Asian Voice

SEE INSIDE ....

SEE INSIDE ....

20 Naxalites killed in encounter with CRPF in Chhattisgarh

Ratan Tata gets Lifetime Achievement Award

For report see page 20

VOL 41. ISSUE 10

80p

India seeks to nail Pak with Jundal’s ID, passport

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

First & Foremost Asian Weekly in Europe

7th July to 13th July 2012

Oops she did it again!

Further changes made to immigration law stun the whole nation

Home Secretary Theresa May is on yet another 'anti-immigrant' mission.

She is reported to be planning changes to the test taken by foreign nationals who wish to become British citizens. The current test, that could not be even cleared by generations of Britons born and brought up in this country (in a recent documentary by a popular tv channel), is now meant to be more complicated and difficult for people who are regular tax payers and hard working, proving to be assets to this country- at least so far.

Moreover this test, may how eliciting it is, cannot necessarily make people better Britons.

History, anthem and failing to adopt British ways of life are social engineering issues and cannot logically have any direct relation to how much one scores in a certain test.

But May reportedly suggested that immigrants who want to settle in Britain will in future have to learn about Shakespeare, Florence Nightingale and the Beatles.

A naturalisation ceremony in the UK

A new cultural test will ask these settlers to know about historic figures and to understand British achievements, including military victories such as the Battle of Trafalgar.

It will ask immigrants to learn by heart the first verse of the national anthem – although no one will be required to memorise the other three.

The 45 mins test, aimed at encouraging migrants to integrate into society, will replace a citizenship exam introduced

by Labour seven years ago which asked for knowledge of human rights, the EU and how to claim ben-

efits.

Instead of asking about when women won the right to divorce or who gets free prescriptions, the ‘Life in the UK’ test will now demand knowledge of artists, poets and authors.

In a section on culture, immigrants will be told for the first time that "historically, the UK is a Christian nation" . In a section seen as an 'explicit attack on Islamic fundamentalism' , Continued on page 2

Theresa May, MP

Ilaiyaraaja's music chosen for London Olympics The London Olympics besides Mittal and Anish Kapoor has another prominent Indian in the team. Music Maestro and almost a 'guru' to Oscar winner Music composer A R Rahman, Ilaiyaraaja has received a rare honour.

At this year's London Olympics, scheduled to begin on 27 July, Ilaiyaraaja's song from the 1981 Kamal Haasan flick 'Ram Lakshman' will be played along with a few other samples of world music as part of the opening ceremony.

The song is 'Nanthaan Ungappanda' and this opening ceremony is going to be conducted in a spectacular fashion

by Danny Boyle, the director of 'Slumdog Millionaire'.

Ilaiyaraaja, an Indian Tamil by birth, is said to have been quite surprised by

Ilaiyaraaja

this decision, more so since the song is not among his most popular ones. He has so far 307 hit songs, a record in the Kollywood industry.

The Olympic opening ceremony is going to be unveiled at a cost of £27 mn and it is indeed a great honour to have such a great musician's composition amongst the chosen scores.

#

""

$

"&

India has decided to up the ante on Lashkar-eToiba operative and Mumbai attack handler Syed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal in the talks with Pakistan.

According to ministry of home affairs officials, India has decided to share a copy of Jundal's passport and identity card with Pakistani foreign secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani who arrived in New Delhi for talks.

A dossier on the 26/11 attacks handler will be given by India to Pakistan Foreign Secretary during the talks. This came hours after Jundal's passport revealed his present and permanent address in Pakistan, making India's claim of Pakistani hand in the 2008 Mumbai attacks stronger.

Continued on page 26

For report see page 24

%%%

$

!"&

2

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

one to one Keith Vaz MP with

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

The challenge has been to integrate the various tracks of my career – consulting in the private sector, writer, academic, teacher and hosting a modest TV show. Now, the hurdle is to develop it into a full platform.

Dinesh Sharma, PhD Dinesh Sharma, PhD, is a cultural psychologist and marketing consultant with a doctorate from Harvard University. His recent biography of President Obama was rated as the Top Ten Black History Books for 2012

by BookListOnline of the American Library Association.

He also holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology.

The author/editor of three previous books, he is a columnist for Asia Times Online, writing on globalization, politics, terrorism, AfPak region, and India-US relations, and his articles have appeared in other newspapers and journals, including the Wall Street Journal Online, Far Eastern Economic Review, and the Middle East Times.

1) Please tell us about your current position and the book you have just written?

I have just published a “cultural biography” on the 44th president of the US, Barack Obama, which was rated as the Top 10 Black History Books by the American Library Association. I

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

I have been lucky to have many good teachers, certainly my professors at Harvard University inspired me greatly, Indian psychoanalyst and writer Sudhir Kakar has been a constant influence, and now the US president and his election in 2008 was an inspiration.

also write a regular column for Asia Times Online, host and produce a TV show concerned with US-Asia relations on PrincetonTV and am a senior fellow at a think tank in NYC. 2) What is your proudest achievement?

Well, there have been

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

Lord Bhikhu Parekh visits LondonSAM Lord Bhikhu Parekh, the noted academician, visited London School of Accountancy and Management, for an informal meeting with its Senior Management Team and members of the Academic Board.

The discussions touched upon a number of areas, including the educational model of private sector colleges and LondonSAM’s various initiatives, the current regulations for overseas students and strategies for British Private Sector colleges, growth opportunities in Indian Higher Education sector and opportunities of engagement, which LondonSAM is actively seeking.

Dr Teeranlall Ramgopal, Chairman of LondonSAM’s Academic Board, noted that this was a great occasion to welcome one of Britain’s most celebrated academicians in LondonSAM and hoped that the college would continue to receive Lord Parekh’s guidance and advice, particularly in building a strong academic culture and developing a global outlook through

Mike Leeson, Prof. Stuart Wall, Supriyo Chaudhuri, Brenda Eade, Dr. Dak Patel, Lord Parekh, Prof. Chatterjee, Dr. Teeranlall Ramgopal, Harshad Kothari

engagements with educational institutions in India and elsewhere.

Professor Stuart Wall, member of LondonSAM’s Academic Board, commented on the economic impact of the overseas students on the UK economy and expressed hope that the overseas students will continue to have confidence in high standards and great prospects of UK Higher Education despite the changing visa regime.

Dr Dak Patel, Founder and Principal of LondonSAM, thanked Lord Parekh for the visit and hoped that the col-

many but right now, I am feeling high on completing a book on a sitting president and feel that I have done something productive that has made a difference.

lege executive team could continue to draw upon his wisdom and insights.

Dr Patel also expressed his keenness to engage in setting up an Education establishment in Gujarat, and sought Lord Parekh’s advice on the same.

Harshad Kothari, Financial Controller of LondonSAM, Brenda Eade, Quality Assurance Advisor, Professor Charles Chatterjee, Academic Advisor, Mike Leeson, Managing Director, and Supriyo Chaudhuri, Director of Higher Education, also attended the meeting on behalf of LondonSAM.

The current role allows me to wear many hats and apply my skills in different forms of media.

6) And the worst?

There is not enough time in the day! I need more waking hours and to be able to sleep less.

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

I would create more “innovation zones” in this society and prepare citizens to embrace “the brave new world” and not be afraid of change.

Change is good.

8) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figures would you like to spend your time with and why?

It would be a long list – Freud, Jung, Gandhi, Nehru, Churchill, Lincoln, Washington, Obama, Clinton, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and so on. They wouldn’t all necessarily get along but the debates and arguments would be great to see.

No, not all 'greedy private Oops she did it again! doctors' are Asian!

The 'cheating' private doctors of Harley Street has been recently attacked by the Times newspaper. The most jaw dropping issue, more than the article itself, is a photograph in one corner of the well articulated article- a face of an 'Asian' man in an OT mask. It is perhaps not a secret that many of the doctors in the NHS or outside are Asians by origin, but when they are highlighted in a newspaper as widely distributed as Times under the 'greediest of all' bracket- it may not be the right approach or publicity, especially in a nation like ours!

Asians are probably not unable of any wrong doing, but they do not deserve the unwanted or special attention this report has fetched to their skin colour.

Moving on, the article reports on the latest offender Dr Aamer Khan, probably an Asian, and a Harley Street cosmetic surgeon to the stars (his supporters include Patsy Kensit and Stephanie Beacham), who has recently been found guilty

of misconduct for “pressurising” patients into buying his services ie, he offered three female friends a liposuction-style procedure at the knockdown price of £5,100 each, but only as a group rate.

Now, whether this hard sell is a bench mark for the definition of “pressurising” is a moot point, but the author Kevin Maher, seemed to have faced the same sort of alleged 'harassment' in a different area, which was fixed in a blink at a much cheaper and reasonable cost at some other doctor's in Rickmansworth.

However, as apt as the writer is about the growing ' material greed' amongst many Central London doctors and probably many other professionals, this article deserved better of his judgement.

Continued from page 1 the draft states there's "no place in British society for extremism and intolerance" and provides a list of criminal offences that migrants will have to memorize. However this particular part of the proposition has attracted scathing remarks from some followers of Islam, though it's expected that Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs may not have anything to say, especially when it comes to their loyalty. The concept of minority faith is misleading in this light, since the country and its ruling power has been tolerant towards all religions.

However even before the changes made, number of people granted settlement has fallen since the Coalition came to power. In the 12 months to March this year there was a 35 per cent fall in settlement grants, from 226,478 to 148,144. The above suggested changes

by May are meant to cut down this number further, ensuring not the 'rightful' but only the 'merited' get a chance to be citizen of this great nation.

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

COMMENT

A testing time for immigrants The Cameroon government is putting up every hurdle for the immigrants to settle in UK. The latest addition is that immigrants wanting to live in the country will have to learn the first verse of the National Anthem as part of new citizenship tests. Most of the immigrants won’t mind, but the question is whether the change in the new rules is really necessary or beneficial. The immigrants will also be tested on their knowledge of key historical facts and characters, including the Beatles, William Shakespeare and Florence Nightingale.

Theresa May, the Home Secretary, plans to rewrite Labour party’s ‘Life in the UK’ handbook to replace sections on how to claim benefits and the merits of the Human Rights Act with questions about British inventions and discoveries, including television, radar, DNA and the internet, as well as cultural landmarks such as the publication of the King James Bible.

The new guide is expected to describe Britain as a “fantastic place to live; a modern thriving society with a long and illustrious history.” It will also include questions on topics such as Winston Churchill, the Magna Carta and the English Civil War, as well as sections on the artists Gainsborough, Turner and Constable as well as writers such as Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. Poetry and historical battles, including Trafalgar, will also be mentioned. For the first time, immigrants will be told: "Historically, the UK is a Christian country." Learning the history of UK is okay, but the government has to see that these new laws did not hurt the religious beliefs of minorities.

You cannot impose your religion on people of other

faiths. The government thinks that the citizenship test will help ensure those permanently settling can understand British life, allowing them to properly integrate into their society. The question is whether this test will have the desired results. But the government will have spent a lot on printing this new handbook. Is it worth the effort? Just by learning these historical facts you cannot expect to the new immigrants to integrate into their society.

It is a time of globalisation, where one needs to be universally accepted. But in order to live in UK, one needs to do lot of needful that stands as biased. And when the immigrant is new, you cannot expect him to act like British, but he needs to live in Britain, before you can expect him to be like British.

Habib Rahman, chief executive of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, is not convinced that the test needs overhauling: "We would like to see the evidence of the current test failing in its stated aim to teach migrants the basics needed for life in this country. Theresa May is once again raising the bar for settlement for New Britons.

"To make the test less practical and more historical will give migrants an abundance of knowledge they will not use. This is another measure to limit access to the UK. The home secretary needs to think again." Yet that is not what newcomers want or need.

Indeed, research from the Institute for Social & Economic Research shows that Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Indians identify more strongly with “Britishness” than their indigenous counterparts.

That identification is strongest with the children and grandchildren of immigrants.

Banking system needs cleaning up operation The interest rate rigging by Barclays shows that there is corruption at the heart of British banking system. It calls for urgent cleaning up operation. The admission of systematically rigging financial markets between 2005 and 2009 by the bank and the resignations of chairman Marcus Agius and CEO Bob Diamond is not sufficient. People who have lost money because of the artificially high interest rates on loans or mortgages should be compensated. The bank was fined a record £290 million by UK and US regulators for repeatedly distorting basic financial data which are used to set interest rates on millions of loans and other transactions. This rigging shows that banks have not learnt any lesson from the financial crisis that is dogging it. The Government must now fast track plans to reform the industry and separate ordinary retail banking services from the toxic activities of their investment banking arms.

Prime Minister David Cameron has announced a parliamentary inquiry into the banking sector. He told the House of Commons that the manipulation of the Libor interest rates had been a "scandal". The review will run alongside an inquiry ordered into the Libor market. In addition, Barclays will conduct its own "root and branch review." Mr Cameron said the review should ensure the UK had the "toughest and most transparent rules of any major financial sector."

This rigging incident calls for a tougher regulatory watchdog to stand up to the banks on behalf of con-

sumers. The Financial Services Authority should be open and transparent about the cost to ordinary borrowers of these rigged interest rates, and if people have lost out the banks should be forced to compensate borrowers.

It is sad that the British Bankers Association (BBA), which represents the banking industry, remains silent on the matter. The BBA should be subjected to scrutiny for its role in managing the Libor scheme. It is surely time for this crucial function to be handed to an accountable authority. Something went very wrong with the UK banking industry and we need to put it right,” said Sir Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England, listing excessive pay, “shoddy treatment of customers” and the “deceitful manipulation” of Libor among the failings. The banks must keep it in mind that the banking industry works on trust of the people and if it lost that trust then it would be very difficult for the bank to regain it. Mr Mervyn called on the government to legislate quickly to create a greater gap between retail banks and their investment banking arms. He also called for an end to the current system of setting Libor based on estimates provided by banks rather than actual trades.

Just as the phone hacking scandals in the United Kingdom prompted judicial inquiries in both Australia and the United Kingdom into media ethics, there is a similar need to establish the parameters of acceptable practice in banking.

Tony Blair keeps his richness in closet Tony Blair, the former prime minister, is quite affluent, in fact super rich with ownership of six or more homes, an annual income of around £20 million a year and he usually spent his time travelling the world by private jet. His secretive business empire declared a £ 12 million turnover, up from £8.5 million the year before.

But he has kept his richness a secret by using a little -known loophole in UK company law. This is not a rich-bashing thread, but just pointing out the sheer disconnection of some politicians with the real world.

They avoid following rules and law. To qualify being rich, is not wrong but to hide your richness in order to save yourself from heavy tax is surely wrong.

Yet this is potentially only the tip of the iceberg, since Mr Blair exploits a perfectly legal loophole to keep his finances secret. The full extent of his income is cloaked in secrecy because he has constructed a complex web of shadowy companies and partnerships which let him avoid publishing full accounts detailing all the money from his commercial ventures.

Blair would normally have to publish company accounts detailing the millions flowing into his various commercial ventures since he stepped down from office in 2007. But he has set up a complicated artificial structure which avoids the normal rule. In effect, he is getting the benefits of running a British company without the drawbacks of unwelcome publicity.

His main vehicle is a so-called limited partnership, christened Windrush Ventures No 3 LP. Thanks to a

gap in the Whitehall regulations, this entity is not required to publish any accounts. Such partnerships must normally disclose figures, or face criminal penalties. Blair sidestepped the rules by inserting a second partnership as one of the notional partners, in a way the regulations do not cover.

This second partnership, Windrush Ventures No 2 LLP, is a so-called limited liability partnership, a type of entity only invented in 2000, which the rules have not been updated to mention. The LLP in turn controls Blair's operating company, called Windrush Ventures Ltd, which runs his Mayfair office in Grosvenor Square.

The perfectly legal structures Blair has set up to achieve secrecy are so complicated that they have previously baffled analysts. They involve 12 different entities, six in the Windrush structure and another half-dozen in a more recent parallel structure called Firerush.

While the law requires Blair to publish limited accounts for parts of the Windrush entities, the finances of the master-partnership remain a secret.

More than £6 million can be seen to have cascaded down from the partnership into other companies. But details of the full revenues remain hidden. This gives Blair all the advantages of an offshore "secrecy jurisdiction" while allowing him to state, correctly, that he remains a regular, onshore, British taxpayer. Blair may be correct in the eye of laws, but is it not his moral duty as a former prime minister to disclose his full earnings and pay tax for it so that the country and the common man can benefit from it?

www.abplgroup.com

Thought for the Week I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do - Helen Keller (1880-1968)

“Our London” Navin Shah

GLA Member for Brent and Harrow

London’s Shameful Policing Early this year I brought to your attention a visit to Harrow by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan Howe.

He revealed the disturbing rise in crime and burglary figures in the boroughs of Brent, Harrow and Barnet.

Londonwide and locally in Harrow and Brent the situation has not improved. If anything the problems of policing and crime have worsened. Since the GLA elections in May I have become a member of the London Assembly’s Policing and Crime Committee which now gives me the opportunity to pursue issues in this area from a Brent and Harrow perspective.

In his election campaign Mr Johnson pledged to make ‘our streets and homes safer with 100 more police on the beat’, meaning 1,000 more police by 2016 (the end of the current Mayoral term). At the June the Police and Crime Committee quizzed the Mayor about this promise but the response was more or less to deny any such commitment. He failed to even acknowledge official police figures produced by his own ‘Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime’ (MOPAC).

At the same June meeting I asked the Mayor, “Do you agree that in all boroughs, the Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs) are seriously depleted?”

Further, I asked him, “What plans you have to restore those SNTS to their full capacity?”

Whilst the Mayor acknowledged that

“safer neighbourhood teams have suffered”, he did not give any indication of the timetable for restoring these teams. I retorted with “People in my constituency and others want to know how long they’d have to wait until they can have their SNTs fully operational?” The Mayor paid tribute to the work of Harrow’s police but again evaded the question. It is frustrating to me and colleagues on the Assembly, and unfair to Londoners, that the Mayor continues to avoid answering legitimate questions.

Policing locally, in Brent and Harrow, is at cross roads due to hugely reduced police numbers and the increase in crime. However, the views of residents and those of mine are not shared by the Borough’s Police Commanders. At a Brent resident association’s AGM the Borough Commander talked about the ‘Pyramid structure’ in Brent where the ‘customer’ (resident) is at the top and the police provide the solid base. It is very reassuring that the latest Met Police crime figures show a decrease in offences related to gun crime, racist and religious hate crime and homophobic crime. But, there is worrying increase in other offences - with residential burglaries up 16% (overall 9% increase in all type of burglaries) and domestic crime up 4%. Constituents are concerned about upsurges in residential burglaries, muggings and traders in Ealing Road, Continued on page 14

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

3

4

LEICESTER VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

Dharmic gathering signals organic change for Hindu community Leicester’s Shree Sanatan Mandir hosted the Go Dharmic Mela with the Hindu Forum of Britain, which saw over 1000 people attend and learn about the importance of supporting organic dairy farming for the Hindu community.

Children who attended the event wrote touching messages to the representatives of the Hindu community regarding their feelings about cows and the importance of animal welfare.

Hundreds of people took the pledge to use organic milk instead of conventional, and this represents a clear signal that Hindus in Britain care about the importance of the cow and the stance against the increase in intensive farming.

Baroness Sandip Verma, speaking to campaign manager Hemal Randerwala said, “I think there is a very big ethical question that has been posed today, and I must say, Hemal, since you posed that question to me I think I have looked at how milk is produced and sold in a completely different light, and I think actually that illustration has

Children taking part in the discussions

Swami Nirliptananda

really made me rethink about what else is there that I am buying that has a big ethical dilemma for me”.

This week, Bollywood actor Amir Khan also dedicated a whole episode of Satyamev Jayati to the crucial importance of organic farming saying, “I

personally feel we have no option but to move gradually towards organic farming. And until such time that we are fully organic, we need a government regulatory authority which does monthly checks on the food coming into ALL the various wholesale markets all across the country in all the different cities, and monitors the amount of pesticide in our food.”

Hemal said, “The same way we have seen the UK unite and say no to buying eggs from batterycaged hens, the Dharmic community can go a long way to protecting natural

Arjan Vekaria

organic farming conditions. If we all take the pledge together, we can make a difference.

Otherwise, if we do nothing, the future looks bleak.”

Danger driver fled at speed A dangerous driver with an appalling motoring record led police on a high-speed chase through the streets.

Omar Khalifa, who has previously caused the death of a pedestrian in a hit-and-run collision, was jailed for 19 months Monday.

The 28-year-old was on licence from an earlier dangerous driving sentence and subject to a four-year driving ban when police saw him behind the wheel of his former partner's Mercedes. He was trying to tow a broken-down van, on February 28.

Catherine Chasemore, prosecuting, told Leicester Crown Court the van was causing congestion in Burleys Way, Leicester city centre, at 7.30pm.

Khalifa became agitat-

ed when he saw police and quickly undid the tow rope before driving off in the Mercedes, with the rope swinging behind.

Miss Chasemore said: "The pursuit lasted 4.4 miles. He ignored the police car's siren and flashing lights as he went over Belgrave Flyover at 60mph in the 30 zone."

Khalifa went through numerous red traffic lights, and drove the wrong direction down several one-way streets, causing some pedestrians to jump back in shock. He overtook in the face of oncoming cars, drove erratically with sudden braking and did an illegal U-turn.

Khalifa went the wrong way along Moorgate Street, scratching an oncoming Vauxhall Vectra, knocked a wing

mirror off a Honda and damaged the bumper of a Toyota Corolla.

In Gopsall Street, Highfields, he abandoned the car, jumping into church gardens and over an eight feet wall, before being arrested.

Khalifa, a father of two, of Ashleigh Road, Leicester, admitted dangerous driving, driving when disqualified and having no insurance. It was his seventh court appearance for driving offences.

In July 2000, when aged 17, his vehicle skidded and mounted a kerb, hitting a woman. He ran off, leaving the victim dying in the street. Khalifa was given a four-and-ahalf year detention sentence for that offence.

On Monday, Judge Michael Pert QC said of

Khalifa's latest offence: "It's a bad case of dangerous driving and aggravated by your general disregard for motoring laws."

Khalifa, who was already banned from driving until March 2015, was given a concurrent twoyear ban.

Jonathan Dunne, mitigating, said Khalifa was pestered into helping a friend whose van had broken down. He panicked when he saw the police because he was on licence from a 12-month sentence, imposed in February last year, for dangerous and drink-driving.

Mr Dunne said: "He has a bad record and this was bad driving. He'd been asked by someone else to drive the vehicle.

He thought he'd tow the van away and chance his arm."

University staff face jobs threat The University of Leicester is asking staff to consider taking voluntary redundancy to try to save it £2.5 million. Bosses say they have to make cutbacks after receiving less Government funding.

It is asking all of its staff to consider voluntary redundancy – but says it expects the actual number who will leave to be fewer than 70.

Recruitment has also been frozen.

In a letter to staff, vicechancellor, Professor Bob

Burgess said: "The higher education sector faces a period of considerable uncertainty and change.

We must take a number of actions if we are to continue to have a robust financial performance and develop our strengths.

Salary costs constitute the overwhelming majority of our expenditure. Our assessment of the level of savings required is about £2.5 million by the end of 2012/13 academic year."

He said that £2.5 million represented less than

two per cent of the university's salary budget. The university has 4,000 staff and about 23,000 students.

Staff have until October 31 to volunteer for redundancy.

A member of staff, who did not wish to be named, said: "The university continues to employ consultants from an external company at a cost of thousands of pounds a day, with no indication of how long they'll be kept on the books. They've been

tasked with carrying out departmental reviews to analyse current working methods.

Meanwhile, long-serving staff are being asked to volunteer themselves for retirement to save money. Other staff are not being replaced and existing staff are expected to absorb extra work for no remuneration."

A university spokesman said that Leicester's annual teaching, research and capital funding has been reduced by £31.5 million.

Traffic lights could go in latest plans for Golden Mile The many sets of traffic lights that clutter the Golden Mile could soon be a thing of a past.

Businesses and residents along Belgrave Road, Leicester, are being asked to consider a new scheme which could see the lights removed and several zebra crossings installed.

The changes are being considered to help make life easier for pedestrians by enabling them to stop vehicles whenever they wish to cross, slow down traffic and improve the look of the Golden Mile.

The plan is being considered by the city council-led Golden Mile Regeneration Group.

Members of the group, who include residents and business owners in Belgrave, will be visiting Coventry later this month to see the scheme in action.

Golden Mile restaurateur Dharmesh Lakhani, a leading member of the regeneration group, said: "With the demolition of the Belgrave flyover, the city council sees this as a time to make improvements in the area. We certainly want to get the pavements widened and we're going to Coventry to think about how other ideas there might work here. It would be very different along the Golden Mile without traffic lights, but then you have to find a

Dharmesh Lakhani

way to slow the traffic down. It's in the very early stages."

Urmila Joshi, 51, who lives in Belgrave Road, welcomed the idea. She said: "I think it would be good and I don't see why it wouldn't work. It's a very popular area, but it is a hassle trying to cross the road."

Mukesh Gosai, a partner at the Sharmilee restaurant, in Belgrave Road, said: "The biggest problem we've got here is the parking – the traffic isn't so much of a worry right now. If they did do it, I think it might slow the traffic down though."

But Dinesh Kotecha, owner of the Sheetal clothing shop, said he did not think the scheme would work because Abbey Lane would not be able to cope with the inevitable extra traffic.

Parminder Nagra 'in cash row with estranged husband' Hollywood gossip columns and websites are buzzing with news that Leicester actress Parminder Nagra, pictured has been accused of hiding her fortune from the husband she is said to be divorcing.

Photographer James Stenson, from Nottingham, has reportedly filed a lawsuit claiming damages of £323,000 and half the value of three houses.

According to the papers obtained by celebrity website TMZ, Mr Stenson reportedly claims the three homes were all purchased through a shell corporation set up in his wife's name.

Mr Stenson alleges that before their marriage in 2009, the couple were "life partners" for six years – during which time they promised to share their combined wealth.

Parminder, 36, who grew up in Belgrave, got her breakthrough 10 years ago when she starred as Jasminder "Jess" Bhamra opposite Keira Knightley in the film Bend it Like Beckham before acting as Dr Neela Rasgotra in ER, where she remained for

six years.

According to website RealBollywoodNews.com, Mr Stenson claims that when Parminder landed the role in ER, he agreed to give up his photographer's job to manage the couple's life in America. He said they made a pact to share their combined wealth during the six years they spent as life partners before formally tying the knot.

At the time, it was reported Mr Stenson, who lives in Los Angeles, was earning nearly £200,000 a year. When the drama was cancelled in 2009, six years after she first joined, she reportedly agreed to take time off to look after their son, Kai, now three.

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

Labour lifts peer's suspension The UK's opposition Labour party has lifted the suspension of Lord Nazir Ahmed who was quoted by a Pakistani newspaper as offering a 10-million-pound bounty on President Barack Obama after the US announced a reward for information leading to LeT founder Hafiz Saeed's prosecution.

Lord Ahmed, pictured, who had denied offering the bounty, told the BBC he was delighted that a "fair" Labour investigation

led to lifting of the suspension.

He was suspended from the party after his alleged remarks made during a visit to Pakistan in April were published in the British news media.

36 Indians arrested In one of the largest raids

by UK immigration officials in recent months, 36 Indian nationals have been arrested following an operation to crack down on illegal working in Southall. Acting on intelligence, and with assistance from the Metropolitan Police, the UK Border Agency targeted individuals who gather daily in the King Street area looking for casual labour, official sources said.

Thirty-six Indian males aged between 23 and 56 were arrested for a variety of immigration offences, 16 of whom had overstayed their visas,

including several students, the sources added.

Thirty-four of the 36 arrested are currently in immigration detention awaiting removal from the country. Two have been released on immigration bail.

One of those arrested for immigration offences is wanted by police on suspicion of money laundering and is now in police custody.

Harpal Johal, from the UK Border Agency, told an Indian newspaper: "This operation was very successful and shows the fruits of working with other agencies like the Metropolitan Police."

Flat adverts, are they breaking the law?

Racial discrimination is both illegal and immoral. But perhaps not in the advertising world. "To let" advertisements specifying a particular race or religion are visible in newsagents windows in many areas of London, as reported by the BBC. Newsagents in different areas of London according to a report by BBC carry adverts saying: l "Double bedroom available‌ Asian only" l "Double room to let Gujarati (Indian) only" l "Close to the station and bus stops (Filipino only)" l "Professional single lady or Sri Lanka professional couple" l "House for rent‌ only Asian families" The Equality Act 2010 aims to protect people from discrimination, harassment or victimisation on the basis of age, disability, race, sex and other "protected grounds". Equality law applies to any person or organisation providing goods, facilities or services to the public.

Most people understand that racial discrimination in jobs or education is both unacceptable and illegal. It's a position reinforced by

the 2010 Equality Act, covering England, Wales and Scotland, which defines race in terms of both ethnicity and nationality. The same applies to religion "Christian only" or "Muslim only" are both unacceptable.

Landlords who specify a certain race are breaking the law, legal experts say. When contacted by the BBC, advertisers were taken aback to hear they might be breaking the law. A woman who placed a "Filipino only" advert in a newsagent in Golders Green, north London, explains: "I'm sorry about that. All the people here are Filipino so we need Filipinos."

