6 in the 2nd ODI. In reply England could score only 161. The match was decided on the Duckworth-Lewis method because of rain disruption but England were found to be one over short of their target at the end of the match.