An advertiser in Tooting, south London, seeking a "Muslim family" is disappointed that the law may not allow for religious preference.

"We are Muslim and it's a flatshare. What can I say? Everyone has his own preferences. OK?" Diet is a commonly cited reason.

The author of a "Gujarati (Indian) only" ad says: "I'm a vegetarian and I don't like meat in the kitchen."

An advertiser in Perry Bar, Birmingham,

5

House of Lords set for reform?

In a bold move, British Prime Minister David Cameron tabled a bill to reform the 700-year-old House of Lords so that members of the chamber are mostly elected rather than being based on family inheritance.

Moving the politically contentious reform bill in the House of Commons, Cameron said it was "time to make progress" after 100 years of attempts to reform the unelected upper chamber. The plans likely to face much opposition from nearly 100 Conservative MPs include 80% of the house membership to be chosen

by voters, and reducing the membership of the chamber to 450 from the current 800.

The opposition Labour party is supporting the reform, but is also facing opposition from some of its MPs. The first elections to the new House of Lords, which could be called the Senate, could be held in 2015 if the bill goes through. The reform includes the removal from the house of the remaining hereditary peers and a 15-year term limits on those elected.

Members of the House of Lords are currently appointed for life.

UK college bars Muslim woman A Muslim mother was turned away from a parents' evening at a British college as she refused to remove her full-face veil, an incident that left her feeling humiliated.

Maroon Rafique, 40, was told that for the security and safety of children and teachers at the college there was a ban on any type of face coverings.

She was warned that unless she removed her full-face covering, known

as the niqab, she would not be allowed into the college to attend the talk important for her son's education, the Daily Mail reported.

In the end, a stunned Rafique was forced to call her husband, who took her place and went with their son Awais, 18.

Rafique, who has worn the niqab for seven years said, "I'm born in this country.

Why should what I wear offend anyone?"

who put an ad on Gumtree for a "student room (Asian females only)" defends the wording: "We have done that because we are

Asians and live in."

A number of those contacted by BBC refused to discuss the wording of their adverts.

6

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

Asian Voice launches

community campaign against changes to UK immigration laws

By Spriha Srivastava

Gangs of Wasseypur does it The London India Film Festival brought back the trend of parallel cinema to viewers. The two week long event screened a number of films that might have a simple story line but dug deeper into various aspects of the multicultural society that we live in.

After a long time, I spent some time watching meaningful and brilliant cinema.

My favourite however remains Gangs of Wasseypur – a film that spoke of brilliant performances in every scene, every frame and by every character. combines clever filmmaking with a powerful, high-concept and entertaining plot, with revenge at its core.

Accentuated by strong performances by a talented and eclectic cast comprisiang of Hindi cinemas finest, Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Richa Chadda, the film is cleverly told in two parts.

Gangs Of Wasseypur represents the brave new Indian cinema breaking the cliches and conventions, something which Anurag Kashyap has come to be known for.

Anurag Kashyap, who is celebrated for his effort in generating a position in Indian cinema's forward-thinking space, narrates a classic account of two disputing families set against the milieu of the coal mining groups in Dhanbad.

Heightened by strong acts by a gifted and assorted cast, the film is ingeniously narrated and has several powerpacked sequences that render you speechless.

In the film, Manoj Bajpai plays a rogue named Sardar Khan. For the background, Sardar’s serves as a henchman to the powerful local politician Ramadhir Singh (Tigmanshu Dhulia).

However, like many hindi movies the politician gets the father killed and Sardar Khan grows up becoming a revengeseeking man whose sole aim in life is to see the

politician dead.

Sardar's character in Gangs Of Wasseypur is both serious and humorous. His hands does not shake a bit while killing someone, but the same Sardar gets beaten up by his wife at home. He has two women in his life The foul mouthed Nagma (Richa Chadha) and the coy Durga

(Reema Sen). These two women are the only ones who can control Sardar.

Sardar has four sons from Nagma and one from Durga. Each son has a different story apportioned to them. Sardar's oldest son Danish Khan takes the rein over from his father.

Faizal Khan (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), who is a useless drug addict, gets a sudden transformation from a die hard film fan and a pot smoking idler to a responsible family man. Faizal falls for Mohsina (Huma Quraishi), and this romantic track gives the movie a refreshing change.

There’s never a boring or a tedious moment throughout the film.

However you need to have a strong stomach to absorb gruesome violence and generous usage of abusive language that come as part and parcel of the entire film. The background narration by Piyush Mishra establishes the scene of action right from the pre-independence times to the times of Shahid Khan to

the following decades.

The backdrop of the coal mafia adds a relevant historical subtext. The coal mining mafia rules the scene all along. This narration is tough to follow because just too much information is crammed in.

The soundtrack of Gangs Of Wasseypur is composed by Sneha K h a n w a l ka r.

There are no lip-sync in the m o v i e .

However, the songs are catchy, enjoyable and are placed strategically and according to the situation.

Though hard to decide which is the best one, 'O Wo m a n i y a ' and 'Jiya Ho Bihar Ke Lala' certainly stand out, 'Kehke Lunga' is also a good number.

Gangs Of Wasseypur is made in two parts. While the first part explores this revenge saga, the second part will deal with the money squandering lobbyists, turning into foolhardy gangs overnight.

Some reports suggest that the filming style adopted by Anurag Kashyap in Gangs of Wasseypur bears a striking similarity to the styles of Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinpah. The scenes are short in length, several in number and often a series of montages take the story forward.

Anurag Kashyap never has to resort to extraneous elements like stylized entries, editing patterns or camera motions to add to the effect because the story has an intrinsic impact of its own.

However the film doesn't fall short of any technical finesse.

There's unabashed blood, gore and abuse wherever the scene demands.

The film ended abruptly making way for the second part.

Audiences now await August 10, when part 2 will be released. Will Wasseypur be the same?

Will Ramadhir Singh be still alive? We will have to wait to find out.

Let us know what you think.

Email Spriha at aveditorial@abplgroup.com

In the last 2 years the British Government has tried innumerable ways to target the immigrants. It has resulted into endless confusion with hardly much of a difference in the numbers. Asian Voice has run several stories raising issues that affect immigrants directly and indirectly. In the 16th June issue (page 1) we spoke about a 'future' campaign and invited our dear readers to write to us about their feeling regarding the upcoming laws to be enforced on immigrants who want to settle here with their families.

This week we have launched the campaign formally and we want more of you, in fact all of you to support us to make our government realise Britain is a multicultural country, where every tradition and faith should be given its due credit. The upcoming changes are to directly and severely affect our culture, age old traditions and our ways of life. We need the government give us our due 'right to equality and life'. Read on to know more about our campaign and the ways you can support this campaign.

On the 9th July 2012 the Government will begin to introduce changes to immigration laws which will restrict the number of people who are able to come to this country. There are two main changes; they will begin to abolish the right of appeal for family visitors applying for a visa to visit the United Kingdom; and they will introduce minimum income requirement for persons wishing to sponsor a family immigration application.

These changes will have a profoundly negative impact on many of our readers, on our grandparents our husbands and wives, our aunties and uncles and cousins. We as a newspaper feel it is only right to launch a campaign against the changes that is why we urge you to join our community campaign for families against the proposals.

Main changes at a glance Changes to family migration routes: l Will introduce a new minimum income requirement for persons wishing to sponsor an application for a nonEEA national partner l Will have to demonstrate a minimum gross annual income of £18,600 l The minimum threshold increases if the applicant has children; £22,400 for one child and an additional £2,400 for each child l Previously there was no minimumincome requirement l Allowing adult and elderly to settle in the UK only where they can demonstrate as a result of age, illness or disability, they require a level of long-term

personal care that can only be provided by a relative in the UK l Will extend the minimum probationary period for settlement from two years to five years Right of appeal against visa decisions: l Uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces and first cousins will no longer be considered to be family visitors for appeals purposes l They will no longer be able to appeal against family visitor visa refusal decisions l The government intends to eventually completely remove the right to appeal to any visa application What we are doing We are writing to all MPs to urge them to join our campaign against the Government’s proposals We are writing to Ministers at the Home Office to ask them to review the decision

How you can help You can write to your MP to raise awareness about the issue here: http://www.migrantsrights.org.uk/takeaction/family-migration Sign up to our petition calling for the Government to urgently review the changes online: www.ipetitions.com/petition/asianvoice or by post to: Petition Against Government’s Immigration Law Changes, Asian Business Publications Ltd, Karma Yoga House, 12 Hoxton Market, London N1 6HW.

Meet the man behind 'true hospitality' When Sharan Pasricha set up Ennismore Capital in 2010, he identified hospitality, lifestyle and property as the three areas he would be targeting, reported a recent daily newspaper. His first investment, 'The Hoxton hotel' in Shoreditch, takes the fledgeling private equity group into all three areas and his plans to turn it into an international chain looks likely to take up most of the Indian-born entrepreneur’s time for the foreseeable future. Having acquired the hotel for an estimated £65 million, Mr Pasricha is to refinance it before expanding the concept, which he describes as “luxury where it matters and budget where it counts”, further afield.

He said his first move would be “to do one or two more in London then turn to New York” before

Sharan Pasricha

examining opportunities in Berlin, Paris and Amsterdam. “It’s like a Holiday Inn on steroids,” he said. “You could see one of these in every gateway city.”

Like the Hoxton, the typical location for new projects will be in “secondary but upcoming areas” and he estimated the cost of acquiring and developing a freehold site at about £40 million. He said he was keen to repli-

cate the “hustle of the public spaces” at the Shoreditch property, with high ceilings, brick walls and fireplaces, to create a “centre for culture, the arts and food”.

Mr Pasricha, pictured, who will become a father in November, also hopes to repeat the success of the hotel’s restaurant, Hoxton Grill, which is run by the Soho House Group under a turnover-related agreement.

The foodie and travel enthusiast, who has an MBA from the London Business School, set up Ennismore after spending a year at Jon Moulton’s Better Capital. He cofounded and later sold Rush Media, the media agency aimed at the student market, and took over and turned around a family clothes factory in Delhi that he still owns.

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

7

Ektava Tour The Hindu way:

Joint families but unjoint communities As Hindus, Indians and Asians more generally, we have always seen the value of having “joint” families. I define this in its broadest sense – starting from as little as a set of parents and over-eighteen offspring living under the same roof.

We have seen economies of scale where others haven’t – someone cooks, someone brings income, someone mows the lawn, someone looks after the social side.

Let’s even pretend that the children have value-add.

Yet, when it comes to us as peoples, the same philosophy doesn’t appear to filter through. We insist on dividing ourselves upon man-made boundaries such as country/state of origin, language, and an outdated caste and sect system.

Man-made, because God certainly didn’t create such boundaries – and that holds whether you believe in evolution, Adam and Eve, Maa Shakti, or Brahma.

On a less mythological and more spiritual plane, advaita vendantis from Shankaracharya to Chinmaya-swami would argue that we (and God) are all one and connected just as waves are to the mighty oceans. Therefore, one set of waves holding grievances against another set is petty at best and disruptive to the overall cause at worst.

I am not completely against micro-communities

(Lohanas, Iyers, Kohlis, etc.). They do have a part in life. One which unites, serves towards bringing people together, doing social work, forming networks and social bonds.

We need it as social beings as well as to get ahead in life at times. But that should be its extent – an inclusive social network, which works as a unit for the greater good of its members but most importantly, society as a whole.

Unfortunately, over time these networks have become exclusive. They have created an “us” and “them” mentality in quite a negative context. “We don’t eat meat; they do.”

“We don’t drink; they do.”

“We are respectful; they are outgoing.” So what? How about a “We are honest, loving, generous people; so are they”? Why do we focus on man-made social developments through time (often for political / divide-and-rule reasons, by the way), rather than what God created in and amongst all of us – attributes such as love, goodness, generosity and forgiveness?

One way to think about it is that each of these micro-communities or sects is a finger, with individuals as its various constituents. The fingertip has a role within the index finger, as the index finger does within the hand. But what use are these roles if

they are not used, at the end of the day, to feed the body? If the index finger fights with the ring finger over which one is longer for a week, it’s the whole body (and in turn the fingers themselves) which get worn out. The bigger picture of the body must matter more than the individual constituents, while also appreciating the diversity and richness that each of the constituents bring – after all, it’s the sum of the parts that make the whole.

The obvious next question is, where do we draw the line? Should communities be working towards the greater Hindu good, Asian good, or British good? Or indeed even bigger than that? The answer is a little like the vegetarianism debate about whether to draw the line at animals, eggs or plants. In that case, many proponents will argue that “the narrower you can get, the better”. Here, I argue “the broader the better”.

Going back to the example of the parts of the body, if you see yourself as an individual fingertip, it doesn’t really matter whether you identify most with the tip (an individual), the finger (your sect or town), the hand (your language or county), the forearm (your caste or country), the arm (your religion or continent).

Work towards what is most absorbable and least

Tarang Katira

abstract for you, as an individual. However, be constantly conscious that you should continually be working for the benefit of the body, mind, intellect and soul (society in its broadest sense or the universe as a whole).

The ultimate outcome should be what the economists amongst you would call “Pareto Efficiency” – a position whereby society as a whole is in the best position that it can get to without making any particular sect significantly worse off. This may require some compromise, selflessness and forward-thinking behaviour from the highest powers at each of the sects.

And the triggers for such behaviours must come from you, the reader, the individual. At the risk of sounding Uncle Sam-esqe, the question should always be “what are we doing for those less privileged than us and society as a whole?”, not “what are we doing for us?”

Tarang Katira is the Community lead in the CHN. The CHN is a London-based organisation firmly rooted in progressive Hindu philosophy including education, sewa and community solidarity.

You can sign up to be a member or find out more about the CHN at www.cityhindusnetwork.o rg.uk.

By Byron Mahoney Tucked just off the North End Road in West Kensington is a small yet motivated venue for British Asians to preserve and nourish the performing arts associated with indian culture; The Bharariya Vidya Bhavan was the natural venue, with hosts Connect India, for the last performance of an international and most successful tour of Ekatva (meaning “Oneness”).

The performers, nearly all the children were found and chosen from the slums of Ahmedabad.

The performance was in essence a ‘eurythmic play ‘. A series of narrated stories of Gandhi’s life and philosophical sentiments interpreted with skilfully choreography and imaginative costumery.

The children all danced tirelessly and with great commitment. At times one forgot their age as their expressions could easily be associated with the experience and skills of

those beyond their tender years. Each scene in the play was punctuated by an intermezzo dance of the children playing “catch” with “Earth” - a large inflatable beach ball planet. The moral of each story reinforcing harmony and community cooperation, and the decrying of all violence and ignorance.

The sagacity and sharing of “oneness” the children gave their audience was inspiring and touching. One hopes the good karma set up by the kindness and principles of Manav Sadhna bank in the 1990’s continues to be an example in assembling further such positive human aspirations and many more children are given the opportunity to step out of their previously impoverished upbringing to be taught, explore and express themselves in the form of dance and theatre – a liberating and nurturing of a Gandhian energy which connects all humanity and iterated into the spiritual.

8

www.abplgroup.com

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

Dee Katwa

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

Debate on Future of the Media More collaboration between mainstream British and ethnic media should be encouraged, according to Debra Davis, an influential Midland media guru Speaking at a ‘Meet the Media’ event in Birmingham, Ms Davies, chief executive of City TV Broadcasting, said it was time local and national media engaged actively with diverse media and communities to reflect and serve the fast-changing demographics of the city.

She paid tribute to Asian Voice for its “quality journalism” and said that “sharing sources, stories, content and contacts” would be “cost-effective, efficient and rewarding all round.”

The panel comprised of four white men – a media tutor Huw Meads, editors Steve Dyson and Andy Coyne and BBC WM presenter Pete Morgan.

“Where’s the gender, ethnic diversity,” asked Ms Davies, who is urging readers to support her bid for a local televi-

sion licence. In an hourlong meeting with me a few weeks ago, Ms Davies assured me of her “genuine desire and commitment” to engage

Warman highlighted the “serious democratic deficit” in Walsall.

“There is not one single working journalist in Walsall, a town with a 250,000 population.

What is actually going on in our communities?” he said.

advertorial, was a trend that had grown in these times of austerity, one which was also of major concern.

On the Leveson Enquiry, almost 90% of the 100-plus attendees voted it was a “tremendous waste of taxpayers’

News in Brief GPs must learn about TB A retired GP from Birmingham is urging all doctors to educate themselves on the classical symptoms of tuberculosis. Dr Surinder Singh Bakshi, from Handsworth Wood, said that during his 30 years in the NHS Public Health Department, “I never ever saw a case of TB spread from one person to another”. His comments come following the untimely death of TB victim Alina Sarag, pictured, the 15-year-old schoolgirl whose legal saga continues.

BOPA Conference Participants: (From left) Debra Davis, Roshan Doug, Steve Dyson, Andy Coyne, Pete Morgan

with, and promote, on merit, the talents of people from all backgrounds.

Roshan Doug, a poet and lecturer, said there were more right, than left-wing media outlets, to which there were mixed reactions.

Entrepreneur Daniel Bridgewater said: “The media needs to work more with younger people.” ITV Central veteran presenter Bob

New kids menu at hospital A new children’s menu has been introduced at Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham. Among the first to sample the food, which includes vegetarian and halal, were students from Alstom Primary and Bordesley Green Primary Schools. The new menu was designed based on feedback from the hospital’s younger patients and their families. Photo: A pupil tastes the food.

It’s no contest Motorists in the Midlands are least likely to challenge unfair speeding fines than drivers in any other UK region, a survey says. Just 20% of Midlanders polled

by YouGov said they’d contest a speeding fine.

Dimple weds Minesh Congratulations to Dimple, daughter of Dayalalbhai and Shobnaben Dusara, who tied the knot to Minesh, son of Jayprakashbhai and Dakshaben Solanki, in a grand ceremony attended by around a thousand guests at Leicester’s Maher Centre last Sunday. Best wishes to the newly-weds from the team at Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar.

New role for Paul Singh The Midlands Co-operative Society has announced its new president – Paul Singh. Mr Singh, 62, takes over from Frank Croft. He started his career in the Society’s Dairy operation in 1969, retiring as site manager of Central Dairies in 2003. He was first elected as a regional committee member in 1994 and appointed to the board in 2005. Mr Singh, pictured, was appointed as a magistrate in 2001 and is a member of the Staffordshire and West Midlands Probation Trust. He described being selected as president “a great personal honour”. Mr Singh has four children and seven grandchildren and lives in Great Barr, Birmingham.

One attendee asked: “Are journalists the new coalminers?” Concerns were also shared about job cuts and redundancies. Also how old-fashioned journalism where real stories were “sniffed and hunted out” had almost been replaced by “churnalism”, stories taken directly from press releases.

Some attendees pointed out that editorial content influenced by

money”.

The event was organised by Birmingham Press Club, which promotes itself as the world’s oldest, yet does not, still, reflect the multicultural mosaic of this great city. It has 14 Board members: 10 men, four women, all white.

Given the event was held at Bournville College, it was ironic that not a single student was present.

Enter the Business Awards Nominations for the Midlands Business Awards 2013 are now open. The deadline for submissions of entries is July 31, 2012, and the independent judging panel will choose five finalists from each category to be invited to a rigorous interview as part of the evaluation process. The awards ceremony will take place on February 1, 2013 at the NEC Metropole Hilton Hotel.

To find out more visit www.midlandsbusinessawards.com

Call for court cash Walsall South MP Valerie Vaz (Lab) has called for more funding for tennis, in a Commons motion pointing out that Walsall Tennis Club has only seven years left on its lease. Tennis Clubs need protecting if Britain is to produce Wimbledon champions in future years, she said.

Tweetathon on organ donation Readers are invited to take part in a cyber chat about organ donation. Dr Julian Hull is hosting a tweetathon on social networking site twitter, as part of National Transplant Week. More than 10,000 patients in the UK currently need a transplant. And although 90% of people say they support organ donation, only 29% have joined the organ donation register. To be part of the tweetathon, visit Twitter account@heartofengland.

Crackdown on sex in public Drunken couples caught having sex in a Birmingham graveyard have been issued with a Section 222 order, which means anyone found committing acts of indecency in public could be fast tracked to jail. Fed-up Moseley residents had battled with the issue for over 10 years and the injunction was brought in after the council collected 28 witness statements.

An inaugural conference which aims to promote community cohesion and economic prosperity in the Midlands is being held in Coventry this Friday (Jul 6).

Delegates will hear from the Bishop of Coventry and Lord Tarsem King, as well as from representatives of the local authority and Jaguar Land Rover. The evening event has been organised by the British Organisation for People of Asian-origin, or BOPA. Eagle-eyed readers may have already noticed: ‘Indian’ has been replaced with ‘Asian’.

Sikh Channel’s bid for TV licence A Sikh community broadcasting channel has entered the Birmingham TV consortium contest. The Astonbased Sikh Channel, owned by Davinder Singh Bal, is bidding for the new government-backed television licence. Prejal Shah of the Sikh Channel said: “Birmingham is bursting with potential; it needs a local channel to show just what it’s got.” Other rivals for the station are YourTV and CityTV. If Birmingham’s TV bid is accepted by regulator Ofcom, 16 hours of local programming will be available to city viewers. Winning applications will be announced in the autumn.

Eid Festival Committee to be disbanded A group of Muslim leaders who have been part of Birmingham City Council’s Eid Mela organising committee for more than ten years are to be replaced by a committee of seven city councillors.

Former committee member Safdar Mir described the decision as “draconian” and said the community representatives were left outraged after receiving a four line email from Cllr Majid Mahmood, pictured, the new committee chairman, telling them they were no longer needed. The family event, which receives £20,000 in council sponsorship, and is designed to promote Islamic culture and heritage, is being held in Cannon Hill Park on September 2.

Spiritual Weekend Bhajan enthusiasts from the Midlands and across the UK will descend in Luton this weekend for Guru Purnima, an annual Indian festival devoted to teachers. The roundthe-clock event will feature dandiya-raas, discourses, food, as well as singers and musicians, male and female, old and young. Once again, Pragjibhai Ladva, pictured, the veteran guru of traditional Gujarati bhajans, and his pharmacist grandson Kabir, and chorus will lead the programme, which will take place at the Hindu Mandir (LU4 0PS) in Lewsey Farm this Saturday (Jul 7) from 6pm onwards. Local Labour MP, Kelvin Hopkins, said he was “delighted” this event has been taking place in Luton for so many years.

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

Leading Lights

9

World Punjabi Organisation celebrates Queen's Diamond Jubilee

by Rani Singh

Special Assignments Editor

Mukul Devichand, 32 Mukul Devichand is a journalist at BBC Radio Current Affairs. He appears regularly on Radio 4 and has reported for BBC 2’s Newsnight, presenting documentaries from around the world. He also produces Analysis, the BBC documentary series about ideas. He is one of the youngest voices on the flagship radio series and also works on Crossing Continents and The Report.

Mukul went to university at the London School of Economics, where he took an LLB Law in 2001. He then read for a Masters of Journalism at Columbia University (2003) where he studied on a Fulbright Scholarship. In 2002 he spent a year working for Al-Ahram Weekly in Cairo. From 2004, he worked on Panorama on BBC 1 and he began presenting and producing radio documentaries in 2007. He interviewed British National Party leader Nick Griffin for The Report before the Europeans elections. Mukul also spent six months in the BBC’s South Asia bureau. Mukul likes working with the intimacy of the radio world as for him; it brings stories alive in a way in a way that other media does not. He says that working in radio is “a journalist’s dream.” The producer- presenter lives in London.

Q Tell me about your family background and where you were born.

A We’re hill people.

My Dad is from Himachal Pradesh and my parents were among the Indian doctors who came to the South Wales Valleys to work in the late 1970s. I was born in Neath in 1980.

Q You worked in the Middle East on the eve of the Iraq invasion.

What was that like?

A Living in Cairo was utterly affecting. I went to the Middle East with a certain idea of how free it would be and was shocked by the scale of official repression. Arab culture is vibrant and wonderful, and living through the response to 9/11 and the Iraq invasion raised huge questions for me about how little the West understood the region and its politics.

Q In 2003 you made a film with an interesting theme. Why did you choose it?

A “Captive Audience” was my first piece of full length documentary making and launched my career. We looked at Saudi sponsored evangelism in American prisons. We chose it as a way of getting under the skin –using real journalism – of the changes happening since 2001, and it was inspiring to work with Muhammad Athar Lila, the brave presenter who is now ABC South Asia

Mrs Preneet Kaur (Minister of State External Affairs, Govt. India) with (from L to R) R S Baxi, Dr. M Duggal, Mr. Jaspal Singh, Dr M Lamba & Mr. K Sinha

correspondent.

Q You worked for three years on Panorama. What was it like and what was your role? Is it really the toughest BBC Current Affairs programme to

Radio is a wonderfully vivid medium for the documentary maker work on?

A I was an assistant producer. It was really hard work on Panorama – lots of late-night takeaways at the office! -- but it was also a great apprenticeship in investigative journalism with some of the very best practitioners of the craft.

Q Why did you switch to radio?

A Radio is a wonderfully vivid medium for the documentary maker.

You can be a lot more independent than in television, because the teams are much smaller. With Radio 4 and World Service, there’s more room for international affairs and ideas, which are my passions.

Q You have presented from the Arab villages of Israel and from the slopes of your home town in South Wales.

You famously reported on Mumbai’s plan to demolish the Dharavi slum in Mumbai and were recognized in 2009

Mukul Devichand

when, together with Crossing Continents producer John Murphy, you won the prestigious One World Media Award.

When you were in Dharavi, where did you sleep and eat?

A Annapa Konchikor, one of the Dharavi slum residents we were profiling, very kindly invited us to sleep at his home and in typical Indian style gave up his bed. It’s a basic, tough place but I’ve never been in a neighbourhood that felt more alive.

Plus he poured us a glass of the local Indian “scotch” at night....

Q What stories are you looking to cover in future?

A China is a new passion of mine, and after a couple of years of Mandarin classes I’m slowly beginning to get the place – having made radio docs and films there recently.

Every time I go, I can’t resist comparing it to India and looking at how the two countries are developing differently. I’ve looked at this theme before and am hoping to return to it soon.

In the prestigious surrounding of the Music Room at London’s Ritz Hotel, prominent British congregated, Punjabis last Saturday June 16th 2012, to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen, at a Dinner graced by the presence of Maharani Preneet Kaur, Honourable Minister of External Affairs, the Government of India.

Dr M S Lamba, General Secretary, opened the evening, and to mark this special occasion, the National Anthems of the United Kingdom and that of India were played, followed by a toast to Her Majesty, and the President of India.

Following a sumptuous meal, Ranjit Singh Baxi, President of the World Punjabi Organisation (European Division) welcomed everyone and congratulated Her Majesty on her glorious achievement of being our Monarch for over 60 years.

Mr. Baxi was also pleased to welcome a number of Special Guests, including Mr. Sukhdev Singh Sidhu, Minister Co ordination at the High Commission of India, London, as well as 3 Peers, Lord Dholakia, Lord Loomba, & Lord Indarjit Singh.

In recognising the wonderful work that Her Majesty has carried out for our nation, Mr. Baxi referred to how she epito-

mises the modern Diverse & Innovative nation that makes United Kingdom great. Welcoming the Honourable Minister, Mr. Baxi commented upon her humanitarian work, highlighting some notable cases where, globally, her involvement had brought great comfort to many.

Mr. Baxi was also pleased to acknowledge the presence of the House of Lords’ first turbaned Sikh, Lord Indarjit Singh.

Lord Singh is a prominent member of the Sikh community, across the UK, and is also an Adviser to the WPO. Finally, Mr. Baxi welcomed other guests and thanked his committee for arranging the gala evening.

In response, Honourable Minister Preneet Kaur acknowledged the Queen as Head of the Commonwealth, and referred to her many achievements in this capacity.

She also added her own congratulation to Lord Indarjit Singh, saying how proud she was of the achievements of the Indian diaspora and how pleased she was to wind up her visit to the UK, amongst fellow Indians celebrating the Diamond Jubilee.

Dr. M S Duggal, Senior vice-president, adding his own personal welcome invited Mrs Harvinder Kaur Baxi to present a bouquet to the Honourable Minster.

Joining in with the

congratulatory mood at Lord Indarjit Singh’s ennoblement, Dr. Duggal invited Sampuran Duggal to make a presentation to Lord & Lady Singh.

Lord Singh thanked WPO for honouring him in this way, and added his own congratulations to Her Majesty on the Diamond Jubilee. He also referred to the wonderful work Her Majesty has undertaken across all faiths.

He continued by saying he has been writing about the teachings of the Sikh Gurus and concluded by saying how important it is for all of us to learn & appreciate our culture and our heritage.

Lord Dholakia reminisced, by reminding those present who came from Africa, how Her Majesty had come to Kenya a Princess, and (rather sadly) left as a Queen. He also said how nice it was to celebrate in the presence of our own “royalty”, Maharani Preneet Kaur, and finished by referring to the great charity work that NRIs are renowned for.

The evening drew to a close with Satbir Chawla, Social & Cultural Secretary inviting Mrs Kandola & Mrs Walia, to make floral presentations to Lady Dholakia & Lady Loomba, followed by Mr. G Oppal WPO vice-president who proposed a vote of thanks and acknowledged the support of Zee TV as well as thanking the staff of the Ritz Hotel.

‘Entrepreneurial spirit’ sparks business record in Redbridge Redbridge has set a record for business registrations, with more than 300 in May alone, according to a company formation firm as reported by Ilford Recorder.

Entrepreneurs formed 325 new companies in the month in postcodes IG1 to 6, said Duport. The figure was up 50 per cent from last year - beating the borough’s previous record month. Council leader Keith Prince said he wasn’t surprised by the

good news. He added: “We work very hard with local businesses in order to encourage them to grow.

Chairman of the Ilford business improvement district (BID) Marc Myers was “absolutely delighted”. Companies registered in May reportedly include Brainiacs Technologies, Balvir Singh Chandi Builders and Medine Kebab.

A Duport spokesman told the local newspaper

that companies may register for many reasons. He said: “The company isn’t necessarily a shop, it can be an IT company or anything.

“It could be an office or it could just be the official address for paperwork.”

The listed companies are all limited, meaning the members are protected by shares or a guarantee. Duport calculated the rise using figures from Companies House.

Bollywood actors Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra meet Mr Khalid and his family at the Chak 89 restaurant

YOUR VOICE

10

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

Hindu free school

Money in bank

Indian political scenario

Strange that Councillor Susan Hall, the leader of the opposition Conservative group in Harrow, opposes the Hindu free school at the Teachers Centre in Harrow (Harrow Observer, June 21).

Harrow East Conservative MP Bob Blackman in a Common’s debate on 10/11/11 said, “will you join me in welcoming the decision of the Department for Education to grant initial approval to a new Hindu free school for the borough of Harrow”.

According to the Harrow Council documents, Teachers Centre, a previous school and now an active base for the education services, is the only building marked for a new school in Harrow.

Therefore, the Council officers rightly helped the free school to open at the Teachers Centre as the school needs to start in September this year and no other accommodation is possible at this stage.

As usual Cllr Hall has failed to suggest an alternative, in this case a place to accommodate this free school which has been approved by her government’s department.

Furthermore, it is highly irresponsible of Cllr Hall and her associates to refer to the ‘prevalence of localised gang and criminal activity’ in describing the impact of the Hindu school on the locality. The Hindu community needs an apology.

One wonders why any proposals for diversity-specific places of worship and education out rightly attract such hostility.

With the problems in the Eurozone, you might be wondering if your money is safe in the bank. The good news is that the Government has made all British registered banks participate in a scheme to safeguard the first £85,000 of savings that you have in case your bank goes bust.

From September, British registered banks will be obliged to display posters and stickers letting customers know they are insured if their bank goes bust and giving details of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

All British banks that are legal subsidiaries in this country are covered by this scheme. It also covers savers putting money in authorised branches of foreign, non-European banks. But due to EU law, it does not cover European banks that operate as branches in the UK rather than as registered subsidiaries.

If you are unsure, ask your bank manager if your savings are covered by this scheme or write to me at and I can provide more information about the scheme and your bank’s participation in it.

It has been reported in Indian newspaper a war has been broken out among the NDA partners who should be nominated for the future Prime Minister candidate. The Parliamentary general election in India is going to take place in 2014. After Gujarat riots which was very badly handled by the NDA government under Vajpayee, the NDA is reduced to a coalition of small number of parties except JD(U).

There is no need to nominate the NDA candidate in advance, when more than two years are left for the election.

The BJP has failed to nominate an acceptable candidate to all parties in NDA in advance for the Presidential election.There are already some parties JD (U) and Shiv Sena in NDA are not supporting Sangma which leaves less than 30 per cent of the electorate support for BJP backed candidate. Some members of the BJP are also supporting the congress candidate. There is no unity among NDA group.

The infighting between BJP and JD(U) is taking place when value of the rupee is going down, Indian banks are down graded and Indian economy is faltering. Some sections of the BJP supporters abroad are promoting Narendra Modi as the BJP Prime Minister Candidate without understanding the political situation in India.

The Congress party has adopted coalition dharma, since the a party understands that it cannot come to power on its own. The BJP should realise that it should depend on other small and regional parties to come to power. It is essential it adopts a secular policy based on Hindu values. Narendra Modi claims Gujarat is shinning which is not true. It is the rich capitalists like Tatas are benefited by the economic development. Gujarat does not even provide free education up to the age of 12 and free medical on demand to all sections of the population of Gujarat.

Syed Kamall Conservative MEP for London

The Big Waffle

Recently I received an annual loan statement from Marks & Spencer Money: opening balance, the 12 repayments and closing balance; no entries for annual interest charged except to state APR 6%.

In this country, it seems anything goes: start selling clothes, then get into groceries; credit cards; lending and now banking. It is becoming like a banking jungle supported by bank bailouts.

What is needed is a new model in retail banking; not more of the same by today’s money-hungry financial institutions. Founder Arkadi Kuhlmann and Brand Consultant Bruce Philip found a new model in 1996 by setting up exclusive online banking. Today it is a global enterprise with over 20 million customers in nine countries. It is called ING Direct.

Time is ripe to set up a retail banking model that serves only employees and/or self-employed whose income and/or revenue is up to a maximum of the national average that can move every year. Each country would have their national moving average.

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man” [George Bernard Shaw].

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has dismissed David Cameron’s initiative of the Big Society as “aspirational waffle” meaning it is verbose or ignorant or aimless talk. He said that the idea was “designed to conceal a deeply damaging withdrawal of the state from its responsibilities to the most vulnerable” The Archbishop has denounced David Cameron’s concept of the big society as designed to cover up the cuts which are in the pipeline – eg the withdrawal of housing benefits for young people under the age of 25 who should live with their parents if they cannot afford to buy or rent their own property.

The Big Society is a general phrase describing the shift of power from central government to communities and to volunteers, and is also said to include charities or non-profit groups taking over running of some public services. In the big society, people would come together to solve problems without state intervention.

The PM is right to a certain extent. In our culture, the parents would support their children until they are capable of standing on their own two feet and in return, the children would look after their parents in their old age. The PM’s idea is probably taking a leaf out of the book of the villages in India or other so called developing countries. In rural India, this is exactly what is happening. People help each other in their time of need. There are no state handouts. The Big Society concept is in effect going back to the old ways or our ancestors and should be commended.

Nagindas Khajuria Via Email

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Jaiya Shah Chairman, Harrow Council for Justice

Marks & Spencer & HSBC link up to open retail banks

Arun Vaidyanathan Via Email

India’s economic woes grow further India’s economic decline caused by local and global factors, began in 1990s with ascent via deregulation, globalisation and foreign direct investment; earned envy by weathering recession, high returns for local investors and race with China. It attracted evil eye of malafide agents and indigenous traitors who corroded India by undermining economy under excuse of recession.

Pranab Mukherjee, not able to control descent, is now being removed with golden handshake to become President of India.

Foreigners’ failure to loot India, via Indian ban on 51% investment in retail market, investing in insurance and airlines, India getting fighter planes from France etc, has resulted in revenge tactics, without bullets, bloodshed or coups, causing rapid devaluation of rupee.

It is repetition of history; coveting of Kamdhenu cow by Vishwamitra, temple

Please detach the form and send it with your payment or credit card instructions to address below $%&

)! &

&$ ! "$ !$

"$

"%& % !

* ! '$"#

)))

# $"'# "

Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman ensure victory for India in first test

$ !

)0 '

, .)

' $ & ! %& $ $ ! $ " '$ ! % "'$& ( % & &" ! "! & !( & & "! " " '! %& $&* " ! ) $ ! " % '%% "! ) & &"# ! % $% # Consultative Conference, (and a member of the politburo of Communist Party of China), Modi showcased Gujarat as a destination with a conducive environment to invest and work. He also explained Gujarat becoming a major tourist destination. He brought out the richness of Buddhist culture in Gujarat which solicited very keen interest among Chinese leadership. He also dwelled upon the ancient Indian and Chinese ethos, relationship, friendship, cultural and business ties.

While showcasing

(!

(! 0#

" #,' ( ) ." .#)( & )''#.. ) ." )(-/&. .#0 )( , ( -" % - " ( - 1#."

"#( , ( ,

)*& - )&#.# ) #

&

."

)0 '

)(.#(/

)( * !

# &" "" & % "! * !'& % "!

#(! #-" , #,&#( - #- !)#(! .",)/!" .,)/ & .#' - - )0 , *#&).- " 0 +/#. . , ." 2 1 , (). * # ." #, - & ,# - 0 ( - ." )'* (2 ( && )0 , &#!".- #( ." & -. .1) 2The cancellation of 80 flights in the past couple of days left thousands of passengers in the lurch prompting the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to demand an explanation from Kingfisher.

The cash-strapped airline claimed that it had to drop flights as the company was trying to reconfigure its aircraft.

There was chaos at several airports after passengers complained that they were not intimated about the Kingfisher cancellations. )(.#(/ )( * !

UK EUROPE WORLD £25 £55 £70 £45 £100 £125

,

Brand ‘Gujarat’ – which is equated with Guangdong of China, he invited Chinese business community and public enterprises to participate in the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit- 2013.

He highlights Gujarat’s special investment regions as areas where Chinese companies could invest. He called on China to invest in infrastructure and power projects in the state, wooing potential investors with a sales pitch that showcased Gujarat as a state with levels of “governance, transparency and stability” that they could not find elsewhere in India. He declared that “the two great countries will make Asia the centrestage of the global economy.”

#$ 2

&&2

A new theory says that any physical activity for 15 minutes every day is a good insurance against a plethora of health problems, be it related to the heart, the brain or even cancer.

A study published in The Lancet, a British medical journal, said that just a quarter-hour of physical exertion a day could reduce a person's risk of death by 14% and increase life expectancy by three years compared to inactive people.

Incidentally, another theory published in a different British journal said daily TV-viewing for six hours could take

away five years from your life.

Adding and subtracting years from your life has never before been quantified in such medical terms, say doctors.

The 15-minute short-cut to good health, in fact, changes the most fundamental rule that was approved by the World Health Organizationthat 150 minutes of activity a week is needed to stay healthy. )(.#(/

)( * !

E-mail: support@abplgroup.com

With rapid decline in honesty, compassion and eradication of the ability to distinguish what is morally right or wrong, we are living in a dangerous world, especially for those who are elderly, disable, dysfunctional or simply too trusting with dyed-in-the-wool attitude.

No wonder parents would not allow their children to talk to strangers and we would not open our doors to strangers either, even if it happens to be a dame in distress!

Although dishonesty, cheating and crookedness is spreading like wild fire, in many ways, ours is still a civilized society, although I can not help but wonder how long we could sustain this civility with mass unemployment, family breakdown and higher need to move with the times, keep up with your neighbour Tom, Dick and Harry!

Recently I read a beautifully written article in a national newspaper under the heading “A Champion Complainer” the author being a solicitor who is addicted to complaining, writing more than twenty such letters every week!

He explained in detail how to start and end such a letter. The letter should always be polite, apologetic, to the point and end with a sentence like “I am sure this is an extraordinary departure from your usual high standard and I would like to remain your loyal customer if you can demonstrate to me that you are still as good as I know you used to be.”

Writing such letters has work wonders for us and we have always received a polite, courteous apology and so often accompanied by a cheque as compensation. But we only write when we have a genuine cause to complain. So pick up your pen and start writing!

Bhupendra M Gandhi Via Email wealth attracting barbarians from Asia, England entering India as merchants and staying for 150 years, downfall of Russia and UK’s police slogan “display and pay.”

In time scale of history this is a blip of bust after boom, which India should be able to survive. But having fallen prey to clutches of borrow, spend and tax ethos, generated by brown sahibs fed on Cambridge/ Oxford/ Harvard/ Yale fodder making India cash cow to be sucked by international vultures.

Ramesh Jhalla Via Email

Disclaimer Asian Business Publications Ltd (ABPL) is not in any way responsible for the goods and services rendered by its advertisers. The ABPL management accepts all advertisements in good faith and it is entirely up to readers to verify advertisers’ products and services, should they feel the need to do so.

Visit our website: www.abplgroup.com

*Subscriptions paid will not be refunded ."

*

In a rare gesture, China’s top leadership hosted his delegation at Great Hall of People and had a free and frank discussion and exchange of ideas on a range of subjects including trade, industry, socioeconomic development, investment, and prevailing global economic scenario. Modi emphasized about the shared heritage of India and China, and common vision for improved quality of lives of their people.

In his meeting with the Mr Wang Gang, Vice Chairman of the China People’s Political

1 Year 2 Years

Complain and be compensated

!

EDUCATION / COUNCIL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

National Hindu Students Forum (UK)

By Pranav Bhanot President NHSF (UK)

NHSF (UK) attend the Arab and European Dialogue Summit 2012, Norway On Tuesday 19th June 2012, I boarded a spacious, friendly and technologically advanced Norwegian Airline to transport me to the Arab and European Dialogue Summit. It wasn’t until I arrived at Oslo Airport and spent £45 on a small pizza that I realised I had entered one of the world’s most expensive countries. Having digested every last crumb of my pizza to make the most of my rather steep investment, it was clear that this was going to be an extraordinary trip.

The Arab and European Dialogue Summit took place in the 1994 Olympic City of Lillehammer and was attended by 40 participants, representing 7 faiths from over 21 different countries. The purpose of the Summit was to bring different faiths from around the world together to discuss the current challenges in the world today including inter-religious tensions, the Arab Spring and the Economic crisis. The true value of such exercises were to understand the key issues in the world from people who actually live in affected countries such as Bosnia, Israel, Spain and Egypt rather than merely relying on the media.

Further, it was surprising that over half of all those who attended the Summit had never met a Hindu before, even though they were familiar

with the religion.

Admittedly, I felt like a bit of super star answering question after question about Hinduism in general and articulating the Hindu view of various topical issues.

Prior to the Summit, I had been rather sceptical about the notion of religious dialogue. My main concern with the practice of inter-religious dialogue was that it turns into nothing more than a talking shop that attracts only the moderates of a religion and does not reach out to religious members with more extreme views and therefore lacks effectiveness.

Nevertheless, having learnt more about the different methods of dialogue, I found that it consists of a great deal more than merely sitting in a room trying to learn more about each other’s religions. ‘Dialogue’ is actually a way of living, talking, listening and engaging with others. It does not necessarily need to involve talking at all and may well include partaking in a selfless activity such as on Sewa Day or Sports competitions. I have always wanted a find a quick solution to conflict and tensions, which is why I initially found dialogue rather long and frustrating.

Nevertheless, the Summit made me realise that conflicts and disputes may not have a quick fire solution and the method of dialogue

can only be effective if you have patience and determination for change.

Within the UK, it seems that as well as bringing their families with them; ethnic minorities have also imported their discriminations, stereotypical views and misconceptions – whether this is in relation to other religions, sects, caste, race and nationalities. The Summit, aimed to influence delegates to return back to their respective countries and create platforms in which ‘dialogue’ can occur to create a more unitary way of living rather than a divided and segmented society.

This aspiration is at the heart of Hindu Dharma as nicely demonstrated by the phrase Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – ‘the whole world is one family’. As a religion, Hinduism celebrates broadness and universal acceptance of all religions and strives for global peace.

Within the Hindu Community internally as well as the relations between Hindus in the UK and other communities there is a need to maintain this ambition for peace and harmony.

There is certainly room for greater cohesive cooperation. It is suggested that inter community and inter religious dialogue is a good step in the right direction to reach such ambitions.

11

Fury as council allows bungalow to be used as an 'illegal' mosque A council has come under fire after an Islamic group extended a tiny two-bedroom bungalow to turn it into an 'illegal' mosque for 200 worshippers.

Residents are furious after being forced to endure noise at all hours of the day, congestion and bin bags strewn across the front garden.

Crowds of between 50 and 120 people gather at the mosque three times each week - and for big celebrations such as Eid there are several hundred.

The group bought the property in Westcliff, Essex, three years ago and extended it without planning permission and turning it into a mosque.

Despite hundreds of complaints to Southend Council, officers allowed

Islamic centre: The tiny two-bedroom property which has been used as a mosque 'illegally' for the last two years despite objections from neighbours in Westcliff, Essex

the cramped property to be used as a place of worship 'illegally' after being told it was a family home used to host the odd community meeting.

But despite the official denials, the group had even posted YouTube

videos of a large group of people chanting and worshipping inside the property.

A council worker who visited spotted 40 bin bags stacked up outside the property just before Christmas last year.

EDUCATION NEWS

Willetts warns universities over foreign student grades Universities Minister David Willetts has warned universities not to sacrifice standards in the hunt for foreign students and the fees they pay. It follows reports in the Daily Telegraph newspaper that students from China are being offered places at UK universities with lower grades than home students.

Mr Willetts said home students were not being displaced by those from overseas.

UK universities say they are recruiting the maximum number of students allowed.

This cap on home stu-

students and that agents are not empowered to make offers on their behalf.

Writing in the Telegraph after Wednesday's report, Mr Willetts described the allegations as "salutary".

He said: "If our worldclass institutions admit people who cannot cope or who slow down their fellow students, their league table positions will slip. This is in no-one's interest."

But he warned against drawing false conclusions from the investigations that home students were being displaced as a result.

dents is set by the UK government - but students from outside the EU, who self-fund, are recruited separately and can be charged an unlimited fee.

Mr Willetts' comments come after Telegraph reporters filmed staff at an agency in China saying it could help a student get into certain UK universities with three C or B grades at A-level. This is below the entry requirement for most leading UK institutions.

Universities mentioned in the report say they are investigating the reports, but insist they aim to recruit the brightest

New grammar tests will 'impoverish English teaching' Plans for new primary school grammar tests in England will hold a "gun to the head" of teachers, experts say.

The National Association for the Teaching of English says a

%)+)-'

revised focus on spelling, grammar and punctuation will "impoverish" teaching.

Its chairman, Dr Simon Gibbons, says the reforms are based on ministers' "diminishing memories of their own grammar- and

public-school educations".

The government says it wants higher standards in English. But Dr Gibbons, chairman of the association and expert in English education at King's College, London, warns

that such an approach will turn pupils off the subject.

In a speech to his association's annual conference in York on Friday, he says teachers have been "presented with a reductive primary curriculum dominat-

ed by phonics, spelling, grammar and standard English."

The test, which will be sat for the first time by pupils next summer, measures children's ability to "demonstrate their knowl-

edge of grammatical tests", he said.

The Department for Education said a focus on spelling and grammar would be at the heart of the new primary school curriculum.

* ' - ' $+ ' & )!!, $ )% #!, & * ! ! #! " ( & '' % # # $)&' $# ,' ($ & ,' " ($ %" !$' $# ()& ,' )# ,' # %) ! $! ,'

"++

'

%1)'-%0 )'(2)-' 555 4)$",%6#. &0%%)-$%6 #. 3*

!

! # +" ( *

!

31)-%11 -/3)0)%1 .+)#)2%$

,")+ 4)$",%6 (.2,")+ #. 3*

!) &+%* &( * ( () & $ ( )! % &!

!!

! ! %

" $$$

# !!

"

12

MEDIA WATCH

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

Scrutator’s Pranbab Mukherjee resigned as India’s finance minister, and his membership of the Congress party. He served his country and his party well in a long political career. He earned the plaudits of many on the opposition benches, among them BJP leaders Yashwant Sinha and Arun Jaitley. But Mr Mukherjee’s final year of his last three years in office was disappointing. The economy stalled and his attempts to revive it were unsuccessful. The global downturn and the Eurozone crisis didn’t help, but more could have been done domestically. The substantive reforms desired by the market and industry were repeatedly shelved for political considerations.. One cannot always be all things to all men. Mr Mukherjee remained wedded to noble intent. Word was never transformed into flesh as it must be, now that he has gone and the road ahead is clear.

If, as seems likely, Mr Mukherjee is elected India’s next President, his understanding of the political system and its workings, and his tested ability to find common ground amidst seemingly intractable problems should stand him in good stead. We wish him well (The Times of India, The Economic Times, The Hindu, The Telegraph June 10-27).

Symbols of confidence Moody’s, the international rating agency, has retained its stable status for India, despite the economic slowdown and the high inflation, saying that these had been factored into their assessment. Present woes, said Moody’s, were “unlikely to be permanent or medium-term features of the Indian economy.”

Meanwhile, General Electric Vice Chairman John Rice has said that India’s 6 per cent GDP was creditable in the context of the global economic crisis. Mr Rice was in Pune to open GE’s newest facility in India. He emphasized GE’s continuing faith in the country, which, “along with China and the US will be among the top five economies in the world. Besides India and China will be able to contribute shareholder value that is equivalent to the rest of the world. As for (India’s) policy

words: “India’s progress over the past 20 years has been phenomenal. It deserves recognition…..India still faces many challenges. More than 400 million Indians live in extreme poverty. The country is home to half of all the world’s malnourished and underweight children and one fourth of the world’s tuberculosis…..The country has a lot of talented people. The universities are improving.

Government spending is going up because of the nation’s economic strength. Some reforms are needed, and that’s progressing, gradually.”

Innovation on view Said Mr Gates: “A lot progress has come from the nation’s culture of innovation, which has produced some really original and creative solutions…..During my recent visit, I had a chance to see the latest progress on things

Foreign minister SM Krishna shakes hands with Microsoft founder Bill Gates at a meeting in New Delhi

paralysis, a lot of countries need to take decisions on reforms,” said Mr Rice (The Telegraph June 27, Times of India June 28).

Truths of Bill Gates Bill Gates, entrepreneur and philanthropist extraordinary, in an interview telecast on NDTV (June 20), shared his thoughts on India, a country he knows well through his company Microsoft, his numerous charities and through frequent visits, the last made recently. Digest his

that matter a lot to us: on eradicating polio and curtailing the spread of infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis….

India has become a world leader in the development of high-quality, low-cost vaccines and other bio-pharmaceuticals, which are playing a huge role in improving health not only in South Asia but also in Africa and elsewhere.”

Polio tackled Bill Gates recounted the story of polio eradication in India, which

three years ago was more prone to the disease than any country in the world. “India is very proud of this achievement, and rightly so. It’s a direct result of will, dedicated political resources, and rigorous management and accountability,” said Mr Gates.

Unique brain surgery Bill Gates referred to India’s capacity for innovation, of which is the following example.

Moubani Karmakar, an 18-yearold Kolkata girl, suffered frequent seizures, the cause of which was diagnosed as a tumour of the brain. The lesion was critically close to the area that controls speech, explained neurosurgeon Amitabha Chanda. Doctors had warned that the application of normal anaesthesia carried a high risk of paralysis leading, possibly, to impaired speech. It was decided that the best way forward was to operate under local anaesthesia and sedation so that the patient was able to talk to the surgical team throughout the procedure.

“It sounds odd that somebody’s head is being opened up and the surgeon is fiddling in the brain while the patient is awake.

But that was the need of the hour,” said Mr Chanda. If, during the operation, Moubani felt any discomfort, she could tell the surgeon and he would immediately know that he was close to the brain tissue. The fourhour procedure went perfectly.

Moubani Karmarkar is now fully recovered (The Telegraph).

Solar physicist wins US prize Another instance of Indian talent is Dibyendu Nandi of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata, who has been awarded the prestigious Karen Harvey Prize for 2012 by the American Astronomical Society (AAS).

Dr Nandi, who did his Ph.D from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, has published a series of papers on solar activity, including one that explained for the first time the disappearance of sunspots. He is part of the Indian Space and Research Organization (ISRO) team’s Aditya mission to the sun due for lift-off later this year or early in 2013 (The Telegraph)

Terror suspect arrested It must come as something of a shock to the mummified minds of India’s special pleaders – inebriated denizens of Delhi’s cocktail circuit - of brotherly love and peace with Pakistan, that Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jindal, one of the principal choreographers of the 26/11 terrorist attack on Mumbai, has been arrested by the Delhi police. Abu Jindal, to use his more pronounceable name, is an Indian from Maharashtra, who travelled to Pakistan on a jehadi enterprise, where he teamed up with Laskar-i-Toiba to train the Pakistani hit squad in the Hindi language and much else besides.

He instructed its members, along with his Pakistani colleagues, through a satellite phone from their Karachi hideout, on each and every move in and around the Indian metropolis. The ensuing bloodbath claimed 167 innocent lives.

Excellent police work tracked Jindal down to Saudi Arabia (from where he was deported). Saudi cooperation, with the US as catalyzing agent, was exemplary, the kingdom having understood belatedly that al Qaeda-linked terror groups also had its ruling Royal house in their sights. Saudi ties with India have reached a level

Sarabjit Singh

Abu Jindal

of warmth that must cause anxiety in Islamabad, which has long been Riyadh’s closest ally in the region and beyond.

State hand Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram announced, on the basis of Abu Jindal’s interrogation, that the previously held belief of the terror attack on Mumbai being the work of nonstate bodies was incorrect.

“There was state support,” he said. He stated further: “We tracked Jindal down, found him and apprehended him. We are tracking all 26 masterminds of the 26/11 attacks. Pakistan comes out poorly….”

According to Abu Jindal’s testimony, Laskar supremo Hafiz Saeed, is given 24 hour protection by the Pakistan Army and the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) agency (The Times of India June 30).

Pakistan’s Senior Adviser Interior Minister Rehman Malik charged Mr Chidambaram of conducting a “propaganda campaign” against the ISI, of whom all Pakistanis, he claimed, were proud (The Hindu June 28).

Information in the offing Abu Jindal scouted for Indian recruits from his Saudi Arabian base. Indian intelligence sources say Jindal’s disclosures pointed to his Indian Mujahidin (IM) links. Jindal’s arrest is expected to open a Pandora’s box of information on Lashkar and IM operatives and sleeper cells across India (Times of India June 29, Economic Times June 30).

Surjeet, for Sarabjit Pakistan released Surjeet Singh, who was arrested as an Indian spy by a military court in Lahore

and sentenced to death in 1982, which was commuted to life imprisonment, the term expiring earlier in 2005. He was driven in handcuffs to the Wagah border post in Punjab and handed over to Indian officials and given an enthusiastic welcome by his family. Surjeet’s claim to be a RAW agent has been denied by the government.

Meanwhile, Sarabjit Singh languishes on Pakistan’s death row for alleged terrorist activities in the country, which he has long denied. It was his name, not Surjeet’s, that appeared in the media mix-up on the prisoner release (The Hindu, 27-29)

Cashing in politically The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in its bid for political mileage, has censured the government for failing to adopt an “aggressive and offensive posture toward Pakistan for Sarabjit Singh’s release (The Hindu June 28).

This is rich coming from a party whose leaders, L.K. Advani and Jaswant Singh, are avowed admirers of Pakistan’s founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah.

The subcontinent’s Muslim homeland, which Jinnah helped create, was driven by an insensate and enduring hatred of ‘Hindu’.

India, whose defeat and destruction have been, and continues to be, Pakistan’s messianic obsession.

Jinnah’s call for a Direct Action Day in August 1946 led to the Great Calcutta killings organized by the Quaid-eAzam’s Muslim League ministry in Bengal. This, and kindred events, define the historical Jinnah as man and politician, not his reported love of whisky and bacon, of Saville Row suits, nor even his marital status as spouse to a Zoroastrian Parsi wife.

Pakistan blighted birth has left a bloody trail. Jinnah drew its politico-cultural fault-lines when, as the country’s Governor General on his first visit to Dhaka, in February 1948, he demanded that Bengali-speaking East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) eschew its mother tongue for the desirably Islamic Urdu. Pakistan today is Jinnah’s truest monument.

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

Alpesh Patel’s www.PoliticalAnimal.me

Jaguar-Land Rover set to generate 4,500 jobs in UK

Political Sketchbook

Romil Patel

Developing the Hindu Economy I write to you from Hong Kong where I have delivered the following speech at the World Economic Hindu Forum.

“My dharma teaches me two things. To be truthful and to be fearless. Being truthful is not a problem, well okay, sometimes it is because I used to be a lawyer, but fearlessness is definitely not a problem – I hail from Karamsad.

And I have to tell you fearlessly and truthfully our dharma is under threat. It is under threat because 2000 years ago, any map of the world would have shown Bharat as the world’s largest economy. An alien visiting the planet in the year 1 AD and asked to select which civilisation will be the single most dominant on the planet over the subsequent 2000 years – would pointed to the civilisation which resides in Bharat. He may have said China comes a close second, but certainly not the Europeans who were busying themselves in caves at the time, or Islam, because Islam did not exist at the time, neither did the Americans.

So when I walked through Hong Kong, I wept. I wept because I ask myself why is my civilisation not this wealthy? What has my civilisation lacked that China has? Are we less innovative? Are we less hard working, are we any less ancient? Did we not give the world astronomy, calculus, surgery, navigation and the give the Chinese Buddha? What have we done wrong so that a map of the world today reveals more people living on a mere $1 in the boundaries of the country of my ancestors than any other.

Why should my faith have been the one whose followers have destroyed more wealth in the past 2000 years than the followers of any other? Even when we blame

invaders, the fault is ours – why did we not see it coming? Why had our dharma not prepared us? Why did the followers of every other major faith increase in wealth over the past two millennia – be they Jews, who two thousand years ago were slaves, be they Christians or Muslims – not even thought of two millennia ago?

Dharma protects those that protect Dharma. My dharma is under threat because it has not been protected by wealth by my ancestors. Dharma is not under threat for lack of swamis and mandirs Bharat has enough of those. It also has those who know how to make wealth. It is under threat because we do not know how to spread wealth.

Oscar Schindler, the businessman who saved over a 1,000 Jews from extermination in the second world war, said it best, ‘I wish I had made more money. If I had made more money, I could have saved more people. This gold ring, this is worth two lives.’

When the Jews were on the brink of annihilation, it was not a lack of money that failed them, but that the money was not spread among enough of them.

My dharma will not be exterminated thus – although rich people do not convert out of their dharma, the poor do – and that is a form of religious genocide in Bharat today – because we do not spread wealth.

But to develop the Hindu economy, as well as spreading wealth, we must spread ourselves. The West rose, the Jews rose, because they were nomads. They spread around the world. Hindus must flood the world to follow the capital if the Hindu economy (the wealth of Hindustan and of individual Hindus) is to grow. And the capital is

not in India, it is in Europe and America (they are and will remain the world’s two largest economies In our lifetimes).

The other way to develop the Hindu economy is for Hindu businesses to own intellectual property. Wealth can no longer be acquired by invading armies. The modern day gun to the head, is the intellect.

Point that at anyone and you can acquire wealth. It is no coincidence the richest countries in the world spend the most on research and development. India does not.

It is no coincidence the iPhone has over 300 patents and Apple is the world’s richest company. It is no coincidence that as long as Hindus invent for the owner of the invention, their dharma will always be under threat.

Finally, Bharat needs more entrepreneurs if it wants to develop its economy.

But these economic warriors need to flow to where business is easiest to do – and just about anywhere in the world is easier than Bharat to do business. But Bharat need not worry – once and Indian, always an Indian.

Lastly, to develop the Hindu economy – the attitude and culture of Hindus needs to change. They must see their companies with the shareholders being the Hindu Nation. So acquire wealth for your company, knowing that the ultimate owner is the Hindu Nation – you are doing it for a greater purpose – to protect the Hindu Dharma.

Because, to repeat, as the businessman Oscar Schindler said when they were annihilating the Jewish faith, ‘I wish I had made more money. If I had made more money, I could have saved more lives’. Create wealth, spread wealth. Spread yourselves.

Save your threatened dharma.

Tata-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is set to generate up to 4,500 manufacturing and engineering jobs in the UK over the next five years according to JLR Executive Director, Mike Wright.

Speaking at the CII-CBI India Conference which addressed the India-UK partnership in reviving and restoring economic growth last Thursday, Wright stated that “We are investing in products. In the next 5 years, we will generate 2,500 manufacturing jobs and 2,000 Engineering jobs.”

Wright categorised JLR as the UK’s largest employer in the automotive sector and said that “our business plan is to grow significantly. We are now a global player with 85% of our revenue coming from exports.”

He recognised Germany as JLR’s competitor and said that “we [JLR] have to have a talent pool with global expertise and we have to concentrate on innovation.”

The Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr Jaimini Bhagwati declared that there are not too many destinations for investment which are better than India.

Mr Bhagwati also responded to claims that Indian immigrants are taking jobs away from the local population. “The amount of employment generated by Indian companies are far more than the jobs taken by Indian immigrants.”

Other participants included Bharti Enterprises Vice Chairman and Managing Director Rakesh Bharti Mittal, NIIT Chairman Rajendra Pawar and Hero MotoCoro Joint Managing Director.

THE GOLDEN JUBILEE UGANDA REUNION 2012 www.ugandareunion2012.com UGANDA TO COMMEMORATE GOLDEN JUBILEE WITH REUNION OF UGANDAN ASIAN COMMUNITY

Uganda’s Golden Jubilee Independence celebrations are being held this October in Kampala, Uganda. 2012 also marks 40 years since the decrees of Idi Amin forced many Ugandans to leave the country and created a large and diverse Ugandan Diaspora in many parts of the world.

To mark this auspicious occasion, The Indian Association of Uganda supported by the Ruparelia Group and other leading businesses and individuals in Uganda are organizing a Reunion event to be held from the 11th to the 14th of October at Speke Resort Munyonyo and E n t e b b e B o t a n i c a l Gardens.

The events have been endorsed by the President of Uganda and are being wholly supported by the Government of Uganda.

The country has transformed a great deal since the horrifying events of 1972 that saw many Ugandans especially Asians being forced to leave their beloved country of birth. Uganda’s economy, although terribly hit by the knock on of effects of the time, has seen steady growth rising from -3.3% in 1980 to a respectable 5.18% in 2010. The economy is still growing with the focus being

on areas such as Agriculture, Tourism, Energy and the Oil and Gas sectors.

As part of the Reunion events, there will be a two day Business Forum designed to create a platform where delegates will be able to engage and discuss potential business opportunities with the Uganda Investment Authority and Uganda Tourism Board among others.

The Core Committee, chaired by one of Uganda’s leading and prominent businessmen, Dr. Sudhir Ruparelia, is estimating at least 1,500 delegates to attend the Reunion and approximately 25% whom they hope will find worthwhile economic prospects and invest in their country of birth.

The Reunion presents an opportunity for those who have

not been back to Uganda since the early 70’s when they were forcefully sent away. The four day event will be officially opened by Uganda’s President, Yoweri Museveni on the 12th of October at Speke Resort Munyonyo. Other activities include the Business Forum, a Cultural evening and a Food Festival at the Entebbe Botanical Gardens.

13

The international agents for the Uganda Reunion are Citibond Travel and Travelpack in the United Kingdom and Mr. Amrat Tailor in Canada. Intending participants can visit their nearest local agent or visit our website: www.ugandareunion2012.com and our group on Facebook.

Munyonyo Commonwealth Resorts

14

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

Midnight Walk ladies take over Harrow for St Luke’s!

St Luke’s biggest fundraising event of the year, the ladies Midnight Walk went down a storm on Friday 29 June. Over 1440 ladies registered to take part and over 200 people volunteered on the night. The ladies enjoyed entertainment from Patelelvis who did karaoke, comedy and interactive mayhem to provide a tongue and cheek Bollywood tribute to the King. International Electro soul pop artist, Krupa Pattni shared her personal experience of when her sister was cared for by St Luke’s and held a minutes silence to remember the loved ones of all of our walkers.

Fitness instructor, Gary Zucker provided a fun warm up to get the ladies ready for their 9mile walk challenge.

Asad Shan who is a British model, Actor, filmmaker and currently the presenter for the TV

there was this event for St Luke’s and I said first of all it was for charity and I would love to help out wherever I can. I then did some research into the Hospice. I thought it was incredible when I entered that room at the Midnight Walk and found a really elderly crowd and a really young crowd getting together in the purest form and for

show, Zing which features on Asian network channel, Zee TV livened the crowd up at the start line and did the countdown to set the ladies off at the stroke of Midnight.

An outstanding ￡ 188,940 in sponsorship was pledged by our walkers on the night and we expect further sponsorship money to come in. A huge thank you goes to everyone who participated on the night and the volunteers who helped to marshal, register walkers, work on stalls, provide breakfast and general support at the event.

Asad Shan says, ‘When I was contacted

by Zee TV they said

similar goals. In life our mission is different for each person but this is one cause that brings you together and if you have that same goal to making it better you can raise more money for it and I think that is really important. It really was over whelming walking in the room and seeing all those purple t-shirts and thinking wow, when seeing all those people together. I would love to support St Luke’s in the future.’

Premila Vekariya lives in Pinner and was the first lady to complete the walk and she did it in under 2 hours. Premila had a friend who died of

cancer and says, ‘This is one of the best events for atmosphere, buzz and general feel good factor!

All of the volunteers and marshals do a fantastic job each year which makes this event a huge success.

Thank you to St Luke’s and well done to all those that participated.’

A group of 17 ladies who called themselves the ‘Jubilee Ladies’ came together to walk for St Luke’s. Among the group was our youngest walker, Kia Gajparia who was walking with her mother, Rina Gajparia. Rina says, ‘My uncle passed away at home and St Luke’s were there to support him.

This is why we are doing the Midnight Walk.’

A group of friends, Divya Asawala, Priya Mehta and Bhagwati Jetha took part.

Priya says, ‘St Luke’s has been amazing.

They looked after Divya’s nan for 9 days and we now want to give as much support as we can.’

St Luke’s Director of Fu n d r a i s i n g , Pam Russell says, ‘It was a fantastically moving experience to see so many people from all sections of the community coming together to support patients at St Luke’s.

The evening had a unique atmosphere which combined friendship, care, excitement, and an amazing sense of achievement among the walkers, volunteers, staff, entertainers, community police, and all those who came together to make the event such a success. I would like to say a heartfelt thank you on behalf of all at St Luke’s to everyone who helped to make the walk possible.’

Photo Courtesy: Raj Bakranis

Success defined by the journey, not just the destination

Shreeraj Laturia (Director, UBS), Gautam Kumar (Head of Wealth Management Asia Pacific, UBS), Seema Malhotra MP, Rajay Naik (Director, Open University), Shruti Goel (Event moderator, CHN; and Trainee Solicitor, Simmons & Simmons), Harin Thaker (Ex-Chairman, ex-Head of Real Estate Finance International at Deutsche Pfandbriefbank), Pratik Dattani (Chairman, City Hindus Network), Manooj Mistry (Head of Equity ETF Structuring, Deutsche Bank)

The City Hindus Network (CHN), in partnership with Simmons & Simmons and UBS hosted over 150 delegates at an evening reception with an esteemed panel of leading British-Asian personalities – amongst subjects discussed were cultural ethics vs. corporate principles, behavioural shifts amongst generations of British-Asians; drivers for success and motivations for philanthropy.

The collaboration, entitled ‘Further Journeys for Change’, built on the CHN’s first ‘Journeys for Change’ event hosted in collaboration with State Street Bank Corporation in June 2011, which attracted great membership interest and media attention.

Chair of the panel and Trainee Solicitor at Simmons & Simmons, Shruti Goel was accompanied by the distinguished panel, and said: “Simmons & Simmons is thrilled to have hosted their first collaboration with UBS and the CHN – that too with such a credible panel.”

Panelist Gautam Kumar, now MD and Global Head of South Asia and Asia Pacific at UBS Wealth Management, progressed his career from a commerce graduate in Delhi and tactically manoeuvred his ethnicity to shine through Citibank’s NRI business before progressing to UBS. He said: “It’s a pleasure and a privilege to have participated as a panelist; the calibre of attendees shows the breadth of success-seeking British-Asians intelligence across the most dynamic sectors.

Diversity in ethnicity and perspective are advantageous and spark creativity for progression.”

Fellow panellist Seema Malhotra, Labour MP for Heston and

Feltham, previously a special adviser to Harriet Harman, emphasised “I’m delighted to have had the opportunity to connect with and inspire, especially like-minded female talent. This segment is slowly earning greater representation.”

Eqbal Samra, chair of the Cultural Awareness Network, UBS said: “We were delighted to co-host the event and have such an exceptional panel to share their experiences.

UBS provides equal employment and advancement opportunities for all individuals regardless of race / ethnicity, gender, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion. UBS is committed to developing and sustaining a diverse workplace.”

The consistent theme of the panel discussion and responses to questions from the audience probed how the panelists continuously persevered to achieve their goals, and

whether their spiritual philosophies helped them remain resilient in the face of obstacles. The other panellists were Manooj Mistry, Head of Equity ETF Structuring at Deutsche Bank; Harin Thaker, ex-Head of Real Estate Finance International at Deutsche Pfandbriefbank; and Rajay Naik, Director of Government Relations at The Open University, and former Chairman of the British Youth Council.

Pratik Dattani, on behalf of the CHN said: “We would like to extend sincere appreciation to the 2011 and 2012 panelists for their continued support and leading by example. The energy, engagement and enthusiasm this year, raised the bar. In an economic climate whereby, uncertainty often remains the only certainty, our panel showed that diversity blended with creativity, flexibility and agile-minds can enable opportunity.”

London’s Shameful Policing Continued from page 3 in particular jewelers, being targeted for daring robberies.

Harrow’s Police Commander tells us how good the local policing is and how they are driving down local crime. I agree that the latest Met Police crime figures show a decrease in offences related to gun crime, racist and religious hate crime, rape and homophobic crime.

But, there is significant increase in other offences - with personal robbery up by 47% (overall a 44% increase in all type of robberies) and non-residential burglaries up 14% and motor vehicle crime up 10%. My casework about local crime and policing shows scathing complaints from individuals and resident associations.

Scrutiny of Harrow’s police and community engagement has received a devastating blow in the last few months because of the totalitarian and bullying approach of MOPAC which has scrapped funding of Harrow Police Community Consultative Group (HPCCG). I’m not prepared to take this situation lying down and have taken this matter up both at committee level as well as directly with MOPAC so that Harrow’s residents are no longer denied policing resources.

(In the last year the number of full- time police officers has been cut from 31,947 to 31,825 and the number of PCSOs has been cut from 3939 to 2661.)

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

f ashionista

by Debasree Ghosh

Be a Fashionista, Be You! If you have any questions or a story or a new style to share with us, please write to Shree at aveditorial@abplgroup.com

Swimwear for All Shapes I’m back! I have a new husband and lovely tan from long days on the white sandy beaches of a faraway island. My days were spent drinking all manners of tropical cocktails, staining my Kindle with copious amount of suncream and not so happily obsessing over the shape of my behind in all the swimsuits I had previously bought for a small fortune. So I have never been very in love with with my body on a beach.

As if just looking at my own tummy flab isn’t enough, I also have to look at any number of lithe nubile nineteen year olds in teensy bikinis looking all , well, unattainable. But while may not have the favour of age and resistance to jalebis, I do have the power to dress camouflage myself in very flattering fashion. So, armed with a lifetime of body insecurities and beach holidays, here are my two cents in how not to burst out crying when the only unoccupied sunlounger is sitting next to Gisele Bundchen’s twin.

Bit Of A Tummy: Can’t seem to kick that tiny bit of belly bulge at the gym? Camouflage it at the beach by wearing a fashion-forward, ruched one-piece. Look for a suit with ruched fabric or built-in control panels, which will help disguise or suck in your stomach for a slimming effect. If you're going for a two-piece swimsuit, then checkout tankinis that are on the fashion scene today. They cover just enough, but

Gulati's 'hit bottom'

The actress Shobna Gulati’s bottom was last week named as the Rear of the Year, which is absolutely not simply an excuse to sell tight jeans or to ogle at women’s backsides but in a very real sense, it is an artistic appreciation of the human form.

Congratulation Shobna for thrashing us all with a perfect rear!

you still have the freedom and hip factor of a bikini.

Short Legs or Torso: Play up your figure by finding a suit that is cut high on the thigh. This will make your leg look much longer. If you have curvy hips, then all the better. This cut will accentuate your smaller waist and give you a flirty look. Wear a solid bottom bikini with a printed top.

This will draw the eye upward and give you a longer look. Avoid boy shorts and skirted bikinis as they draw the eye downward and can make you look shorter.

Tall and Lean: Clothes drape beautifully on you and your legs go on and on. But, you do need to make sure that you do not look like a

bean pole at the beach in your swimsuit. You can go wild with the embellishments at the hips and bust line. Rings, jewels, ties and bows are all good things for you. You’ll look smashing in those super

"(

'& ")"'&"&

') $ $"% )

bright colors that are so, “in,” right now. Boy shorts are just the thing for your slim hips. Oh, and those cute, ruffled skirts and cover-ups?

They’re made just for you!

Busty: If you’ve got a small frame but are heavy upstairs, look for a top that offers coverage and a little lift. Plus, a folded bottom forgives love handles. Underwire is key when it comes to supporting a big bust—especially on the beach. Shop for bikini tops like you would for a bra.

Bigger Backside (bane of my existence): Want to draw less attention to your bum? If it’s not your favorite asset, choose a dark-colored suit to downplay its size.

Briefs or boy shorts are a good option if you have some junk in the trunk, since they offer coverage without looking like you’re wearing granny panties. But whatever you do, do not even look at those super frilly mini skirted creations. They will only serve to draw everyone’s eyes on your bum.

That’s it! Time to play! And be sensible and wear sunscreen.

("

( )"'&

'% '() )!('* !'*) )! -

$ +++ !&

, "( '& ' *#

(

15

The 'Olympic torch' visits Sheffield and Blackburn Kumar (Krish) Raval carried the Olympic torch in Hunters Bar, Sheffield on Monday 25 June. The 38 year old corporate trainer and Chief Executive of Learn to Lead was nominated for his achievements in the field of personal development working with people of all ages and also delivering leadership training. Hundreds of his ex-students travelled for miles to take part in the event, were gathered along both sides of the road to cheer him. Throughout the race, happy and encouraging screams of ' Krish, Krish' by the excited crowd was the only sound that could be heard The ladies from Blackburn Hindu Centre performed a traditional Indian folk dance in front of thousands of people gathered in front of the Town Hall, Blackburn when the Olympic Torch arrived on the morning of 23rd June.

Their names are from left, Katy Jackson, Vijaya Sultanpur, Jaibharti Chudasama, Bharti Chohan, Shriti Chohan and Asmita Chudasama.

for miles.

Lord Sebastian Coe the main promoter of the Olympics was present to

lead the torch relay. The entire event was observed by the community with pride.

16

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

Dhanush to be honored in Germany Dhanush starrer, “3” will be featured at the ninth Indian film festival which begins on July 18th at Stuttgart. Earlier, the film was screened at the New York Indian Film Festival and Aishwarya Dhanush was named the Pride of Tamil Nadu at the event for her impressive debut. Now Aishwarya is very excited as she heads to Germany for the screening. On her return, she will begin work on her second film. Word is that she wants to prove her versatility with her second film and it will be different from “3” in every possible way.

Rajnikanth not willing to clash with SRK

The release of Rajnikanth's next film has been postponed to avert a showdown with Bollywood bigwigs on Diwali.

Rajnikanth may be the boss of all, but it looks like the superstar is not willing to clash with Ajay Devgn and Shah Rukh Khan at the box office. Buzz is that his next film, his first release in two years and also his comeback project post his illness, will now be delayed to avoid a showdown with Ajay’s magnum opus and Yash Chopra’s untitled that stars Shah Rukh Khan. All the films were earlier slated to have a Diwali release. Word was that theatres all over Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and other parts of the South were already being booked in bulk for the film. However, the delay that was kept under wraps to avoid disappointing the superstar’s fans.

Lara Dutta returns to Tamil with Vikram Lara Dutta, former Miss Universe who made her debut in Tamil with the Arjun starrer, “Arasatchi” is returning to Tamil after a gap of nearly 13 years. She will be seen in Bejoy Nambiar's “David” with Vikram and Jiiva and will appear in the Tamil, Telugu and Hindi versions. This is her comeback film as she has just had a baby girl named Saira with Tennis star, Mahesh Bhupathi. Lara asked the makers to schedule the shoot around her routine with the baby as the little one is only a few months old and the new mommy is reluctant to leave her for long stretches. The producers have agreed so Lara has come onboard for this project.

Hot Garam masala Mallika spooked by 'Meena Kumari's ghost'

Mallika Sherawat may have a pretty bold image in the media, but word is that the lady is very scared of ghosts. And when the information reached the ears of her co-star Vivek Oberoi, the actor decided to pull a prank on her. It was on a night shift that Vivek decided to execute his plan of action. A source close to the actor says, “He started discussing the marriage of Kamal Amrohi and Meena Kumari in front of all. He started narrating how Meena Kumari’s ghost is still believed to roam through the halls of the studio and how many people has spotted her spirit. Mallika got really scared.” Vivek even cooked up some story about a haunted tree on the sets to scare Mallika even further.

Preity Zinta finds her junior version Actress Preity Zinta has finally found her junior version - a young girl with a dimpled right cheek to play her younger version in her debut production "Ishqk In Paris." "Thank you to all of you who sent kiddie photos for the role of mini me (my childhood) in 'Ishkq In Paris'! The role has been cast finally," tweeted Preity. The 37-year-old took to Twitter last month to scout for a "four to seven-year-old girl who has one dimple on her right cheek and can play a younger me for my film." She has been successful in her efforts.

"Ishkq In Paris," directed by Prem Soni, also features Arjun Rampal.

Dilip Kumar's biography to be launched A book chronicling the life of living legend Dilip Kumar and his rise to stardom is to be launched soon coinciding with the 100 year celebrations of Indian cinema. The 89-year-old actor has narrated his life's story to veteran film journalist Uday Tarra Nayar, who has penned it in the form of a coffee table book being prepared under the care and supervision of Saira Banu. In the book the 'Madhumati' star traces the journey he undertook more than eight decades ago as Yusuf Khan from Peshawar, his acting career, and his attaining a stature in Hindi cinema. The book recreates the Pathan neighbourhood of the actor's childhood with illustrations and offers rare photographs of his family, the celebrated couple Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu, their friends and his many memorable films.

It is better to be talked about: Sonakshi Sinha

A new look for Vidya Balan in ‘Ghanchakkar’ After playing a super-hot role in “The Dirty Picture,” Vidya Balan is all set to essay the part of a simple housewife in her next film “Ghanchakkar.” However, one of the sequences in the Raj Kumar Gupta-directed film is likely to see her in a sultry avatar again.

Vidya will soon travel abroad to meet some makeup artistes for a special ‘look test’. “They want Vidya to be sultry and completely dissimilar from what she looked like in TDP,” says an insider. Gupta confirms, “Yes, Vidya will go to the US or the UK, we haven’t decided the destination yet. As of now, I can only reveal that we are aiming for a different look for her.

I can’t reveal anything else because we’re still working on things. The audiences will be surprised.”

Even though Sonakshi Sinha has been spared of anything scandalous or overtly controversial, there have been times when there has been a whiff of a link up at a place or two. However, that hasn't sustained beyond a headline or two as such rumours have ended up dying their natural death. Still, one wonders whether the young girl finds it rather tough to take such speculations in her stride. "Well, one thing which I know about this world of glamour is that it is better to have people talking about you than not being talked at all", she smiles, "Also, I have realised that since there are so many publications, TV channels, websites etc. in this industry that they in constant need of some kind of fodder in order to reach out to the audience. In case there is no real news, it is made up so that there is something that can be offered. It's okay, they are doing their job; I would continue to do mine."

Esha Deol-Bharat Takhtani tie the knot in southIndian style

Veteran actors Hema Malini and Dharmendra's daughter Esha Deol tied the knot with businessman Bharat Takhtani in a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony. The Bandra-based groom came to the venue on a white horse before the couple took the marriage vows around a sacred fire. Wearing a Kanjeevaram saree, Hema and her husband Dharmendra, looking dapper in a suit, welcomed the groom at the temple.

Esha and Bharat got married in a south Indian style at the Iskcon temple in Juhu. Esha Deol was clad in a red and gold Kanjeevaram saree to which designer Neeta Lulla had made some changes. The couple had been dating for quite some time and had exchanged rings on February 12 this year.The wedding was the climax of the three-day festivities that included a sangeet (music), haldi and mehndi ceremony.

Besides family members like sister Ahana, Abhay Deol, several B-town celebrities were present at the occasion, including Amitabh Bachchan with son Abhishek, Manoj Kumar, Vinod Khanna, Vyjayanthimala, Ramesh Sippy, Fardeen Khan, Poonam Sinha, Madhoo, Anu Malik, designer Neeta Lulla and her daughter Nishka. "I am very much happy for Esha...it is a very happy occasion for all of us. I am happy that she is getting settled," Abhay Deol told reporters.

By his own admission, John Abraham is a changed man now. He is talking more, dancing more and is certainly more visible than ever before.

With a number of films in his kitty, Bollywood’s quintessential handsome hunk hopes to find “inspired living”. “I think I have let myself go. I have opened up and let my hair down gradually. So the change is evident, both in my personal as well as professional life,” John said.

The 38-year-old who split from his girlfriend of eight years, actress Bipasha Basu, earlier this year, was quite reticent earlier. But thanks to movie promotions, which required him to be in the limelight as well as meet and greet fans and mediapersons, John has come out of his shell.

Recently he had few releases – “7 Khoon Maaf”, “Force” and “Desi Boyz”. If “7 Khoon Maaf” won critical appreciation, the other two faired well at the box office. In fact, “Force” is being considered one of John’s biggest releases so far in his eight-year-old acting career, which kick started with “Jism.” “I, Me Aur Main,” “Housefull 2,″ “Race 2″ and “Shootout At Wadala” also lined up.

“I am happy. This is the best phase of my career so far. But you never know how long this lasts! With my present slate of films, I can look forward to ups and downs, but I would like to believe that I have a safe set of projects in my kitty,” said John.

I’ve let myself go: John Abraham

Madhuri Dixit honoured with platinum diva award

“It might be my millionth award but it is important to me as it shows that people still think of me," said Madhuri Dixit Nene as she was honoured with the platinum diva award for excellence in the field of acting.

The 45-year-old Bollywood diva, who has been in the industry for more than two decades now, said she achieved this position in the industry with a lot of hard work and is happy that people still think of her as a great actress.

"Thank you for the honour. I am very proud. This award proves that even today people think of me as someone substantial and with integrity. I have been here due to a lot of hard work and its wonderful to know that people see me in that light," said Madhuri to Planman Media's Powerbrands Hall of Fame awards.

Actress Sushmita Sen was also honoured with the woman entrepreneur award for running her beauty pageant organisation, I Am She. "This is the first time in 18 years in showbiz that I am getting an award for being an entrepreneur. I am very grateful. It has been a journey for me. I won Miss Universe in 1994, got to do my first film 'Dastak' as an actor and now I receive my first entrepreneur award," the 36-year-old said.

Emraan fails to woo Kareena to be his leading lady She may not be too impressed, but the actor reportedly did everything in wooing Kareena Kapoor to be his leading lady. Kareena Kapoor may have refused to sign on the dotted line for Ekta Kapoor-Karan Johar’s next, but that definitely isn’t due to the lack of efforts made by Emraan Hashmi to woo her. Buzz is that Emraan, who plays the male lead in the film, wanted Kareena to be his leading lady.

The makers of the film, to be directed by Akshay Roy, were looking out for an actress to star opposite Emraan.

Sources say, “Everyone thought Kareena would fit the bill. She was sent the script, which she liked, but she wasn’t able to sort out her dates for the film. Finally, the role went to Deepika Padukone.’ In fact, word is that Emraan went a step ahead and even arranged for a special screening of ‘Shanghai’ for Bebo.

Kareena loved Shanghai and was interested in working with Emraan. But she couldn’t arrange her dates alongside Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s next.

Post her wedding in October, she will start shooting for the second schedule of the film.”

17

18

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

Barclays boss Bob Diamond quits Dear Financial Voice Reader, I write to you having just returned from India. I can tell you that the forecasts from Goldman Sachs about India and the resurgence of the Empire and BRIC domination are overdone. Her growth has sputtered and halved from the vaulted target she sought to have of 10% per annum. Critical to the reason for this is the political freezing at the centre. India will have pockets of wealth. It will by sheer numbers have some who will be billionaires based on their grandparent’s early starts, and others who for their billions will have their businesses bailed, like Mr Mallya, and the masses who will go from scooters to cars. But I was not surprised to meet Indian returning to the UK. Returning because quite frankly there is more money and a better lifestyle here for many of them.

Earning in Rupees is fine, but putting up with the corruption is not. This may surprise those who’ve rushed to get overly excited about India. It should not. Whilst it is a positive story, rather like Facebook, it is not all positive. There remain huge gaps in wealth creation.

Overnight successes take a lot longer.

And statistics mislead too. So whilst India may produce thousands of engineers annually – how good are they? Are they MIT, Imperial? Some are. Some are the best in the world. But not thousands. And the wealth of a nation is measured by the patents it files – India has yet to respect intellectual property the way the Americans do. There is a correlation between the wealth of nations and the patents their corporations file.

You can no longer mine wealth from natural resources – but you can harvest wealth from human intellectual resources. You see, cheap money from overseas can flood a market and cause a stock market rally, but real long-term sustainable wealth comes from economic and political culture. Britain has it, tiny little 60m person island. The US was born with it.

India’s political culture is definitely not global business minded. What in India’s history was global? It’s history has never been to set sail and discover new lands – for better or for worse – the consequences are that discovery, and creation of wealth from it remain limited. For sure, India has the great thinkers and mathematicians – but the exploiters of intellectual property – that make a nation rich – the inventors – where are they? If only the copyright on the number zero could bring royalties – but it doesn’t and couldn’t.

So yes, India will continue to moderately grow and get wealthier but as I look at my invitation from Edmund de Rothschild to discuss their investment objectives – I know India is not where old European money – and despite Greece there is trillions of it – puts its money.

Until an entrepreneurial economic and political culture encouraging enterprise without obstacle or corruption lasts three generations, India will remain a small to mid-size economy – from whom the foreign investors will make the best returns as they have the best expertise on return on capital.

Alpesh Patel (alpesh.patel@tradermind.com) www.InvestingBetterBlog.com & www.alpeshpatel.com

Partial amnesty for middle class taxpayers

The British government has announced a partial amnesty scheme for the middle class tax payers. They will be given three months to declare untaxed income earned before 2010. Those coming forward will face reduced penalties of £200 plus a fine equivalent to 10 per cent of the unpaid tax. The fines are normally up to 100 per cent of unpaid tax and spot fines of more than £1,000. Taxpayers refusing the “last chance” offer will face aggressive criminal prosecutions. Ministers hope that the initiative, based on previous amnesty schemes, could help to raise hundreds of millions of pounds in unpaid tax. HM Revenue and Customs is writing to anyone who should be paying tax at 40 per cent or 50 per cent but has failed to comply with a request to fill in a self-assessment tax return for the tax year 2009-10 or earlier.

# " #

$ !

# #

!

sion for their board.”

In the latest development, Jerry del Missier, the chief operating officer of Barclays, is expected to announce his resignation.

He was a key lieutenant of Mr Diamond and only last week left his role as cohead of Barclays’ investment bank to move to his new role as COO. Barclays penalised for manipulating Libor, Euribor rates Earlier, Barclays has agreed to pay 290 million pounds (USD 451 million) worth penalties to the US and the UK authorities towards settling charges of attempting to manipulating Libor and Euribor rates, the global benchmark rates for lending.

The British banking major would pay penalties of 290 million pounds as part of settlement agreement with the UK's Financial Services Authority (FSA) and the

US Department of Justice (DOJ). The entity said it has also entered into a pact with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Out of the total amount, Barclays would shell out 200 million pounds to CFTC and 59.5 million pounds to FSA. CFTC in a separate statement said that Barclays had attempted to manipulate and made false reports concerning two global benchmark interest rates - Libor and Euribor – on numerous occasion and sometimes on a daily basis between 2005 and 2009.

The regulator pointed out that Barclays' senior management and multiple traders were involved in the matter and that they also coordinated with traders at other banks to make false reports concerning both benchmark interest rates to benefit derivatives trading positions.

Cairn UK to sell 3.5% in Cairn India

Don’t malign India, minister tells Mittal

Bob Diamond, the chief executive of Barclays, has finally quit his job with immediate effect following the Libor interest rate-rigging scandal. He is understood to have taken the decision after Chancellor George Osborne announced a parliamentary inquiry into the future of banking.

A Barclays insider said: “He felt that he had become a lightning rod for the [banking] industry and that the bank would have no voice because the focus remained on him. It was his decision. He retained the full support of the board and shareholders. It was Bob’s decision and Bob’s alone.”

George Osborne said he had been informed of the decision by Marcus Agius, the bank’s outgoing chairman. “He said the board had come to view that that was the right decision and Mr Diamond

had come to that view,” he said. “I think and I hope that it is the first step towards a new culture of responsibility in British banking. But I think it is the right decision for Barclays, I think it is the right decision for the country.”

The Chancellor denied that ministers were responsible for Mr Diamond falling on his sword: “Obviously we have had conversations over the last few days with Barclays Bank. But this is, as I say, ultimately a deci-

Cairn UK Holdings, till recently the promoters of Cairn India, is selling 67 million shares of the company, translating to about 3.5% of the company, for about Rs 21 billion ($370 million).

The stake sale, through accelerated book building process and at a price of between Rs 307.5 and Rs 317 per share, is being handled by Citigroup’s securities arm in India.

The sale of the block could be completed as early, market sources said.

Cairn India shares closed at Rs 328, up a marginal 0.5% on the day. Till December 2011, Cairn UK was the main promoter of Cairn India when it sold a

majority stake in the oil exploration company to Anil Agarwal-controlled Vedanta group in a deal worth about $6.5 billion.

However, after a 15-month wait, the government allowed Vedanta to acquire only about 40.4% from the UK company.

Vedanta had picked up another 15% stake in Cairn India from Malaysian energy giant Petronas, which was an initial strategic investor in the company. At the conclusion of the deal, the UK company was left with about 22% in Cairn India, part of which is being sold through this deal. If the deal is executed that

would be the third such deal in the Indian market this week.

HSBC’s Mauritius arm, registered as an FII here, sold its nearly 5% stake in two banks each, Axis Bank and Yes Bank, together worth about Rs 24 billion ($425 million). The deal is most likely to be one of Cairn UK’s series of deals to sell its residual stake in the Indian company because it needs money to develop oil fields in some other parts of the world.

Since it can not sell the residual stake to Vedanta or its associate companies, so it is being forced to look at other buyers, institutional players said.

India’s steel minister Beni Prasad Verma said NRI billionaire LN Mittal should stop “maligning” India and its government, asking why the steel baron was not setting up his plants in the country.

Mittal, chairman and CEO of world’s largest steel company, ArcelorMittal, had said in New York on June 19: “Industrialisation is an important part of every major economy’s development and by risking progress... India is potentially condemning hundreds of millions to remain in poverty longer than previously anticipated.”

World's largest mobile phone company, Vodafone Group, has shaved 1 billion pounds, and possibly more, off the taxes its UK operating unit might have paid in the past decade, thanks to accounting factors not seen at other European units.

An examination of statutory filings made by Vodafone across Europe over the past 16 years shows the UK taxman has often gone empty handed, while tax authorities in Germany, Spain and elsewhere have raked in billions of euros. Rather than incurring UK tax in recent years, Vodafone has racked up tax credits such that it may not have to pay any tax on its UK operations for the foreseeable future. Vodafone's low UK tax bill is in spite of soaring revenues here and the fact that CEO Vittorio Colao has repeatedly told investors that Britain was one of the group's stronger performing markets.

"This is yet another tax scandal," said Member of Parliament Margaret

Hodge, chair of the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee, which scrutinizes public expenditure and revenue-raising. "It may be legal, but it's completely immoral. They make money out of Britain, and they should put money back into Britain."

Vodafone declined to answer most questions about its accounts, citing commercial sensitivity. It said it was committed to acting with integrity and transparency in all tax matters, while also having a responsibility to shareholders to control tax costs.

There is no suggestion the company has behaved unlawfully, and arranging its affairs in a tax-efficient manner within the law is standard business practice.

"Paying more than was required would be a dereliction of duty to shareholders," said Robin Bienenstock, research analyst at Sanford C Bernstein in London.

Vodafone's auditor Deloitte said it could not comment on individual

companies' tax affairs.

How do they do it?

Between 1998 and 2003, Vodafone's UK unit, Vodafone, made annual profits of around 530 million pounds and paid taxes of around 170 million each year, its accounts show.

While revenues have soared since 2003, reported profits have plunged. In the past three years, the UK unit has racked up losses in excess of 100 million pounds each year.

The profit collapse is tied to two factors, the accounts show.

In 2001, Vodafone began making large interest payments on money it borrowed from companies within the Vodafone group. In the 10 most recent years for which accounts have been published, Vodafone paid associated companies 3.3 billion pounds in interest.

This reduced the UK unit's taxable profits by a commensurate amount because interest payments are tax deductible.

Using the prevailing

corporation tax rates at the time, this translated to savings worth 961 million pounds to Vodafone, either in reduced taxes, or by generating tax credits that could be used to offset future profits.

Tax experts say there have been cases where UK companies have established units in Luxembourg, which then lend the money back to UK units, as a tax avoidance mechanism. This reduces profit in the UK, where corporate profits are taxed at 24% - down from 30% a few years ago - while generating profits in Luxembourg, where financial profits can be taxed at rates under 1%.

Vodafone has a Luxembourg-based unit, Vodafone Investments Luxembourg.

A spokesman said Vodafone Limited's interest payments were to other UKbased units of Vodafone but declined to say whether these units had in turn borrowed the money from Vodafone Investments Luxembourg.

£1bn tax 'scandal' rocks Vodafone in UK

FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

19

Timing is everything

Suresh Vagjiani Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

Last week Friday we completed on a property in 40A Westbourne Terrace W2. The property is on a lovely tree lined road starting from Hyde Park, and going up to the A40. The properties on this road are set back from the main road by an extra road lined with trees, this gives much needed privacy and quietness in this central location.

The property was 1,819 Sq Ft, it came with Share of Freehold, a rarity in this location. It consisted of three bedrooms and three bathrooms and was in great condition. We sold the property for £1.23m a lot less than what it was worth.

There is a direct comparable on the same road at no. 50A which is slightly more towards the A40 but leasehold and only 1,600Sq Ft, this was sold by Hamptons at £1.55m and in worse condition than ours.

The reason why this price was accepted was because of two factors. One was the structure of the d eal , the othe r was th e time.

The property was purchased with a three month completion for £1.050m, with only a 5% exchange amount. This equates to £52,500.

The idea was always to sell the property on prior to completion hence the low exchange money. The completion deadline was 30th June 2012. Using this structure our investor made £180,000 with a £52,500 investment. A 342% return within a three month time frame.

If he had completed then he would have made £113,000 with a £420,000 investment which is a 27% return over a longer time frame.

Hence structure and timing is everything.

We had an issue selling this property. Though the location was superb and the flat was in a great condition, it was a lower ground property hence had a stigma attached to it. Lower ground property has a reputation for damp and security, though this is not always justified. This coupled with the quite time of the year when the market is a little slack meant we could not resell as quickly and for more than we expected, but nonetheless given the way we structured the deal we could get away with selling for a lot less as we wouldn’t have the expanse of completing this transaction. Ordinarily the stamp duty on this property would incur another £50,000, hence reducing the profit margin.

The buyer was someone who lived on this road in a lower ground property and was upgrading. Having lived in a lower ground property they were comfortable and familiar with this type of property.

In these situations it is always prudent to prepare for the worst case scenario. In our case it was having the funds to complete. Hence the mortgage offer was in place and we even had a structure in place to mitigate the stamp duty.

Altho ugh it may be a co mplet ely u nne cessary expen se and in this case it was, it c an be t houg ht of more as an in su rance policy to avo id st ress late r do wn t he line. It’s a smal l price to pay fo r the pe ace of mind.

In this situation we were arranging a 60% loan to value mortgage which would have reduced our deposit to £420,000 as opposed to the

The Real Deal Unusual Deal in West Kensington It’s rare to get deals given on a plate 20% discount off market price Worth £300,000 but we have agreed this at £250,000 Only 1% Stamp Duty Minutes away from West Kensington and Barons Ct stations Share of freehold, minimal service charge pa £300pa Call us now to view !!!

full amount. We chose this product because of the low set up fees and redemption penalties given our aim was to resell shortly. The redemption on this product was only 1% for two years, which is very low compared to the other products on the market. There was a time when you could get a fees free product with no penalties too, this was in the pre credit crunch good days.

There is another more clever way of arranging the mortgage on this property. Given this property is easily worth in excess of £1.6m, the idea would be to arrange a mortgage on the amount of £1.6m using another buyer. This would mean we put only £90,000 into the deal, so another £40,000 on top of the deposit already paid. This would allow us to use our funds elsewhere.

Again in pre credit crunch times you could buy this property not just for free (i.e no money stuck), but with some pocket money! If it was structured in the right way. It worked like this: you would not have applied for a mortgage, you would have applied for a remortgage based on a valuation not the purchase price. Let’s assume we get a 70% LTV remortgage on £1.6m, not an unreasonable scenario given, assuming the valuation is correct you would get a remortgage offer for £1.12m. This offer would be valid between three to six months. The issue is you haven’t bought the property yet and this is only to draw money down, on the assumption you own it. You go to a bridging company, show them the offer and borrow the money from them for one day to purchase the property and then refinance it the next day.

This means though you have bought the property for £1.050m you have borrowed funds of £1.12m against the property and you will get a cashback of £70,000 and a ‘free’ property!

This type of purchasing was very prevalent amongst ‘wanna be’ landlords who had no money. This concept was taught for a fat fee by many property companies, who then went on to provide the relevant solicitors, bridging companies and properties. The properties were normally new builds, hence it was doomed to fail.

F or t his simple reason, it can not be a g enu in e discoun t if e ve ryone is ge tting the same price!

The value of a property is what someone is prepared to pay for it.

Often in the past, in the case of new builds, the valuation would be inflated as at that time you could choose the valuation firm and if the firm knows it will be getting hundreds of instructions if it gives the right value, it will ask you what you would like the value to be! Given these were new build flats there would be no direct comparables.

This of course has now all changed and we are in a very different market now, where it cannot be certain whether property prices will even rise in many parts of the UK. One needs to invest carefully to get the most out of your investment.

These are tricks you could have used historically and cannot replicate in the current environment. The environment has changed dramatically now, but there are still ways in which deals can be structured to maximise your investment.

We provide a turnkey solution. Contact us now:

Specialists in Central London Property Sourcing

0207 313 4595 Westbourne House, 14-16 Westbourne Grove, London, W2 5RH

Tips of the Week l Always enquire as to why someone is selling a property. Reasons like moving abroad, getting divorced or going bankrupt will need a quick sale, which is when you are more likely to get a good price. l The speed with which you make decisions and commit to them will ensure you get deals time and time again.

20

financial VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

Amit Patel has over 15 years experience in the field of Leadership and Human Resource Management

Plugging the Holes

maria@abplgroup.com

Maria Fernandes

The pitfalls of the new restrictions

he new rules for the entry of family memT bers applicable on or after

the 9th July are not what they seem and need to be carefully considered before applications are made.

The sting in the tail applies to the financial requirements. Those who wish to bring a spouse must earn a gross salary of £18600. This is the minimum income that must be earned. Thereafter the first child is worth a further £3800 and any subsequent children will qualify by showing an additional £2400 each. Third parties cannot promise to provide support although there is no restriction on them providing funds as a gift.

Where a person does not meet the income threshold the Sponsor must have £16000 in cash savings for at least 6 months.

Any sum above this (important) can be counted against any shortfall.

The complications arise in the rise of amounts that need to be shown if a person does not earn the minimum required. A person in this situation would

Ratan Tata gets Lifetime Achievement Award

Tata Sons Chairman Ratan Tata has been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the prestigious Rockefeller Foundation for innovation in philanthropy. The Foundation, celebrating 100 years of global innovation, honoured individuals and institutions with its second annual Innovation Awards in New York last week.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Tata said businesses should be sensitive to the fact that they are making a difference in places where they operate and they have to do things to help the community prosper. “This is all the more evident in the developing world where disparities are so huge,” Mr Tata said.

they had been resident for 7 years which was discontinued a few years has been re-introduced.

Finally the UKBA have attempted to define or set limits on the application of Article 8.

It also attempts to put such applicants on the long track to settlement requiring them to spend 10 years in this category from 6 years. It is likely to be the area where the most litigation will take place.

And for a snippet of good news. Applicants who currently leave the UK beyond 28 days are usually banned from travel for periods of 12 months, 5 years or 10 years. 28 days has been replaced by 90 days.

The purpose of the rule change is to “incentivise” voluntary departure.

Maria Fernandes has been in practice exclusively in immigration for the past 25 years.

Fernandes Vaz is based at 87 Wembley Hill Road Wembley in Wembley and can be contacted by telephone on 02087330123, by email on info@fernandesvaz.com.

have to show £16000 (in savings) plus the shortfall multiplied by 2.5. So take for example an applicant on a salary of £15000 per annum.

He would be short of £3600. He would have to show savings of £16000 plus £3600x 2.5 for each 30 month period i.e £25000. And a person without a job would have to show £62500 in savings.

The salary has to be earned with the same employer for a minimum period of 6 months. Where there is a change of employment the period of 6 months has to be restarted.

In other areas, when assessing genuineness of marriages, various factors will be taken into account.

For example a public statement by either he applicant or sponsor will be enough reason to refuse the application.

Where marriages end badly a letter to the UKBA, whether true or not, can trigger a refusal much more easily.

Elsewhere with regard to children, the 7 year rule, whereby children were allowed to remain if

17 nations keen to import wheat from India

shipments have not been picked up so far. Over one million tonnes of wheat have been shipped through private trade since September 2011.

The country is facing storage crisis and wants to clear wheat stock, especially that of 6.6 million tonnes lying open in unscientific way before monsoon picks up in the coming weeks.

India is also in talks with sanction-hit Iran for export of wheat and is resolving the quality issues.

Experts said that India is in a better position to export as the CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight) of wheat grown in Australia and the US is close to $315 per tonne. The country's godowns are full with rice and wheat stocks due to record procurement and production in the last few years. Wheat production is estimated to be bumper 90.75 million tonnes in 2011-12 crop year (July-June).

Around 17 countries, including Japan, the Netherlands and Iraq, have evinced interest in importing wheat from India, the world's second biggest producer, a top government official said.

At present, the government is grappling with the problem of aplenty due to record production in recent years. Its godowns are overflowing with a record 82 million tonnes of rice and wheat, against the storing capacity of only 64 million tonnes. Representatives of various countries had a meeting with the officials of external affairs ministry, the official said.

"It was a preliminary meeting. The representatives of countries enquired about the quality of wheat and modalities of shipment among other issues," the official said. The government had lifted ban on wheat exports in September 2011 but the

*& ) %

(

%*

There is a myth about a young Dutch boy who was walking home from school when he noticed a small hole in a dyke. Being a low lying country, Holland relies on dykes to prevent the seawater flooding farmland. He realised that if the hole was not plugged quickly, it would soon grow and eventually the whole dyke would collapse and cause wide scale destruction. He immediately put his finger in the hole and sat there until someone came to help. This is not a true story, but the moral is very apt – first limit the damage and then fix the problem before it becomes uncontrollable.

The root cause of the credit crunch is said to be the banks who were giving away ridiculously cheap loans to home buyers without carrying out any due diligence on their ability to pay the money back.

One might say that this is understandable given that due diligence is not something the Banking industry is renowned for.

This was followed by revelations that the Banking industry has been

guilty of miss-selling products, hiding huge losses in stock market trading by false accounting and paying exorbitant bonuses which were linked to just turning up to work rather than meeting performance targets.

The Prime Minister’s position on all of this is somewhat perplexing. On the one hand he says, "…the governor is in favour of changing culture at the banks and so am I." On the other hand, when called upon to set up a public inquiry into the culture and practices of the Banking industry, the Prime Minister says that the government should not rush into things and needed to consider everything very carefully. The Prime Minister does not want to be hasty on this issue but we know that historically this is not something which comes naturally to him - the changes to the NHS being a prime example. So why the initial reluctance?

He then announces that there will be a Government enquiry led by a minister, but stops short of agreeing to an

By Amit Patel

‘impartial’ Public enquiry.

Another hint of unwillingness? Are the politicians closer to the bankers than they are to the press?

Every Government, past and present have known about these holes in Britain’s economic dyke springing open from time to time. And whenever this did happen they patched up the holes but never got their hands dirty to fix the root problem. Until now David Cameron has been able to blame Gordon Brown for the mess, but everyone knows what he thinks is the cause. People want to know what he is going to do to fix it. The problem is there are now more holes than he has fingers.

Amit Patel has over 15 years experience in the field of Personal Development and Human Resource Management. He has delivered speeches on People Management and Development throughout Europe, North America, and Asia. To contact Amit, email amitpatelmail @gmail.com

Indian may go slow on Voda tax case The government of India indicated that it is “going slow” on the move to raise a fresh tax demand on Vodafone but moved in swiftly to issue draft norms on the controversial General Anti-Avoidance Rules (GAAR) that will kick in from next April.

The draft, issued by the finance ministry, has sought to build in mechanisms to check against misuse of the provisions by tax authorities. But what may draw investor ire is the proposal to subject foreign institutional investors (FIIs) using double tax avoidance agreements (DTAA) to invest in the country. While these entities will be subjected to tax, a safeguard has been built against the use of the provisions against the clients of FIIs. But those FIIs that opt to pay taxes in India would be outside the ambit of GAAR, the draft said.

The clarification on keeping non-resident clients outside the scope

& +$ %* &(

of GAAR is in line with former finance minister Pranab Mukherjee’s assurance that participatory notes would be kept out. Participatory notes are derivative instruments used by investors to park money in Indian markets and have often been dubbed opaque. The draft norms have also sought to check indiscriminate use of GAAR. To provide comfort to small taxpayers, the finance ministry has proposed a monetary threshold for invoking the provisions, although it has not been spelt out yet.

Further, it has suggested that the rules can only be invoked after an assessing officer refers the case to a commissioner rank officer who, in turn, would need to send the case to a threemember panel with a senior officer from law ministry as a nominee. In addition, a time-bound process and cut-off date for invoking the provisions has been suggested.

The draft also clarified

(

that GAAR would not apply retrospectively and will come into force from April 2013. The twin moves from North Block came a day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took charge of the finance ministry.

The Vodafone tax issue has emerged as a test case for the new team that has taken over the reins in North Block. A section within the government was against raising a fresh tax demand on the telecom operator after the Supreme Court ruled that the transaction was offshore and not liable to tax in India. The move to retrospectively tax foreign merger and acquisition deals involving domestic assets had drawn blistering criticism from governments across the world and scared foreign investors. Asked about the Vodafone tax issue, finance secretary R S Gujral said “these things take time,” without elaborating further.

# *&

&(# ," , !' !,0% !

"()* #" !* &+(" () )%.

#

*/)-'*1 /-%)!--

,&

'% !

3

+(&' */)-'*1

* %

2

( %' - '!- "%,-."'%#$.!/ )!.

"*, + , !'-

*0!

&%'*-

financial VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

21

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

Eurozone breathe a sigh of relief following recent EU summit Markets cheered after Eurozone leaders agreed at the EU Summit held on Friday to let their rescue fund inject aid directly into stricken banks and intervene on bond markets to support troubled members. They also took a step towards banking union by pledging to create a single banking supervisor.

Reports highlighted earlier today that according to a Greek government official Greece has received 1 billion euros on Monday, which is said to be the remaining amount from the EU bailout. The money, the payout EU finance ministers approved in May, was paid out by the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF). The European Central Bank (ECB) Executive Board JĂśrg Asmussen who has emphasized the debt ridden country should strictly carry out the program of reforms required by the Troika rather than concentrate on renegotiation of bailout conditions.

The European summit agreement triggered a rally in Spanish and Italian government bonds and sent the Euro soaring some 1.7 % on Friday, its biggest one-

day percentage gain since last October. This was however short-lived as the Euro dipped during the early hours of Monday, giving up some ground after its biggest one-day rally in eight months. While some market players have suggested that the Euro's rally may continue for a while longer, others have questioned its sustainability.

Also featuring this week is a meeting to be held by the European Central Bank; many expect the ECB to cut interest rates by a quarter points. If we see a rate cut on Thursday, this move is certainly going to be

negative for the Euro. There is also growing speculation that the central bank will embark on more quantitative easing as the sovereign debt crisis continues to dampen the fundamental outlook for the region.

Meanwhile, it has been well documented that the Bank of England is likely to take additional steps to shield the U.K. economy by expanding its bond buying program. As the U.K. remains in a technical recession, fears of a prolonged economic downturn may prompt additional support for further easing.

United Kingdom’s manufac-

0 8 0 8

$ 0 4 5

turing sector contracted for the second straight month in June as new orders continued to fall, a survey showed on Monday, cementing expectations that the Bank of England will pump more cash into the recession-hit economy. The country fell back into recession around the turn of the year and a string of weak economic data has pointed to another quarter of contraction between April and June, putting pressure on the central bank and the government to boost growth.

Among the usual risk-orientated themes guiding the U.S dollar, the week ahead will see market participants look to the June jobs report as a barometer of how the U.S economy is travelling. The U.S economy is expected to have created 90,000 jobs in June from a previous 69,000, with the official unemployment rate to remain unchanged at 8.2 percent.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 3rd Julys 2012 @ 11.30am GBP - INR = 85.93 USD - INR = 54.80 EUR - INR = 68.98 GBP - USD = 1.57 GBP - EUR = 1.25 EUR - USD = 1.26 GBP - AED = 4.62 GBP - CAD = 1.59 GBP - NZD = 1.95 GBP - AUD = 1.53 GBP - ZAR = 12.72 GBP - HUF = 355.35

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.

PX XJ S F U S B OT G FS

G FFT

B OE OP IJ EEFO D PT U T

22

PakISTan-BangLadeSh-SrI Lanka

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

Pak SC asks PM to reopen Zardari graft case

Islamabad: Piling up pressure on new Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, Pakistan Supreme Court asked him to respond by July 12 to its order to reopen graft cases in Switzerland against President Asif Ali Zardari, an issue that had cost his predecessor his job.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice Nasir-ulMulk reminded Attorney General Irfan Qadir that former Premier Yousuf Raza Gilani had been convicted for contempt and sentenced for refusing to act on the apex court's orders to revive the corruption cases.

The bench said in a brief order that it expected the new Premier would act on the court's directives. The

judges asked the Attorney General to consult the Prime Minister and inform the court of his stance at the next hearing on July 12.

Ashraf, a close aide of the ruling PPP chief Zardari, became Prime Minister after Gilani was disqualified by the apex court on June 19 following his conviction for contempt. Gilani had been con-

Six in ten Pakistanis consider India 'bigger threat' than Taliban

Washington: Almost six out of ten Pakistanis consider India to be a bigger threat to their country than the Taliban or Al -Qaeda, a new survey has revealed.

The survey, conducted by the Pew Research Centre's Global Attitudes Project, notes that Pakistanis having a favourable view of India has slightly improved from 14 per cent in 2011 to 22 per cent in 2012, reports The News.

Pakistanis have consistently identified India as the top threat since the question was first asked in 2009, it noted.

Despite these negative sentiments, 62% of Pakistanis say it is important to improve relations with India, the survey found.

Most Indians also want better relations, more trade, and further talks between the two nations, Pew reported. Still, Indian attitudes toward Pakistan remain largely nega-

Pakistan to release 315 Indian fishermen

Islamabad: Pakistan will release 315 Indian fishermen at the Wagah land border crossing very soon. The fishermen are currently being held at a jail in Karachi, and they will be freed and sent to Lahore to be handed over to Indian authorities. Pakistan and India arrest scores of fishermen every year on charges of violating territorial waters. Pakistani officials say over 150 Pakistani fishermen are currently in Indian prisons. Since India and Pakistan resumed their peace process last year after a gap of over two years after the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the two sides have taken several steps to speed up the release of prisoners held in each other's prisoners. The two countries have released scores of prisoners, a majority of them fishermen. The two sides are working on an arrangement for the speedy repatriation of fishermen detained for inadvertently crossing the maritime boundary.

tive. Roughly six-in-ten Indians (59%) express an unfavourable opinion of Pakistan, although this is down slightly from 65% in 2011.

The survey also found that following a year of tensions between their country and the United States, Pakistanis continue to hold highly unfavourable views of the U.S. and offer bleak assessments of the relationship between the two nations.

Roughly three out of four Pakistanis consider the U.S. an enemy, and President Barack Obama is held in exceedingly low regard.

The survey was conducted from March 28 to April 13, 2012 by 1,206 face-to-face interviews of adults.

victed and given a symbolic sentence on April 26 after he refused to act on the apex court's repeated orders to approach Swiss authorities to reopen the corruption cases against Zardari. Gilani had contended that the government could not act as the President enjoyed immunity in Pakistan and abroad.

Shortly after assuming office, Ashraf said that the PPP had made it clear that it would not write a letter to Swiss authorities to reopen the cases against Zardari. He said there was no difference between him and Gilani on this issue.

Ashraf had further said that his government did not want any confrontation with other state institutions and would

work in accordance with the Constitution and the law.

The Supreme Court has been pressuring the government to revive the cases against the President since December 2009, when it annulled an amnesty issued by former military ruler.

Pervez Musharraf that had benefited Zardari and over 8,000 others.

The PPP has claimed that the judiciary, especially the Chief Justice, has not been impartial in cases involving the ruling party and its leaders.

The crusading top judge too has come under a cloud after real estate tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain claimed that he had paid over Rs 342 million to the Chief Justice's son to influence cases in the apex court.

Former Pak minister detained at US airport Houston: Former Pakistani minister Shaikh Rashid, known for his pro-LeT leanings, was detained at Houston airport last week on arrival for his possible links with the terror group's founder Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks. The 61-year-old Rashid, leader of the Awami Muslim League of Pakistan, was detained soon after he arrived by an Emirates flight and was freed after five hours of interrogation.

Sources said Rashid was detained for his possible links with Saeed. It is understood that he was scheduled to attend a fundraiser and meetings with his supporters in the US. According to Pakistan's Geo News channel, the former minister was released after Pakistan's ambassador to the US, Sherry Rehman, asked the Pakistani consulate to help him out. Following her directives, Pakistan's consul general in Houston, Aqil

Nadeem, reached the airport to talk to the immigration authorities following which the former minister was allowed to leave the airport after five hours of interrogation, it said.

Rashid had in recent past actively attended the rallies and meetings organised by Defa-e Pakistan Council, an alliance of extremist and hardline groups formed by JuD chief Saeed. He had accompanied Saeed to the rallies and press conferences where they both made statements against India and the US. Rashid had served as the federal minister for railways in Pakistan from 2006 to 2008.

Largest gathering of Pak Shias sends out warning Lahore: A new Shia party launched in Pakistan has warned that it will besiege the army's General Headquarters and the residences of the president and premier if killings of members of the minority sect continue.

The Majlis-e-Wahdate-Muslimeen held a rally at the Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore announced plans for protests if the killings of Shias continued. Leaders said at least 60 Shias have been killed during the past three months, mostly in the restive Balochistan province.

They said they would besiege the army's General Headquarters and the residences of the president and premier if violence against them was not contained.

Addressing the gathering, the new party's head, Allama Nasir Abbas Jafri, said the Shias of Pakistan had now

converged on one platform for their religious and political rights. They will counter terrorists and killers themselves if security agencies failed to act against such elements, he warned. Jafri alleged that the US Embassy and consulates were the real centres of terrorism in Pakistan.

As long as they are not closed down, terrorism and target killings will continue in Pakistan, he claimed. "If the rulers do not expel Americans from Pakistan,

then the Shias will do this job themselves," Jafri said. He contended that Shias had defeated the US and Israel in Iran, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria, and now they would do so in Pakistan.

The rally was the second largest gathering of Shias at the Minar-ePakistan ground, since a gathering chaired in 1987

by Allama Arif Hussain Al Hussaini, who was shot dead the following year.

The charged crowd of men, women and children, who had come from all parts of the country, displayed rare discipline by sitting in the scorching temperature of 45 degrees Celsius all day long.

He warned all political parties, including the ruling Pakistan People's Party, that they should not deceive the Shias anymore. Every party had cheated Shias after seeking their votes, he alleged.

In Focus Three British soldiers shot dead in Afghanistan London: A man wearing Afghan police uniform shot dead three British soldiers at a checkpoint in Afghanistan. The soldiers were serving with an Afghan police advisory team and were killed after a meeting at the checkpoint at Nahr-e-Saraj in southern Helmand province. The assailant was injured and detained. Their deaths take to 422 the number of British military personnel killed in Afghanistan since operations began in 2001.

NATO-led forces have suffered a string of attacks by members of Afghanistan's security services on foreign troops and their mentors, adding to pressure on some countries to withdraw. Britain has about 9,500 troops in Afghanistan and is due to withdraw 500 by the end of the year. It plans to bring home all its combat troops by the end of 2014. Two of the soldiers killed were from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards and one was with the Royal Corps of Signals.

World Bank cancels $1.2bn loan for Bangladesh bridge Washington: The World Bank cancelled a $1.2 billion loan for Bangladesh's Padma bridge project, saying the government had not cooperated in investigating "high level" corruption in the project. "The World Bank provided evidence from two investigations to the prime minister, as well as the minister of finance and the chairman of the AntiCorruption Commission of Bangladesh in September 2011 and April 2012," it said in a statement. "We urged the authorities of Bangladesh to investigate this matter fully and, where justified, prosecute those responsible for corruption."

Pak, US hold talks over Nato routes Islamabad: Pakistan and the US on Monday held crucial talks on ending a six month blockade of supplies to foreign troops in Afghanistan but failed to take a final decision on reopening the supply lines closed after a Nato attack. Foreign office spokesman Moazzam Khan was quoted by state-run media as saying that a final decision had not been made. Khan said talks between Pakistan and the US on the issue will continue. The Pakistani delegation was led by foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar while deputy secretary of State Thomas Nides headed the US team. The American team has held talks with Pakistan's military and political leadership on various issues, including the Nato supply routes, spokesman Khan said.

Pak in hot water after India's refusal to provide dam water data Lahore: India's refusal to provide Pakistan data about water levels in its dams and expected rains could spell grave danger for Pakistan in the wake of the approaching monsoons and resultant floods. According to water and power department officials, the Pakistan High Commission had sought from India forecast data about water flow from dams built on Ravi, Sutlej and Bias, but India declined this request. Without India's assistance, it would become even more difficult for the Pakistani authorities to take flood-management measures, they said. The National Disaster Management Authority held an emergency meeting in this regard and expressed concern over the development. After India's refusal, Pakistan will be totally depending on its radars installed in Sialkot, Lahore and Mangla for rain and flood assessment and to prepare plans to face any critical situation.

Bangladesh landslide toll goes up to 106 Dhaka: With the recovery of 15 bodies that had buried under mud and debris, the flood and landslide toll in Bangladesh has risen to 106. The landslides occurred mainly in remote villages with poor roads, making rescue work more difficult, and the flooding was disrupting communications. About 500 houses were washed away. More people may be missing, but officials said they don’t know how many. At least 41 died in Cox’s Bazar, 41 in neighbouring Bandarban and another 24 in Chittagong.

world 23 Haley cleared of wrong Bhopal gas tragedy: US court absolves Union Carbide of liability doing by ethics committee

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

Indian couple gets $36m in damages Washington: An Indian couple, who sustained serious injuries in an accident in the US in 2010, has been awarded a $36.48 million as compensation by a California court. A Riverside County Superior Court jury awarded $36.48 million to Prakash Sheth, 64, and his wife, Jashiree Sheth, 58, from Mumbai, whose car was struck by a big-rig on Interstate 10 in Beaumont two years ago.

At the time of the accident , the Sheths were visiting the US from India and were on their way to an airport in Orange County for a family vacation in Hawaii.

Attacks on Kenyan churches kill 17 Nairobi: Masked assailants launched simultaneous gun and grenade raids on two churches in a Kenyan town, killing at least 17 people in the worst attack in the country since Kenya sent troops into Somalia to crush al Shabaab militants. More than 60 people were wounded in the attacks in Garissa, the north Kenya town which has been used as a base for operations against al Qaeda-linked insurgents in Somalia. "This is the worst single attack since October, when our troops went into Somalia," national police spokesman Eric Kiraithe had said.

Bombs kill 44 in Iraq

Diwaniya (Iraq): Bombs killed at least 44 people at markets in Iraq on Tuesday, and authorities said they bore the hallmarks of sectarian attacks on Shi'ite Muslims by al Qaeda Sunni militants. A bomb in a small truck exploded in a market in the city of Diwaniya, killing 40 people, and other blasts killed four more near the city of Kerbala, police and officials said. The Diwaniya bombing was near a Shi'ite mosque where pilgrims gather on their way to Kerbala to celebrate the birthday of one of their most important imams, alMahdi, this week.

Suu Kyi told not to call country 'Burma' Yangon (Myanmar): Myanmar has changed dramatically over the last year, but one thing won't change anytime soon: the country's name. Authorities in the Southeast Asian nation sternly warned opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to stop calling the country "Burma." They said she should use the constitutionally decreed title, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. Its then-military rulers changed the English name from Burma to Myanmar in 1989, ostensibly to better reflect the country's ethnic diversity. The term Burma connotes Burman, the dominant ethnic group in the country.

Washington: In a setback to 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy victims, a US court has held that neither Union Carbide nor its former chairman Warren Anderson were liable for environmental remediation or pollution-related claims at the firm's former chemical plant in Bhopal.

US district judge John Keena in Manhattan dismissed a lawsuit accusing the company of causing soil and water pollution around the Bhopal plant due to the disaster, and ruled that Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) and Anderson were not liable for remediation or pollution-related claims. The court ruled that it was Union Carbide India Ltd, and not its parent company UCC that was responsible for the generation and

disposal of the waste that polluted drinking water, and the liability rests with the state government.

Plaintiffs Janki Bai Sahu and others had alleged that "toxic substances seeped into a ground aquifer, polluting the soil and drinking water supply in residential communities surrounding the former Bhopal Plant site".

They alleged that exposure to soil and drinking water polluted by hazardous waste produced Union Carbine India Ltd caused injuries. "The summary judgment record cer-

Washington: South Carolina's IndianAmerican Governor Nikki Haley has been cleared of any wrongdoing by an ethics committee which probed allegations that she lobbied on behalf of her employers when she was a legislator, a ruling that handed her a major political victory.

"We turned over every stone that we could to find evidence that would make a different decision. It's over.

It's been dismissed," said State lawmaker J Roland Smith, Chairman of the House Ethics Committee which conducted the investigation against Haley, a Republican. The 40-year-old Haley had created history last year by becoming the first Indian-American woman Governor of a US State. She is also the first non-white and woman Governor of South Carolina. Soon after the panel cleared her of wrongdoing giving her a major political victory last evening, Haley wrote on her Facebook page: "It's My Life.... Bon Jovi. Great song!

'You better stand tall. When they're calling you out. Don't bend, don't break. Baby, don't back down'".

A day earlier, testifying before the Ethics Committee, Haley called her accuser, Republican fundraiser John Rainey, "a

tainly indicates that UCIL consulted with UCC about its waste disposal plans and on non-environmental business matter like its strategic plan. However, nothing in the evidence suggests the necessity of UCC's approval for the actions about which plaintiffs complain," the court said in its order.

"Moreover, there is no evidence in this extensive record indicating that UCIL manufactured pesticides on UCC's behalf, entered into contracts or other business dealings on UCC's behalf, or otherwise acted in UCC's name," it said.

The industrial accident, the worst in Indian history, led to the leak of poisonous methyl isocyanate, claiming thousands of lives in the Madhya Pradesh capital.

Morsi sworn in Egypt President

Cairo: Mohamed Morsi was sworn in Saturday before Egypt’s highest court as the country’s first freely elected President, succeeding Hosni Mubarak who was ousted 16 months ago.

Mr Morsi promised a “new Egypt” as he was inaugurated as the Arab world’s first freely elected Islamist president and Egypt’s fifth head of state since the overthrow of the monarchy some 60 years ago.

“We aspire to a better tomorrow, a new Egypt and a second republic,” Mr Morsi told the judges of the court during a solemn ceremony shown

live on state television.

“Today, the Egyptian people laid the foundation of a new life absolute freedom, a genuine democracy and stability,” said Mr. Morsi, a 60-year-old U.S.trained engineer.

Mr Morsi earlier took a symbolic oath on Friday in Tahrir Square, birthplace of the uprising that ended

Mubarak’s authoritarian rule last year, and vowed to reclaim presidential powers stripped from his office by the military council that took over from the ousted leader.

But by agreeing to take the oath before the court, rather than before Parliament as is customary, he is bowing to the military’s will in an indication that the contest for power will continue.

( )

! $ $ .& ( $ # ( %$ & %+( " $ &+ " * %$)

China builds infrastructure for Mansarovar pilgrims Beijing: China is building a wide range of infrastructure to increase the flow of Indian pilgrims visiting Mansarovar in Tibet. This is the impression of Indian ambassador in Beijing, S Jaishankar, the first envoy to visit Tibet in the past decade.

Once the planned facilities are created, the number of pilgrims and visitors from India to Tibet is expected to rise from the 14,000 seen last year. Jaishankar's Mansarovar journey is possibly the biggest exposure to the changing situation in Tibet for Indian diplomats since the visit of Shiv Shankar Menon, the current National Security Advisor, as the ambassador in Beijing in 2002.

China has indicated it will improve traditional rest places, which are viewed by some pilgrims as old Hindu temples, in Kailash area.

The government is also planning to upgrade existing guest-houses into hotels, improve road and transportation facilities in both the Kailash and Mansarovar areas.

It may also relax visa and permit controls to allow more visitors to Mansarovar other places in Tibet. The foreign ministries of the two nations agreed on a quota for allowing 800 pilgrims to visit Mansarovar last year.

But China issued permits allowing a total of 14,000 pilgrims last year.

racist, sexist bigot who has tried everything in his power to hurt me and my family."

Born to immigrants from Punjab, Haley, who was a state representative from 2005-2010, was accused of using her office to illegally lobby on behalf of her two employers - the Lexington Medical Center Foundation, where she was a USD 110,000-a-year fundraiser, and the Columbia-based Wilbur Smith and Associates engineering firm, where she was paid USD 42,500 as a consultant.

The committee carried the investigation, the first for a South Carolina Governor, after Rainey alleged that she used her legislative influence to get state approval for the hospital to build a heart center and for the engineering firm to settle a dispute over its plan to build a state farmers' market.

"The Ethics Committee did its job thoroughly, professionally and well. It's just a shame that our judicial and legislative bodies have had to waste so much of their time on phony political charges that never had any evidence behind them or any basis in fact," Haley said in a statement. The members of the committee ought to be ashamed of themselves," he alleged.

# ( %$ & " ) # " *% % $ ) $ $*( " %$ %$

* , (* ) $ " $*) $ "+ $ # $)*( # ( $ ) " ! ( " /) ( ) * %" / % " ) %( )%$) ) - "" ) # $/ %* ( !$%-$ * $ ( $ ) %$$ ) $ %( " ) $ ( * - "" /%+( ( %( $ ) * %$) $ ) & (*$ () &) - * %* & ()%$ " - % $ !"

$& !!" $ # %" " & % $ " % $ $ $ # # $ % $ # # " " $$ $ " $# #% '$ $

( $" &" %(! $ 0

. +* , " ) . +* , $ / " ) )&%$) " */ *% )* " ) %$* * - * $+# ( % ! / / $ %* * $ ) "" $ $ ) +( $ ! / , (* ) $ $ ) %( * " $*) % '+ " / - ( ) ! $ )*(%$ #%$)*( * * %""%- $

(%# %+( % ) $ $*( " %$ %$ * ) ( ""/ ) $ . &* %$ " %&&%(*+$ */

($

"* # * "/ * ) (%" -%+" )+ * $ * - % $ %/) &&/ -%(! $ $, (%$# $* - ( /%+( $&+* - "" , *%- ( ) /%+() $ * %#& $/1) )+ )) $" " *! & '! !+* + /

)%

*-

',*

'.+'& ')

)# +

#

$0

#

*%

)* & ( *, ( * %$*( +* %$

$

$ $

," ) + % ) ) + $ ) *+ * $$!& *! & & -* ) -!+ ( ! *, * )!(+!'& ' $%'*+ & !+!'& $ + )', ) + !$ ',+$ +* # ,* '&$!&

'

!

')'& + +)

+

#$! * &'- !& '(! * *'$

'& '&

24

INDIA

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

20 Naxalites killed in encounter with CRPF in Chhattisgarh

In a major crackdown by CRPF, at least 20 Naxalites, including a woman, were killed in a fierce overnight encounter in the dense jungles of Dantewada in Chhattisgarh that left six jawans wounded.

The encounter, which took place in the forests of Silger, an uncharted Maoist zone between the Naxalite hotbed of Jagargunda and Basaguda in Bijapur district of Bastar region, was launched in a joint operation by over 300 CRPF and state police personnel from three directions.

Seventeen bodies of the ultras have been recovered from the spot, Chhattisgarh ADG (Naxal Operations) Ram Nivas said, adding the combing operations were underway and the toll may rise.

There were reports of three more Naxalites being killed. Two Maoists, who were injured in the encounter, were apprehended and have been airlifted for medical treatment to state capital Raipur, a senior CRPF official said. This is the biggest offensive by the security agencies in the Naxalite stronghold in Chhattisgarh this year, the official said. CRPF offi-

Air India pilots to call off strike

Agitating Air India pilots on Tuesday told the Delhi High Court that they will call off their 58-day-long strike with immediate effect. The pilots also told Justice Reva Khetrapal through their counsel Geeta Luthra that they will join duty in 48 hours by giving joining reports, whereas those pilots whose services were terminated during the strike would submit reports expressing their willingness to join duty.

The pilots decided to call off their strike after the Air India management assured the court that it would consider the grievances of the pilots “sympathetically”.

“Serious efforts have been made to settle dispute and the counsel for the parties have assured the court that their respective clients will be extending full cooperation in this regard.

“The senior counsel (Ms. Luthra) appearing for the pilots has said that her clients would immediately call off the strike and join their duties in 48 hours, by giving joining reports or the report expressing their willingness to join the duty.

The AI management shall sympathetically consider the grievances of the pilots including the aspect of reinstatement of those pilots who were terminated as a consequence to their strike.

In divine light

By Rajen Vakil

Commentary on the story of Hanuman and Bhima

cials said two "prominent" Naxalites, operating in the Bijapur-Dantewada axis, were also killed in the encounter. Six CRPF men, including two CoBRA commandos, sustained bullet injuries and have been air-lifted for medical aid to Raipur. Two of them are critical, he said.

This is the same area, close to Chintalnar, where Naxalites had carried out an audacious attack on security forces killing 75 CRPF men and one state police personnel in April 2010. Keeping in view the tough terrain and presence of a big Naxalite squad in mind, the CRPF had deputed a deputy inspector general (DIG) and two commandant rank officers,

supported by an additional SP of state police, to lead the operation. The CRPF has mobilised three units of commandos and regular troops, aided by two helicopters for the encounter from three directions-Jagargunda, Chintalnar and Basaguda. Heavy exchange of gunfire took place between the two sides which continued till early morning, sources said. The encounter comes over a month after Maoists had abducted and subsequently released the Collector of Sukma district--Alex Paul Menon, in Bastar region. The CRPF has deployed about 20 battalions (20,000 personnel) for undertaking anti-naxal operations in the state.

India asks Pakistan to release Sarabjit on humanitarian grounds

India’s minister of state for external affairs Preneet Kaur last week requested the Pakistan Government to release death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh on humanitarian grounds.

"We welcome the release of Surjeet, but it is a great disappointment for the family, for the people of Punjab and India that the hopes that Sarabjit had been released have been dashed. But we would appeal to the humanitarian side of the Pakistani Government and the President following the release of Surjeet that they would also show the same clemency to Sarabjit," Kaur said.

"There seems to be some miscommunication and really my heart goes out to Sarabjeet's family, who must have rejoiced and now might be very upset and depressed. I am sorry that this did not take place, but we hope that Pakistan President and the government will on a humanitarian ground show clemency towards Sarabjit," she added.

External affairs minister S.M. Krishna earlier said that he welcomes Islamabad's decision to release Surjeet Singh, but added that New Delhi has consistently urged the Government of Pakistan on several occasions to

take a sympathetic and humanitarian view in the case of Sarabjit Singh.

Krishna also made an appeal to the Pakistani Government to release all Indian nationals, who have completed their prison term or are serving jail sentences. Hours after reports emerged that Pakistan was to free Sarabjit Singh, the presidential spokesman clarified that the authorities had taken steps for the release of another Indian prisoner named Surjeet Singh.

Surjeet Singh had been in Pakistani captivity for over 30 years. He was captured near the border with India on charges of spying during the era of military ruler Zia-ul-Haq. Salman Khan bats for Sarabjit's release: Bollywod actor Salman Khan has come forward in seeking support of Pakistani people and the media for Sarabjit Singh's release, who has been on death row in a Lahore jail since 1990. "Requesting the people of Pakistan to support me to help free Sarabjit who has been in prison since 30 years.

Please. Allah ka vasta," Salman wrote on twitter.

"Request the 'awam' of Pakistan, members of the press, government of Pakistan, President Zardari, a humble request.

Sri Ram was the son of King Dashratha; Dashratha means the ten chariots. These are the five sense organs and five organs of action. Ram means the one who plays.

The field of his play is Dasharatha or the bodybrain system. That element which does not allow us to play is our load of personal suffering and crying. The word Ravana comes from ‘Rud’ meaning to cry; this crying is represented by the ten heads which in turn signify the causes of all suffering.

They are the five Klesas, i.e. Avidya, Asmita, Raga, Dvesa and Abhinivesh.

Their 5 vikaras are Lobh, Kama, Krodha, Moha and Matsa. All of these are controlled by Mada or Ravana. The Ramayana is the story of our inner playfulness overcoming the seeds of suffering wherein we become a part of the cosmic play of life. When Ram plays in the ten organs, the result is happiness or Sita. Ram wedded to Sita signifies this union of happiness that comes with playfulness.

In this victory over the seeds of suffering, Ram is helped by Hanuman which comes from word Hanumant, the one who

has a strong jaw. This strong jaw represents the power to chew and digest suffering which allows Rama victory over Ravana.

Breaking down the word Hanuman, it comes from ‘Han’ + ‘Mat’. Han means to kill and Mat means intelligence.

Hanumant therefore means to kill, but in the light of intelligence. Hence, the energy and intelligence that destroys inner negativity is Hanuman. It is this element which allows Ram victory over suffering.

We do not realize that it is our own negativity which sows seeds that invite suffering into our lives. It is these very seeds that cause the suffering

that Hanuman burns.

Sita is the daughter of the earth. Sita also means a line, or a furrow. King Janaka found her in one of the planted lines in the field and so was named Sita. The earth element is the source of all vibrations of happiness. The symbology being that Sita or happiness is born when one ploughs the field of the body-brain system, along with its ten organs of sense and action, and plants the right seeds in furrows.

Hanuman recounts this story to Bhima and tells him that he is his elder brother. In life there is always a higher force looking after us. This higher force is represented by elder brother.

Here, Hanuman reinforces this by telling Bhima how he will look after both, Bhima and Arjuna, in the Great War. Bhima is our vital energy which becomes sex energy at a certain age.

This meeting with Hanuman signifies the transformation of sex energy and the awakening of Kundalini.

All past articles on the Mahabharata can be accessed from http://epaper.asianvoice.com or from http://www.3stepbreath.com/mahabharata.html

Gir lions, Amdavadi autos to roar in New Jersey Gujarat fest Gir lions will roar on New Jersey streets, which will also reverberate with the sounds of Amdavadi autorickshaws and Saurashtra chhakdas revving up. This may seem like a paradox but it is going to be a reality when Gujaratis living in North America experience ‘real Gujarat’ during a threeday extravaganza Chaalo Gujarat - World Gujarati Conference.

The event, starting on August 31, will be held at Raritan Expo Centre, New Jersey. After a gap of four years, the Association of Indian Americans in North America (AIANA) will hold its third event at which 45,000 Gujaratis from across the world are expected to relive Gujarat in New Jersey. “This is an effort to showcase Gujarat and its glorious past, enterprising present and bright future to the people living away from home,” said AIANA president Sunil Nayak addressing the media. “Our motivation is to give the youth, who are cut off from their roots, a glimpse of their rich cultural heritage.”

Nayak added that the event would bridge the gap

between Gujarat and the Gujaratis there.

“Chaalo Gujarat is an effort to keep Gujarat alive,” said MP Parimal Nathwani, who was present at the event. “Lot of hard work is required to organize an event of this scope. The sense of our rich heritage should be kept alive, especially among the youth living abroad.” The highlight of the event is that for the first time more than 10,000 people will watch a 3D film on Gujarat in Gujarati on a giant screen.

Other attractions are a spiritual discourse by Morari Bapu, seminars, dayro, sugam sangeet, Miss Gujarati USA pageant, and not to forget, mouth-watering Gujarati cuisine. “We will ship 15 rickshaws from the roads of Ahmedabad and 15 chhakdas from Saurashtra to New Jersey,” Nayak

said. “These will ferry people from the parking area to the main concourse and there will be vendors selling chana in newspapers on the stretch.” Besides, the famous pol areas of Amdavad will be recreated at the venue along a 30feet wooden charkha.

There will be a huge kaleidoscope showing images of Gujarat.

The event will comprise a trade show, international property show for which Gujarati realtors will be invited, exhibitions, business meets, a youth festival, a Bollywood evening and cultural programmes. The venue will also feature life-size statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel, which will be specially designed by a Chinese company on the lines of the creations at Madame Tussauds.

Modi to be invited: Chief minister Narendra Modi will be invited to the vibrant Gujarat of America. During the last event, held in 2008, Modi had interacted with people through video-conferencing. This year, AIANA is hoping that Modi will be able to make it to the event personally.

INDIA

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

25

Pranab Mukherjee: Gujarat Samachar & Asian Voice organise seminar A man for all Seasons on senior citizens’ health care and welfare benefits and all Reasons

By Dr Cyriac Maprayil India has had some outstanding Presidents. It has also had a few Presidents whom it can be said did not live up to the expectations. But all Presidents were decent, honourable people who served the world’s largest democracy most conscientiously.

One of the most illustrious Presidents was Prof S a r v a p a l l i Radhakrishnan, a world renowned academic and p h i l o s o p h e r .

Radhakrishnan, a close friend of Jawaharlal Nehru, was also an educationalist who played a major role in the creation of the new education system that incorporated many of our ancient learning features while at the same time blending harmoniously with modern requirements. Today, India is one of the most scientifically, technologically and culturally advanced nations in the world, overwhelmingly the product of a visionary and foresighted educational system bequeathed to the nation by India’s first independent government.

Like Nehru, Radhakrishnan was a socialist, both embracing the doctrine of non-alignment and secularism.

Pranab Mukherjee who grew up in Nehru era was greatly inspired by perhaps the most idealistic government in Indian history. From very early he championed socialism, non-alignment and India’s bold stand against colonial oppression.

Today the fight against imperialism is virtually history but in Pranab’s youth it was a potent factor. India, too, had suffered the depredations of the vile creed of imperialism but thanks to the heroic resolve of the Indian people.

Mukherjee read widely – a habit that persists to this day – and acquired a good, all round education before he entered the political arena. Even in his early days as a worker for the Congress Party he firmly rejected the notion that politics was all about superficial agitation. He insisted that one must have a solid educational background which com-

bined with an analytical mind is indispensable for political success. That accounts for his unstoppable rise from his beginnings in West Bengal legislature to his very high positions successively holding the key portfolios, including those of external affairs and finance in the Government. Pranab has always seen politics as an instrument to change the lives of his people and he is as passionate about this mission as was his former leader, Indira Gandhi.

His incisive political and economic analysis has won him many admirers from the media, his own party and even some members of the opposition. He is also highly regarded internationally, particularly governments in the US, London, Berlin and Moscow.

Dr Manmohan Singh, the Indian Prime Minister, himself a formidable economist thinks highly of Pranab Mukherjee.

Although integrity and incorruptibility are considered to be in short supply in Indian politics, Pranab with “his unblemished record in public life” for almost half a century has the cleanest hands in Indian politics.

He dislikes controversy, prefers negotiations to confrontations and is one of the finest speakers in the Lok Sabha.

Some commentators in Britain and India believe that he is being offered the Presidency to deny him the post of Prime Minister for which he is also eminently qualified. But never underestimate Pranab – he will not be just a glamorous Ceremonial Figurehead but with his sharp mind, his vast knowledge, his boundless energy and his strong commitment to making India fair, equitable and just, will be the most enlightened Head of State beneficial not just for India but the world as a whole.

(Dr Cyriac Maprayil, historian, author and the Executive Director of the V K Krishna Menon Institute, is the Vice Chairman of The India League (UK) and Literary Editor of NewWorld Weekly, London)

Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice had organised a summer fair, viz. Anandmela along with Vadilotsav2012, a seminar on senior citizens’ health-care and welfare benefits. It took place on 9-10th June at Harrow Leisure Centre.

The seminar was in Masefield suite, where more than 50 senior citizens had enthusiastically taken part; they had attended series of 6 seminars that informed about the different types of welfare benefits and health-care of seniors.

The health seminar was started on 9th June, at 2 O’clock noon, Saturday, when everyone was given a warm welcome by CB Patel, Editor-Publisher of Gujarat Samachar-Asian Voice. He informed and inspired the audience about the good cause of organising such events, and how ‘Vadilotsav’ will be helpful to the seniors of our society.

The keen need and usefulness of Vadilotsav was later talked about by News Editor Kamal Rao. Seminar was initiated by Jaishriben Shah, fundraiser of Northwick Park Medical Institute for research and well-known GP Anujaben Shah who is serving for the last 14 years at Luton. Their detailed information on the care & precautions to avoid heart stroke, exercise and lifestyle changes to be adopted had brought a new wave of energy among the listeners.

In the next session, Dr Harish Parmar, expert doctor of Spire Bushey hospital, informed the audience regarding the knee-problems and knee-replacements. He demonstrated with audio-visual film, slide-show and also showed few models to give a better idea of the subject.

It was found that the simple deficiency of Vitamin D can also cause some severe problems. Dr Parmar used a very simple language in order to make seniors clearly understand the problems that are faced by knee-problems, he also explained how they can be solved with the kneereplacements, for this he also cited few examples. In this way the heath seminars proved to be very informative for seniors, it stood them a chance to solve their health queries.

On 10th June, at about 11 O’ clock in morning, CB Patel shared the objectives of such seminars, after that the seminar was followed

by Kantibhai Nagda, Senior advisor of Sangat Centre who gave very detailed information about the different benefits of seniors, like pension, housing benefits, council tax, volunteering and benefits in certain services, Hitting allowance, income support, disability living allowance, job seekers allowance etc such matters were also discussed.

Kantibhai encouraged seniors mainly for giving voluntary services and asked them that they should try to give quality time to the new generation. Such inspirational talks were highly cherished by the audience.

The next seminar informed about the willwriting, how important it is and the uses of writing the will were also put forward. Bhaviniben Kalaria, involved with will-writing services explained the legal and technical hassles of will.

VFS Global’s Sandeep Rana (Head of Operation, UK), India visa and Indian Passport surrender services and Minaben Patel (Visa Submission Officer) enlightened the audience with very important information regarding India visa. How easy it is to fill up the two page form and

also informed about the enquiry counter, different categories of visas, Tatkal business visa, Tatkal visa related to visit the sick relative or sudden death. He also explained the formalities regarding the surrender of Indian passport after getting British citizenship.

In fact, he helped in clearing few myths. People on six month tourist visa, has already visited India once, then he cannot visit India again before two months.

Meenaben cleared everyone’s queries.

CEO Avniben Modasiya from side of AJ UK, Harrow, gave a very good guideline regarding the old-age health-problems and its care to cure. She talked about the food nutrition, exercises and the art to live a healthy life. One should not live life just for heck of it but give meaning

to its life and take every effort to improve one’s living. She encouraged the seniors to stop being lazy and remain active in life.

Avniben also introduced Neem tree care home’s Rupen Patel, and talked about the facilities provided by care home and information regarding the fund that is given by Government.

Powar’s Arunaben Patel and advocate Amitbhai Mistri’s talk was about the Gujarati and Asian origin seniors going through problems in hospitals, GP surgeries and at other places.

Powar Charity serves and help the senior patients in taking hospital appointments, arrangement of vegetarian food, and do the needful correspondence and communication regarding the other problems also. This information given by Arunaben proved to be very useful; in fact there were many who were not aware of it.

On both the days, public was encouraged to discuss and solve their queries at the seminars. Seniors and readers had personally gone to stalls of VFS Global, Age UK Harrow, NPMIR, Spier Bushi and had taken the required information. Overall, the seminars proved to be very knowledgeable and seniors were happy to attend it.

26

INDIA

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

Presidential poll: nominations of Mukherjee, Sangma accepted

The attempt to scuttle Pranab Mukherjee's presidential bid failed on Tuesday with the returning officer rejecting the objection of his opponent P A Sangma who had raked up the issue of office of profit.

With this, Mukherjee and Sangma, whose nomination papers were found to be in order will fight it out in a direct contest in the poll scheduled for July 19.

Rajya Sabha secretary general V K Agnihotri, who is the returning offi-

Manmohan takes additional charge of finance ministry Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, has taken charge of the Finance Ministry after Pranab Mukherjee resigned to contest the presidential poll. President Pratibha Devisingh Patil, who has accepted Mukherjee's resignation from the Union Council of Ministers, as advised by the government has directed that the Prime Minister will look after the work of the Ministry of Finance.

The Prime Minister had expressed his government's gratitude to Pranab Mukherjee for his invaluable contribution to its work over the last eight years, and expressed hope of seeing him become India's next President.

cer for the election, accepted the arguments on behalf of Mukherjee that he had resigned the post of chairman of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) on June 20, eight days before he filed his nomination.

Parliamentary affairs minister P K Bansal, who appeared as Mukherjee's representative along with home minister P Chidambaram before the returning officer, told reporters later that Agnihotri accepted the

argument that the resignation was forwarded to the president of the institute.

The RO ruled in favour of Mukherjee and accepted his nomination papers, Bansal said.

During scrutiny, Sangma had filed a petition demanding rejection of Mukherjee's nomination contending that he suffered disqualification because he held an office of profit by remaining as the chairman of the ISI at the time of filing of nominations.

India to acquire KallenbachGandhi letters The Indian government and the family of Hermann Kallenbach have struck a deal for papers relating to the German-Jewish architect’s correspondence with Mahatma Gandhi over three decades, some 13 days before the historical archive was to go under the hammer in London.

The conclusion of tortuous negotiations with Kallenbach’s descendents, who bargained hard by demanding $1 million, $3 million and even $5 million for the papers at various stages, will mean the correspondence will soon be handed over to India.

The papers were in the news with a book by Pulitzer winning author Joseph Lelyveld suggesting the Kallenbach-Gandhi relationship could have

had homosexual overtones. The controversy added to the interest about Gandhi’s letters to the architect-body builder.

It took four years for a deal on the KallenbachGandhi documents to fructify and the approaching auction prompted India to quicken negotiations with auctioneer Sotheby’s and the Kallenbach family in South Africa. Sources said the decision to secure the papers was taken at the highest level in the UPA after a story detailed how

the London-based auction house was going to dispose of the archive.

Those familiar with the negotiations said Eli Sarid, son of Kallenbach’s grandniece Isa Sarid, drove a hard bargain. Earlier this year, he broke off talks, apparently upset that the government was dragging its feet. He then reportedly sought $5 million instead of $1 million being considered. The figure was then “reduced” to $3 million.

The final price, sealed in a deal that took four days, is believed to be much less than that sought by the Sarids. A team comprising historians Mushirul Hasan and Mahesh Rangarajan and senior officials from the culture ministry is in London to secure the documents.

India seeks to nail Pak with Jundal’s ID, passport Continued from page 1 India has cited details of Jundal's passport to buttress its claims that he enjoyed the support of Pakistan’s state institutions. One of the media agencies has accessed Jundal's Pakistani passport which he had used to travel to Saudi Arabia and it has also learnt that a Pakistani ID card was issued to him in the name of Riyasat Ali while he was staying in Pakistan. The passport spells out his present and permanent address in Pakistan as Muridke near Lahore. His visa for Saudi Arabia had been issued on the Pakistani passport.

However, Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik had called Jundal's passport fake. Earlier, sources say Jundal was planning to attack the Nashik Police Academy in Maharashtra. Sources said that Jundal was preparing a plan to launch a major attack on the police academy following the successful strike on the Lahore Police Academy in Pakistan allegedly by the Taliban on March 30, 2009.

Jundal and his associates in Pakistan studied

the Lahore Police Academy attack and then decided to stage a similar attack in India. The plan was to wear police uniforms and infiltrate the Nashik Police Academy.

Sources say the planning was still on but suffered a setback after the arrests in the Pune German Bakery blast case in February 2010. But Jundal has allegedly confessed that the plans were still on. The Delhi police have got Jundal's custody till July 5 and investigators are questioning him on the 26/11 attacks conspiracy. He has reportedly confessed of meeting several Lashkar leaders including its chief Hafiz Saeed and operational commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi. Jundal has tutored the 10 Pakistani terrorists who attacked Mumbai in November 2008. However, Pakistan has been denying about its involvement in the Mumbai attacks, saying that Jundal had used a fake Pakistani report.

Jindal confessed he was in the ‘control room’ Jundal, has confessed he was in the "control room" talking the terrorists by satellite phone.

They believe that, along-

side him there, was Hafiz Saeed, founder of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorist group whose emergence the ISI nurtured in the 1990s as a proxy to fight Indian forces in the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir.

A quiet and shy boy Jundal was born 30 years ago in India, and brought up in a village near the dusty town of Beed, some 350 km east of Mumbai. When he was about 15, his family moved to a Muslim-dominated neighbourhood in Beed town. Locals say that Jundal was a timid and quiet boy, coming off worst when there were street brawls and barely making a mark at school. "None of the teachers remember teaching him," said Bharat Sonavane, principal at Beed's Balbhim College for Art, Science and Commerce, where Jundal was a student.

"One night he just left home and we didn't hear from him for almost six years. No phone call, no letter," said his mother.

Jundal names same Pak army officers as Headley did The statements of American jihadi David Headley and Jundal

match in one key respect: they have both named the same three Pakistani officials as being involved in the planning and execution of the 26/11 attacks.

Jundal has named Major Iqbal, Major Sameer Ali and Colonel Shah of the Pakistani army. Jundal is believed to have told interrogators that Major Iqbal provided Rs 2500,000 for the boat that was initially purchased for the 2008 attacks. However, the terrorists' first attempt to reach Mumbai by sea was thwarted due to bad weather.

"Prior to November 2008, the ISI had sailed a weaponsladen boat towards Mumbai, but the boat rammed into rocks and the attack was postponed.

40 Indians helped 26/11 attacks: Pakistan "Our information is that there were at least 40 Indian nationals who helped the attackers. We want India to come clean on this," an unnamed official of Pakistan's foreign office was quoted as saying. Pakistan had been saying that the Mumbai attacks would not have been possible without help from Indian nationals, he claimed.

"$ " " ( ' $ " " #$ " # " " # %" %$ % & "( !!( #$ "$ ( %" " %# # $ %# % $# %! %" & # $# & " ( %" " # ( % " %" ' $ %$ ( % $ " ' % %

(

%#$

$

In Focus Hillary apologizes to Pakistan, Islamabad to open Nato supply routes Washington: The Obama administration says Pakistan is reopening supply lines into Afghanistan after the US issued an apology for the November killing of 24 Pakistani troops in a Nato air strike. Secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton says she told Pakistan's foreign minister in a telephone conversation that the US is "sorry for the losses suffered by the Pakistani military.'' She says both sides acknowledged mistakes that resulted in deaths. The incident badly damaged already strained relations between the two countries and forced the US and its allies to send supplies via costlier northern routes into Afghanistan. Clinton said Khar informed her that the Pakistani-Afghan supply lines are opening. She said Pakistan won't charge any transit fee, the subject of an earlier negotiation.

Astronaut Sunita Williams to adopt Gujarati girl During her last visit to Gujarat in September 2007, astronaut Sunita Williams had expressed shock over female feticide in the state. "Why should you allow the society to limit you by the virtue of your sex. Limitations are only in your mind," she had told a gathering of girls in Kadi town.

She plans to make her next visit to Gujarat - after she completes her space expedition - more meaningful.

Family members say Sunita has made up her mind to adopt a girl from Ahmedabad. The American-Indian astronaut's sister, Dina, has already started the process to adopt a daughter from an Ahmedabad-based organisation. "Like her sister, Sunita too has expressed her wish to adopt a child, preferably a girl. We will start the spadework soon. She will start formalities after she returns from the expedition," says her Ahmedabad-based cousin Dinesh Rawal. His father Mr Pandya, a doctor, told over telephone from the US. Sunita will take off on July 14 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a sixmonth space expedition, her second.

2 Gujarati diamond traders held in Antwerp Four persons, including two Gujarati diamond traders, have been arrested in Antwerp for facilitating higher grading of low-quality diamonds by bribing graders.

The traders, whose names have not been disclosed, allegedly bribed those working in the Belgium-based HRD Gemological Laboratory. According to IDEX Online, a global polished diamond trading platform, two traders, a former employee for the laboratory and a ‘facilitator’, were arrested as suspects in the misconduct case last week.

Vice Presidential elections on Aug 7 The election to the post of Vice President of India will be held on August 7 and the results will be declared the same day, the Election Commission (EC) announced on Tuesday. Pronouncing the poll schedule, the Election Commission, after its meeting, decided that it will issue the notification on Friday, which will set the election process in motion. The last date for filing nominations is July 20, and the candidatures could be withdrawn latest by July 23.

Manmohan announces `5 bn aid for flood-hit Assam Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced an aid package of `5 billion for Assam, which has been severely hit by floods. The announcement came after the prime minister and Congress president Sonia Gandhi undertook an aerial survey of some flood affected districts of the state. "The `5 billion crore is sanctioned for immediate relief of the state. A central team will start assessing the total damage of the floods in the state and all the required financial assistance will be extended to the state government based on the assessment of the central team," said the prime minister.

INDIA

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

27

An auto ride changed the dream of this IIMA graduate

By AV Correspondent An auto rickshaw ride changed the dream of IIM Ahmedabad graduate Nirmal Kumar. Nirmal, like other IIM grads, dreamed of taking up a lucrative job after completing the study. Nirmal, a physically handicapped person, took an auto to visit the walled city of Ahmedabad. Though the charges for the to and fro journey should be same, but he was charged differently on both the occasions. This opened the eyes of Nirmal about the tactics adopted by different auto drivers to fleece the customers. This one auto ride changed his dream and he knew what he wanted to do after he graduated from the B school. Nirmal, who graduated in 2007, then started off with the idea of Gujarat Auto (G- Auto) where the passenger would not be fleeced by the auto drivers, they would get to read newspapers and at the same time also get to know about the city from trained and well behaved drivers. He wrote to the Gujarat chief minister about his concept who readily agreed with him and assured Nirmal of help in starting his G -Auto.

G -Auto is an initiative and part of Nirmal Foundation, a public charitable trust. Nirmal is the founder and managing trustee of the Foundation. The Foundation organizes auto drivers under a social umbrella called G-Auto.

At present there are 10,000 G-Autos in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Vadodara and is expected to grow to at least 50,000 in by the end of 2012. “We have plans to replicate the concept across major cities of India to serve as many as 10,00,000 auto drivers by 2020,’’ said Nirmal. “G-Auto has brought revolution in the transport system in term of safety and comfort of passengers, income and job satisfaction to G-Pilots.” In a G-Auto, one can read newspapers, charge mobiles, get drinking water, make phone calls through a PCO on-board, and use a city-map among other things,’’ said Nirmal. He said that the ‘pilots’ or drivers are insured for up to Rs 200,000 and can avail educational allowance for children besides getting pension and credit facilities. "Our incomes have gone up by 20% and we get quite a pleasant response from customers," says M Siddique, a driver.

Nirmal is planning to foray into other states as well. In just one year, the group earned revenue of Rs 17.5 million of which Rs 2000,000 is profit.

"We should do business of Rs 40 mil-

Assam MLA and her second husband beaten up Assam Congress MLA Rumi Nath and her second husband Jaki Jakir, whom she married without divorcing her first husband, were beaten up and injured by a mob at Karimganj town, police said. "Nath and Jaki Jakir were beaten up by a mob of more than 200 people at a hotel in the town where they were staying", superintendent of police said.

The mob was angry at the second marriage of Nath to Jakir last month, police sources said. Nath, who is pregnant, and Jakir were severely injured and profusely bleeding before they were whisked away by police immediately after the incident, the sources said.

The duo, after medical treatment, is being escorted to the state capital Guwahati.

Nath, representing Borkhola assembly constituency in Barak Valley, had created a furore by announcing her marriage with Jakir without divorcing her first husband.

Her first husband Rakesh Singh, with whom she has a two-year-old daughter, had filed an FIR that his wife was missing last month.

lion by next fiscal," he says.

G-Autos will soon start courier services, school pick-ups and retailing. Very soon, a heritage rickshaw, decorated with vibrant colours and traditional images, would welcome foreigners into the city and drive them around with Englishspeaking pilots.

G- Auto has a counter in the airport and has now got the permission in setting up a counter at the railway station.

“When a passenger goes to these counters he will be given an estimate of the expected fair to his destination,” said Normal.

Nirmal visualises that these autos would not only be in major cities but also in semi urban areas. “Any auto driver can become a part of this umbrella organization by fill-

ing up a registration form of Rs 100, giving their family details, RC book and other valid details,’’ said Nirmal.

This initiative of Nirmal has been selected among top 15 entries for an international award called 'SMART Mobility EnterPrize Award'. The award is instituted by the University of Michigan's SMART initiative with support from the

Rockefeller Foundation. The award, which is also known as 'Mobi Award', recognizes enterprises that demonstrate innovative and replicable solutions to local and global transportation challenges.

Speaking about the success of this concept, Nirmal said that the Rajkot Municipal Corporation has already initiated the process of 'auto-on-call' service in the city to enhance transport facilities in the city, and G- Auto would be the answer to RMC’s request. Hailing from Risaura, a small village in Bihar with no electricity or proper hospitals, Nirmal went to a municipal school and later completed his B Tech in agriculture from NG Ranga Agri University in Hyderabad.

Presents

12th Asian Achievers Awards 14th September 2012 NOMINATION FORM *' 24'56+)+175 5+#0 %*+'8'45 9#4&5 +5 *156'& '8'4; ;'#4 $; <5 .'#&+0) 0'95 9''-.+'5 5+#0 1+%' #0& 7,#4#6 #/#%*#4 61 *10174 4+6+5* 5+#05 2#4 ':%'..'0%' ( 6*'4' +5 51/'10' ;17 -019 9*1 *#5 $41-'0 $170&#4+'5 #0& &'5'48'5 4'%1)0+6+10 (14 6*'+4 70+37' %1064+$76+10 61 6*' %1//70+6; #0& 6*' 0#6+10 6*'0 2.'#5' 01/+0#6' 6*'/ (14 10' 1( 6*' #9#4&5 .+56'& $'.19 #-' 574' 6*#6 ;17 (+.. +0 6*+5 #22.+%#6+10 (14/ #0& 5'0& +6 10 14 4 '14)' '. #: /#+. ### #$2.)4172 %1/ #&&4'55 +5 4 '14)' 4172 #4/# "1)# 175' 1:610 #4-'6 10&10

$; 2156 (#: 14 '/#+. 61 ( ;17 #4' 5'0&+0) +6 $; 2156 6*' !

Please tick the appropriate category Sports Personality of the Year............................................

Woman of the Year ................................................................

Awarded for excellence in sports.

The award will recognise and honour a woman who has made a significant mark in any chosen field.

Business Person of the Year ..............................................

Awarded to a business person who is a success in every sense of the word and can demonstrate a genuine passion for social issues.

Young Entrepreneur of the Year ......................................

Professional of the Year ......................................................

Uniformed and Civil Services ............................................

Professionals in the field of medicine, law, education, banking, finance and others, who have scaled the heights of their chosen profession.

For outstanding achievements in uniformed and civil services or contribution to the community through any of the above services.

Achievement in Community Service................................

Awarded to those who have acclaimed popularity internationally for his/her contribution in any particular sector and is recognised for their timeless philanthropic activities.

In recognition for an individuals service to community.

Achievement in Media, Arts and Culture ....................

Someone who has made a mark in media including print and broadcast media; cinema, art and culture.

Award for Entertainment ....................................................

For outstanding performance by Asians in the field of Dance and Music.

Awarded to an young entrepreneur (less than 35 years) with a proven track record of operating a successful business enterprise.

International Personality of the Year ............................

Lifetime Achievement Award ............................................

To honour those individuals, who during their lifetime, have made immense contributions in any given field. This remarkable individual can be marked as an example for the younger generation.

Application Form

Name of the Nominee: ___________________________________________________________________________________ Contact Details of the Nominee (Tel & email): _______________________________________________________________ Present Occupation of the Nominee: _______________________________________________________________________ Please attach the Nominees's CV which includes the following information (Please do not exceed a limit of 1000 words) (1) Personal background (2) (3) (4) (5)

Most important career achievements till date.

Nominee's contribution to the community and nation.

Any notable obstacles in the Nominee's career that has helped him/her to reach where they are today.

Future Plans, ambitions and visions.

Summary- (Please include a summary in not more than 150 words why the nominee is worthy of winning the particular award in a separate sheet) Nominators name and contact details: _____________________________________________________________________ Nominators current Occupation/Company: __________________________________________________________________ Tel/Mobile: _________________________________

Email: __________________________________________________

NOMINATION AND SELECTION PROCESS This is a unique event where readers nominate and an independent panel of judges comprising of eminent personalities selects the winner. Judges’ decision is final. ABPL Group will not entertain any dialogue with members of the public regarding the judging process. In order to ensure a high degree of transparency and fairness, the management and members of the staff of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar will play no role in the nomination or judging process. You may use an additional sheet if the space provided is insufficient. The winners will be announced at the AAA Awards ceremony in 14th September, 2012. Asian Voice, Gujarat Samachar will publish the names of the short listed candidates and winners after the event. The winners names will also appear in our e-edition www.abplgroup.com You can nominate yourself if you wish to. Nominations and entries must follow the prescribed format. All nomination forms must reach our offices on or before 12th July, 2012

210514

8'06

#0#)'& ;

((+%+#. #6'4'45

((+%+#.

((+%+#.

'&+# #460'4

((+%+#.

0.+0' #460'4

210514'& *#4+6;

+%-'65 #8#+.#$.' #6

28

tRavel & women

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

women achievers Saroop Dhruv - a poet, feminist working for a cause

By AV Correspondent

Cruise the River Nile If you have dreamed of visiting the famous Egyptian Pyramids and cruising on the River Nile, then you must book your next holiday there now as there are amazing summer packages available.

The Best of Nile Cruise offered by Brightsun Travel will whisk you away for 7 days, starting off in Cairo to visit one of the ancient wonders of the world, the Pyramids of Giza. Up close, your breath will be taken away as you imagine the construction of these colossal tombs built by tens of thousands of men over four thousand years ago. You will then be taken to visit the famous Sphinx, where you will be treated to a spectacular laser show explaining the history of these relics.

You’ll have the next day at leisure to explore Cairo. A major hotspot is the Egyptian museum where you can see the tomb of King Tutankhamun. For shopaholics, there are many wonderful markets to explore where you can haggle for presents, jewellery, and local crafts and there are numerous restaurants and cafes to enjoy an Egyptian or international meal.

The next day you’ll fly from Cairo to Aswan, where you will board the luxurious 5* cruise boat which will take you on an unforgettable tour of Egypt. You’ll visit the High Dam, Unfinished Obelisque and Philae Temple. You’ll always be escorted by an English-speaking tour guide, fluent in English, Egypt’s ancient history and able to teach you about ancient Hieroglyphic symbols which adorn the temples and ruins.

Once you board the cruise, the rest of your holiday is on an all-inclusive basis where you will enjoy a variety of cuisines both as buffets and a la carte. One evening will include a hosted Egyptian party where you can dress up as Pharoahs or Egyptian Queens and enjoy a range of entertainment! The sleeping cabins on offer are a home away from home, equipped with comfortable double beds, TV, en suite bathroom and a living area.

The next day takes you to visit many sights including Kom Ombo temple and Edfu temples before sailing overnight to Luxor. There you will visit the famous Valley of the Queens where this necropolis is said to house more than 70 tombs of wives of the Pharoahs, which were lavishly decorated as per ancient Egyptian customs. Another major sight to visit is the Colossi of Memnon, two massive stone statues of Pharoah Amenhotep the Third, built in the 14th century BC, and the Karnak Temple where you’ll see many beautiful examples of hieroglyphics. This complex is a vast open-air museum and the largest ancient religious site in the world. The next day will be your last on board where after a leisurely breakfast, you’ll be taken to Luxor airport to transfer back to Cairo and then onto to your homeward destination.

To arrange your unforgettable River Nile Cruise holiday, book with Brightsun Travel, who offer a complete holiday service with helpful and experienced consultants. Brightsun have special summer offers on several luxury cruises with the Best of Nile Cruise from only £655 per person for 7 days incl. flights, accommodation, most meals and transfers.

Brightsun Travel offers a price match promise on worldwide flights and holidays so you will get the best deal. To book this dream holiday, visit www.brightsun.co.uk or call Brightsun Travel on 0208 819 0486.

Saroop Dhruv is a Gujarati poet, playwright and cultural activist, based in Ahmedabad.

Dedicated to the cause of women, minorities, dalits and tribals, she has worked over the years as a lecturer, essayist, language teacher and freelance writer for the audio-visual media. She has four collections of poetry to her credit. Her poetry has been translated into various languages, including Hindi, Punjabi and English, and featured in anthologies of modernist, feminist and politically engaged literature in Gujarati and English.

Dhruv’s first poem was written in response to the communal riots in Ahmedabad in 1969. A Muslim family behind her home received threats from an enraged mob threats that their home would be torched and they would be butchered if they did not evacuate their premises. Deeply disturbed by that event, Dhruv’s poem addressed that livid mob.

She began writing poetry in a more sustained

fashion around 1971 when she received a scholarship to work on her doctorate in Gujarati folk literature.

Her work was influenced by a family background that had exposed her to a rich variety of literatures: from Sanskrit, medieval and folk Gujarati to modern English and American.

She was also influenced by the poetry of eminent modern Gujarati writers, such as Sitanshu Yashashchandra and Labhshanker Thaker.

She grew increasingly involved with non-government agencies and Jesuit groups working with dalit, adivasi and underprivileged Muslim sections of society in Gujarat. This heightened her awareness of the ways in which gender, caste and class mould language. While she was previously sceptical of the notion of a “woman’s sensibility,” she now began to describe herself as feminist. Since 1984, she has also been actively engaged in producing issue-based plays and songs for various forums. She is one of the founders of ‘Samvedan Sanskritic Manch’, a cultural group for social change, and

‘Darshan,’ a media organisation committed to social change. In 2000, she became one of the founding members of ‘Kalam’, a forum for women writers.

H a s t a k s h e p (Intervention), a recent book of poems, is an affirmation that a fearless writer can make a difference. This edition features three of her poems, one of which was written after the communal violence in Gujarat in 2002.

Dhruv’s intervention is not entirely through the conduit of literature. In the aftermath of the riots, she worked closely with survivors, bringing relief supplies, recording and registering cases and coauthoring a street play, Dilma Chhe Ek Ash (The Heart Remains Hopeful), which was staged in relief camps. She received the 2008 Hellman/Hammett Award for courageous writing by Human Rights Watch. She is a member of Women’s WORLD (India), a national network of over 200 women writers dealing with censorship.

Women’s WORLD (International) had nominated her for the Hellman award.

‘Talkative’ girl gagged with tape A schoolgirl, accused of being talkative in the class, was forced to stand for over five hours outside the classroom after her lips were sealed with an adhesive tape, in a private school in Hyderabad last week.

Syeda Sadar Fatima, studying in Class 9 at Sam British School, rushed home weeping and reported the matter to her parents. Her father Syed Mujtaba Hussain lodged a complaint with the police who registered a case of voluntarily causing hurt and wrongful restraint against the principal and a teacher. No arrests have been made so far. Ms Fatima said that when the principal walked into the classroom she was talking to other students. Then “the principal called our teacher Mrs Sajida and asked her to put an adhesive tape on my lips. I was ordered to stand outside the classroom for the whole day. I could not eat.

I was just talking to my friend when the teacher decided to punish.”

Distressed by the developments, Mr Hussain rushed to the school and confronted the Principal. “They were not apologetic. In turn, they threatened me with dire consequences. They told me ‘do whatever you like’,” alleged Mr Hussain.

He later approached the Dabirpura police with a written complaint. When

contacted, the school officials denied the charge that the girl’s lips were plastered. They said the school did not practise corporal punishment and that the student was only

chided for being talkative.

“We are running the school with 400 students.

We are not that irresponsible. No punishment was given,” claimed Mazhar Ali, husband of Principal.

Baingan Kalonjee

Ingredients: 900gm Small Baigan (brinjal) , 4gm panch phoran (Bengal spices) , 2gm amchur, 2gm red chilli powder, 2gm coriander powder, 2gm turmeric, 2gm garam masala powder, 25ml oil, Garnishes: 3gm ginger julienne, 5gm chopped coriander Preparation: Slit the brinjal into quarters length wise. Roast the panch phoran (cumin, saunf, kalonji, methi dana, rai. 2:1:1:1:1) and powder. Mix with all the other spices and fill in the brinjal. Heat the oil and saute the brinjal until done. Garnish with ginger juliennes and chopped corriander before serving.

Health benefits: In southern India, brinjals are used to protect against chicken pox, so if

a member of the family has the virus, others eat aubergines (cooked over a flame) with onions, chillies, salt and rice to prevent the disease. In Ayurvedic medicine they are cooked and mashed with garlic and asafoetida (heng) or devil’s dung, for flatulence and to get rid of congestion and phlegm. Aubergines are rich in minerals and the purple skin contains many phenolic flavonoids such as anthocyanins which help fight against cancer, aging, inflammation and neurological diseases it is believed.

HealtH WatcH

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

29

Early insulin intake may prevent diabetes, but not heart disorders Does long-term intake of a special form of insulin prevent diabetes and heart problems, but cause cancer? The debate has been raging in medical circles for long. Now, an international study involving 12,000 pre-diabetics settles two parts of it, but leaves the other open for further research.

Results of ORIGIN (Outcome Reduction with Initial Glargine Intervention) study presented at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association found basal insulin (known by brand name Lantus) or omega-3 fatty acid (fish oil) did not lower risks of cardiovascular disorders, but delayed the onset of diabetes by 31%. The delaying

effect, however, remains open to scientific debate as some experts say it could be because of the good sugar control the pre-diabetics had during the study.

The researchers debunked fears that the insulin can cause cancer.

The study put to test glargine insulin, a longacting drug given once a day to help diabetics keep sugar level under control.

Unlike normal insulin, glargine has microcrystals that slowly release insulin and hence reduces the risk of low sugar levels. This insulin is nearly three times more expensive than the normal insulin and is used by less than 10 per cent of insulin users in India. In 2009, a study from Sweden had linked

Why we should eat mangoes

Summer is the season of fleshy and juicy mangoes, the king of fruits. Apart from the fact that it tastes sweet, mangoes are loaded with nutrients. Mango fruit is rich in pre-biotic dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals, and has antioxidant compounds. It is beneficial for digestion too.

According to a new research, mangoes have been found to protect against colon, breast and prostate cancers. Fresh mango is a rich source of potassium, which is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps to control heart rate and blood pressure.

Vitamin E, which is abundantly present in mangoes, helps to regulate sex hormones and boosts sex drive.

Mango helps to clear clogged pores that cause acne. Just slice a mango

into thin pieces and keep them on your face for 10 to 15 minutes and then take bath or wash your face and see the results.

It's a known fact that mangoes are rich in Iron.

People who suffer from anaemia can take mangoes regularly along with their dinner. It is especially good for women after menopause.

High level of soluble dietary fibre, Pectin and Vitamin C present in mangoes helps to lower serum cholesterol levels.

A recent study shows that not only the flesh of a mango but the leaves can fight diabetes.

Health tip: Before going to bed put some 10 or 15 mango leaves in warm water and close it with lid. The next day morning filter the water and drink it in empty stomach. Do this regularly.

glargine with increased chances of cancer.

The six-year ORIGIN trial involving more than 12,000 early diabetics and pre-diabetics -- including 400 from India - challenged this theory. Nearly half of the patients received insulin glargine or Lantus to achieve normal fasting glucose levels and the others went through standard care, which included insulin towards later part of the study. Prinicipal investigator of the study Dr Hertzel Gerstien confirmed that the study shows that that long-term use of insulin does not cause heart diseases. The study concluded that the group of people who were given glargine had similar cardiovascular events compared

to the group given standard therapy.

Glargine given once a day could maintain normal blood glucose levels for up to 6.5 years without any harmful effects, said Chennai-based diabetologist Dr A Ramachandran, the principal investigator for India. "There was a modest risk of hypoglycemia and increase in body weight in patients who took this insulin when compared to those who did not, but there was no risk of cancer. The study gives doctors confidence to initiate patients with glargine early in the course of diabetes or pre-diabetics without any reservations," Dr Ramachandran said.

The use of basal insulin in pre-diabetes for

6.5 years significantly reduced the incidence of diabetes or prevented onset of diabetes by 31%.

While some doctors said it was best to start pre-diabetics on insulin to prevent diabetes, others say it wouldn't be wise to conclude the benefits of early introduction of insulin for p r e v e n t i o n .

Endocrinologist Dr Nihal Thomas of Christian Medical College, who was part of the study, said the group of subjects on glargine was predetermined to have tighter

sugar control right from the beginning. "Tighter control of sugar protects beta-cell function and can prevent onset of diabetes.

It is not necessarily a glargine-associated phenomenon. It could be due to the fact that they have a tight control of sugar early," he said.

The second part of the study was to test if fish oil capsules (omega 3 fatty acids) could reduce cardiovascular events in diabetics and pre-diabetics.

This showed there was no benefit.

Health benefits of humour & laughter

Glass of water key to exam success?

When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness and intimacy. Laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body. Humor and laughter strengthen your immune system, boost your energy, diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress.

Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh.

Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused and alert.

With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and sup-

porting both physical and emotional health.

Laughter relaxes the whole body: A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after. Laughter boosts the immune system.

Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your

DIMPLE SELF DRIVE HIRE LTD

DIMPLE VANS - CARS - MINIBUS

Competitive prices No hidden extras Unlimited mileage 3 days & over Special weekend rates Minibuses 8, 12, 15 & 17 seaters Vans & estate cars

resistance to disease.

Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.

Laughter protects the heart: Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

The Benefits of Laughter Physical Health Benefits: Boosts immunity, lowers stress hormones, decreases pain, relaxes your muscles and prevents heart disease.

Mental Health Benefits: Ads joy and zest to life, eases anxiety and fear, relieves stress, improves mood and enhances resilience.

Social Benefits: Strengthens relationships, attracts others to us, enhances teamwork, helps defuse conflict and promotes group bonding.

Simply a glass of water could be the key to exam success, say British researchers. Students who took a drink into the exam hall did up to 10 per cent better than those who did not.

Although it is unclear why a drink should help, one theory is that information flows more freely between brain cells when they are well hydrated.

Researchers said that drinking water may also calm nerves, while those who became thirsty during test time could be more easily distracted.

The study, which looked at hundreds of university students, compared whether they took a drink - such as water, coffee or cola - into the exam with their final marks.

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...

Mini Bus (8-17 Seater) 8 Seater from £60 12 Seater from £65 15 Seater from £70 17 Seater from £80 Small Cars from £25 Medium Cars from £30 Large Cars from £35 Large Vans from £40

Tel: 020 8205 1200 / 7898 Fax: 020 8200 7426 www.dimpleselfdrive.com Email:dimplemotors@aol.com 19 Varley Parade, Edgware Road, London NW9 6RR

$! # !

# " " !#

Profesional

$

#

$ ! "# ! & $ $" ! " ! $ $ # $ ! # % " $ $ !"# " # $ ! #$! " "" #

' ' $ +%)& %& ) )'( %'( %* % % '! $ )'!$ '' ) #! (!%$' ( %*(%$ &" ( %$ %$

!#

(%

We offer comprehensive services in the areas of assisted reproduction (including IVF, ICSI, egg donation and egg sharing), gynaecology, and male infertility. We have a flexible schedule, including appointments in the evenings & weekends.

Director: Dr Geetha Venkat MD, FRCOG 43 Devonshire Street, London, W1G 7AL

30

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

CB Live is the only Gujarati live programme in UK on Television Shri Anand Kumar, Attache (Hindi and Culture), India House provided yeoman service for promotion of Hindi as an Indian national language and associated cultural activities during his tenure at the Indian High Commission, London. Prior to his departure for India, he will discuss his role and experiences with CB Patel in Hindi.

Bhavishaben of Anupam Mission will give an update about the Scottish Marathon run by Kiran Patel to raise £100,000 for the new community centre and a temple being built at the beautiful campus of the Anupam Mission at Denham, West of London. The ground breaking ceremony will take place in August.

If you do not have a SKY, go to www.tvunetworks.com and watch CB Live on TVU Player Channel 75203

Sneh Joshi - 020 8518 5500 Whether you’re single or attached you’ll have to go through a lot, as deep psychological transformations are taking place in all types of relationships. No matter what your chosen path is, you’ll be recognised and rewarded for it. Don’t be afraid to experiment, trust your hunches, go with your gut feeling. Solutions to minor problems should be considered very carefully if cash is involved.

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20

7pm to 8pm Every Thursday

CB LIVE Every Thursday on MATV (SKY 793) 7pm to 8pm For more information email: cblive_matv@yahoo.co.uk or call Alka Shah on 07944 151 893

Coming Events l Shree Khadsupa Kachhol Parivar (UK) has arranged a friendly family gathering on Sunday 29July 2012 from 12.00 pm till 5.00pm at St. Chad's Parish Centre, Coleman Road, Leicester.

Contact: Sureshbhai 0116 2835080 l Krishna Janmashtami, Friday 10-Sunday 12 August. Bhaktivedanta Manor, Watford, Herts WD25 8EZ. 3pm onwards. Contact: 01923851003. l The City Pavillion presents The Kings of Bollywood (Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy) on 6th July.

Venue: The Millenium Suite, City Pavillion, Collier Row Road, Romford, RM5 2BH. Contact: 020 8924 2227. l SKLPC 40th anniversary Annual Mela 2012 at , Sunday 8th July, 10:30am-7:30pm. Venue: SKLPC (UK) India gardens, West End Road, Northolt, UB5 6RE l The Winning Mindset – 9th Young Jains UK Convention, Friday 20th to Sunday 22nd Jul 2012, Canons High School, Shaldon Road, Edgware, Middlesex, HA8 6AN l New organisation – club to develop the hobby of excursion (Bhatkvu – Paribrhman. The Organisational activities not limited to excursion or adventures only but it includes by constitution traveling - tourism, accommodation while outing, environment, child development, adventure – trekking, hiking – water sports, sports and many more.

They are organizing launching cum trekking program at Gir, Junagadh – Gujarat (well known for it's Lion sanctuary) on 25-26th August 2012.

Contact: Sunil G. Shah: 00919898585337 (Time 8.30 to 10 PM), 00919426055737

OPINION REQUIRED Dear Readers, Since a few years now, there has been a regular column on the Weekly forecast / Rashi-Bhavishya published in both Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar. We are not sure if to continue with these columns are not. So, we wanted to find out your opinion regarding this column. There are some people who find this column not so believable while there are others who plan their week completely depending on these forecasts published.

Help us come to a conclusion, to whether continue with these columns or not.

Email: kamal.rao@abplgroup.com or write to Kamal Rao, Karmayoga House, 12 Hoxton Market, London N1 6HW or fax 020 7749 4081.

- AV

Asian Voice is the leading English newsweekly in its sector and enjoys an excellent readership base and community patronage among the British Asians who hail from South Asia as well as thousands of indigenous Britons.

Editor: CB Patel Associate Editor: Rupanjana Dutta Tel: 020 7749 4098 - Email: rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com Senior News Editor: Dhiren Katwa Freelance Correspondent: Rudy Otter Chief Operating Officer: Liji George Tel: 020 7749 4013 Email: george@abplgroup.com Chief Financial Officer: Surendra Patel Tel: 020 7749 4093 Mobile: 07875 229 220 Email: surendra.patel@abplgroup.com Accounts Executive: Akshay Desai Tel: 020 7749 4087 Email: accounts@abplgroup.com Business Manager: Alka Shah Tel: 020 7749 4002 - Mobile: 07944 151 893 Email: alka.shah@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Kishor Parmar Tel: 020 7749 4095 - Mobile: 07875 229 088 Email: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com Business Development Managers: Rovin J George - Email: rovin.george@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 - Mobile: 07875 229 219 Nihir Shah - Email: nihir.shah@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4089 - Mobile: 07875 229 111 Urja Patel - Email: urja.patel@abplgroup.com Design and Layout: 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 Tel/Fax: +91 79 2646 6061 Bureau Chief: Nilesh Parmar (M) +919426636912 Email: nilesh.parmar@abplgroup.com Consultant (P.R): Kamlesh Amin Tel: +91 922 710 4308 Email: kamlesh.amin@abplgroup.com Consulting Editor (BPO): Bhupatbhai Parekh, Ahmedabad, Gujarat Tel: +91 79 2630 4142 Mumbai: Kanti Bhatt, Hemraj Shah (Jumbo Advertiser) Horizon Advertising & Marketing: 205 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad Tel / Fax: +91 79 2646 5960 (M) +91 9913346487 Email: horizonadvt2009@yahoo.in Neeta Patel, (Advertising Manager) (M) +91 98255 11702 International Advertisement Representative: Jain Group(South India) Tel: +91 44 42041122/3/4 Fax: +91 44 25362973 Mumbai: +91 222471 4122 Email: jainmedia@eth.net

Asian Voice Main Office Karma Yoga House, 12 Hoxton Market, (Off Coronet Street) London N1 6HW. Tel: 020 7749 4080, Fax: 020 7749 4081 www.abplgroup.com © Asian Business Publications

Asian Voice switchboard: 020 7749 4000 Gujarat Samachar switchboard: 020 7749 4080 Sales: 020 7749 4085

To advertise in Asian Voice call 020 7749 4085

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 You have been going through major changes in your relationships, as a result of your own radical personal transformation. Your ideas about love and partnership are changing daily. As with most things, your health waxes and wanes. You might even find the energy to keep up with your projected gym schedule.

No matter how hard you are working, try to make time for relaxation.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 Expansive Jupiter in your Solar 1st house is going to play a great part for some of you, who are widening their horizons. An important time to build too, regardless of the limits, you have the capacity to turn the course of your life in a more fulfilling direction.

Some of you will be getting married.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22 This is a good time to appreciate what you have already created in your life.

Of course, there are still challenging issues on both a personal and practical level. It's a time of slow and steady progress that can set the stage for a long time to come. To get here you may have overcome obstacles by making important decision and choices that set the direction of your life.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23 Anything or anyone that drains your time and energy should be re-evaluated. It’s time to use that creative imagination of yours to create grandeur in your life. Jupiter, the planet of expansion in your Solar 11th house is creating a lot of opportunities for you. Don't get too carried away and lose sight of little things that mean a lot to you.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23 Responsibility is your key word, especially at work. Set your own goals, rather than trying to meet those set by someone else. You will achieve a lot more, especially when you're motivated by your own desires. Your ability to manage what you have on your plate earns respect from others around you. You will benefit in every way if you learn to self-discipline and pace yourself wisely.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23 Relationships are likely to widen your horizons, but exercise caution, because some opportunities won't prove quite as amazing as they first seem. Saturn in Libra, the sign of diplomacy, will help you organize your priorities and systematically put them into practice. People entering your life now will encourage you to move beyond your established boundaries of safety.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22 At work sometimes a little upheaval and chaos is exactly what you need to set things right again. There’s no need to be complacent: the time is now. you’ll have no qualms about deciding what you want and going after it with total devotion. Unpredictable energies continue to influence your health sector. The key for you as always is to remain calm and collected.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21 You know you have no choice but to streamline and reassess your priorities before haphazardly saying yes to everything that smells like a potential opportunity. Try to create a balance between expansion and conservation. Jupiter in your opposite sign makes you feel invincible, but the way to utilise this transit is to sift through all the opportunities that come your way.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

If you are your own boss, then you can look forward to a fairly good week. Capricornians who face a strict schedule may find the next seven days a little frustrating, because this is a week where you will need a certain amount of personal space. You may be absorbing new ideas about how to create financial independence. Others may not understand, so you may have to keep your ideas to yourself.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19 If your ambitions have been undefined, don't worry as from now on, you understand exactly what kind of impact you need to make on the world. Sun in your work sector rules your daily life. All those little details should run perfectly, without you constantly worrying. Health-wise you will be feeling fit and relaxed.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20 It’s all about communications, as they take centre stage this week. You’ll have to openly speak up about your wants and needs without fear.

Regarding love there will be a struggle between devotion and freedom. You need to feel completely consumed by the passion of your lover, and yet you need personal space to explore your own thing.

SPorT woRlD

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

Paes confirms participation at London Olympics

India’s Leander Paes has confirmed he will compete in his sixth Olympics in London, saying his job was to play sports and not politics. Paes had threatened to opt of out the London Games after the All Indian Tennis Association (AITA) decided to pair him with the young Vishnu Pardhan following Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna's refusal to play alongside country's highest ranked player.

Paes was biding his time to speak on the issue until Thursday last when he said he was ready to ignore "petty politics" in the sport and represent India at July 27-August 12 event. "I am here to play sport and not politics," Paes said following his men's doubles first round win at the Wimbledon with Czech partner Radek Stepanek.

"Unfortunately, I see the games being played within games. Though it is very disheartening, I am looking forward to my sixth Olympics as I have played for 22 years for the people and the flag." The Atlanta Games bronze medallist asserted he was ready to partner anyone AITA has selected. Asked about 300th ranked singles player, Vardhan, Paes said: "I don't even know if he has a grass-court shoe. So it is a bit of a tough one. But he

is a really good kid.

"Whatever the obstacles are, which I see are going to be many - he has never been to Wimbledon before - whatever I can do as an experienced professional athlete to help my partners out, I would do," he said.

It’s humiliating to be used as a bait, says Sania Sania Mirza, who received a wildcard for the Olympics hit out at the Indian tennis system, saying that it was “humiliating” to be used as a “bait to try and pacify one of the disgruntled stalwarts of Indian tennis”. “While I feel honoured and privileged to have been chosen to partner Leander Paes, the manner and timing of the announcement wreaks (sic) of male chauvinism where a two-time Grand Slam champion, who has been

India's number one women's tennis player for almost a decade in singles and doubles is offered in compensation to partner one of the feuding champions purely in order to lure him into accepting to play with a men's player he does not wish to play with! “This kind of blatant humiliation of Indian womanhood needs to be condemned even if it comes from the highest controlling body of tennis in our country,” she said.

ICC bid to introduce DRS Indian business houses buy 'quashed' after India object all seven Sri Lanka Premier Cricket's latest bid to make decision review technology mandatory for all Tests and one-day internationals has been swiftly quashed after opposition from powerful India, a report said.

The recommendation by chief executives was not put to a vote and "came and went without a murmur" at the International Cricket Council's (ICC) board meeting in Kuala Lumpur, last week. The board meeting was chaired by India's Sharad Pawar, who is the ICC president. India was the only country to object to the measure, a website said. The report comes after India publicly rejected the new recommendation for mandatory use of the Decision Review System (DRS), which employs ball-tracking and thermal-imaging technology to check whether batsmen should be given out.

"The BCCI continues to

believe that the system is not foolproof," the Board of Control for Cricket in India said. India, including star batsman Sachin Tendulkar, have been deeply suspicious of DRS since a number of reviews went against them in their 2008 Test series with Sri Lanka, when the technology was on trial.

New Zealander Isaac takes over as ICC chief New Zealander Alan Isaac succeeded Sharad Pawar as the new ICC president.

Former South Africa wicketkeeper David Richardson was confirmed as the new ICC chief executive at the end of compatriot Haroon Lorgat's four-year term. "I believe that the challenges ahead are no less daunting than those we have faced in the last two years if we are to maintain the vibrancy and viability of the three formats of the sport," Isaac said in a statement.

League franchisees

Indian business enterprises showed keen interest in the inaugural edition of the Sri Lanka Premier League and bought all the seven contesting franchises on offer, even as the BCCI decided not to allow its players to participate in the Twenty 20 league.

The Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) had even last year prohibited its players from participating in the league, which forced the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to abort the opening season of the SLPL. While Wadhawan Holdings shelled out the highest bid - $ 5.02 million for Wayamba, Number One Sports Consulting offered a bid of $ 4.98 million for Kandurata. The Uva and Ruhuna went to Success Sports and Pearl Overseas

respectively for an amount of $ 4.6 million. Basnahira was bought by Indian Cricket Dundee at $ 4.33 million, while Uthura at $ 3.4 million went to Rudra Sports. Varun Beverages, meanwhile, spent $ 3.22 million for Nagenahira. The debut edition of the SLPL is scheduled to commence from August 10, with the final to be held on August 31.

The matches will be played at capital city Colombo and the central province's Pallekele. The franchises will be allowed a maximum of 18 players, including six foreign cricketers, for registration.

However, a team can play only two foreigners in the playing eleven. The value of each player will be decided by SLC in the player draft to be held on July 5 and 6.

Tony Greig urges India to put cricket before cash Former England captain Tony Greig has urged India to accept that "spirit of cricket is more important than generating billions of dollars." India is cricket's economic powerhouse, driving the finance of the global game through the sponsorship and broadcast deals that derive from the sport's huge popularity in the world's second most populous nation.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also oversees the lucrative Twenty20 Indian Premier League franchise tournament.

However, many observers believe the BCCI has used its huge influence for its own interests rather than those of the global game and that, as a result, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is not functioning properly. They cite as evidence the BCCI's ongoing refusal to accept the television replay Decision Review System (DRS), despite repeated calls for its universal implementation by senior ICC committees. South Africa-born

Greig, 65, giving the 2012 MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture, named after his late former England teammate Colin Cowdrey, at Lord's said: "Much of the game is controlled by the BCCI because it controls enough votes to block any proposal put forward at the ICC board meetings.

"The reason for this is some countries would not survive without the financial opportunities India provides." Greig, who called for the IPL to be expanded into an Asian league, backed for-

mer Australia captain Steve Waugh's suggestion for players to take lie detector tests in a bid to root out corruption from cricket. But the thrust of his speech was aimed at the BCCI, with Greig saying India could solve most of the sport's existing problems "if it embraces the spirit of cricket and leads for world cricket, not just India".

However, he also said the BCCI's financial focus had led to a lopsided international calendar. "The net result is Test cricket is suffering; some players appear not to have the same feeling for Test matches as their predecessors; there are more and more meaningless ODIs (one-day international matches)."

The former all-rounder continued: "This situation can only be resolved by India accepting the spirit of cricket is more important than generating billions of dollars; it's more important than turning out multi-millionaire players; and it's more important than

getting square with Australia and England for their bullyboy tactics towards India over the years."

Greig was himself accused of denigrating Test cricket by acting as the 'recruiting sergeant' for Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket, which lured players away from official matches with improved salaries. Greig, explaining why he'd "sacrificed" the England captaincy to become involved with "an Australian television tycoon", pointed to quotes from a transcript of his meeting with Packer soon after he had led England in the Centenary Test against Australia in Melbourne in 1977. "Kerry, money is not my major concern. I'm nearly 31years-old. I'm probably two or three Test failures from being dropped from the England team. I don't want to finish up in a mundane job when they drop me. I'm not trained to do anything. I am at the stage in my life where my family's future is more important than anything else.”

31

Action at a Glance Aleem Dar honoured for officiating in 150 ODIs Elite Panel umpire Aleem Dar has been honoured by the ICC for becoming only the seventh man to officiate in 150 ODIs, a feat he achieved when he took the field for the first onedayer between England and Australia. To mark the achievement, Javagal Srinath of the Elite Panel of ICC match referees, presented a memento to Dar at the post-match presentation ceremony at the Lord's. The 44-year-old, who won the David Shepherd Trophy for the third successive year by winning the ICC Umpire of the Year award at the LG ICC Awards in London in 2011, made his umpiring debut in February 2000 when he officiated in an ODI between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Gujranwala.

3rd ODI washed out, India 'A'West Indies 'A' series ends 1-1 The third and final unofficial one-dayer between India 'A' and the West Indies 'A' had to be called off without a ball being bowled due to rain, leaving the series tied 1-1.

Overnight rain continued well into the afternoon and umpires were left with little choice but to abandon the match. The series finished tied 1-1 after West Indies A won the first match by two wickets last Wednesday and India clinched the second by 108 runs two days later. With this, India A's tour of the Caribbean came to an end with the team achieving modest results. The two teams had earlier tied 1-1 in the couple of Twenty20s, while the hosts had claimed the three-match unofficial four-day Test series. India's batsmen, including established names such as Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan struggled on the tour, but a few youngsters such as allrounder Jalaj Saxena made an impres sion with gritty performances in the low-scoring affairs on the bouncy tracks.

Sehwag, Zaheer set to return for Sri Lanka tour The fit-again duo of opening batsman Virender Sehwag and pacer Zaheer Khan is all set to return to the Indian squad after missing the Asia Cup when the selectors meet to choose the side for the upcoming cricket tour of Sri Lanka. The duo, along with Zaheer's pace understudy Umesh Yadav, sat out of the Asia Cup in Bangladesh in March on fitness grounds. They were also not part of the squad for the one-off Twenty 20 International in South Africa on March 30 which was India's last international engagement. With these three players expected to be available for selection, the squad for the Lanka tour - comprising only one-day internationals and Twenty20 ties - is set to see some changes from the side which flopped in the Asia Cup and lost the rain-hit T20 match to the hosts in Johannesburg by D/L method.

Blake beats Bolt again to secure Jamaican sprint double Yohan Blake set himself up as the man to beat in London with a stunning 200 meters victory, beating world record holder Usain Bolt for a second time in three days to bring the Jamaican Olympic trials to an explosive conclusion. Blake, who shocked Bolt with an emphatic win in the 100m, followed it up with an even more impressive performance in the 200, catching the triple Olympic gold medallist down the stretch before holding him off in the closing meters. The winner clocked a time 19.80 seconds to a massive roar from a frenzied crowd at the National Stadium. Bolt secured his Olympic spot by taking second in 19.83, grinning as he hugged his training partner in the finish area.

32

Asian Voice - Saturday 7th July 2012

Record-breaking Spain rewrite the rule book

Majestic Spain took their place among the game's greats by thrashing Italy 40 to retain their European title on Sunday, the biggest victory margin in a World Cup or Euro final and all without a recognised striker. Their success rewrote the tactical handbook and the record books after goals from David Silva, Jordi Alba and late substitutes Fernando Torres and Juan Mata gave the world champions an ultimately easy victory over an Italian team down to 10 men through injury for the last half-hour.

"It was a great match for our players, they controlled the game," Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque told reporters. "But there is not one football, the important thing is to score goals. We have strikers but we decided to play with players who went better with our style." Italy coach Cesare Prandelli added: "They made history and deservedly - they have a lot of players who are tried and tested at this level and even though they don't play with a classic striker they certainly cause you

plenty of problems."

While Spain's brilliant performance brought them a fully deserved success, what they achieved needs to be placed in some historical perspective, if only because their tiki-taka short-passing style has been criticised during the tournament.

Spain have become the first national side to win three major tournaments in the modern era after their Euro 2008 success and World Cup victory two years ago and have equalled Germany's record of three European titles.

Records tumble Sunday's win also beat the victory margin Helmut Schoen's West Germany side recorded for a Euro final with their 3-0 win over the Soviet Union in 1972.

Two years later Schoen led West Germany to a World Cup triumph, a unique double success for a coach until Del Bosque matched it on Sunday.

Torres became the first player to score in two Euro finals and, together with his Chelsea club mate and fellow scoring substitute Mata, became one of a handful of players to win

Action at a Glance Torres wins Euro 2012 Golden Boot

Fernando Torres won the Golden Boot as Euro 2012 top-scorer thanks to a goal and an assist in the final eight minutes of Spain’s 4-0 victory over Italy in Sunday’s final. Torres finished with three goals and an assist along with Germany striker Mario Gomez, but played less minutes than his rival, which is the tiebreak criteria of the ruling body UEFA. The Chelsea striker Torres scored in the 84th minute of the final and fed Juan Mata in the 88th. His earlier two goals came in the other 4-0 win over Ireland in the group stage.

Iniesta named Euro 2012's best player

Andres Iniesta of Spain was named the best player at the tournament on Monday.

Iniesta played a central role for Spain’s 4-0 win over Italy. Andy Roxburgh, the head of UEFA's technical group, told reporters: "Andrea Pirlo was magnificent for Italy, Xavi won it last time and could have won it again.

Xabi Alonso was magnificent but Iniesta sends a message about creative and incisive football and was superb throughout."

the Champions League and European Championship in the same season. Other records were eclipsed too as the Spaniards redefined what it takes to be successful at the elite level of the game in the modern age.

Starting without a recognised striker because David Villa was unfit for the tournament and Torres's form has been erratic, Del Bosque put his faith in midfield magicians like Cesc Fabregas, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Xabi Alonso

and the uncompromising Sergio Busquets.

They created the chances for themselves and they knew how to take them too. Spain's second goal came from left back Jordi Alba, who burst through a static defence like a midfielder, picking up the ball from Xavi's pass like Usain Bolt collecting a baton in a relay before slotting home. Four-times world champions Italy were in danger of losing from as early as the 14th minute

when Spain took the lead through a rare header from the diminutive Silva.

Impossible task Italy responded before halftime with eight goal attempts but, when they went in trailing 2-0 at the break and with their striker Mario Balotelli having an off night, the task looked beyond them. Their midfield playmaker Andrea Pirlo, so impressive in the earlier rounds, was also eclipsed and looked on in tears as Spain collected the

David Beckham fails to make Britain's Olympic squad Former England captain David Beckham revealed he had not been picked for Great Britain's Olympic football squad. Beckham, regarded as a potential skipper of the side, confirmed in a statement he had not made the final 18man squad as one of coach Stuart Pearce's three overage players.

Pearce had travelled to the United States to assess Beckham's form last week before making his decision. "Everyone knows how much playing for my country has always meant to me," Beckham said in a statement. "So I would

have been honored to have been part of this unique Team GB squad.

"Naturally I am very disappointed, but there will be no bigger supporter of the team than me. And like everyone, I will be hoping they can win the gold."

Beckham, 37, had spoken repeatedly of his desire to play in an Olympics staged in his hometown.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid was widely expected to be granted a place in the squad as reward for his role in helping London win the Olympics at the 2005 International Olympic Committee vote in Singapore. The football superstar's presence on the campaign trail in Singapore is often credited as being one of the key factors in tipping the vote in London's favour during the final few days of lobbying.

trophy at the end.

Cruelly for Italy, their plight was not helped when their third substitute Thiago Motta limped off with a hamstring injury just four minutes after coming on, leaving them with just 10 men for the last 30 minutes. Italy had more possession than Spain in the opening half but when they did have a sniff of goal, Iker Casillas maintained his astonishing record of not conceding a goal in the knockout stage of a tournament for the 10th successive match.

The Spain goalkeeper also reached another milestone with a record 100th win for his country. The only other team to claim three successive major titles was Argentina who lifted the Copa America in 1945, 1946 and 1947 when the tournament was held annually. However, that feat pales into insignificance compared to Spain's achievement such is the pace and the demands of the modern game.

Somehow Spain have not only been able to cope with those demands but have risen way above them.

Rafael Nadal suffers shock Wimbledon defeat W o r l d number 2 Rafael N a d a l crashed to his worst G r a n d Slam defeat in seven years when Czech journeyman Lukas Rosol, the world number 100, pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Wimbledon history. Rosol, whose previous five visits to Wimbledon had ended in first round losses in qualifying, stunned the 2008 and 2010 champion, and 11-time Grand Slam title winner Nadal, 6-7 (9/11), 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in the second round.

IPL spot-fixing: BCCI bans 5 players

Cracking the whip on Indian cricketers caught in the IPL spot-fixing scandal, the BCCI on Saturday slapped a life ban on pacer T P Sudhindra and handed lighter punishments to four other players who were also exposed in a TV sting operation.

The decision to ban the players for varying degrees was taken by the BCCI’s disciplinary committee, headed by President N Srinivasan, which met to discuss the report submitted by the Board’s AntCorruption Unit chief Ravi

Sawani on the matter.

While the 28year-old Sudhindra was the worst hit as his career seems all but over, Shalabh Srivastava was banned for five years.

Mohnish Mishra, Amit Yadav and Abhinav Bali were banned for a year each.

“The Committee held Sudhindra guilty of actually receiving a consideration to spot-fix in a domestic cricket match, and

hence imposed exemplary penalty on him. Sudhindra has been debarred for life, from playing any cricket matches conducted or authorised by the ICC or BCCI, or any affiliated unit of the BCCI,” the Board said in a statement.

Sudhindra will not be entitled to the monthly gratis, benevolent fund, benefit match or any other facility offered to players by the BCCI. He also cannot hold any position in any cricket association affiliated to the BCCI for life.

“Shalabh Srivastava

was held guilty of agreeing to fix a match and negotiate terms for the same, even though no actual match-fixing or spot fixing took place,” the Board stated.

“He has been debarred for a period of five years, from playing any cricket matches conducted or authorised by the ICC or BCCI, or any affiliated unit of the BCCI,” it added.

Like Sudhindra, he will also not be entitled to the monthly gratis, benevolent fund, benefit matches or any other facility, during this period.